西山八大寺群，始于唐大历年。白云苍狗，历经废兴，气象不减。立日升月恒，星汉流光，冰雪浸湮。尤厚人文，于斯濨繁，诸境而心不染。嗟夫，山存万古，谁与比肩？朝露夕烟，聚万壑之精魂；夜梦幽远，合百御之凌虚。四时风月恰曼舞而翩跹。

长安寺古木盘根，星聚龙泉；灵光寺千佛般形，大悲凤慈。山林青扬遮星斗，忽来野寻之人，昏鸦惊度而鸣。偶有骚客入林，轻挽佳人，辞伪幽径空添愁。吾居空山，离尘俗，素衣蔬食，志求寂静。乐山林，持戒安静，多惠于慈母，经年诵经奉佛。母又益于吾祖母，青衣盘珠，一生慈善。虎峰，无非般若，更是以儒入画，出之以道，成之于佛。

吾生边陲塞上。九曲汤汤，蜿蜒九泽扼塞；万涛淼淼，澎湃十重峦要冲。中华脊梁，哺以煌煌文渊；炎黄命脉，载以烨烨史册；千涧垂其瀑练，万倾传其合馨。循五行，潜深实于宇宙；贯九省，孕繁华之都城。乾坤因水而荣荣，中华缘河而递迢迢。

溯古追源，吾乃夫子七十五代世孙矣！年少追风，研岩石史书于野；而立游于欧陆在市。不惑作《南京不哭》，偶遇建琪，邀入虎峰。山之陋居，鸡犬相闻。辅七人，如沙弥，敦厚自修。启创无相，而另开人生矣！高呼，重构东方美学也！画近自然浑成，意境深远。又以诗文赋章释画，赋辞含蓄蕴藉，画作留虚白淡空，开无相之始也。

累而小憩于长亭，焚香聆琴，观天下苍生。煮茶闻梵音，恩上古圣贤，平杂念佞想，独享山野之寂寞矣。

癸卯年甲寅月甲辰日

2023年2月15日

Hall on Mount West

YUAN Xiao-Lou

The cluster of eight major temples in Mount West dates back to the Tang Dynasty around 766 to 779 CE. Despite the vicissitudes of history, the grandeur remains undiminished. The sun rises, the moon endures, stars shimmer, the snow freezes, and the cluster stands here, where humanity accumulates and deters the hearts from being tainted there. Alas, who can rival the mountains that have weathered thousands of years? The dew of dawn and the mist of dusk extract the quintessence of Mother Earth; night dreams are profound, merging the ethereal thoughts of many a school. The breeze and wind of four seasons dances with the moon, gracefully in unison.

In Temple Chang-An are ancient trees with roots interwind, above the Spring of Loong stars gathering. In Temple Ling-Guang, thousands of Buddhas manifest great compassion. The canopy of verdant woods shades the eyes of stars, so sometimes travelers wander here, startling the crows to streak the sky, and some laureate walks here, holding the gentle hand of a beauty, but merely adds melancholy along the secluded paths. I reside in this empty mountain, away from the mundane, dressed in plain clothes, eating simple meals, and seeking tranquility. I find joy in the mountains and forests, maintain discipline, and benefit greatly from my kind mother, reciting scriptures and worshipping Buddha year-round. My mother inherited the virtues of my grandmother, clad in a cyan robe with Buddha beads, and enshrined a life of kindness. On Peak Tiger, wisdom transcends, integrating Confucianism into art, expressed through Daoism, and completed in Buddhism.

I was born in the north of the Great Wall. The winding river flows through nine lakes; the surging waves buffet the passes in mountains. The backbone of China derives from the brilliant accumulation of culture; in the veins of Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang flows the splendid history, like thousands of streams cascading down cliffs, spreading their fragrance over vast lands. The principles of the Five Elements deeply rooted in the cosmos incubate metropolises throughout the nation, which thrive because of water and prosper by virtue of the rivers of great China.

Tracing back to my ancestors, I am a 75th-generation descendant of Confucius. In my youth, I pursued dreams, studying rock painting and history through fieldwork; during my adulthood, I traveled around Europe. At the age of forty, I drew "Don’t Cry, Nanjing" and by chance met Jian Qi, who invited me to move onto Tiger Peak. The humble dwelling in the mountain resounded with chickens and dogs. I taught seven disciples, like novice monks, earnestly self-cultivating. I established the school of “Formless,” opening a new chapter of life. I passionately call for the reconstruction of oriental aesthetics, creating paintings close to nature with profound meaning. I explain my paintings with poems and odes, imbuing the words with connotations subtle but rich, leaving blank spaces on canvas styled in “Formless.”

When weary, I would like to have a rest in the long pavilion, burning incense and listening to the zither, observing the people of the world. Brewing tea while listening to Buddhist chants, I honor the ancient sages, calming my thoughts and enjoying the solitude of the wilderness.

​15 February 2023