Taoism And The Paintings Of The Scholars In Ming And Qing Dynasties

This dissertation is an interdisciplinary research on religion and the arts of painting, focusing on the influence of Taoist philosophy and the belief of immortals on the theories, subject matters of the paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing Dynasties and their relations. The paintings of scholars in this period are flourished and perfected in both theories and expressing techniques. Although Taoism declined at this time, its theories and belief of immortals formed through two thousand years have already deeply rooted in the mind of the scholars and thus embodied in their paintings. "Tao" is both the noumenon of the cosmos and of the traditional painting arts. The Tao of the cosmos is embodied in the painting as the Tao of the painting, controlling the theories and techniques. The Tao of the painting is embodied in the creative thinking, skillful forms, diagram languages, aesthetic concepts. The fundamental belief of Taoism is the belief of Tao, and getting the Tao to be immortals is the basic contents and final goals. So the immortals are actually the images of Tao. The paintings in Ming and Qing dynasties stress image and the portraying of the images between the likeness and unlikeness. Daoism holds the spirit can be combined with the Tao to obtain the Tao through practicing various Taoist arts. The theories of form, vital breath and spirit directly deduced the theories of form and spirit and style in the paintings of the scholarsThe belief of immortals is the core of the Taoism, namely to live forever and become immortals with human body, which distinguishes itself from other religions. The immortals in Taoism are not the ordinary ghosts or gods or spirits but the eternal extension and sublimation of the individual life in the actual living. The typical characters of the Taoist immortals are longevity and freedom with omnipotent power. The belief of immortals and their paradise and the tales are inexhaustible resources and nutrition for the paintings, thus greatly enrich and develop Chinese traditional painting arts. The contents of immortals in the paintings in this period form splendid chapters of the history of China's fine arts with some masterpieces left.This dissertation studies and illustrated the works thoroughly on the perspective of immortal tales from Taoism.Grotto heavens and blessed land are the home of the immortals and the spiritual home for those ancient scholars. The mysterious fairyland is the very ideal land of integration of the heaven and earth, which the goal of the scholars. The artistic mood of integration of the heaven and earth in the landscape painting stems form the concept of mountains and waters with both worship and aesthetic pleasure for reclusive life. Mountains and waters are of great importance for scholars in history to express their deep feeling and realize themselves. The divine influence from the Taoism and the pursuit and desire of the scholars combine the "immortals" and "mountains and waters" in their paintings. Their paintings express their aesthetic concepts and highlight their life value of self perfection, pursuing life, freedom and creation. Feelings from the outside world and embodied in the painting are the major reasons for the scholars to own the reclusive idea and feelings of becoming immortals.Chinese traditional culture, with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism as its framework, focuses on Confucianism compensated with the other two. Chan assimilates Confucianism and Buddhism when it is introduced to China. Chan Sect came into being in Tang Dynasty, initiated the "syncretism of the three teachings" and successfully infused into Chinese culture. Studies on Li in Song Dynasty, with Confucianism in the center, combined the other two and fulfilled the "syncretism of the three teachings" in real sense. In Jin and Yuan Dynasties, the appearance of Quanzhen Sect marked the "syncretism of the three teachings" in Taoism. They preach that the three teachings are the same though divided, so the "go down to the details of Li" from Confucianism and "sudden enlightenment" from Buddhism are integrated into Taoism inner alchemy to inquire its mystery. On the general, the synthecizing of the three teachings is the main theme in Ming and Qing Dynasties.The theorists of Li advocate Chan and inner alchemy, Buddhists discuss about how to rule the country by self-cultivation, Taoists elaborate on the relation between the mind and character and the ultimate relief. This common social trend permeates in the subject matters and contents of the paintings of the scholars. Introduction: mainly discusses two sides: the illustration of the categories of the paintings of the scholars, describing the clue of "paintings of the scholars" in the aspect of concept, history and subject matters; the demonstration of the relation between Taoism and the paintings of the scholars, pointing out the influence of the philosophy and belief on immortals of Taoism on the theories and techniques of the paintings. The second side is the overview of the research at home and abroad, the significance, the contents, the basic clue and methods, the stresses and difficulties and the novelty.Chapter One: the philosophy of Taoism and the arts spirits of the paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties. Taoist philosophy is the source of the religious theories of Taoism with the new additions of scholars in various dynasties. In Taoism, "Tao" is the noumenon of the universe. The tao of painting, the branch of the general tao, reflecting the fundamental principle of painting, is the inner base of the techniques of painting. The painting theories such as the portraying of the images, combining of the Qiyun, integrating of the heaven and human are all closely related with the theories of Taoism, which is the keypoint of the chapter and the core of the whole dissertation.Chapter Two: the history of the subject matters on immortals. "Immortals" are the idealized concrete body with longevity and omnipotent power according to the ancestors. Various records of becoming immortal by practicing tao show that the belief of immortals is the key belief of Tao. Many masterpieces from the paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties on the subject matter of immortals prove that the tales of immortal and ghosts are the inexhaustible resources. This chapter illustrates the belief of Taoism, the reclusive feelings, the praying ceremonies of Taoism through the concrete images.Chapter Three: the implication of immortals. Becoming immortals through the enlightenment of Tao is connected with the artistic aesthetic concept of China. The theories on paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties are mature and perfect. The contents related with Taoism and Buddhism became the major parts; meanwhile the hierarchy of the immortals are fully formed. This chapter focuses on the tales of those immortals such as Laozi and Tao, the foreignization of West Queen Mother, the feast of peaches of immortality, Ge Hong and his practicing of Tao and inner alchemy, Zhong Kui and the culture of ghosts, Eight Immortals and their benefiting of human in the perspective of Tao and immortals.Chapter Four: the Taoist emotion and the landscape paintings. The realm of "Tao" in Taoism just like the "nirvana" in Chan or the unpredictable realm in Chinese arts are all full of the vitality of freedom. All things come from the nature, so the expression of them are natural. This chapter appreciates the landscape paintings in the perspective of Taoist concept of lands and waters, the flavor in emptiness and tranquility, the feeling of practicing Tao and becoming immortals in the realm of the paintings. The highest state of the main sect of Taoism in Ming dynasty is "voidances", "emptiness", "nothing", which are give priority in the arts in the creating and appreciating. The realm is both the highest one for the Quanzhen sect and also for the traditional Chinese paintings. The paintings in Ming and Qing dynasties are the very picture of the traditional paintings of the scholars, emphasizing the cultural cultivation, the combination of implication and realm in Taoism and Buddhism. Taoism stressed both the secular life and the ideal realm of immortals, thus the concept of Taoist mountains and waters are closely related with the landscape paintings of the scholars.Chapter Five: "syncretism of the three teachings" and the landscape paintings. Chinese philosophy is actually the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The realistic teachings of Confucianism, the non-action of Taoism and the transcendence of Buddhism mutually integrated and compensated together. The scholars were influenced by the mixed philosophy, resorting to a certain part according to their personal life experiences. Be realistic, the scholars cared the whole society; be reclusive, they can cultivate themselves. They either contributed to the society with Confucius moralities or conducted inner cultivation with Taoist or Buddhist principles. The three teachings greatly influenced the paintings of the scholars in the theories, aesthetic tastes and artistic ideas thus became the diagram language unique to the paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties. The chapter discusses the change from "combination of the three teachings" to "syncretism of the three teachings" from the works of the paintings and the impact of Quanzhen sect on the painters and their paintings.Conclusion: this dissertation is an interdisciplinary research on arts and religion, basically on the Taoism belief and theories and their influence on the theories, subject matters, contents of the paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties and their interrelations. This research carries significance both to study on religion and traditional Chinese paintings. This research enriches the religion research and inquires the religious awareness hidden behind the paintings of the scholars in Ming and Qing dynasties, which is the period for the theories of paintings of Chinese scholars to be mature and perfect. Thus this research carries great significance to both religion and arts for its new perspective.