The landscape poetry school represented by Wang Wei in the Tang Dynasty played an important role in the history of Chinese poetry. The reason why I say this is because the creation and artistic spirit of the landscape poetry school embody the characteristics of Chinese poetry to a large extent.
Wang Shizhen (Yuyang), a famous poetry critic in the Qing Dynasty, said that poetry "only takes the charm as its main theme" (Volume 266 of "Manuscripts of Qing History"), citing "Charm" as the core category of his poetic theory system . Regardless of whether he uses this concept explicitly or not, Yuyang always uses "natural charm and charm" as the value standard for poetry evaluation. Judging the history of poetry based on his "spiritual charm" theory, the creative style of the landscape poetry school of the Tang Dynasty, represented by Wang Wei and Meng Haoran, is the most consistent with Yuyang's aesthetic ideal. In Yuyang poetry theory, the works of Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, Chang Jian and others are highly praised.
At the same time, it is not difficult for us to find that Wang Shizhen's "Shen Yun" theory has a very profound connection with Zen. It can be seen from Yuyang's poetry theory that Yuyang uses Zen to discuss poetry, not at a general metaphorical level, but internalizes the characteristics of Zen into the aesthetic connotation of "Shen Yun Theory". At this point, Wang Yuyang has gone a step further than Yan Canglang's "Zen metaphor for poetry".
When Wang Shizhen discusses the creations of various landscape poetry schools, he often uses the unique situation of "entering Zen" to describe the wonderful meaning of poetry. As he said: "The five-character quatrains of the Tang Dynasty people often enter Zen, and they have the wonderful feeling of forgetting the words when they are proud. They are the same as the silence of the pure name and the marrow of Bodhidharma. "Wangchuan Collection" by Wang (Wei) Pei (Di) and "Zu's poem "Remaining Snow in the South" may lead to sudden enlightenment even if one has a dull mind" ("Xiang Zu's Notes") here focuses on the "proud and forgotten words" of Wang Wei, Pei Di and others' five-character quatrains related to Zen enlightenment. wonderful". He also said: "Yan Canglang used Zen as a metaphor for poetry, and I deeply agree with what he said, and the five words are particularly close, and every word is Zen. He is like 'The fruits fall on the mountains in the rain. The grass and insects chirp under the lamp', 'The bright moon shines among the pines, "The clear spring stone flows up", and Taibai "but the water curtain is fine, looking at the autumn moon exquisitely", Chang Jian "the pine trees dew the moonlight, the clear light is still the king", Haoran "the woodcutter is secretly missing, the grass and insects are cold and cannot be heard", Liu Shenxu "Sometimes fallen flowers arrive, and the fragrance of the flowing water is carried far away." The wonderful truth is spoken in a subtle way, and it is no different from the Buddha picking up the flowers, Kassapa smiling, etc. A state of clarification beyond the limitations of language. Yuyang also discussed the differences between people in the landscape poetry school: "Huixi discusses the poetry of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei's Buddhist language, Meng Haoran's Bodhisattva language, Liu Shenxu and Wei Yingwu's language, Liu Zongyuan's sravaka Pratyeka language." ("Juyi Lu"). Using Buddhism as a metaphor, when talking about other poets, "Du Fu's holy words, Chen Zi'ang's true spiritual words, Zhang Jiuling's Dianwu famous words, Cen Shen's sword fairy words, Han Yu's heroic words, Li Hecai's ghost words, Lu Tong's shamanistic words, Li Shangyin and Han Jie'er's female words "Wait, it doesn't involve Buddhism. In fact, it reveals the inner origin of Wang Meng's poets and Buddhist Zen.
Wang Shizhen discussed the poets of the Wang and Meng school by "entering Zen" and regarded them as a model of "Shen Yun" in creation. This is not a subjective fiction or a comparison out of thin air, but based on the life experience and creation of this school of poets. summarized in. In other words, the landscape poetry school of the Tang Dynasty, represented by Wang Meng, has an objective origin relationship with Buddhism and Zen, both in terms of ideology and artistic style. Revealing the inner causes and conditions is indeed helpful to our understanding of the artistic tradition of this school of poets.
2. The relationship between the landscape poets and Zen
What we call the landscape poetry school includes those from the flourishing Tang Dynasty to the mid-Tang Dynasty who used landscapes as aesthetic objects to express the poet's inner thoughts. Some of the world's poets include not only Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, Pei Di, Chang Jian, Chu Guangxi and other poets who were mainly active in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but also poets such as Liu Changqing, Wei Yingwu, Liu Zongyuan and other poets who were mainly active in the mid-Tang Dynasty. In terms of time, these poets often experienced the vicissitudes of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline, and it is difficult to make mechanical divisions; in terms of art, their themes are roughly similar, and their techniques and styles are in the same vein. Moreover, most of them are closely related to Zen Buddhism and Zen monks, and are deeply influenced by Zen style in their thoughts and concepts.
Wang Weizhi’s devotion to Buddhism and Zen is common knowledge among scholars of literary history, and there is no need to repeat it. Xu Zeng, a native of the Qing Dynasty, once compared Wang Wei with Li and Du, and pointed out the relationship between his poetry and Buddhist Zen: "Bai wins with charm, Zimei wins with rhythm, and Mojie wins with rational interest. Taibai has a unique tune for thousands of years, and Zimei has a scale of one generation. "Every word of the teachings of Mojie Jing Daxiong (referring to Sakyamuni) is in line with the holy teachings." (Er'an Shuo Tang Poems) says that "every word of Wang Wei's poems is in line with the holy teachings". Although it is an exaggeration, it is true. This shows that his poems are deeper than Buddhist Zen.
Regarding Meng Haoran, commentators rarely mention his relationship with Buddhism and Zen, and there are also very few written materials that can be verified. But the strongest argument is his own poetry. From Meng's poems, we can easily see that Meng Haoran had close contacts with Zen monks. Zen monks who often sang with him include "Master Zhan", "Kong Shangren", "Jiaoshangren" and so on. The poet often stayed in the monk's room of the Zen temple and discussed Zen principles with the Zen masters. The poems inscribed in the Zen temple include "Inscribed on the Kongshang Ren's Room in Zhongnan Cuiwei Temple", "Unexpectedly Coming to Master Su Ye's Mountain Room", "Youming Zen Master Xishan Lanruo", "Inscribed on Yi Gong's Zen Room in Dayu Temple", There are more than 20 poems including "Accompanying Yao Shijun and Inscribing Hui Shangren's Room", "Climbing Longxing Temple Pavilion" and "Climbing the Buddhist Pictures of Zongzhi Temple". From these poems, we can see that Meng Haoran was deeply influenced by Zen style.
Among the poets of this school, Pei Di, Chang Jian, Liu Shenxu, Qi Wuqian, etc. all had frequent contacts with Zen monks, and their poetic style was deeply influenced by Zen.
Pei Di is Wang Wei's close friend and his "law partner". The so-called "Dharma couple" refers to fellow practitioners in the Zen sect. Pei Di has 29 extant poems, and 20 poems in "Wangchuan Collection" are composed in harmony with Wang Wei, among which there are many Zen rhymes. Among the remaining nine poems, those that are directly related to the Zen monks in Zen temples include "Collection of Tanbi Master Yuan of Qinglong Temple", "Traveling to Tanxing Shanyuan of Guanghua Temple", and "Visiting Zen Master Cao at Qinglong Temple in Summer". , "Xita Temple Lu Yu Tea Spring" and four other poems. In the poem, he expressed his longing for Zen many times, such as "What's the use of a false reputation? From now on I wish to live in Zen." ("Visiting the Ganhua Temple Tanxing Master Shanyuan") "Belief in the spiritual realm is absolute, and the dusty atmosphere in the Dharma hall is natural. Naturally. When you reach great heights, you look down at the floating clouds." ("Collection of Master Tanbi of Qinglong Temple") "Who knows the Dharma and is untainted, but who dares to pay a visit to Zen Master Yecao in Qinglong Temple" and so on. . All can show that Pei Di has a deep relationship with Zen. Chang Jian's poems are also known for their Zen-like feel. The most famous one is "Ti Po Shan Temple Hou Zen Yuan", which clearly shows the poet's cultivation of Zen. Qi Wuqian is less noticeable among the poets of this school, but his poems can quite reflect the artistic characteristics of the landscape poetry school. There are only 26 poems by Qi Wuqian, but there are more than 10 poems that are directly related to Zen and clearly marked on the title of the poem. Such as "Inscribed on the beautiful public house of Zhaoyin Temple", "Inscribed on the Zen Temple on the top of Lingyin Temple", "Inscribed on Guorong Master Lanruo", etc. "The Biography of Talented Scholars of the Tang Dynasty" commented on his poems: "There are good lines, and he is good at writing the feelings outside the country. There is no such thing in the past." "The feelings outside the country are exactly the feeling of dwelling on the Buddhist scriptures and staying away from the secular world. Liu Shenxu, too A poet of the landscape poetry school. He was a Jinshi in the 11th year of Kaiyuan (723) and later served as Luoyang Lieutenant and Xia County Magistrate. "Made with monks and Taoists in many mountains." "("Tang Caizi Biography") On the one hand, he had many contacts with Zen monks, and on the other hand, his poems were "good at speaking outside the country." ” (ibid.) In the poem, there are words such as “The heart is illuminated by the boundless world, and the karma is suspended before and after.” "("Deng Lushan Peak Temple") and other lines reveal his Zen cultivation. Chu Guangxi is an important poet in the landscape poetry school. There are more than ten poems directly related to Zen monks and Buddhist temples, such as "Inscriptions" "Juejingshe", "Inscribed on Master Shenyan's Former House", "Outside the Garden to Longxing Courtyard", "Inscribed on Master Qiu's House", etc. Liu Changqing, a famous poet known as the "Five Words Great Wall", is rarely compared with him. The poets of Wang Meng group are connected together. In fact, from an artistic point of view, Liu Changqing is the strongest among this group of poets. His poems more express the mentality of the scholar-bureaucrats who entered the mid-Tang Dynasty. The cold and profound landscape scenes in Liu Changqing's poems are the externalization of the mind of the scholar-bureaucrats after experiencing the panic of the "An-Shi Rebellion". There are nearly three chapters in Liu Changqing's poems that are directly related to Zen monks. There are as many as ten poems. It can also be seen from this that the deep relationship between him and Zen is completely penetrated into the description of the clear scenery of mountains and rivers, such as "He Lingyi Master Xinquan" and "Send Master Lingche". This is true for "Zen Master You Lin Shuangfeng Temple". Wei Yingwu was a famous poet in the mid-Tang Dynasty and has always been regarded as a powerful successor to the Wang and Meng schools. Liu Zongyuan inherited and developed the artistic spirit of landscape poetry from Tao and Xie. Among Wei's poems, there are nearly thirty poems that are directly related to Zen monks. It can be seen from the poems that the poet's Zen consciousness is conscious. It is very strong. For example, the poem says, "When the mind is at home, worries can be donated" ("Gift to Li Dan"). It is clearly "when the mind is born, all kinds of dharmas are born, and when the mind is destroyed, all kinds of dharmas are destroyed" ("Tan Sutra") The derivation of the concept of Zen in the outlook on life: "Destined relationships lead to the accumulation of life, and late enlightenment follows the path of enlightenment" ("Answers to Master Cui and Master Jian Wen") is Liu Zongyuan's response to Buddhism. Belief is more well-known to people. Especially after he was demoted to Yongzhou, he had a deeper understanding of Buddhism. explain. In Lingling, I have a unique achievement. " ("Preface to "Send Master Xun to Uncle Zhongcheng's Call") Liu's poems such as "Reading Zen Sutras at Chaoshiyuan in the Morning", "Zen Hall" and other works all use the concept of Zen to achieve "forgetfulness"
In summary, most of the poets of the landscape poetry school in the Tang Dynasty had a close relationship with Zen Buddhism and were immersed in the joy of Zen. They had more or less contacts with Zen monks. This forces us to consider whether the concept of Zen and the way of thinking of Zen have a more intrinsic and profound impact on the artistic style of this school of poets. In other words, are there any artistic features of the Tang Dynasty landscape poetry school? Do you have Zen genes? The answer is yes.
3. Kongming poetic realm and Danyuan style
From substance to emptiness, here is a chapter in the art of Chinese classical poetry. The realization of this leap was mainly in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and it was mainly reflected in the landscape poets represented by Wang Meng. Wang Wei's poems are the most typical in this regard, such as the famous poem "Zhongnan Mountain": "Taiyi is close to the capital of heaven, with mountains and seas. The white clouds look back and merge, and the green mist comes in to see nothing. The peaks in the field change, and the clouds and sunshine are different. If you want to stay in a place, ask the woodcutter across the water. "This poem describes the majestic momentum of Zhongnan Mountain. The two lines of "white clouds" describe the clouds in the mountains as flickering, misty and quiet. The artistic conception of the poem is broad and powerful, but also has a clear and changing appearance. The same is true for the poem "Fan Qianpi": "The autumn sky has returned to its bright colors, and now it is far away from the human world, with cranes bordering the sand and mountains outside the clouds. The waves are clear and the evening is approaching, and the clear moon is vast and leisurely. This night, I was alone and the barbarians were still there. " also creates a very clear and lively realm. Such poems can be found everywhere in Wang Wei's collection. For example: "The river flows outside the sky and the earth, and the mountains are there and there. In the county town of Bucheonpo, waves ripple across the sky.
"("Hanjiang Linfan") "Looking at the setting sun from Gaocheng, Jipu reflects the Cangshan Mountain. "("Climbing Hebei City Tower") "The cool sky is clear and the sky is clear, and the autumn day is crystal clear. The round light contains all things, and the drunken shadows enter the idle stream. "("Ode to the Clear Light Hanging in Autumn") all have a swaying yet majestic realm!
Not only Mojie's poems, but also other poets of the landscape poetry school also have this kind of creation. Poetry. For example, Meng Haoran's "Sujian Dejiang": "Moving the boat to Yanzhu, the guests are worried about the new things at dusk. The trees are low in the open sky, and the clear moon on the river is close to the people. "Suli Gongfang": "How interesting is the stone rock, entering the house and courtyard." The spring springs are full among the moss, and the moonlight in Luoxuan is leisurely. "The future of Master Su Ye's mountain house is not yet here": "The sun sets over the west ridge, and the ravines are already dark." The pine moon is cool at night, and the wind and spring are full of clear sounds. "Chang Jian's "Inscription on the Buddhist Temple Behind the Poshan Temple": "The light of the mountain is pleasing to the nature of the birds, and the shadow of the pond is empty of the human heart. "The Former Residence of Su Wang Changling": "The dew among the pines is slightly moonlight, and the clear light is still the king." "Yupu": "The clear water and the moon are wide, and the annual flow is clean and flat." "Chu Guangxi's "Fishing Bay": "If the pond is clear, the water is shallow, but when the lotus moves, you will know that the fish are scattered. "Etc., this kind of empty and clear poetic realm can be easily found in the works of the landscape poetry school.
Compared with Tang poetry, although the poetry of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties has made great progress in the pursuit of formal beauty, It is a great work, but it is still relatively solid and lacks the bright and lively charm. The reason why the poetry of the prosperous Tang Dynasty is highly praised is largely because of its poetic realm. Interest, the antelope hangs its horns, and there is no trace to be found. Therefore, its beauty is penetrating and exquisite, and cannot be lumped together. It is like the sound in the air, the color in the image, the moon in the water, and the flower in the mirror. The words are exhausted but the meaning is endless. "("Canglang Poetry Talk·Poetry Debate") mainly refers to such a poetic realm.
From substance to emptiness is by no means just a question of the style of poetry, nor is it just a question of artistic conception, but The art of poetry realizes its value to human beings at a higher level. People no longer aim to objectively copy natural landscapes, but make landscape objects the projection of the soul. As Hegel said: "In art, these sensibilities. The forms and sounds are presented not just for themselves or for the appearance and shape they appear directly to the senses, but for the purpose of using that appearance to satisfy the higher spiritual purposes, because they have Power evokes responses and echoes from deep within the soul. In this way, in art, perceptual things are spiritualized, and spiritual things are also revealed through perceptualization. "("Aesthetics") Volume 1, Chinese translation, page 49) Regarding the empty poetic realm, I understand their value from this perspective.
Then I have to ask, what role does Zen play in it? ? The answer is the penetration of Zen Buddhism's "emptiness" into the poet's artistic thinking. According to Buddhism, "the four elements are empty" and "the five aggregates are all empty". Only by contemplating emptiness can we transcend the fate of life and death. However, it is undoubtedly difficult to justify it by saying that real things are nothingness. Therefore, Mahayana Prajna adopts the thinking method of "Middle Way". There is no duality, which is an illusion that describes everything as neither real nor emptiness. As Seng Zhao said in "The Theory of No Vacuum": "All dharma is false and not true. For example, a phantom person is not a phantom person, and a phantom person is not a real person. "Seng Zhao used the metaphor of "Human Transformation", saying that everything is neither existence nor non-existence, but a kind of "illusion". In philosophy, this is of course pure idealism. But its impact on literary creation is It’s so complicated that it’s difficult to distinguish between “materialism” and “idealism”.
Wang Wei believes in Buddhism, mainly Zen, and Zen mainly develops the Mahayana Prajna Buddhism. Wang Wei is well versed in the theory. In the "Preface to the Flower Medicine Poems of Guangshifang Jianfu Temple", he wrote: "The heart is concerned with existence and non-existence, and the vision is concerned with color and emptiness, both of which are childish. Li is also an illusion. A perfect person never gives up illusions, but transcends existence and non-existence. Therefore, the eyes can be regarded as dust, but the mind has not yet been unified, the mind is not worldly, but the body has not tasted things, and things can only be considered in the boundless realm, and it is too late. "Wang Wei looks at life and the world from this "illusionary" perspective. Color is emptiness, emptiness is color, neither existence nor non-existence, existence and non-existence, everything exists in the existence, non-color and emptiness. This way of thinking penetrates In the artistic thinking of poetry, the aesthetic realm of emptiness, swaying, and seeming nothingness arises.
Generally speaking, the artistic style of landscape poetry is the most prominent, and the poet uses tranquility. The poets of the previous generation unanimously talked about the indifferent style of this school of poets. Hu Zhenheng quoted from "Zhenze Changyu" and said: "Mojie is pure and ancient. The sound of the poem describes the leisurely enjoyment of the mountains and forests, just like Wangchuan's poems, which are truly a piece of ink painting without coloring. "It's nothing more than "indifferent". Hu Yinglin compared Wang Meng and Gao Cen: "Wang Meng is leisurely and contented, while Gao Cen is tragic and heroic." "("Shi Sou") Hu Zhenheng quoted Xu Xianzhong to comment on Meng Haoran's words: "The weather in Xiangyang is clear and distant, and the heart is lonely, so his words are free and easy to wash away the ordinary, and the reading is clear and clear, and the true color is reflected internally. Although his thoughts are not as good as that of Li Hanlin, and his elegance is not as good as that of Wang Youcheng, he is also unique in his leisurely and leisurely contentment. "("Tang Yin Gui Sign") "Lan Yuan" is the unique style characteristic of this school of poets.
Let's take a few specific works as examples. Wang Wei's "Gui Songshan Composition": "The Qingchuan belt is long and thin, and the carriages and horses go leisurely. The water flows as intended, and the birds return at dusk. The deserted city is near the ancient ferry, and the setting sun fills the autumn mountains. After a long journey, he came back and went into seclusion. "A Letter to My Brothers and Sisters in the Mountain": "There are many Dharma couples in the mountain, Zen Yue is a group of themselves. Looking across the city from a distance, only white clouds can be seen." "It can indeed be called "ink and wash painting without coloring", and "lightness" is the most prominent feature.
This "light" is not only the "light" in the color of the language, but also the "light" in the mood of the creative subject.
Meng Haoran's poems are even more famous for their "lightness". Hu Yinglin, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, summarized Haoran's style with "simplicity" and commented on Meng's poetry: "Meng's poetry is light but not secluded, sometimes fluent and beautiful, leisurely and distant, and quite light and airy. The preferable thing is to be natural." ("Shisou·Internal Edition") ") For example, "Boating in the North Stream": "The current in the North Stream is always full, and the floating boat can reach everything. It is interesting to meander along it, why bother to find the owner of the Five Lakes." "Looking for the owner of the Chrysanthemum Pond but not meeting it": "Walking to the Chrysanthemum Pond, the sun has set in the west of the village. . The master has gone up high, and the chickens and dogs are not at home.” Some of Meng's famous works, such as "Ascend Orchid Mountain in Autumn and Send Zhang Wu", "Huai Xin Da in the South Pavilion in Summer", "Staying on the Jiande River", etc. are all known for their "lightness". Mr. Wen Yiduo described it well: "Meng Haoran did not build the poem tightly into a couplet or sentence, but diluted it and scattered it evenly throughout the whole article, even so dilute that one wonders whether there is a poem at all. "("Miscellaneous Comments on Tang Poetry·Meng Haoran")
Poets of Wang and Meng's school basically have a "light" poetic style. So, is there any connection between this and Zen?
What Zen achieves is not the thing itself, but the essence of Zen. However, it is not separated from things, but transcends things. Zen Buddhism has the gist of "no thought as the sect, no form as the body, and no abiding as the foundation". The so-called "no form" does not mean to completely separate the "appearance", but "to be separated from the form", that is, to reside in the "appearance". "And transcend it. Because of this, Zen Buddhism advocates freedom of movement and understanding everywhere, and opposes rigidity and restraint, and it also opposes carving and painting. Everything is in its natural state, everything is indifferent and should not be far-fetched. Zen koan emphasizes this spirit of being indifferent and unconcerned. "The monk asked: How does a monk use his mind? The master said: If he uses his mind, it is wrong!" (Volume 11 of "Wu Deng Hui Yuan") Zen happens naturally and cannot be focused on. Another example: "Ask: What is the place for students to focus? The teacher said: When spring comes, the grass becomes clear, and the moon becomes bright." (ibid.) This means that everything is natural, just like the green grass in spring and the bright sun on the moon.
The "plain" or "dilute" style comes from the subjective mentality that is not tied to the heart. It is free, non-persistent, and not serious, just like the clouds in the sky. Many landscape poets have this mentality. Mojie's so-called "not caring about everything" is a positive expression. "Walking to a waterless place, sitting and watching the clouds rise" is the symbol of Zen's "unstoppable mind" and "impermanent mind". In Liu Zongyuan's poem "The Fisherman": "Looking back at the middle stream under the sky, the unintentional clouds are chasing each other on the rocks." This is also the image of the Zen concept of "not arising from the environment". The "indifferent" and "plain" style is actually closely related to the subjective mentality of being unencumbered, unfettered, and free to move freely.
4. Feelings of solitude and quiet atmosphere
The landscape poetry school of the Tang Dynasty mainly used landscapes as aesthetic objects and creative themes, but in fact they "placed" poets in landscapes The lonely soul. If you read many poems by this school of poets, you will find that the poet's lonely figure seems to be everywhere in the depiction of landscapes and objects. The most prominent ones are Liu Changqing's works, where figures often appear coming and going, and in secluded solitude. Sometimes, instead of writing about the poet himself, he writes about the image of others. But if you read it carefully, you will find that it is just a projection of the poet's mind. For example, "Farewell to Master Lingche": "The bells of the Cangcang Bamboo Forest Temple are ringing late. The lotus hat carries the sunset, and the green mountains return alone to the distance." This seems to be about Zen Master Lingche, but it is actually a reflection of the poet's lonely feelings. . Another example is "To the Moon in the River": "The evening smoke is gathering on the empty island, looking at the moon in the autumn river. I have experienced the man on the sand, crossing the water alone in the moon." In the clear and misty moonlight, in the autumn river, the "man on the sand" is quiet. Crossing the river alone, the poet prefers this kind of image, which cannot but be said to be determined by the lonely mentality of the creative subject. In Changqing's poems, even if you look at them literally, you can see lines like "lonely" and "alone" everywhere. Such as "Walking alone in the wind, leaving each other in the vast water", "In the leisurely white clouds, I go to Qingshan alone", "Where does the sail go, the horse returns late alone", "There is no trace in the river and sea, where can I find the lonely boat", "Human words The empty mountain answered, and the sound of the ape was heard alone." "In the prosperous times, travelers traveling thousands of miles away return home alone on the country road." In fact, there is no way to cite too many, they are everywhere, and the poet's lonely feelings can be seen at a glance.
Not only Liu Changqing, most of the poets of this school express their lonely mood in their descriptions of landscapes. Meng Haoran's "The Immediate Events in Jiannan Yi Jiao Master": "The pole is lowered to the north stream, and the woodcutter sings into the south pavilion. The book takes the story of the secluded dwelling and discusses those who seek tranquility." "The New Year's Eve has feelings": "The snowy night in the chaotic mountains "A lonely stranger." Wang Wei's "Reply to Zhang Wudi": "There is a hut in Zhongnan, with Zhongnan Mountain in front. There are no guests all year round, and I have no intention of being idle all day long." "Sitting Alone in the Autumn Night": "Sitting alone is sad. The temples are empty for the second time. ""Zhuli Pavilion": "Sitting alone in the secluded bamboo, playing the piano and whistling loudly, no one in the deep forest knows, the bright moon comes to shine." Wei Yingwu's "Residence in the Temple alone at night sent Master Cui's Book": "Youren. Sleepless, the leaves are falling. The cold rain is darker, and the orioles are sitting in the high pavilion. It is better to know that the summer clothes are thin, and the loneliness is more desolate. ""Shanfu Temple Pavilion": Looking at the high pavilion, the green mountains emerge from the distant forest. When the sun shines brightly, you can see the tranquility of this beautiful scenery. The spring tide brings rain in a hurry, and there is no boat crossing the wild crossing. "It seems to say "secret grass", but it actually means "secluded people hurt themselves in their arms." "Liu Zongyuan's "Zen Hall": "The green grass is knotted on the ground, and the white grass is white. All sounds are born by fate, and there is stillness in the noise. The state of mind is the same, and there are no traces of birds flying.
"Not only did he write about his lonely situation after being demoted, but he also revealed the impact of Zen meditation on this state of mind.
It is no accident that so many poems expressing lonely feelings appear, it almost became this Looking back, we can realize that they often wrote poems based on landscapes, not to imitate the appearance of landscapes, but to embody lonely feelings in the landscape objects. . They exaggerate the tranquility of the landscape and the distance from the hustle and bustle of the world, just to entrust a quiet poetic soul!
Closely related to this is the unique characteristic of the landscape poets of the Tang Dynasty. , a quiet atmosphere. When poets write about landscape objects, they invariably highlight the tranquility of the landscape, and no one writes about its noise. In fact, writing about landscapes is precisely to write about this tranquility that abandons the world, and at the same time writes about the sound of wind and water. , the sound of insects, the sound of forest..., but it is to further contrast its tranquility. Wang Wei's "Passing Xiangji Temple", "There are no people walking on the ancient trees, but there are no bells in the mountains." The sound of the spring swallows the rocks, and the sun is cold and green. "The sound of the spring makes the tranquility of the ancient temple deep in the mountains even more apparent. In "Sitting Alone on an Autumn Night": "The fruits are falling in the rain, and the grass and insects are chirping under the lamp. "Guoguanhua Temple Tanxing Master Shanyuan": "The wild flowers are blooming, and the valley birds are singing quietly." "The falling fruits, the chirping of insects, and the sound of birds in these poems are precisely to contrast the extreme tranquility of the mountains and forests. The poet is lonely, as if he is the only one in the world, and he listens to the rhythm of nature with his heart. Meng Haoran, Chang Jian, Poems by Liu Changqing and others also describe landscapes in a very quiet atmosphere. For example, Meng's poem "Xunxiang Mountain Zhan Master": "There are many pine springs, the moss walls are full of ancient meanings, the bells can be heard at the mouth of the valley, and the fragrance is recognized at the end of the forest." "Su Yeshi Shanfang's house is not big enough": "The pines and the moon are cool at night, and the wind and spring are full of clear sounds." The woodcutter's desire to return is exhausted, and the smoke bird's habitat is beginning to settle. "Chang Jian's "The River Behind Baihu Temple Stays at Yunmen": "Zhouzhu is quiet at night, and I can watch flowers and cattails. Entering the stream and climbing up the ridge again, the grass is shallow and cold and the flow is fast. The full moon illuminates the peaks, and the green mountains are illuminated by solitude. The first night is clear and clear in the pine trees, and the dawn is divided into the distant moon. "Liu Changqing's "Climbing Wu Gongtai Temple in Autumn": "There are few people coming to the wild temple, and the clouds and peaks are deep and the water is deep. The setting sun is still setting, and the cold chimes are filling the forest. "Xunnanxi Changshan Taoist Residence in Seclusion": "Everywhere we passed, we could see traces of footsteps on the berry moss." The white clouds are still in the sky, and the spring grass has closed the door. "There are so many examples of this kind that it is impossible to list them all. The quiet atmosphere is a prominent feature of landscape poets.
What does this have to do with Zen? Yes. The "Zen" of Zen Buddhism lies in many aspects. It has changed the way of practicing "Jhana" to a great extent, most notably by opposing and abandoning sitting meditation, but one thing remains the same, and that is the cultivation of "heart" - but the cultivation method is no longer limited to Zen. By sitting quietly and concentrating on the environment, you can further get rid of the dependence of the mind on things, and regard the mind as an omnipotent thing.
After all, Zen is an escape from the world. Although it can be blended into the secular world, But in order to achieve spiritual freedom, “to practice Zen and learn Taoism, one must have no mind anywhere. "("Huang He Wan Ling Lu") "Don't take or give up all dharma" ("Tan Sutra"), and adopt an attitude of turning a blind eye and listening but not hearing everything. In fact, it is still an "ostrich policy." Zen is another This kind of reflection of one's own inner world, not giving up on the changes in the external world, and taking the original mind as an independent and self-sufficient world, will inevitably bring about the uniqueness of Zen experience. The inner feelings of the poets are lonely and lonely. The loneliness of the landscape poets in the Tang Dynasty is closely related to the great social changes before and after the "Anshi Rebellion". The Tang Dynasty fell from the peak of its prosperity to a deep place. In the valley, the poets who personally experienced this great upheaval condensed their enthusiasm and became cold, turning from outward projection to subjective introspection. However, the poets' closeness to Zen was the main reason. I hit it off with the reflection of Zen, so in the description and expression of lonely situations, I incorporated a lot of Zen heritage, such as "Zen Hall" by Liu Zongyuan, "Reading Zen Sutras in Chenyi Chaoshiyuan", and Wang Wei's "The Deer". "Chai", "Guo Xiangji Temple", "Zhongnan Bieye", etc. are all quite obvious examples.
Although the Zenists have repeatedly claimed that "walking, standing, sitting and lying down are nothing but the Tao", In fact, monasteries were mainly built in quiet mountains and forests, and Zen monks were happy to interact with nature, and scholar-bureaucrats who were devoted to Zen were also happy to live in mountains and forests. , at least to temporarily gain a sense of peace of mind. It is not accidental that the poets of Wang Meng's group wrote the mountains in such a clear and quiet way. This is directly related to their Zen learning.
In fact, landscapes. The quiet atmosphere in the book is not entirely an objective description, but mainly a construction of a state of mind. "When the heart arises, all kinds of dharmas arise, and when the mind dies, all kinds of dharmas disappear." ("Tan Sutra") Zen takes the heart as the ontology of all things. The so-called "quietness" is just a kind of tranquility of the mind. Mahayana Buddhism regards "quiet mind" as the "quiet land". "A Bodhisattva must purify his mind if he wants to obtain the pure land." According to his state of mind, the Buddha Land will be pure" ("Vimalakīrti Sutra: Buddha Land"), changing "pure" to "quiet", the principle is exactly the same. "The hut is in a human environment, without the noise of cars and horses . I ask you, what can you do? The mind is far away from itself. "Tao Gong's "Drinking" illustrates this meaning most appropriately, and how do you know that there is no trace of Mahayana in it?
The relationship between Zen and the landscape poetry school of the Tang Dynasty is very deep, and it is difficult to explain them one by one; The artistic spirit of the landscape poetry school is by no means one-sided, and the influence of Zen is only one aspect. However, a perspective from this perspective will provide a deeper understanding of the landscape poetry of the Tang Dynasty.