A Pragmatic Study Of Metaphor In Zen Encounter Dialogues

This research is a pragmatic study of metaphor in Zen encounter dialogues,which are conducted between Zen masters and their disciples aiming at enlightenment in the way of question and answer.In the precious studies on metaphor,traditional researches are conducted on the basis of similarity while the modern ones are represented by those in the cognitive field.Although both traditional and modern research define or interpret metaphor to some degree,the working mechanism of metaphor has not been resolved.However,it is worthy to notice that the latter insinuates that metaphorical meaning is open and indeterminate concerning the subjectivity and creativity of the metaphor interpreter or the hearer.We,therefore,can delve into the working mechanism of metaphor from the perspective of the hearer.Moreover,under the influence of the debate on the views of language —dependence-on-language and independence-of-language in Zen Buddhism,Zen masters have to speak indirectly and not plainly,or more specifically,metaphorically,to guide their disciples to get enlightened.This study is conducted on the basis of the refined Grice's theory of conversational implicature.The reason for us to use “refined” Grice's theory of conversational implicature is that we do not agree with Grice's point that conversational implicature is what the speaker intends to convey,because it weakens the participation of the hearer.Hence,we suggest that conversational implicature is not simply the recognition of the intention of the speaker;it should also be what the hearer understands when he attempts to interpret the utterances of the speaker in a subjective and creative way.On the basis of this refined Grice's theory of conversational implicature,webuild our present conceptual framework,and metaphor is regarded as a pragmatic strategy to generate and convey conversational implicature.Given this,three research questions are put forward:(1)What linguistic devices are used by the Zen masters to realize the metaphors as an indirect pragmatic strategy in Zen encounter dialogues?(2)How do these linguistic devices operate to generate meaning in the encounter dialogues?(3)Why do the Zen masters adopt metaphor as an indirect pragmatic strategy in their encounter dialogues with the disciples?In order to answer these research questions,100 tokens of encounter dialogues characteristic of the indirect strategy are collected from the Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp for a qualitative analysis.The major findings are as follows:First,five types of linguistic devices of metaphor are identified,they are(1)yidayinwen(????),the way of speaking when Zen masters deliberately respond obscurely to the disciples'questions and thus drawing forth more sequential questions of the disciples for achieving the goal of enlightenment;(2)yiwendawen(????),Zen masters respond with questions to the disciples'questions;(3)fanhuaduida(????),the way of answering to a questioned subject with its opposite;(4)wendaxiangtong(????),when Zen masters just repeat the same statement,phrase or word of the disciples'in responding to their questions;(5)dafeisuowen(????),when Zen masters respond with something completely irrelevant and impossible to the disciples'questions.Second,Zen masters adopt five linguistic devices of metaphor in their utterances and thereby flout the maxims of the Cooperative Principle;the disciples,however,acquire the conversational implicature or even achieve their own enlightenment from their creative understanding of the seemingly uncooperative utterances of Zen masters.Yidayinwen mainly flouts the maxim of manner;yiwendawen mainly flouts the maxim of quantity;fanhuaduida mainly flouts the maxim of quality;wendaxiangtong flouts the maxim of quantity and dafeisuowen mainly flouts the maxims of relation and quality.It is certain that sometimes these linguistic devices do not flout just one maxim of the Cooperative Principle,especially in cases where some linguistic deviceswork in combination.In the present study,we are inclined to focus on the main maxims they flout.Third,the achievement of disciples' enlightenment depends on the cooperative process in which both Zen masters and their disciples' contribution are needed.Since the conversational implicature is not confined to the correct recognition of Zen masters' intentions,the disciples could understand the utterances of the Zen masters in their own way and achieve their own enlightenment.Besides,the employment of metaphor not only shortens the distance and increases the intimacy in emotion between Zen masters and disciples,but also demystifies the Zen enlightenment experience and the expression of that experience,which is very beneficial for the understanding of Zen Buddhism and for people to yearn for it.All is related to the debate of the language views of dependence-on-words and independence-of-words.And these findings unveil the reason why the Zen masters employ metaphor as an indirect pragmatic strategy to guide disciples to get enlightened.