EASTERN PHILOSOPHY - The Love of Rocks

Mi Fu enumerated four main aesthetic qualities he detected in rocks: Su (elegant and upright stature), Zu (wrinkled in-furrow texture), Lu (cracks like channels or paths through the rock), and Tu (holes allowing air and light to pass through), representing a systematic aesthetic framework for evaluating rocks.

“Mi Fu goes on to write a treatise on rocks that enumerates four main aesthetic qualities he detects in them: 1) Su -an elegant and upright stature 2) Zu -a wrinkled in-furrow texture 3)Lu - or cracks that are like channels or paths through the Rock and 4) Tu - the holes in the rock that allow air and light to pass through.”

In 826 AD during the Tang Dynasty, a scholar-official named Baidu discovered oddly shaped rocks at Lake Tai in Jiangsu Province that he recognized as remarkable, establishing what became the founding moment of Chinese rock appreciation as a philosophical and aesthetic tradition.

“826 AD, Tang Dynasty, Lake Tai, Jiangsu Province, China. A middle-aged gentleman is taking a stroll around a large lake on the yangtze Delta plain in Eastern China. When something on its shore catches his eye. It's an apparently trivial yet momentous discovery: a pair of oddly shaped rocks. This is perhaps no less than the founding moment in Chinese petro-philia.”

In Eastern philosophical traditions, wisdom can originate from contemplation of natural objects like rocks, not exclusively from books as is generally expected in Western philosophy.

“In the west we generally expect philosophy to come from books. In the east, more wisely, There's an awareness that it may also come from other things. For example: rocks”

Baidu found the rocks he discovered at Lake Tai to be visually unprepossessing—dark, sallow, grotesque and ugly in appearance, covered in dirt and begrimed with smoke, with cavities thick with green moss—yet he recognized profound value in them.

“Dark sallow, two slates of rocks, their appearance is grotesque and ugly. They're also covered in dirt and begrimed with smoke. Their cavity's thick with green moss.”

Baidu's poem about the rocks expresses a personal consolation in old age, with the rocks serving as companionship for an aging man who felt excluded from the world of younger people, establishing an intimate, emotional dimension to rock appreciation beyond abstract philosophy.

“The ancient rocks are also a consolation for an Ageing-by, who feels excluded from the world of youngsters. As he writes: Turning my head around I ask the pair of rocks "Can you keep company with an old man like myself?" Although the rocks cannot speak they promise that we will be three friends.”

Baidu, the originator of East Asian reverence for rocks, was aware of how powerful and addictive a love of rocks can become, and in his essay 'Account of the Lake Tai rock' advised that truly wise people should restrict their rock worship to a few hours a day.

“The originator of the East Asian Reverence for Rocks , Baidu, Was well aware of how powerful a love of rocks can become. In his essay "Account of the Lake Tai rock" he speaks of an addiction that some rocks can bring about. "Truly wise people should", he says, "Restrict their rock worship to a few hours a day".”

In Tang Dynasty China, the ideal administrator was expected to be a man of learning and the arts, not merely competent in mathematics and administration, with many of China's leading poets and painters pursuing careers in public service.

“The ideal administrator doesn't just know maths and timekeeping. In China He's meant to be a man of learning and the arts. Many of China's leading poets and painters have careers in public service.”

Daoism, which originated as philosophy in ancient China before becoming popular religion, emphasizes reverence for nature and teaches that rocks' holes, perforations, and indentations represent the patient, mighty forces of the universe that should be respected, admired, and harmonized with.

“Daoism which began as a philosophy in ancient China, before turning into a popular religion, cherishes nature and it's evidence of Nature's Force that Baidu welcomes in these rocks. The holes perforations and indentations sing the patient mighty forces of the universe which we should respect, admire, and attempt to find harmony with.”

In Japanese rock appreciation, rocks are not placed on wooden stands as in China but are instead positioned in trays surrounded by sand or water, designed to evoke mountains and lakes.

“In Japan the rocks are not so much placed on wooden stands as positioned in trays surrounded by sand or water and are meant to evoke mountains and corresponding lakes.”

Baidu was a Tang Dynasty scholar-official who combined excellence in multiple domains: he had experienced career ups and downs including periods of imperial disfavor and exile, was eventually appointed prefect of Xu Zhu, and was recognized as one of China's major poets.

“After numerous ups and downs in his career as a state official, Including periods of imperial disfavor in exile, Baidu has finally made it. He's been appointed prefect of the nearby city of Xu Zhu. He also happens to be one of China's major Poets.”

In the 11th and 12th century Northern Song Dynasty, rocks became a major passion for collection among scholar-officials, with stones mounted on wooden bases and placed on desks as constant sources of inspiration and valued as highly as paintings or calligraphic scrolls.

“In The Eleventh and twelfth Century, Chinese Northern song Dynasty the passion for collecting rocks among scholar officials like Mi Fu Takes off in earnest. Stones are mounted on wooden bases and placed on desks as constant sources of inspiration. The decorative stones become known as "Gongshi" - Spirit Stones. Popularly mistranslated as "Scholars Rocks" in English. They're valued quite as highly as any painting or calligraphic scroll.”

The decorative stones in Song Dynasty China were known as 'Gongshi' (Spirit Stones), though the term is popularly mistranslated in English as 'Scholars Rocks,' indicating a gap between English translation and the original philosophical meaning.

“The decorative stones become known as "Gongshi" - Spirit Stones Popularly mistranslated as "Scholars Rocks" in English.”

In Song Dynasty China, the peculiarly twisted shapes of rocks were admired as evidence of Qi energy—the force believed to animate both nature and the human body—making rock appreciation intimately connected to Chinese cosmology and physiology.

“They're peculiarly twisted Shapes are admired as evidence of the Qi energy that is believed to animate nature and the human body alike.”

In the final days of the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong's spectacular imperial garden at Kaifeng was destroyed by order to provide resources for military defense—trees were cut for firewood and rocks were pulled from the ground to be used in catapults against invaders.

“In his desperate final days of the Northern Song, the order is given for the trees in Huizong's spectacular imperial Garden at Kaifeng to be cut down for firewood and for its incredible array of fabulous rocks to be pulled out of the ground and used in catapults against the invaders.”

In 12th century Northern Song Dynasty, Mi Fu, another scholar-official, was appointed magistrate in Wu-Wei County and upon arrival violated protocol by bowing ceremoniously to a large rock in the official residence garden instead of greeting his hosts, addressing the rock as 'Elder brother rock' and delivering an elaborate speech in its honor.

“Mi Fu, another rather eccentric scholar official has just been appointed as a magistrate in Wu-Wei County. On arrival he has to pay an important social visit. He's been invited to meet and greet all the other important administrators with whom he'll be working. They stand waiting for him in the front garden of the official residence. But as he walks towards them they're shocked at a sudden breach of protocol on his behalf. For he's been stopped in his tracks by an unusually large rock in the garden. instead of offering his respects to his hosts, Mi Fu turns and bows ceremoniously to the rock, then addresses it as "Elder brother rock" and makes an elaborate speech in its honor.”

In Japanese tradition, spirit rocks are called 'Soseki' and the Japanese favor much more subdued, smooth rocks than the Chinese, with Japanese rocks treasured for their weathered appearance that exemplifies the worn simplicity of the aesthetic known as 'Wabi-sabi'.

“In Japan the spirit rocks are called "Soseki" and the Japanese favor much more subdued smooth rocks than the Chinese. In Japan, rocks are treasured for their weathered appearance that exemplifies the worn simplicity of the aesthetic known as "Wabi-sabi".”

In 15th century Japan during the Muromachi Period, a new type of rock garden developed, representing an adaptation of Chinese rock appreciation tradition rather than a direct imitation.

“In 15th Century Japan a new type of Rock Garden develops. As with much in Chinese culture the obsession with rocks has crossed over to Japan But has been adapted there in a particular way.”

Mi Fu's behavior of bowing to a rock and calling it 'Elder brother rock' earned him the sobriquet 'Crazy Mi' and his image of rock devotion became a favorite subject for East Asian painters for centuries afterward.

“It was this story that earned Mi Fu his soubriquet: "Crazy Mi" and captured the imagination of East Asia's painters for whom Mi Fu and Elder Brother Rock Remained a favorite image for centuries to come.”

Baidu's enthusiasm and poetic talent for rocks generated a wave of broader cultural interest in rock appreciation that extended beyond him personally.

“Thanks to Baidu's enthusiasm and poetic talent a wave of interest in rocks follows.”

Rocks from Huizong's rock collecting officials were transported via canal systems, and the infrastructure was modified to accommodate this—specifically, a bridge was dismantled to allow boats with huge rocks to pass through on a particular canal.

“It's said that he dismantled a bridge to let boats with huge rocks Pass by on a particular canal”

Huizong appointed a royal official to explore the entire Chinese empire in search of precious rocks for his garden, and this official's exploitation of this authority caused significant harm and abuse.

“Huizong had in previous years Appointed a royal official to explore the whole of China in search of precious rocks for his garden Tales are bounded of his officials abuse.”

Contemporary life involves spending only a few minutes per year looking at rocks, making Baidu's advice to restrict rock worship to a few hours per day seem less urgent now than it did in historical contexts where rock appreciation was a widespread cultural practice.

“When few of us spend more than a few minutes a year looking at a rock the advice seems less than urgent”

At Zen Buddhist temples in Japan, particularly Ryōan-ji in Kyoto, rocks are set in very minimal settings to emphasize their qualities, and the raking of gravel around the rocks by temple monks has become a careful and precise art form.

“At several Zen Buddhist temples and most remarkably at Ryōan-ji in Kyoto the stones start to be set in very minimal settings So as to emphasize their qualities. The raking of the gravel around the rocks by Temple monks grows into a careful and precise art.”