Octavio Paz's Thought of Characters

Octavio Paz is one of the few writers in the 20th century who are really interested in and deeply study the oriental culture. I have been to the East twice (Japan and India) and have a unique understanding and appreciation of Indian religious myths, Japanese quotations and China's poems. Especially in 1962- 1968, when he lived in this ancient oriental country for the second time as the Mexican ambassador to India, his understanding and research on it became more direct and objective. All these have greatly influenced Paz's outlook on life and literature, and are reflected in his poetry creation. He said many times that "India has taught us what is the equality of all beings" and realized that "we are all part of a whole", "the most important thing is that we have learned to be silent" and "India has shown us a completely different civilization, and we have not only learned to respect it, but also learned to love it".

Pas's masterpiece, The East Hillside, was written in 1962- 1968. He lived and traveled in India, Afghanistan and Ceylon in those years. These poems describe the exotic myths, history and scenery of the East to western readers, and immerse them in a new and unfamiliar world. Because of this, Pass had to annotate his poems for the first time. About two-thirds of the works in this collection more or less reflect the poet's absorption of eastern culture and religion, and some of them are based on the ideas and myths of Mahayana Buddhism, Hinduism or Tantric Buddhism, which makes the poet reflect, and he modifies or clarifies them according to his own metaphysical thoughts.

Polytheism is one of the important features of Indian religion, and indigenous religions in Mexico also advocate polytheism. Therefore, Paz is no stranger to all kinds of gods and statues preserved in various parts of India, nor does he reject them. On the contrary, their strong visual image made Indian civilization penetrate into the poet's heart not only through the brain, but also through the eyes, ears and other senses. 1952 When visiting India for the first time in the summer, Paz visited the ancient city of Mudra, about 0/60km southeast of New Delhi. It was once one of the centers of Brahmanism in the 2nd century. It is said that the God of Darkness was born here and spent his childhood and adolescence. The historical relics of this ancient city and its religious influence left a deep impression on the poet, which prompted him to write Mudra.

Pass deeply understands the core of Indian religious mythology, and draws symbols and diagrams consistent with his poetic views from it to enrich his works. Therefore, many poems in "East Hillside" are particularly enlightening, and the conciseness of language and the profound complexity of thought meet together. "To the Painter Swaminanathan" draws inspiration from Hinduism's worship of Mother Earth, from the beginning of the creation process to the end of what it creates, and finally emerges a painting on the "blank face of the world" through color, form and raw materials. The painter's creative process begins with the great sacrifice brought by his creation, because the pigment becomes blood, and then honey. The theme of scarlet and blood leads the theme of poetry to the paradox of the birth of the universe, and creation and destruction coexist;

Jump out of Mexican red

Then turn black.

Jump out of Indian red

Then turn black.

Black lips

Black people in Galilee

The Aztecs in Mexico used the blood of the living to sacrifice to the sun, the fountain of life. Paz integrated the meaning of this sacrifice with the symbolic meaning of red and black in Indian culture. Ollie, meaning "Black Goddess", is one of the ten incarnations of Snow Mountain Goddess, another wife of Shiva. It is said that she symbolizes strength and rebirth, but she is also the goddess of killing and destruction. She has a black face and teeth, a red tongue, a bloody body and drinks the blood of the devil. For the painter Swaminadan, the essence of art is the rebirth and revival of creation. Red symbolizes the energy of creation and the blood of sacrifice. When this painting appears with its strong color, Yingli must accept this greeting:

Yellow and its charred beast

Gambling and its underground drum

The green body of the black rainforest

In Paz's view, poetry was born from the poet's pain, and this time it responded to the most perfect concept of mother earth. In this concept, opposites are integrated, and the dialectical relationship between life and death, good and evil, sacrifice and creation is harmonious in a peaceful atmosphere, which is more aesthetic than religion. Works of art are both riddles and answers;

Painting is a kind of body.

Covered only by naked riddles

From this, we can see what the oriental experience-oriental culture and life-means to Paz. Pass understood and absorbed the concept of "the other shore" from Buddhism and found that poetry is a self-enclosed way to approach the other shore, overcome loneliness and break through poverty. In the East, his creation reached its peak. The East opened Pace's thoughts and poems, and integrated his experience and personality with the increasingly broad present history and future-as well as his vision. His oriental complex has been released to the greatest extent here.