In the beginning of the 21st century in the year 2004, during the season when flowers are in full bloom, a splendid and wonderful artist appeared in this world. She is the world’s youngest world-class artist. She is also the world’s youngest world-class English language calligrapher. When the sculptured landscape artwork of Pui Chu Yee (also known as Diao Tong; her Dharma name is Jinba Pui Chu Yee) was first shown to people, they were shocked. Many people in Tibet have known the name Jinba Pui Chu Yee for many years. Yet, from this moment on, her name will be even more deeply engraved in the hearts of each person who sees her artwork. Jinba Pui Chu Yee is a girl who is only twelve years old. Nevertheless, her highly creative powers in the field of art are incredible. The superb artistry reflected in her sculptured landscapes naturally merges a profound and broad outlook on life with an innocent and fresh appreciation of beauty. Her captivating craftsmanship, which comes from nature yet transcends nature, takes the viewer into a world of fantasy.

The New York Academy of Art evaluated the sculptured landscapes of Jinba Pui Chu Yee. On May 11, 2004, that Academy issued a certificate to Jinba Pui Chu Yee signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Stephen Farthing. That certificate contained the following evaluation: “It has been a great pleasure for both me as Executive Director, and my Faculty at the New York Academy of Art, to get to know the artwork of such an internationally acclaimed artist as Ms. Pui Chu Yee. Her unique approach transports the viewer beyond taste and fantasy to a point where enchantment and contemporary art meet. Her work is a great achievement.”

The news of Jinba Pui Chu Yee suddenly exhibiting her calligraphic skills was vividly published in newspapers in California during April of 2004. She handwrote the names of more than 150 people. The style of each of those signatures is transcendent, extraordinarily beautiful, lively, elegant, natural, masterly, and graceful. She did not need to think of how she would design each signature. She simply lifted her pen and wrote each name in an instant. Each signature is unique and striking. No two signatures are the same. It is as if the signatures were written by celestial gods rather than a human being.

An assembly took place in which Jinba Pui Chu Yee was invited to create signatures in calligraphic style. Attendees of that assembly included experts and scholars from Taiwan, Tibet, Thailand, North America, and South America, as well as outstanding alumni, doctorate holders, and university professors. Among those alumni, Ph.D.s, and professors were people who graduated from famous universities in the United States, such as Stanford, Yale, and Columbia. At the assembly, Jinba Pui Chu Yee wielded her pen to the astonishment of all. Everyone expressed admiration. The person conducting that large assembly invited each of the outstanding scholars in attendance to test their own signature against the signature of their name written by Jinba Pui Chu Yee in order to determine whose signature is superior. All of those learned attendees were so amazed at the wonderful calligraphy of Jinba Pui Chu Yee that not one of them dared walk up the platform and compare signatures. Each of them was ashamed that their own signature would not match up to her signature of their name. They dared not test their skills against those of a twelve-year-old girl who had studied in the United States for less than five years. They sincerely felt great happiness and respect for Jinba Pui Chu Yee.

A Caucasian American scholar by the name of Zhaxi Zhuoma used to be an expert at designing signatures for people. After she saw signatures created by Jinba Pui Chu Yee, she exclaimed in astonishment, “I never imagined that there is a child in this world with such superior talent. How could I hold a candle to her?” She praised Jinba Pui Chu Yee profusely and paid to her the same respect she would pay to a sage or saint.

This young girl, Jinba Pui Chu Yee, was born in China’s Sichuan Province. She comes from a family who have been scholars for generations. Her ancestors were famous scholars fully versed in Chinese classics. Her grandfather, Mr. Feng Chi, was well known far and near for having the best medical skills, ethics, and literary knowledge of his generation. Her father, Wan Ko Yee, Ph.D., is a professor at a university in the United States. He is also a world-renowned pre-eminent Master of wisdom, a great scholar, the only person awarded the title “Fellow” by the Royal Academy of Arts in the United Kingdom in more than 200 years, a consummate painter of Chinese paintings, and the founder in this world of a form of art called Yun Sculpture. Jinba Pui Chu Yee’s mother, Yu Hua Wang, is a professor at a famous American university. Her brother, Hang Kung Yee, is a young artist recognized by the Royal Academy of Arts in England. A hardcover collection of his artwork has been published. From the time she was a small child, Jinba Pui Chu Yee was educated by her father, who instilled in her a high sense of morality. Her father also taught her a wonderful Buddhist method to open her wisdom, thereby enabling her to create remarkable artwork within a very short period of time.  

The artistic creations of Jinba Pui Chu Yee come from life yet transcend life. Her sculptured landscapes embody various realistic-looking environments. There are undulating mountain ranges, rock formations, trees, and streams. Her works look like genuine beautiful scenes of nature. How could anyone imagine that such works are the hand-molded creations of a human being, a girl who is twelve years old at that? The main theme of her sculptured landscapes is natural scenery. There seems to be unusual stories and legends, deep meaning, and extraordinary enchantment amid those charming and natural-looking mountains and rocks.         

Examples of her works whose primary theme is Tibetan scenery are “The Western Land of Qinghai and Tibet” and “Zang Xue Hu Shan.” As soon as you view them, you feel as if you were transported to the mysterious and beautiful snowy region of Tibet, a paradise with wondrous sea coral. You may wonder, “Isn’t that the Himalayan Mountains or Mount Gongga, which accumulate snow all year round? Isn’t that the grandeur of pristine glaciers on a plateau?” The azure sky is set off by pure white clouds that lightly caress snowy mountainsides. Snowy chains of mountain peaks embellish sparkling lakes. Water reflects graceful sala trees, elegantly adorned coral reefs, and, of course, white clouds and blue sky. Wild cranes circle above. Deer leisurely wander about. Immortal guests come and go. All who enter and leave are sages and saints. So many ancient myths flow through the histories of the beautiful and dazzling works of art entitled “The Western Land of Qinghai and Tibet,” “Gingkoes of Wuling,” “Hidden Lake Amid Mountain Peaks,” “Colorful Mysterious Jade,” and “A Sculpture Hand-Molded in Front of Seven Nuns.”

Some of her works were openly sculptured in front of others. For example, seven nuns and two laypersons personally witnessed the entire creative process for the works entitled “A Sculpture Hand-Molded in Front of Seven Nuns” and “Colorful Mysterious Jade,” from preparing the materials to completion of the work. They were there the entire time Pui Chu Yee hand-molded that landscape, and they saw it become a great masterpiece. That is why that work of art is called “Seven Nuns Watch Hand-Molding.”      

When viewing the sculptured landscape of Jinba Pui Chu Yee entitled “The Source and Flow of Life,” did you discover its extraordinarily beautiful quality, which is certainly different from the quality of worldly scenery? There are those six protruding, ever-revolving wheels. Are those fungi? Are they mushrooms? Could those be sunflowers? Are they cap-like things? Were those things born from a womb or egg or did they appear instantaneously? Are those water marks that the river rapids left behind? Are those floating bubbles from rolling ocean waves? Is that the shadow of wild geese sweeping through the sky? Is that what one perceives after suddenly awakening from a dream? Does this work of art want to make us awaken to something? Does it want to tell people of the world about the truth of life? It seems to be able to evoke profound thoughts from the deepest part of our soul. It seems to want to make us free ourselves from our habitual worldly thoughts so that we realize the true source of the universe and life.

This work of art seems to be able to look through us. Which person knows that the revolving never stops? Is it the beginning, or is it the end? Actually, it is the everlasting state of impermanence. Non-being turns into being. Being turns into non-being. Brightness and darkness merge. Everything is changing unknowingly. The joy of birth becomes the sadness of death, which could come at any moment in this ever-changing state of impermanence. Joy becomes sorrow; sorrow becomes joy. We experience muddle-headedness and silent infatuation. There is pain and pleasure, misery and happiness. We experience myriad feelings. Separation and reunion constantly occur. We give rise to love, hate, greed, and attachment. All of these are interwoven like myriad silk threads. How does one find the main threads of these interwoven thoughts? Why does one become weak and die? Unpredictable weather conditions constantly change, going from overcast skies to clear and bright skies, to thunder and rain. A confused life passes by in the twinkling of an eye, like a seed or fungus. Each life comes into being through a womb, egg, moisture, or instantaneous appearance. Who is in charge of life and death? We are hesitant, having boundless fear. In a moment, life turns into death. This is all that life is.

The duration of life can be compared to a mayfly—in an instant, it is gone. What meaning is there to life? What happiness is there in this floating life? All of the celestial beings will wither and die in the end. Life and death are inevitable. Everything is changing. One quietly ponders that everything passes quickly in a state of confusion. At that time, one realizes that this wheel is the net of the six realms of reincarnation. All of life is born and grows within the cycle of reincarnation. Is the cycle of reincarnation the wriggling within a pregnant mother? Is it the mountains and rocks that have existed from ancient times to the present? Do spirits with form or without form drift in it? The cycle of reincarnation causes apprehension in all sentient beings, but they cannot free themselves from it. We have produced karmic debts throughout thousands of eons due to ignorance, and we must face each one of our debts. The wheel of the six realms of reincarnation quickly spins without end. Like this wheel, day and night unceasingly alternate. Sentient beings lose their direction within this cycle of reincarnation. However, one day, in the midst of calmness, one comes to sudden enlightenment and exclaims “eureka!” The cycle of reincarnation turns out to be a tangled web. Following the tracks of the six realms of reincarnation, beings collide with one another. Living beings create the cycle of reincarnation and give birth to boundless life.

With a long sigh, one asks oneself, “Is it worth the trouble to hold onto misguided ways, resulting in appearing, disappearing, and reappearing in this cycle of reincarnation? Will this wheel of reincarnation roll forever without end?” The reality for all living beings and all non-living things is drifting within the state of impermanence, within the state of illusion and falsehood. Just let go of that vine for climbing cliffs. Just lay down that oar used to approach the shore. Letting go of everything, one meditates. At this time, one sees the compassionate heart of God, the hope of the loving Jesus Christ. Unexpectedly, the bell of a Buddha Land rings! That ringing is clear and long. It dispels all fear of reincarnation. One lets come whatever comes. One lets go whatever goes. That which seemed to be without end, ends here. The hurricanes of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are nothing but an empty dream to smile upon. The obstacles of confusion regarding heaven and earth, life and death are nothing but an illusion. Realizing this, one is selfless and bright. One is boundless and eternal. This is the fragrance of limitless, great happiness and inexhaustible freedom.

“The Source and Flow of Life” contains a few beautiful wheels that are like rocks exhibiting the brightness of their original nature after being washed by flowing water.

When one views the work entitled “Colorful Mysterious Jade,” one notices that its style is very much different from her other works. Interwoven, ever-changing stalactites, as well as colors dripping with freshness and tenderness, reveal mystery and intimacy. There is sparkle and beauty that even delicately wrought real jade cannot match. There are natural-looking crags, yet they are more lustrous and vivid than real crags. The superlative craftsmanship of Jinba Pui Chu Yee has produced a work whose beauty far excels the beauty of natural mountains and stones. This sculptured landscape is somewhat similar to the Yun Sculpture style of her father, Master Wan Ko. It can truly be said that this work of art is something found in heaven. How could it be of this human realm? Perhaps some people will think that this is an exaggeration. Actually, it is not. When you see her original works, you will naturally be gladly convinced and will feel nothing but admiration.

We become enraptured in her works. We linger on viewing them, are reluctant to leave, and even forget about returning home. When Jinba Pui Chu Yee calmly appears before our eyes, we cannot connect these superb and stirring works of art with the innocent, smiling face before us. When gazing upon her face, which is as beautiful as a snow lotus, we cannot help wonder what type of wisdom power is behind her two limpid eyes.

We asked Jinba Pui Chu Yee about her thoughts and feelings concerning her artistic achievements. She smiled her usual pure and innocent smile, but her words expressed the depth of a sage. With an unfathomably profound look in her eyes, she said in a very matter-of-fact manner, “These tiny accomplishments are the results of the Bonian Wisdom Dharma, which I learned from my father. It is just that simple.” Pui Chu Yee said it was just that simple. Actually, it was not simple at all. How could just any ordinary person possess the Bonian Wisdom Dharma? This is an amazing Buddhist treasure.

Let us for now put aside discussing her wondrous sculptured landscapes. Let us just discuss how thought provoking it is that she suddenly realized remarkable calligraphic skills. Seriously think about the following. What type of power would Jinba Pui Chu Yee have to possess for the conductor of that large assembly to be so certain of the outcome of comparing signatures, even though there were unknown factors involved? Jinba Pui Chu Yee and the conductor of that assembly did not know how the more than 100 attendees signed their names. They did not know the quality of the signatures of the attendees. How, then, could the conductor of that assembly assert that Jinba Pui Chu Yee’s calligraphic signatures of the names of attendees would certainly be even better than the signatures of the attendees themselves, even though those attendees have been signing their own names for many decades?

To one’s surprise, the skills of a young girl surpassed those of experts and scholars, who are all at least middle-aged. If her signatures had been better than one or two attendees, then maybe it would have been coincidental. However, in fact, all of the more than 100 advanced scholars expressed their deep admiration of Jinba Pui Chu Yee. Each of them felt embarrassed. What is even more startling is that she has never studied or practiced calligraphy in all of her twelve years, not to mention English calligraphy. Nevertheless, she suddenly attained profound skills, handwriting the names of more than 100 people in an extraordinarily beautiful and elegant way, with each signature having a style of its own. Pui Chu Yee had become the world’s youngest great calligrapher of the English language.  If this is not a miracle in the history of human art, then what is it? In a very short period of time, Jinba Pui Chu Yee went from a girl who had no experience whatsoever in art or calligraphy to an internationally acclaimed artist recognized by an authoritative art institute. After viewing her artwork, one realizes that it has indeed reached international standards. In the past few thousand years, there is no similar example arising from art circles. What type of similar example can be found among the multitude of saints and sages of Catholicism, Christianity, or Buddhism? Doesn’t this sufficiently prove that Jinba Pui Chu Yee’s sudden realization of extraordinary and holy wisdom was due to her learning the Bonian Wisdom Dharma?

The understanding we have of the things around us and ourselves is often deepened and expanded by unexpected results or occurrences. For example, Christopher Columbus made people understand the vastness of this world; Vladimir Horowitz showed people how an ordinary piano has the power of a large orchestra; and Issac Newton discovered theories behind mother earth’s gravitation as a result of the falling of an apple. Now, Jinba Pui Chu Yee, a twelve-year-old child, has risen to the ranks of those people who will be remembered for generations to come. While being pleasantly surprised at this accomplishment, people will also suddenly realize that the opening and attainment of wisdom does not necessarily totally depend upon gradual accumulation of experience over a long time. Of course, we have limitless respect for the wisdom of mankind accumulated over thousands of years.

For example, the earth’s gravitation has always existed, yet it took the falling of a ripe apple upon Isaac Newton to arouse mankind’s understanding of it. Likewise, hasn’t great wisdom power that transcends the world always existed in the universe? It is only after Jinba Pui Chu Yee’s artistic miracles that we suddenly realized the truth of this power. Only then did we understand that this power could overcome any conventional obstacle. This power enabled young Jinba Pui Chu Yee to become suddenly a living myth in this world.

We have included in this book 66 pictures of Jinba Pui Chu Yee’s sculptured landscapes and 26 of her English calligraphic signatures of hers. These landscapes and signatures are displayed in 70 pictures all together, comprising a hardcover collection of her artwork. This artwork will provide a new chapter in the development of art in this world. It will also give people the opportunity to understand that there is a new way leading to the opening of wisdom. This new way has produced the fastest-trained and youngest world-class artist. Furthermore, her artwork will add to the enjoyment of art in this world. Under the personal guidance of Jinba Pui Chu Yee, a high-tech art studio is now producing three-dimensional artistic images never before seen in this world that are created from some of her sculptured landscapes. 

International Arts Publishing                           

July 2004