On The Poetic Thinking Of Tan Jing

The poetic thinking of Tan Jing is embodied in its cognition of word,image and meaning.From Dunhuang version,Huixin version to Qisong version and Zongbao version,the relationship between "self-nature" and "character" has some subtle but important changes,which revealing the tension between them."Leaving both sides apart" is not only the strategy of Hui Neng’s interpretation of scripture,but also shows his position and understanding of word.Hui Neng requires individuals to deal with the relationship between "self nature" and Buddhist sutras in the process of dhyana.His basic attitude is based on "self-nature" :he neither sticks to or negates the Buddhist scriptures,but argue that "the wonderful principles of the Buddhas are not related to the word",which has a profound influence on the aesthetic field of poetry.Hui Neng advocates "nirnimitta ",and yearns to achieve the state of "integrate harmony between nature and category"."nirnimitta" is not to abandon the category,but free to the category,to pay attention to the intention within the subject."integrate harmony between nature and category" is a state of mind that forgets all differentiated feelings.In this state of mind,all laws equal,no distinction of good or evil,wise or fool.In terms of the original meaning and usage of Chinese characters,the "Xiang" of Buddhism is closely related to the "Xiang" of The Book of Changes.There is also overlap between the two ideologies.The object of "Xing Xiang" in the aesthetic field includes not only the perceptual object in reality,but also all the "appearance" in the author’s mind.There is an inner connection between Huineng Zen’s emphasis on the realm of "integrate harmony between nature and category" and Yin Fan,Jiao Ran,Si Kongtu,Yan Yu and other poetic theorists’ appreciation of the "exquisiteness"."Realm of mind" is a way of resolving the contradiction between words and meanings proposed by Buddhism.The distinction between word and meaning has a great influence on the translation of Buddhist scriptures.With the creation of Tan Jing and various kinds of Denglu,the Buddhist views on speech and meaning gradually get rid of the metaphysical color and merge into the unique connotation of Buddhism.This cognition influenced the aesthetic vision of some poets and poetic theorists in the Tang Dynasty,which includes Wang Wei,Sikongtu and Jiao Ran.The emphasis on "self nature" and "realm of mind" in the process of interpretation and spread of scripture is a unique response to the contradiction between words and meanings.If Confucianism and Daoism’ view about the word-image-meaning laid the foundation of Chinese traditional aesthetics,then influenced by Buddhism and the "Realm of mind",to some extent,combined with the former three into four sides,produced some new advocates,such as "meaning integrate with condition","mind integrate with condition","artistic conception integrate harmony" and so on,which make “mention born outside” a unique Chinese aesthetic quality.In the aspect of epistemological criticism,Husserl’s phenomenology and Hui Neng’s Zen take "absolute self givenness" and "self nature" as Archimedes points of cognitive criticism respectively.Both draw the concern back into the subject from the object world outside the subject.However,the "absolute self givenness" comes from the individual’s own thought and experience and apparent to anyone,whereas the "self nature" is not.In dealing with the relationship between subject and object,Husserl’s phenomenology and Hui Neng’s Zen both pursue a kind of original state of cognition,which is grasped by intuition of essence in the former and by insight and prajna emptiness in the latter.But the divide between the two is also clear.The biggest difference between the two lies in their attitude to the question of ontology.Husserl’s phenomenological analysis isolates the world of factual existence in order to gain insight into the essence of cognition.Hui Neng’s Zen does not avoid the question of ontology,but emphasizes a state of being which combined mind with action.