Master Sheng Yen (1930-2009) is the founder of Taiwan Buddhist Dharma Drum Mountain, and at the same time he is a master of Zen Soto sect 50th and Rinzai 57th generation descendant. He was both a great master of Buddhist doctrine and Buddhist practice, and achieved distinction in meditation. His work Commandments Outline has become the pattern. Master Sheng Yen has good self-restraint and self-cultivation, so his life is unrestrained and bright. He uses his Zen laws into the eco- lifestyle intelligent, and thus exchanges into spirit, ceremonies, life and nature. He advocated “The Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign,” then in order to build a “Pure Land on Earth.” In many places, Master Sheng Yen kept his creative works on calligraphy. About calligraphy works, Master Sheng Yen uses his “mind” to write them. He says: the brush is his mind, when his mind is fixed, his mind is bright. This realm is from Master Sheng Yen’s Buddhist Zen practice. He also reflects this view on his calligraphic creation, and by calligraphy ink he elucidates the Zen teachings and spirits. From 2006 to 2007, Master Sheng Yen was devoted on calligraphic creation, and hold many exhibitions. Most of his works were collected on one book, named The Tour Heart Chan Delight:Language/ Ink feeling/ Schooling Calligraphic Selected-Works (called for short The Tour Heart Chan Delight). Therefore, this research paper is studying on Master Sheng Yen’s series work The Tour Heart Chan Delight, from the theory of calligraphy aesthetics, to analyze his calligraphic view, also the content and form of his regular script and semi-cursive script, and the internal meanings. This research paper will explore the calligraphy achievement and influence of Master Sheng Yen. It appears not only Master Sheng Yen’s calligraphy art aesthetic, but also his attentiveness of preaching Dharma by calligraphy and building a “Pure Land on Earth.”
