Chapter 21 Chapter 13 The Influence of Zen (Part 1)

13.1 About influence Zen is the way of life of a sect of Buddhism.It belongs to the Buddhist school, so the purpose of practice is the same, at least basically the same.Small differences are the means to an end.There are objective reasons for this. In order to exist and continue, it has to be neutralized and close to the secular.Transformation, closeness, and difference.Some people pay special attention to difference, so they also pay special attention to change, saying that Zen is already Taoist in its essence, and even cite monks who do not abide by the rules as evidence, saying that it has become indulgent at the end.I disagree with this view.Everything in the world is about to change.Change has size: large, change the basics; small, do not change the basics.Among these two types of changes, Zen's changes are minor, they are corrections, not betrayals.That is to say, the relationship with Taoism, Zen absorbs Taoist inaction and letting nature, etc., because the two schools have similarities, this is to learn what they need, not to abandon what they have learned.Therefore, even if it is absorbed, the big difference is still maintained. This big difference is: Tao is based on "letting" it, and Zen is based on "giving up".Letting go is because we believe that life is suffering, and if we want to eliminate suffering, we have to regard lust as snakes and scorpions, and the world as a sea of ​​suffering.Naturally, this refers to the fundamental thought; as for the external manifestation, it can be varied.But there are still differences in nature. Take freedom without hindrance as an example. In the same behavior, A is not emotional, which is Zen;What Zen requires is a calm state of mind without emotion, so it is still the way of Buddhism.The journey of Zen started from the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and after the prosperity of Tang and Song Dynasties, the charm of Yuan, Ming and Qing still existed. It has been active in the field of culture for thousands of years, and its influence is quite large. Nature cannot fail to have an impact.

The most obvious influence is that there are many Zen forests in various places, and many people have become monks and go there to practice Zen or fake Zen.This is something within Zen.The so-called influence in this chapter refers to outside the Zen gate, for example, if the gate of the city catches fire, the gate is not counted, only the pond fish affected by the disaster are counted. Culture is a very complicated thing. It is difficult to sort out phenomena, and it is even more difficult to explain cause and effect.Zen, as a way of life, is a part of the culture as a whole and is inextricably linked with other parts, and the relationship is mostly ideological. If you want to analyze it in detail, you can say that Ding is Ding and Mao is Mao. Difficult.Difficult and reluctant to search, sometimes it is unavoidable to guess, so it will be wrong.In order to avoid being far-fetched, we have to choose the big and give up the small, take the book and give up the small.

The influence of thought is like water sprinkled on the ground, which scatters and soaks the adjacent soil. Being able to soak is a property of water, and whether the adjacent soil is affected or not can be tested by whether it is soaked.In the same way, whether other things are influenced by Zen should also be tested by whether they absorb the nature of Zen.What is the nature of Zen?Everyone can understand it, but it is not easy to express it clearly and concretely.Roughly speaking, it roughly includes four aspects: the first is the "knowledge" aspect, which is: the hustle and bustle of the world is disgusting and should be discarded;The second is the aspect of "practice", that is, how to stand in the world, which is: after enlightenment, everything will follow the fate (nearly all things are self-satisfied), freedom is not hindered, and reverses can be turned into smoothness (it doesn't matter if you don't want to).The third is the aspect of "benefit", which is: the state of mind is clear, not moved by the environment, not disturbed by things, and free from worries.The fourth is the aspect of "expression", which is: because of in-depth contemplation, experience of the wonderful world, and no attachment, words and deeds can be extraordinary, with unexpected meanings and outtaste.To sum it up, there is an unworldly air and a subtle meaning.

Taking this kind of Zen nature as the standard to test its influence, it seems that there is no big problem.actually not.One of them is difficult to solve. Chiyu seems to be on the same path as Zen, but sometimes it is difficult to say whether it comes from Zen.It's hard to say, a safe way is to say less, as mentioned above, to choose the big and give up the small, and take the little.There is also the issue of scope.I have always believed that the influence of Zen is far less than that of Pure Land, because enlightenment requires more knowledge capital.That is to say, it is difficult to expand beyond the scholar-bureaucrats.Even the scholar-bureaucrats, most of them are hot but not cold, and I am afraid that they are acquaintances but not blind friends.However, the situation can also be seen from the other side, that is, the so-called influence, those who do not have much intellectual capital, may not be able to be affected. For example, Qin Cao was a low-status singing girl.

There is also the question of degree.The deep level can be true escape from Zen, and the shallow one is just two indifferent poems written after being frustrated in officialdom, expressing that wealth and honor are like floating clouds to me.This kind of problem can only be dealt with by the principle of choosing the big and giving up the small, and taking the small and taking the small. After setting aside some of these issues, in order to get a clearer picture, I would like to divide the influence into two categories: one is academic and the other is life.This chapter discusses the former category, including Taoism, which belongs to the field of philosophy, and poetics, which belongs to the field of literature.

13.2 Taoism Daoism can also be called New Confucianism.Confucianism is divided into old and new, which is based on the situation of evolution.The general situation is that the focus of academic research has shifted from the outside to the inside: the old Confucianism focused more on human relations, with an emphasis on the outside; the new Confucianism focused more on heart and nature, and focused on the inside.Old Confucianism refers to pre-Tang, mainly pre-Qin and Han.At that time, Confucianism focused on how to deal with daily life, how to cultivate one's morality, regulate one's family, govern the country and the world.Monarchs, fathers and sons, brothers, husbands and wives, friends, and then extrapolated, township party members, and people on the road, should treat each other with reason and reason. The starting point is benevolence and righteousness.Talk about so and so, and rarely ask why so and so.When asked why he was inclined towards philosophy or metaphysics, Mencius had some, such as talking about awe-inspiring spirit, but not being indifferent.When it comes to "The Doctrine of the Mean", it seems to be more intentional to go this way, saying that "the destiny is the nature, and the way is the way", but it is still a small country with few people, and not many people think deeply about this aspect.

Neo-Confucianism arose in the middle Tang Dynasty. Because it wanted to study the right and wrong of behavior, the origin of good and evil, etc., it delved into "nature" and studied "heaven" from nature.This is the basis for the philosophy of pursuing benevolence and righteousness or goodness.Then, of course, use it as a guide to decide how to "act", that is, how to stand in the world, in order to transcend the ordinary and become holy.This kind of deep pursuit became more prosperous in Song and Ming Dynasties.The themes include two aspects of heaven (nature or existence) and people.Heaven is cosmology, which studies the origin of all things.Once this is understood, it can be useful in two aspects: one is to solve the problem of knowledge, the colorful world is full of strange things, and it turns out that this is the case; the other is that people are under the sky, or within the sky, and the sky understands If you can know people, you can know exactly how to live.In this regard, the Taoists of the Song Dynasty expended great efforts.Naturally, they can only sit in the room and meditate, guessing randomly.According to common sense, it can be deduced that the result of guessing will not be the same.Therefore, Cheng Zhu's "Confucianism" and Lu Wang's "Xin Xue" (here collectively referred to as "Taoism"), all thought that they had uniquely obtained the mysteries of heaven and man.This is a very complicated account.

In fact, looking at it now, it might as well be said to be a mess.Fortunately, I am not trying to settle this account here, but to explain, first, on the negative side, if there is no Zen, maybe there will not be such a new Confucianism that emphasizes the mind and nature; , It is indeed influenced by Zen Buddhism's great talk about self-purity. I would like to interject a few words here. Since Neo-Confucianism began in the Tang Dynasty, many famous scholars, large and small, all claimed to be pure Confucianism, which is different from Buddhism, and most of them exclude Buddhism.It is a fact that it is different from the Buddha. If you don’t say that life is suffering, and you have no end to lust, etc., you are all big ones.But at that time, Zen Buddhism was too powerful, and there was always a lot to learn from in terms of theory and practice related to practice. Stones from other mountains could be used to attack jade, and it was human nature to borrow and use them.But to borrow, they probably think that this is the result of drilling down along "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean".This is of course not bad.However, if you follow a path close to Zen and not follow other paths, it is always forced to say that you have not borrowed the stone from other mountains.Back to the topic, let’s talk about the influence. The “if not” of the negative aspect comes from suspense, so it’s hard to explain clearly; the following will focus on the positive aspect, Taoism, since the Tang Dynasty, the main schools have been influenced by Zen.As far as this book is concerned, this is not the point. Also, if you talk about each family and go a little deeper, you will fall into the quagmire of all kinds of abstract concepts. It's inevitable that everything is covered up.In order to be economical and practical, the following impacts are based on the criteria of "slightly" (only extremely large) and "shallow" (given the main points but less analysis). The whole picture is taken as an example.

13.2.1 Li Ao Complexity When talking about Taoism in the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu usually started it, because he was a figure who rejected the old (Taoist) and Buddha, established the Confucian orthodoxy, and so-called brought order out of chaos.He wrote "Original Dao", which is based on "University", which talks about righteousness and sincerity; when he wrote "Original Nature", he wanted to revise Mencius's theory of good nature and carry it forward.In fact, this Han Wengong has great momentum but little practical knowledge.For example, Pai Buddha was demoted for writing "On the Bone Table of Buddha", but sometimes he couldn't help but secretly wink at the Zen masters. "Original Nature", the title is a great work on big issues, but the content is very superficial. It says that there are three grades of nature: the upper, the middle, and the lower. The upper is good, the middle can lead to the upper and lower, and the lower is evil. Zijia Xunzi is the way the village is willing to persuade the fight. Anyone who raises his fist is right, the mediator.He also talked about emotion, which also has three grades of upper, middle and lower, which match with sex and are coordinated accordingly.Reconciliation has advantages and is inclusive; but it also exposes weaknesses, which are patchwork and lack of assertiveness.

So let's start with Li Ao.Li Ao, who learned calligraphy, had a relationship with Han Yu as a teacher and friend, but he came from behind, and his attainments in talking about sex far surpassed Han Yu's.This probably has something to do with Zen.Han Yu, it is said that he had a little contact with the monk Dadian (Bao Tong) and got some inspiration from the monk Sanping (Yizhong) who was a disciple of Dadian.Li Ao was different. He had many contacts with the Zen forest. For example, the fifth volume of "Five Lanterns Huiyuan" also set up a special article for him, called "Li Ao, the governor", and he was regarded as Yaoshan Weiyan's heir.At that time, he served as the governor of Dingzhou. It is said that he looked up to the Taoism of Yaoshan, and he couldn't come if he was invited, so he went to ask for advice in person.Mainly ask two questions.One is "how is the Tao", Yaoshan uses his fingers up and down, and then interprets it as "the cloud is in the blue sky and the water is in the bottle" (meaning that the Tao is everywhere, and each is suitable for its own use).

Another question was "how to be discipline, concentration and wisdom" (meaning to know the method of practice), Yaoshan answered: "There is no such leisure furniture here in Pingdao." Li Ao didn't understand the meaning, Yaoshan further explained: "If the eunuch wants to keep the job, he must stand on the top of a high mountain and walk deep in the sea, and the things in the boudoir are not convenient. Leakage." (This is the authentic Nanzong spirit, we must pay attention to the root and not be bound by the common) What is high and deep?It is inferred that the self-nature is pure, and one can become a Buddha by seeing one's nature. Sex is so important, he had to think deeply, during or before, of course he would think of the Confucian "goodness of nature", "nature is called nature", and so on. The words of Confucianism talk about the content of Zenism.Such as: The reason why people are saints is their nature.The reason why people confuse their nature is love.Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, evil, and desires are all caused by emotion.When the emotion is fainted, the sex is drowned, and it is not the fault of the sex.The seven are cyclical and reciprocated, so the nature cannot be filled. Water is muddy, its flow is not clear, fire is smoke, its light is not clear, it is not the result of clear water and fire, the sand is not muddy, the flow is clear, the smoke is not stagnant, the light is bright.If you don't make love, you will be full of sex. ... A sage is also a person's foresight.Awareness leads to clarity, otherwise confusion leads to fainting. ...Although there is love, there is no love. "Nature and emotion are opposed, which is different from the traditional Confucian view. Mencius said that nature is good, and he said that the heart of compassion is benevolence, and compassion is not emotionless." "University" said: "This is called only a benevolent person who can love others and can hate others." "Love and evil do not harm the goodness of nature. "The Doctrine of the Mean" said: "When joy, anger, sorrow and joy are not released, it is called the middle; when they are all in the middle, it is called the harmony." "As for emotion, we only ask for it to come out and be moderate, and don't ask for it not to come out. If you ask for it not to come out, it is still and unmoving. This is the practice method of Zen: to decontaminate and clarify the original pure nature. , otherwise confused, emphasizing awareness, awareness is enlightenment, and it is also Zen. In particular, the saying that there is sentient beings but not sentient beings is a replica of the Zen school's cleverness. Confucius and Mencius would not have such a strange way of thinking. Using the method of rejuvenation to straighten the mind and cultivate the body is the inner strength of meditation that transforms daily life into Zen.This internal strength had better be based on philosophy or metaphysics, so in Song Confucianism, it drilled deeper into the heart, nature, and heaven, and the atmosphere of New Confucianism became stronger and stronger. 13.2.2 Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism In Taoism in the Song Dynasty, there were several important figures before Cheng and Zhu.One is Zhou Dunyi, whose name is Maoshu and whose name is Lianxi, who wrote "Ai Lian Shuo".He was the first Taoist in the Song and Ming Dynasties to delve into the relationship between heaven and man, and he drew a picture of Tai Chi, and wrote "Tai Chi Tu Shuo" to illustrate it.The purpose is to answer the question of what is going on in this world, so it is said that Taiji is born of Wuji, Yin and Yang are born of Taiji, five elements are born of Yangyi, and all things are transformed.From now on, this is all groundless cranky thinking.But it can be forgiven, because: 1, the question you want to answer is far-reaching but relevant to everyone who likes to think deeply; 2, until now, although we have big mirrors and small mirrors, as well as mathematics and theoretical physics, but Still haven't found a satisfactory answer.Just talking about what is related here, the ancient "Yi Xi Ci" said that "Yi has Tai Chi, which is the birth of Liang Yi", and it is said that the beginning of the world is from Tai Chi.Zhou Dunyi added Wuji to it. Some people say that it originated from Chen Tuan in the early Song Dynasty. If this is the case, does Chen Tuan still have the original?This makes us have to think of the "ignorance" of Buddhism.Zhou Dunyi also said that Taiji is principle, and the five elements are qi. The principle of Taiji in human affairs has the nature of the five elements, and the opposition between principle and qi is similar to the opposition between self-nature and pollution in Zen Buddhism. Then there were Shao Yong and Zhang Zai.Shao Yong, courtesy name Yaofu, posthumous posthumous title Kangjie.In addition to Taiji, he also attracted gossip, drew more pictures, and imagined more complicated.Zhang Zai, with a thick character and a name of Hengqu.He studied miscellaneously. At first he liked to talk about military affairs. He listened to Fan Zhongyan's advice and changed to Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.Later, he wrote "Zhengmeng" based on Confucianism, which talked about qi, reason, and nature, and also talked about the unity of man and nature. The famous saying "the people are my fellow countrymen, and things are with me" is what he said.Confidently, in order to gain the righteousness of Confucianism, he criticizes Buddhism for "the extinction of speech" and not "commensurable with nature". Taoism in the Song Dynasty did not become mature until Er Cheng.The second Cheng is Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers.Cheng Hao, courtesy name Bochun, was known as Mr. Mingdao; Cheng Yi, courtesy name Zhengshu, was known as Mr. Yichuan.Both of them took Zhou Dunyi as their teacher, and absorbed various schools of internal and external studies, emphasizing poverty theory and self-cultivation, and became the Cheng family.But the theories of the two are the same but different, so some people say that the younger brother, Mr. Yichuan, is the pioneer of Zhu Zi's Confucianism, and the older brother, Mr. Mingdao, is the pioneer of Lu Wang's Xinxue.The Cheng brothers claimed to be orthodox Confucianism, but according to records, Cheng Hao "had been with the old Buddhists for decades", and Cheng Yi "talked to Zen guests more often when he was young".For example, when discussing the relationship between heaven and man, they all attach importance to reason, or call it the principle of heaven, saying that heaven and earth are only one principle.This principle also exists in everyone's heart, and exists in all things, so the benevolent should regard the heaven, earth and all things as one. The method of self-cultivation is nothing more than lacking in this principle and being reflexive and sincere.With sincerity and respect, one can understand the nature of heaven.Reach the realm of the unity of all things.This is exactly the same path as Zen's breaking self-attachment and becoming a Buddha by seeing one's nature.Another example is the legendary story of Chengmen Lixue. Yang Shi and Youyi went to see Cheng Yi, and Cheng was sitting in the dark.Sitting in silence for such a long time is not sleeping but puffing up reason, and it is the same way as the meditation practice of the Zen school. The knowledge of Ercheng was handed down, one of which was Yang Shi’s transmission to Luo Congyan, Luo Congyan’s transmission to Li Tong, and Li Tong’s transmission to Zhu Xi. He was the master of Neo-Confucianism in the early Southern Song Dynasty, and later generations respected him as Zhu Zi who could succeed Confucius and Mencius.Zhu Xi, whose character is Hui Yuan, was named Hui Weng in the late period.He highly valued Ercheng, and said in his "University Chapters and Sentences Preface": "So the two masters of the Cheng family in Henan came out, and some of them were connected to the biography of the Meng family... Although he was not sensitive to Xi, he was fortunate to be private and well-known. Yan." This is the old form of Mencius's selfishness to Confucius, which shows how strong the feeling of admiration and conceit is.Feelings must be turned into actions, so Zhu Xi compiled the twenty-five chapters of "Henan Cheng's Posthumous Letters" as compiled by the disciples of Confucianism.In addition, when writing "Four Books Collected Notes", it is often said "Zi Chengzi said" to show that there is a basis for learning.In fact, as far as the attainments of Neo-Confucianism are concerned, Zhu Xi came from behind. As many people have said, he collected the culmination of Confucianism, or in other words, he integrated various schools of thought, deepened them, and formed a system of his own.The content of this system is complicated and profound (of course there are many problems), so here we have to pick a little bit related to this question.It is mainly the opposition between principle and qi.Qi is a concrete thing, and reason is the reason why all concrete things are what they are and not what they are.The principle lies in the qi, and the qi comes first.But the principle is also embodied in the air, so everyone has this principle, and things have this principle.Human life is the combination of reason and qi, and qi has reason, that is, human nature.Not only people have sex, but things also have sex.Li is the ultimate good, but the qi is turbid, so it can be expressed as unkind.In this way, from a moral point of view, Li and Qi will become opposites, that is to say, Li will be obscured by Qi, so it should be clear and become turbid.If this view goes a little further, it becomes the opposition between heavenly principles and human desires.Obviously, the way of self-cultivation is to eliminate human desires and preserve the principles of nature. Using Zhu Xi's metaphor: "Human nature is inherently clear, like a jewel sinking in muddy water. Knowing that people are blinded by their desires is the place of light.” (Zhu Ziyu Lei, Volume 12) This metaphor is in line with the Zen school’s thinking (the self-nature is pure, and it is blinded by pollution, the way of practice is to remove pollution, and see clearly sex), there is little difference in nature.Especially in the way of practice, Zhu Xi used Cheng Yi's method, respect, that is, to gain knowledge from the bottom up. ” ("University Chapters") For a long time, it is a reference, and it is suddenly understood, and it is an epiphany. This method is also Zen.In addition, although Zhu Xi severely criticized the emptiness of Buddhism, he occasionally slipped his mouth and expressed his admiration, such as saying: It's late to retreat, and I don't feel like I'm in my own place.If you gather a lot of people, Bosser will do it for a show, and the people you make friends with, such as spiritual masters and disciples who help the master, are all drunk and rascals.When I reached the sea, I was convinced when I saw the big wall standing on the wall.Its words are actually able to shape the skeleton, win by reason, and not be disturbed by things, this is the death penalty of refund.In the old age of Letian, he sold horses and sent concubines, but he also fell behind, which can be seen.Ougong's good deeds, inscriptions on inscriptions on inscriptions and inscriptions on stones, are all of no use to him.But it's not like practicing Zen to cultivate people, it's still sticking to one's own body and mind.Song Zifei said that when Zhang Weigong was exiled to Yongzhou, he lived in the monk's temple. Every night, he sat cross-legged on a long couch with his children and guests.According to Li Dezhi, Dongpo did not decline in his later years.Mr. said, Dongpo cover is mixed with some Buddhas and elders, which makes it very noisy. (Volume 8 of "Zhuzi Yulei Jilue") This is to admit that the Zen school can have a clear appearance and a place for the body and mind, which is better than Han Wengong and Baixiangshan. It can be seen that in essence, when talking about human desires, one cannot fail to think of the Zen school's ideals and practice methods. 13.2.3 Lu Wang's Psychology As mentioned above, the evolution of Confucianism is from the outside to the inside.The same is true for New Confucianism, which is getting more and more introverted, so that it can be said that the heart is everything, and there is no longer a separate heavenly principle outside the heart.It was Lu Jiuyuan who was born a few years later than Zhu Jia who put forward this view.Lu Jiuyuan, whose name is Zijing, called himself the old man of Xiangshan because he gave lectures in Xiangshan.It is said that when he was a minor, he disapproved of Cheng Yi's words when he was told.This can already indicate that he will take a different path from Zhu Xi when he preaches Taoism.Later, I read more books and meditated, and discovered the truth that "the universe is my heart, and my heart is the universe".Since the heart is everything, we should talk about metaphysics and practice, and of course there is no need to bother thinking outside the heart.In Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism system, the most important thing is reason, not heart; in other words, they all recognize reason, and Zhu Shi's reason is outside the heart, while Lu Ze's reason is not outside the mind.This respectively involves metaphysics, but also involves cultivation methods.The two argued at the Goose Lake meeting, and each is what it is, so from the Southern Song Dynasty, Taoism has been divided into two schools: Neo-Confucianism and Psychology.As it is often said, Neo-Confucianism emphasizes Taoism, while Xinxue emphasizes respect for virtue.Respecting virtue is to seek not to lose one’s original mind. In Lu’s words, this is the foundation of knowledge. ) There is a reason for losing one's original mind, which is covered by material desires, so the focus of practice is to remove the cover and restore the original mind.The heart comes first, and you don't need to follow the scriptures if you understand your mind and see your nature. Compared with Neo Confucianism, it is closer to Zen. After Zhu Lu, Daoism still flourished.There are quite a few famous scholars, some of whom passed on Lu's theory of mind, such as Yang Jian (named Cihu) in the Southern Song Dynasty, and some who passed on Zhu's Neo Confucianism, such as Chen Xianzhang (named Baisha) in the early Ming Dynasty.Yang Xuan advocated that "the human heart is self-evident, and the human heart is self-spirited", and Chen advocated that for learning, "abandon the complexity of others, seek my appointment, and only sit quietly", both of which have a strong flavor of Zen. It was Wang Shouren of the Ming Dynasty who made greater achievements in developing the study of mind.Wang Shouren, courtesy name Bo'an, once lived in Yangming Cave, known as Mr. Yangming.He is a peculiar figure among Taoists, who can not only sit in meditation, but also lead soldiers to fight.Mastering the art of war and vigorously studying the mind and nature also shows the great influence of Taoism at that time.He inherited Lu Jiuyuan's philosophy of mind, believing that mind is reason and is one with everything in the world.This is not only true of adults, but also of villains.The difference between adults and villains lies in whether they are covered by selfish desires. Being able to discover the inherent goodness of the heart is "conscience".One who can know must be able to do, and doing is to expand the original goodness of the heart, which is called "reaching conscience".So the way of self-cultivation, in his own words, is: The human heart is the abyss of heaven, which contains everything.It was originally a sky, but it was only obstructed by selfish desires, and the essence of the sky was lost. …Thinking about the confidant, and removing all this obstruction, the body will be restored, and it will be Tianyuan. "(roll down) Emphasizing the role of the mind in this way is exactly the same path as the Zen school's self-nature is pure, covered by pollution, and one can become a Buddha by seeing one's nature.Therefore, many people later said that Wang Yangming's theory of conscience was closer to Zen.Regarding this point, Wang Shouren himself does not seem to completely deny it. For example, he once said: "Because I asked for the explanations of the old people, I was glad to understand it, and thought that this is where the learning of sages is." The heart is born from the place where it lives, and Buddha once said it is right, but it is not wrong." (in the volume) Some of Buddha's sayings are wrong, and they are even the study of sages. It is inevitable. After King Lu, Taoists carried forward the study of the mind, and there were others who were closer to Zen, such as Wang Ji (Longxi) and Wang Gen (Xinzhai).Among them, Wang Ji talked about the method of self-cultivation, advocating "not thinking of good, not thinking of evil" and "taking no thought as the principle", and said that in this way, one can escape from the cycle of life and death. Yu Zen. In fact, even in the Qing Dynasty, the Yan (Yuan) and Li (塨) schools claimed to be opposed to Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism, but they admitted that Li, Qi, Xing, and Shape all came from the destiny of heaven and were good. The way lies in "preserving learning" and "preserving nature", and it is still not completely out of the Zen school's old way of becoming a Buddha by seeing one's nature. 13.2.4 Quotations Incidentally, the way of giving and receiving by Taoists is also accepted by the Zen School.The teachings of Buddhism regard rebellion as obedience. If you want to turn rebellion into true obedience, you have to ask for profound and cumbersome names and phases.This is not good for child popularity.In order to persuade the so-called foolish men and women, we have to seek popularization in many ways.If there is content in it, say less about emptiness and more about retribution.If there is a language, if you don’t use classical Chinese, use spoken language.Together, these became some of the Bianwen we can still see today.Bianwen promotes Buddhism, mainly to the outside world.Zen masters taught and accepted, mainly internally, but also in a plain and unwritten way.These are written down as quotations, a large number, which have become important classics of Zen Buddhism.Taoists are confident that they are different from Buddhism. If they want to know the difference and show the difference, they have to read the quotations of Zen.It is said that Zhu Zi, a master of Confucianism, liked to read the sayings of Zen masters.Look, maybe I think this method is good, maybe I don’t think it because of the habit, so I learned to use this method when I was giving and receiving, and it became a quotation when I wrote it down.The one with the purest quality and the largest quantity is Zhu Xi, whose collection is "Zhu Zi Yu Lei", with as many as forty volumes. Taoist lectures in the form of quotations began in Er Cheng.Among them, the younger brother Cheng Yi is the most obvious, such as: (1) "Mencius" is a chapter on nourishing qi. You should devote yourself to playing with it, and you must have real knowledge.Don't forget, don't encourage, it's just a way to nourish Qi; if you don't know it, how can you nourish it?There is something to support, but what to support if there is nothing?The aura of arrogance must be seen as a thing, like Yan Ziyan, if there is something to stand, Zhuo Er, Mencius said, it is like jumping.Drow, jump like, you can see it clearly. ("Henan Cheng's Suicide Notes" eighteenth) (2) Shishi has the theory of being a monk.You can't go out of the house, but you don't treat your father like your father, and don't like your mother like your mother, so you can flee by yourself.As for the world, how can it be obtained?Since the Tao was born in the world, except for not wearing the emperor's sky, you can only get it if you don't walk on the earth.However, they are thirsty to drink and hungry to eat, wearing the sky and walking on the ground. (same as above) The Cheng brothers, Cheng Hao only approached Bai, Cheng Yi wanted to be white but could not be pure.Zhu Xi went a step further, using pure vernacular, such as: (3) Question: Every day in your spare time, sit quietly to nourish your mind, but your mind will naturally arise, and you should be more still than still.Said: Cheng Zi said that the mind is a living thing, how can we teach him not to think?Just don't overthink it.It only means to be quiet, which means how much thinking has been added.And don't force him like that, you must have your own rest time.He also said: If you want to be quiet, you will get it first, you will encourage it, and you will be right. (Volume 6 of "Zhuzi Yulei Jilue") (4) Today's scholars often turn to paganism, why?Gai thought that there were deficiencies in his family's workmanship, but he was so concerned that he ignored it; he also saw that his family's words were careless and there was no good prescription, which made him feel helpless.But the Zen talker thinks that there is a gate of enlightenment, once you enter it, you will be able to break it later, so you can see (present) success quickly, why don't you let him go?This is because he really wants to understand it in his mind.I don't know that there is a reason here at home, there is no need to seek it from outside, and this heart naturally stops at its own place.Not only scholars today, but also senior disciples of the Cheng family. He said that apart from his hard work, he is often not precise. (Ibid Book VII) Lu Wang is also accustomed to using vernacular.For example, Lu Jiuyuan: (5) The words of the sages are self-evident, and for example, "A disciple enters with filial piety and exits with younger brother (fraternal brotherhood)", it clearly says that you will be filial when you enter, and younger brother when you leave. Why do you need a commentary?Scholars are tired of this, so the burden is heavier.Coming here is just to reduce the burden with him.That's all. (The Complete Works of Mr. Xiangshan, Volume 35) Such as Wang Shouren: (6) Sir, I tried to say that Buddha does not have appearance, but in fact he has appearance; I Confucianism has appearance, but in fact there is no appearance: Excuse me.Said: The Buddha is afraid that the father and son will be tired, but he escapes from the father and son, he is afraid that the ruler and his ministers will be tired, but he runs away from the ruler and his ministers, he is afraid that his husband and wife will be tired, but he runs away from his husband and wife.For example, if a Confucianist has a father and son, he will return benevolence; if there is a ruler and minister, he will return righteousness; if there is a married couple, he will return him farewell. (Down) Using quotations is to learn words.There are still some things that Taoists learn about Zen that are not so superficial. It is the experience of enlightenment from shallow to deep, from dark to bright, and some people also emphasize "sudden". For example, Yang Jian is: (7) (Yang) asked calmly: "What is the original intention?" Once Shiping heard the fan lawsuit, the public (Lu Jiuyuan) raised his voice and replied: "And the person who sued the fan must have right and wrong, if you can see which is right Which is wrong, that is, to decide that certain A is right, and certain B is wrong, and what is not the original intention?" Hearing this, the gentleman suddenly felt his heart clear, and asked urgently, "Is that the case?" Gong Yu was very serious, Fu Yang said, "what's more!" The gentleman had no time to speak, so he bowed and returned.Gong Dadan, with clear quality, worships in the north. (Qian Shi's "Mr. Cihu's Career") For example, Wang Shouren is: (8) In the fifth year of Emperor Xiaozong Hongzhi, at the age of 21, "began to serve Longshan Gong (his father Wang Hua) in the capital, and read the posthumous letters of Kaoting (Zhu Zi) all over the place. One day, Sixian Confucianism said that all things must have expressions The inside is refined and thick, every plant and every tree contains the principle, there are many bamboos in the official office, that is to say, take the bamboo grid, meditate on the reason, but if you can't find it, you will be sick." In the eleventh year of Hongzhi, at the age of twenty-seven, "One day, reading Hui Weng Shang Guangzong Shu of Song Dynasty said: "Staying respectful and upholding ambition is the foundation of reading; step-by-step refinement is the method of reading." I regret that although I discussed extensively the day before yesterday, I didn't try to refine it in order, so I should get nothing.And follow the sequence, the thinking becomes more and more harmonious, and then the physical my heart, if judged, it will become two in the end. "Wu Zongzhengde three years, thirty-seven years old, "spring to Longchang. ...Suddenly in the middle of the night, he realized the purpose of investigating things and extending knowledge, as if someone spoke in his sleep.Unconsciously shouting, all followers are shocked.It is a mistake to know the way of a sage, that my nature is self-sufficient, and to seek truth from things. ("The Complete Works of Wang Wencheng" with "Chronicles") "Suddenly feel that the mind is clear" and "Suddenly realize it in the middle of the night" are the sudden enlightenment of the Zen school, not the Confucian "learning and practicing it" and "not knowing that old age is coming".Especially Wang Shouren, there is still a long time of disagreement before enlightenment, and this journey of the heart is exactly the same as the experience of Zen practice. 13.3 Poetics The relationship between Taoism and Zen is very natural, because wearing heaven and earth, from life to death, they all want to ask the truth, and they are not willing to be ignorant; moreover, whether it is middle-aged chasing the stag or going to tie the knot, they all want to understand the whole body of Tao. , feel at ease.In today's words, the two families are fellow travelers. Although they have their own concerns, it is always a matter of course to borrow fire or even take a ride in a certain place at a certain time.The relationship between poetry and Zen is not like this.The big difference is the attitude towards "love".Poetry needs to be full of emotion, preferably as far as ignorance. "The spring grass is green every year, and the king and grandson will not return", "The spring silkworms will die when the silkworms die, and the wax torch will turn into ashes and tears will dry before they dry." These are poems, and the spirit is persistent and inseparable.Zen must have no attachment to worldly affairs, and must be able to give up.If you want to give up, you must forget your feelings and be ruthless; if you are crazy, you have to run out of the mountain gate and live together.This means that the two are incompatible in this respect and cannot go on the same path.But there are some strange things in the world, and those who cannot join hands join hands: poets use Zen principles to explain poetry, and Zen masters use poetry to express Zen ideas, which has become commonplace since the Tang and Song Dynasties.Naturally, there is a significant difference in the amount of entry and exit between the two schools. The poets have more income and less output, while the Zen school has less income and more output. Only poets are mentioned here.Poets use Zen to talk about poetry. Guo Shaoyu's "Canglang Shihua Xiaoshi" said that Yan Yu "only uses Zen to describe poetry, while other schools use Zen to evaluate poetry", and also said that Yan Yu once said that "the discussion of poetry is like the discussion of Zen." (Explanation of the fourth part of "Poetry Analysis").Mr. Yuan Xingxu's "Chinese Poetry Art Research·Poetry and Zen" put it quite clearly: The penetration of Zen into poetry can be seen from two aspects: one is to use Zen to enter poetry, and the other is to use Zen to describe poetry. ... using Zen as a metaphor for poetry.This is a traditional statement, which is relatively general.When subdivided, there are differences in using Zen to refer to poetry, using Zen to balance poetry, and using Zen to discuss poetry.To read poetry with Zen is to read and appreciate poetry works with the attitude and method of Zen meditation.To evaluate poetry with Zen is to judge the quality of poetry with the so-called Mahayana, Northern and Southern Schools, and Righteous and Evil Ways of Zen.To discuss poetry with Zen is to use the wonderful truth of Zen to discuss the mystery of poetry. These three kinds are the tools used by the poets to borrow from the Zen masters in order to make their own possessions more beautiful.Naturally, for poetry, not all the tools of the Zen school are useful, poets just pick what they need.This can be simplified, saying that it is only a certain type of imported equipment in the two aspects of "poetry writing" and "poetry writing".To be specific, what is used in poetry is the "extraordinary" artistic conception; what is used in poetry is the "wonderful understanding" of the beginning.Let me talk about Chaofan first, the two have similarities.Poetry is written to create (re-weave with the thread of reality) artistic conception, which is used to satisfy many desires that are difficult to obtain in reality.There are all kinds of artistic conceptions, one of which is distant, or has a transcendental meaning, which is similar to Zen, but not as decisive as Zen.The difference still lies in the nature and existence of emotion.Tao Yuanming's "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence and seeing Nanshan leisurely" has an extraordinary artistic conception, but it also contains a faint or even not faint love for a leisurely life.Zen Master Yunfeng Zhixuan's "I don't know who lives in the Yuanxi Temple, and the bell rings every day to send the sunset" is also an extraordinary artistic conception, but the mood is reckless and discerning, not love.To have a touch of love is "like Zen", and to follow fate without falling in love is "true Zen".It doesn't seem real, but it's okay to yearn for it even though you can't, so that the closer you get, the stronger the extraordinary taste will be.Seeking strong taste, whether intentional or unintentional, such as some poems of Wang Wei.Later in the era, intentional elements increased, and finally formed a poetic theory, such as Yan Yu's "Canglang Shihua". Besides, "Wonderful Enlightenment" is also a similarity between poets and Zen scholars. "Spring grass grows in the pond", good, why and how good, cannot be said. "Shi Guyuan was written by a woman", it is impossible to say what the state of enlightenment is.You can't say or do it, you have to believe that the article is natural, and you can get it by chance; appreciation, you have to pay it by chance, look forward to it and smile, and you can't resist it.In short, it is something that can’t be found every day, and sometimes comes by itself. It is completely different from the situation of learning mathematics, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, step by step, clear knowledge, and success.There is no clear method, but you still want to do it, still want to appreciate it, and you have to ask for help from the impossible method, which is the so-called "wonderful".Chaofan, the two families have similar aspirations, Miaowu, and the two families have the same joys and sorrows, so, whether it is said that birds of a feather flock together, or that they share the same disease, poetry and Zen join hands.由结果看，自然是诗家讨了便宜，就是借用禅家的修路工具，开了通往淡泊清空的一条路。 13．3．1司空图诗品 作诗，诗境向禅境靠近，至晚由盛唐的王（维）、孟（浩然）已经开始。可是其时只是感知而还没有成为“论”。成为论，要到五代以后。五代之前，因为禅宗的势力过大，推想一定有不少人，尤其既作诗又通禅的，会想到两者的相通之处，或者进一步，使两者沟通，以诗入禅，或以禅入诗。这后一种，可以举唐末的司空图为代表。他不像后来的苏轼、吴可、严羽等，明白提到禅，可是谈诗，所用语言，有不少是带有禅意或禅味的。Such as: 文之难而诗尤难。古今之喻多矣，愚以为辨于味而后可以言诗也。江岭之南，凡足资于适口者，若醯，非不酸也，止于酸而已；若鹾，非不咸也，止于咸而已。中华之人所以充饥而遽辍者，知其咸酸之外，醇美者有所乏耳。……噫！近而不浮，远而不尽，然后可以言韵外之致耳。……足下之诗，时辈固有难色，倘复以全美为工，即知味外之旨矣。（《与李生论诗书》） 又如： 戴容州（戴叔伦）云：“诗家之景，如蓝田日暖，良玉生烟，可望而不可置于眉睫之前也。”象外之景，景外之景，岂容易可谈哉！（《与极浦谈诗书》） 这里提出的“咸酸之外”，“韵外之致”，“味外之旨”，以及“象外之象，景外之景”，与禅家的“超乎象外，不落言诠”正是相类的意境。 司空图论诗的名著是《诗品》。这是讲诗作的风格的，分为二十四种，是：雄浑，冲淡，纤秾，沈著，高古，典雅，洗炼，劲健，绮丽，自然，含蓄，豪放，精神，缜密，疏野，清奇，委曲，实境，悲慨，形容，超诣，飘逸，旷达，流动。风格是由内容、表达以及作者的学识为人甚至一时情趣等诸多条件所形成，虽然有特色，却很难说明。不得已，只好用象征的手法，举韵味相近的事物来旁敲侧击。如“雄浑”是： 大用外腓，真体内充。返虚入浑，积健为雄。具备万物，横绝太空。荒荒油云，寥寥长风。超以象外，得其环中。持之非强，来之无穷。 每一种都用四言诗体十二句来说明，其中有的用语也有韵外之致，富于禅意。如这里的“超以象外，得其环中。持之非强，来之无穷”就是。其他各种风格的说明，用语也有不少富于禅意。Such as: 冲淡——素处以默，妙机其微。……遇之匪深，即之愈希。脱有形似，握手已违。 纤秾——乘之愈往，识之愈真。 沈著——所思不远，若为平生。 高古——泛彼浩劫，窅然空踪。……虚伫神素，脱然畦封。 典雅——落花无言，人淡如菊。 洗炼——流水今日，明月前身。 自然——俯拾即是，不取诸邻。俱道适往，著手成春。 含蓄——不著一字，尽得风流，精神——妙造自然，伊谁与裁？ 缜密——是有真迹，如不可知。 疏野——但知旦暮，不辨何时。 委曲——似往已回，如幽匪藏。 形容——俱似大道，妙契同尘。 超诣——远引若至，临之已非。 飘逸——如不可执，如将有闻。 其中尤其“超以象外”，“不著一字”，是更明显地用禅意说明诗意，因为作诗是不能离象，更不能离开文字的。 13．3．2诗与禅 把作诗和禅境禅悟拉在一起，大概始于北宋。梅尧臣已经说：“作诗无古今，惟造平淡难。”平淡当是指少世间烟火气。苏轼就说得更加露骨，在《送参寥师》的诗里说： 上人学苦空，百念已灰冷，……欲令诗语妙，无厌空且静。静故了群动，空故纳万境。阅世走人间，观身卧云岭。咸酸杂众好，中有至味永。诗法不相妨，此语当更请。 空且静是禅境，必须如此才能诗语妙，等于说上好的诗要有禅意。 苏轼之后，明白提出作诗与参禅有相通之处的，郭绍虞《中国文学批评史》中举了很多。浅的是以禅喻诗，如韩驹，在《赠赵伯鱼》的诗里说： 学诗当如初学禅，未悟且遍参诸方。一朝悟罢正法眼，信手拈出皆成章。 如吴可，有《学诗》诗，说： 学诗浑似学参禅，竹榻蒲团不计年。直待自家都了得，等闲拈出便超然。 学诗浑似学参禅，头上安头不足传。跳出少陵窠臼外；丈夫志气本冲天。 学诗浑似学参禅，自古圆成有几联？春草池塘一句子，惊天动地至今传。 如龚相，也作《学诗》诗（和吴可），说： 学诗浑似学参禅，悟了才知岁是年。点铁成金犹是妄，高山流水自依然。 学诗浑似学参禅，语可安排意莫传。会意即超声世界，不须炼石补青天。 学诗浑似学参禅，几许搜肠觅句联。欲识少陵奇绝处，初无言句与人传。 如杨万里，在《送分宁主簿罗宏材秩满入京》的诗里说： 要知诗客参江西，政如禅客参曹溪。不到南华与修水，于何传法更传衣？ 深的是以禅悟论诗。如范温，在《潜溪诗眼》里说： 学者先以识为主，禅家所谓正法眼；直须具此眼目，方可入道。 如张镃，在《觅句》的诗里说： 觅句先须莫苦心，从来瓦注胜如金。见（现）成若不拈来使，箭已离弦作么寻？ 如邓允端，在《题社友诗稿》的诗里说： 诗里玄机海样深，散于章句领于心。会时要似庖丁刃，妙处当同靖节琴。 如叶茵，在《二子读诗戏成》的诗里说： 翁琢五七字，儿亲三百篇。要知皆学力，未可以言传。得处有深浅，觉来无后先。殊途归一辙，飞跃自鱼鸢。 不管是以禅喻诗还是以禅悟论诗，都是想借禅为作诗的它山之石。但这借还是零星的，或片段的，有如砖瓦木料，这里放一些，那里放一些。可以看出，已经到了用这些材料建造大厦的时候。于是就来了严羽的《沧浪诗话》。 13．3．3沧浪诗话 诗话性质的书，由北宋欧阳修的《六一诗话》开始。作诗是正襟危坐的事；诗话则可庄可谐，上可以发表诗识，下可以借遗文轶事消遣，所以很多人喜欢作。到南宋，这类著作已经很多，其中最重要的或说影响最大的是严羽的《沧浪诗话》。严羽，字仪卿，是南宋后期人。他这部诗话影响大，是因为，用他自己的话说： 仆之《诗辨》（诗话包括《诗辨》《诗体》《诗法》《诗评》《考证》五部分），乃断千百年公案，诚惊世绝俗之谈，至当归一之论。其间说江西诗病，真取心肝刽子手。以禅喻诗，莫此亲切，是自家实证实悟者，是自家闭门凿破此片田地，即非傍人篱壁、拾人涕唾得来者。李杜复生，不易吾言矣。（《答出继叔临安吴景仙书》） 一句话，是开始系统地用禅来讲诗。这对不对？昔人是仁者见仁，智者见智。持否定态度的，有的说禅和诗是两回事，不能扯在一起；有的说严羽虽然大喊至当归一之论，可是道理多有不圆通处；还有的甚至说，对于佛理，严羽也是多有未知。这里不是研讨《沧浪诗话》的对错，可以只说他是怎样以禅喻诗的。《诗辨》一说： 夫学诗者以识为主，入门须正，立志须高。以汉魏晋盛唐为师，……久之自然悟入。虽学之不至，亦不失正路。此乃是从顶頞上做来，谓之向上一路，谓之直截根源，谓之顿门，谓之单刀直入也。 《诗辨》四说： 禅家者流，乘有大小，宗有南北，道有邪正；学者须从最上乘，具正法眼，悟第一义。若小乘禅，声闻辟支果，皆非正也。论诗如论禅：汉魏晋与盛唐之诗，则第一义也；大历以还之诗，则小乘禅也，已落第二义矣； 晚唐之诗，则声闻辟支果也。学汉魏晋与盛唐诗者，临济下也；学大历以还之诗者，曹洞下也。大抵禅道惟在妙悟，诗道亦在妙悟。 《诗辨》五说： 夫诗有别材，非关书也；诗有别趣，非关理也。然非多读书，多穷理，则不能极其至。所谓不涉理路，不落言筌者，上也。诗者，吟咏情性也。盛唐诸人惟有兴趣，羚羊挂角，无迹可求，故其妙处透彻玲珑，不可凑泊，如空中之音，相中之色，水中之月，镜中之象，言有尽而意无穷。 《诗法》一三说： 须参活句，勿参死句。 《诗法》一六说： 学诗有三节：其初不识好恶，连篇累牍，肆笔而成； 既识羞愧，始生畏缩，成之极难；及其透彻，则七纵八横，信手拈来，头头是道矣。 《诗法》一七说： 看诗须着金刚眼睛，庶不眩于旁门小法。 这里讲学诗的门径是“参”，所求是“妙悟”，作诗要“不落言筌”，如“羚羊挂角，无迹可求”，不只理是禅家的，连话头也是禅家的。 现在看，《沧浪诗话》是顺应以禅说诗的风气，集中讲了讲，并向前迈了一步。这结果，诗和禅就更加靠近，有不少人，学诗作诗，总是强调由悟入手，而趋向淡远清空的意境。 13．3．4神韵说 宋朝以后，文人引用禅理来讲诗的还有不少。如金末元初的元好问，诗和诗论的大家，也曾说：“诗为禅客添花锦，禅是诗家切玉刀。”再举明朝的几位为例，如谢榛说： 体贵正大，志贵高远，气贵雄浑，韵贵隽永，四者之本，非养无以发其真，非悟无以入其妙。（《四溟诗话》一） 如屠隆说： 诗道有法，昔人贵在妙悟。……如禅门之作三观，如玄门之炼九还，观熟斯现心珠，炼久斯结黍米。（《鸿苞》十七） 如钟惺说： 我辈文字到极无烟火处，便是机锋，自知之而无可奈何。（《隐秀轩文·往集》） 僧人普荷说得更加明显： 太白子美皆俗子，知有神仙佛不齿。千古诗中若无禅，雅颂无言国风死。惟我创知风即禅，今为绝代剖其传。禅而无禅便是诗，诗而无诗禅俨然。从此作诗莫草草，老僧要把诗魔扫，那怕眼枯须皓皓。一生操觚壮而老，不知活句非至宝。吁嗟至宝声韵长，洪钟扣罢独泱泱。君不见，严沧浪。（《滇诗拾遗》卷五） 他们重妙悟，重无烟火，有的还明白表示自己的诗论是继承严羽。 此后，还出了个继承严羽，并发扬光大，理论自成一家的，那是清朝初年的著名诗人王士禛。他字贻上，别号渔洋山人，二十四岁作《秋柳》四首（七律），就哄动大江南北，一时推为诗坛盟主。他作诗，喜欢淡远清空的风格，写景，轻轻点染，写情，似清晰而又像是抓不着什么。诗论当然也是这样，接受司空图的韵味说和严羽的妙悟说，提出混合两者，或再向下发展的“神韵说”。意思是，上好的诗，或诗作的最高境界是神韵。神韵中有“神”，难于诠释，勉强说，是妙到不可言说而有味外味（即不同意此论的人所感到的迷离恍惚和轻飘飘）。这正是禅的境界。看他自己怎样说明这难说的最上乘诗的奥秘： 汾阳孔文谷云：“诗以达性，然须清远为上。薛西原论诗，独取谢康乐、王摩诘、孟浩然、韦应物，言'白云抱幽石，绿篠媚清涟'，清也；'表灵物莫赏，蕴真谁为传'，远也；'何必丝与竹，山水有清音'，'景昃鸣禽集，水木湛清华'，清远兼之也。总其妙在神韵矣。”“神韵”二字，予向论诗，首为学人拈出，不知先见于此。 （《池北偶谈》） 洪升昉思问诗法于施愚山，先述余夙昔言诗大旨。愚山曰：“子师言诗，如华严楼阁，弹指即现，又如仙人五城十二楼，缥缈俱在天际。余即不然，譬作室者，瓴甓木石，一一须平地筑起。”洪曰：“此禅宗顿渐二义也。”（《渔洋诗话》） 严沧浪以禅喻诗，余深契其说，而五言尤为近之。如王、裴辋川绝句，字字入禅。他如“雨中山果落，灯下草虫鸣”，“明月松间照，清泉石上流”，以及太白“却下水精帘，玲珑望秋月”，常建“松际露微月，清光犹为君”，浩然“樵子暗相失，草虫寒不闻”，刘慎虚“时有落花至，远随流水香”，妙谛微言，与世尊拈花，迦叶微笑，等无差别。通其解者，可语上乘。（《蚕尾续文》） 严沧浪论诗，特拈“妙悟”二字，及所云“不涉理路，不落言诠”，又“镜中之象，水中之月，羚羊挂角，无迹可寻”云云，皆发前人未发之秘。（《分甘余话》） 舍筏登岸，禅家以为悟境，诗家以为化境，诗禅一致，等无差别。（《香祖笔记》） 僧宝传：石门聪禅师谓达观昙颖禅师曰：“此事如人学书，点画可效者工，否则拙。何以故？未忘法耳。如有法执，故自为断续。当笔忘手，手忘心，乃可。”此道人语，亦吾辈作诗文真诀。（《居易录》） 这把神韵的境界说得很高。按照这种理论，那就只有富于禅意的诗才是上好的诗。 细想起来，这也是怪事，因为诗的意境应该是世间的，禅的意境应该是出世间的，中间还隔着高墙。可是由于诗家亲烟火而有时想离开烟火，还想提笔后手头有“巧”，于是饥不择食，竟把异己引进来当作知己。而其结果，在诗的领域里就真出现了一些新生事物。妙悟、神韵等诗论是一个方面。还有一个方面，是表现在诗作中，这只要拿出甚至盛唐的诗，与宋以后的有些诗一比就可以知道，前者朴厚，有话直说，不吞吞吐吐，后者就常是“愁生陌上黄骢曲，梦远江南乌夜村”（王士禛《秋柳》一联）一类，像是很美，而又扑朔迷离的了。