Quote by Wang Wei: “In old age, one desires tranquility and finds it in nothingness.”

This quote reflects a journey towards inner peace, suggesting that true serenity is achieved not through accumulating things, but by embracing simplicity and emptiness. It speaks to the wisdom gained with age, finding contentment in detachment from worldly desires.

Wang Wei's later life was marked by a deeper immersion in Buddhism and a withdrawal from public office. His poetry from this period often explores themes of aging, spiritual detachment, and the pursuit of inner peace in remote natural settings, typical of Tang hermit poets.

Tang dynasty Chinese poet and painter, born around 699 CE, often called the Buddha of Poetry for the Zen-inflected quality of his verse. He served as a court official but retreated to his estate at Wangchuan, which became the landscape setting for his most celebrated poems. His nature poetry integrates visual, aural, and spiritual observation in ways that deeply influenced subsequent Chinese literary tradition.