Wang Wei (70 1-76 1, 698-759) was born. His mother dreamed that Vimalakīrti entered the room, so she took the name Momo. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan (72 1), he was selected as a scholar. When Zhang Jiuling became prime minister, he was promoted to the right, and soon transferred to supervise the empire; It was not until he resigned from his post and retired from the DPRK that he was officially greeted by Shang Shu You Cheng. At that time, people addressed him as "Wang Youcheng". After retirement, he often traveled with monks and talked about classics with Chu Shi and Pei Di, so he was interested and didn't feel tired. He once converted to Heze Zen master and participated in Zen. He was a famous poet, painter, calligrapher and musician in Tang Dynasty. At that time, the poets Li Bai and Du Fu were highly respected, and Wang Wei was called "Shi Fo". They made great achievements in the poetry circle in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, which can be said to be an important position in the tripartite confrontation.
Wang Wei believed in Buddhism in his early years and was "taught for ten years" by Master Daoguang. He studied Zen all his life and had contacts with Zen masters from the North and the South. First of all, he was influenced by Shen Embroidery School of the North Sect and Zen Thought of Heze School of the South Sect. His mother, Cui Shi, once "studied with a Zen master in his thirties, eating brown vegetables, observing precepts, living in the mountains and seeking peace". The Zen master was a beautiful and lonely person. Wang Wei also wrote The Great Picture of Datong, Table of Pagodas with the Name of Xie, Preface to Appreciating Teachers, and Lan Ruo, a Buddhist monk. Datong is the nickname of Shenxiu, and your Lord is a Taoist in crock temple. For the sake of the divine show, the monk handed down from the divine show is a blessing of righteousness or a blessing of the same clan of Puji.
Wang Wei has a deeper relationship with Nanzong. In addition to being a disciple of Master Huineng, Wang Wei was also entrusted by God to write the Monument to Master Nengchan, which is the earliest document to record the thoughts of the founder of Nanzong. He often asks God for advice on Buddhism, and many of his poems are often "in the south", which shows that Wang Wei is deeply influenced by Huineng and God's Zen thought. In addition, Wang Wei wrote in the Preface to Sending South that "Yang Dian has Cao Xiucai, thank him for me". Cao is the place where Huineng gives lectures, and Cao Xueren is the Zen master who guides the school. It can be seen that he has frequent and close contacts with Nanzong Zen master.
In the history of Buddhism, Wang Wei highly praised Vimalakīrti's lay man, especially the "unique method" in "Vimalakīrti Jing", which had a great influence on Zen. Therefore, Wang Wei's worship of Zen is consistent with that of Vimalakīrti laity.
In addition, Wang Wei's belief in Pure Land Sect is also involved. He said in "The Pure Land of the West Becomes Full of Praise and Order": "I would like to live in bliss with the West as the guide." Ji Xiang Temple is the place where Wang Weichang listened to the Buddha, and it is a pure land temple. He also had a deep association with the ancient monk texts that spread tantric Buddhism. All these show that Wang Wei believes in Buddhism very much and dabbles in a wide range.
During the Anshi Rebellion, Wang Wei was detained in Luoyang by An Lushan and forced to be an official. When the unrest subsided, the court wanted to put him in prison for being a thief. Later, Su Zong pitied his poetic talent and only demoted his official position and made him a "Prince Zhong Yun". After years of promotion, he was appointed as Shangshu Youcheng. However, after this turmoil, Wang Wei felt humiliated and saw the discipline and disorder of the court, which made him want to get rid of all the prosperity and return to the countryside. At that time, he repeatedly said that he would repay the Buddha, fast and avoid disturbing the people. So he supports more than a dozen monks in Beijing every day, taking metaphysical words as his pleasure. After losing his wife at the age of 30, he no longer had a second wife and lived alone for 30 years. On weekdays, I don't wear colorful clothes. In the bedroom, there are only tea trays, medicine mortars, scriptures and rope beds. Other than that, I have nothing and live the life of a Zen monk completely. Whenever I retire from the DPRK, I burn incense in the clean room, sit quietly and chant Buddhist scripture, and have nothing to worry about. He also established the Wangchuan Villa, talked with his friend Pei Di about Zen and poetry, and lived leisurely until his death.
Wang Wei is not only profound in Buddhism, but also a devout Buddhist practitioner. After confirming his life experience and Zen thought, he had his own unique view.
He advocated "introspection" and stressed that we should overcome the sufferings of the world with inner self-liberation, because self-nature is pure, and all the feelings of suffering are just asking for it. Be clear-headed and be patient. This is his profound understanding of Zen philosophy.
Wang Wei is an excellent poet. He not only wrote some poems to illustrate Buddhism, but also turned religious thoughts and feelings into poetic thoughts, which was unique in the Tang Dynasty. His poems are simple in style and secluded in artistic conception. Wang Wei's poems are mainly landscape poems. Through the description of pastoral landscapes, he preaches seclusion and Buddhism. Such as "The Book of Kings":
No one can be seen in the silent valley, only the voice is heard.
The shadow of the sunset shone into the depths of the forest, and the scenery on the moss was pleasant.
He is good at expressing a kind of "emptiness", "quietness" and "leisure" in his poems, which is due to the perfect presentation of his Zen cultivation. For example, my seclusion in Zhongnanshan:
My middle-aged heart found its way, and I came to live at the foot of this mountain.
Interest concentration is often unique to play and have a happy thing to enjoy self-appreciation.
I will walk until the river blocks my way, then sit down and look at the rising clouds.
Occasionally I met a village elder in the Woods, and I chatted with him until I often forgot to go home.
Zen has influenced Wang Wei's poetry creation art, which can be divided into three levels: Zen language into poetry, Zen interest into poetry and Zen method into poetry. Such as Ji Xiang Temple:
Not knowing the way to the Temple of Heaped Fragrance Road, walking in the mountains and clouds.
Through the ancient forest without human footprints, but now I hear bells on high?
The stream sings on the winding rocks, and the sun is tempered by pines.
In the evening, come to the empty pool and meditate quietly to suppress the dragon.
This is a good poem, which involves Zen language and affects the overall Zen meaning. There is also a "farewell":
Please have a drink with your horse and ask your friend where you are going.
And you replied, "I'm dissatisfied" and lay down in Shannan.
Just left, I want to ask again, look at the white clouds floating.
This is a symbol of carefree and free life, and it is also a manifestation of "Zen".
Deeply influenced by Buddhism, Wang Wei's poems are known as "contemporary poets" and are good at Zen, and later known as "Shi Fo". He can not only express Buddhism as the language of poetry, but also enrich the connotation of poetry with his understanding of Buddhism.