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Linguistic Strategies in Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan

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Linguistic Strategies in Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan 1111 2 3 4 5111 LINGUISTIC STRATEGIES IN 6 7 DAOIST ZHUANGZI AND 8 CHAN BUDDHISM 9 10 11 2 3111 As the first systematic attempt to probe the linguistic strategies of 4 Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan Buddhism, this book investigates three 5 areas: deconstructive strategy, liminology of language, and indirect 6 communication. It bases these investigations on the critical examin- 7 ation of original texts, placing them strictly within soteriological 8 contexts. 9 While focusing on language use, the study also reveals some import- 20111 ant truths about the two traditions, and challenges many conven- 1 tional understandings of them. Responding to recent critiques of 2 Daoist and Chan Buddhist thought, it brings these traditions into 3 a constructive dialogue with contemporary philosophical reflection. 4 It “discovers” Zhuangzian and Chan perspectives and sheds light 5 on issues such as the relationship between philosophy and non- 6 philosophy, de-reification of words, relativizing of the limit of 7 language, structure of indirect communication, and use of double 8 negation, paradox, tautology, irony, and poetic language. 9 30111 Youru Wang teaches Asian thought in the Philosophy and Religion 1 Department at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. His area 2 of speciality is Chinese Buddhist thought and early Daoist thought. 3 His articles have appeared in journals such as International Philosophical 4 Quarterly, Philosophy East and West, Asian Philosophy, and Journal of Chinese 5 Philosophy. 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio 1111 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 4 5 6 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio 1111 2 3 4 5111 LINGUISTIC 6 7 STRATEGIES IN 8 9 DAOIST ZHUANGZI 10 11 AND 2 3111 CHAN BUDDHISM 4 5 6 The other way of speaking 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 Youru Wang 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio 1111 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 First published 2003 4 by RoutledgeCurzon 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE 5 Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada 6 by RoutledgeCurzon 7 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 8 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. 9 RoutledgeCurzon is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group 20111 © 2003 Youru Wang 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or 2 reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, 3 mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter 4 invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without 5 permission in writing from the publishers. 6 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data 7 A catalogue record for this book is available 8 from the British Library 9 Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data 30111 A catalog record for this book has been requested 1 ISBN 0-203-45114-7 Master e-book ISBN 2 3 4 ISBN 0-203-45776-5 (Adobe eReader Format) 5 ISBN 0–415–29783–4 (Print Edition) 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio 1111 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 TO MY FATHER, WANG DANRU 4 5 (1904–1990) 6 7 AND MY MOTHER, CA XINRU 8 9 20111 (1916–2003) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio 1111 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 4 5 6 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio 1111 2 3 4 5111 CONTENTS 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 Acknowledgments ix 4 Abbreviations xi 5 6 1 Introduction 1 7 8 9 PART I 20111 Deconstruction in the Zhuangzi and in 1 Chan Buddhism 17 2 3 2 Understanding deconstruction through the 4 Zhuangzi and Chan 19 5 6 3 Zhuangzi’s dao deconstructs . and Zhuangzi 7 deconstructs his dao 30 8 9 4 The deconstruction of Buddha nature in 30111 Chan Buddhism 52 1 2 PART II 3 The liminology of language in the Zhuangzi 4 and in Chan Buddhism 81 5 6 7 5 What is a liminology of language? 83 8 6 Zhuangzi’s liminology of “speaking non-speaking” 95 9 40111 7 The Chan contribution to the liminology of 1 language 109 21111 folio vii CONTENTS 1111 PART III 2 Pragmatics of indirect communication in the 3 Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism 123 4 5111 8 The displacement of indirect communication 125 6 7 9 The pragmatics of “goblet words”: indirect 8 communication in the Zhuangzi 139 9 10 10 The pragmatics of “never tell too plainly”: indirect 11 communication in Chan 161 2 3111 Concluding remarks 187 4 5 6 Notes 192 7 Glossary 223 8 Bibliography 231 9 Index 245 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio viii 1111 2 3 4 5111 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 The present book is the result of a long time of preparation, study, 4 and work. The process of writing and revising even accompanied me 5 from Philadelphia to Hong Kong and back to New Jersey. Although 6 it is a result of my own personal struggles and endeavors, I would like 7 to express my thanks and appreciation to those who have offered help 8 and assistance during this long process. 9 Among the friends and teachers who read a portion or the whole 20111 of this manuscript in its earlier or later form and offered useful correc- 1 tions and suggestions, special thanks go to Sandra A. Wawrytko, 2 Thomas Dean, Joseph Margolis, Shingenori Nagatomo, and Judith 3 Berling. I cannot express my deep gratitude in words to my mentor, 4 Charles Wei-hsun Fu, who died unexpectedly, but whose presence is 5 discernible between the lines of each page. 6 I have presented material from several chapters at a number of 7 scholarly conferences, including department seminars, and have 8 received valuable comments and response from critics, including 9 anonymous readers who reviewed articles derived from a few chap- 30111 ters. I benefited from all of these critiques. However, I choose, among 1 them, Dale Wright, Chen Te, and Qingjie Wang for special thanks. 2 I want to thank Chen-kuo Lin for providing me with important 3 scholarly information. 4 My friends Judy Buck Glenn and Jess Row did editorial work for 5 the earlier version and the revision of this manuscript. They deserve 6 my sincere thanks. The tireless moral support of my two colleagues, 7 Dianne Ashton and David Clowney, is invaluable to me. I feel 8 honored and grateful to have been a recipient, during the period of 9 writing and revision, of the Rocky Foundation Award for Buddhist 40111 Studies, the China Times Cultural Foundation Award for Young 1 Scholars, and the research grants from the Arts and Language Panel 21111 folio ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1111 of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and from the College of 2 Arts and Sciences of Rowan University. 3 My wife’s tolerance, and varied assistance, has permitted the 4 attainment of the goal for this undertaking. My parents’ expectations 5111 for me have long been a driving force in my struggles. Although my 6 father did not live to see the publication of this book, his personality 7 and academic achievement have always been an invisible but gener- 8 ative source for all my endeavors. My mother was very proud of every 9 accomplishment I achieved in academic studes, especially this book. 10 Unfortunately she died right before it was published. I dedicate this 11 book to both of them. 2 A portion of chapter 3 appeared under the title “Philosophy of 3111 Change and the Deconstruction of Self in the Zhuangzi” in Journal of 4 Chinese Philosophy, vol. 27, no. 3, 2000, pp. 345–60. 5 A slightly different version of chapter 7 appeared under the title 6 “Liberating Oneself from the Absolutized Boundary of Language: 7 A Liminological Approach to the Interplay of Speech and Silence 8 in Chan Buddhism” in Philosophy East and West, vol. 51, no. 1, 2001, 9 pp. 83–99. 20111 Chapter 10 was published in a slightly different version under 1 the title “The Pragmatics of ‘Never Tell Too Plainly’: Indirect 2 Communication in Chan Buddhism” in Asian Philosophy, vol. 10, 3 no. 1, 2000, pp. 7–31. I want to thank the editors of these journals 4 for permission to include these in this book. 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 21111 folio x 1111 2 3 4 5111 ABBREVIATIONS 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3111 BG Baizhang Guanglu. GY, fascicle 1. CJ, vol. 11. 4 CF Huangbo Chanshi Chuanxin Fayao. CJ, vol. 13. 5 CJ Chanzong Jicheng. Reprint of the collection of Chan school from 6 HTC. 25 vols. Taibei: Yiwen Yinshu Guan, 1968. 7 DL Dongshan Liangjie Chanshi Yulu. CJ, vol. 13. 8 DY Yuezhou Dazhu Huihai Heshang Yu. JCL, fascicle 28, T, vol. 51, 9 no. 2076. 20111 GY Guzunsu Yulu. 48 fascicles. CJ, vols 11–12.
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