Chinese Calligraphy

Brooklyn College, Dept of Modern Languages and Literatures, Fall 2024

CHIN 1111 Chinese Calligraphy

Meeting Time and Place: T, 3:40-06:25PM

Classroom: 3129 BH

Prof./Dr. Chia-ju Chang (Pronouns: she, her, her)

Office hours: T 2:30-3:30 pm and by appt.

Office: Boylan 4107

Note: The best (only) way to contact me is by email. You can expect a reply within 24 hours. Also, please exchange phone numbers or email addresses with at least one classmate.

Course Description

As a Zen Contemplative Studies (ZCS) class, it first and foremost regards calligraphy as a meditative upaya or “skillful means” for study in the School of Zen or Chan Buddhism 禪宗. Students use brush and 公案 ( in Japanese) as an"enlightenment tool" to express their understanding of deeper truths about existence, the world, and the mind. Chan/Zen words, phrases, or are puzzles or riddles used during meditation to help practitioners awaken to their fundamental nature. Before moving to this "Chan/Zen calligraphy," students begin with exercises to "fast the mind" 心齋 or "still the mind" 定心 and explore the invisible flow of 氣 that unifies body, mind, and surroundings. In this course, we will not focus on the multitude of skills and techniques typically learned to produce Chinese calligraphic artwork. Instead, we will emphasize the contemplative (particularly that of Zen), experiential, expressive, and creative qualities inherent in the medium. Students will learn how to integrate elements of Chinese calligraphy into study. This hands-on art course requires no prior knowledge of Chinese calligraphy or Zen. As a Zen contemplative class, students are required to participate in an online meditation session in the evening once a week.

Objective: Students will gain knowledge and experience in the following areas:

· Basic meditation techniques and movements.

· Using calligraphy as a tool of mental discipline to still/fast the mind.

· Understanding basic philosophy and the purposes of meditation.

· Experiencing calligraphy as a direct expression of Zen.

· Appreciating Zen aesthetics, such as simplicity, spontaneity, and emptiness or no-mind.