Mr. Xue Mo’s Works on Displayat the Exhibition of Calligraphy and Paintings by Eminent Chinese Buddhists

 

Mr. Xue Mo’s Works on Display

at the Exhibition of Calligraphy and Paintings

by Eminent Chinese Buddhists

On China International Cultural Industries Fair, Shenzhen

From May 14th to 19th, 2014, the works of Mr. Xue Mo, the bearer of Mahamudra culture of Buddhism and writer from Gansu Providence, are on display at the Exhibition of Calligraphy and Paintings by Eminent Chinese Buddhists on China International Cultural Industries Fair. The venue is Bantian, Longgang District, Shenzhen. Of all the contributors to this exhibition, among whom are such eminent contemporary Buddhist monks as Master Xinyun, Master Jingkong, and Master Benhuan, Mr. Xue Mo is the only householder practitioner of Buddhism. All together there are 108 masterpieces on exhibition.

 

Xue Mo, whose original name was Chen Kaihong, was born in Liangzhou, Gansu Provincein 1963. He is a member of the China Writers’ Union, National first-class writer, vice chairman of the Writers’ Union of Gansu and of Dongguan, Guangdong, and vice president of the Folk Artists Association of Dongguan. Since the age of seventeen, when he took refuge in Buddhism, he has explored deep and practiced tirelessly until now. He is the bearer of Mahamudra, proficient in Buddhist sutras and traditional Dharma practices. After spiritual awakening, he took solitary retreat to practice Mahamudra for about twenty years. He is the initiator of the Shangpa Culture Forum. As an iconic figure of Mahamudra culture, who unearths the ancient wisdom of Mahamudra and applies it to our new age, Xue Mo is honored as the Father of Contemporary Mahamudra. His works include “the Desert Trilogy” (A Cult of the Vast Desert, The Hunting Ground, and The Gate of White Tiger), “the Soul Trilogy” (The Curse of Xi Xia, The Wolf of Xi Xia, and The Eternal Vajrasattva), “the Ever-Bright Mahamudra Series” (Essence and Practice, Instant Enlightenment, Understanding Life and Death, A Pilgrimage of Literature, Marvelous Function in the Contemporary World, A Life of Wisdom, etc.), and “the Soul Yoga Series” (The World Is a Reflection of Your Mind, The World Is a Means to Temper Your Mind, and Let Heart Belong to You).

 

China International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), Shenzhen, is co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the General Administration of Press and Publication, Guangdong Provincial People’s Government, and Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government. It is the only national-level comprehensive cultural fair of its kind in China. With “exhibition and exchange” as its core, ICIF makes efforts to establish an exchange platform for Chinese cultural products and projects, promote China’s cultural industries, and spread Chinese cultural products to the world.

 

Considering the quantity of Mr. Xue Mo’s exhibits, the organizer of the exhibition has specially prepared a room which is devoted to the more than ten pieces of Mr. Xue Mo, including calligraphical works of various sizes – Dashouying (Mahamudra), Fo (Buddha), Chan, Wu (enlightenment), and Dashanzhuxin (great compassion cultivates one’s mind). At the same time, Mr. Xue Mo’s ink brush paintings of the camel and the eagle are on display for the first time. They are the outcome of his recent retreated practice for the last few months. They are much sought after even before they are shown to the public. Xue Mo says that he is obsessed with painting two animals, the eagle and the camel. “I love the eagle for its imposing manner, and the camel for its tenacity,” says Xue Mo. “And I have both.” As is the way of his life, Xue Mo is never content with his “lot”; he is constantly breaking off the old self and surpassing himself, and he is always ready to break through desperate situations and achieve rebirth.

Exhibited along with the calligraphy and paintings are dozens of Xue Mo’s published books, which adds to the diversity of the exhibition.

The following are the comments of Zhan Zhifeng, a master of calligraphy and seal cutting (who has cut seals for former President Jiang Zeming and such masters as Li Keran, Wu Zuoren, Guan Shanyue, Qi Gong, and Huang Zhou) and vice chairman of the Association of Landscape Painting affiliated to Chinese Artists Association: “Like the calligraphy of Master Hongyi, Xue Mo’s calligraphy, with its unique verve and nuances, has a distinctly scholarly style of its own, which the average calligrapher can never achieve in their lifetime. That style is due to Xue Mo’s deep cultural grounding and his boundless spiritual realm. His calligraphy is void of mundaneness. Art in the highest level is without mundaneness. Xue Mo has made it. He has gone beyond. He has a solid grounding in literature and art, yet he retains a childlike innocence; that’s why he writes in the way he does. As is said, a great master is like a child. Xue Mo’s calligraphy, whether in terms of its layout, composition or structure, is entirely his own, something that many calligraphers are in pursuit of but that very few have achieved. Xue Mo writes spontaneously; the characters seem to flow out of his brush naturally. Apparently, he is in another realm, which comes from his true nature. It’s not a matter of techniques, which is quite easy to cope with. It’s the realm that counts. It is the overflow and manifestation of one’s mind-nature.”

Xue Mo’s calligraphy of “Mahamudra” and other smaller pieces are much loved and sought after by culture lovers. The form, meaning, and spirit of each character he writes is a symbol of the spirit of Mahamudra which he has advocated. Xue Mo interprets the meaning of Mahamudra (literally, Great Hand Seal) in his Ever-Bright Mahamudra: Essence and Practice. “Great” refers to great vision, great realm, great compassion; “hand” suggests deeds and contribution to society; “seal” implies the wisdom of brightness and emptiness, the ultimate concern.

 

Mahamudra is the essence of Buddhism, the ultimate prajna wisdom, or “the heart of all the buddhas,” as is called among Buddhists. Xue Mo, having penetrated into that “heart,” takes up the dissemination of Mahamudra in the form of words. Mahamudra is the soul of Xue Mo’s calligraphy and paintings; the shapes and images manifest a transcendental great-heartedness and immense charms of Chan.

Someone said that Xue Mo’s calligraphy is luminous. It is the light that can only appear after the achieving of Bright Mahamudra. The work itself is written in a state of purity, emptiness, and brightness; it is a marvelous function of the true mind. Only great compassion and the true mind is able to produce the brightness that we need.

All the income from the sales of Xue Mo’s calligraphy and paintings will go to the account of Guanzhou Institute of Shangpa Culture for the research and dissemination of the culture of Great Compassion.

 

Appendix:

Xue Mo and Xue Mo Meditation Centre

Xue Mo, whose original name was Chen Kaihong, was born in Liangzhou, Gansu Provincein 1963. He is a member of the China Writers’ Union, National first-class writer, vice chairman of the Writers’ Union of Gansu and of Dongguan, Guangdong, and vice president of the Folk Artists’ Association of Dongguan. He now lives at Zhangmutou, a small town in Guangdong Province.

Since the age of seventeen, when he took refuge in Buddhism, Xue Mo has explored deep and practiced tirelessly until now. He is the bearer of Mahamudra, proficient in Buddhist sutras and traditional Dharma practices. After spiritual awakening, he took solitary retreat to practice Mahamudra for about twenty years. He is the initiator of the Shangpa Culture Forum. As an iconic figure of Mahamudra culture, who unearths the ancient wisdom of Mahamudra and applies it to our new age, Xue Mo is honored as the Father of Contemporary Mahamudra.

His works include “the Desert Trilogy” (A Cult of the Vast Desert, The Hunting Ground, and The Gate of White Tiger), “the Soul Trilogy” (The Curse of Xi Xia, The Wolf of Xi Xia, and The Eternal Vajrasattva), “the Ever-Bright Mahamudra Series” (Essence and Practice, Instant Enlightenment, Understanding Life and Death, A Pilgrimage of Literature, Marvelous Function in the Contemporary World, A Life of Wisdom, etc.), and “the Soul Yoga Series” (The World Is a Reflection of Your Mind, The World Is a Means to Temper Your Mind, and Let Heart Belong to You).

The soul of Xue Mo’s work is Mahamudra, a transcendental culture. Xue Mo interprets the meaning of Mahamudra (literally, Great Hand Seal) this way: “Great” refers to great vision, great realm, great compassion; “hand” suggests deeds and contribution to society; “seal” implies the wisdom of brightness and emptiness, the ultimate concern. Mahamudra is the essence of Buddhism. Xue Mo integrates the wisdom of Mahamudra into his works and achieves a marvelous function of Mahamudra in real life. He has brought this precious ancient wisdom to the attention of contemporary people and has had great influences in China. Xue Mo has been on the shortlist of Mao Dun Literature Award twice, and he is the winner of Feng Mu Literature Award, Outstanding Novels Award (Shanghai), and Dunhuang Literature and Art Award. He is Excellent Expert of Gansu Province, Leading Talent of Gansu Province, and Artist of Great Virtue and Artistry of Gansu Province.

In recent years, Xue Mo has lectured on Mahamudra at Academia Fransaise, the Great Hall of the People, the National Library of China, Peking University, Minzu University of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Library, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Guangzhou Library. He has been interviewed and reported by Sina, Sohu, Netease, and ifeng.com. Articles on Xue Mo’s works have been published by the People’s Daily, Guang Ming Daily, Wenhui Daily, the Guardian, and Hong Kong Commercial Daily.

In October 2010, Xue Mo was elected torch bearer of the 16th Asian Games. Afterwards, he established Guangzhou Institute of Shangpa Culture and Xue Mo Meditation Centre. The aim of the latter is stated by Xue Mo in the following verse:

What is Xue Mo Chan?

Spirit superior to form.

Culture as its carrier,

It links past and present.

Accord with conditions,

Retain a bright mind.

Use Mahamudra subtly,

Help people in deed.

The centre is an open and nonprofit platform for culture exchange. It is comprehensive and it is not confined to a certain period of time or a certain place. It advocates equality, tolerance, wisdom, and benefiting others. Xue Mo advocates “saving the mind before saving the world, culture spearheading the campaign.” In the recent years, Xue Mo Meditation Center has been disseminating Mahamudra culture by donating books, organizing lectures, setting up cultural forums, doing interviews on the Internet, training volunteers and offering meditation courses. It has brought fresh water to the waste land of modern life and many peoples’ lives have been changed.

www.xuemo.cn was a nonprofit website created by Xue Mo ten years ago. Enormously influential, it serves as a channel of disseminating Shangpa culture. Some columns, such as “Xue Mo Meditation Center,” “Xiyu Tingxue” (Fold your wings and listen to what Xue Mo has to say), and “Yixin Hongchen” (Chen Yixin’s stories of the world), are extremely popular. For many readers, reading articles on www.xuemo.cn has become part of their lives and a major source of nutrition and wisdom.

In October 2009, Xue Mo launched a ten-day project, “Mahamudra in East China,” in Shanghai and it aroused wide concern. Since 2010, Guangzhou Institute of Shangpa Culture and Xue Mo Meditation Center have jointly organized four Shangpa Culture Forums, with Xue Mo as its initiator and keynote speaker. The themes of the forums are, respectively, “Going Out of the Dust-Laden History,” “Subtle Use of Mahamudra in Our Age,” “Mahamudra and Its Dissemination Today,” “Culture Saves the Human Heart: Keeping Abreast of the Times.” Shangpa Culture Forum takes place once a year, and its keywords are “humanity,” “philosophy,” and “faith.”

Also, Guangzhou Institute of Shangpa Culture, Xue Mo Meditation Centre, and www.xuemo.cn have jointly organized the passing on of the “Torch of Brightness” for several times and launched the widely acclaimed “Shangpa Book Donation Project,” which so far has donated books valued at fifty thousand RMB to the universities, institutions, libraries, and individual scholars and experts in various cities.

Xue Mo Meditation Centre is a venue where talents are discovered and cultivated. The volunteers are now spreading Shangpa culture in their unique ways and are fulfilling their dreams with what they have done.

www.xuemo.cn offers you a shelter of wisdom.

雪漠书画作品

应邀参加第十届中国（深圳）国际文博会

暨“中华佛教高僧大德墨宝精品展”

5月14日至19日，佛教大手印文化传承者、甘肃作家雪漠的书画作品应邀参加第十届中国（深圳）国际文化产业博览会暨“中华佛教高僧大德墨宝精品展”，在深圳龙岗坂田分会场展出。此次会展，雪漠是星云大师、净空法师、本焕长老等当代高僧大德108幅精品外唯一一位以大德居士身份和大手印文化传承人身份参展者。

雪漠，原名陈开红，1963年出生于甘肃凉州，中国作家协会会员，国家一级作家、甘肃省作家协会副主席、东莞市作家协会副主席、东莞民间文艺家协会副会长。由十七岁起拜师、深研、实修至今，精通经藏及佛教传统实修，系大手印传承者。于悟后起修，闭关专修大手印近二十载，创办了香巴文化论坛，为大手印文化承前启后、与时俱进的标志性人物，被誉为“当代大手印之父”。其作品包括：“大漠三部曲”（《大漠祭》、《猎原》和《白虎关》）和“灵魂三部曲”（《西夏咒》、《西夏的苍狼》、《无死的金刚心》），以及“光明大手印”系列丛书（《实修心髓》、《实修顿入》、《参透生死》、《文学朝圣》、《当代妙用》、《智慧人生》等），“心灵瑜伽”丛书（《世界是心的倒影》、《世界是调心的道具》、《让心属于你自己》等）。

中国（深圳）国际文化产业博览交易会由中华人民共和国文化部、中华人民共和国商务部、国家新闻出版广电总局、中国国际贸易促进委员会、广东省人民政府和深圳市人民政府联合主办，是中国唯一一个国家级、国际化、综合性文化产业博览交易会，以博览和交易为核心，是中国文化产业与世界沟通交流的文化平台。

由于雪漠老师的参展作品多，本次“中华佛教高僧大德墨宝精品展”中主办方特别为雪漠老师的书画设了独立展厅，共展出十多幅书画作品，其中有“大手印”、“佛”、“禅”、“悟”等墨宝及“大善铸心”等涂鸦小品。同时，雪漠还首次对外公开展出了以“骆驼”与“鹰”为意象的水墨画多幅，这也是他最近几个月闭关修炼的“成果”，还没有真正面世，就有多人闻讯抢先收藏。雪漠称，他最迷恋画两种动物：一是鹰，二是骆驼。雪漠说：“我喜欢鹰的‘势’，也喜欢骆驼的‘韧性’。这两种东西，我都有。”这一如雪漠的生命常态，他不喜欢“安分”，总是在不断地打碎自己，超越自己，总是在绝境中“厚积薄发”，获得重生。

雪漠老师的几十种著作也在本次展览中一并展出，丰富多彩，成为一景。

“雪漠的字像弘一法师的字一样，有它独特的境界和神韵，有一种属于自己的浓浓的书卷气，有着一般书法家追求一生也未必能追求到的味道和境界，这得益于雪漠深厚的文化底蕴和精神境界。很多人写一辈子，就是没有书卷气。雪漠的字没有火气。艺术的最高境界就是没有火气。雪漠本质上已经超脱了，这就到了另一个境界。雪漠的文化底子很厚，却不失童心，字才会这样，所谓大师若童。雪漠的字，无论布局、疏密关系，还是构图都有他自己的东西。许多书画家想追求这种东西，但追求不到。这是无法刻意追求的。雪漠的字是顺手而写的东西，是流淌的东西，就构成了它的美。他到了另外一个境界，来自他的本体。这不是技法的问题，技法好解决。不怕没技法，就怕没境界。它是心性的流露、流淌和体现，它不是单一的。”曾为江泽民总书记和李可染、吴作人、关山月、启功、黄胄等数十位名家大师治印的著名书画家、篆刻家、中国美术家协会河山画会副会长詹志峰先生曾这样评价。

雪漠的“大手印”墨宝和“涂鸦小品”一直以来深受广大文化爱好者的喜爱和收藏，其字、意、形、神都代表了雪漠所倡导的大手印精神。何为“大手印”？雪漠在《光明大手印：实修心髓》中如此诠释：大手印中的“大”，指大胸怀、大境界、大悲悯；“手”：注重行为、贡献社会；“印”：明空智慧、终极关怀。

大手印是佛教文化的精髓，是究竟的般若智慧，佛教界称之为“诸佛之心”。雪漠深入其“心”，将大手印智慧以文字为载体传播开来。大手印文化是雪漠书画的灵魂，透过那些字形与具象，处处彰显出一种超越的“大势”和浓浓的禅意。

有人称，雪漠的墨宝有“光”，这是契入光明大手印后才有的那种朗然光明湛然无物的澄明之境中写出的作品，它是真心之妙用。真正的“大爱”和“真心”，才能够承载我们需要的光明。

据知，雪漠“大手印”墨宝、“涂鸦小品”及水墨画的义卖款项均注入广州市香巴文化研究院，用于大善文化的研究和传播。

附录：

雪漠和雪漠禅坛

雪漠，原名陈开红，1963年出生于甘肃凉州。他是广州市香巴文化研究院院长，中国作家协会会员，国家一级作家、甘肃省作家协会副主席、东莞市作家协会副主席、东莞民间文艺家协会副会长。现定居岭南小镇樟木头。

雪漠老师从十七岁起拜师、深研、实修至今，精通经藏及佛教传统实修，系大手印传承者。于悟后起修，闭关专修大手印近二十载，创办了香巴文化论坛，为大手印文化承前启后、与时俱进的标志性人物，被誉为“当代大手印之父”。

雪漠作品包括：“大漠三部曲”（《大漠祭》、《猎原》和《白虎关》）和“灵魂三部曲”（《西夏咒》、《西夏的苍狼》、《无死的金刚心》），以及“光明大手印”系列丛书（《实修心髓》、《实修顿入》、《参透生死》、《文学朝圣》、《当代妙用》、《智慧人生》），“心灵瑜伽”丛书（《世界是心的倒影》、《世界是调心的道具》、《让心属于你自己》）。

大手印文化是雪漠作品的灵魂，是超越的文化。何为“大手印”？雪漠如此诠释：大手印中的“大”，指大胸怀、大境界、大悲悯；“手”：注重行为、贡献社会；“印”：明空智慧、终极关怀。大手印是佛教文化的精髓。雪漠老师将大手印智慧融入到作品中，在生活中实现了一种“妙用”，他与时俱进地将这种古老而珍贵的文化从尘封的历史中引入现代人的视野，在社会中产生了极大的影响。其作品曾两度入围“茅盾文学奖”，荣获“冯牧文学奖”、“上海长中篇小说优秀作品大奖”、“敦煌文艺奖”等。他是“甘肃省优秀专家”、“甘肃省领军人才”、“甘肃省德艺双馨文艺家”。

近几年来，雪漠先后在法国法兰西学院、法国文人学会、人民大会堂常委厅、国家图书馆、北京大学、中央民族大学、中国科学院、上海图书馆、上海复旦大学、上海交通大学、广州图书馆等地进行大手印文化的演讲。新浪、搜狐、网易、凤凰等门户网站分别对雪漠进行过访谈与报道。《人民日报》、《光明日报》、《文汇报》、英国《卫报》、《香港商报》等各大报刊媒体也都对雪漠作品进行过相关的报道。

2010年10月，雪漠被当选为第十六届亚运会火炬手。其后，雪漠成立广州市香巴文化研究院，创办“雪漠禅坛”。关于雪漠禅坛的宗旨，雪漠老师如是阐述：“雪漠禅如何？离相重精神。文化为载体，贯通古与今。随缘得自在，安住光明心。妙用大手印，行为利众生。”“雪漠禅坛”是一种开放性、公益性的文化交流平台，其内涵非常广大，不局限于一时一地。它是一种文化象征，倡导平等、包容、智慧、利众的精神。雪漠倡导“救世先救心，文化当先锋”。几年来，“雪漠禅坛”通过捐赠图书、讲座、文化论坛、网络访谈、志愿者培训、瑜伽禅修等各种方式，向社会传播大手印文化，给热恼而焦渴的当代人带来了一股清凉的文化“活水”，很多人因此而改变了命运。

雪漠文化网（www.xuemo.cn）是雪漠创办的公益性网站，至今已运行了十年，影响很大。它为香巴文化的传播和弘扬搭建了一座沟通的桥梁。“雪漠禅坛”、“息羽听雪”、“亦新红尘”等板块深受广大网友的喜爱，每天阅览雪漠文化网，汲取其营养和智慧，已经成了很多人离不开的一种生活方式。

2009年10月，雪漠在上海开展了为期十天的“大手印文化东部行”系列文化活动，产生了广泛的社会影响。自2010年起，雪漠做为发起人和主讲人，广州市香巴文化研究院与“雪漠禅坛”联合成功举办了四届香巴文化论坛，其主题分别为“走出尘封的历史”、“大手印文化的当代妙用”、“大手印文化与当代传播”、“文化救心，与时俱进”。这是围绕“人文”、“哲学”、“信仰”为宗旨的一年一度的高端文化论坛。

此外，广州市香巴文化研究院与“雪漠禅坛”、雪漠文化网联合进行了多期“光明之炬”传递活动，同时倡导发起了“香巴爱心读书工程”，为各大城市高校、研究所、图书馆及学者、专家捐赠图书多达五十万元，得到了社会各界人士的广泛好评。

同时，“雪漠禅坛”是挖掘人才、培养人才、铸就人才的摇篮。目前，香巴文化志愿者正以自己独有的方式传播着香巴文化，用实际的行为实践着自己的梦想。

雪漠文化网，智慧更清凉！www.xuemo.cn