| As one of the earliest tale collections that were heavily influenced by Buddhism, Liu Yiging's (403-444) You ming lu is a significant work in the history of Chinese literature as well as in the cultural history of Chinese Buddhism.; The You ming lu demonstrates the historical changes of literary themes under the impact of Buddhism: (1) from demonic retribution to karmic retribution, (2) from Mount Tai to Buddhist hell, and (3) from Heaven to Buddha. Buddhist culture also influenced the creation of literary figures and images in this collection: Depictions of monks, which focus on describing anonymous monks who possess supernatural powers, are closely related to Buddhist sources; the images of Buddhist demons, such as raksasa and Ox-Head, were directly derived from Buddhist scriptures. Furthermore, the new motifs related to fantastic dreams in the You ming lu, such as the motif of "dream adventure inside a microcosmic world," "the detached soul motif," and the motif of "sex dream with the revival of a ghost wife," were all influenced or inspired by Buddhist scriptures.; New literary patterns that are evident in the You ming lu, including the themes, motifs, and images, became popular in the literature of later times. But Buddhist elements have never completely dominated Chinese tales. "Hell," the concept of chengfu (transmission of burden), and the Northern Dipper as a savior in this collection, are all hybrids of Chinese and Indian ideas. 'This corresponds with the hybridization founds in other areas of the evolution of Buddhism in early medieval China.; The You ming lu is also significant in the studies of Chinese Buddhism by providing us with invaluable materials to examine the development of popular Chinese Buddhism. Buddha appearing in this collection as a savior suggests that Guanyin was not the dominant Buddhist savior he appears to be in the influential Lotus Sutra and the collections of miraculous tales. |
