How good are the paintings of Chinese traditional painter Renran?

Portrait of the famous painter Renran Layman

There is a layman named Ranran in Nanjing. He is very young, has a high level of understanding, and has a very good painting quality. We met in Mount Wutai, Shanxi, and he was the only layman who came to "research" that winter.

I remember that the weather was very cold at that time. Wutai Mountain is a cool place, and it is even colder in winter. One day at noon, I passed by the entrance of the Great Yuanzhao Temple and overheard a few people in the temple talking about Buddhism and Taoism. Their relaxed yet serious talk attracted me. I stopped and gently opened the temple door and saw a group of lamas talking. Sitting around on the stone steps in front of the living room, basking in the sun, they all had different shapes, just like a group of Arhat sculptures. Their bright monk robes looked extremely dazzling against the snow in the courtyard. He took a closer look and saw a layman in his twenties, slender and elegant. He was having a lively conversation with two monks. His voice was loud and high, and his expression was steady and humble.

Later I found out that his name was Renran, that he could draw, and that he was a lay Buddhist who came from Nanjing to study Dharma.

During that time, I often went to the dormitory of Yuanzhao Temple. Renran lived with several young lamas. The conditions there were very difficult. It is said to be the Tantric monastery with the hardest life and the strictest practice in Mount Wutai. . They get up at three o'clock in the night, chant sutras for more than ten hours every day, eat only two meals a day - no food after noon, and even the earthen beds where they sleep are often rat's nests. Renran was often woken up by mice at night, and sometimes even got bitten twice on his body. He jokingly said that this was because he snored while sleeping and woke up the mice from their dreams.

Ren Ran is a sincere seeker. He studied and enlightened himself when he was a child, and suddenly understood many Buddhist teachings. After coming into contact with Buddhism, he became even more courageous and diligent. He has visited many places to find teachers and friends, and has left his footprints in the four famous mountains of Buddhism. This is his second visit to Wutai. The previous time was in 1995, when he formed a relationship with Master Yanju of Yuanzhao Temple. Due to an indissoluble bond, this time I came to formally become a teacher and study the Fa. During this period, he was always drawing with his hands. The sketchbook he carried with him was like a rosary, recording it anytime and anywhere without slacking off.

One day it snowed heavily again, and the entire Mount Wutai was covered in silver. Renran went to the temple early in the morning with his sketchbook and spent the whole day drawing. When he came back, he was purple from the cold. He enthusiastically described his psychological feelings to me, and I listened and admired his sketches. To be honest, I was moved by him and his fiery and sincere enthusiasm for engineering and art.

However, after the beginning of spring, before leaving, Renran unexpectedly took all his sketchbooks to the fire room and used them as kindling paper and burned them. When I found out, I was very confused and asked him Why did this happen? Renran burst out laughing and turned to me and said: "Sketching is just a means. It records feelings rather than images. The real feelings are in the heart and not on paper!" "There is no need to burn it. Ah! Isn't this such a pity?" I was still puzzled, and Renran said: "What's a pity? It's a pity not to cherish it, just like our bodies will be burned sooner or later, but we can cherish life while we are alive. , understand life, it is not a pity at all to burn it even if you die, because it is just a carrier for use, and if we only cherish the body, we only know how to deal with this skin all day long, live for the sake of living, and do not cherish life. , to explore the true nature, that’s a pity!” I was sincerely convinced, thinking that this guy is really knowledgeable, and he really combines knowledge and action.

It turns out that Renran’s master scolded him when he found out that he loved painting, saying that he was not doing his job properly, coveting artistic enjoyment, and doing something “promising”. Renran was not taken seriously, and later until Before leaving, I understood the master’s intentions. Now when we talk about this matter, Renran always sighs. I asked him if he still burns the paintings. He said: "Those who are obsessed with appearance are painting with a purpose, and burning paintings is also a purpose. If you can understand the true nature, Painting or not painting, burning or not burning are all in the realm of inaction. The way to inaction lies in understanding one's own mind, transcending all things, living in a mindless state, and understanding the original nature. Otherwise, you will be obsessed with the surface all day long and cling to the appearance of others and myself. , not to mention painting, even living is a waste of nothing!”

His understanding is extraordinary, and the reasons for this have their own explanations. Let’s not talk about the fate of the past life, but let’s talk about people in this life! Ran's personality is also refined in taste and transcendent in style. Not only does he have extraordinary intelligence, but he is also honest, kind, and full of pathos. He often performs many touching actions, which can all be confirmed through contact with him. Because of this, people who understand people will naturally appreciate and interpret him as a piece of art, and often ignore the art he created. Here, I just want to sum up his paintings in one sentence: "The images are born from the heart, and the paintings are like the people." Whether this is the case, the viewer should "influence the heart with the heart and know the warmth and coldness." Because painting is a visual art and is See with your eyes and experience with your heart. People with discerning eyes can distinguish between good and bad.

"The aura shines alone, far away from the roots and dust." This is a Zen sentence that expresses the light of nature. I would like to use it to describe the appearance of human nature, which is very similar.