Twenty years ago, he was director Mao. Today, he is a lay monk named Hongsi.

　　Many believe that the trans¬formation from government employee to Buddhist lay monk must have been triggered by a traumatic event, an incident that made him rethink his life and his priorities. But Hongsi shakes his head. His transformation was slow and subtle, he smiles.

　　Until April 8, Hongsi’s paintings and one large installation make up the “Hong Ink” exhibition at 93 Mogan¬shan Road.

　　Some artists know from their child¬hood days on that they want to create art, but Hongsi’s was a winding path.

　　Born as Mao Haigeng in 1961, Hongsi served at Shanghai Strategy and Management Research Center upon graduation. It was then that he met Shangmiaoxialing, a prominent monk. The monk said that Hongsi would seek him out and visit him in the future — a prognosis that startled Hongsi. “In my eyes, that was quite odd.”

　　He almost forgot about the in¬cident and kept working with the government.

　　When it was time to climb up the career ladder, he decided to quit. “Life is too short, and I didn’t want to be entangled with some office politics. I wanted to do something I like,” he said.

　　Later, he started a factory that produced liquor, but that, he said, was only a means to financially support porcelain making, his hobby at the time. It was a decent life, but fate opened another door for him.

　　In Jingdezhen, where he was working on his porcelain in Jiangxi Province, he met another monk, who asked him why he hadn’t visit his Buddhist master Shangmiaoxialing yet. The venerable monk, Hongsi was told, was waiting.

　　When Hongsi knocked at the door of Zhenru Temple in Shanghai, Shang¬miaoxialing opened the door. “Here, finally you have come,” the master welcomed him. Hongsi then started to learn about Buddhism.

　　He has followed the path of Bud¬dhism ever since, but has also taken on painting. Though equipped with no academic background, Hongsi cre¬ates modern Zen ink paintings with a dense, dark atmosphere. His style is immediately recognizable. In each painting, he manages to depict vast landscapes without showing the traces of painting brushes. More significantly, he always places a tiny figure in a bright red robe in the landscapes, con¬noting eternity and isolation.

　　This summer, he is going to open his Zen Art Exhibition Hall in Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu Province. The 12,000-square-meter venue will feature his own works and also display calligraphy and paintings created by renowned monks in China.

　　His head shaven, Hongsi is dressed in a traditional, cotton-padded jacket as he talks to Shanghai Daily about his Zen paintings and his life experience.

　　Q: How do you explain what Zen painting is?

　　A: Zen painting is a kind of life wisdom, a unique way of thinking and the pursuit of real life. It completely frees a mind and is unaffected by the material world.

　　Q: The outlines of a monk in a red robe always appear in your paint¬ing, which really lightens the whole

　　painting. How do you find the per¬fect position for the monk in this big landscape?

　　A: A good question! As you could see, the backdrop of the painting seems to be a big universe overlapped with different layers of white and black hues. They are the “energy field,” and the tiny monk always distinguishes it¬self in the center of this “energy field.” I am able to find that center spot.

　　Q: Your installation features 100 red-robed monks in different poses on a huge white rock. I touched that rock, and was surprised that it is made from a white polyfoam. How did you come up with the idea of using poly¬foam in this work?

　　A: (He laughs) Originally I thought of using a real rock, but it is too heavy and difficult to cut and chisel. When I made these clay figures, it was winter and I put them on the white snow, rendering a striking visual effect. Then the white polyfoam came to my mind, it is easy to shape plus the color is an advantage. True, I haven’t learnt how to sculpture or paint, but I do have a feeling for art.

　　Q: When you met your Buddhist mas¬ter for the first time at the temple, were you immediately driven by the power of Buddhism, or were you still not clear about it?

　　A: To tell you the truth, I was quite puzzled. Especially when he asked me to kneel down, I found my knees ached. It was like an unreal dream. But the more I learnt from my master, the more purity I obtained in my heart.

　　Q: Do you recite the sutra every day?

　　A: I asked the same question to my master before — Do I need to recite the sutra every day? My master told me that even if I spent 500 years reciting the sutra, I would still be unable to recite it all. So I don’t recite the sutra, but I read a lot.

　　Q: Are your views of life and people different than before?

　　A: There are huge differences. Let me put it this way: Before, when I first met a person, what I saw was what he or she was wearing, all the things on the surface. But now, I look inside, not toward the others, but myself. Did I say or do something wrong that would make the other feel uncomfortable? The starting point is often the self-inspection.

　　Q: Excuse me, but I notice that you are wearing a pair of Ice-berg glass¬es, an Italian fashion brand. Is that right?

　　A: I am glad you noticed this. Why should a monk wear shabby and poor clothes? I want to dress comfortably and clean, to show respect toward myself and others.

　　True, in the eye of the Buddhism every worldly affair is vain. Zen is an attitude toward life. Then why do we need a temple? Buddhism is too profound for ordinary people, and the temple is something concrete that they can see for the primary education. If I dress like a beggar, who would want to further explore the beauty of my Zen paintings?

　　Q: How do you practice Buddhism?

　　A: It is easy and difficult. One word: Be happy. Sometimes when you forget your material desire, you can be hap¬pier. It is helpful when one can spend some time in sitting and meditating every day.

　　I hear many people say that it is too difficult to practice as their mind is filled with mundane things. Let me teach you this, see if it works. When you are sitting and meditating, you just pay attention to the rhythm of your breath and your heart beat, and soon you will see another world.

　　Top: A porcelain work featuring Hongsi’s signature image of a monk in a red robe

　　Insert: Ink wash painting “Herding”