{"product_id":"9781626549944","title":"Sacred Calligraphy of the East","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout the East, writing is held to be a gift from\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe gods, and the divinely inspired letters and characters are\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eobjects of the highest veneration. The religious significance\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof calligraphy has thus led to a unique development of the art\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof brush and ink in Japan, China, India, and Tibet. This beautifully\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eillustrated book covers such topics as the history and\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003espirit of Eastern calligraphy, the art of copying religious texts,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe biographies of important Zen calligraphers, and practical\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003einstructions on materials and techniques for the contemporary\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003estudent. No knowledge of the languages discussed is required\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor the reader to appreciate the study of this ancient practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn Stevens lived in Japan for thirty-five years, where\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehe was a professor of Buddhist studies at Tohoku Fukushi\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUniversity in Sendai. Stevens is a widely respected translator,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ean ordained Buddhist priest, a curator of several major exhibitions\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof Zen art, and an aikido instructor. He has authored\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eover thirty books and is one of the foremost Western experts\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eon Aikido, holding a ranking of 7th dan Aikikai. Stevens has\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ealso studied calligraphy for decades, authoring this classic\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSacred Calligraphy of the East.\u003c\/i\u003e Other John Stevens titles that are\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elikely to be of interest include \u003ci\u003eThe Philosophy of Aikido, Extraordinary\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZen Masters, and \u003ci\u003eThe Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Echo Point Books \u0026 Media","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47062524461296,"sku":"9781626549944","price":21.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781626549944_p0.jpg?v=1763864054","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781626549944","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}