Zen True History (A Famous Classical Novel of China)

Author: (Ming) Qingxi Tao Ren edited and compiled
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1995-06-01
Features: "Zen True History," full title "New Engraved Critical Edition with Pictures of the Popular Heroic and Zen True History," eight volumes and forty chapters. Compiled by Fang Ruhao at the end of the Ming Dynasty. According to the "Preface" written by Xia Lixian, the publisher of the book, it was known that as early as the Yuan Dynasty, there existed an old imperial edition with the title "Meaning Obscure, Words Archaic, Not to the Ear." The current edition was based on the original work, "cutting out the superfluous and highlighting the new," and refined to "exquisite descriptions and vivid portrayals," expanded into a scale of forty chapters. Therefore, it is an adapted and supplemented version under the trend of revising old novels in the Ming Dynasty. The author of the old edition cannot be traced in detail, and the reviser Fang Ruhao is also little-known. Currently, it is only known that he is known as Qingxi Tao Ren, also called Qingxin Tao Ren, and wrote another work titled "Scattering Demons and Teaching Ethics, Eastward Journeying." His hometown is uncertain. Mr. Sun Jiaodi, based on the inscription "Water Fang Ruhao, Qingxi Tao Ren" on the Ming edition preserved in the Gion Koyasan Jigen-do in Japan, believed him to be from Luoyang. Dai Bufan suspected that "Water" was a mistake for "Water," and that among his associates were "Gujia" Shuangge Master and that among the reviewers was "West Lake Fisherman," suggesting he was from Zhejiang. Tan Zhengbi also believed Luoyang to be his original hometown and Hangzhou his residence, making it another theory. The plot of this novel is highly intricate. It describes the story of Lin Shimao, a loyal and upright general of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, who, due to a conflict with Gao Huan's son Gao Cheng, shaved his head to become a monk, changed his name to Danran, and fled to the Liang Dynasty. Along the way, he eliminated evils for the people, renowned for his martial prowess and virtue, and was recommended as the deputy abbot of the Miao Xiang Temple in Jiankang. The incumbent abbot, Zhong Shoujing, was greedy, lustful, and unfaithful to the rules. Danran, in his efforts to persuade him, only incurred his resentment and envy. Using slander, he convinced the Emperor to persecute Danran. Upon learning of this, Danran fled secretly at night, enduring hardships and escaping death to return to the Eastern Wei. In Zhangzhuang Village, Danran, after defeating a demon, received three volumes of celestial scriptures from a hermit, and settled there to study, practice, teach, and aid the world. This forms the main plot of the first twenty chapters, centered around Lin Danran. In the latter twenty chapters, both characters and plots change. Lin Danran has retired to the background, while his three disciples, Du Fugui, Xue Ju, and Zhang Shanxiang, take center stage. The plot shifts to narrate their family backgrounds, growth, and the process of their brotherhood, vividly depicting the chaotic era of the Northern Qi Dynasty, where they unite heroes, raise flags for justice, rob the rich to help the poor, and achieve a grand and glorious career. Soon after, they are surrendered by Duan Shao and enfeoffed as kings, governing Western Sichuan. By the end of the Sui Dynasty, they again surrender to Li Shimin. In the early Tang Dynasty, Danran attained enlightenment and passed away. Du, Xue, and Zhang, after being enlightened by immortals, woke up from a great dream and abandoned their positions to study Taoism, wandering far and wide. Emperor Gaozu of Tang granted them titles such as "Venerable Great Zen Master," "Universal Enlightenment True Master," "Universal Benevolence True Master," and "Universal Compassion True Master," collectively known as "One Buddha, Three True Masters," all achieving enlightenment. The story twists and turns, ultimately revealing its meaning. The overall structure of the book is a Buddhist story, first describing Danran's virtue to emphasize spiritual cultivation in Buddhism, then focusing on the story of Du Fugui and others to showcase Danran's achievements and high moral character. "Different traces, same path," so in the end, it guides toward enlightenment in Buddhism. This promotion of Buddhism aligns with the widespread dissemination and development of Buddhism in the Southern Liang and Northern Wei dynasties during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The Northern and Southern Dynasties period was also a time of intense debates among Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. After fierce arguments, the result was mutual learning and integration in certain aspects. Thus, the main characters in the novel are either Buddhist sages or disciples, all receiving guidance from immortals,ing immortals' talismans, and learning Taoist practices such as observing the stars, replenishing yang and nourishing yin, and commanding spirits. They are indeed a group of Taoists. Moreover, deep within these Buddhist and Taoist sages lies the ideology of Confucian ethics and morality, the ambition to eliminate villains, subdue demons, assist virtuous rulers, and leave a name in history. When frustrated, they also express their sentiments through high mountain and flowing water poetry and, embodying the pursuits of Confucian scholars. It is evident that Buddhism turns into Taoism, Taoism into Confucianism, and the three teachings merge and complement each other, forming the main ideological feature of this novel. This reflects the true evolution of China's ancient Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist thought systems. In ancient Chinese novels, no work is so distinctly marked by the close interweaving of religious thought, earning it a place in the history of thought and culture as well as the history of fiction. The positive ideological significance of this novel lies in its portrayal of the social reality of the Liang and Wei dynasties, showing the consequences of mediocre rulers and flatterers worshipping Buddha and practicing Zen, leading to the rise of villains, the expulsion of heroes, the decline of governance, and widespread chaos. With the Hou Jing Rebellion as its conclusion, the work depicts the fall of the nation and the suffering of the people, offering a biting satire of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty's pursuit of a paradise that ultimately led to his imprisonment and starvation in the palace. It also summarizes, to some extent, the historical lesson that "while still discussing scriptures in all directions, the nation has fallen and the family perished, and Buddha is powerless." The novel portrays Zhong Shoujing as a negative archetype, exposing the greed, lust, and moral corruption of upper Buddhist monks, revealing their hypocritical facade of chanting "Amitabha" while harboring sinister intentions, allowing people to see the dark side of the Buddhist sect that Emperor Wu declared the state religion. Through the depiction of social conflicts in the Southern Liang, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi dynasties, the novel shows that everywhere south of the Yangtze and north of the Yellow River, there were oppressive governments and local tyrants exploiting the people. From the top to the bottom, officials like Niu Jin, Zhou Qian, Sang Pijin, Wu Hui, Jiang Prefect, Tang Sizhong, and Zhen Yong committed crimes and harmed the innocent, prompting heroes like Xue Zhiyi, Miao Yilin, and Du Fugui to rise in rebellion. The author praises their chivalrous spirit in the green forests and confirms the reasonableness and justice of their rebellion to rescue the destitute and help the poor, thus inheriting the democratic spirit of classical fiction. History here is merely a mirror of reality. The author's intention was not to dwell on the past but to point to the present. It is easy to see that the content of the novel is quite Ming-era. For example, Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty interrogated criminals using the Ming Dynasty's special intelligence agency, the Embroidered Uniform Guard; the extreme punishment was consistent with Ming Dynasty torture, such as flaying and tying grass; and the lyrical songs were mostly folk songs and popular tunes unique to the Ming Dynasty. This historical inaccuracy also reflects the close connection between "Zen True History" and the realities of Ming Dynasty life. Therefore, the contradictions exposed in the work are a reflection of the real contradictions in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty: rulers' obsession with Buddhism and Taoism, favoritism toward villains, and corrupt governance, leading to invasions by foreign tribes and rising crises. The "Preface" states that "the purpose is to warn the world," and Xu Liangfu's preface says that "among them, there are subtle meanings in advocating for change." From this realism, we can see the various aspects of Ming Dynasty political, religious, folk, and artistic life. Among them, "sagacious rulers and virtuous ministers, mediocre rulers and flattering consorts, loyal men and chaste women, vicious thugs and lecherous courtesans, incorruptible officials and upright scholars, greedy and base villains, world-renowned heroes and insignificant clowns, true military strategists and cunning plots, Buddhist and Taoist styles, secret meetings and pacts, as well as the shifting of world fortunes, the ups and downs of human emotions, the omens of astronomy and geography, and the transformations of demons and spirits—all are present." This diverse and colorful tone helps us gain a more concrete and broad understanding of the actual life of Ming Dynasty society. It should be noted that "Zen True History" is also filled with many ideological dross. It contains Confucian loyalty to the ruler, the dogmas of Confucian ethics, and the fatalistic view of "following heaven's will." It also includes the deep-rooted nihilism and passivity of Buddhism and Taoism, as well as doctrines of reincarnation, karma, and magical practices rooted in religious superstition, permeating the novel with a religious mist. Moreover, from the Confucian perspective of heaven's will and ethical norms, the author promotes a compromising spirit of "retiring bravely in turbulent times and accepting heaven's will" in the main characters. From the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism to purify desires and abandon the mortal world, the author arranges a destiny of practicing the Tao, flying to the heavens, and ascending. Thus, the grand peasant uprising described in the work is led to a path of surrender and ultimately ends in failure. The author's glorification and promotion of surrenderism fully expose the class nature of his political thought. In summary, due to the novel's ideological merging of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, it inevitably brings with it the inherent negative thoughts of these teachings. "Zen True History" appeared at the end of the Ming Dynasty, when works such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," "Water Margin," "Journey to the West," and "Golden Lotus" had already been published. The artistic achievements of traditional historical novels, heroic legends, fantasy novels, and human relationship novels had all reached a high level. Faced with these artistic peaks, the author lacked both talent and courage, unable to forge a new path but instead sought to blend the different contents and artistic techniques of traditional novels, absorbing and integrating them. Therefore, from the historical background of the Northern and Southern Dynasties reflected in the work, from the historical, social events and a series of real historical figures that occurred over more than a hundred years, there is a strong historical atmosphere throughout, and the narrative style is close to storytelling. Its imitation of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" also leaves marks of historical fiction. At the same time, it was heavily influenced by "Water Margin," not only in the heroic characters who eliminate villains and help the oppressed, who resemble the heroes of Mount Liang, but also in the plot and language, which often give the impression of familiarity, showing the deliberate inheritance of "Water Margin." Additionally, it pays attention to the common people and minor characters, enhancing the color of social customs, much like the style of "Golden Lotus." The of secret arts and immortal magic tricks is a technique used in fantasy novels like "Investiture of the Gods" and "Journey to the West." It is clear that while the author has the merit of drawing from various sources, he lacks artistic originality. Such a composite novel becomes a product of the convergence of different streams of Chinese vernacular fiction. Although this is the case, the novel still has undeniable merits, such as grandeur, compelling plots, meticulous craftsmanship, a flowing narrative, distinct character personalities, and expressive language, all of which cannot be matched by second-rate novels. The characters written about in the work, such as Gao Huan and Gao Cheng of the Eastern Wei, Hou Jing, and Ding He; Xiao Zhengde, Xie Ju, Fu Qi, Zhu Yi, and Zhang Wan of the Liang; and He Shikai, Mu Tibo, Duan Shao, Han Changluan, and Zhang Diao of the Qi, are all real historical figures, and their actions and personalities are largely based on evidence and not invented. This helps create an atmosphere of historical authenticity, showcasing the characteristics of historical fiction. However, once the author enters the creation of the main characters, he changes his style. The Lin Danran and Zhong Shoujing portrayed in the first half of the book are fictional characters. There is no such eminent monk as Danran in the Buddhist biographies of the Six Dynasties, nor is there any record of Emperor Wu of the Liang visiting the Miao Xiang Temple. With lively writing, the author portrays them vividly, showing great skill. The three characters of Du, Xue, and Zhang in the second half are between the real and the fictional. To say they are real is because they did indeed raise armies, fight battles, become kings, and once shook the court. However, they were separate armed forces that rose in Jianghuai, Longyou, and Xuzhou at the end of the Sui Dynasty, never uniting, and were not a grand gathering like the "Three Oaths." Their statuses were vastly different. Du Fugui came from poverty, Zhang Shanxiang had been a low-level official, and Xue Ju was already a local tycoon from the beginning, lacking the foundation for cooperation. When they rebelled, the Northern Qi Dynasty had already fallen, and Duan Shao was dead. Their main oppressors were Emperor Yang of the Sui and Li Shimin. The novel's depiction of them being recruited by the Northern Qi ruler and Duan Shao is completely unrealistic. Moreover, during the Northern Qi era, the territory was small, with its western border not extending beyond Shanxi and Henan. Western Qin and Sichuan belonged to the Northern Zhou, so how could the Northern Qi ruler grant the three major kings' fiefdoms of Chu, Luzhou, and Xinzhou in Western Sichuan? Their endings were tragic. Du Fugui died suddenly in the seventh year of Wude, likely poisoned. After Zhang Shanxiang surrendered, he guarded Yizhou but was besieged by Wang Shichong. Zhang repeatedly sought aid, but Emperor Gaozu of Tang deliberately did not send troops, leading to the city's fall and Zhang's execution. Xue Ju died in the army in the first year of Wude, which can be considered a good end, but after surrendering to Li Shimin, he was beheaded in Chang'an, and his entire family was not spared. Their fates were nothing like the novel depicts them to be. These contradictions show the significant difference between the novel and history.