Wang Xizhi's book "Sacred Order" is also known as "Huairen Ji Wang Shengjiao Order", Tang Taizong Li Shimin personally wrote an article in order to commend Master Xuanzang for obtaining the True Scriptures, which was collected by Master Huairen at that time with Wang Xizhi's calligraphy and engraved on the stone stele, and the total process lasted 25 years, which can be described as a huge work. This work is very similar to Wang Xizhi's calligraphy in both chapter and shen rhyme.
It is precisely because of this that Wang Xizhi's collection of characters "Sacred Religious Order" is one of the most difficult to write in my opinion, which is difficult to write in two aspects, one is that Wang Xizhi's calligraphy skills are superb, which is very difficult to grasp, such as "Orchid Pavilion Preface" is such a work.
And Wang Xizhi's collection of characters "Holy Order" is more difficult than "Lanting Preface", which is also its second difficulty, it is an engraved post, unlike "Lanting Prelude" is an ink poster. It's hard to grasp and figure out, especially for beginners. During my school days, I copied Wang Xi's book "The Order of the Holy Teachings of Jizi" many times, but each time I gave up after only 3 pages, and I really couldn't write it. Now I have been practicing for 3 years, and I have only found a little doorway.
Many calligraphers in history have copied Wang Xizhi's book "Holy Order", of which Mi Fu, Zhao Ziang, and Wang Duo are the most famous, and Zhao Zi'ang copied me more, but Wang Duo's personal style of copying is more, just from the appearance, it is not like the "Holy Order".
In the Qing Dynasty, there was a not very well-known jinshi who also copied Wang Xizhi's book "Holy Order", and I think he wrote Wang Xizhi's "Holy Order" alive. He was the Kangxi 27th Jinshi, known as one of the "Three Absolutes of Haining". The "Holy Order" copied by Zha Sheng has two commendable points:
1. Like Wang Xizhi's "Holy Order" copied by Zha Sheng, it is very similar, whether it is from the structure, chapter method or with the pen, at a glance, people can feel the strong taste of the "Holy Order", and the pen is strong, the pen is exquisite, and it is very elegant. Among the "Holy Orders" copied by many famous masters, I think it is the most similar, and it can be said that it has received the charm of Wang Xi's travel book "Holy Order".
2, live we have a lot of Wang Xizhi's "Holy Order" copying master, can copy the "Holy Order" like a photocopier, can do and the original is basically exactly the same, which has to be said to be a kind of kung fu, every time I see such a copying video, I am very impressed, and at the same time sigh that I can't do this.
However, although their copying is very similar to the original, it is very rigid, they do not write the words alive, they only see the surface of the strokes, they do not see the relationship between the strokes, to put it bluntly, they are drawing words, not writing, and lack the most basic writing of calligraphy.
However, Zha Sheng of the Qing Dynasty did it, he understood the words in the "Holy Order" very thoroughly, and wrote it out to make people feel very smooth and full of movement, and I have to say that he is a master of writing and a master of pen control.
The Holy Order of Wang Xizhi," which Zha Sheng copied, is worth studying today, at least as a reference for studying Wang Xizhi's Holy Order. What do you think? What do you think of Cha Sheng's copy?