…knowing that Buddhists have done this for centuries and that I can read and appreciate Kūkai’s Siddhaṃ calligraphy and he could read mine. That is what makes the calli- in calligraphy. – Jayarava, Buddhist calligrapher {{1}}
Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, has a deep history in much of Buddhist Asia. At one level, the art of writing can be an act of merit: repeatedly copying sutras or mantras. It can also be a practice of mindfulness: being absorbed in the moment, focusing fully on the movements of the hand, the flow of the ink, the feel of the pen or brush on the paper, the repetition of letters.
At another level calligraphy is deeply tied to Tantric schools of Buddhism. The visualization of a seed syllable (bīja) or mantra as part of meditation is made easier by learning to write them. Particularly beautifully written letters are valued in this context.
This perspective on calligraphy was shared with me by Jayarava, a Buddhist calligrapher from Cambridge, UK. A rather geeky Buddhist, with a background in music, the arts and library science, he became interested in studying the original scriptures, taught himself Pali, took a course in Sanskrit, and then taught himself half a dozen other scripts. In the process he became something of an expert in the history of scripts and the written art of calligraphy. As he pointed out, the Greek “calli” (beautiful) from which our word “calligraphy” derives, is cognate with the Sanskrit “kalyana” (beautiful).
The Spread Of Writing, and Buddhism
Jayarava shared that Indian writing was carried along with the spread of Buddhism out of India, thus influencing the development of writing throughout South and Central Asia. During the Tantric Buddhist period the script which came to be called Siddhaṃ was in use in India, and Siddhaṃ texts made their way to China, Korea and Japan. Siddhaṃ is still used in today in the Taisho edition of the Chinese Tripiṭaka, and in the Japanese Shingon and Tendai esoteric traditions, for writing mantras and dhāraṇīs.
A Rarely Practiced Art In The West
There are few other western Buddhist calligraphers (though perhaps many in Japan and China). Two that particularly influenced Jayarava’s work are Tashi Mannox, a British man who spent many years as a monk and specializes in Tibetan calligraphy. “Tashi’s work is the gold standard, the ideal to which I aspire in calligraphy,” said Jayarava. “His work is distinctive and instantly recognizable.” The other, said Jayarava, “is a Frenchman named Nathanael Archer. From looking at his work I learned that one could go beyond the bounds of formal calligraphy and make it an art form. Most of my abstract compositions have been inspired by Nathanael.”
Jayarava’s interest in mantra calligraphy drew him to Kūkai, the founder of the Shingon School in 9th century Japan. “I was already a committed Buddhist when I discovered calligraphy. Because I practice in an ecumenical tradition, one that draws on many different strands of Buddhism to create something new, I have read quite widely. Studying Kūkai advanced my understanding of mantra considerably,” said Jayarava, “and enabled me to see more clearly how to relate Tantric Buddhism to other forms of Buddhism. My teacher, Urgyen Sangharakshita, has described mantras as “sound symbols.” I often pondered this and wondered how does a sound symbolize something? But it rings true for me now. We often see Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as these beings in human form floating about on a lotus. The human form is metaphorical. The Dharmakāya is abstract and communicates with symbols. In fact the seed-syllable (bīja) or mantra can have an advantage as a representation of a Buddha because it heads off the tendency to anthropomorphize and reify the Buddha.”
The Shingon School has a Mandala, the Dharma Mandala, containing no human forms, only seed syllables. Jayarava explains: “It is associated with the idea that all sounds are the voice of the Dharmakāya Buddha preaching the Dharma (just as all forms are his body, and all mental activity his mind). The Dharma mandala represents this sound universe in which everything reflects the Dharma. The image is influenced by Hua Yen Buddhism and the idea of interconnectedness (associated with the Avataṃsaka Sūtra), and a Mahāyāna Sūtra which describes the whole world as a text in which phenomena are the letters it is written in.
Learning To Write Beautifully
Jayarava encourages others to try their hand at beautiful writing. On his website and in classes he explains not only the technique but the mindfulness benefits of the practice of writing. “I approach it as a musician. Doing a 50 letter syllabary of Sanskrit is like the scales a musician plays. A single well drawn syllable is so satisfying. Watching the ink run from the pen, flowing out behind the nib, following the curves of a pattern I see in my imagination, knowing that Buddhists have done this for centuries and that I can read and appreciate Kūkai’s Siddhaṃ calligraphy and he could read mine. That is what makes the calli.”
“To be fully absorbed in the present moment, to give yourself fully to the activity without any distraction. This is possible in calligraphy. The ink on the paper gives you direct feedback as well. Any stiffness or resistance in the mind, any habitual tendency is typically reflected in the writing. Every single attempt is different and I think this reflects the Buddha’s teachings about the nature of experience—no two experiences are the same so there is nothing to hang on to. Sometimes it can be humbling to keep making errors again and again, aiming for perfection. The main thing is perseverance. Just make a start and keep going. Don’t let initial failure make you despondent, or initial success make you inflated. Just do the practice and keep doing it.”
[[1]]Click the image above to see the full picture of the “The word/name Prajñāpāramitā” by Jayarava[[1]]
