When I was a guest speaker in Germany in 1992, I said to the
audience that the intercultural communication between East and West is
not proportionately at the same level. For a Chinese professor or
university student in general can provide a name list of more than a
hundred well-known figures in the Western history. Then, how many of the
Chinese counterparts from antiquity to the present could a German
professor oruniversity student at large possibly know？ No more than a
dozen, I guess. There are of course exceptions among the faculty members
and students inthe departments of Sinology who surely know more. How
come it is so？ Inmy opinion, it is mainly due to the fact that China has
been in a passiveposition or "under attack" since the advent of the
modern era, thus bearinga kind of eagerness to look into and learn from
the West. In contrast, theWest has been in an active position, having
far less need to know Chinabecause her existence would matter little to
the Western mentality in thepast century or so. Such a situation
corresponds more or less to that in the18th century when China assumed
herself to be the center of the world and felt no need to take any look
at the West.
Table of Contents
Preface Li Zehou Acknowledgements Introduction Section I Nature and Human Existence 1 A Rediscovery of Heaven-and-Human Oneness The Three-fold Significance The Two-dimensional Orientation A Pragmatic Alternative
2 Laozi on the Dao of Human Existence Frame of Reference: The Dao of Man, Heaven and the Sage PursuiL of Sageliness: Practical and Sagely Wisdom Path to Freedom: Attitudes toward Life and Death
3 Zhuangzi's Way of Thinking through Fables The Peng and Happy Excursion to the Infinite The Butterfly and Self-emancipation
4 Poetic Wisdom in Zen Enlightenment Revelations from Natural Scenes Natural Spontaneity as a Psychical Path A Poetic Way of Zen Enlightenment The Realm of SEInyat~ as Beauty Section II Harmony, Governance, and Warfare
5 Harmonization without Being Patternized The Meeting of East and West as a Good-natured Hypothesis Harmony and Uniformity in PerspectiveThe Need of a New PhitosoplTos Poiesis
6 Humane Governance and Pragmatic Reasori Rule of Law as the Fundamental Basis Wise Leadership of Crucial Necessity The Pragmatic Reason in Question
7 No More Hiroshimas and Sharp Weapons A Poetic Reflection after Hiroshima A Philosophical Pondering over Sharp Weapons Section III Morality, Art, and Aesthetics
8 Confucius' Expectation of Poetry Poetry as a Social Discourse Sui Generis Poetry as an Aesthetic Discourse Sui Generis Poetry as a Moral Discourse Sui Generis
9 Aesthetic Criticism of Transculturality Beyond East and West: A Transcultural Transformation Aesthetic Education as a Critical Necessity （Meiyu Shuo） Art as a Refuge from Suffering （Jietuo Shuo） Art as Aesthetic Play for Freedom （ Youxi Shuo） The Artist as Creative Genius （ Tiancai Shuo） The Refined as the Second Form （Guya Shuo） The Theory of Poetic State par Excellence （ Jing]ie Shuo ）
10 The Theory of Art as Sedimentation Art as Sedimentation A Critical Consideration A Methodological Reflection
11 Appreciating Nature in View of Practical Aesthetics Three Levels of Aesthetic Experience Aesthetic Effects of Heaven-and-Human Oneness Selected Bibliography Glossary
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With respect to Chinese philosophy and religion, it cannot do
withoutreference to Zen Buddhism. As for its position and function in
Chineseideology, Zen Buddhism straddles two provinces; it is both a
religion anda philosophy. Under certain circumstances, it is a
philosophy rather than areligion, owing to its being a study of the
wisdom of human existence.Such wisdom is usually contained in poetic
imagery or allegorical symbolisms.It is essentially oriented towards
spiritual emancipation or liberation. It isexercised through such
approaches as self-control, self-concentration and self-enlightenment,
thus helping people awaken and transcend the formidablegap between
reality and ideality on the one hand, and on the other,leading people to
face anxieties and frustrations with ease. It pertains to
apsychological balance and joy out of the so-called " bitter sea
ofboundlessness" （ku hal wu bian）. Eventually, it enables people to
enterinto the kingdom of Zen or dhyana delight, where the human mind
isassumed to be intrinsically purified, peacefully settled, and
genuinelypleased.
It is noteworthy that Zen Buddhism as a special
form of wisdom stressesmainly these two factors: apprehension and
action. The former is achievedvia deep contemplation and high awareness,
and the latter is actualizedthrough personal engagement and praxis.
All of this is somewhatapproximating the Greek conception of sophia as
wisdom in the theoreticaland practical sense aforementioned. However, it
is in striking contrast toany religious cults that favor philo-logos, a
love of words rather than philo-praxis, a love of action. This being
the case, anyone who is serious aboutthe cultivation of dhyana or Zen
enlightenment is not supposed to be achatter-box, ready to recite
doctrines from scriptures or canons. Instead,he devotes himself to
insightful understanding and constant praxis so as tostay carefree and
transcendent in the mentality of absolute freedom.
