在古運(yùn)河畔的桐鄉(xiāng)石門灣,一泓綠水,孕育了一位戴著圓形眼鏡、撫著銀白長髯,欣然微笑、逍遙自在的智者——豐子愷。
石門灣的緣緣堂,是這位淡泊悠然、率真本色的中國傳統(tǒng)文人的精神棲憩之地。正直、高大、軒敞、明爽的緣緣堂,是豐子愷親自設(shè)計(jì)的三楹高樓。他對(duì)緣緣堂的珍惜與喜愛,決非常人可以體察。他在文章中寫道:“但倘使秦始皇要拿阿房宮來同我交換、石季倫愿把金谷園來和我對(duì)調(diào),我決不同意?!?/p>
高樓三楹、樸素軒敞的緣緣堂建成于1933年,不僅擁有藏書數(shù)千卷,而且堂中有馬一浮、吳昌碩、弘一法師等民國名流的珍貴手跡?!熬壘壧谩必翌~,是馬一浮所題。一幅老梅中堂,原為吳昌碩手筆,內(nèi)聯(lián)是弘一法師所題《華嚴(yán)經(jīng)》句:“欲為諸法本,心如工畫師?!蓖庥兄魅俗詫懙亩鸥υ娋洌骸皶褐癸w烏才數(shù)子,頻來語燕定新巢?!边€有弘一法師《大智度論·十喻贊》的一堂大屏……當(dāng)時(shí)的緣緣堂聚集了中國一流大師的筆墨丹青,是何等的流光溢彩!放到今天,無論是藝術(shù)價(jià)值,還是金錢價(jià)值,任何一幅作品,都是難以估量的。當(dāng)然,說到金錢價(jià)值就流俗了,老人家說過自己“平生不善守錢”。
緣緣堂既是豐氏一家人的生息之所,又是豐子愷的精神家園?!澳闶俏野蚕⒅D闶俏业臍w宿之處。”
豐子愷對(duì)家鄉(xiāng)是懷有深情的:“走了五省,經(jīng)過大小百數(shù)十個(gè)碼頭,才知道我的故鄉(xiāng)石門灣,真是一個(gè)好地方?!痹凇掇o緣緣堂》中,豐子愷如是寫道。這個(gè)“好”,不僅僅是浙北平原的水鄉(xiāng)風(fēng)情,更因?yàn)槭怯芯壘壧玫拇嬖凇?/p>
相信,豐子愷對(duì)于故鄉(xiāng)的熱愛,是發(fā)自肺腑的。
然而,1937年11月下旬,侵華日軍突襲石門灣,豐子愷率親族老幼十余人倉皇逃難,永別了緣緣堂——1938年1月,炮火焚毀了緣緣堂,一切成了游子悲痛的記憶。豐子愷在《還我緣緣堂》《告緣緣堂在天之靈》《辭緣緣堂》等一系列文章中,如泣如訴、悲愴不已地念叨著緣緣堂。讀著這些文字,我感同身受,情不自禁。
現(xiàn)在我們看到的緣緣堂是桐鄉(xiāng)市于1985年重建的,豐子愷生前的摯友、新加坡佛教總會(huì)副主席廣洽法師慨然資助,為重建一事共襄盛舉。1998年,桐鄉(xiāng)市還在豐同裕染坊店舊址上興建了豐子愷漫畫館,與緣緣堂連為一體。
今天的緣緣堂,仿舊而建,前樓后院青磚黑瓦,朱欄粉墻,透露著舊式建筑之美。玻璃封存的一對(duì)大門焦痕斑駁,是舊時(shí)緣緣堂在日軍炮火中的遺物,門楣上方有豐先生自題的“欣及舊棲”四個(gè)字。
站在這對(duì)舊門前,仿佛親歷了那一場殘酷的劫難。佇立在這門前,八十多年前的戰(zhàn)火風(fēng)云席卷而來。滿腹經(jīng)綸、一介書生的豐子愷帶著家人,倉皇逃難。中華民族的恥辱與苦難,也是每一個(gè)炎黃子孫的恥辱與苦難。豐子愷和他的緣緣堂,同樣承擔(dān)了祖國的磨難與歷史的重負(fù)。
豐子愷信佛,歷來只“顯正”而不“斥妄”。經(jīng)此浩劫,他看到了人類殘酷、悲慘、丑惡和黑暗的一面?!帮@正”必須“斥妄”,“斥妄”才能“顯正”。這是藝術(shù)的辯證法,也是人生的辯證法。“憑五寸不爛之筆來對(duì)抗暴敵,我的前途尚有希望。”豐子愷自覺地把個(gè)人的命運(yùn)與國家的興亡緊密聯(lián)系起來,“一心向前,勇猛精進(jìn)?!狈鸺业碾[忍,陶淵明的悠閑,在國難當(dāng)頭方顯赤子之心:鐵骨錚錚,激越高昂。
隱逸或者進(jìn)取,消極逃避還是積極抗?fàn)?,作為文人的豐子愷做了最好的回答和選擇。豐子愷說過:“我的心為四事所占據(jù)了:天上的神明與星辰,人間的藝術(shù)與兒童?!币粋€(gè)心靈明凈的人,才真正是一個(gè)可愛的人。而今,天上升起了一顆“豐子愷星”,這是子愷先生超凡脫俗的心靈化成的星辰。
古運(yùn)河猶在悠悠流淌,緣緣堂門前的重瓣桃花正欣然盛開。置身于物是人非的緣緣堂,自然已難以領(lǐng)略當(dāng)年豐子愷筆下的那般神韻與情趣了。匆匆的過客只能是浮光掠影地感受著一個(gè)文人美麗的憧憬與向往:春天,堂前燕子呢喃,窗內(nèi)有“小語春風(fēng)弄剪刀”的聲音。夏天,紅了櫻桃,綠了芭蕉。秋天,夜來明月照高樓,樓下的水門汀映成一片湖光。冬天,屋子里一天到晚曬著太陽,炭爐上時(shí)聞普洱茶香。
景是情的映照。這情景交融的緣緣堂,只能是豐子愷所獨(dú)有的精神歸宿。
戀戀不已盤桓在緣緣堂,仿佛看到撫髯微笑的豐子愷散淡而平和地坐在緣緣堂的書房里,讀書、繪畫或者寫作,對(duì)面墻上懸掛著弘一法師親撰的對(duì)聯(lián):真觀清靜觀,廣大智慧觀;梵音海潮音,勝彼世間音。
豐子愷先生一派瀟灑風(fēng)神、智者風(fēng)范、大家風(fēng)度,感悟著藝術(shù),感悟著人生……
Feng Zikai and His Former Residence in Shimenwan
Feng Zikai (1898-1975), a native of Shimenwan or Stone Gate Bay literally situated at a bend of an ancient canal in Tongxiang, was a renowned Chinese literati scholar celebrated for his modern Chinese paintings, essays, music, cartoons and translations.
In 1933, he designed and had a residence built in his hometown. He called it Yuanyuantang or Hall of Predestined Fate. The residence was a grand structure glorified with a collection of several thousand books and inscriptions by famed masters such as Ma Yifu, Wu Changshuo and Master Hongyi. Feng Zikai considered the house home to his heart and soul.
Feng Zikai loved Shimenwan. He became aware of the beauty of his birthplace after he had seen more than one hundred river towns in five provinces. The residence made him love Shimenwan much more deeply.
The happiness didnt last, alas. In November 1937, Japanese soldiers launched a sudden attack on Shimenwan. Feng and more than 10 family members hastily fled. He was not able to come back and see his home again. In January 1938, the grand house was destroyed in a battle. Later Feng wrote several essays in memory of his beloved residence.
The present-day Yuanyuantang was rebuilt in 1985 with funds partly from a Buddhist monk in Singapore. The Buddhist monk was a friend of Feng. In 1998, Tongxiang had Feng Zikai Art Gallery built next door to Yuanyuantang on the site of a dyeing business.
The restored residence is a structure with rooms in the front and a garden in the back. Inside the compound is a glass cabinet showcasing the gate of the original Yuanyuantang. The gate looks partially black and charred. It is the only part of the original residence that has survived the war.
Viewing the charred gate, one can imagine the atrocity of the battle more than 80 years ago. Back then, no one in China could have escaped the calamitous impact of the war. Feng and his ravaged home bore testimony to the savage past.
Feng was a Buddhist. Before the war, he had promoted the justice of the world and abstained from warring against evils. The war changed his worldview and opened his eyes to cruelty, sorrow, ugliness and darkness. During the war, he realized that blasting evils and devils was necessary for promoting justice of the world and promoting justice wouldnt go far without annihilating devils and evils. He said he had passion for four things: gods and stars in the cosmos, art and children in this human world.
The ancient canal hasnt changed much. It bends past Shimenwan as it did so many centuries ago. The peach trees in front of Yuanyuantang bloom annually. A visit to Yuanyuantang does help one better understand what Feng wrote about the residence. A visitor can glimpse into the residence and view how time flies and imagine how the life in yesteryears at the house looked like: swallows chirped in springtime; in summer, cherry trees bore red fruits and palm trees had green fronds, reds and greens in pleasant contrast; the residence was submerged in silver moonlight in autumn, turning the cement ground in front of the house into a pond of light; in winter days, sunshine made the rooms warm and pleasant, the aroma of tea wafted from the teakettle on the charcoal oven. This was how Feng enjoyed life at home.