In the vast ocean of ancient Chinese literature, poetry is often used as a carrier of moral education, conveying the wisdom and teachings of the ancients with its unique art form and profound ideological connotation.
The Ming Dynasty's long "Golden Vase Plum", as a treasure of ancient China, also inherited this cultural tradition.
*The "Cloud and Rain Poem" quoted in the opening chapter was written by the Taoist god Lu Dongbin, and its original intention was to exhort the world to temper their desires and follow the moral code.
However, this poem has been skillfully integrated into the ** and has become an integral part of the work. Behind this choice, it not only reflects the author's emphasis on moral education, but also reveals the unique understanding of the relationship between sexuality and morality in ancient Chinese culture.
Lü Dongbin, formerly known as Lü Zhe, is one of the eight immortals of Han folklore and Taoism. In ancient and modern ** and dramas, there are many stories about him, such as the afterwords of "Dog Bites Lu Dongbin - I Don't Know the Heart of a Good People", which reveals that his image in people's minds is a good person. The Taoist Zhengyang faction even respectfully called him "Pure Yang Patriarch", commonly known as "Lu Zu".
Lu Dongbin's image is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, women and children know it, and his story is also widely circulated. At the same time, he also has an important position in Taoism, and was named "Miaotong Zhenren" by the Song Dynasty, and was named "Emperor Fuyou of Chunyang Acting Political Police" in the Yuan Dynasty, and was also called "Lu Chunyang" in later generations.
Lu Dongbin was widely praised for his mastery of Taoism and insight into human affairs, and was revered as a Taoist immortal and a god of protection by later generations.
His legends and moral ideas have profoundly influenced Chinese culture and folk beliefs, and have become one of the indispensable and important elements of traditional Chinese culture.
Although this figure occupies an important place in Taoist thought and is highly praised for his noble qualities, he nevertheless composed a poem called "Warning to the World" that is known as the "Poetry of Cloud and Rain".
"The twenty-eight best human body is like a crisp, and the sword on the waist slashes ordinary people.The general meaning of the poem is that the body of a sixteen-year-old woman is weak and boneless, which makes the male ** forget to return, and makes ordinary people lose their lives. Although the girl's body looks delicate, it is like a sharp sword, and the ignorant people do not understand its dangers and indulge in it, indulging in clouds and rain, and finally losing her life.Although I don't see anyone's head falling, I secretly teach the monarch to dry up the bone marrow. ”
Although it is superficially imperceptible, in reality, this condition can silently deplete a person's life force, causing a rapid deterioration in their physical condition, perhaps even to the point of bone marrow depletion.
It is not difficult for us to see that the author is warning the world not to indulge in beauty, and to have a degree in everything, otherwise overindulgence will only cost you your life.
However, it is such a poem, but it was quoted by "The Golden Vase Plum" many years later as the opening content, which makes people wonder whether this poem is persuading everyone, and whether it is as the ancients said, "If a person is not a sage, who can do nothing". Is there some deep-seated reason hidden in this that is not known to outsiders?
As a literary work with a profound spirit of realism, "The Golden Vase Plum" vividly depicts the prosperity and extravagance of the market society in its time, and also shows the complexity and diversity of human nature.
Through its delicate and vivid white drawing technique, as well as the unbridled narrative momentum of Wang Yang, the work has won wide praise and amazement from the literati and scholars of the time before it was engraved.
However, the bold narrative of "Plum in the Golden Vase" in describing "sex life" made it once caused huge controversy and criticism in society.
Many Daoist scholars were offended by the frankness of the work, and fiercely criticized it, even fearing that if it were to be stereotyped, it might lead to the moral degradation of society, and some even claimed that there was a danger of falling into hell. However, despite the strong antipathy of these critics to its content.
On the other hand, there are also some nervous people who try to justify "The Golden Vase of Plums" by cleverly claiming that the work "has no sustenance" and concocting a series of singable, tragic and poignant stories to whitewash the true content and theme of the original work.
In this way, these apologists try to save "The Golden Vase" from the whirlpool of controversy and give it a more noble and sublime meaning.
However, neither the criticism of critics nor the whitewashing of apologists can hide the true value of "Plum in the Golden Vase" as a work of realism.
With its unique artistic techniques and profound social insights, it reveals the true face of the market society of that era, and also presents the diversity and complexity of human nature.
The process of appreciating "The Golden Vase of Plums" is not only a follow-up of the storyline, but also an in-depth reflection on human nature, society and history.
It allows us to see the prosperity and decadence of that era, and also allows us to see the light and darkness of human nature. This work is not only a true portrayal of that era, but also a reflection of the heart of each of us.
In addition, as a landmark literary work, "The Plum in the Golden Vase" has also had a profound impact on the development of Chinese literature.
With its unique narrative techniques and profound social insights, it provides new ideas and directions for the creation of ancient Chinese **. Many later literary works were inspired and influenced by The Plum in the Golden Vase, thus forming a literary tradition with Chinese characteristics.
This work cleverly borrows the historical background and character settings of the Song Dynasty, but it is actually based on the society of the middle of the Wanli period, showing the epitome of that era in depth.
The author has a unique vision, focusing on a certain level of society at that time, and ruthlessly exposing the ugly phenomenon of *** knot through sharp brushstrokes, and making a profound criticism of various shortcomings in society.
It depicts various people and events in the society of that time with delicate brushstrokes, allowing us to have a deeper understanding of the living conditions and social features of that era.
Through this work, we can more clearly understand the harm of *** knots and further reflect on whether there are similar problems in modern society.
At the same time, "The Golden Vase of Plums" also provides us with a perspective to think about human nature and social ethics and morality, and guides us to think more deeply about the living conditions and value pursuit of human beings. This is also easy to understand why "Golden Vase Plum" uses this poem by Lu Dongbin as the beginning.
In "The Golden Vase of Plums", there are a few sentences that are precisely thinking about this matter, such as:"Hurt your body and kill your life and be more delicate, don't love this, raise dantian, people can live a long life. ”
The core idea conveyed by this sentence is that over-indulging in beauty can cause great damage to one's physical and mental health. As the old saying goes:"A knife on the head of the color word",This warns men that they should avoid excessive pursuit and addiction to beauty, let alone indulge their desires.
Instead, they should aim to cultivate their inner temperament and self-cultivation as a way to nourish their bodies and minds and improve themselves.
Mencius once said:"I am good at nurturing my heroic spirit"., which emphasizes the importance of nurturing and enriching the inner spirit. We should devote ourselves to nourishing our own spiritual strength and cultivating the qi of dantian in order to achieve the purpose of physical and mental health and longevity.
Only in this way can we maintain peace of mind in our daily lives and stay firmly on the right path. This pursuit of inner balance and harmony is what we call "calmness and walking on the right path."
And in Lu Dongbin's "Cautionary World", it also expresses the same theme as "Golden Vase Plum". The poem skillfully uses contrasts to reveal the dark side of the power struggle through the image of the 28 beauties and their potential threats.
Twenty-eight beauties, with a soft posture and beautiful face, this is a symbol of their external charm; The sword at his waist is a metaphor for power and killing. Although the poem does not describe in detail the scene of his killing of mortals, it significantly strengthens the reader's intuitive perception of its essence through the ingenious technique of contrast.
Combining the warning of conspiracy with the depiction of beauty, it uses the charm of poetry to show the complexity of human nature and the nature of fraud. It is a sharp critique of the hypocrisy and fraud of society. And reminds us that in the face of power, people are often prone to lose themselves, and even pursue personal desires and ambitions at the expense of the interests of others.
At the same time, the poem also reminds us that beauty and danger often go hand in hand. Behind those things that are glamorous on the outside, there may be unfathomable dangers and intrigues hidden behind them.
Therefore, in the face of ** and choice, we should keep a clear head, rationally analyze the pros and cons, and make the right decision.
It can be seen from this that the two are not the same in terms of expression, both use the relationship between the sexes to express social phenomena, although the expression of "Golden Vase Plum" is more radical in language, but its original intention is not to change the conversation after dinner, but to really reflect the social status quo, a good work that plays a warning role in the society, otherwise it would not be able to be passed down to this day.
The Plum in the Golden Vase and The Warning of the World are both outstanding works of ancient literature, with the former being called the "Yellow Book" for its depictions of secular life, and the latter being known as the "Poetry of Cloud and Rain" for its profound analysis of power and appearance.
Despite the differences in expression and theme, "The Golden Vase" focuses on exposing social reality and human weaknesses, while "Cautionary World" focuses on warning the world not to be deceived by power and appearance, and to maintain an independent and sober mind.
However, what the two have in common is a deep reflection and critique of the current social situation. Therefore, "The Golden Vase of Plums" chose to start with "Warning to the World", which not only reflects the author's keen observation of social reality, but also shows his thoughtfulness in literary creation.
This choice not only demonstrates the author's rigorous attitude towards literary creation, but also reflects his thoughtful consideration of the overall structure and theme of the work. By placing "Cautionary World" at the beginning, the author skillfully guides readers to reflect on social power and human nature, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent plot development.
Therefore, it is wise and appropriate for "The Plum in the Golden Vase" to choose "Warning World" as the opening chapter, which not only shows the author's superb artistic attainments, but also makes the work more ideological depth and social value.
This way of using literature to reflect on and criticize social reality undoubtedly provides us with a valuable spiritual wealth that is worthy of our in-depth study and taste.