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癸卯冬月，帝京落雪三日余，轻飞曼舞，如绵静落，闲游细荡，如䋈纷扬。又值初一，国之公祭日，吾发微信《南京不哭》祭之，此作已过八载。居陋室，不修边幅，三日不沐，发如乱草。小儿靓仔因大雪居家网课，见状惊叹：父长胡乎？吾笑：文人也。

蜗陋室，撰历五载，中华文脉断裂之画作《东坡赋》、《老子赋》、《孔子赋》，惊心悼胆，德性何也！大胆妄为，敢为天下至圣立赋！懦懦不安。妻笑：无妨，可另类书写。于是乎，意念与之神交，重读诸至圣而开书。

入居西山虎峰五载，每逢有友问之何年？戏：已修五百岁矣！尚浅。西山其色绝秀，崎彩斑斓，四季相映。因灵光寺佛之龄骨而千年不衰。焚音绕室藏乾隆三年《大藏经》也。习之灌顶醍醐。浩浩邈邈，经世不绝，每三百年出世重修。

虎头峰，万象皆从此出之，猿抱子归青嶂里，鸟衔花落碧岩前龙盘虎踞。自吾入居有豭喙白狐显于农历二月十九日之前三日，又经农历四月初八日后三日而羽化。亦有青蛇出没于斯室。吾惊叹空山僻野，与明月疏星相伴，玄英阳光悠然而晨曦矣。苍灵点翠，鸣飚啾啾而惺松醒矣。素秋枫腥红银杏金黄。槐序候方调，廉纤适清修，离尘俗，亲自然，起居简朴也。悠尔过春秋，静若秋溪，闲寂脱俗。寂然无尘，性清空澹泊，亦兼檀儒也。常叹：兴来每独往，胜事空自知。西山陋室，益于龙藏，壮美幽静化合，创无相画意。饱蕴禅寂，融摩诘之诗，合金刚之意，汲敦煌极色！又厚历史，独绝也。入于儒，出于道，成于佛，更精进于涅槃寂静之妙境。静观澄旷，寂悦趋高旨远，含蓄蕴藉，气韵悠扬，意境圆融，自然浑成。累而焚香独坐，浅尝辄止，聆灵光妙音，酪奴入禅。

空，乃西山本色，亦是长安蕴味。佛家唯尊之念，五蕴皆空，六尘非有。即灵动，飘逸含蓄。乃静，而动静有仪，非死寂！如昙花忌生命短暂，故而开得热烈。激情过，复归永恒之寂。生命自然融合，诚感性生之本意。

雨凇杂木繁茂，掩人与兽痕迹。山雨初霁，万物为之毓新。空清物秀，景之更妙。斑鸠春临山坡，野杏急于山桃花而先争妍，雪白落地。

残照，感时光与人事消散流变。静动和谐。光色流转，若即若离，恍耳惚之。夜闻钟声，禅趣幽深，道空寂无人矣。夜显寂冷，路泉碰巨石，幽洇清脆。空寂溪声如安魂曲，杂念佞想渐平服。

吾由色名成。色者肉体，生灭不可控，非吾属也。名自然之意识，乃现象，乃思维，亦感觉，时刻变化修正。吾与万物相契合，忘乎所以。生妄想，重构东方美学，续中华文脉：如致敬敦煌、如七情六欲。继而升华以二千五百载儒释道，又一千年之东坡列传，而后至当代矣！将其归类五行：夫子向东宣教儒学之青木；老子北向出函关，复归于婴儿，上善若水；佛陀居西引和合一体，释人生、世界观之赤金；坡仙向南一路随物赋形之烈火，及帝之厚土而中央居，续中华文脉也，故而谓之合。

空山虚静，夕照青苔。幽深虎峰，不予忧虑，不予彷徨。吾居其中，澄明而寂寞，得以安魂。

癸卯年甲子月辛亥日（冬月初七）

于帝京西山

Preface

YUAN Xiao-Lou

In the winter of 2023, it snowed in the capital for more than three days. The snowflakes drifted gently, dancing gracefully, falling silently like cotton, and floating lightly like soft strands. It was the first day of the lunar month, the National Memorial Day (December 13). I commemorated this day by posting WeChat Moments named “Don’t Cry, Nanjing,” when my painting of the same name, “Don’t Cry, Nanjing,” had been completed for eight years. I was living in a humble dwelling, unkempt and having not bathed for three days. My hair was like a tangled mess. My young son, Liang, attending online classes at home due to the heavy snow, saw me and exclaimed in surprise, "Father, why don’t you shave your beard?" I laughed and replied, "I am a literatus."

In this humble abode, I have spent five years creating paintings such as "Ode to Dong Po," "Ode to Old Master," and "Ode to Confucius," which are intended to fuse the fracture of Chinese cultural heritage. I did this with a meticulous heart, wondering about the virtue of it all. How daring it was to write odes for the greatest sages of the world! I felt uneasy. My wife laughed and said: "No worries, you are just writing differently." Thus, I communed with the spirits of these great sages in my mind, rereading their works and then starting my writing.

Living on Tiger Peak of Mount West for half a decade, whenever friends asked how long I had been here, I would joke, "I have cultivated here for five hundred years, but I still feel it's not enough.” The scenery of Mount West is extraordinarily beautiful, with brilliant hues reflecting the four seasons. The ancient Temple Lingguang stands strong for a thousand years due to the Buddha Sarira. Burning incense fills the scroll room, where the great scriptures Tripitaka of Emperor Qian-Long are kept. Studying these classical canons nourishes and enlightens me. The content covers truth vast and profound, renewed every three hundred years, and will never cease to exist.

On Tiger Peak, myriad phenomena emerge: apes return to the green mountains holding their young, birds with flowers in their beaks fly past the emerald cliffs. Since I moved here, I have witnessed a white fox appearing three days before the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, and again three days after the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, before it transformed and ascended. A green snake also roamed around this place. I marvel at the solitude of the mountains, accompanied by the sparse stars and the bright moon. In the clear mornings, verdant scenery awakens with the chirping of birds. In late autumn, the red maples and golden ginkgo trees stand in stark contrast. The peaceful season brings serenity, conducive to my lifestyle simple and plain. I have lived through the passing of many seasons, remaining as tranquil as an autumn stream, detached from worldly affairs. In a state serene and dust-free, I embody a calm and pure disposition, embodying both the qualities of a Confucian scholar and a Daoist recluse. I often sigh with the sentiment, "When inspiration strikes, I wander alone, savoring the beauty that only I can perceive." In my humble abode on Mount West, I find peace and inspiration. This place, rich with historical significance and natural beauty, fosters a unique artistic vision. Here, I create art that transcends form, deeply imbued with the spirit of Zen tranquility. My work integrates the poetic essence of WANG Wei, the profound meaning of the Diamond Sutra, and the vibrant colors of Dunhuang frescoes. Steeped in history, my creations stand out as exceptional. I embrace Confucianism, practice Daoism, and attain the spiritual enlightenment of Buddhism, gradually understanding the serene essence of Nirvana. Observing the vast, open landscape, I find deep joy in its stillness, reaching for lofty, profound insights. My work exudes subtlety, grace, and a harmonious blend of form and meaning. Nature and creativity are woven seamlessly into a state of effortless perfection. When tired, I sit alone, burning incense, taking brief sips of tea, and listening to the mystical sounds of Temple Lingguang. In these moments, I feel a deep connection to Zen, my mind entering a meditative state.

Emptiness is the essence of Mount West and the spirit of Chang'an. In Buddhism, the idea of emptiness is revered; all phenomena are empty; and the six senses are non-existent. It is both dynamic and still, neither lifeless nor stagnant! Like the short-lived bloom of the epiphyllum, its passion is intense, yet it returns to eternal stillness. Life naturally integrates, embodying the essence of emotional existence.

The dense mixed forest conceals traces of humans and animals. After the rain, all things rejuvenate. The scene is even more exquisite, with turtledoves arriving in spring, wild apricots blooming earlier than peach blossoms, and the ground covered with pure white snow.

The setting sun evokes a sense of time and the transience of human affairs. The harmony of movement and stillness, the changing light and colors create a mystical experience. At night, the sound of the bell is profound, the path empty and solitary. The night unfurls silent and cold, with the stream's sound like a lullaby, gradually calming the wandering thoughts.

“Self” has been defined by the form and the name. The form represents the physical body, which is subject to life and death, beyond our control and not belonging to us. Name is the awareness of nature, it is phenomena, thoughts, and feelings, constantly changing or corrected. Resonating with all things, “self” dissolves in the process. Harboring grand thoughts, my aim is to reconstruct oriental aesthetics and continue the Chinese cultural heritage: honoring Dunhuang, expressing human emotions and desires; respecting 2,500 years of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, along with the legacy of Dong Po; and reaching modern times! I categorize them into the Five Elements: Confucius preaching Confucianism in the east like planting woods, Laozi heading north and returning as an infant, embodying the highest virtue venerating water; Buddha residing in the west, symbolizing the unity and integration of all, representing gold; Dong Po heading south, casting things into different molds according to their silhouette like fire; and the Emperor of Earth resides in the central. Together, these Five Elements continue the Chinese cultural heritage and thus achieve unity.

The empty mountain is serene, with moss glowing in the twilight. The secluded Tiger Peak brings no worries or hesitation. Living here, I find clarity and solitude, bringing peace to my soul.

December 19, 2023, on Mount West of Beijing