PART TWO: POETRY AND WANG WEI | Zen Wisdom

QUESTION:
Wang Wei, one of China’s most famous poets, lived during the T’ang dynasty. He was a government official, a devout Buddhist practitioner and a strong supporter of the Dharma and Sangha. What was Wang Wei’s role as an artist and a Buddhist? Can you tell from his poetry if he was a highly attained practitioner? Can we distill anything important from his poetry that is related to the Dharma? Is it correct Buddhadharma?

Looking at the poems themselves, there seems to be two main categories. Some poems deal directly with Buddhist themes. Others speak about nature, yet seem to be inspired by Buddhist themes. Would you comment on a few of his poems?

SHIH-FU:
First, I must admit that I have never spent time studying Wang Wei’s poetry, but I have read a few of his poems. Actually, throughout much of Chinese literature and poetry there are works that have the flavor of Ch’an. Wang Wei is famous, so people are likely to remember his poems better than others. He is well known for his calligraphy and poetry, and because of his interest in Buddhism, he has been called “the Buddha of the Poets.” It should not be understood that he was the best of poets, or that he was an enlightened person, but simply that he was a poet who happened to be a Buddhist.

Much of Wang Wei’s poetry talks about nature, and the poems express an air of tranquility, freedom, spontaneity; but there are poets who did the same, some of whom preceded Wang Wei, and who were influenced by other things, like Taoism. We should not immediately surmise that poems about nature are influenced by Buddhism. Poems that are truly influenced by Buddhism must have the characteristic of selflessness, of no attachment, of something that is at once empty and at the same time dynamic.

We come across many Buddhist themes in Wang Wei’s poetry. We also know that he was impressed by the lifestyle and demeanor of monks and nuns. His poems sometimes contrast the lifestyle of monastics with that of householders, and his poems convey deep respect for the Sangha. We can conclude that he was an admirer of Buddhism, but we cannot say with certainty that he was a highly attained practitioner. I haven’t read anything by him that would indicate this, but he definitely knew about methods of practice.

Whether or not one can determine Wang Wei’s attainment from his poetry would be difficult to say. It would also be highly subjective. Likewise, whether or not one can gain deep Buddhist insight through his poetry would also be difficult to say.

STUDENT:
In one of his poems, Kalapati Lay Ill in Bed, Wang Wei makes use of Buddhist terminology. Is it genuine or is it artistic showmanship?

SHIH-FU:
This poem contains many references to the Vimalakirti Sutra, and it also describes certain attitudes that have a Ch’an flavor. Then again, I have read poetry written by intellectuals who have never practiced Buddhism at all, yet who are capable of conveying high levels of Ch’an. This poem doesn’t prove anything one way or the other. For instance, two lines of this poem read:
Not one single dharma is real
Not one single dharma is defiledThese lines are taken directly from the sutras. Can we say that the lines come directly from Wang Wei’s practice?

STUDENT:
Here is a poem that seems to convey some sort of attainment. Would you comment on this?
Visiting the Temple of Gathered Fragrance
I do not know the Temple of Gathered Fragrance,
For several miles entering cloudy peaks
Ancient trees, paths without people;
Deep in the mountains, where is the bell?
Noise from the spring swallows up lofty rocks,
The color of the sun chills green pines . . .
Toward dusk, by the curve of an empty pond,
Peaceful meditation controls poison dragons.

SHIH-FU:
Poets, through their artistic vision, look at the world and attempt to convey what it inspires within them. Readers, through poets’ words, can then enter the world described by them. If poets succeed in this, that is good. That is the function of art. It is vexation too, but there are different levels of vexation.

Buddhism sometimes speaks of three levels of emotion. The first or lowest level contains the coarse, abrupt and often violent moods that arise arbitrarily in people’s minds. It is an immediate response to different stimuli and so it is abrupt and uneven. The second level contains the more stable and refined emotions, and usually refers to the more positive emotions, such as enduring love. However, this level is still subject to fluctuation. The third and highest level contains emotions which are highly refined. There is little attachment. It is a kind of aspiration toward something good, beautiful, noble. Sometimes it is called an artist’s enlightenment or an artist’s vision. To attain such a level is indeed very good.

Poetry and painting are similar in that, if they are good, the reader or observer can enter the world and feel the emotion sought to be conveyed by the artist. Wang Wei is this caliber of poet. It can be very useful for people who have an affinity for art. It can also help those people who cannot practice sitting meditation in that it can ease their vexations while they are engrossed in the work.

STUDENT:
Here is perhaps the most famous of Wang Wei’s poems:

PREVIOUS: BUDDHISM AND THE ARTS | Zen Wisdom
NEXT: RIKKI ASHER | Zen Wisdom