Selected Works of Xiong Zhaozheng: Green Mountains Are Naturally Red - Xiong Zhaozheng's Wuzhen and Reading History Notes

Author: Xiong Zhaozheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Following the masterpiece The Rise of Li Zicheng by his predecessor Yao Xueyin, the 6th Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2005 was awarded to Xiong Zhaozheng's new four-volume historical novel Zhang Juzheng. Xiong Zhaozheng's win was no coincidence. To write a long historical novel, he immersed himself in studying history for a full decade. Ten years of effort is extraordinary—it not only produced this monumental work Zhang Juzheng but also sifted through the sands to find gems, blending sparks of thought, insights from reading, anomalies of history, and soul-searching questions into Green Mountains Are Red, a collection of Zen-inspired historical essays. Reading history is not difficult, but the challenge lies in delving deep without losing oneself, immersing oneself without losing one's wisdom, and not being confined by historical facts or preconceptions to make new discoveries and insights. It is not just about filling gaps in history or offering dialectical perspectives but also holds guiding significance for social life. In this book, whether it is his fresh reevaluation of the "virtuous prime minister" Zhang Juzheng or his unique insights into emperors, powerful ministers, eunuchs, monks, and scholars, all leave readers with a sense of renewal. Reading history is not extraordinary, but what is extraordinary is not only reading history but also understanding Zen, and even merging history and Zen into a unified reading and comprehension. In fact, Zen itself is not, as many believe, a mere illusion or empty wind—it has always been rooted in human spiritual wisdom and born from history, especially from chaotic history and bewildered souls. The ordinary fail to understand this, so they often see Zen and history as two separate entities, leading to the mystification of Zen, to the extent that many modern people are either unwilling or unable to recognize and contemplate it. This is not Zen's fault but rather a failure in understanding. In this book, Xiong Zhaozheng's writings on Zen and Buddhism are brilliant because they plant the mystical Zen and Buddhism in the solid soil of history. In this way, history gains a spiritual depth, and we, as readers, can then approach history, society, and life with greater clarity and perspective. Xiong Zhaozheng is a poet by origin. Twenty-five years ago, his shocking political Lift Up Your Hands Like a Forest, Stop! won the first National New Poetry Award during the peak of the New Period literature; twenty-five years later, his stirring historical novel Zhang Juzheng topped the Mao Dun Literature Prize. Over these twenty-five years, the world has changed, and life has ebbed and flowed. Xiong Zhaozheng has immersed himself in Zen and historical study, "grinding a single sword for ten years," with all his insights captured in this volume. Green Mountains Are Red is undoubtedly a remarkable work by this extraordinary writer with an extraordinary will.