Zibuyu, What The Master Would Not Discuss, according to Yuan Mei (1716 - 1798): A Collection of Supernatural Stories (2 vols)

1313 Pages·2013·15.53 MB·English

by  Paolo Santangelo

preface i
Zibuyu, “What The Master Would Not Discuss”,
according to Yuan Mei (1716-1798): A Collection of
Supernatural Stories
ii preface
Emotions and States of
Mind in East Asia
Editors
Paolo Santangelo
Sapienza University of Rome
Cheuk Yin Lee
National University of Singapore
VOLUME 3
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/esma
preface iii
Zibuyu, “What The Master Would
Not Discuss”, according to Yuan Mei
(1716-1798): A Collection of
Supernatural Stories
Volume One
By
Paolo Santangelo
in cooperation with
Yan Beiwen
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2013
iv preface
Cover Illustration Volume One: The Dongyue Temple 北京東嶽廟 (lit. “Beijing Eastern Peak Temple”)
is a Daoist temple in the Chaoyang district, Beijing, founded in 1319. The temple offers a view of the
various “Departments” of the Daoist supernatural realm, with their Hell bureaucracy, terrifying spir-
its and grotesque demonic government officials. Although the stories of Zibuyu are obviously an
elaboration of popular beliefs by a member of the élite, they are inspired by such religious scenes.
Photo taken by the author.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yuan, Mei, 1716-1798.
[Zi bu yu. English]
Zibuyu, “What The Master Would Not Discuss”, according to Yuan Mei (1716-1798) :
a collection of supernatural stories / by Paolo Santangelo in cooperation with Yan Beiwen.
pages cm. -- (Emotions and States of Mind is East Asia, ISSN 1878-8084 ; 3)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-90-04-25032-1 (hardback : acid-free paper) -- ISBN 978-90-04-21628-0 (e-book)
1. Horror tales, Chinese. 2. Short stories, Chinese. I. Santangelo, Paolo. II. Beiwen, Yan. III.
Title.
PL2735.A5T913 2013
895.1’348--dc23
2013012200
This publication has been typeset in the multilingual “Brill” typeface. With over 5,100 characters
covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities.
For more information, please see www.brill.com/brill-typeface.
ISSN 1878-8084
ISBN 978-90-04-25032-1 (hardback set)
ISBN 978-90-04-21625-9 (hardback vol. 1)
ISBN 978-90-04-21626-6 (hardback vol. 2)
ISBN 978-90-04-21628-0 (e-book)
Copyright 2013 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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contents v

CONTENTS
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  vii
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   ix
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   xi
VOLUME ONE
An Introduction to Zibuyu’s Concepts and Imagery: Some Reflections and
Hypotheses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    1
1.  A Visionary Miscellany for Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    1
2.  Ideological Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    14
3.  Miraculous and Mysterious Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    28
3a.  Spirits and Daoist Magic Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    41
3b.  Monsters, Demons and Ghosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    48
4.  Evil and Death: Crime and Punishment, Guilt and Retribution . . . .    58
4a.  Theoretical Debate on Destiny and Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    68
4b.  Destiny and Personal Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    83
4c.  Redressed and Unredressed Wrongs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    95
5.  The Netherworld  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  102
5a.  Separation and Interaction of the Two Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  108
6.  Love and Sexuality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  115
7.  Pollution, Purity and Impurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  127
8.  Zibuyu and Liaozhai zhiyi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  141
9.  Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  146
Zibuyu Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  161
Zibuyu Chapter One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  163
Zibuyu Chapter Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  207
Zibuyu Chapter Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  257
Zibuyu Chapter Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  299
Zibuyu Chapter Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  341
Zibuyu Chapter Six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  383
Zibuyu Chapter Seven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  425
Zibuyu Chapter Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  469
Zibuyu Chapter Nine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  513
Zibuyu Chapter Ten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  553
Zibuyu Chapter Eleven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  597
Zibuyu Chapter Twelve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  637
vi contents
VOLUME TWO
Zibuyu Chapter Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  673
Zibuyu Chapter Fourteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  717
Zibuyu Chapter Fifteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  761
Zibuyu Chapter Sixteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  799
Zibuyu Chapter Seventeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  831
Zibuyu Chapter Eighteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  873
Zibuyu Chapter Nineteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  917
Zibuyu Chapter Twenty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  959
Zibuyu Chapter Twenty-one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1001
Zibuyu Chapter Twenty-two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
Zibuyu Chapter Twenty-three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
Zibuyu Chapter Twenty-four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1171
Textual Analysis on Emotions and Imagery in Zibuyu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1225
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1267
preface vii

PREFACE
The volume is part of the Brill series called “Emotions and States of Mind in East
Asia” that I direct with the cooperation of Prof. Lee Cheuk Yin of Singapore National
University, and concerns the research and analysis of the representation of emo-
tions and states of mind, and the collective imagery in East Asia. In this perspective,
this new series has opened the way to international publications concerning the
topic of the research project that I started at the end of the ’80s.1 The aim of the
series is to gradually build a picture of the mental structures in Chinese history. All
the volumes analyse instances of affective experiences over a wide variety of
Chinese texts from the same underlying database.
Zibuyu is an important document as it is in fact a fascinating collection of many
facets of 18th-century Chinese life and imagery, offering a wealth of information
about the social life of the times, as well as about the history of ideas and religious
practices, ethical systems and collective imagery. Indeed, the perspective of the
present analysis is centred on an historical and anthropological point of view: Yuan
Mei’s collection is an important source for reconstructing contemporary rational
and intuitive perceptions of the mystery of life as well as for understanding the
imagery that was alive in his days. The reference to the taboo topics that “the Master
would not discuss”, indicates the author’s awareness of the destabilizing effect of
his own discourse, his focus on letting the imagination run wild, his seductive
invitation to the reader to embark upon an adventure into unknown territory. This
approach, however, not only gives the go-ahead to create a work of fantasy, but
also allows the author to venture into the dangerous recesses of the self, expressing
the ‘anxiety of existence’. This allegoric and ironic reflection on the relative and
polyphonic essence of human beings, by uncovering the multiplicity of selves from
a psychological perspective, is a challenge to the traditional biographical and his-
torical perspective. Zibuyu is full of abnormal events, ghosts and death that reflect
Yuan Mei’s image of the dark side of reality, where the subconscious life emerges
in the apparent normality of everyday existence. Yuan Mei resorts to dreams, mad-
1 Discussions have been organised in yearly international conferences in order to compare
different opinions and get new ideas. Proceedings of such meetings held over the years, or volumes
inspired by them, have been published: The Expression of States of Mind in Asian. Proceedings of the
INALCO-UNO Workshop Held in Naples, 27 May 2000, Napoli, 2004 (2005); Love, Hatred, and Other
Passions: Questions and Themes on Emotions in Chinese Civilization, (Paolo Santangelo with Donatella
Guida, eds., Leiden, Brill, 2006; From Skin to Heart. Perceptions of Bodily Sensations and Emotions in
Traditional Chinese Culture, (edited by Paolo Santangelo, in cooperation with Ulrike Middendorf)
Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 2006; Passioni d’Oriente. Eros ed emozioni nelle civiltà asiatiche. Sezione
Asia Orientale. Atti del Convegno, Roma, La Sapienza, 29-31 maggio 2003. in Suppl. n. 4, Rivista di
Studi Orientali, LXXVIII, Roma, 2007 [2008]; finally Laughting in Chinese. Emotions behind smiles and
laughter: from facial expression to literary descriptions, Napoli: Aracne, 2012.
viii preface
ness, delusions, trance, naïve beliefs in magicians, superstitions, gods and spirits
not merely to follow the zhiguai 志怪 genre, but also because they are able to
express alternative perceptions of reality.
The volume includes the Chinese text, the annotated translation and the analy-
sis of terms concerning states of mind, mentality and imagery. The reflections and
hypotheses of the in-depth introduction to Yuan Mei’s work try to reveal new
facets of his thought and his personality on the basis of an analysis of the stories,
and highlight the themes closest to his heart—destiny and retribution, religions
and beliefs, purity and sexuality.
Paolo Santangelo
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preface ix

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The present work is the result of a lengthy effort of translation, annotation and
reflection on this important piece of writing from 18th-century China. It has been
made possible thanks to the cooperation of Yan Beiwen, graduate of the Department
of Chinese Literature majoring in Chinese Classical Texts with an M.A. in
Comparative Literature from Beijing University, and an editor of the Chinese
Academy of Social Science journal, Foreign Literature Review. Not only has her
involvement in the translation of the texts been fundamental, but also her col-
laboration has been invaluable for the exchange of opinions on the interpretation
of difficult passages and on the people and events mentioned in the tales, as well
as the revision of all the footnotes. I am grateful to Yan Beiwen moreover for her
help in painstakingly and patiently setting up and improving our database by care-
fully compiling information under each item, an undertaking which has been
extremely important for the analysis of the Zibuyu.
I am also indebted to Heddi Goodrich, who has scrupulously polished the entire
English translation and the introduction, making it an enjoyable read. Not only is
the work she has done measurably important, but she has worked with great seri-
ousness, skill and attention to detail, infusing the text with her writer’s touch and
the style she uses in her own narrative works.
I would also like to convey my thanks to Prof. Alessandro Dell’Orto of the
Urbaniana University for his precious suggestions and comments, and Dr. Tommaso
Previato, who has been in charge of updating the entire database concerning the
Zibuyu, following the English revision of the translation.
Paolo Santangelo