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A Study on the Description of Buddhism & Search for Self in Chinese Modern Literature

Kang Kyong Koo 1

1동의대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In the modern China the communism is being developed as a political movement. In this environments Individual ideals became old-fashioned. Nevertheless, it is not true that there was no search for self. In particular we must pay attention to the Buddhist literature. In the Chinese modern literature, Ye Shengtao and Lu Xun show totally different concepts on the individual in their Buddhist expression. To Ye Shengtao, Buddhism was generous attitude of coexistence and deep introspection. Therefore, he was favorable to the monk Hongyi who was considered to be deeply concentrated into his own inner world. Meanwhile, he was critical to the monk Ingwang who was suppressing other’s individual personality. To Lu Xun, on the other hand, Buddhism was a part of everyday world without religious mysteries and specialties. Monks are common individuals not a mediator of this life and transcendental world. In case of Shen Congwen, he actively uses Buddhist fables to novel creating work. He realize the opposite topic which emphasizes the value of sexual appetites and individual autonomy. That is closely related to the refusal to the traditional values which take each individual as a part of social organism. This tendency is similarly shown in Wang Zengqi who began to write his works after the storm of The cultural revolution of China. Although there is a term of almost half a century, it is very similar to each other. Xu Dishan has interpreted Buddhism from a Christian perspective, in here he especially focusing on the singleness of each individual who is a copy of the God. Jin Yong gave attention to the individual achievement based on Non- Dualism. That is considered to related to the specialty of 20’th Hong Kong which had scarce historical and social gravity. Especially, he wanted to suggest common values such as love, coexistence, and peace against the absolute power of capital, and he successfully found it in the Buddhism. In case of Gao Xingjian, he seems to be confirming the existence of self via endless denial of ideas and principles. Especially, he is showing affection towards Prajna ideas of Huineung which includes no work and wu suozhu attitude. Through this, it seems that he was able to settle down in the presence of life out of compulsive needs from inside and outside for his social roles. It can be also understood as individual discovery of prajna. Here, the term ‘individual’ was chosen because Gao Xingjian does not seem to deny his individual presence.

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