| Buddhism thought has far-reaching influence on Pu Songling and his literary creation. The formation of Pu Songling's view of Buddhism plays an important part to Liao zhai zhi yi.This article consists of four parts.The first part is a brief outline of how Buddhism influences China's traditional culture and writers, and a retrospection of former research on Pu Songling's view of Buddhism and its manifestation in Liao zhai zhi yi.Since Buddhism spread to China, many writers had drawn nutrient and found inspiration from the Buddhism. The research on the influence of Buddhism thought to Pu Songling and his Liao zhai zhi yi is basically divided into three periods: The first is before the foundation of PRC. In this period, the research mainly concentrated on predecessor's prefaces and postscript, critical commentary and notes. During this time, researchers involved little Buddhism thought of Pu Songling and in his Liao zhai zhi yi, but they objectively and impartially affirmed the rationality and activity of Buddhism thought in Liao zhai zhi yi. The second period is from the Foundation to the end of the 1970's. In this period, there was considerable development in research on Pu Songling and Liao zhai zhi yi, comparing to the former research. However, the research on Buddhism thought of Pu Songling and in his Liao zhai zhi yi progressed slowly, even being back up, and the researchers were short of independency. This is because of disturbance from more and more political factors and the affection of the idea of"religious opium theory". The third is the new time. Since the end of the 70's until now, it is the period when research on Liao zhai zhi yi developed from recovery towards prosperity. And in this period, research on Buddhism thought of Pu Songling and in his Liao zhai zhi yi also truly walked out from the political shadow. It may be called a time of all-flowers-blooming-together, and all-schools-of-thought-contending-together. But there still exists insufficiency in these researches. They only focus on the Buddhism factor that involves in typical chapters, while to the Buddhism thought in writer's ideology construction which is outside the text, their recognition is insufficient or their elaboration is quite simple.The second part is the expounding of Pu Songling's view of Buddhism and its characteristic.Pu Songling's accepting and pursuing to Buddhism filled with rational spirit. He never fell into religion fanaticism, and also did not give up seeking to knowledge and rationality. Thus he formed unique dialectical view of Buddhism of fusion and sublate. Speaking of his Buddhism thought there are three characteristics: The first is the heart with source of wisdom, and contradiction between thought and behavior. Pu Songling had sense of belonging to Buddhism in his deep heart, but his thought, discourse and behaviours were affected actually by secular ideas. The second is dhyana and purity as primary, and the great fusion of view of Buddhism and religion. Pu Songling does not dedicate certain school or faction of Buddhist sutra, and generally speaking, his view of religion takes merciful salvation as a goal. According to the need of his works and society, Pu Songling synthesizes different kinds of thought and ideas into his view of Buddhism and religion, and forms his greatly melted Buddhism whose primary core is Zen Sukhavati. The third is the sublate to Buddhism thought and the definition of Buddhist doctrine. Pu Songling agrees and praises most principle and thought in Buddhist sutra, while he mercilessly criticizes and castigates those so-called Buddhist doctrine and monks that disobey the Buddhism spirit, and are useless to even bring harm to society and people.The third part launches the analysis on the origin of Pu Songling's Buddhism view.There are various reasons about Pu Songling's acceptance of Buddhism thought, and his formation of dialectical Buddhism of fusion and sublate, which is subjective also objective, and among which there is the fortuitousness also the historical inevitability. Meanwhile Pu Songling's view of Buddhism is gradually taken shape in the process of his long-term family life, reading and writing and his social communication.This article analyzes this from six aspects: The first is the political influence. The ruling class in Ming and Qing Dynasty all gave very high status to Buddhism. As a literary man who wanted to be an official through the imperial civil service examination, Pu Songling was affected by political thinking to a great extent. The second is the economical influence.Pu Songling hoped improve toiling masses' lives and his own life through practicing Buddhist doctrine, and saved all the people from the bitterness of wondering on the edge of death.The third is the region influence. The temples scattered around each village of Zichuan county, some villages had 2 or 3, and there are also many renowned Buddhism monks there. Most of Pu Songling's countrymen believe in Buddhism. Such region culture and belief produced to Pu Songling subtly and gradually influences. The fourth is the family influence. Pu Songling's father and his wife believe in Buddhism, and this affected him deeply. The fifth is the traditional writer's influence. The Buddhism thought of traditional writers like Su Shi, Wang Yuyang profoundly affected Pu Songling. The sixth is the influence of Buddhism thought. Pu Songling found his mind reposing in the Buddhism thought such as"Yin guo bao ying","Wu wo xiang wang"and"Se kong"etc.The fourth part analyzes the manifestation of Pu Songling's view of Buddhism in Liao zhai zhi yi.Pu Songling's view of Buddhism manifests profoundly in Liao zhai zhi yi; this mainly reflects in three aspects: The first is the"Five disciplines and ten goodness"in Liao zhai zhi yi. In Pu Songling'opinion,"Five disciplines and ten goodness"are doctrines that all the people must observe and practise diligently, and those who violate the disciplines will incur the retribution for evil-doing. The second is the retributive justice ideology in Liao zhai zhi yi. Pu Songling dialectically transformed the retributive-justice ideology in his view of Buddhism. He carefully pondered, with the retribution idea, the imperial civil service examination, royal government politics and surrounding human ethic relations and interpersonal relationship and enabled this ideology with enlightened significance and function. The third is the romanticism characteristic in Liao zhai zhi yi. The creation of many Buddhism character enables Liao zhai zhi yi with broader romanticism demonstrating space. The involvement of Buddhism thought adds exquisite unique composition, treacherous multifarious fantasy and richly colorful fantastic plot to Liao zhai zhi yi and displays positive or negative romanticism trend. In Liao zhai zhi yi, a lot of descriptions of environment that relates to Buddhism thought related have contrasted the romanticism atmosphere. |
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