Author: Long Chengsong (Associate Professor of Chinese Language and Literature Department, Xiamen University)

The relationship between literature and Taoism was the core issue of the Tang and Song dynasties' "ancient prose movement" and an important problem that runs through ancient Chinese literary thought. There have been relevant discussions in early Confucian and Taoist classics. Through the development of books such as "Huainanzi" in the Han Dynasty, Liu Xie's "Yuandao", "Zhengsheng", and "Zongjing" in "Wenxin Diaolong" during the Southern Dynasties period discussed the "hub of literature", and the theoretical model of the relationship between literature and Taoism was initially established.

Mr. Chen Yinke's evaluation of Han Yu as a "figure in the cultural and academic history of the Tang Dynasty who carried on the past and turned the old into a new milestone" (On Han Yu) largely stems from Han Yu's theoretical consciousness and innovative spirit towards the relationship between literature and Taoism. Throughout history, Han Yu's theory of literature and Taoism has often been summarized using phrases such as "writing to convey ideas," "writing to connect with the Tao," and "writing to clarify the Tao." Although it is essential, it tends to generalize and overlook the formation process and specific context of his theory.

Han Yu showed an interest in literature and Taoism in his works "Shao Zuo", "Tong Jie", and "Ze Yan Jie", and used water and fire as metaphors to vividly illustrate the relationship between language and Taoism. In the ninth year of the Zhenyuan reign, he explicitly proposed in his "On the Controversy of Officials" to "revise his words to clarify his way". In the tenth year of the Zhenyuan reign, he was once again dismissed from the Ministry of Personnel Examination and wrote the "Reply to Cui Lizhi's Book" to criticize the academic field at that time. He aspired to "write one of the Tang Dynasty's classics, which will be enshrined in infinity" and "unleash the hidden light of virtue", demonstrating his strong concern for the reality of his literary and Taoist theories. The following year, in the "Book of the Prime Minister", he once again emphasized that he had "read and written, praised the way of Yao and Shun... all of his works were written in accordance with the principles of the Six Classics", and had initially completed the theoretical construction of the literary path of "Yuandao Zongjing Essay". In the 13th year of the Zhenyuan reign, the "Reply to the Book of Zhang Ji" first proposed the theory of Dao Tong, which was further strengthened in articles such as "Preface to Sending Off the Floating Tu Wen Chang Shi". This is an important theoretical creation for Han Yu's theory of the relationship between literature and Taoism. In the 17th year of the Zhenyuan era, the "Reply to Li Yi's Book" is an important work by Han Yu on the method of creating ancient Chinese literature. "Obtained from the Tao, words are carefully crafted" (quoted from Zhang Yuzhao's evaluation in Volume 2 of the "Essentials of Tang and Song Literature"), and the "Tao" in the text is downgraded to the Tao of ancient literature, which is a new change in Han Yu's literary theory of Tao. Later on, Han Yu may have also noticed this skewed issue and repeatedly emphasized the importance of both his own way and words. For example, in the 18th year of the Zhenyuan reign, in the "Reply to Li Tunan's Scholar's Book", it was said: "However, what Yu aspires to in ancient times is not only the quality of his words, but also how can he excel in his way." In the "Inscription on Ouyang Sheng's Lament", it is said: "As an ancient text, why should we only take every sentence that is not similar to today's? If we think of the ancients and cannot see them, we want to learn the ancient path and understand their words. Those who understand their words also aspire to the ancient path." The defense is obvious. Han Yu's "Five Elements" series of works were mostly compiled in the late Zhenyuan period. From the evolution of his literary and Taoist theories, it can be said that Han Yu focused on discussing Taoism to save those who were biased towards literature, which is what he called "helping trees teach Taoism and gaining some understanding" in his book "Li Xun, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War". At this point, the core concept of Han Yuwen's Daoist theory tends to take shape.

To summarize, Han Yu's theory of literature and Taoism has about three ends. One of them is' civilized way ', which means using ancient texts to expound and promote Confucianism and practical concerns. The second is the theory and method of "using Tao to define literature", which refers to the creation of classical Chinese literature. The above two ends are more obvious. The third is "teaching through literature", which was exposed by Mr. Guo Shaoyu and believed to be the "hub of academic transition between Han and Song" since Han Yu (History of Chinese Literary Criticism, Volume 5). Unlike Liu Xie's "Wen Xin Diao Long" which had a theological color of divination and divination, and also different from the Taoist style of Song Confucianism, Han Yu was essentially a literary figure, so his literary and Taoist theories were based on literature, which was a "weakness" for theorists. For example, Su Shi criticized Han Yu for "knowing the name of the sage's Dao Gai well, but failing to enjoy it" ("Han Yu Lun"). However, this was Su Shi's early understanding in the book "Xianliang Jinjuan". Later, he gained a deeper understanding of Han Yu's literary and Taoist thoughts, leading to the conclusion that "the rise of literature led to the decline of eight generations, while Taoism contributed to the drowning of the world" ("Chaozhou Hanwen Temple Stele"). Han Yu's theory of the relationship between literature and Taoism is the theoretical banner of the Tang Dynasty's "Ancient Prose Movement", which contains the transformative power of literary thought history. It can be divided into the following aspects.

Firstly, his theory has a strong personality and self-awareness. Han Yu attached great importance to learning and practicing Taoism, and was also a teacher. Most of his literary and Taoist ideas were proposed in the preface of the Book of Gifting, making him highly individualistic. He once commented on the spirit of literati: "The literati are independent and suitable for righteousness, regardless of the right and wrong of others. They are all heroic scholars who believe deeply and know themselves well." ("Ode to Boyi") He praised Boyi as a reflection of himself, so Zeng Guofan said, "This is the purpose of writing essays based on the life of the retired, and this is a self reflection of his own situation" ("Record of Reading in Qiuque Zhai" Volume 8). In the "Reply to Liu Yanfu's Book," he answered, "What teacher is suitable for literature?" He said, "If the way of the sage does not require literature, then it is already used, and if it is used, then it must be applied to those who are capable. Those who are capable are not others, but those who can establish themselves without following the rules are also capable." These two articles precisely demonstrate Han Yu's innovative spirit from the perspectives of standing up and speaking up.

Secondly, he is good at absorbing elements of previous generations' ideas and forging his own great poems. Although Han Yu's theoretical construction was not as precise as that of Song Dynasty Taoists, it also precisely maintained the characteristics of literary and Confucian scholars. Han Yu also used thematic and thematic articles, as well as logical methods such as definition, analogy, and deduction, to argue in his papers, but his most representative viewpoints were often expressed through rhetorical devices such as metaphor and personification. As stated in the "Reply to Wei Chi's Book of Life": "When it comes to literature, there must be many of them, so a gentleman should be cautious of reality. The beauty and evil of reality should not be underestimated. The essence should be deep and the end should be lush, the form should be large and the voice should be grand, the action should be stern and sharp, and the heart should be mellow and harmonious." Originally, it was only the relationship between external literature and internal Tao, but many concepts such as essence and end, heart and qi were pulled out. The famous essay "Reply to Li Yi's Book" is also like this. For theoretical articles, this is inevitable, so Su Shi criticized that "their theories are only theoretical but not precise, scattered and lost" (Han Yu Lun). But Han Yu's literary theories later became classics precisely because their imagery directly pointed to the essence of the relationship between literature and Taoism. Su Xun and Su Shi, father and son, were also inspired by Han Yu's literary style and ability to adapt to the changing circumstances in their later works.

Finally, Han Yu extensively borrowed from previous articles and created a unique style. Qin Guan said that Han Yu's writings are "integrated writings", that is, "compiled writings" ("On Han Yu"). Ye Mengde also said that Han Yu "truly understands the intentions of ancient authors, and the language of ancient and modern literature has become extremely abnormal. Although the origins cannot be separated, he ultimately refuses to build a house under his roof" (Volume 2 of "Summer Record"). In the "Classical Chinese Movement", Han Yu made great contributions by correcting the parallel prose style and promoting classical Chinese writing. However, from the perspective of creative practice, there was already significant development in prose writing before him. Zhao Yi noticed that before Han Yu, Dugu Ji's articles had changed from parallel prose to prose, but they had not yet developed their own style. Lu Zhi's memorials also had an early trend in terms of content and style (Volume 20 of "Notes on the Twenty Two Histories"). But Han Yu's significance lies not in "opening up the atmosphere", but in "opening up fresh noodles".

In short, the relationship between literature and Taoism is an important thread of Chinese literary thought, and it also has positive reference value for the construction of an independent knowledge system in contemporary Chinese literary theory. Before Han Yu, the relationship between literature and Taoism was hidden for a long time, but after Han Yu, it first became rigid among Song Dynasty Taoists and then criticized the pioneers of the New Culture Movement. Under the new era conditions, Han Yu's theory of the relationship between literature and Taoism, especially the theoretical consciousness and innovative spirit contained therein, still deserves further research.

Guangming Daily (13th edition, August 17, 2026)

(Author Guangming Network)