Buddhism and Late Tang Poetry

Name: Buddhism and Late Tang Poetry
ISBN: 9787513947701

胡遂 / 邓田田民主与建设出版社 · ChinaSep 2025

Rating 4.0

Word count: 204K words
Chapters: 26
ISBN: 9787513947701

Summary

Buddhism and Late Tang Poetry is Professor Hu Sui's major work on the study of late Tang poetry.

The book discusses the relationship between Buddhism and five types of late Tang poetry—poems of personal reflection, poems on history, poems of reclusion, poems of Chan joy, and poems of social exchange—and further argues that Buddhism shaped late Tang poets' views on existence, history, reality, spirit, and character, offering a comprehensive portrait of the late Tang poets' thwarted lives—"vainly bearing talents towering to the clouds, a lifetime's aspirations never once unfurled." At the same time, from multiple angles—existential sorrow, historical reflection, avoidance of reality, spiritual refuge, and the assertion of character—it offers a comparatively concrete discussion of the literary phenomenon of Buddhism's influence on and penetration into late Tang poetry.

Editor's review

Buddhism and Late Tang Poetry is not a simple work of literary or religious scholarship but an intellectual journey into the folds of history in search of spiritual resonance. With their deep grounding in classical literature and Buddhist studies, Professor Hu Sui and Dr. Deng Tiantian together open another realm of late Tang poetry. The book's core value lies in moving beyond the traditional binary framework of "chan entering poetry" or "poetry and chan mutually attesting" to a deeper analysis of the profound interaction between the existential anxiety and sense of lost value widespread among the literati of the specific late Tang historical context and Buddhist thought (especially Chan and Pure Land beliefs). The authors acutely point out that for late Tang poetry, Buddhism was not merely a rhetorical technique or philosophical ornament but a survival wisdom and emotional structure for coping with the dilemmas of the age and settling individual life. The interpretations of representative poets such as Li Shangyin, Du Mu, Jia Dao, and Yao He are especially incisive, revealing the Buddhist spiritual undertones behind the hazy, sorrowful, and serene imagery in their poetry. Reading this book, readers will not only gain a new understanding of the aesthetic qualities of late Tang poetry but also glimpse how ancient Chinese intellectuals, at the end of a dynasty, used religious thought for spiritual self-rescue and artistic creation—an insight of important significance for understanding the resilience of Chinese culture and the history of literati mentality.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in classical Chinese literature, especially Tang poetry, who wish to deepen their understanding
Researchers or enthusiasts curious about the history of the encounter between Buddhism and Chinese culture
Scholars in the humanities and social sciences concerned with literati mentality, intellectual history, and the interaction between thought and literature
Literary and artistic creators seeking spiritual solace and inspiration in life and creative work, who resonate with Eastern philosophy and aesthetics

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light, entertaining reading or a fast-food overview of knowledge
Complete beginners with no foundation in or interest in classical literature and religious thought

Reading tips

It is recommended to first gain a basic understanding of the late Tang historical background and major poets before reading this book, so as to better enter its context
Read in conjunction with the specific poems mentioned in the book to personally feel the penetration of Buddhist thought between the lines
There is no need to rush; read slowly and savor, and consider what the discussion may reveal about understanding one's own spiritual world today

About the publisher

民主与建设出版社 China · Founded in 1994

Founded in 1994, Democracy and Construction Press organizes its publishing around economic management, the humanities and history, and united front culture, while also covering foreign literature and classic works. Among the 732 titles in the collection are translations of foreign classics such as The Brothers Karamazov and On War, fantasy literature such as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Illustrated Collector's Edition, and modern literary masterpieces including Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof and Camel Xiangzi · The Problem of Nothing, and Lu Xun's Call to Arms. Translators Geng Jizhi and Wang Jinhua, together with authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and Carl von Clausewitz, form the resource base for its combination of scholarly translation and general reading. As public information is limited, this description focuses on the publishing profile reflected in the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
前言
第一章生存的感伤——佛教与晚唐咏怀诗
一、人生苦难之叹：生、老、病、死前四苦
二、人生苦难之叹：怨憎会、爱别离、求不得、五蕴盛后四苦
第二章历史的反思——佛教与晚唐怀古诗
一、四缘说诗：怀古情结的由来
二、四相迁流：诸行无常、万法皆空的体悟
三、空寂与空灵：晚唐怀古诗与前代所不同的山川风物之思
四、否定与肯定：晚唐人抚今追昔的意义
第三章现实的回避——佛教与晚唐隐逸诗
一、晚唐诗人隐逸现象概述
二、佛教与隐逸的退避意义
三、佛教与隐逸的超越意义
四、晚唐诗人隐于佛门之三类型
第四章精神的皈依——佛教与晚唐禅悦诗
一、止观双修说践行
二、去妄归真说认识
三、寂灭为乐说解脱
第五章人格的标榜——佛教与晚唐酬赠诗
一、诗无僧字格还卑：晚唐诗人对佛门人物的歌颂与向往
二、空寂静净相标榜：晚唐诗人人格理想的转换
后记
附录一《关于佛教与晚唐山水诗的综合思考》
附录二《大历文坛由儒入佛思潮》
《佛教与晚唐诗》整理修订说明

FAQ

Is this book highly academic? Is it suitable for general readers?

The book has a solid academic foundation, with rigorous argumentation and abundant citations, but the authors write clearly and strive to make complex ideas accessible. As long as readers have some interest in the subject, general readers can grasp the core arguments and gain insight with patient reading.

Which Buddhist schools' thought does the book mainly involve?

The book focuses on the influence of Chan (especially Southern Chan) and Pure Land thought on late Tang poets, analyzing how these two widely circulated Buddhist currents of the time shaped poets' worldviews, aesthetics, and modes of poetic expression.

What makes this book unique compared with similar studies?

Its uniqueness lies in examining Buddhist influence within the specific social and historical crises of the late Tang (such as the Niu-Li factional strife, eunuch dominance, and warlord separatism), emphasizing that Buddhism was an important resource for poets to cope with real hardship, achieve psychological adjustment, and construct meaning, rather than merely a literary technique or object of metaphysical speculation—a more three-dimensional and in-depth perspective.

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About the author

胡遂 Author

Hu Sui is an author about whom limited public information is available. To date, the representative work that can be confirmed is Buddhism and Late Tang Poetry, and one work by this author is held in the collection, commonly classified under literary appreciation. The book approaches the relationship between Buddhist thought and late Tang poetry, examining how Buddhist ideas, imagery, and modes of expression entered the creative work of late Tang poets, and using this to understand the formation and features of the late Tang poetic style. Based on the available information, Hu Sui's writing tends toward interpreting classical poetry from the perspective of religious culture, combining intellectual-historical context with literary appreciation: it attends both to the imagery, language, and feeling of the poems themselves and to the influence of a Buddhist context on the poets' aesthetic orientation. This cross-disciplinary approach suits readers interested in both Tang literature and Buddhist culture, and offers a useful angle for the study of late Tang poetry. Because reliable records of birth and death dates, nationality, education, and positions have not been found, biographical details cannot be supplied; readers may chiefly use this book to understand the author's research interests and writing orientation.

邓田田 Author

Deng Tiantian is an author about whom limited public information is available; the library currently holds only one work by this name, Buddhism and Late Tang Poetry. Judging from the title of this representative work and its common classification, the author's writing centers on literary appreciation, with particular attention to the relationship between Buddhist thought and late Tang poetry. Late Tang society was turbulent, and poets often wrote with a sense of grief over the times, while the spread of Buddhism brought new imagery and spiritual sustenance to poetry. This interdisciplinary subject carries significance for both literary history and intellectual history. The author organizes and interprets the topic around this theme, seeking to present how Buddhist culture and late Tang poetic style interpenetrated each other. Because biographical information is unavailable, the author's background and academic experience cannot be confirmed, but the orientation of the work suggests a writing approach that combines close reading of texts with cultural context, suitable for readers interested in Tang literature and Buddhist culture.