A Study On Zen Adherents Of Late Ming And Early Qing Dynasties

In this study, we start with the definition of Adherents’ Zen and make acomprehensive investigation of Zen phenomenon from multiple perspectives ofliterature, religion and anthropology. In the process of our study, the problem of Zenis analyzed and discussed by integrated use of multidisciplinary research conceptionand methodology in literature, sociology, history, folklore, religious study and culturalanthropology.This study intends to comb systematically Zen phenomenon of adherents fromMing and Qing Dynasties, and to find out Zen’s causes, development, and symbolicmeaning, and then its influences of Zen phenomenon on the adherents’ life, poetryand prose they composed. However, on the whole, this article will still give priority toa combination of literary and historical research methods, using different forms ofnarration, analysis and comparison. Through the detailed and accurate literature, thepaper strives to give a full account of the contemporary society, its social revolutionand development in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. It also exploresthe impacts of the above factors on Zen phenomenon of the adherents and finallyanalyzes and argues their roles in the adherents’ lifestyle, their literary creations andderived literary theories afterwards. With a large collection of historical data andcareful sorting and criticism, the writer strives to base her views on relativelyabundant literature and avoid far-fetched theoretical deduction and exposition. Ourresearch will be strictly conducted in the norms of academic writing and creativeendeavor.This study consists of nine chapters. There are three parts in the introduction. Thefirst part reviews the current research on Zen phenomenon of the adherents from theMing and Qing Dynasties. The writer develops her discussion from the following fiveaspects: the macro level, the political background, case study and work analysis; andcarried on the comprehensive summary and induction of academic research.The first chapter identifies and defines the connotation of Zen for the adherentsfrom Ming and Qing Dynasties. It begins with the origin of the adherents from Ming and Qing Dynasties, continues with the identification of its concept and its groupidentity, and explores the historical development. It also combs the basic content ofculture of the adherents from the theoretical and historical points of view.The second chapter introduces the birth, development and categories of Zenphenomenon of the adherents from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It starts with itsorigin, then analyzes its characteristics, relationship and their real lifestyle, and finallylists the main types of Zen adherents. Based on the different backgrounds andintention, the writer classifies the Zen adherents into the following four categories,that is, lifelong Buddhists, lay practitioner in the temple, halfway dropout back intothe secular life, and wine and meat monk. A thorough research and introduction iscarried on their respective culture, lifestyle and characteristics of each group.Compared with theoretical and historical discussion in the first chapter, the second ismore close to the real life of Zen adherents.In the third chapter, the writer focuses on social factors of Zen phenomenon.With the political background as the starting point, economical and cultural factors,Buddhist system and Buddhist economical situation of Ming and Qing Dynasties, andthen personal backgrounds of Zen adherents are also respectively analyzed. The paperattempts to make clear and explicit source of Zen phenomenon from different angles.The fourth chapter explores the left-out mood of Zen adherents from Ming andQing Dynasties. For adherents in the turbulent and changing Ming and QingDynasties, they often regarded themselves as "left out" and their external reactionwere the full display of indignation after loss of home country, the so-called left-outmood. The discussion is conducted from the following five aspects of complaints,forgetfulness, retirement, escape and salvation. The writer then makes an analysis andcriticism of Zen’s symbolic meaning from the cultural and ideological perspectives,based on their literary creations.The writer makes a study of literary creations of Zen adherents, with poetry inchapter five and prose in chapter six. Through the research of the above two chapters,the paper discusses the Zen’s impact on the literary creations.In the seventh chapter, this study mainly concerns literary theory and academicthinking of Zen adherents. Based on the analysis, evidence are found of Zen’s influence on the adherents’ own literary works and attempts are made to give atheoretical summary and conclusions for this research.In conclusion, a summary is made of Zen’s impact on the lifestyle and literatureof the adherents after a review of previous seven chapters.