意到筆不到 vs 意到但音不見得聽得到 The invisible may be more essential than the visible.

What is 意到筆不到 or 意到 but no audible sound? 

What is "The spirit is present, even when it does not take visible form, or the spirit is present, even when it does not necessarily reveal itself in sound?"

1, Strokes can be like audible sound.
2, Example of when ears cannot hear but the intention (or mind) is there.
   a, Does Chiaqi 掐起 or Yan 掩 need to be always loud?
   b, Sliding up twice or more movement without right hand plucking, sound almost disappear, is that a problem?

Take your time and let it reveal itself to you.

The Art of Learning: Self-Taught and Master

On August 3, 2025, at the New York Qin Society Yaji, I gave a brief presentation on the topic "The Art of Learning: Self-Taught and Master."

The New York Qin Society has hosted several online yaji in recent years, focusing on the theme of guqin learning. I shared my own learning experience on July 18, 2021. If you visit the NYQS website and look up the events from 2021, you’ll find our discussion from that time.  (Oct 5, 2026: The New York Qin Society webisite is now down for maintenance.) 

I’d like to share a few personal reflections on The Art of Learning: Self-Taught and Master. Although the NYQS yaji them this time was to talk about learning the guqin, I’d like to draw on my experience in another art form, seal carving, to illuminate the same principles. Here I’d like to start by showing you an image of some seal carvings.

On the image above: The top three seals were carved by renowned masters; the bottom three were carved by someone who has been self-learning for four years. I'm sure that as soon as you see it, you can immediately sense the difference. Even without knowledge of seal carving, one can still notice the contrast in line quality. The seals by the masters are delicate, the lines are as fine as iron wire, consistent in thickness, and the black-and-white spatial balance is steady and harmonious. In contrast, the lower three clearly have lines that are not yet as fine or steady, and the overall composition still has room for improvement.

That “someone” is actually me. The three seals above were carved by the masters Wáng Zhuàng-wèi 王壯為(1909-1998) and Chiāng Chào-shēn 江兆申 (1925-1996). Both were highly respected figures in painting, calligraphy, and seal carving. 江兆申 even served as the Deputy Director of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. From a young age, both received guidance from their families, along with mentorship from accomplished teachers, in addition to self-study.

In contrast, my journey into seal carving began purely out of personal interest. I started at the age of 53, and have been entirely self-taught. I chose seal carving as an example primarily because it is the only artistic skill I have pursued without the guidance of a teacher. Through this personal experience, I hope to reflect on the differences I have felt between learning an art form with a teacher and learning one without.

Before I go into the main subject, I’d like to share an interesting side story.

Seal carving is relatively easy to get started with. As the Chinese saying about it goes: “a minor skill of carving insects, unworthy of a strong man” (雕蟲小技，壯夫所不為 Diāo chóng xiǎo jì, zhuàng fū suǒ bù wéi ).

This is a dismissive saying, suggesting that certain refined skills, such as intricate carving, may be clever but are ultimately trivial, and therefore unworthy of someone with great ambition or lofty purpose. In fact, Wang Zhuangwei was so moved by this sentiment that he changed his given name from Yuán-lǐ (沅禮) to Zhuàng-wéi (壯為), as a way to affirm that Chinese seal carving is indeed a noble art worthy of lifelong dedication.

Now, Let me highlight a few positive aspects of my self-learning experience:

1. Freedom to Explore, Unbound by Tradition

Being self-taught allowed me to experiment freely, trying out different scripts, layouts, and compositional styles.

鐵如意齋(江兆申)       安寧(江兆申)

無用之用(江兆申)  雙菩提樹龕(江兆申)

Although master 江兆申 initially learned seal carving from his family, he was largely self-taught in his later years. As a result, his style departed from traditional schools and developed a distinctive character of its own.

2. Hands-on Experience and Intuitive Learning

Over the past four years, I’ve carved dozens of seals by hand. Every failure, every revision has been a direct and invaluable learning experience. This kind of trial-and-error builds a kind of sensitivity and instinct that no textbook can teach. It is connected with the sense of touch, an intuitive path to knowledge.

自學的優點

1. 自由探索、不拘流派

自學讓我沒有包袱，也不怕試錯，我可以任意嘗試不同字體、不同布局。江兆申當年的篆刻雖啟蒙於家學, 但後來也都是自學, 風格也因此跳脫傳統門戶，走出自己的風貌。

2. 累積獨特的感受力與實作經驗
四年來我親手刻過數十顆印，每一次的失敗與修正，都是寶貴的經驗累積，也是創作直覺的養成過程

But with all that said, I also want to share some honest reflections, about the limits of self-learning.

1. Technical Bottlenecks  I often find myself asking: How can I carve finer lines? How can I compose more harmoniously? How do I preserve the spirit of the characters while sharpening the details? Without guidance, these questions linger. Trial and error alone can be discouraging and even drain one's passion.

2. Lack of Feedback and Evaluation Without a mentor, it’s hard to know if I’m truly improving. I might be repeating the same mistakes over and over without realizing it.

3. Time Becomes More Precious with Age Since I started seal caring in my fifties, I feel especially aware of how precious time is. A capable teacher could save me years of missteps, helping me focus, prioritize, and grow more efficiently.

自學的侷限與困惑

1. 技巧上的瓶頸
像是如何刻出更細緻的線條、如何讓章法佈局更平衡、或如何掌握筆意與刀法之間的關係，這些都難以僅靠自己琢磨得出明確的方向。試錯的時間代價可能會扼殺了興趣。

2. 缺乏回饋與評價
我常常不知道自己刻出的印章究竟是好還是不好。缺少老師或前輩的指點，進步速度變得緩慢，也容易陷入盲點。

3. 時間的珍貴
對於像我這樣年過半百才開始學習的人來說，時間格外寶貴。若能有一位好老師在適當的時機給予提點，便可以節省許多彎路與反覆。

This brings me to the value of mentorship. Interestingly, although 江兆申 was self-taught in seal carving throughout most of his life, he later studied painting and calligraphy under the renowned master Pǔ Hsīn-yú.溥心畬. This mentorship transformed his artistic development. His ability to fully develop in the four arts of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving was not only the result of self-study, but also thanks to the guidance of a teacher with profound cultural depth. A good teacher offers far more than just technique. They can open your eyes, sharpen your aesthetic sensibility, and share insights shaped by decades of experience, things that self-learning may never fully provide.

師承的價值

值得注意的是，江兆申雖然在篆刻方面大都是自學，但在書畫上，他卻曾拜溥心畬為師，從此脫胎換骨。他之所以能夠在詩、書、畫、印四藝之中全面開展，不僅靠自修，也得益於這樣一位深具文化底蘊的老師。良師的價值不僅在於技術傳授，更能指出盲點、提升審美、傳遞系統性的藝術觀念。這些，是自學者往往難以獲得的寶貴資源。

My Guqin and Calligraphy Teacher, Master Yuan Jung-ping袁中平 once shared a meaningful framework for understanding the deeper aim of learning traditional Chinese arts. He described it as a striving for excellence on three levels:

1. Artistic Level 藝術層次 –Mastery of technique: such as pitch and fingering in music, brushwork in painting and calligraphy, structure, and carving technique.
2. Aesthetic Savoring Level 品味層次  – The cultivation of aesthetic sensibility: understanding styles, history, and the spirit of tradition.
3. Spiritual Level 精神層次：The inner cultivation: embodying the Dao, cultivating sincerity, stillness, and depth. And To be more connected with nature—to befriend it, and to dwell in its rhythm.

學習的深層目標: 三層次的極致追求

"藝術層次"：對技藝與形式的掌握, 如音準、指法, 筆法、章法、刀法；
"品味層次"：對審美與風格的理解, 知古今、識流派、有鑑賞力；

"精神層次"：對藝術背後的思想與人格修養, 道、氣、靜、真。"跟大自然做朋友."

Advancing through these three levels is difficult through self-study alone. Especially at the Aesthetic Savoring and Spiritual levels, it’s easy to fall into superficial imitation or to develop a personal style that lacks connection to traditional lineage. That said, if one’s goal is simply to pursue a personal style, that is certainly a valid path. A good teacher, however, can guide a student toward discovering and refining their own unique voice, and help them cross into deeper artistic and spiritual territory.

In conclusion

Over these four years, my self-taught journey in seal carving has brought me valuable experience and personal growth. But more and more, I feel the need to break through, not just in terms of technique, but toward deeper artistry.

I often ask myself: Is what I’m making truly “art” in the fullest sense? A wise teacher could help me refine not only my skills, but also my perspective. So I believe the best path is this:

First, to build passion and intuition through self-learning.

Then, to deepen that foundation through the insight and guidance of a mentor.

With both, we advance with confidence and reach greater distances. Whether in guqin, seal carving, or any traditional Chinese art, learning is not merely a technical endeavor. It is a journey of aesthetic sensibility, spirit, and self-cultivation. And along that journey, to have a good teacher by your side, someone who can point the way and lift your gaze, is one of the greatest blessings of all.

總結與感想

就我自己在篆刻的學習而言，四年來的摸索，讓我累積了一些技術，也激發了創作的熱情；但我越學越覺得難以突破到更深的層次。常常懷疑自己的作品是否真的達到了藝術的境地。若有一位真正了解篆刻精神的老師能指點一二，我相信不只是技術上的提升，更能讓我的思想與品味邁入更高的領域。

因此，我認為最理想的學習方式是：以自學培養熱情與直覺，以師承提升格局與眼界。

學習古琴、篆刻，甚至任何藝術形式，其實都不只是技術的磨練，更是一場關於品味與精神的修行。而在這條路上，若能有一位真正懂得藝術精神的老師同行，引領我們走向更高的藝術境界，將會是一種無比珍貴的福分。

Image sources

• Background painting and seals - Peiyou Chang

• https://twfineartsarchive.ntmofa.gov.tw/QuarterlyFile/B002906.pdf?193215649  國立台灣美術館

• 翰逸神飛 (汪中教授書藝紀念展) Brilliant Talent (A Commemorative Exhibition of Prof. Wang Chung's Calligraphy Art) 國立國父紀念館2020年出版 yatsen.gov.tw

References

• https://collections.culture.tw/kmfa_collectionsweb/author.aspx?AID=MYMAMPME 高雄市立美術館

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goMxSS8z63I 【島嶼傳燈人】王壯為

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm0ECkpj_Ac【島嶼傳燈人】江兆申

Recommend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWKnioQHeFg&list=PLv_IUW41nxfKV-gx6WZQoO1GY0bVx2Jzx

【島嶼傳燈人】series of "those who pass on the light on an island" produced by The General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC)  中華文化總會 in 2016.

 

物部茂卿的琴廢故事篇 及[幽蘭]翻譯 [The Circumstances Regarding the Abandonment of the Qin ] & Yolan Translation

物部茂卿 (もののべう もけい) Monobe Mokei 即 荻生徂徠 (おぎゅう そらい) Ogyū Sorai (1666–1728) 寫於享保七年壬寅(1722)四月二十八日

『琴学大意抄』https://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/i17/i17_01131/i17_01131.pdf

試著翻成中文

茂卿，生於東(京)，足跡遍及關西及其他地方，卻不知曉堂上音樂家的秘傳。 僅僅學習和聆聽了一兩次的樂曲技巧，所知有限。 品味異國之書，愚者之得，雖然在心中深思熟慮，卻常感到不如意，困擾之情多矣。即使在這個世界中，期望像揚州鶴一樣完美無缺的事物，也是困難重重。精通音樂的人對文字感到陌生，精通文字的人卻不喜好音樂. 即便喜好，亦與學術傳統相悖。在後世的說法中感到困惑，如果不回歸到古老的事物的話，則無法找到解決之道。即便在這太平百年之際，各行各業皆興盛之時，然琴藝之事鮮有人知，感到非常悲傷。 雖然有許多相違背的事情發生，然而留下了文字記錄, 成為有志之人的階梯，思考的指南, 粗淺地加以記載，最終贈予狛氏。

English translation

Mokei, born in the East, left traces in Kansai and other places. However, the secrets within the residence of the music master remain unknown. I, having only acquired a modest proficiency in music skills, derive joy from foreign books and have gained something, albeit as a novice. Despite harboring thoughts within, many things still perplex me. Nevertheless, in this world, achieving perfection is as challenging as the story of the crane in Yangzhou. Those skilled in music are often unfamiliar with characters, and those profound in characters may not appreciate music. Even if they do, they frequently clash with academic traditions. In the current confusion of the world, without returning to ancient ways, there seems to be no alternative. Now, with a century of peace passed, and though various disciplines flourish, there is no one addressing matters of the qin. It is disheartening, and conflicts abound. Nonetheless, recording it in a book may serve as a ladder for those with aspirations. In this spirit, I have dared to expand the record and present it to Mr. Komau.

Quoted from 『琴学大意抄』中的 [琴ノ廃レタル故ノ事 ] 篇 the chapter on[The Circumstances Regarding the Abandonment of the Qin ] from [Kingaku Taiishō]

Peiyou wrote in the mid autumn full moon day of 2023. (9/29/2023)

-----------------------------------------------------------

On Oct 18, 2023 Peiyou wrote: Today, I noticed something that requires further examination in relation to the Chinese translation. The Japanese phrase "この時にまさか原本が紛失して ゐたわけでもあるまい" from page 40 of Mikiko's book, should translate as "At this time, it's hardly likely that the original manuscript has been lost." It expresses skepticism or disbelief about the possibility of the original manuscript being lost at the current moment.  In Chinese it will be "此時原譜遺失的可能性幾乎不可能" but not 此時原譜很可能已經遺失 (At this time, it is likely that the original manuscript has been lost.)

* Qin friend Bill Mak says :前面的が表示逆接，然後又有わけ加上あるまい，所以我會理解為“不過原稿不一定是真的遺失了吧“

from page 52 of the Chinese translation book, 中文翻譯 徐樑 陶熠

from page 40 of Mikiko's book

from Wayashi kenzō 林謙三 [琴書三題] Pate 236-237 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/toyoongakukenkyu1936/2/4/2_4_235/_pdf/-char/ja

1. この時に (kono toki ni): "at this time" or "at this moment"
2. まさか (masaka): "unlikely" or "hardly"
3. 原本が (genpon ga): "original manuscript"
4. 紛失して (fusshitsu shite): "lost" or "misplaced"
5. ゐたわけでもあるまい (ita wake de mo aru mai): This part is an archaic or classical expression. In modern Japanese, it would be written as いたわけでもあるまい. This phrase expresses doubt or skepticism about the occurrence of an action or event.

from Chat GPT

My understanding is that the key point is "樂家好秘藏物也" that musicians like to hide valuable items for themselves, so it's unlikely that it was lost but rather intentionally hidden.

Teaching Chinese Calligraphy

 I am now teaching Chinese calligraphy online, and I will teach you systematically from Zhuanshu (Seal script) to Lishu (Clerical or Official script), Zhenshu (Regular script), Xingshu (Semi-cursive) and to Zhang Cao (Cursive script). 

If you are interested in learning Chinese calligraphy, please visit https://peiyouqin.com/calligraphy.html for more details. Thank you.

Stories of Qin Players in Ancient China - I

On 3/24/2019 the 3rd International On-line Guqin Yaji, Peiyou gave a brief talk of three stories of qin players in the Spring Autumn period.

Before the first dynasty of Imperial China, Qin, there were many feudal states, like small countries, and they constantly fought among those countries. In Chinese history, these unpeaceful periods were called the Spring Autumn period and the Warring States period. They were called the Spring Autumn period, for two reasons:

First,  according to the date of the year, and the order of the four seasons, the historical officials of the Lu State (where Confucius was from)  recorded the major events of the countries in the Spring and Autumn Period. Second, the ancient events occurred frequently in the spring and autumn seasons. Therefore, people generally call the chronicle "Spring and Autumn."

Here I have two maps to show some geographic concepts between China now and back then during the Spring Autumn Period. You can see the major two big rivers, the Yellow river in the north and the Yangzi River in the south, and those feudal states were located in the lower reaches of both rivers during the Spring Autumn period.

There is the Wu state, which is the yellow green color on the right side of the map, and that area was and still is the most rich land in China. The lineage of the qin school we are following, which is the "Wumen" (Gate of Wu) qin school, came from this Wu area. On the north side of the Wu state is the Lu state where Confucius and Shi Xiang, one of the qin players I will talk about, were from. On the left of the map is the Qin state which later became the Qin empire, after the First Emperor of Qin unified all the states.  Next to the Qin state is the Jin state, where another qin player I will talk about, Shi Kuang, was from.  And the qin player, Zhong Yi was from the Chu state.

The first qin player I will talk about is Zhong Yi who was a hereditary court musician from the Chu state, majoring in zither.  The Chu state was known for its distinct music and shamanistic rituals. In 1977, China unearthed a very important archaeological site, the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng and found many musical instruments including the magnificent bronze bells. The location of the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng is in a village called Sui which was in the Chu State. This find, gives us a sense that the Chu state music could have been developed to a high level.

The story about Zhong Yi is that back in his time, the Chu state was friendly to the Zheng State. The Jin State was not happy about that and caught the Duke Cheng of Zheng while the duke was visiting Jin. Jin then had their troops attack Zheng. The Zheng state sent a messenger for peace along with the Chu court musician Zhong Yi. The messenger was killed by Jin and Zhong Yi was kept as a prisoner. One day the Duke of Jin patrolled the military jail and saw Zhong Yi, and asked the warden: The tied prisoner wearing a southern hat, who is he? The warden answered: Chu prisoner dedicated by Zheng. The Duke of Jin requested the warden to untie Zhong Yi and let him come to the Duke’s office. When Zhong Yi was in the Duke’s office, he knelt down and bowed to the Duke a couple times. The Duke then asked Zhong Yi about his family, Zhong Yi answered that his family are musicians. Duke Jin asked: Can you perform music? Zhong Yi answered: Playing music is the mission from my ancestors, I dare not to do any other job. Duke Jin had someone bring Zhong Yi a zither and asked him to play. Zhong Yi played a southern melody. Duke Jin asked him more questions about the leader of Chu and Zhong Yi’s answers were praised by one of Duke Jin’s military leaders Fan Wenzi. Fan commended that Zhong Yi is a gentleman who respects his own leader and is loyal to his origins, is trustworthy, and suggested Duke Jin to let Zhong Yi go back to Chu to maintain a good relationship between Jin and Chu. Duke Jin released Zhong Yi. A couple years later, Chu and Jin formed an alliance.

The next qin player I will talk about is Shi Kuang, who was a blind court musician, active around 572-532 BC from the Jin State, He was good at Qin and Se playing, and so sensitive to music that he could recognize which bronze bell was not tuned correctly while the bell was being made. There is a story about a Chinese proverb, "light up a candle to brighten the way"... Duke Ping of Jin one day asked Shi Kuang: I am 70 years old now, and want to study new knowledge, am I too late? Shi Kuang answered: Why not light up the candle? Duke Ping said: Is there an official making a joke with his king? Shi Kuang said: How dare a blind official like me make fun of his king? I heard that when a young man likes to learn, that is like the light is shining from the morning sun; When a middle aged man likes to learn, that is like the sun light from the midday; When an aged man likes to learn, that is like lighting up a candle to shine his way, isn't that stronger than walking in the dark?" Duke Ping then said: Well said.

The story of Confucius learning the qin piece "Praise the King Wen of Zhou" came from the book, Family Sayings of Confucius 孔子家語 from the 3rd century. This story is actually to praise Confucius. The story is: When 10 days after Confucius learned the piece “Praise the King Wen of Zhou” from Shi Xiang, Shi Xiang suggested that he move on to learn a new piece. But Confucius said that he felt that he hadn’t mastered the playing technique and rhythm yet.  After a period of time, Shi Xiang said to Confucius that he thought Confucius had achieved the playing techniques and rhythm and that he could move on to a new piece. Confucius then said that he had not got the meaning of the piece yet. After a period of time, Shi Xiang said to Confucius that now he had learned the meaning of the piece, he could move on to a new piece. Confucius said that he still had not been able to picture the spirit of King Wen from the playing yet. After a period of time, Shi Xiang heard Confucius’ playing of Wen Wang Cao and said to him:

“your playing has qualities of respectful and solemnity with deep thought; pleasant with lofty prospects.”

Confucius then said: “ I have gained the characters of King Wen who is slender and tall, dark; broad as looking at the ocean; truly a king of four states. If he is not the King Wen, who could be qualified?”

Shi Xiang was very impressed and stood up to bow to Confucius, then said:  “you are really talking about the Wen Wang Cao here."

A wise man playing the qin not only with good skill but also knowing the meaning behind it. Shi Xiang’s learning of the guqin was only to know the melody. Confucius was really far more talented than Shi Xiang. The old way of teaching qin playing was to teach the melody first without teaching the meaning behind the melody, and to let the learners figure out the meaning themselves. This way the learner would understand more deeply and be able to achieve success.