编者按 Editor’s notes:

斯里兰卡,旧称锡兰。古代东方与西方通过陆海两条“丝绸之路”联系起来,地处印度洋的斯里兰卡,正是海上丝绸之路的重要节点。至今,该国几乎全民信仰佛教,“斯里兰卡”在僧伽罗语中的意思便是“乐土”。

2016年5月至2017年12月,在一年多时间里,中国摄影艺术家庄培芳先生前后三次探访这个著名的“海丝佛国”，第一次缘起某次国画作品参展,第二次受邀在科伦坡大学艺术学院视觉艺术系为学生传授平面视觉理念,第三次是因中国《美术报》组织“斯里兰卡写生之旅”，作为引路人带领中国艺术家到斯里兰卡山水写生和摄影。随着感受和理解的逐步深入,庄培芳见证了中斯两国人民深厚的友谊,在为锡兰人所蕴聚的“信仰的力量”所动容之余,催生了他的 “love·爱” 等主题系列作品。

经由庄培芳先生授权,本报开辟《“海丝佛国”的心灵行旅》专栏,从本期开始,将陆续刊发庄培芳的艺术笔记及其摄影、绘画作品以及通过他的镜头和笔墨,向读者传递“一带一路”沿线国家的独特之美。

Editor’s notes:

Sri Lanka was also called Ceylon in the past. In ancient times, the Maritime Silk Road and the Land Silk Road connected the East and the West. Lying in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka was a vital pivot of the Maritime Silk Road. Today, almost all of the people in the country believe in the Buddhism. “Sri Lanka” means “land of happiness” in Sinhalese.

Mr. Zhuang Peifang, a Chinese photographic artist, went to explore the famous “Country of Buddhism” for three times during May of 2016 and December of 2017. He made his first trip when he went there for an art exhibition of traditional Chinese painting. His second trip was to pass on the concepts of graphic vision to students upon the invitation of Department of Visual Art under Faculty of Fine Arts in Colombo University. He went there for the third time as a pathfinder to lead Chinese artists to practice landscape drawing and photo-shooting for the “Drawing while Traveling in Sri Lanka” activity by China Art Weekly. As he became more familiar with the country and can understood more there, Mr. Zhuang witnessed the profound friendship among people in China and Sri Lanka. He was deeply moved by Ceylon people’s “power of belief” and created a series of works themed as “love” consequently.

Authorized by Mr. Zhuang, we start this column of "Traveling with Soul" to "Country of Buddhism" and will publish the artistic journals, photos and drawings of Mr. Zhuang from this issue. We hope to show you the unique beauty in countries along the Belt and the Road corridor with Mr. Zhuang’s lens and words.

《佛牙寺朝拜》 Jayapangus dan kang jingwei

东南沿海一带的冬天不太冷，但熬过了整整一个冬天的莲叶还是显得红迹斑驳，而那一朵朵俏丽的莲花却宛如翩翩仙子。水墨光影之间，诗意跃然纸上。

此幅《花开佛国》是我2012年开始创作的，在过程中我总觉得缺少点什么，便停了笔，期待一个契合的时机续笔。2016年5月18日，我在福州海峡会展中心参加斯里兰卡&中国国家友谊艺术展新闻发布会,受到斯里兰卡驻华大使鲁纳塞纳科迪图瓦库先生代表斯里兰卡热情邀请。

It is not very cold in the southeast coast. Yet the lotus leaves are full of red mottle while the beautiful flowers are elegant as graceful fairy maidens. It makes one want to write some poems upon seeing the picturesque scenery. 

I started drawing this “Buddha in Lotus Flower” in 2012 and felt the absence of something. So I stopped and waited for a proper time to resume. On May 18th, 2016, I was in the news releasing conference of Sri Lanka &China National Friendship Art Exhibition in Haixia International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou and was warmly welcome by Mr. Colonel Senna Cody Tuwaku, Sri Lanka ambassador in China.

斯里兰卡被誉为“印度洋上的珍珠”，当我的双脚踏上这个崇仰佛教的净土之处，我便知道那个等待已久的时机到了。

斯里兰卡的生活不焦躁，也不亢奋。在海洋，在旷野，人们与自然和谐共生，行走其中，感觉如同品着一杯40℃的锡兰红茶，质朴，清香，温暖。斯里兰卡的经济并不发达，但人们却很懂得如何与自然和谐相处。

斯里兰卡几乎全民信佛，佛教在斯里兰卡有着至高无上的地位，在65000平方公里的国土上，就有6500多座寺庙，看着这些精美的庙宇和炫彩的壁画，因而也有人说斯里兰卡是佛祖留下的一滴眼泪。

宗教在这里已经深入到百姓生活的每一个细节中，从吃饭到出门、从商业活动到重大庆典，都离不开宗教的参与。当你看到络绎不绝的信众穿着白色长袍，手捧洁白的花朵，信仰的力量一定会让你动容。

Sri Lanka is honored as “Pearl in the Indian Ocean”. The moment I stepped onto the pure land of Buddhism, I knew that the timing I looked forward to had come.                      

Life in Sri Lanka is not impatient or excited. People live in harmony with nature in the sea as well as wild lands. Walking in the land is like enjoying a 40°C Ceylon black tea, which makes you feel simple and unaffected, refreshing and warm. Economy is not well-developed here, yet people are so good at living harmoniously with nature.

Almost everyone in Sri Lanka believes in Buddhism. Buddha temples enjoy supreme status here. There are over 6,500 temples in the 65,000 km2 land. Look at the exquisite temples and colorful wall paintings!  Because of this, Sri Lanka is compared to a drop of tear from Buddha.

Religion has integrated into every part of people’s life. People cannot live without religion from having meals, going out of home, doing business and holding significant activities. As you see the continuous streams of believers in white gowns with snow-white flowers in their hands, you will undoubtedly be touched by the power of belief.

《丹布勒石窟寺小沙弥》 Sampek Entai

无论你是走进拥有2000年历史的世界文化遗产西格利亚“丹布勒石窟寺”；或是面对逝去的巨岩王朝“狮子岩”神秘壁画；还是行走在因唯一供奉佛祖释迦牟尼佛牙而闻名于世的康提佛牙寺中，最能感受到的，还是那份对佛教的浓浓信仰。 

Religion has integrated into every part of people’s life. People cannot live without religion from having meals, going out of home, doing business and holding significant activities. As you see the continuous streams of believers in white gowns with snow-white flowers in their hands, you will undoubtedly be touched by the power of belief.

《饲养员与锡兰象》 Ujud Barong Landu

平时工作较忙,也就很少拿起相机去拍摄尘世。而斯里兰卡对我来说却不是尘世，那里好像是我梦里的世界一般，有着我向往的原始的纯净。那种纯净，就像我在惠安老家读小学时，拿着书本到屋顶，一边晨读一边眺望远处灵山的感觉。

As I am usually busy at work and have little time to shoot photos of people’s daily life. However, Sri Lanka is not a mortal world but a dream world for me as there is the primitive purity that I have been longed for. The purity is like the feeling I had when I climbed to the roof with a book, looked far into the Lingshan Mountain while doing morning reading when I was at primary school in my hometown Hui’an.

关于灵山，有一个传说。当初佛祖在灵山圣会上，拈一支莲花示众，未着一言一语。尔时，百万人不解其意，唯独摩柯迦叶破颜而笑，会心领悟，此法后从由达摩携入中国。

心有灵犀，禅机才可顿悟。

Speaking of the Lingshan Mountain, there is a legend about it. It was said that once the Buddha was in the Lingshan congregation, showing a lotus flower to the audience without saying a word. At that time, no one except Mahqkassapa knew what that meant as he broke into a smile and apprehended the Buddha. The doctrine was then spread to China by Dharma.

It calls for tacit agreement to understand Buddha dharma.

《空山新雨后》 Barong Landung

松篁映碧、藤蔓交萦、灿若丹青的灵山上傍岩而立的灵山寺，是村人眼里的“仙佛世界”。我远远的望着灵山，就能感受到神秘的意蕴携带着山林的气息铺面而来。福建到锡兰岛的距离，隔着太平洋、印度洋，初到这里的我本应觉得陌生。但事实上，当踏上这片佛光庇佑下的净土，我却感觉好似回到了老家，回到了灵山。

The Lingshan Temple, which was built close to rocks in the luxuriantly-vegetated Lingshan Mountain, is the “fairy world” for the villagers. As I look far onto the mountain, I can feel the mystery coming with the smell of trees and flowers. Fujian and Ceylon Island is spaced out by the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. I should have felt lonely when I first arrived here, yet I felt like going back home to the Lingshan Mountain when I walked onto the pure land blessed by the Buddha.

《花开佛国》 Wujud Barong Landung 

我心中的莲花清新雅韵，那么圣洁，那么安静，没有烟火的沾染，只有一片素心，虔诚的双眸，颔首微垂，心中有佛。

The lotus flower in my heart is fresh and charming. It is so holy and so quiet without any dirt. All it has is a pure mind, devotional eyes, lower head, and the Buddha in its heart.

斯里兰卡，这里有原始的信仰，有淳朴的民俗，还有那一个个纯洁干净的灵魂。

与友人相坐在康提佛牙寺中，听钟声悠长清婉，心不由得安定了下来。在这段旅程中，我参加了IMSRA斯里兰卡斯中友协主办、闽派文化投资公司承办的“ 斯里兰卡&中国国家友谊艺术展”，见证了斯里兰卡的美，也见证了两国人民的友谊。

Sri Lanka is a country with primitive belief, unsophisticated folk customs, and innocent people.

Sitting in Malada Maligawa with friends and listening to the melodious ringing of the bells, I cannot help but feel so calm. During this trip, I joined the “Sri Lanka &China National Friendship Art Exhibition” which was directed by IMSRA Sri Lanker & China Friendship Association and organized by Minpai Cultural Investment Company. There, I saw the beauty of Sri Lanker as well as the friendship among people in China and Sri Lanker.

我作品上的莲花定格在了斯里兰卡，我心里的莲花也盛开在了锡兰。此刻的我，身处海上丝绸之路的起点—泉州古城，在这灯火阑珊处，我的心里，依然存留着从古代海上丝绸之路上，从那纯净美丽的土地上盛开的莲花。

心有莲花，花开见佛。

The lotus flower in my work stopped in Sri Lanker. The lotus flower in my heart also bloomed in Ceylon. Now, as I stand in the beginning of Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou, I can still feel the full-blown lotus flower from the pure land of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

With innocence in the heart, you will see Buddha as you open your heart.

庄培芳 Zhuang Peifang

视觉艺术家，中国摄影家协会会员、福建省美术家协会会员、泉州市鲤城区美术家协会副主席、泉州市鲤城区摄影家协会副主席、华侨大学美术学院硕士研究生实践导师、华侨大学美术学院艺术导师、华侨大学青年联合会常务委员、华侨大学就业创业导师、庄培芳摄影设计公司艺术总监。先后毕业、结业于华侨大学、中国美术学院、美术报名家学院，师从卓鹤君、陈振濂教授。长期致力于国画、摄影和设计领域，坚持艺术与商业的融合之路。

Brief introduction to Zhuang Peifang

Member of China Photographers’ Association; member of Fujian Artists Association; vice president of the Artists Association and Photographers’ Association of Licheng District, Quanzhou City; permanent member of Youth Association of Huaqiao University; art instructor of Academy of Arts of Huaqiao University; employment mentor of Huaqiao University and art director of Zhuang Peifang Photography Company. He graduated and completed courses in Huaqiao University, China Academy of Arts, and Academy of Art Enrolment successively and learned from Professor Zhuo Hejun and Professor Chen Zhenlian. Mr. Zhuang devotes himself to the development of traditional Chinese painting, photo shooting and design and insists in compromising art with business.