Textual Criticisms And Explanations Of Buddhism Thought From "A Journey To The West"

One-hundred-chapter version of “A Journey to the West” is a ghost story whichis rich in content, abstruse in thought and far-reaching in implication. It is one of theimmortal masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature. It is widely read both athome and abroad. It attracts countless civilians and talented scholars who choose andstudy from different perspectives. This thesis is the author’s own pioneering andattempting research to “A Journey to the West”. Based on the surviving state of WuCheng-en, the writer of “A Journey to the West”, I want to explore the Buddhismthought which causes great artistic effects.The introduction mainly deals with the purpose of research and significance.It also focuses on the carding of research history and status quo and determines theobject and range of study and text evidence, illustrating academic evidence, researchmethod, basic framework, puzzling questions and innovation points of the thesis.The first chapter is the analysis of the surviving state of Wu Cheng-en and theverification of his personal experience and communication ability. It briefly reviewsand analyzes several critical periods of his lifetime which is divided into three stages:Juvenile period in which he studied diligently, attempting to get fame; Middle-ageperiod in which he put forward the political ideas of “kingly way benevolentgovernment” and “rule of virtue” with the complex of going into society; Old-ageperiod in which he inclined to Buddhism and Taoism in thought and exposed andinsinuated evil phenomena in feudal society with his writings. There is the thinkingtendency in “A Journey to the West” which praises Buddhism and restrains Taoism,yet carefully keeps on guard of the last defensive line of Confucianism and it is on thealert against the indulgence of divinities. The second chapter is the brief analysis of The origin relations betweenBuddhism. Taoism. Confucianism and “A Journey to the West” and its author. Themain contents of Buddhism are “the union of causes and conditions”,“stagingmid-way status”,“the concept of harmony”,“the equality of all creatures andharmonious world” starting from the heart. The ideological implications of Taoism areimitation of nature, governing without going against nature, consciousness surpassingwhich focus on harmonious thinking concept without human factor: The concepts atConfucianism-harmony in diversity, the unity of heaven and man, moderation in allthings, fours on thought connotation of harmonious interpersonal relationship.Confucianism considers harmonious coexistence is the common universal value forBuddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.It illustrates Zen Buddhism following in “A Journey to the West” and the mainexposition of “Heart Sutra” and the characters in “A Journey to the West” after somuch concern for. Tang Four is the literary example of “one afas” in “four phase”.The artistic preseatations from “A Journey to West”——savagery into seductivelycharming; sturdiness into servility, become the aesthetic description to “grief”. Theimage of the Goddess of Mercy is the embodiment of the tras, The good and thebeautiful and the ode of extensive maternal love and care.Chapter Four analyzes the enlightenment and influence of Buddhism thought to“A Journey to the West” on the whole.The Buddhism thought of “reading from the heart”,“good for good”,“theGospel of kindness,”“Compassion dual task” becomes Chinese traditional culturewealth through the presentation and spreading of “A Journey to the West”.