In 2006, I got the combined version of " The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva," “The Avatamsaka Sutra” and “The Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra”. I decided to transcribe and learn the Ten Great Practices and Vows of Samant abhadra Bodhisattva. They included, “First, respect at all Buddhas. Second, praise all Tathagatas. Third, broadly cultivate offering. Fourth, repent karmic of hindrances. Fifth, rejoice in virtuous deeds. Sixth, request the turning of the Dharma wheel. Seventh, request Buddhas to remain in the world. Eighth, constantly learn from Buddhas. Ninth, cater to sentient beings. Tenth, dedicate all virtuous deeds.” The great practices and vows were an attempt to cease the sufferings of all people through collective efforts. However, there really is no end to all the sufferings, and therefore the great actions and vows will never cease to exist either. Furthermore, this kind of mentality would continue to dominate, while actions and words will not cease either.
The beginning and the end of transcribing sutras was determined by the color of the paper I created to write the sutras on. I produced grid to write Chinese characters in Microsoft Word, and made the background color of my paper white. I then adjusted the color spectrum on my computer software, making the paper gradually turn from white to gray and then to all black. Ten pages of each base color would be printed until the base color became all black. Subsequently, I would print lighter and lighter colors until the paper became purely white again. Using this method, I created 490 pieces of paper for transcribing sutras. Then, I transcribed “The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva” with a black pen. Whenever the ink runs out, I would get a new pen and keep writing until all the pieces of paper were exhausted. This method was very similar to “pen walking,” and each new pen was photographed and documented. The whole project took three years, completed in 2009, with a total of 15 pens consumed.
The act of writing on white paper to writing on black paper resembled how people are originally bright and awaken. Yet they fell into the sea of death and remain there forever because of ignorance and obsession. The act of writing on black paper to writing on white paper symbolizes a mirror which has been dust off, representing wisdom and a reflection of the world as it is. I have discovered that the act of “transcribing” sutras helps me concentrate in a way never before, while the influence of the act of transcribing is intense and mysterious. I would not have been able to experience any of these from just studying Western culture.
2006年我請到一本《大方廣佛華嚴經．普賢行願品》及《金剛般若波羅蜜經》的合訂本。我決定抄寫並學習普賢菩薩發出十項行願，它們分別是：「一者、禮敬諸佛。二者、稱讚如來。三者、廣修供養。四者、懺悔業障。五者、隨喜功德。六者、請轉法輪。七者、請佛住世。八者、常隨佛學。九者、恒順眾生。十者、普皆回向。」他的行願以眾生、眾生業力、眾生煩惱的窮盡為盡頭，但眾生、乃至眾生的煩惱沒有所謂的窮盡之日，所以這些行願沒有終止的一天。並且，這樣的心念將持續不斷，身、語、意的作為也沒有疲勞倦怠。
這個抄經行為的開始與結束是以抄經格底色的變化決定出來的。我在Microsoft Word中自製抄經格，抄經格內紙張的底色先設定為白色，然後依電腦軟體內制定的色階微調，自白色、灰色漸漸變至全黑。每一底色皆列印10頁，印到全黑後，開始變淡直到抄經格底色變為全白，依此方法共印出了490頁的抄經紙。接著以黑色的筆抄寫《大方廣佛華嚴經．普賢行願品》，每當筆水寫完後，就以一枝新筆接續抄寫，直到寫完這些紙張。類似「走筆」的做法，每枝筆在抄寫前皆拍照製成行為文件。此作歷時三年，用了15枝筆，於2009年完成。
我從白紙開始書寫至黑紙，象徵眾生本具覺性，但因為一念的無明，被妄想執著所綑綁，陷入生死海洋的輪迴；之後再從黑紙寫至白紙，意指猶如擦去灰塵的鏡子，終於以沒有錯誤的智慧，如實反照世界本來的樣子。我發覺長時間「抄寫」的這個行為，會帶給我一些不是因思考而得到的領悟與心靈的專注，它的影響是十分深化與神秘的，這些都不是學習西方文化能給我的影響與經驗。
The beginning and the end of transcribing sutras was determined by the color of the paper I created to write the sutras on. I produced grid to write Chinese characters in Microsoft Word, and made the background color of my paper white. I then adjusted the color spectrum on my computer software, making the paper gradually turn from white to gray and then to all black. Ten pages of each base color would be printed until the base color became all black. Subsequently, I would print lighter and lighter colors until the paper became purely white again. Using this method, I created 490 pieces of paper for transcribing sutras. Then, I transcribed “The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva” with a black pen. Whenever the ink runs out, I would get a new pen and keep writing until all the pieces of paper were exhausted. This method was very similar to “pen walking,” and each new pen was photographed and documented. The whole project took three years, completed in 2009, with a total of 15 pens consumed.
The act of writing on white paper to writing on black paper resembled how people are originally bright and awaken. Yet they fell into the sea of death and remain there forever because of ignorance and obsession. The act of writing on black paper to writing on white paper symbolizes a mirror which has been dust off, representing wisdom and a reflection of the world as it is. I have discovered that the act of “transcribing” sutras helps me concentrate in a way never before, while the influence of the act of transcribing is intense and mysterious. I would not have been able to experience any of these from just studying Western culture.
2006年我請到一本《大方廣佛華嚴經．普賢行願品》及《金剛般若波羅蜜經》的合訂本。我決定抄寫並學習普賢菩薩發出十項行願，它們分別是：「一者、禮敬諸佛。二者、稱讚如來。三者、廣修供養。四者、懺悔業障。五者、隨喜功德。六者、請轉法輪。七者、請佛住世。八者、常隨佛學。九者、恒順眾生。十者、普皆回向。」他的行願以眾生、眾生業力、眾生煩惱的窮盡為盡頭，但眾生、乃至眾生的煩惱沒有所謂的窮盡之日，所以這些行願沒有終止的一天。並且，這樣的心念將持續不斷，身、語、意的作為也沒有疲勞倦怠。
這個抄經行為的開始與結束是以抄經格底色的變化決定出來的。我在Microsoft Word中自製抄經格，抄經格內紙張的底色先設定為白色，然後依電腦軟體內制定的色階微調，自白色、灰色漸漸變至全黑。每一底色皆列印10頁，印到全黑後，開始變淡直到抄經格底色變為全白，依此方法共印出了490頁的抄經紙。接著以黑色的筆抄寫《大方廣佛華嚴經．普賢行願品》，每當筆水寫完後，就以一枝新筆接續抄寫，直到寫完這些紙張。類似「走筆」的做法，每枝筆在抄寫前皆拍照製成行為文件。此作歷時三年，用了15枝筆，於2009年完成。
我從白紙開始書寫至黑紙，象徵眾生本具覺性，但因為一念的無明，被妄想執著所綑綁，陷入生死海洋的輪迴；之後再從黑紙寫至白紙，意指猶如擦去灰塵的鏡子，終於以沒有錯誤的智慧，如實反照世界本來的樣子。我發覺長時間「抄寫」的這個行為，會帶給我一些不是因思考而得到的領悟與心靈的專注，它的影響是十分深化與神秘的，這些都不是學習西方文化能給我的影響與經驗。
