嵇康與莊學超越境界在抒情傳統中之開啓

Ji Kang and Opening up Zhuangzi’s Transcendental Realm in the Chinese Lyrical Tradition

嵇康詩風，歷代素以峻烈訐直論之。本文在此之外，專注其恬和淵淡的內在超越之境。文章以為：嵇詩中佔十分之一強的這類詩作對於中國抒情傳統的意義非比尋常，它們既在傳統的言志和告哀（又可分為個體傷感的抒發和傷時哀世兩類）主題之外，又非宴遊和游仙的題材所能限定，開創出的是一恬和淵淡的精神憩園。本文將此現象歸諸玄學由老學、易學轉向莊學的歷史脈絡，並進而從嵇康的養生論和樂論討論此一生命和藝術的境界。從而確認：其夷曠恬和的詩作表現的就是怡神的養生境界和無哀樂的音樂境界。三者自生命情調而言，是同一的境界，皆體認出莊子擺脫生存困境的「攖寧」，皆是非遁世之士不能品味的「至樂」。三者之間是互涉和互證的。本文在結論中提出：嵇康從三個方面標示了莊子之精魂真正照耀抒情傳統的開始。首先，在詩學里，嵇康在「感物」的傳統之外，提出了抒情藝術超越哀樂的問題。其次，嵇康恬和淵淡的超越之境所體認的新的生命情調和對仙境之外、令人心曠意遠所在的關注推動了山水詩的發生。復次，嵇康以其養生學、樂論和夷曠恬和之詩彰顯了「淡乎其無味」境界的無上優雅。

The style of Ji Kang’s 嵇康 poetry has long been generally treated as acute and blunt. Beyond the discussion of this manner, this essay is concentrated on its other aspect, the tranquil and apathetic realm of immanent transcendence reflected in one tenth of Ji’s extant poems. The essay highlights their extraordinary importance in the development of traditional Chinese lyricism by opening up an earthly habitat for spirit. The essay contextualizes this literary phenomenon in the intellectual shift in Wei-Jin Dark Learning魏晉玄學 from the studies on Laozi 老子 and the Book of Changes 易經 to the studies on Zhuangzi 莊子] and thereby goes further to discuss this existential and aesthetic realm through Ji Kang’s theoretical works on yangsheng 養生 (the way to keep in good health) and on music. The discussion confirms that the tranquil and apathetic realm of immanent transcendence expressed in Ji’s poetry is precisely a literary presentation of his relaxing status of yangsheng and his ideal musical state without sadness and joy. In terms of an individual’s life manner, the three are identical with each other by embodying Zhuangzi’s ideal to rid oneself of existential straits. All are “the supreme joy” that no one but an anchoret is able to taste. Hence, the three statuses are intertextually related and mutually confirmed. The essay concludes that in three points the works of Ji Kang mark the impact of Zhuangzi’s ideal on Chinese lyricism. First of all, Ji Kang proposed for the first time in the Chinese theory of art that the lyrical work could surpass the status of sadness and joy in its highest expression. Secondly, the new life manner and a carefree and relaxing place beyond the celestial world praised in Ji Kang’s poetry gave an impetus to the birth of landscape poetry. Thirdly, with his theories of yangsheng and music, as well as his poetry of tranquil and apathetic style, Ji Kang illustrates the supreme elegance of blandness in art.