[心得 Reflection] 禪意與畫境：一場父子聯展的心靈交流 The Essence of Chan and Art: A Spiritual Dialogue in a Father-Son Exhibition

禪意與畫境：一場父子聯展的心靈交流

得知廖繼崇菩薩即將舉辦畫展，演期尤感興趣，因為這是一場別具特色的廖德政菩薩與廖繼崇菩薩的父子聯展。一般畫展多以個人作品為主，父子聯展則少見。這次展覽題為「禪景Zen」，更是引人入勝。初見「Zen」一詞，難免聯想到日本禪；但「禪景」二字，讓我想到漢傳佛教將禪法融入日常生活的智慧。如果此畫展旨在推廣漢傳禪法，或許應以「Chan」來表達那種自在且充滿活力的生活禪。然而，以本次主題所展現的靜定精神，「Zen」一詞亦顯得相當貼切。

開幕當天，為避開人潮，我選擇在開幕後稍晚前往參觀。繼崇菩薩的詳細解說，使我對油畫的藝術有了初步的認識——油畫的靈氣透過層層堆疊的顏色來展現，每一層色彩交融的過程，如同世間的萬象互攝互融。作畫之道亦如修行，過程本身即是目標。每一刻都是因果同時，而凡夫往往只重視結果，忽略了每一個當下的珍貴。

尤其讓我印象深刻的是幾幅描繪從廖府遠眺觀音山的作品。2013至2014年間，繼崇菩薩通過這些畫作與父親廖德政菩薩進行深層互動。自1994年繼崇菩薩開始學畫起，遠眺觀音山便成為他描繪的主題之一。當我將20年前後的作品相比時，能明顯感受到繼崇菩薩心境的轉變。這種變化若用一個比喻來形容，我會說是「霧裡、物理、悟理」——從摸索學習，到專注作畫只管畫畫，再到放下心中的追求，心境逐漸開闊。

廖德政菩薩晚年創作的一幅以金門大橋為主題的畫作，尤其表現出他晚年的寧靜致遠之心境。同時，繼崇菩薩也以金門大橋為題材，但選取透過樹林遠眺大橋的角度，展現出處於塵世之中，卻在大樹庇蔭下心向安貧樂道的精神。

值得一提的還有1997年廖德政菩薩創作的淡彩畫〈劍蘭〉。當時他隨口一句，希望能將這幅畫用油畫重現。繼崇菩薩在20年後實現了父親的心願，以油畫完成了〈劍蘭〉。演期認為，繼崇菩薩不僅繼承了父親的精神，還在融合自身修行禪法的過程中，走出了自己獨特的藝術道路。

雖然我對油畫的技法並不熟悉，但透過靜心觀賞，我體會到畫家所傳達的心境與情感。父子之間的深厚情感也在畫展中清晰可見。正如《華嚴經·覺林菩薩偈》所言：「心如工畫師，能畫諸世間，五蘊悉從生，無法而不造。」油畫的完成需經過多年的累積，畫家的心境亦需時間的洗禮。而一名修行者的鍛鍊，無論是日復一日的修行還是生活中的實踐，又何嘗不是如此呢？

感謝繼崇菩薩與Anna菩薩的熱情接待，讓我有機會從不同角度重新認識與體會禪的深意。

※English was translated by ChatGPT and edited by Yanqi.

The Essence of Chan and Art: A Spiritual Dialogue in a Father-Son Exhibition

Upon learning that Liao Ji Chong (廖繼崇) Pusa was hosting an art exhibition, I felt particularly intrigued, as this was no ordinary show but a father-son joint exhibition featuring Liao Dezhen (廖德政) Pusa and Ji Chong Pusa himself. From my limited experience art exhibitions are typically individual showcases, but a father-son collaboration is rare. This exhibition, titled "Zen Scenery(禪景)," drew even more attention. At first glance, the word "Zen" naturally evokes Japanese Zen Buddhism; however, the term "Zen Scenery" reminded me of the wisdom of Chinese Chan Buddhism, which integrates Chan practice into daily life. If the aim of the exhibition were to promote Chinese Chan, perhaps the term "Chan" could better express the lively and dynamic spirit of everyday Chan. Yet, given the calm and contemplative nature of the theme, the use of "Zen" seemed quite fitting.

On the day of the opening, I chose to visit later in the day to avoid the crowds. Through Ji Chong Pusa’s detailed explanation, I gained a preliminary understanding of oil painting—the ethereal quality of oil painting is achieved through layers upon layers of color, each layer blending with the others, much like the phenomena of the world, which are interdependent and intertwined. The process of painting is akin to the path of spiritual cultivation: the journey itself is the goal. Every moment contains both cause and effect, yet ordinary people often focus only on the results, neglecting the preciousness of each moment.

I was particularly impressed by several paintings depicting views of Guanyin Mountain from the Liao family residence. Between 2013 and 2014, Ji Chong Pusa used these paintings to interact deeply with his father, Liao Dezhen Pusa. Since 1994, when Ji Chong began learning to paint, the distant view of Guanyin Mountain has been one of his recurring subjects. When I compared the paintings from two decades apart, I could clearly sense the shift in Ji Chong Pusa’s state of mind. To describe this transformation, I would use the metaphor "through mist, through matter, and into wisdom"—from the exploration and practice of painting to painting with pure intent, and finally, to letting go of the pursuit itself, allowing the mind to become increasingly open and clear.

One of Liao Dezhen Pusa's later works, a painting featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, particularly reveals the tranquil and far-reaching state of mind he possessed in his later years. Meanwhile, Ji Chong Pusa also used the Golden Gate Bridge as a subject, but his choice to depict it through the lens of a forest view conveyed a sense of being in the world, yet longing for a life of simplicity and contentment under the shelter of great trees.

Another noteworthy piece is Liao Dezhen Pusa’s 1997 watercolor painting, Sword Lily. At the time, he casually remarked that he wished this piece could be rendered in oil. Twenty years later, Ji Chong Pusa fulfilled his father's wish by completing Sword Lily as an oil painting. I believe Ji Chong Pusa not only inherited his father’s spirit but also, through his practice of Chan and art, forged a unique path of his own.

Though I am not well-versed in the techniques of oil painting, through quiet observation, I could deeply feel the state of mind and emotions conveyed by the artist. The profound bond between father and son was also vividly expressed in the exhibition. As the Avatamsaka Sutra says: "The mind is like a skillful painter, able to paint the whole world; the five aggregates arise from it, and there is nothing it cannot create." Just as the completion of an oil painting takes years of accumulation, the cultivation of a painter’s inner world also requires the passage of time. Similarly, the development of a Chan practitioner, whether through daily cultivation or living mindfully, follows the same gradual path.

I am deeply grateful to Ji Chong Pusa and Anna Pusa for their warm hospitality, which gave me the opportunity to experience Chan from a new perspective.