Research on Bashu Culture ()

Author: / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Earlier than Chang Qiong's "History of Ancient Shu," according to the "Preface to the Records of Huayang" it was recorded that there were originally eight families of "Records of Shu" between the Han and Jin dynasties, but only Yang Xiong's "Records of the Shu King" survived due to Qing Dynasty collations, though it was already fragmented. The remaining seven families have all been lost (only one passage from Qiao Zhou's "Records of Shu" is passed down in the "Biography of Qin Mi" in the "Sichuan Volume" of the "Records of the Three Kingdoms"), making it difficult to verify in detail. However, all eight families of "Records of Shu" were personally seen by Chang Qiong and "briefly mentioned their highlights." From the "Preface to the Records of Huayang," it can be seen that all eight "Records of Shu" were filled with descriptions of sorcery and immortalism, such as "the Three Emperors rode divine chariots out of the," "the Shu King reigned for three thousand years," "the death of the Jing people Bi Ling turned his body into the west, and later became the Shu Emperor, the blood of Zhou Changhong turned into jade beads, and the soul of Du Yu turned into the." Chang Qiong criticized them as "the ignorant and arbitrary spreaders of Shu legends in the secular world." However, these events were all important links and key points in the history and culture of ancient Shu, and the authors of the eight "Records of Shu" were all famous scholars in Ba-Shu during the Han and Jin dynasties. This means that in the Han and Wei-Jin period, the understanding of ancient Shu history and culture among scholars in Shu was essentially religious, that is, an accumulation of several categories of sorcery and immortalism, which is also an extension of the history of religion. In addition to the eight "Records of Shu" mentioned by Chang Qiong, there were still others who discussed ancient Shu history during the late Han and Three Kingdoms period. Notable figures include Lai Min of the late Han Dynasty and Qin Mi and Chen Shou of the Wei-Jin period. Lai Min was a guest of Liu Yan and wrote "On Shu," recording the origins of the Shu kings. His book was lost early, and the "Jiang River Notes" and "Mian River Notes" each quoted a passage, one describing the events of the Emperor Wang and Bi Ling, and the other describing the stone ox turning into gold, which were largely the same and came from the same source. Qin Mi's account has been mentioned above. Chen Shou's account is found in the "Jiang River Notes," which quotes his "Biographies of the Elders of Yi Prefecture," telling the story of an ordinary couple in Shu who were resurrected. These are the unrefined words that Chang Qiong refuted. However, during the Han Dynasty and the Wei-Jin period, the ancient Shu history with the lineage of immortalism was repeatedly revived and passed down among the literati and scholars of Ba-Shu, which shows that the ancient Shu cultural history system, whether in the pre-Qin or Han-Jin period, was united by the adhesive of religion. Although Chang Qiong fiercely criticized these "ignorant and arbitrary spreaders of Shu legends," as a native of Jiangyuan in Shu Commandery, he could not have been deeply influenced by the generations of immortalism in Shu. Therefore, even when compiling the "Huayang Records," despite using the "Book of Han" as a standard for selection and making multiple corrections, the traces of influence from immortalism were still clearly visible in the book. This situation shows that until the Wei-Jin period, Shu culture was still permeated with a strong atmosphere of sorcery and immortality, which deeply penetrated the hearts of the people of Shu, to the point where even Chang Qiong, who proclaimed orthodoxy and was known as "the History of Shu," could not escape the framework, revealing the deep degree of religiousization within Shu culture.
During the Han Dynasty, various legends about sorcery were widely circulated, among the most famous of which were Changhong and his traces. Changhong was a minister of Zhou during the late Spring and Autumn period, renowned for his knowledge of astronomy and sorcery. The "Tian Gong Book" in the "Records of the Grand Historian" calls him "a former transmitter of the art of numbers," and the " Chapter" of the "Huainanzi" says: "Changhong of Zhou was the one who held the art of numbers, and he was knowledgeable about the qi of heaven and earth, the movement of the sun and moon, the changes of wind and rain, and the numbers of the lute and calendar." According to the "Fengshan Book" of the "Records of the Grand Historian," Changhong possessed the technique of "shooting the head of the leopard," "using sorcery to serve Zhou Lingwang. The feudal lords did not come to Zhou, and Zhou's strength was weak, so Changhong then clarified the affairs of ghosts and gods, and shot the head of the leopard. The head of the leopard was the one who did not come to Zhou. He relied on strange phenomena to attract the feudal lords, but the feudal lords did not comply, and the people of Jin arrested and killed Changhong. The people of Zhou who spoke of strange sorcery considered Changhong to be the origin." The technique of "shooting the head of the leopard" originated from ancient "shooting the target," an ancient sorcery. The "Fengshan Book" refers to "Feng" and "Feng guai" as sorcery, showing that Changhong was a great sorcerer in ancient times. The great sorcerer Changhong had a close relationship with Shu. The "Outer Things Chapter" of the "Zhuangzi" says: "Changhong died in Shu, his blood was buried, and after three years, it turned into jade." The "Biyi Chapter" of the "Lüshi Chunqiu" says: "Changhong died, his blood was buried, and after three years, it turned into jade," although it did not mention Shu, the meaning is close to that in the "Zhuangzi." The "Preface to the Records of Huayang" says: "The ignorant and arbitrary spreaders of Shu legends said that the blood of Zhou Changhong turned into jade beads," showing that the "Records of the Shu King" originally had the legend of Changhong turning into jade in Shu. The "Search for Spirits" by Gan Bao of the Jin Dynasty also says: "During the time of Zhou Lingwang, Changhong was seen and killed, and the people of Shu buried his blood, which after three years turned into jade." These records show that Changhong died in Shu was a widely circulated legend for about seven hundred years from the Warring States to the Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties. The origin and spread of this legend must have had a profound historical and cultural background, that is, Shu has always been a source of sorcery and immortalism. Although some people identified Changhong's burial place as Luoyang, this is not important. Whether Changhong died in Shu or not, the Taoist classics, starting with the "Zhuangzi," as well as the "Search for Spirits," which records ancient supernatural events, and the various "Records of the Shu King" deeply influenced by the concept of immortalism, all uniformly identify Changhong as having died in Shu, which is not accidental. This phenomenon at least provides a very clear clue, one end reaching into antiquity and the other into the near past, connecting the continuous development of sorcery and immortal culture in Shu over millennia. This helps us understand that Shu was a major source of sorcery and immortalism, and is particularly helpful in understanding the historical and cultural origins and background of Ma-Shu becoming the birthplace of Taoism.
"The accumulated karma of countless eons is like refining gold, to be a king or emperor, revered by all spirits" these two lines mean that the previous life of the ruler had experienced countless eons, just like a Taoist refining gold, and this was the fruit of his own hardships in the present life. Now, as the Shu Emperor, he was deeply loved and revered by the people. These two lines obviously contain the vocabulary of both Buddhism and Taoism.
"The ability to bring clarity to a chaotic world, to see the heart of the ruler as the heart of Buddha" these two lines are Buddhist phrases.
"The nine regions of the people till the vast fields, the hundred barbarians bow their horses in rapid succession" the "hundred barbarians" in these two lines are mentioned in the "Great Elegy of Han Yi" of the "Book of Songs": "With the mandate of the ancestors, we receive the hundred barbarians of the time, and the king rewards Han Hou." These two lines are a couplet, rooted in Confucian thought.
"Today, to present longevity, what can be compared to the thousand-year-old Zhuangchun tree" these two lines come from the Taoist classics. Guanxiu also had a group of poems for presenting longevity, totaling seven, with the names of the poems in order being: "A Thousand Years of Bringing Auspiciousness," "Cultivating Both Martial and Literary Arts," "Following Advice Like Flowing Water," "Seeking and Promoting the Hidden Talents," "Guarding in the Four Borders," "Greatly Promoting the Three Teachings," and "Mountain Cry of Ten Thousand Years." Here, two poems are briefly analyzed. The "Seven Poems for Celebrating the Birthday of the Emperor" (Recorded Two) says: "Cultivating Both Martial and Literary Arts, Wu Xi and the Literary Star are always held in the palm. The machinery of Sun Wu does not move, and Zhou Shao's affairs are widely practiced. Oh, the smoke of the furnace is fine, and the moonlight through the gaps is bright. Also hear the music of Ku entering, playing out the peace of the Great Steps." The "Greatly Promoting the Three Teachings" says: "The bright sun hangs the Buddha's day, and the sky moves with the music of Yunxiao. Scholars in robes gather, and immortals from Linzhou come to pay homage. Without smoke rising from jade steps, and willows on the imperial boulevard out gold strips. Do you know, the old man who strikes the ground, our emperor is Yao." First, look at the poem "Cultivating Both Martial and Literary Arts." The lines "The machinery of Sun Wu does not move, and Zhou Shao's affairs are widely practiced" mean that the poem discusses the art of warfare. The lines "Oh, the smoke of the furnace is fine, and the moonlight through the gaps is bright" describe how the ruler of Shu, in order to make the people of Shu live and work in peace, worked day and night without rest. The lines "Also hear the music of Ku entering, playing out the peace of the Great Steps" mean that Ku was a minister of Shun. The "Shun Classic" in the "Book of Documents" says: "The emperor said: 'Ku, I entrust you with the music. Teach the young people. You are upright and warm, broad and stern, firm but not cruel, simple but not arrogant. Poetry expresses the mind, songs express the words, the sound follows the length, the pitch harmonizes the sound, the eight sounds are harmonious, without one overriding the other, and the gods and people are harmonious.' Ku said: 'For me, striking stones and beating stones, the hundred beasts dance in unison.'" In the "Yi Ji," it is said: "Ku said: 'Striking the ball and beating the drum, playing the qin and se to sing. The ancestors and guests arrived, the guests sat in their places, the feudal lords showed virtue and yielded, the lower drums and drums stopped, the pipes and bells intermingled, the birds and beasts danced, the Xiao Shao was nine times complete, and the phoenix came in to pay homage.' This means that Ku was in charge of music, teaching the noble youth poetry and music, striking stone chimes, and leading the hundred beasts in dance. This poem is generally about how the ruler of Shu, through his diligent governance and love for the people, brought about a scene of peace and prosperity in Shu. Now, let's look at the poem "Greatly Promoting the Three Teachings." The lines "The bright sun hangs the Buddha's day, and the sky moves with the music of Yunxiao" mean that "the bright sun" refers to the sun gradually brightening as it rises, and it is said that under the Buddha's day, the music of Yunxiao from the time of Shun was heard. The lines "Scholars in robes gather, and immortals from Linzhou come to pay homage" mean that scholars in robes and immortals from Linzhou gathered at the court at this time to celebrate the birthday of the Shu ruler. The "Record of the Ten States" says: "The phoenix and unicorn state are in the center of the western sea." Yu Xin has a poem that says: "The phoenix and unicorn state is as vast as the sea, and Xuanpu is as high as the sky." The lines "Do you know, the old man who strikes the ground, our emperor is Yao" mean that the term "striking the ground" is mentioned in Wang Chong's "Lunheng·Ganxu Chapter," which says: "During the time of Yao, the world was harmonious, and the people had nothing to do. There were fifty people who struck the ground on the road, and the onlookers said: 'Great is the virtue of Yao.' The person who struck the ground said: 'I work from sunrise to sunset and rest at sunset. I dig wells to drink and farm to eat. What effort did Yao exert?'" The poem "Greatly Promoting the Three Teachings" reflects Guanxiu's social ideal, hoping that the ruler of Shu could revitalize the Three Teachings, allowing them to compromise and develop together, ultimately achieving the political ideal of the Three Teachings working together for an ideal society.
On January 911, the ruler of Shu, Wang Jian, changed the era to Xiping, which was the first year of Yongping. On the second day of the second month of the second year of Yongping, Wang Jian led officials and attendants to Longhua East Zen Temple, where Guanxiu was the abbot. As recorded in the "Shu Tiao Wu," Volume 1: "(The second year of Yongping) The first day of the second month, he visited Longhua Zen Temple. He summoned the monk Guanxiu to sit, presented tea, medicine, and brocade, and ordered him to recite his recent poems. At that time, all the kings and nobles were given seats, but Guanxiu wanted to admonish. Therefore, he wrote the "Poem of the Young Prince" and said: 'In brocade clothes, fresh and bright, holding a hawk in his hand, strolling leisurely with a carefree demeanor. He does not know the hardships of farming, nor does he know the five emperors and three sages. If he knew, what would he think of the five emperors and three sages?'" Wang Jian praised it highly, but the nobles were resentful. Guanxiu was originally from Lanxi, good at poetry, and was famous alongside Qi Ji. He had the "Collection of Mount West" in ten volumes. Lu Zhen's "Biographies of the Twelve States" Volume 12, "Biography of Li Jingwei," states: "When the imperial army entered the city, Ji Chong regretted not following his advice." Jingwei should be commended for his loyalty and bravery, and his tragic death is deeply regrettable. However, if Jingwei's plan had been implemented, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Taking the example of the Song army destroying the Zhou regime as an example. According to the "Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government" Volume 4, the first year of Qiande in the Taizu reign: "After Zhang Wentaib was killed, the Song army still advanced deep into Tanzhou. The judicial judge Li Guanxiang advocated returning to the capital, but Zhou Baoquan, under the instigation of the commandant Zhang Congfu and others, conspired to resist. In the battle of Sanjiangkou, the Song army captured over seven hundred boats and killed over four thousand heads." Later, the Song army attacked the Aoxi, "the bandits abandoned the fortress and fled, capturing many. Chu Yun chose dozens of those captured who were fat and ordered his men to divide and eat them. The healthier ones had their faces tattooed." The army suffered heavy casualties, and the people suffered greatly. Later, Zhang Congfu was killed, and the Zhou regime ultimately could not hold on. The facts prove that Sun Guangxian's insight far surpassed that of Li Jingwei, Zhang Congfu, and others. When unification had become an irresistible historical trend, the policy of "Jingnan Gao's father and son serving the great to protect their country" [55] had become ineffective, and surrendering to the court was the only choice available. The "Biographies of the Ten States" Volume 101, "Biography of Ji Chong" argues well: "When the true man appears, the four seas are unified, and this is the inevitable trend of the times. When Tianshui rose, the heroes gradually faded, even without the strategy of attacking Guo and destroying Yu, could the Gao family still permanently hold this land? Sun Guangxian understood the times, and this was different from those who sold their country for wealth and fame." This statement is in line with the actual situation at the time. Sun Guangxian's advice to surrender was based on the Confucian principle of the ruler and the minister, and it was also the practice of his idea of the world coming together, which was fundamentally different from those who sought glory by selling out. Even the always self-proclaimed did not criticize this. It can be seen that Sun Guangxian's actions were recognized by the feudal orthodox historians. The early surrender of Jingnan followed the historical trend and accelerated the Song Dynasty's unification of China. We should highly evaluate Sun Guangxian's wise behavior in.
During the Sanhuang period, Sun Guangxian experienced six dynasties—Tang, Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou—in his lifetime and finally entered the rising power of the great Song Dynasty. According to the "Song History" Volume 483, "Biography of Sun Guangxian," Sun Guangxian persuaded Ji Chong to surrender to the Song Dynasty, "Taizu was very pleased upon hearing this and appointed Sun Guangxian as the governor of Huangzhou, with increased rewards." Huangzhou is now Huanggang City, Hubei Province, where Sun Guangxian spent the last stage of his life. The "Song History" Volume 483, "Biography of Sun Guangxian," records: "Sun Guangxian also had a good reputation in the prefecture." The "Biographies of the Ten States" Volume 102, "Biography of Sun Guangxian," also says: "He was also considered capable in governance." The "Comprehensive Atlas of the Great Qing Dynasty" Volume 264, "Huangzhou Prefecture," lists Sun Guangxian as a famous official. It can be seen that even in his declining years, Sun Guangxian was still vigorous and benefited the people of the land. However, the talented and capable Sun Guangxian, who had a good reputation in governing the prefecture, was not valued or promoted by the new regime. It can be said that the new regime quickly forgot this "hero." In the sixth year of Qiande (968), the talented Sun Guangxian passed away in Huangzhou at the age of about 73. Sun Guangxian's quiet departure left endless regrets for later generations. The "Zhizhai Shulu Jie" Volume 11, "Category of Fiction," says: "Someone recommended Sun Guangxian to Taizu to be a scholar, but he died before being summoned." The "Song History" Volume 483, "Biography of Sun Guangxian," also says: "At that time, a prime minister recommended Sun Guangxian as a scholar, but he died before being summoned." According to the "Song History" Volume 210, "Table of Prime Ministers," from the second month of the second year of Qiande (964) to the ninth month of the third year of Kaibao (973), Zhao Pu served as prime minister. In the twelfth month of Qiande five (965), Zhao Pu was in mourning for his mother and resumed office in the sixth month of Kaibao three (970). In the third year of Kaibao (970), Sun Guangxian had already passed away. It is clear that Zhao Pu's recommendation of Sun Guangxian as a scholar could not have been after his "resumption of office." In the eleventh month of the first year of Kaibao, Taizu changed the era name to Kaibao, and Sun Guangxian had passed away before the change of era. Therefore, Zhao Pu's recommendation of Sun Guangxian as a scholar must have been before his "mourning," that is, before the twelfth month of Qiande, and Sun Guangxian passed away shortly after. However, I believe that the statement that Taizu intended to appoint Sun Guangxian as a scholar may not be reliable. Sun Guangxian had been loyal to the Song Dynasty for many years and had a good reputation in governing the prefecture, and Taizu could have promoted him earlier. However, in fact, Sun Guangxian was always abandoned in Huangzhou. Therefore, the statement that Taizu intended to appoint Sun Guangxian as a scholar, while Sun Guangxian unfortunately passed away, is highly questionable.
Second, the creative theory of "having a mind like a bamboo forest." "Having a mind like a bamboo forest" is a shortening of "gaining a bamboo forest in the mind," and it has become an idiom, showing its profound influence. This theory first appeared in Su Shi's "Record of Wen Yu's Painting of Snowy Valley Bamboo," which said: "The bamboo begins as a one-inch sprout, but already has nodes and leaves."