Figures of Taoism: Lu Zhaolin 卢照邻

Lu Zhaolin (630~680) was a litterateur and poet of the Tang Dynasty, styled Shengzhi, and he called himself Youyouzi (the "Son of Hidden Sorrow").

He was from Fanyang (present-day Beijing). At the age of 20, he served in the residence of Prince Deng, Kaiyu. In the second year of Zongzhang (669 AD), he took the post of Xindu Wei (magistrate of Xindu). Later, he resigned due to suffering from a wind-related illness. In his later years, he lived in abject poverty and poor health, and finally threw himself into the Ying River and died.

In literature, he, together with Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, and Luo Binwang, was known as the "Four Outstanding Writers of the Early Tang Dynasty". Ideologically, he was characterized by the eclecticism of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. He once said, "The previous dynasty valued officials, so I studied Confucius and Mozi; the current dynasty values laws, so in my later years, I learned from Laozi and Zhuangzi" (Shi Zhen Wen [Explanation of the Rash]). "In his later years, he became more devout in believing in Buddhism" (Ji Pei Sheren Zhu Gong [Letter to Lord Pei Sheren and Others]). In his later years, his Confucian thoughts faded, while Buddhist and Taoist ideas became prominent, as he wrote, "I discourse profoundly on the Twelve Divisions and carefully examine the Five Thousand Characters" (Chi Gu An Chan Shi Ta [The Pagoda of Chan Master An in Chigu]). The "Twelve Divisions" is the general term for Buddhist scriptures, and the "Five Thousand Characters" refers to Laozi's Tao Te Ching. The subjects of his profound discussions and careful examinations never went beyond Buddhism and Taoism.

Philosophically, he adhered to the views of Laozi and Zhuangzi, advocating inaction and silence (Dui Shu Fu Lao Wen [Reply to the Elders of Shu]), maintaining femininity and outwardly negating the self, as well as the immortality of the "Valley Spirit" (Bing Li Shu Fu [Ode to the Sick Pear Tree]), and equating life and death, as well as all things (Shuang Jin Shu Fu [Ode to the Two Hibiscus Trees]).

He put forward the proposition that "nothing is impossible for things" and developed Zhuangzi's relativist viewpoints. He believed that distinctions such as before and after, life and death, advantages and disadvantages, longevity and shortness were superfluous and meaningless; whether he transformed into a fish, a bird, or any other creature, it did not matter. Things had no inherent qualitative determination, so one could arbitrarily assign them a determination. He stated, "In obscurity, I do not regard life and death as [a boundary]; like a clod of earth, I am as one with heaven and earth. Being born after all things is not slow; dying before remote antiquity is not hasty. Harming all species is not called misfortune; benefiting the four seas is not called good fortune. If this is the case, then even a great flood reaching the sky will not drown me, and a great disaster burning the earth will not scorch me. Life and death cannot determine longevity or shortness; transformation is just a means to entrust one's movement. If transformed into a fish, I will leap over the Dragon Gate and cross the Jie Stone; if transformed into a bird, I will ride the 羊角 wind and bear the blue sky on my back. If I become a sacred tree, I will forever be free from the threat of axes; if I become a gourd, I will float on the vast river. Nothing is impossible for things. Why cling rigidly to fixity?" (Shi Ji Wen [Explanation of Illness]).

He devoutly believed in Buddhism and pursued ultimate liberation and the highest Buddhist spiritual state (Nirvana). He said, "What compares to transcending the ordinary and the broken, having no beginning and no end; always abiding in samadhi, constantly roaming in the six supernatural powers; neither born nor abiding, having no place to reside; neither departing nor perishing, having no limit; emitting a brilliant light that universally illuminates, pervading the Dharma-realm and emptiness" (Wu Bei [Five Sorrows]). "Transcending the ordinary and the broken" is also called "nihilistic view", which means completely cutting off emotional desires (see Nirvana Sutra, chapter 27). "Samadhi" refers to a state of absolute stillness arising from calming the mind and stopping thoughts, hence also called "meditative concentration". "Six supernatural powers" (six transcendences) refer to the state of being free from obstacles achieved through cultivation. Lu Zhaolin hoped to transcend the mundane world and comprehend the eternal emptiness that is neither born nor abiding, neither departing nor perishing. He became a loyal believer in Buddhism and Taoism. This was related not only to the social conditions of his time but also to his personal experiences. "No literary figure in ancient or modern times has suffered such extreme poverty as Lu Shengzhi" (Zhang Xie: Postscript to Youyouzi Collection). The inextricable sufferings of reality strengthened his religious illusions.

His biography can be found in Volume 9 of The Old Book of Tang and Volume [omitted in the original text] of The New Book of Tang. His works include Collected Works of Lu Zhaolin (published by Zhonghua Book Company in 1980).