On the poetic-Zen perspective of Qiji, the late tang dynasty poet-monk
论晚唐诗僧齐己的诗禅观

摘要

齐己是晚唐著名诗僧，精通诗艺和禅理，兼具文人和僧人的双重身份，其诗歌也具有文人之诗和禅诗两种艺术风格。齐己将修禅变得日常生活化，禅诗所占比重较大，因此需要深入探讨诗歌中蕴含的禅意。齐己的不少诗歌表述了两者的关系，既统一又矛盾。写诗与修禅的统一性体现在：诗和禅都尚静，齐己南北宗兼修，每日都要通过坐禅进入禅定状态，凝心静想，通过持久守心修行使内心像一尘不染的镜子般敞亮，不为外物外物所扰，达到清明澄澈的状态。写诗在心静的状态下可以书写出好诗。作诗与悟禅都具偶然性，在某一时刻突然迸发出来。并且禅悟和诗歌都委婉隐晦表达。矛盾性体现在：禅宗主张“不立文字，教外别传”，不依附文字传法，而诗歌必须通过文字表情达意。有时“诗魔”影响修禅，正当凝心坐禅时涌现写诗的念头，作诗会侵扰禅修。齐己发现了诗禅关系并作了很好调节。

Abstract

Qiji was a renowned poet-monk of the late Tang Dynasty, proficient in both poetic artistry and Zen philosophy. Possessing the dual identity of a literati and a monk, his poetry exhibits two artistic styles: that of a scholar’s verse and that of Zen poetry. Qiji integrated Zen practice into daily life, with Zen poetry constituting a significant portion of his works, necessitating an in-depth exploration of the Zen connotations within his poems. Many of Qiji’s poems articulate the relationship between poetry and Zen, which is both unified and contradictory. The unity between composing poetry and practicing Zen is reflected in the following aspects: both poetry and Zen emphasize tranquility. Qiji studied both the Northern and Southern Schools of Zen, engaging daily in seated meditation to enter a state of Zen concentration, calming his mind in contemplation. Through persistent mental discipline, he purified his heart like an immaculate mirror, undisturbed by external distractions, achieving a state of clarity and serenity. Writing poetry in such a tranquil state allowed him to produce excellent verses. Both poetic inspiration and Zen enlightenment arise spontaneously, emerging suddenly at certain moments. Additionally, both Zen insights and poetry are expressed subtly and implicitly. The contradiction lies in the fact that Zen Buddhism advocates "not relying on words and letters, transmitting teachings beyond scriptures," rejecting dependence on language for conveying truth, whereas poetry must rely on words to express meaning. At times, the "poetry demon" interfered with Zen practice—just as he focused on meditation, thoughts of composing poetry would arise, disrupting his Zen discipline. Qiji recognized the tension between poetry and Zen and skillfully reconciled it.