En route to the next major theory of literary creation, by the Tang poet-critic Wang Changling 王昌齡 (ca. 698–ca. 756), this chapter makes a detour to examine Zhou Yong's 周顒 (?–493) and Zong Bing's 宗炳 (375–443) Buddhist reconceptualizations of visual objects and visualization, with a view to illuminate the intellectual foundation for the transition from Lu Ji's 陸機 (261–303) and Liu Xie's 劉勰 (ca. 465–532?) indigenous theories (chap. 2) to Wang Changling's Buddhist-inspired theory of literary creation (chap. 4). I begin with a review of the previously unnoticed philosophical proposition “A Piercing Glance Elevates the Mind” by Zhou Yong in his debate with Zhang Rong 張融 (444–497) over the similarities and differences between Daoism and Buddhism. The appearance of this proposition shows that as early as the Liu-Song dynasty (420–479), writers already went beyond the limitations of the native Chinese conception of “image” (xiang 象) and consciously applied Buddhist...
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
