Find various descriptions of the ideal realm by Chinese literati, and forget them in the category of "Ten Records of the Qing Dynasty". In Zhuangzi | Ten Records of Clear Things
In today's increasingly developed material life, knowledge about things is exploding, and the categories and functions of things are repeatedly subdivided. As a result, a large number of things are rapidly produced, updated, iterated, and then left behind, abandoned, and forgotten.
As early as the pre Qin period, Zhuangzi seemed to have anticipated this situation. To avoid this tragedy, he chose to objectify. This "objectification" is not about alienating people into functional objects, but finding a way of existence that can coexist and "travel together in the world.".
In Zhuangzi's writing, he describes the possibility of survival through many imaginative things. Kunpeng can be transformed, they are not limited by the size of objects, and their vision is in a world that is far and boundless. Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly in the dream can also be transformed, because in the dream, they can no longer distinguish each other, and the butterfly is lifelike. The cook and the ox he wants to understand can also be transformed, because he no longer needs his eyes and senses to recognize the ox, and his "god" has met the ox as one.
In Zhuangzi's fables about "objectification", things and people are closely related to each other. Zhuangzi's attitude towards things created an important characteristic of later Chinese people.
In "The New Tales of the World", Emperor Jianwen entered the Hualin Garden and sighed, "The misty forest water has its own thoughts in Haopu, like birds, beasts, birds, fish, and family.". The "Haopu Jian Xiang" here is a famous allusion in Zhuangzi's "Autumn Water": in the midst of the forest and spring, people let go of logical disputes, and everything around them naturally becomes close and pleasing to each other. Therefore, "Haopu Jian Xiang" has become a description of the ideal realm by Chinese literati.
Tao Yuanming, who lived between the Jin and Song dynasties, was a recluse and a true "relative". People often say that hermits are "outside of things". In fact, many seemingly "outsiders" may be "disciples of Zhongnan" who seek fame and fortune. A true hermit is like Tao Yuanming, who is close to objects. He returned to the countryside, ostensibly to escape the secular dust web, but in fact, to live a true life of being close to the world and others.
Lying quietly in the simple living room, a cool breeze suddenly arrived, and Tao Yuanming realized that he was the "Xihuang Shangren". At this moment, he made a blind date with the refreshing breeze by his window; When drinking, he disregarded others and took off his headscarf to soak the wine, then put it on again after soaking. At this moment, he made a blind date with his own clothes.
On a slightly rainy summer afternoon, he happily picked vegetables in the small garden after drinking with friends. In a moment of elevation, he made a blind date with his own mouth and stomach. On a beautiful sunset evening, he picked a small chrysanthemum under the fence of the east wall. In the blink of an eye, he made a blind date with the flying bird from Nanshan.
It is precisely because Tao Yuanming is so close to this world that when he leans on his cane and ponders by the flowing water, the pure and distant poetry unconsciously flows out.
Compared to Tao Yuanming's natural comfort, the life of the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi did not seem to have truly escaped the shackles of the ups and downs of officialdom. But he, who was well versed in the wisdom of Zhuangzi, used a clear and reflective mind to escape from the constraints of fame, fortune, and material possessions with the help of things around him, and in this reflection, he became acquainted with things.
"Occasionally encountering a secluded environment, one forgets the mundane heart. Only then do they realize that the true hermit does not need to be in the mountains and forests." During his leisure time, Bai Juyi had many "good things". His hobby is not that kind of fanatical fetish, but a kind of blind date between peers after eliminating the mundane and utilitarian attitude towards things.
Bai Juyi's "middle concealment" is a true concealment within things.
He loves playing the piano and often plays it at night when the moon rises and the birds return to roost. The idle state of mind is the perfect time to play the piano. In Bai Juyi's view, the sound of the qin is cold and tranquil, and all the liveliness and agitation sway away, leaving only a deep tranquility in the lake of the heart.
He loves tea, strolling through the mountains and mists, sometimes reciting two small poems, and sometimes drinking a cup of clear tea. This day is the most suitable time in his life. The taste in this qin tea is not due to the value of the utensils or the high level of craftsmanship. Their master also does not need to be an expert in sorting out the crowd. At the moment of dispelling the secular eye and encountering the leisurely heart, he is emotionally and joyfully compatible with things.
Bai Juyi once built a thatched cottage at the foot of Mount Lu, which contained a plain screen, a wooden table, and a bamboo cane. He said: The plain screen is suitable for a simple thatched cottage because it lacks the pen and ink of famous artists and valuable decorations; Panmu, because it is not a highly functional material, is with me as a sick man. Although these things may not appear perfect to me, perfection is often meant to conform to the rules of others. In the thatched cottage, objects, like poets, maintain their own authenticity.
Being friends with things is not just about finding a comforting companion for a lonely life. More importantly, this "pro object" attitude redefined the literati themselves.
Su Dongpo's inscriptions on inkstones demonstrate his understanding of the nature of scholars. In an inscription on an inkstone, he said, "Once you receive it, you cannot change it. Either it is based on virtue, or it is based entirely on form. Both are the two, and you should take care of it." The characteristic of an inkstone is that it is "based on virtue" and "comprehensive", and its quality is not easily changed due to external needs. Even as a usable inkstone, it still retains its natural appearance.
Regarding the passage of time, literati throughout history have also had their own thoughts. In the Analects, Zilu described Confucius as "forgetting to eat with anger, forgetting to worry with joy, and not knowing that old age is approaching.". Wang Xizhi, despite his diverse interests and restlessness, forgot about aging while admiring the universe.
For Su Dongpo, who experienced the hardships of the "Wutai Poetry Case" and was demoted to Huangzhou, he talked about forgetting his old age in the process of "planting vegetables and receiving fruits". On the eastern slope, he admires wild flowers every day, walks with a stick, hides for a few days, and works hard to cultivate. In every moment of getting close to things, it seems that one can feel the plain and long life.
It was during this stage that he began to truly understand the radiance of Tao Yuanming's personality world and wrote a poem called "Jiangchengzi": "Awakening from Drunk Dreams.". Only Yuanming, it is a past life. Traveling through the world, yet still diligently plowing. Last night, the spring rain on the eastern slope was abundant, and the black magpies were delighted, reporting the new sunshine. The dark spring on the west bank of Xuetang is ringing. The north mountain tilts and the small stream crosses. Looking south at the pavilion and hill, the solitary and beautiful city stands tall. All of them are the scenery of Xiechuan on the same day. I am old, and I am still young.
Su Dongpo's words: "I am old, I have left my remaining years." In the life of a "relative", there is no need to feel sad about aging, because I have obtained a self-sufficient world that is enough to place my life in.
Through the philosophies and experiences of Zhuangzi, Tao Yuanming, Bai Juyi, and Su Shi, we can truly understand that Chinese culture is not only "personal", but also "personal"; It's not just about being born, it's also about being born in the world. In this world, people are proud of things, and everything comes from family.
