Author: Liu Xuemei's accession date: August 2004-18 16: 53: 40.
Pine, chrysanthemum and Taoyuan are the three most representative images in Tao Yuanming's poems. After a close reading of Tao Yuanming's poems, we will find that these three images, which are usually regarded as the symbols of Tao Yuanming's ideal personality and ideal society, have accumulated the profound connotation of the immortal prototype in Taoist mythology. Tao Yuanming's acceptance of this mythological prototype is rooted in his influence on Taoist immortal belief and his potential psychological mechanism of longing for immortals.
In Tao's poems, Tao Yuanming's admiration for Song Qing's pride in resisting snow and standing out from the crowd is beyond words:
Pine and cypress in the East Garden, with no posture in the grass. First frost is different, you can see the tall branches.
There is no glorious wood in the strong wind, and this shade will not last long.
Trees in the valley often do this in winter and summer.
On this basis, most scholars believe that Song Qing symbolizes Tao Yuanming's lonely and arrogant personality. The author thinks that this symbol in the sense of personality is only the superficial meaning of Song Qing's image, and it just covers up the deeper symbolic connotation of Song Qing in the prototype of The Language of the Immortal.
The archetypal image of the Song Dynasty was first seen in The Book of Songs and Four Cadres of Xiaoya. Because of its age, Song was used to celebrate birthday and Yu Changsheng: "Rank ranks four dry, faint Nanshan. Like bamboo shoots, like pine. " This primitive symbolic meaning of Song Qing was accepted by Taoism and became an immortal and important prototype in Taoist mythology. For example, red pine, one of the Taoist immortals, is named after pine trees. According to the legend of the immortals, Akamatsu "can set himself on fire and rise and fall with the wind and rain", and its superb magical power is probably related to Akamatsu's immortal prototype. In Taoist mythology, pine trees are a symbol of immortality, so taking pine leaves and roots can soar to immortality:
Shi Mao, whose name is yujiang county, is in Huayin Mountain. Mountain hunters, see all over the world. shape
I have hair on my body, and it is said that so did the imperial secretary of Qin Shihuang. Qin was exiled after his death, and the Taoist taught him to eat pine.
Leaves, so neither cold nor hungry, so light. In the Western Han Dynasty, he was over 70 years old. ④
It is precisely because pine trees are regarded as a symbol of longevity in Taoist mythology that Taoists love pine trees very much. Tao Hongjing, a famous Taoist priest in the Southern Dynasties, planted pine trees around his Taoist temple and often enjoyed listening to the sound of pine trees. Then, is there some similar truth in Tao Yuanming's love song worthy of our in-depth study?
Tao Yuanming once described his experience of searching for the high road in Nine Imitations of the Ancient, and the residence of the high road with "diligence and always good face" is "pine trees live on the road and white clouds stay under the eaves". In this poem, as the background of Takashima's cultivation of immortals, the image of pine trees in Tao's poems has vaguely revealed that it is related to the prototype of Taoist mythology. Let's look at the four major miscellaneous poems:
Let go of the cliff, gracefu is a gentle boy. From the beginning of the year to the beginning of the year, what can Ke Qiao rely on?
Nourishing color contains body fluid, which makes you suddenly feel psychologically.
Academics generally agree that this poem is a poem about nostalgia, but there are different views on its meaning. In my opinion, this is a metaphysical poem, which uses Song Qing's words to explain the Taoist way of keeping in good health. In the poem, "nourishing color" refers to nourishing beauty, "body fluid" refers to oral liquid, "qi" refers to essence and "psychology" refers to spirit. The so-called "nourishing color contains body fluid and qi, and suddenly there is psychology" refers to the important guiding techniques used by Taoism for health preservation, such as saliva, essence and mind. The young man in the poem is an immortal metaphor. Because in Taoist view, one of the manifestations of immortality is the eternal existence of a child's face. For example, in "Master Zhuangzi", the female doll with a long life is "if the color is like a child". Tao Yuanming juxtaposes pine trees with Taoist "boys" for health and longevity, which means longevity is self-evident. Moreover, at the end of the poem, he also elaborated on the Taoist guidance that can last for many years-breathing the body fluid and caring for the spirit.
In addition, the immortal prototype of pine images in Tao's poems can also be obtained through the symbolic meaning of image group. Tao Yuanming admired pine trees because they stood out from the crowd because "the wind is strong and there is no glorious wood, and this shade is unique." Then let's take a look at the withered orchids and willows in the grass and the lotus leaves, in contrast to the image of pine trees:
Choose Mr. Murong and take root here. In the morning, it shines brightly, but at night, it is lost. Life if
Hair, sometimes gaunt. Quiet words and thoughts are centered on disappointment. ⑤
Glory cannot last long, and the ups and downs are immeasurable. It used to be three years old, but now it's Hà Thu's room.
Weeds grow in severe frost, and dead plants have not reached their peak. The sun and the moon are still there, and I won't be sunny again. ⑥
When orchids wither and willows wither, there is no corpse left to rot. ⑦
The decline of many trees made Tao Yuanming deeply feel the helplessness of perishable and impermanent life; Therefore, it can be inferred that in the admiration for Song Qing's long-standing cold tolerance and Excellence, there will be no yearning and envy for the test of longevity that perhaps even Tao Yuanming himself did not realize.
Tao Yuanming loves not only pine trees but also chrysanthemums. In his works, Songju is a prominent figure under the frost, which is different from other trees: "Fang Chrysanthemum blooms in Lin Yao, and Song Qingguan Rock. With this beauty, it is outstanding for the cream. " ⑧
Autumn chrysanthemum is not only cold-resistant for a long time, but also rich and fragrant. Accordingly, academic circles use the image of Qiu Ju more than Xing Yuanming's noble personality. However, after careful reading of Tao Yuanming's poems, we find that Tao Yuanming's attention to autumn chrysanthemum is often related to his activities of picking, eating and drinking chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival.
Such as: "autumn chrysanthemum is lewd, and its beauty is revealed" 9; "Picking chrysanthemums under the east fence, leisurely seeing Nanshan" Attending; "Holding the mash, offering nine flowers" (1 1) (Note: Jiuhua refers to chrysanthemum). In this way, we can't help asking: Is there any other reason why Tao Yuanming is so fond of chrysanthemums besides their noble fragrance? Behind the image of Shi Tao Fang Ju, will there be a deeper archetypal meaning than the moral of personality?
Wen Yiduo said in Myth and Poetry: "There are many names of prescriptions, and ... Songs of the South have many words." It can be seen that as early as the pre-Qin period, chrysanthemum has become one of the prescriptions of immortals. Ge Hong and Tao Hongjing, Taoist masters in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, also emphasized the important role of taking chrysanthemums for Fei Xian: Ge Hong divided chrysanthemums into chamomile and real chrysanthemums in Bao Puzi, and explained their different functions and taking methods in detail. Tao Hongjing said in volume 14 of "It's really good": "Such as Zi, Taoist in the mountains, people at the end of Wu, chrysanthemum clothes in the mountains, ... ascended to heaven in a five-color cloud car." In the preface of Notes on Materia Medica, he also divided chrysanthemums into two categories, namely true chrysanthemums and bitter barley. The former can make the head not white because of its food. Taoist worship of chrysanthemums is widely accepted even among the people: there is a water called "Chrysanthemum Water" in the northwest of neixiang county, Henan Province, and chrysanthemums grow on both sides. It is said that people who drink this kind of water can live for many years and soar to immortality. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Xu Ling mentioned the magic of "chrysanthemum water" in the book "A servant and Qi Shangshu shot Yang Zunyan": "Nanyang politics is afraid that chrysanthemum water will not be extended, and there is nothing to look forward to."
It can be inferred that Tao Yuanming's activities of collecting and worshipping chrysanthemums are related to Taoism's worship of chrysanthemums. In Tao's poems, Tao Yuanming clearly pointed out that he loves chrysanthemums because food can prolong life: "Wine can relieve anxiety, and chrysanthemums are used for the aged" (12). In the same poem, Tao Yuanming also called the chrysanthemum "Jiuhua", and "Nine" is the number of extremely yang in Taoist belief, meaning long-lasting. Tao Yuanming called chrysanthemum "Jiuhua", doesn't it mean that he regarded chrysanthemum as a symbol of longevity? In the preface of this poem, Tao Yuanming also mentioned that he especially loved the name "Double Ninth Festival": "I live a leisurely life and love the name of Double Ninth Festival; Autumn chrysanthemums are all over the garden, but they are melancholy and empty-handed, saying in my arms. " According to the annotation "Chongyang Collection" in the reflection of Wei Wendi and Zhong You in Tang Dynasty:
Nine is the number of yang, the sun and the moon should be combined, which is well known and should last for a long time. From this point of view, Tao Yuanming's "love for nine celebrities" is a natural expression of his desire for longevity, and the potential influence of the immortal prototype of "chrysanthemum" in Taoism can be seen from his activities of picking chrysanthemums, offering chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine. It can be seen that in Tao Yuanming's mind, chrysanthemum is not only an object of appreciation, but also a symbol of ideal personality and a prescription for taking medicine.
The hope of a long life has been tested for many years.
If the image of Sanju has always been regarded as a symbol of Tao Yuanming's ideal personality by academic circles, then Taoyuan has always been regarded as a utopia of his ideal society. This is certainly not unreasonable. But what puzzles us is: Why was this utopia named "Peach Blossom Garden" by Tao Yuanming, instead of "Orchid Garden", "Apricot Garden" or other sources? Does the image of "peach" have its special symbolic connotation?
In fact, in Taoist myths and legends, peach, like pine chrysanthemum, is a symbol of longevity. The Queen Mother of the West is one of the Taoist immortals, and the foreign body that appears at the same time with the Queen Mother of the West is peach. The Biography of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty contains "On July 7th, the Queen Mother of the West came down to earth and gave four peaches to the emperor", and told the Emperor Wu that he was not old enough to eat. The immortal symbol of peach was widely accepted in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and a large number of such myths and legends appeared during this period. For example, in Liu Yiqing's Youming Road, Liu Chen and Ruan Zhaoren took chaff from Tiantai Mountain, but they got lost and couldn't come back, and almost starved to death.
Later, he met a fairy, Feng Tao and Liu Ruan, and became immortals. There are peaches in Ren Fang's Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio.
The legend of Ethan:
Wulingyuan is in Wuzhong. There are no other trees on the mountain, and peaches and plums are full of branches, commonly known as Peach and Plum Garden. There is a hole in the source, and there is milk in the hole. It is said that there was chaos at the end of Qin dynasty, and Wuzhong people took refuge here. Those who eat peaches and plums are better than immortals. Because peaches have the function of prolonging life, Taoist priests simply use mahogany or symbols made of mahogany to pray for blessings and eliminate disasters:
Years old, standing reed rope, peach stalk, licking chicken at the entrance of the palace, Baihui Temple. ( 13)
On the first day of the first month ... ... a mahogany board was built, called immortal wood, and all ghosts were afraid. (14) ghosts are afraid of peaches. Today's peach stalks are several inches in diameter and seven or eight inches long. Divide them, write a book and pray for disaster relief. ( 15)
In Taoist belief in immortals, eating peaches can make people live forever, and peach wood has magical power to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters. It can be concluded that it is no accident or coincidence that Tao Yuanming named his ideal society "Peach Blossom Garden" after rereading his poems.
First of all, the residents of Taohuayuan "avoided the chaos of Qin Dynasty from Yunzu, led the wives and concubines, and came to this desperate place, never to return." The "ancestor" here means "once upon a time" rather than "ancestor". According to "Five Hundred Mysteries in Peach Blossom Garden Poems", it shows that they have lived in caves for nearly 500 years. Although the author did not specify the reasons for their immortality, such Taoist myths and legends about eating peaches have been widely circulated since the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
Secondly, Taohuayuan has the power to avoid disasters. The residents of Taoyuan entered Taoyuan from the beginning because of the war in the Qin Dynasty. In the cave, they have been living a happy life without disaster. The fisherman in the book accidentally entered Taoyuan, and the residents accepted him because he had no machine heart and no malice. However, when he came out of the cave to report to the satrap, he tried to pollute the purity of Taoyuan Wonderland with secular noise, and the cave door of Taoyuan was closed forever. This just shows that Taoyuan has the magical power to drive away disasters because of its "colorful peach forest".
At the end of Peach Blossom Garden Poetry, Tao Yuanming wrote:
Strange traces have been hidden for 500 years, and once the fairy world is opened, it is pure and thin, and it is still hidden. Excuse me, travel alchemist, how to measure the hubbub? I would like to whisper, hold high, and ask me to make an appointment. It can be seen that Tao Yuanming originally regarded Peach Blossom Garden as a fairyland. At the end of this paragraph, his emotions are full of yearning for Taoyuan Wonderland, revealing the melancholy and melancholy that Wonderland is hard to find, which just shows the prototype and significance of pursuing immortality contained in Taoyuan image. It can be seen that pine, chrysanthemum and peach garden are not only the symbols of Tao Yuanming's ideal personality and ideal society, but also the deep connotation of the immortal prototype in Taoist mythology. So why did Tao Yuanming accept this prototype?
First of all, Tao Yuanming was indirectly influenced by Taoist beliefs. According to Biography of the Book of Jin, Tao's uncle is a devout Taoist because he is "a good guide". Tao Jingyuan, the younger brother of Tao (16), is a Taoist who devotes himself to praying for longevity. "Tao and smile at one another, showing that they are not only closely related, but also seem to have had the experience of practicing Buddhism with * * *. It can be affirmed that Taoism around him has a great influence on his beliefs.
Followed by Tao Yuanming's "A Kind Letter" (17). I have read a lot of wonderful books (18) that record Taoist myths and legends, and I am quite familiar with Taoist fairy tales. In a series of poems in Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas, he praised the longevity of the Queen Mother of the West, and was even more fascinated by the immortal wood and the fountain of youth: the beautiful jade platform and the beautiful queen mother. Heaven and earth are born together, I don't know the geometric year. Where's Dan Musheng? It's in Mishanyang. Yellow flowers can be eaten for a long time. The red spring gives me a drink, and the staff is full of food. The test of life is in the center of the canal!
Another example is "Zhu Gong practices nine teeth" in "Drinking Wine" and "Recruit Wang Ziqiao from afar" in "Couplet Sentence", which shows Tao Yuanming's desire and hope for immortals in his admiration for immortals, which is undoubtedly an important link for Tao Yuanming to accept this immortal prototype.
Finally, the immortal prototype in Taoist mythology satisfies Tao Yuanming's potential psychological needs of longing for and pursuing immortality. As an individual, the deepest anxiety is the anxiety about death. In Tao's poems, this inevitable anxiety can be seen everywhere:
I can recover several times in my life, and I was shocked by the current. ( 19)
The sun and the moon refused to be late, but urged at four o'clock. (20)
There is nothing since ancient times, I am anxious to see it. (2 1)
As Maurice Dhivert said in Political Sociology, "The essence of life is to resist death, and immortality is the instinctive consciousness of living things." The instinctive resistance to death made Tao Yuanming yearn for longevity and envy for many years, and the immortal prototype in Taoism and mythology just met Tao Qian's psychological needs in existence, which was the fundamental reason why Tao Yuanming accepted this immortal prototype.
note:
① ② Attending (19) Twenty glasses of wine.
③ ⑦ "Nine Ancient Imitations".
(4) immortal biography.
⑤ Murong.
⑥ Eight miscellaneous poems.
⑧ He Guo's two major works.
(1 1) Nine-day leisure sequence.
(12) Nothing to do for nine days.
(13) The Book of Jin.
(14) Records of Jingchu times.
(15) Interpretation of Huainanzi.
(16) "Sacrifice from the younger brother to respect the distance".
(17) Zheng Taoshi (Yan Yanzhi).
(18) For example, in Reading Shan Hai Jing, he said that he "read the Biography of Zhou Wang and Shan Hai Jing".
(20 "Twelve Miscellaneous Poems".
(2 1) "September 9th".
(The author is a Ph.D. student in the Philosophy Department of Nanjing University)