Wang Wei (701-761) was a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty. Originally from Qi (now Qi County, Shanxi), he moved to Puzhou (now Yongji, Shanxi), and lived in Wangchuan Villa in Lantian in his later years. The courtesy name is Mojie, and he is also known as the Poetic Buddha. The name is combined with Vimalakīrti. Vimalakīrti is a lay Buddhist in Mahayana Buddhism. He is a famous lay bodhisattva. The free translation is a person known for his purity and no pollution. It can be seen that Wang Wei's name has an indissoluble bond with Buddhism. During Wang Wei's lifetime, people considered him to be a "contemporary poetry craftsman and master of Zen philosophy." (Yuan Xian's "Preface to Rewarding Wang Wei"). After his death, he was given the title of "Poetry Buddha". Wang Wei was born in a family of devout Buddhists. According to Wang Wei's "Please Shizhuang as Temple Preface" written by Wang Wei: "My deceased mother was the Juncui family of Boling County. She studied with Zen Master Dazhao for more than thirty years. Eat a vegetarian diet, observe precepts and meditate, live happily in the mountains and forests, and seek tranquility." Wang Wei has been influenced by his mother since he was a child. At the same time, according to Volume 25 of "Wang Youcheng's Annotations", there is an article "Dade Daoguang Zen Master Pagoda of Dajianfu Temple". "Inscription", the article discussed the relationship between the poet and the famous contemporary monk Daoguang Zen Master and said: "In the tenth year of Wei Wei's reign. It can be seen that Wang Wei did have a close relationship with Buddhism, and he even lived a monk-like life in his later years. According to " The Old Book of the Tang Dynasty records: "In the capital, Chang Zhai, I prostrate myself without clothes to receive teachings. I want to measure the void with the smallest detail, but there is no point. I just look for the location of the relics." "There are more than ten monks who eat every day and enjoy mystical talks. There is nothing in the house except a tea pot, medicine mortar, and a rope bed for sutras. After retreating from the court, I burn incense and sit alone, doing Zen chanting." At this time, Wang Wei is like a monk.
Wang Wei was endowed with literary talent in his youth. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan (721), he ranked first among the Jinshi scholars (i.e., the number one scholar). For Daye Cheng. For some reason, he was relegated to Sicang, Jeju to join the army. Later he returned to Chang'an. Then he moved to Zhongshushe, transferred to Shangshu Youcheng, and died in the official position. His poetry and painting achievements are very high. In the 22nd year of Kaiyuan (734), Zhang Jiuling was appointed Zhongshu Ling. Wang Wei was promoted to the position of Youshiyi. At that time, he wrote the poem "Xian Shi Xing Gong", which praised Zhang Jiuling's political ideas of opposing party establishment for personal gain and excessive use of honorary rewards, which reflected his mood at that time to demand something to be done. In the twenty-fourth year (736), Zhang Jiuling resigned as prime minister. The following year he was demoted to the governor of Jing. Li Linfu was appointed Zhongshu Ling, which was a turning point in the politics of the Xuanzong period from being relatively clear to becoming increasingly dark. Wang Wei was very frustrated by Zhang Jiuling's demotion, but he did not withdraw from officialdom. In the twenty-fifth year of Kaiyuan's reign, he was sent to Hexi Province to serve as deputy ambassador Cui Xiyi. Later, he served as the imperial censor Zhi Nanxuan. In Tianbaozhong, Wang Wei's official position was gradually promoted. Before the Anshi Rebellion, when officials were in trouble, he was tired and worried about the officialdom at that time, but on the other hand, he was still attached to his family and could not leave decisively. So he followed the customs and lived a semi-official and semi-hidden life for a long time.
Wang Wei's achievements in poetry are multifaceted. Whether it is frontier fortresses, landscape poems, rhymed poems or quatrains, there are all excellent poems that have been passed down to the public. Su Shi once said: "When you taste Mojie's poems, there are paintings in the poems; when you look at Mojie's paintings, there are poems in the paintings." Paintings, workers, figures, bamboos, and landscapes; poetry is the representative of the landscape pastoral school in the Tang Dynasty, especially the He is the most accomplished in landscape poetry, and together with Meng Haoran, he is known as "Wang Meng". During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras of Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei was the most famous poet at that time. In his later years, he had no intention of pursuing an official career and dedicated himself to worshiping Buddhism, so later generations called him the "Poetry Buddha". There are about 400 poems in existence, including "Wang Youcheng Collection". He indeed has unique attainments in describing natural scenery. Whether it is the magnificence of famous mountains and rivers, the vastness and coldness of frontiers and fortresses, or the tranquility of small bridges and flowing water, they can accurately and concisely create a perfect and vivid image, without much ink, lofty artistic conception, and complete poetic and painterly feeling. Fusion into a whole.
The Landscape Pastoral Poetry School is one of the two major poetry schools in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. This poetry school is the successor of Tao Yuanming, Xie Lingyun, and Xie Tiao. The poets of this poetry school are famous for their ability to depict landscapes and pastoral scenery. It is famous for its artistic style and is relatively close to it. By depicting quiet scenery, it reflects its peaceful state of mind or reclusive thoughts, so it is called the "Landscape Pastoral School". Its main writers are Meng Haoran, Wang Wei, Chang Jian, Zu Yong, Pei Di and others. Among them, the most accomplished and influential ones are Wang Wei and Meng Haoran, also known as "Wang Meng".