"Zhuangzi" has a cloud: "If you have a broken limb, you will know it, and you will be the same as Datong. This is called sitting and forgetting. " Zhuangzi's "sitting and forgetting" is "virtual silence", which makes people forget all existence, forget their own existence, abandon all knowledge and reach the realm of unity with Tao. Zhuangzi thinks that the quietness can only be achieved on the basis of "getting rid of learning wisdom". However, only by achieving silence can we have the most comprehensive and profound understanding of the objective world and enter the realm of "Daming". Zhuangzi's emptiness repels people's concrete understanding and practice, but when he uses the theory of emptiness to analyze many stories about the apotheosis of skills (such as the skillful hand of a cow, the flat wheel, the rowing of a Tianjin man, the swimming of Lvliang's husband, and the success of a loser), these stories themselves show that only on the basis of a large number of concrete understanding and practice can we achieve ecstasy. Because there is such an inherent contradiction in Zhuangzi's theory of emptiness and quietness, later writers did not exclude specific knowledge when using this mythical skill story to illustrate the important role of emptiness and quietness in literary creation, but only emphasized the necessity of eliminating the interference of subjective and objective factors that are not conducive to creation and concentrating their creative thoughts.
"Heaven" says: "The quietness of saints is not only good, but also quiet; Nothing is enough to satisfy the heart, so be quiet. Quiet water is bright, candle burning is bright, the level is accurate, and the master chooses the method. The water is still bright, but the spirit is good! Heart of a saint, calm down! The prison of heaven and earth is also the mirror of all things. The husband is quiet and quiet, lonely and inaction, the sum of heaven and earth, and virtue. " At the end of this passage, Zhuangzi's empty meditation will be clean. The reason why it is empty and clear is that the mind is indomitable and the spirit plays a natural transcendental role; When it is cultivated into an empty body and mind, it is still like the heart of a saint, the mirror of heaven and earth, the mirror of all things, all the images in the world, and the abstruse Taoist body, so the empty reality is "the level of heaven and earth, the highest morality" and "the joy of heaven".
Zhuangzi's thought of "emptiness and quietness" had a far-reaching and extensive influence on later literary creation.
As far as the influence of literary creation is concerned, Zhuangzi's thought of "emptiness and quietness" has penetrated into Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, profoundly affecting the concept of literary creation. Liu Xie in Wen Xin Diao Long? The article "Thought" said: "Tao Jun's literary thought is the spirit of quietness, dispersing five treasures and bathing in snow." China's ancient theories about the conception of literary creation all emphasized that writers must have a "virtual and quiet" psychological state before conception, which was considered as the first condition for the smooth conception.
(A) the Confucian theory of emptiness and quietness
Taoism's theory of emptiness and quietness in epistemology has been absorbed and transformed by Confucianism. Xunzi's theory of emptiness and quietness does not exclude knowledge and learning, and his "emptiness and quietness" is consistent with his "persuasion" Therefore, in literary theory, the theory of emptiness and quietness is juxtaposed with knowledge and learning. Lu Ji said at the beginning of Wen Fu: "In the center, I will see the mystery, and I will be interested in the grave." Here, "Xuan Lan" refers to contemplation, that is, emptiness and quietness, while "Dianfen" refers to knowledge and learning. Liu Xie in Wen Xin Diao Long? In Shensi, emptiness and quietness and "accumulating knowledge and preserving treasures, learning by reasoning, learning by poverty, and mourning by training" are listed as "the first technique to control literature and the great end of literature"
(B) the Buddhist theory of emptiness and quietness
After Buddhism was introduced into China, the Taoist theory of emptiness and tranquility was integrated with the Buddhist concept of emptiness and tranquility. Liu Yuxi, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, once said in "Preface to the Master Hong Ju Temple in Autumn": "If you talk about Samana, you still have to talk about it. If you can leave your desire, it will be empty, empty and the scenery will be complete. People must have something to say, but it is a word; Smart, profound words, must follow the rhythm. Therefore, since ancient times, pebbles have been known for their poems. Because of the situation, clearly put forward; Words are chosen by wisdom, so the essence is beautiful. Believe in the Zen forest, but the pearl of the river. " Meditation to desire, then empty, this is the realm of virtual silence. Inner emptiness can accommodate all kinds of scenery, thus producing beautiful poems. As a result, many creative theories based on emptiness and quietness have appeared in literary theoretical criticism. For example, in the Song Dynasty, Su Shi said in the poem Farewell to Liao: "If you want to make poetry beautiful, you will never be tired of being empty. Quietly, the group moved, but it was empty, so it accepted the thousand boundaries. Both salty and sour taste good, and the best taste lasts forever. Poetry is harmless, and this language is more pleasing. " Neo-Confucianism in Song Dynasty is the development of Confucianism under the new historical conditions, and Taoism also attaches great importance to the emptiness and quietness of poetry.
Because Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism all emphasize emptiness and quietness, in ancient China, emptiness and quietness were regarded as the most basic condition for the cultivation of creative subjects, whether in literary creation or artistic creation such as painting and calligraphy. For example, Wang Xizhi, a famous calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, once said: "If you want to write, you should learn ink first, concentrate on it, predict the font size, cadence, straightness and vibration, and then write." (After Mrs. Wei painted a picture) The Amin Dynasty said in the book Calligraphy and Painting that Wang Wei was able to "paint a picture in a poem, and paint a poem in a picture" precisely because he was "free and easy in his chest, accessible in the middle, like curling, a deep-water mirror, with a sense of texture in the hole and no flaws in the micro, so he wrote without dust and vulgarity. What do you mean? Silence in literary and artistic creation aims to make writers and artists get rid of the influence of various distractions such as fame and fortune, so as to fully engage in their own artistic imagination and form the most beautiful artistic image in their conception. " "Idea first" is an important principle of China's ancient literary creation, but it must be realized on the premise of silence. Zhuangzi? "Heaven" said: "The quietness of saints is not only good, but also good, so it is also quiet. Nothing is enough to satisfy the heart, so be quiet. When the water is still, the candle is bright and the eyebrows are clear, the level is accurate, and the master takes the method. The water is still bright, but what is the spirit? The sage is calm, the mirror of heaven and earth, and the mirror of everything. "Thus, how profound the influence of epistemology in China's ancient philosophy on literary creation is!