Liu Zongyuan

Liu Zongyuan (773-819), courtesy name Zihou, was a native of Hedong (now Yuncheng, Shanxi) in the Tang Dynasty. He was an outstanding poet, philosopher, Confucianist and even an outstanding politician. He was one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Famous works include "Eight Notes of Yongzhou" and more than 600 articles, which were compiled into 30 volumes by later generations, called "Liuhe East Collection". Because he was from Hedong, he was called Liu Hedong, and because he was finally appointed as the governor of Liuzhou, he was also called Liuliuzhou. Liu Zongyuan and Han Yu were both leaders of the ancient prose movement in the Mid-Tang Dynasty, and were both called "Han Liu". In the history of Chinese culture, his achievements in poetry and literature are extremely outstanding, and it can be said that it is difficult to distinguish him for a while. ► 246 poems

Life of characters
Early life
Liu Zongyuan’s ancestral home is Hedong County (the Liu family in Hedong, the Xue family in Hedong, and the Pei family in Hedong are collectively called " "Hedong Sanzhu surname"), his ancestors have been officials for generations (the seventh generation ancestor Liu Qing was a minister in the Northern Wei Dynasty and was granted the title of Duke of Ji Yin. Liu Zongyuan's great uncle Liu Shi was once the prime minister, and his great-grandfather Liu Congyu and grandfather Liu Chagong both served as county magistrates). His father Liu Zhen once served as a censor and other officials. Liu Zongyuan's mother, the Lu family, belonged to the Lu family of Fanyang, and her ancestors had been officials for generations. Liu Zongyuan only has two younger sisters.
Liu Zongyuan In 773, Liu Zongyuan was born in Chang'an, the capital. When he was four years old, his mother Lu lived with him in the Jingxi Manor. His mother's enlightenment education made Liu Zongyuan have a strong interest in knowledge. Liu Zongyuan spent his childhood in Chang'an, so he saw, heard and felt about the corruption and incompetence of the imperial court, and the crisis and turmoil of society. (When he was nine years old, he encountered the Jianzhong Rebellion. In the fourth year of Jianzhong, Liu Zongyuan came to Xiakou, his father's residence, to avoid the war. At this time, Liu Zongyuan, who was only 12 years old, also experienced the war of the feudal separatist regime)
In 785 AD (the first year of Zhenyuan), Liu Zhen went to Jiangxi to serve as an official. Liu Zongyuan followed his father's official career, directly came into contact with society, and increased his knowledge. He participates in social circles, makes friends, and is taken seriously by people. Soon, he returned to Chang'an. His father, Liu Zhen, has worked in the government and county for a long time, and has some understanding of the real social situation, and has developed a positive and practical attitude and an upright character. His father, who was good at poetry and writing, and his mother, who believed in Buddhism, laid the foundation for his later thoughts of "integrating Confucianism and Buddhism".
Youth Becomes a Talent
In 792, Liu Zongyuan was selected as a rural tribute and was able to take the Jinshi examination. In 793, the 21-year-old Liu Zongyuan became a Jinshi and became famous. Soon, Liu Zongyuan's father Liu Zhen passed away, and Liu Zongyuan mourned at home. In 796, Liu Zongyuan was assigned to the Secretariat Province as School Secretary. In 798, the 26-year-old Liu Zongyuan took the exam of Erxue Hongci and passed the examination, and was awarded the Zhengzi of Jixian Palace Academy (the official rank is from the ninth grade).
In 801, Liu Zongyuan was appointed as Lantian Wei (sixth grade). In October 803, Liu Zongyuan was transferred back to Chang'an and served as censor Li Xing. From then on, he had more extensive contacts with the upper echelons of official circles, gained a deeper understanding of the dark corruption of politics, and gradually developed a desire for reform, becoming an important figure in Wang Shuwen's reformist faction.
Period of innovation
On January 26, 805 (the 21st year of Zhenyuan), Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty passed away. Crown Prince Li Song succeeded to the throne, and the name was changed to Yongzhen of Yuan Dynasty, that is, Shunzong. After Shunzong ascended the throne, he reused Wang Wan, Wang Shuwen and others. Because Liu Zongyuan had the same political views as Wang Shuwen and others, he was also promoted to wailang, a member of the Ministry of Rites, in charge of etiquette, sacrifices and tribute. (At this time, there were many political figures with the same political views around Wang Shuwen, including Han Tai, Han Ye, Liu Yuxi, Chen Jian, Ling Zhun, Cheng Yi, Lu Zhi, Lu Wen, Li Jingjian, Fang Qi, etc., and they formed a political group). After Wang Shuwen and others took charge of the government, they actively promoted reforms and adopted a series of reform measures, which are known in history as the Yongzhen Reform. (The main innovative measures adopted include suppressing the power of vassal towns and strengthening the power of the central government; abolishing palaces and markets, deposing the eunuchs (called Wufang Xiaoer) in Diaofang, Falcon, Harrier, Dog, and Yingfang; denigrating corrupt officials; rectifying taxation and abolishing local officials and local salt and iron envoys, and tried to take back the military power in the hands of eunuchs and vassal towns.) As Shunzong's condition worsened, the eunuch group headed by Ju Wenzhen and the courtiers joined forces with foreign vassals to jointly oppose the reformists and put pressure on the imperial court to retire.
In April 805 (the first year of Yongzhen), the eunuchs Ju Wenzhen, Liu Guangqi, Xue Yingzhen and others made Li Chun, the prince of Guangling County, the crown prince and changed his name to Li Chun. In May, Wang Shuwen was demoted from the post of Hanlin bachelor. In July, the eunuchs and ministers asked the prince to supervise the country. In the same month, Wang Shuwen went home to mourn his mother. On August 5, Shunzong was forced to abdicate the throne to Prince Li Chun, which was known as "Yongzhen Nei Zen" in history. Li Chun ascended the throne and became Xianzong. As soon as Xianzong came to the throne, he attacked the political group headed by Wang Shuwen and Wang Gong. On August 6, Wang Shuwen was demoted to the position of Sima of Yuzhou, and Wang Gong was promoted to Sima of Kaizhou. Wang Gong died of illness soon after taking office, and Wang Shuwen was also sentenced to death soon after. The Yongzhen Revolution failed, lasting more than 180 days.
Zuo Qian Yongliu
After the failure of Yongzhen's reform, Liu Zongyuan was demoted to the governor of Shaozhou in September. In November, on his way to his appointment, Liu Zongyuan was demoted to the Sima of Yongzhou. (Others in Wang Shuwen's political group were also demoted to Yuanzhou Sima, later known as the "Two Kings and Eight Sima".) After taking office, Liu Zongyuan temporarily lived in Longxing Temple. After half a year, Liu Zongyuan's mother died of illness.
In 815, Liu Zongyuan left Yongzhou and lived in Yongzhou for 10 years. Liu Zongyuan studied philosophy, politics, history, literature, etc., traveled around the landscape of Yongzhou, and made friends with local scholars and idlers. He wrote "Eight Notes of Yongzhou" (317 of the more than 540 poems in "The Complete Works of Liu Hedong" were written in Yongzhou).
In January 815 (the tenth year of Yuanhe), Liu Zongyuan received an imperial edict asking him to return to Beijing immediately. In February, after more than a month of trekking, Liu Zongyuan returned to Chang'an. In Chang'an, Liu Zongyuan was not reused. Due to the hatred of Wu Yuanheng and others, he did not agree to be reused. On March 14, Liu Zongyuan was demoted to Liuzhou governor. At the end of March, Liu Zongyuan set off from Chang'an for Liuzhou, arriving on June 27. In 819 (the fourteenth year of Yuanhe), Xianzong implemented a general amnesty. Under Pei Du's persuasion, Xianzong summoned Liu Zongyuan back to Beijing. On the eighth day of November, Liu Zongyuan died of illness in Liuzhou. He was 47 years old. ▲
Reference materials: Improved
1. "A Brief Theory of Liu Zongyuan", Wu Wenzhi, Zhonghua Book Company, 1979
2. Liang Jing; Literary Research on the Medieval "Three Surnames in Hedong" [D]; Shaanxi Normal University; 2006
3. Liu Zongyuan, etc. "Liu Hedong Collection"
4. Written by Chen Ruoshui, translated by Guo Yingjian and others: "Liu Zongyuan and the Changes in Thought in the Tang Dynasty" (Nanjing: Jiangsu Education Press, 2010)
Introduction
Liu Zongyuan (773-819), courtesy name Zihou, was a native of Hedong County (now Yongji, Yuncheng). He was known as "Liu Hedong" and "Mr. Hedong" in the world. Because of his official death as the governor of Liuzhou, he is also known as "Liu Liuzhou" and "Liu Yuxi". He is Han nationality and his ancestral home is Hedong (today's Yongji and Ruicheng areas of Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province). He was a writer, philosopher, essayist and thinker in the Tang Dynasty. He co-initiated the Tang Dynasty ancient prose movement with Han Yu, and was called "Han Liu". Together with Liu Yuxi, he is called "Liu Liu". Together with Wang Wei, Meng Haoran and Wei Yingwu, he is also known as "Wang Meng Wei Liu". Together with Han Yu in the Tang Dynasty and Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Che, Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong in the Song Dynasty, they are also known as the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". One of the "Four Great Masters of Eternal Articles". In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793) of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, he passed the Jinshi examination. Five years later, he passed the erudite macroci subject. He successively served as the Zhengyu of Jixian Palace, the captain of Lantian County and the supervisory censor Li Xing (i.e., the trainee censor). In the first year of Yongzhen reign of Emperor Shunzong of Tang Dynasty (805), he participated in the political reform movement led by Wang Shuwen. After the failure of the revolution, Wang Shuwen was killed, and Liu Zongyuan was demoted from the central government to the local government. He was first demoted to the governor of Shaozhou, then to the Sima of Yongzhou (now part of Hunan) before he could serve, and ten years later, he was demoted to the governor of Liuzhou. In 819, he died of illness while taking office in Liuzhou. ▲


Anecdotes
In June of the 10th year of Yuanhe (AD 815) of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, Liu Zongyuan was demoted and came to Liuzhou to serve as a governor. On November 8th of the 14th year of Yuanhe (AD 819), he died of illness in Liuzhou. Although he only stayed in Liuzhou for four years, he did many good things for the people of Liuzhou, such as rebuilding Confucius temples, setting up schools and academies, getting rid of superstitions about witches and gods, digging drinking water wells, releasing debt-bonded slaves, planting trees, etc., which promoted the development of local civilization in Liuzhou and left a profound impact on history. The people of Liuzhou missed him very much, built a temple for him, and have been offering sacrifices to him for thousands of years. Legends about him spread widely.
Fu Min Drives Ghosts
The Liuhou Temple in Liuzhou is a replica of the "Dragon City Stone Carvings" ("Sword Inscription Stele"). It is a fragmented stone tablet more than a foot long and six inches high, with the inscription "Dragon City Willow, Guarded by gods, it drives out evil spirits, brings out daggers, and brings blessings to the people. Liu Zongyuan, in the 12th year of Yuanhe. "It is said that when this piece of "Dragon City Stone Carving" was dug out of the soil, there was a short sword next to it, so it was also called the "Sword Inscription Stele."
This is an inscription written by Liu Zongyuan two years before his death when he was explaining his funeral affairs to his subordinates Wei Zhong, Xie Ning, Ouyang Yi and others. When he waved his brush, the onlookers present thought that the brushwork was vigorous and vigorous, and the content was also a rare masterpiece expressing his love for the people and cursing the evil forces. Everyone suggested that in order to pass it on to future generations, it would be better to carve it on a stone. With Liu Zongyuan's agreement, a stonemason was called to carve this inscription into a stele and bury it in the soil together with a dagger he wore. After thousands of years of human decay, it was accidentally excavated by a commoner. Unfortunately, it was lost soon, leaving only rubbings.
Since this is a sacred object that is believed to be buried in the earth to stabilize the house and carried on the body for protection, scholars from the south who went to Beijing to take the exam in the Qing Dynasty and merchants who had been doing business for many years often collected rubbings of "Dragon City Stone Carvings" with them when traveling, in order to turn disaster into good luck.
Lizi Monument
"Lizi Stele" is a sacrificial song used to worship Liu Zongyuan every year in the past. It is excerpted from "Xiang Shen Ti" in "Liuzhou Luochi Temple Stele" written by Han Yu, a famous writer in the Tang Dynasty. This stele was carved in 1217 AD (the 10th year of Jiading in the Song Dynasty). Because it has the word "Lizi" at the beginning, it is called "Lizi Stele". Because the inscription is an excellent article written by Han Yu and an excellent running script written by Su Dongpo, a famous calligrapher in the Song Dynasty, and praises the excellent story of Liu Zongyuan, it is called the "Han Shi Su Zi Liu Shi Stele" and is also known as the "Three Unique Steles".
This monument now stands majestically in the Liuhou Ancestral Hall. We can see that the body of the monument is broken and put together. There is a story circulating in Liuzhou that during the Ming, Jiaqing and Qing Dynasties, the "Lizi Monument" was destroyed during the war. Later, when building the outer city of Liuzhou, a sergeant picked up half of the "Lizi Stele" and used it to build the city wall. However, every time it was built into the wall, the wall collapsed. It was later discovered that it was part of the "Lizi Stele". The people present finally woke up and realized that using it to build the wall was disrespectful to Liu Hou and was punished by the collapse. The broken stele had to be carried back to Liuhou Temple and put together with the remaining "Lizi stele" in its original place, so that this precious cultural relic could be completely preserved.
Four Great Good Things
Liu Zongyuan is committed to reforming places that are closely related to people's lives. The most obvious results are mainly in the following aspects: freeing slaves, digging wells, setting up schools, opening up wasteland for construction, etc.
The first is to free the slaves. Liuzhou was originally a primitive and barbaric land. At that time, a cruel custom was followed, "a man and a woman are held in hostage for money and redeemed from time to time. If the son is in love, he becomes a slave." It is equivalent to becoming a slave if you don't pay back the money, and once you are a slave, you will be a slave for life. Liu Zongyuan issued a decree to "reform the laws of his country" so that those who had become slaves could still pay for redemption. The decree formulated a set of methods for the release of slaves, stipulating that those who had become slaves could have their wages calculated based on their working time while serving their creditors. After paying off the debt with wages, he immediately regains his freedom of life and returns home to reunite with his relatives. This move was welcomed by the poor people and was later implemented in prefectures and counties outside Liuzhou.
Another major thing Liu Zongyuan did in Liuzhou was to vigorously organize and develop cultural and educational undertakings. Because it is located in a remote ethnic minority area, far away from civilized and developed cities, Liuzhou has always been in a closed and backward environment, and bad customs have long controlled the minds and hearts of the people. After Liu Zongyuan took office, he personally founded many schools and adopted various methods to encourage children to study actively and fundamentally improve the quality of the nation. In addition to political affairs, Liu Zongyuan also patiently accepted visits from young students and taught them well. In view of the superstitious and backward customs of the local people, Liu Zongyuan strictly prohibited quack witch doctors from cheating money and harming people. At the same time, medicine is promoted and local doctors are trained to serve the people. Liu Zongyuan is not only satisfied with the dissemination of knowledge, but is also committed to changing outdated ideas and ways of thinking. He made Liuzhou, which had never dared to dig wells, drill several wells in succession. Liuzhou people, who had relied on the sky for generations and had grown up drinking rainwater and river water, now drank clean and sweet groundwater. This can not but be said to be a major event in the lives of Liuzhou people. Changes in the way we drink water are a reflection of changes in lifestyle, which also leads to an update in people's way of thinking.
Then, Liu Zongyuan turned his attention to the problem of agricultural backwardness. The area is a hilly area, and there are large areas of wasteland outside the city. Seeing the hard and poor life of the people, Liu Zongyuan was determined to improve this situation. As a parent official, he called on and organized idle labor in the countryside, reclaimed wasteland, planted trees and vegetables, and encouraged the development of production. Only with enough land can we produce enough food and vegetables, and people's lives can be lifted out of hunger and poverty. Thanks to Liu Zongyuan's efforts, Liuzhou's arable land area has greatly increased. In the wasteland opened up in Dayun Temple alone, 30,000 bamboo poles and hundreds of vegetables were planted. He made immortal contributions to transforming a land and water.
In addition, Governor Liu also paid great attention to urban beautification. He attaches great importance to tree planting, and even though he is in poor health, he personally participates in tree planting activities. At that time, many willow trees were planted in the city and along the river. His concept of civilization also penetrated into the construction and planning of the city. During Liu Zongyuan's reign, many streets and lanes were renovated, some temples were built, and many natural landscapes were developed.
Water well: It is said that before Liu Zongyuan arrived in Liuzhou, there was no usable well in Liuzhou. Thousands of households with a population of more than 10,000 had to carry small-mouthed poppy bottles with big bellies for water and water. They had to go up and down the narrow cliff road to draw water from the Liujiang River with great difficulty. If the weather is dry and the water is shallow, the distance to the river will be longer; in the rainy season, the road is dangerous and slippery, making it even more dangerous to collect water. If you are not careful, your feet will slip, and the person collecting water will tumble down the steep slope. In the lighter case, the limbs will be broken, and in the worst case, the person will die.
After Liu Zongyuan arrived in Liuzhou, he observed the people's sentiments and decided to dig wells for residents to drink. He ordered his subordinate Jiang Yan to lead dozens of sergeants to dig the first well on the north side of the city. After a period of intensive construction day and night, the well water was drilled out until it was 66 feet deep. At this time, the people in Liuzhou City came running to watch this miracle. Some of these people lived to be seventy or eighty years old without ever seeing a well. When they drank the clear well water, they couldn't help but cheer for joy.
Before Liu Zongyuan dug the well, some people tried to dig it, but they all collapsed, saying that it hurt the "dragon vein" and destroyed the "feng shui", so they did not dare to continue digging. Liu Zongyuan did not believe the "slander" and invested a lot of manpower and material resources, and finally succeeded in drilling the well, doing a good thing that has been passed down through the ages and benefited the people. From then on, there were wells in Liuzhou.
In the last four stormy years of his remaining life in Liuzhou, Liu Zongyuan, as a local official, dedicated his life to paving a road leading to a civilized society for the local people with his lifelong talent and hard work. Liu Zongyuan's four years in Liuzhou, from his personal point of view, was a sighing end to his political career. However, as a good official who goes down in history in Liuzhou, his energy and contribution are missed and cannot be forgotten. Liu Zongyuan is like a candle in the wind, burning himself tenaciously, using all his light to illuminate a desolate place. ▲


Literary achievements
Although Liu Zongyuan only lived to the age of 46, he created glorious achievements in literature and made outstanding contributions in poetry, poetry, prose, travel notes, fables, essays and literary theory.
Liu Zongyuan left many poems and essays throughout his life. Most of his poems express feelings of depression, grief, anger, homesickness and nostalgia for friends. They are secluded, solemn and unique. The works that are most praised by the world are those leisurely paintings of landscapes with profound meanings, sparseness and purity. The achievement of literature is greater than that of poetry. There are nearly a hundred pieces of parallel prose in his works, which are not out of the Tang parallel prose style, but there are also excellent works like "Nan Ji Yun Suiyang Temple Stele".
Liu Zongyuan's collection was compiled by Liu Yuxi, titled "Collection of Mr. Hedong", and was published by Mu Xiu in the early Song Dynasty. "Sikuquanshu" contains 45 volumes of "Collected Works of Mr. Liu Xunxun" by Song Hanchun, 2 volumes of external collections, and 1 volume of newly compiled external collections, which is the earliest extant edition of Liu's collection. Song Tongzong's phonetic annotation, Zhang Dunyi's phonetic analysis, and Pan Wei's Yinyi "Zengguang Annotated Phonetic Bian of Mr. Liu of Tang Dynasty" have 43 volumes, 2 volumes of special collections, 2 volumes of external collections, and 1 volume of appendices. There is a shadow original edition of "Sibu Congkan", which is the earliest photocopy edition currently available. Song Tongzong's annotations, "New Issue, Zengguang Baijia Detailed Supplementary Annotation, Mr. Tang Liu's Collected Works", 45 volumes, printed in Jianzhou, Song Dynasty, now in the collection of Beijing Library. Huaizhong of the Song Dynasty edited and annotated 21 volumes of "Collected Works of Mr. Liu from Five Hundred Schools of Phonetic Notation", 2 volumes of external collections, 1 volume of newly compiled external collections, 2 volumes of "Longcheng Lu", and 8 volumes of appendices. There is also a photocopy of the Wenyuan Pavilion version of "The Preliminary Collection of Rare Books of Sikuquanshu". Liao Yingzhong of the Song Dynasty edited and annotated 45 volumes of Mr. Hedong's Collection, 2 volumes of external collections, addendums, appendices, etc., which is the last type of annotated editions in the Song Dynasty. There is a photocopy of the Song Dynasty's Tang Dynasty edition. The Shanghai Editorial Office of Zhonghua Book Company used it for typesetting, and the Shanghai People's Publishing House has a reprinted edition. In the Ming Dynasty, Jiang Zhiqiao compiled and annotated 45 volumes of "Liu Hedong Collection", 5 volumes of external collections, posthumous texts, appendices, etc. Although the old annotations were collected and compiled, most of them were Jiang's own annotations; there are the printed editions of the Sanjing Collection of Ming Dynasties and the typesetting edition of "Si Bu Yao".
Liu Zongyuan attaches great importance to the content of articles, advocates that literature should clarify the Tao, and believes that "Tao" should be beneficial to the country and the people, and is practical and feasible. He focused on the social function of literature and emphasized that literature must be beneficial to the world. He advocated the perfect combination of ideological content and artistic form, pointed out that writing must have a serious attitude, and emphasized the importance of writers' moral cultivation. He admired the articles of the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties, and proposed to learn from Confucian classics, Zhuangzi, Laozi, Li Sao, and Historical Records, etc., and use his extensive knowledge and experience for his own use, but he should not favor the past over the present. In terms of poetry theory, he inherited the tradition of Liu Xie advocating "Bixing" and Chen Zi'ang advocating "Xing Ji". It is consistent with Bai Juyi's proposition on allegorical poetry in "Yu Yuan Jiu Shu". His poetry theory represented the progressive trend of the literary movement at that time.
Ancient Poetry
Liu Zongyuan’s poems include more than 140 in total. In the poetry world of the Tang Dynasty, when many poets came out in large numbers and flowers bloomed, he was one of the few poems left, but many of them were handed down from generation to generation. On the basis of his unique life experience and thoughts and feelings, he drew on the artistic experience of his predecessors, gave full play to his creative talents, created a unique artistic style, and became an outstanding poetic talent representing a school at that time. Most of Liu Zongyuan's existing poems were written after he was demoted to Yongzhou, with a wide range of themes and diverse genres. His narrative poems are simple in style and vivid in description, his allegorical poems are vivid in image and profound in meaning, and his lyric poems are better at using fresh and refreshing writing style to express his moods euphemistically and profoundly. Regardless of the genre, they are all written with exquisite craftsmanship and profound charm. They express extremely deep emotions in a simple and plain style, and present a unique look. Because he is a poet who cares about reality and sympathizes with the people, he can write poems with social significance and artistic value no matter what subject he writes.
There are more than 140 Liu poems in existence, all of which were written after he was demoted. The predecessors called him "Wang Meng Wei Liu" together with Wang Wei, Meng Haoran and Wei Yingwu. Some of its Five Ancient Thoughts are close to Tao Yuanming's poems in content, the language is simple and natural, the style is elegant and meaningful. Other Wugu poems were influenced by Xie Lingyun. They composed exquisite words and mixed with mystical principles. They even learned from Xie's poems when writing titles. But Liu's poems can contain resentment in their beauty, and they are similar but different. In addition, Liu Shi also has the rhyme poem "Climb the Liuzhou Tower and Send to Zhangting to Connect the Four States" which is famous for its generosity, sadness and health. It is a famous seven-rhythm poem in the Tang Dynasty. The quatrain "Jiang Xue" is also a rare work among the quatrains of the Tang Dynasty.
In terms of travel notes, fables, etc., Liu Zongyuan also left extremely excellent works for future generations. "Eight Notes of Yongzhou" has become a masterpiece of ancient Chinese landscape travel notes. These beautiful landscape travel notes vividly express people's feelings about the beauty of nature, enriching the new realm of classical prose that reflects life, thus establishing the status of landscape notes as an independent literary genre in the history of literature. Because of his artistic achievements, he has been praised and praised by people for thousands of years. In addition to allegorical poems, Liu Zongyuan also wrote many fables, such as "The Donkey of Guizhou", "The Rat of the Yong Family", etc., which have become famous ancient fables. "The Guizhou donkey has no skills" has become an idiom and almost everyone knows it. Although some fables are short in length, they have been passed down through the ages just like his landscape stories.
Liu Zongyuan’s expositions include philosophy, political essays and essays mainly focused on argumentation. The writing is sharp and the argument is precise. "Tian Shuo" is a representative philosophical treatise. "On Feudalism" and "On Punishment" are representative works of long and medium-length political commentaries. "Jin Wen Gong Wen Shou Yuan Yi", "Tong Ye Feng Di Debate", "Yi Yin Wu Ji Jie Zan" and other short political commentaries are representative.
His philosophical thoughts contain elements of simple materialism, which are reflected in "Tian Shuo", "Tian Dui", "Fei Guoyu" and "Feudal Theory": (1) Denying the mysterious sky, the universe is chaotic and composed of moving vitality. The so-called sky is an element composed of nature. There is no supreme heaven that can control people's destiny. Changes in heaven and earth and all things are the result of the movement of vitality. There are no mysterious external forces. ⑵ Heaven and man do not predict each other. Regarding the relationship between heaven and man, he believed that heaven and man should not interfere with each other, and advocated paying attention to human affairs rather than talking about destiny, ghosts and gods. ⑶ The superstition of ghosts and gods is explained from the epistemological roots. People's superstition of ghosts and gods is a sign of weakness. If people mastered the norms and laws and had enough human power to control nature, they would not believe in ghosts and gods.
His political thoughts are mainly manifested in the progressive social and historical view that emphasizes "power" and the Confucian people-oriented thought. But they are also influenced by Buddhism, especially when they are politically frustrated, they often look to Buddhism for spiritual relief.
Fables
Liu Zongyuan’s fables inherited and developed the tradition of Zhuangzi, Han Feizi, Lu Shi Chun Qiu, Lie Zi, and Warring States Policy. They were mostly used to satirize and criticize the ugly phenomena of the society at that time. They were innovative and creative, and made good use of various animal anthropomorphic artistic images to express philosophy or express political opinions. His representative works include "Three Commandments" ("The Elk of Linjiang", "The Donkey of Guizhou", "The Rat of Yong Mou"), "Biography", "Zhuo Shuo" and other chapters. Laughing and cursing, and adapting to the shape of things, show a high degree of humorous and satirical art.
Biography
It inherits the tradition of "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", and also makes some innovations. His representative works include "The Anecdotes of Captain Duan", "The Biography of Zi Ren", "The Biography of Hejian", "The Story of the Snake Catcher", etc. Some works are exaggerated and fictional based on real people and real events, like fables and novels. For example, "The Biography of Song and Qing Dynasties", "The Biography of Planting Trees and Guo Laituo", and "The Biography of Tong District".
Sao Fu
Yan Yu from the Song Dynasty said: "The only people in the Tang Dynasty who had a profound knowledge of Saoism." This theory is quite pertinent. Liu Zongyuan's Ci and Fu inherited and carried forward the tradition of Qu Yuan's Ci and Fu. His poetry not only made use of traditional forms, but also inherited Qu Yuan's spirit. This may be because although they are separated by thousands of years, they have similarities in their thoughts, experiences, ambitions and characters. According to the original biography of "Old Book of Tang Dynasty", Liu Zongyuan "was on the run, wading through the barbaric miasma, and the rugged road (House B). It contains the melancholy of a poet, and the emotional narrative must be moved by prose. There are dozens of poems, and those who read it are sad." It is very similar to Qu Yuan's poems and poems. Liu Zongyuan's "Nine Fu" and "Ten Sao" are indeed excellent works of Fu style literature in the Tang Dynasty. Whether they focus on expressing feelings or chanting objects, they are both sincere and full of content.
"Punishment Fu", "Minsheng Fu", "Menggui Fu", "Prisoner Mountain Fu", etc. all use the "Li Sao" and "Nine Chapters" styles. Some express their feelings directly, some use ancient references to hurt themselves, some allegorize and express sarcasm, meditative and bitter words, which deeply capture the essence of Qu Sao. The two giant chapters "Tian Dui" and "Jin Wen" are of another type. Their form is modeled on "Tian Wen" and "Qifa", and their language is unique and profound. In addition, there are also many steles, inscriptions, notes, prefaces, poems and other works related to Buddhism in Liuji, which involve Zen, Tiantai, Vinaya and other doctrines.
Landscape Travel Notes
Liu Zongyuan’s travel notes are the most popular. They were all written after he was demoted, and his work in Yongzhou is more popular. The exemplary works are "Eight Records of Yongzhou": "The Journey of Xishan Banquet", "The Story of Cobalt Lake", "The Story of West Hill of Cobalt Lake", "The Story of Xiaoshitan", "The Story of Yuan Family's Ke", "The Story of Shiqu", "The Story of Shijian" and "The Story of Xiaoshicheng Mountain". These works not only use beautiful scenery to express one's own experiences and resentments; they also describe the author's quiet state of mind, showing that he turned to pursue spiritual sustenance in extreme depression. As for directly depicting landscapes, they may be steep and majestic, or may be clear, profound and beautiful, using exquisite language to reproduce the natural beauty. "Eight Records of Yongzhou" was written after the fourth year of Yuanhe. At that time, Liu Zongyuan was demoted to Yongzhou, now Yongzhou, Hunan, due to the failure of political reform. The article was written about some of the landscapes near Yongzhou at that time. The article was short, light, simple and smooth, and was praised by generations. Among them, "The Story of Xiaoshitan" is the most famous. The author describes to people a quiet and peaceful scenery of Xiaoshitan through his pen. The article is fascinating and endlessly interesting. At the beginning, the small stone pool is shown using the writing method of not seeing its shape but hearing its sound first. If you write about a pond with a fish, you can imagine how clear the water is; if you describe a person with a fish, you will be able to express the admiration and joy of the fish. The author's shape, vividness, shadows, colors, economy of pen and ink, and superb technique. At the end, the poem depicts a feeling of desolation and melancholy in a quiet and profound environment, with the scenes blending together. ▲


Educational Achievements
Liu Zongyuan believes that the growth of all things in the world has its own development law, "Follow the nature of the wood and the sky." We must comply with the laws of nature, otherwise it will not only be in vain, but also cause damage.
Liu Zongyuan believes that the principle of educating people is the same as planting trees. Educating people must also comply with the laws of human development, and cannot interfere and instill arbitrarily based on subjective wishes and emotions.
Liu Zongyuan appreciated Han Yu's "Teacher's Theory" and admired Han Yu's spirit of being a teacher regardless of popular customs. He was saddened by the culture of "being ashamed of physiognomists" among the upper class scholar-bureaucrats in society at that time. He said: "If there is no teacher in the world, the Tao will be further separated." But he also has his own opinions and implementation methods on the Taoism of teachers. He wrote articles such as "Admonitions to Teachers and Friends", "Reply to Wei Zhongli on Teachers' Taoism", "Reply to Yan Houyu on Scholars' Theory of Teachers' Taoism" and other articles, expounding his views on teachers' Taoism. Its core concept is "to learn from each other as a teacher".
Liu Zongyuan fully affirms the role of teachers. He believes that without a teacher, it is impossible to understand the way. If you want to "understand the way", you must follow a teacher.
However, regarding Han Yu's practice of "defying his appearance and becoming a teacher" regardless of the world's ridicule, he said that he did not have the courage to do so, but he did not give up being a teacher completely, but went to the name of a teacher and acted as a teacher.
What Liu Zongyuan declined was the opportunity to form a formal teacher-student relationship, and he did not dare to accept the gift of apprenticeship. However, for those who came to him for advice, he gave answers to the best of his knowledge and sincerely guided later scholars. He was indeed a teacher. He put forward the idea of ​​"teaching each other as teachers", that is, teachers and students should communicate, discuss, and help each other just like friends. They should be equal in academic discussions, rather than a simple relationship between teaching and being taught. Liu Zongyuan's theory of "teachers and friends" is a very influential theory in the traditional Taoist view of teachers, and it has more reference significance especially in high-level teaching activities.
Liu Zongyuan was born in an official family. He had few talents and great ambitions. In his early years, he was admitted to Jinshi, and his writing skills were based on eloquent words. In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), he became a Jinshi. In the fourteenth year, he was admitted to Bo Xue Hong Ci and was awarded the Zhengzi of Jixian Dian. He was once a captain of Lantian, and later became an official in the court. He actively participated in the political reform of Wang Shuwen Group and became a member of the Ministry of Rites, Wai Lang. In September of the first year of Yongzhen (805), the reform failed and he was demoted to the governor of Shaozhou. In November, Liu Zongyuan was demoted to Sima of Yongzhou (his current location is Lingling District, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province). During this period, he wrote the famous "Eight Records of Yongzhou" ("The Journey of Shide Xishan Banquet", "The Story of Cobalt Lake", "The Story of West Hill of Cobalt Lake", "The Story of Xiaoshitan", "The Story of Yuan Jia Ke", "The Story of Shiqu", "The Story of Shijian" and "The Story of Xiaoshicheng Mountain"). In the spring of the tenth year of Yuanhe (815), he returned to the capital and was soon demoted to Liuzhou governor again, with outstanding political achievements. Liu Zongyuanhe died on the eighth day of November in the fourteenth year of his reign (November 28, 819) in his post in Liuzhou. He had many contacts, and Liu Yuxi, Bai Juyi, etc. were all his good friends.
Liu Zongyuan wrote 600 poems and essays throughout his life. There are nearly a hundred parallel prose pieces. The prose is highly argumentative, sharp and satirical. The travel notes describe the scenery, and many people rely on it. His philosophical works include "Tian Shuo", "Tian Dui", "Feudal Theory", etc. Liu Zongyuan's works were preserved and compiled into collections by Liu Yuxi in the Tang Dynasty. There are "Liu Hedong Collection" and "Liu Zongyuan Collection" (Zhonghua Book Company 1979 edition). ▲


Family background
Family background
In the Northern Dynasties, the Liu family was a famous noble family, and Liu, Xue, and Pei were collectively known as the "Three Surnames of Hedong". Liu Zongyuan once said proudly: "The Liu clan is higher in the north. It is full of the Shi family, and the princes of the world are important." Liu Zongyuan's eighth to sixth generation ancestors were all high officials in the imperial court, and the fifth generation ancestor served as the governor of the four states. After entering the Tang Dynasty, the Liu family had a close relationship with the Li royal family. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong alone, as many as 23 members of the Liu family lived in the Ministry of Officials and Secretaries. But during the Yonghui period, the Liu family was repeatedly attacked and persecuted by Wu Zetian. By the time Liu Zongyuan was born, his family had declined, and Liu Zongyuan's great-grandfather and grandfather were only minor officials such as county magistrates. His father, Liu Zhen, served as Dr. Taichang at the end of Xuanzong's Tianbao period. After the Anshi Rebellion, he continued to be an official, but his official position was always very low. Liu Zongyuan's mother, the Lu family, was from the famous gentry family Fan Yanglu, but her family fortune had long since declined. She gave birth to two daughters and one son, Liu Zongyuan was the youngest. The two daughters were married to the Cui family of Shandong and the Pei family of Hedong, both of whom were declining old gentry families.
Liu Zongyuan said with emotion that of his generation, Liu had "never been a court official since the fifth or sixth century." The Anshi Rebellion caused another huge impact on the Liu family. During the war, Liu Zhen sent his mother to Wangwu Mountain to take refuge, and he and his family joined the fleeing crowd and fled to Wu Di. In the south, life was once difficult, and sometimes there was no money to be made. Liu Zongyuan's mother often starved herself in order to support her children.
Liu Zongyuan’s family background has always kept him yearning for the “virtue” and “achievements” of his ancestors. He often talked about the status and glory of his ancestors in a proud tone, showing his strong desire to revive "my clan" and his persistent pursuit of fame.
Family
Liu Zhongyong, whose birth and death dates are unknown, has a weak name and is named after his family name. He was from Hedong (now west of Yongji, Shanxi). Poet of Tang Dynasty. He was of the same clan as Liu Zongyuan, a famous scholar in the mid-Tang Dynasty, and a poet friend of Li Duan, one of the ten talented people in the Dali Dynasty. The famous scholar Xiao Yingshi loved his talent and married his daughter to him. He was once appointed as Hu Cao of Hongzhou, but he did not accept it.
Liu Zongxuan is the cousin of Liu Zongyuan, a great writer in the Tang Dynasty. He was once mentioned in "The Story of Xiaoshitan" as "who traveled with him, Wu Wuling, Gong Gu, Yu Di Zongxuan, and those who followed him: Cui's Erxiaosheng, named Shuji, said Fengyi." Other details about him are unknown.
Wife and Children
Liu Zongyuan first married Yang's wife of the Hong family. Zongyuan died at the age of 27 in the 15th year of Tang Zhenyuan (799). When he was in Yongzhou, he wrote "Xiashang Tomb", which shows that he had a daughter and a mother who died young. After Zongyuan died in Liuzhou, his friend Liu Yuxi said in "A Foreign Language to Commemorate Liu Yuan": "I swear to make Saturday the same as my own son." Han Yu's "Liu Zihou's Epitaph" said: "Zihou had two sons and a son. His eldest son was Saturday, and he was four years old. His fourth son was called Zhou Qi, and he was born after his death." Liu Zongyuan had two sons. But where will they go after Saturday and Sunday? What did you do? No memory.
Liu Zongyuan left two sons and two daughters, the eldest son Saturday, the second son Zhou Qi, and the two daughters are unknown.
"Zihou has two sons, a boy, whose eldest day is Saturday, when he is four years old; the seventh day of the lunar month, when Zihou dies, he is born; there are two girls, both young."
——Han Yu's "Epitaph of Liu Zihou"▲


Life story
Start
Liu Zongyuan was born in a family of officials for generations. His great-grandfather was an official in Zhongshu Ling and died because he offended Wu Zetian. His father, Liu Zhen, encountered the Anlu Mountain Rebellion during Emperor Gaozong's reign, and took refuge in Wangwu Mountain with his family. Later, he wrote a letter and was appointed an official. He served under Guo Ziyi and was promoted several times. Liu Zongyuan was a prodigy genius, and history books described him as "unparalleledly sensitive" when he was a child, and "for his writing, he was brilliant and exquisite." When he was twenty years old, he and Liu Yuxi became Jinshi in the same subject and were awarded the title of School Scholar. At the age of thirty, he met Wang Shuwen with Liu Yuxi, Lu Wen and others. Wang Shuwen and others saw that he was a genius, so they promoted him to a member of the Ministry of Rites, and prepared to use him in a big way. Soon the "Wang Shuwen Group" and "Yongzhen Reform" failed, and Liu Zongyuan was demoted to the governor of Shaozhou because of his relationship with Wang Shuwen. On the way to take office, he was demoted to Yongzhou Sima again. At the same time, Liu Yuxi and six others were also punished similarly. This was the "Two Kings and Eight Sima Incident" in history. He stayed in Yongzhou for ten years. It was a "barren" place, so he "left the mountains and rivers by himself" and stayed with the mountains and rivers. In the tenth year of Yuanhe (815 AD), he returned to Beijing and became the governor of Liuzhou until his death in Liuzhou in 819 AD.
A genius like him fell headlong from a very promising and promising situation, and has never been reused or promoted since. His talents are useless, and the psychological blow is not something that ordinary people can bear. He also thought about suicide more than once, but due to various reasons, he could not die without any scruples. However, he himself seemed to have a premonition that he would die in a "barbarian" land and would not be able to die in his hometown.
He expressed his "innocent" character in "Base Ode", hoping to be understood by others: "Innocence can be used as a lesson, and in the end, you will not be selfish. The benefits are huge, who can get rid of them. If you are completely broken, there is no need to complain. When you succeed, you will return to the soil." He said in "Niu Niu" In "Fu", he comforted himself by saying, "People's destiny can be good or bad, but it is not arranged according to your ability. Never complain and be dissatisfied, so that you can enjoy the blessings you deserve." He even wrote "Punishment Fu" to express his repentance and self-punishment. But all this did not improve his situation in the slightest. What really enabled him to withstand great hardships without falling was his knowledge and understanding of "Tao", because this understanding improved his horizons and broadened his mind. In his "Vase Ode" and "Punishment Ode", he has shown a profound understanding of "Tao": "Return to the beginning, without worries and thoughts." "The Tao has images, but no shape. Pushing changes and multiplying times." , Meet your ambitions. If you fail, you will be in trouble. If you fail, you will be in the middle. All kinds of things will come together, and you will be calm and flexible. "
Turn in and out.A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. An extremely smart prodigy was relegated to a remote and barren land, and he felt unspeakable pain in his heart. However, any kind of pain may sharpen one's will and deepen one's thinking. As later generations pointed out, "It was during his relegation that he began to collect articles. Because of his exaggeration and exaggeration, he received help from worries and difficulties, and his words were obedient, and he created the truth." It was the great suffering brought about by more than ten years of relegated life. He struggled with his will, strained his muscles and bones, and achieved what he could not do, which made him immortal as one of the great writers throughout the ages. Ouyang Xiu, a great writer in the Song Dynasty, not only pointed out that his literary talent benefited from the hardships in life, but also further revealed that his writing style clearly bears the traces of his life experience: "It suffers from worries and worries, and it makes the reputation sad. Throw it into the open space and let the genius run freely. The mountains are poor. "Wang Anshi, a great writer and politician in the Song Dynasty, made an overall evaluation of the "Eight Sima" and believed that they were all "geniuses" who could "strengthen themselves" in the dilemma of "having nothing to do in the world".
Due to his rapid progress in articles and his intensive study of the classics of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, Liu Zongyuan wrote articles such as inscriptions and pagoda records for many eminent monks throughout his life. His profound understanding of Buddhism and superhuman insights were also widely disseminated through these inscriptions and pagoda records. He wrote in the inscription of Hui Neng, the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism: "His way takes inaction as existence, emptiness as reality, and vastness and immutability as return. He teaches people to start with good nature and end with good nature. He does not pretend to work and hoe, and is originally quiet. ("Book of Rites": People "Born to be still, this is the nature of nature.") "It is really concise and concise, and it can summarize the Buddhist scriptures in just a few sentences. In "The Monk Monk Nanyue Amitabha's Monument", he vividly described his subtle understanding of Tao in his unique poetic style: "One qi returns to the infinite, with no beginning, no end, no beginning, no beginning, no end. It separates and merges to cover and connect, and the beginning and end may be different and the present is the same. Nothingness and darkness are merged, and the Holy Spirit teaches the skills without trace. ... The form travels without boundaries to make friends with the great heroes, and the Master Jishou follows the wind."; He is in The inscription of "Monk without a surname" says, "Living things flow and tend toward chaos, but only the right path of bliss can lead to its return." From the overall pattern, we have realized that the corruption of life in the universe can only be saved through Buddhism. On the "Yin" of the stele, it is said, "Everything I seek is not external, so I cannot move." He understood the profound legal principles of "seeking within" and "the heart is not moved by external things"; he also compared Confucian "ritual" and Buddhist "law", pointed out their parallel effects, and believed that the distinction between Mahayana and Mahayana is meaningless, and that "concentration", "wisdom" and "returning to the true source" are the ultimate goals. This superhuman insight is really surprising, because many high-level monks and even generations of descendants in Buddhism have been involved in the dispute between Mahayana and Hinayana, and Buddhism was not able to escape the fate of splitting into Mahayana and Hinayana in the end! In addition to Buddhist classics, he also has profound knowledge of Taoist theory. "Yin Fu Jing" is an important Taoist classic. After studying it, he wrote an article pointing out that the scripture was a pretext by later generations and was not a book by the Yellow Emperor. Huang Tingjian, a great writer in the Song Dynasty who was proficient in Taoist theory, once spoke of this matter with admiration.
His profound understanding of Buddhism in turn gave him a unique insight, and he was able to have a particularly clear understanding of Buddhism and the misunderstandings and practices of Buddhism within Confucianism, and could clearly analyze them. He has a clear description of the internal fighting between the northern and southern schools of Zen, as well as the erroneous practices of the "crazy Zen" school: "Therefore, Zen is the worst disease when it comes to preaching. If it is rigid, it will be muddy, and if it is abstract, it will be separated from the truth. If the truth is separated and abstract, it will win. So today, those who are empty, ignorant, confused, and indulge in self-arrogance all falsely accuse Zen to disrupt their teachings. ... There is fighting with each other. , the north and the south are at odds with each other. "The people who talk about Zen today are making mistakes, using empty words, and confusing the truth, so as to trap themselves and others." He pointed out in the "Stele Yin" of "The Monument of Monk Lu of Nanyue Daming Temple" that many eminent monks had visions when they passed away. For example, there is a sudden light at night, and there is fairy music, "the sound of Sheng and Qing", which can be seen and heard by many people around. There are many such facts, but "Confucian scholars" turn a blind eye, listen but don't hear them, and keep silent about them.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, an "elder" who was "well-versed in both Confucianism and Buddhism and pure in Taoism" prepared the stele and asked Su Dongpo to write the inscription Liu Zongyuan made for the Sixth Patriarch Huineng (a new stele was to be erected after the old stele was broken). According to his claim, "Since the Tang Dynasty, many people have praised the ancestors. None of them are as clear and concise as Zihou." Su Dongpo also said, "Liu Zihou moved south and began to study Buddhism. The steles he made at Caoxi Nanyue are wonderful in ancient and modern times." It is not wrong to say that Liu Zongyuan's inscriptions are "wonderful in ancient and modern times", but it is wrong to say that he "began to study Buddhism" after "moving south". According to Liu Zongyuan's autobiography, "I have been fond of Buddhism since I was a child and have been pursuing its way for thirty years. Few people in the world can understand his teachings. In Lingling (i.e. Yongzhou), I got it uniquely." It turns out that he was a "child scholar" about Buddhism, and he had "thirty years" of study and exploration. Unfortunately, he never met anyone who was proficient in Buddhism and convinced him. It was not until he was demoted to Yongzhou that he made major breakthroughs and gains. After arriving in Yongzhou, in addition to his life experiences that forced him to further ponder on the unsolved issues he had encountered during his decades of studying Buddhism, his interactions with the eminent Buddhist monk Sunda played a great role in promoting his true entry into Buddhist practice.
Passed
When he first arrived in Yongzhou, he didn't even have a house, so he had to temporarily live in the Longxing Temple in Yongzhou, where he got to know the eminent monk Sunda. Later, he praised Master Sunda many times in poems and articles, which shows that Master Sunda’s intensive study and cultivation of Buddhism convinced him. In the poem "Five Odes of Sundanese Gongyuan·Pure Land Hall", he directly calls Sundanese Master "teacher", which shows that he practiced Buddhism under the guidance of Sundanese Master. Thinking about it on the other hand, how can he be convinced by a "wizard" and a master of articles like him, how can he be an ordinary person? He may later help the temple build a "Pure Land Courtyard" and other buildings, and he lived there to practice Zen with the Sunda people. He once described in detail the situation of "reading Zen sutras" in the morning in a poem: "I went to the well to rinse my cold teeth, and to clear my mind, I dusted myself with clothes. Holding the Bayeux book leisurely, I stepped out of the East Studio to read. The true source was unavailable, and the traces were chased away by the world. I hope that my last words will be repaired. Why does nature come from being mature? The Taoist courtyard is quiet, with deep moss and dew, and the green pine trees are as calm as a paste. "Most people who practice Zen sit quietly and meditate, and those who practice Pure Land like to chant the Buddha's name loudly. And here he took the "Zen Sutra" outside early in the morning to read, and he was able to have a "simple and indescribable" "enlightenment" mentality from the surrounding scenery, which is really interesting.
He seems to have left no special poems that talk about his level of cultivation and feelings, but from his "Five Odes of Xun Gongyuan", we can still get a glimpse of some manifestations of the level of cultivation: "The formation of practice has never begun, and one has fallen into the source of poverty and suffering. The manifold has been in this life, and the three emptiness doors have begun to be realized. The Huatang opens the pure realm, and the images are radiant and complex. It is cold and cold. Burning incense, singing subtle words of Dharma. "("Pure Land Hall") Based on the context and the phenomena discussed in other poems, the "Hua Tang opens the pure field, the images are bright and complex" should be the expression of the first opening of the third eye, but the image can be seen, but the object of viewing cannot be freely chosen; "Nirvana is not broken, and the words can be separated." What is the purpose of setting up a hall? It is here that the masters speak in silence. The distinction is empty and false. Who knows the name and appearance? "("Qu Lecture Hall") Here, "I wish to speak without being heard, and forget to think" means that the mind is calm and the ears are not disturbed, and it has reached the high state of "forgetting words" but "thinking" can barely be felt. The flowers in the mountains fall into the secluded house, and there are guests who have forgotten the meaning. There is no need to take it, and it is all in the sky, and it is silent in the noise. The heart mirror is the same, and there are no traces in the flight. "(Zendang)" Here, "the empty room is white", and "forgetting the meaning" above refers to "forgetting words". "The mirror of the heart is the same as before, and there is no trace left behind when the bird flies away" is an image description of being spotless on the outside, calm in mind and capable of deep concentration. The realm described here can only be experienced at a very high level in previous cultivation methods.
The level of cultivation is mainly reflected in the improvement of xinxing. Extraordinary experiences, the so-called "religious experiences", are only one of the symptoms of xinxing standards. The improvement of a person's character will inevitably be reflected in his words and deeds: keeping truth, doing good, abstaining from "greed, anger, ignorance" and enduring hardship are all standards of words and deeds. Liu Zongyuan himself said, "The way of Buddhism is vast and multifaceted. Anyone who has aspirations outside things and is ashamed to be controlled by the world should think deeply about it." Buddhism is broad and profound and inclusive of all things. Anyone who is determined to break away from the fetters of material desires and is unwilling to be shackles of the world will identify with Buddhist principles and take refuge in Buddhism. This is also the reason why he practiced Buddhism himself.