一直都在                              阿卜極自述   

「汝不離世間，不著於世間，如風遊虛空，所行無障礙」

 

   ﹙華嚴經卷第二十七 不思議解脫境界普賢行願品）

 

｢在｣（presence）是出席、在場、存在之意。更深的意義是不受時間、空間影響，

 

慣穿事物的阻隔，是存在於我們不思想而純粹活著清醒的時候。人可經由不同的

途徑來到達此境界，但所有方法都必須先關閉思想機制，才能使自性意識清醒，

來看、聽、嘗、嗅覺受感知這個世界。

 

工匠只是善以巧運雕技，璞玉之優美質地本然就具足。千萬年以來祖先家族，

 

一個不變的自己一直都在－「DNA」。生命生死輪轉其間「覺性」一直都在。以

現代的量子力學所見，時空寰宇空無一物，只是一個場與量「在場」的存有。

如同「水」這種介質，蘊含萬物，無所不在，天上的浮雲、空中的雨霧、地面的

海河是同一件事，只是固態、液態、氣態的顯現，本質上看都是水。悟道參禪的

狀態如同看水、觀空，「道」體如是、禪在當中，端看如何因應交感。人心意志

比喻如水，清濁本各自彰顯，各有所好與習氣性格，但本然清明。

 

《周易》〈繫辭〉上有「陰陽不測之為神」、「神無方易無體」，說明了自然法則運

 

行莫測於天地寰宇之中，自有一浩大純然的「存有」精神，它無方無所但又含攝

穿流於萬物之間，也是人賴以相生相濟的通神精氣。所以《周易》說：「健而順，

剛中而志行，乃亨。」順應天地運行法則，誠心正意的勵行，與天地感通神會交

心，神氣亨通生生不息。如此則能見到〈乾卦〉「飛龍在天」的「狀美」景象（近

似於西方的崇高美學）。乃至〈大壯〉卦中「剛中而柔外」、〈坤卦〉說的「坤至

柔而動也剛，至靜而德方」剛柔並濟，攝心養靜而道中庸、致中和的生命之美學，

也是在中國藝術上高明而「壯美」的雄渾美學。「壯美」，既是極古典也是可以是

前衛當代，端看人如何與之應接、開展。

 

金剛經（第十八品一體同觀），有一段關於佛陀為弟子說明如來具有五眼（肉

 

眼、天眼、慧眼、法眼、佛眼）觀看生命狀態方式的精彩對話，最後佛陀回答弟

子須菩提說：「爾所國土中，所有眾生若干種心，如來悉知。何以故？如來說佛

眼，皆為非心，是名為心。所以者何？須菩提！過去心不可得，現在心不可得，

未來心不可得。」原來生命的實相，不在遠方的追尋，而是在當下共時共地的統

一性。愛因斯坦曾寫道，過去與現在只是我們心中的概念而已，並非實際；現存

和發生的每件事物只存在於恒定的「當下」，「當下」是惟一存在的時間。也就是

說真心其實無心，心只是假名而已，一切存有即是共時共地性之中。

 

面對現實就如實的掌握，世態、事理、物種之演化，在歷史脈絡中的偶然性，

 

也是必然性。真相往往存在於消彌自身內心底層，那個連自身都不一定能看到的

堅持與傲慢，所投影出來的自覺自省。當代藝術創作的形式沒有所謂統一的風格，

手法多元混雜、思緒萬象細微…。在之間反觀自省，是順乎個人的藝術性向體質，

以一己微小的藝術理想，也是生命理想的實踐，其間貼近有無並濟，一體同觀、

神光自顯的「雄渾壯美」之藝術美學，這是我藝術的探究焦距，如此近三十年來

我持續不斷體驗、觀行，從繁複具象描繪的創作探研，其間實踐是唯一最近的路，

走向簡而精煉的生命精神美學之路。

 

簡單不是單調，是簡而入微的純度所能含藏無限，單純且更趨向純粹性，

 

這是來自平時生活所練就的觀看方式與深度。我的創作並非只是對事物的想像而

已，更確切的講，它源自於一己運用線性圖像思維的方式，來對自身禪修實踐的

內容作具體內外的體現與澄清，從自性的角度而言，「光」不是外來的，縱使處

於陰暗晦澀之境，也從未消失，心光本具。探索禪境不是遙遠的高深，而是對自

己當下的清楚的明白，猶如明鏡不迎不拒，映照一切的動盪狂亂、影去還無，明

鏡非內外真假，在一切本然如初的能量場中，直見芸芸眾生原初的「光」域。

 

我的創作以此為開端，在筆觸線性的書寫中映照靈光的顯義。「在」是禪修的內

 

涵，是一種定力，但他並非只是狹隘的指涉外在肢體的不動，而是一種起自心靈

自性上的任運自由，果真能經歷〝體性不動〞的「在」，正是「意明則筆透、心

淨必靈光」的內在核心基石，「意明、心淨」是知覺（像一隻眼睛）往外看的同

時往內看，裡外境界如同明鏡一體同觀。而「筆透、靈光」則是法度嚴謹與生命

律動二者在衝撞中的一種和諧。

 

此種詩意性的藝術語彙，原是來自古典壯美精神的召喚、東方線性書寫、水墨境

 

地與西方繪畫的「精神綜合體。它完全呼應我對現實生活的諸多觀察，是想法與

做法合一的成果。神采光域系列」、「靜默之光」、「山與水」、「鏡中不語」、「等待」、

等作品，畫面簡鍊到只剩寥寥幾筆！調性平淡近乎透明，色系純粹到色光透亮，

靈動的火光耀動於虛空之，宛如充滿內在張力的生命底蘊。它不只是個人心意識

的樣貌與銘印，更是雄渾壯美的視覺美學，通向場量的無限。

 

面對現實流動的長河裡，無人能置身事外，人人皆能有所見。一時，俯仰之間看

 

花、見山、識人、讀心、近觀、遠視、歡愉、吶喊、處世理法、哲思論理…，然

而生命的層次奧密，已無對錯之別，無礙於憂喜得失，真相原來就在現場，靈光

土地自然顯現，光彩奪目。「一直都在」，即是我所畫。

 

Eternal Existence A self-description by Abugy

 

 

In “The Vows of Bodhisttva Samantabhadra Sutra”, Chapter 27 of Avataṃsaka Sutra, “one is neither detached from the world nor attached to it but moving like the wind in the barrier-free void.”

 

 

“Presence” means being present, being in a place and having being. “Presence” is bound by neither space and time nor any physical constraints. “Presence” is not a conscious thought but one’s self-awareness. One can approach “presence” in many ways, but a lone meditation process is essential because it wakes up one’s sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch and allows one to perceive the world.

 

 

Despite the skillful work of an artisan, the beauty of jade actually lies in its inherited attribute. In modern quantum physics, the universe is but a void; nothing exists but fields. The fields are like water, omnipresent while embodying all creations of heaven and earth. Clouds, rain, fogs, rivers and oceans are all still water in different states. Like water, Zen enlightenment exists in different states, which may vary as a meditator’s perception changes. People’s hearts and minds are like water which can be clear or muddy, but despite what they are now, they were all crystal clear at the beginning.

 

 

In Zhou Yi’s “Xici”, it says that “the unfathomableness of yin and yang is called spirituality” and that “the spirituality’s operation is unconditioned by place, while the changes which the spirituality produces are not restricted to any form”. The book reveals how the world runs according to a set of rules beyond people’s understanding, and how the spirituality can exist without being constrained to a place or a form. However, the spirituality is omnipresent and is what people are spiritually in communication with and dependent of. In addition to that, in Zhou Yi’s “Kun Hexagram”, it says that “what is indicated by Kun is most gentle and weak, but, when put in motion, is hard and strong. Kun is most still, but is able to give every definite form”. Kun is a both gentle and hard, but when one meditates on it, one will learn of its golden mean, balance and beauty in life. Kun can best depict the magnificence in Chinese art. Such magnificence sees no boundaries; it can be classic, modern or avant-garde. That is why I take my lesson from Kun in the creation and elaboration of my art.

 

 

In Diamond Sutra’s 18th chapter—“One Substance Regarded as Identical”, the Buddha had an interesting conversation with his student on the “five eyes” and how life was perceived through them, and “the Buddha told Subhuti, ‘all the various thoughts which occur to all the living beings in all those Buddha-lands are completely unknown by the Tathagata. And why? All thoughts are spoken of by the Tathagata as no thoughts, therefore they are called thoughts. For what reason? Subhuti, past thought cannot be got at, present thought cannot be got at, and future thought cannot be got at.’” The sutra reveals that when one seeks the truth of life, one does not have to travel far; one only has to be in sync with the very moment one exists in. Whatever one seeks merely exists in name and whatever exists exists in the moment.

 

 

To be in the truth is to grasp the moment; all the worldly events in the present and past are both probable and necessary. The truth often exists in the depth of one’s heart, a place where the conscious self cannot see. The truth, however, can be a projection of one’s self-reflection. Modern art creation observes no set rules; there are a multitude of approaches to it. However, what one projects in art is dependent of one’s artistic nature. I strive to create art and materialize my vision. I take my lesson from the Kun Hexagram and apply my Zen practice to my art creation. For the past 30 years, I have been studying my own experience in Zen and art creation and I have been striving to depict the aesthetic life journey I have been travelling with seemingly simple but refined brush strokes.

 

 

My brush strokes are simple but not dull; refined brushwork carries limitless potentials. In life, I look for simplicity and pureness. My art creation is not mere imagination; it is a train of visual thoughts that comes from my Zen meditation. The nature of my thoughts is like a light that shines within me and is always with me. It is not too difficult to explore the Zen world. If one attempts to understand the moment one is in, feel the moment and go with the flow. Whatever is is; there is no right or wrong because all that exists is merely “the fiends” or “the light”.

 

 

In my art creation, I attempt to reveal the spiritual light with my brushwork. “Existence” is the inner state of Zen and also a will power that a practitioner exercises in his spirit. When one senses the “existence” of the embodied nature of the mind of all creations of heaven and earth, one’s paint brush would be able to convey clear messages with spiritual light. “Clear intention and heart” is a sense, like sight, that is both looking in from the outside and out from the inside. With an expressive brush stroke and spiritual light, I wish to depict the harmonious balance between strict Zen training and the freedom of life.

 

 

My work has a voice that speaks of vocabulary that is both poetic and artistic. Such vocabulary is the fruit of a classic magnificent beauty -- a combination of Eastern calligraphy and Western painting in spirit. The combination is a reflection of my observation of the reality and a harmonious unity of my thoughts and acts. “The Realm of Spiritual Light Series”, “Serene Light”, “Mountain and Water”, “The Quiet Reflection” and “In Waiting” are so simple that they consist of only a few of brush strokes. The tones are humble and the colors are pure, but together, they dance like the tongues of fire in the void, attempting to visualize the fullness of life. My paintings depict not only the thoughts and impressions of my heart and mind but also a magnificent visual beauty that would eventually lead to the infinite “fields”.

 

 

In the raging river of reality, no one can stay unaffected and everyone can have a say. One may spend a moment in life admiring the beauty of the world, having a good time, sharing one’s life philosophy or even venting one’s frustration. However, life has multi-layers of depth and there are no right or wrong; one’s gain or loss is of no concern. In the end, one will find that the truth is right here; the land of enlightenment will naturally reveal its self, a vivid self, and, hence, I painted “Eternal Existence”.