Stone Collecting Appreciation: The Elegant Charm of Stones That Cannot Speak Yet Are Most Endearing
A Curtain of Dreamy Dreams
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Xu Ruyun
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Stone Collecting Appreciation: Stones Cannot Speak Yet Are Most Endearing
Photos and Text by Pingchangxin
Title: Phoenix Nirvana
Stone Type: Dadu River Gold Vein Stone
Dimensions: 44*28*26CM
Appreciation: Phoenix Nirvana comes from Guo Moruo's poem of the same name. Coincidentally, this stone was found not far from the bronze statue of Guo Moruo in his hometown. Legend has it that the phoenix immolates itself into ashes every 500 years, then rises reborn from the ashes, cycling endlessly to become eternal! She is the messenger of happiness in the mortal world; she bears the sorrows and grievances of the world and plunges into raging flames, exchanging the destruction of her beautiful body for peace and happiness in the human world. It symbolizes the persistent spirit of defying pain, pressing forward without hesitation, and constantly pursuing self-improvement!
On this beautiful stone: a fiery rebirth once every 500 years, a sublimation once every 500 years, the instantaneous raging flames, the instantaneous nirvana and sublimation, all find perfect expression in this image.
Title: The Character "Stone"
Stone Type: Dadu River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 9*9*7CM
Appreciation: On a small chlorite stone appears a red cursive "Stone" character, and it has a rather carved-in relief feel, vigorous and powerful. Stone friend Asong gifted a poem: At the dawn of creation's chaos, Cangjie mixed vermilion; not knowing the shade of color, he first wrote upon the stone.
Title: Abundant Harvest
Stone Type: Dadu River Bluestone
Dimensions: 40*12*12CM
Appreciation: The graceful curve and full, rounded stone shape reveal a scene of bountiful harvest.
Title: Bright Sun and Red Clouds
Stone Type: Yangtze River Red
Dimensions: 31*21*12CM
Appreciation: A sky full of red clouds lifts a bright sun, a perfect combination of texture, color, shape, meaning and pattern.
Title: Winter Plum Defying Snow
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 22*21*12CM
Appreciation: Plum branches interweave, plum blossoms fill the branches; snowflakes fill the sky, seeming both snow and blossom; plum blossoms fill the eyes, snowflakes fill the eyes.
Title: Dripping Water Pierces Stone
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 33*25*13CM
Appreciation: Hundreds of millions of years of persistence, hundreds of millions of years of erosion, ethereal, constant, awe-inspiring, fully demonstrating nature's divine craftsmanship.
Title: Compassionate Heart
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 21*20*12CM
Appreciation: It appears as an old monk in deep meditation, with the charm of embracing all things. My Buddha is compassionate, bringing salvation to all beings.
Title: Rivers and Mountains Like a Painting
Stone Type: Yangtze River Pyrography Stone
Dimensions: 42*35*20CM
Appreciation: A traditional Chinese landscape painting leaps onto the stone, rivers and mountains entering the painting, a painted landscape.
Title: The Characters "Eight One"
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 13*11*4CM, 13*11**2CM
Appreciation: What is most remarkable is that the two stones are basically identical in size and stone type, and the image characters and strokes are also basically identical; combined together they are even more outstanding.
Title: Strength
Stone Type: Jinsha River Picture Stone
Dimensions: 18*13*6CM
Appreciation: The figure in the image looks like a strongman? Or a god of war? Or perhaps a bodybuilder? This is a perfect combination of strength and beauty!
Title: Sunset Clouds
Stone Type: Yangtze River Red
Dimensions: 13*10*8CM
Appreciation: In a sky full of red clouds, a sun shines dazzlingly bright. There is a song that goes: nothing is more beautiful than the sunset glow...
Title: Hummingbird
Stone Type: Jinsha River Picture Stone
Dimensions: 18*18*4CM
Appreciation: In the animal kingdom there is a bird that can hover in midair and fly backward; it is the hummingbird. The bird in the image is flapping its wings and hovering; this moment in the image is serene and beautiful.
Title: Pine and Stone Picture
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 16*12*5CM
Appreciation: That mountain rock, that aged pine, that negative space, that is a pine and stone picture written by nature, bearing quite the painting style of the famous painter Pan Tianshou.
Title: Plum Charm
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 15*10*5CM
Appreciation: The branches are vigorous, plum blossoms like white snow, elegant and refreshing.
Title: Amitabha
Stone Type: Yangtze River Chlorite Stone
Dimensions: 8*6*4CM
Appreciation: A bow of greeting! A rare shaped stone, sculptural art?! The old monk pays his respects! Amitabha!
Title: Jade Rabbit
Stone Type: Yangtze River Red
Dimensions: 16*12*5CM
Appreciation: High contrast, first-class stone quality, brilliant colors, a lively image, the jade rabbit is running...
Title: Two Innocent Playmates
Stone Type: Jinsha River Picture Stone
Dimensions: 36*28*16CM
Appreciation: Childlike innocence and childlike purity, two children sitting on the ground playing; does it bring back the feeling of childhood?
Title: Bamboo Reports Peace
Stone Type: Jinsha River Picture Stone
Dimensions: 20*25*12CM
Appreciation: One of the Three Friends of Winter, the bamboo joints and bamboo leaves are spot on; the lingering charm of Banqiao leaps onto the stone.
Title: Jiangnan Water Town
Stone Type: Jinsha River Picture Stone
Dimensions: 22*18*12CM
Appreciation: The landscape and water town charm of Jiangnan, wisps of cooking smoke, serene and tranquil, deeply enchanting.
Title: Leshan Sleeping Buddha
Stone Type: Yangtze River Red Sandstone
Dimensions: 24*18*4CM
Appreciation: The Leshan Sleeping Buddha at the confluence of the three rivers is world-famous. This beautiful stone can be called one of the representatives among Leshan elements, with a very high degree of similarity and full of charm.
Stone Collecting: Those Who Collect at a High Level All Understand This One Point...
In stone appreciation, how can one play with stones in a flourishing way; in stone collecting, how can one collect in a splendid and high-level way? This is the secret many stone enthusiasts want to know. Today let the expert connoisseurs tell you: as long as you understand this one point, collecting stones will be more meaningful.
So in stone collecting, what exactly is the one point we need to achieve? Connoisseurs believe one must learn "letting go to gain." The Buddhist scriptures say: "Letting go, letting go, only by letting go can one gain." The same principle applies to playing with stones.
Stone Collecting: If I Obtain It, I Am Fortunate!
Collecting exotic stones is an encounter of destiny, a result that can be chanced upon but not sought. As a stone enthusiast, one must have both a good mindset and a diligent attitude. To obtain fine exotic stones, we must give up much rest time to search far and wide in the suburbs and wilderness; to possess top-quality beautiful stones, we must be willing to spend money to carefully select at exotic stone markets; to learn more about stone appreciation, we must buy large amounts of reference materials and seek guidance from masters.
In stone collecting, obtaining a cherished exotic stone is not an easy thing. Many times, even after enduring hardships, one comes away with nothing. So if you are fortunate enough to encounter one, do not miss it; if you are fortunate enough to collect one, cherish it well.
Stone Collecting: If I Do Not Obtain It, It Is My Fate!
Many stone enthusiasts complain: top-quality exotic stones are getting more and more expensive, sky-high stone prices are absurdly high, and good stones are truly unaffordable. Honestly, every time a top-quality stone flashes past one's eyes or slips through one's hands, there is an unbearable feeling of reluctance, truly experiencing the taste of "seeking but not obtaining, tossing and turning."
However, stone enthusiasts must have a good mindset. There are countless beautiful stones in the world; we will only obtain the stones destined for us. If we miss something wonderful due to a lost opportunity or insufficient purchasing power, we need not regret it, but we must certainly learn the lesson: good stones never wait for anyone, and once missed, you will never encounter them again in this lifetime.
Stone Collecting: Let Go and Gain!
In the process of appreciating and playing with exotic stones, we must learn to be selective, achieving letting go and gaining. Letting go means abandoning greed, abandoning the desire to compare, abandoning the dream of getting rich overnight; gaining means obtaining happiness through playing with stones, obtaining health, and obtaining a steadily growing wealth.
In playing with stones, we must grasp the right measure. Only by mastering the balance of "letting go" and "gaining" can one collect at a high level and play with stones happily.
On our life's journey, letting go and gaining is always a philosophical question. In collecting exotic stones, learning to "let go and gain" allows one to retain the wonderful and raise one's level of stone collecting. Dear stone friends, regarding how to collect stones, what other philosophical stories do you have? Feel free to share them with everyone!
Stone Collecting: Those Who Collect at a High Level All Understand This One Point...
(This article was recommended by Zhou Yingzhi, selected from "Qingshiyuan Ornamental Stone Culture," copyright belongs to the original author)
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