青海師范大學(xué)中國語言文學(xué)一級學(xué)科研究生通識課程
“跨文化中國學(xué)研究方法論”第五講
王邦維教授《“烈士無言”與“生死之夢”：
一個故事的文學(xué)及文化解讀》
主講教授簡介：王邦維，北京大學(xué)博雅講席教授，我國著名佛教史、東方學(xué)、中印交流史研究專家。季羨林先生培養(yǎng)的我國第一位印度語言文學(xué)專業(yè)博士。英國劍橋大學(xué)、美國哈佛大學(xué)、德國哥廷根大學(xué)留學(xué)、高訪和工作。印度比哈爾邦那爛陀大學(xué)董事會成員。北京大學(xué)東方學(xué)研究院院長、北京大學(xué)印度研究中心主任。教育部人文社科重點研究基地北京大學(xué)東方文學(xué)研究中心首任主任。曾任國務(wù)院學(xué)位委員會第五屆和第六屆學(xué)科評議組外國語言文學(xué)組成員。王邦維教授著述自上世紀(jì)80年代起已產(chǎn)生了較大的國際影響，獲國際級和國內(nèi)獎項的主要有：與季羨林先生等合注《大唐西域記校注》獲陸文星、韓素音中印友誼獎(1987)和國家圖書獎一等獎(1993)。個人學(xué)術(shù)專著《大唐西域求法高僧傳校注》獲陸文星、韓素音中印友誼獎(1985)，《南海寄歸內(nèi)法傳校注》獲北京市第四屆哲學(xué)社會科學(xué)優(yōu)秀成果一等獎(1996)和教育部全國高等學(xué)校第二屆人文社科研究優(yōu)秀成果三等獎(1998)，《跨文化的想象：文獻(xiàn)、神話與歷史》獲中版好書獎(2019)和社科優(yōu)秀圖書獎(2020)。在國內(nèi)以及德國、法國、印度、日本、瑞典、愛沙尼亞、尼泊爾、美國、荷蘭、丹麥出版有各類學(xué)術(shù)著作和發(fā)表學(xué)術(shù)論文多篇。其新著《佛教史話六講》是支持“教育援青”人文學(xué)科基礎(chǔ)建設(shè)的又一力作。
2022年4月9日，青海師范大學(xué)中國語言文學(xué)一級學(xué)科“跨文化中國學(xué)研究方法論”研究生課開始第五講，由北京大學(xué)王邦維教授擔(dān)任主講，題目為《“烈士無言”與“生死之夢”：一個故事的文學(xué)及文化解讀》。由于疫情管理的原因，本次授課仍采用遠(yuǎn)程網(wǎng)絡(luò)教學(xué)方式進(jìn)行，在西寧和北京兩地實時同步上課。青海師范大學(xué)文學(xué)院，青海師范大學(xué)民族師范學(xué)院、青海師范大學(xué)高原科學(xué)與可持續(xù)發(fā)展研究院、北京師范大學(xué)跨文化研究院師生、歐洲高校研究生70余人線上聽講。青海師大文學(xué)院2021和2022級學(xué)術(shù)型研究生全部參加聽講。青海師范大學(xué)文學(xué)院副院長劉曉林教授主持本課。
王邦維教授此講所使用的文本是《大唐西域記》卷第七《五國》中的《烈士池》。《大唐西域記》聞名于世，佛教史、佛典文學(xué)、歷史學(xué)、印度學(xué)、東方學(xué)和海外漢學(xué)等多學(xué)科領(lǐng)域都表現(xiàn)出對它的濃厚興趣。上世紀(jì)八十年代，北京大學(xué)季羨林先生率弟子王邦維教授等完成校注《大唐西域記》，將國際性研究與中國化研究相結(jié)合，獲國家圖書獎一等獎，是在國際學(xué)界發(fā)出的中國聲音的代表。關(guān)于《烈士池》的研究，王教授也發(fā)表過系列文章。在本課中，他從跨文化學(xué)的視角切入，以《烈士池》為個案，提出新見。
一、跨文化研究的資料系統(tǒng)
王邦維教授研究《烈士池》建立了嚴(yán)密的資料系統(tǒng)，分三層：一是以玄奘《大唐西域記》為祖本；二是以唐代相關(guān)文獻(xiàn)為重點，包括同時期玄奘在印度搜集的佛教經(jīng)卷與其他文獻(xiàn)，以及唐代《烈士池》故事的續(xù)寫文本；三是相關(guān)中印文化交流史資料，覆蓋面所及，大體有我國西部青藏高原地區(qū)和毗鄰國家印度、巴基斯坦、阿富汗和烏茲別克斯坦等。由資料系統(tǒng)可見，《烈士池》是小入口，跨文化資源大海洋，有了系統(tǒng)的資料儲備，才能從一個點上遙望星辰大海。
二、跨文化的文學(xué)分析
王教授研究《烈士池》的方法是回歸文本。他一段一段地舉述《烈士池》的原文，講解其原句和原意，從文本本身分析這個富有傳奇色彩的故事。他指出，“烈士”在印度的原意是指剛烈之士，要求禁言緘口，不說話，與今天中國人的理解不同。但這個故事走出印度后變化很大，在不同的國家、 地區(qū)和民族中流傳，情節(jié)、結(jié)構(gòu)和思想內(nèi)涵都有差異。
在中國，玄奘所處的唐代是一個開放的時代，唐人十分樂于吸收玄奘從印度帶回來的故事，這樣我們就能看到，直到今天，唐代的《烈士池》衍生文本也是最多的。比較出名的有：唐段成式《酉陽雜俎》、唐牛僧孺《玄怪錄》和唐薛漁思《河?xùn)|記》。后世還有宋李昉《太平廣記》和明馮夢龍《醒世恒言》中的再寫本。南亞和東亞國家對它也很熱衷，日本作家芥川龍之介將之改編為小說《杜子春》。當(dāng)代還有類似故事流傳，北京大學(xué)幾年前上演過話劇《杜子春》，據(jù)說還有《杜子春》的動漫。王教授指出，唐代資料是一個分界線，在唐人筆記《玄怪錄》和《河?xùn)|記》中，人物、情節(jié)和結(jié)構(gòu)的發(fā)展都已相當(dāng)豐滿，兩位作者工于敘事，技藝嫻熟，把“烈士”和道士的形象塑造得栩栩如生，達(dá)到相當(dāng)中國化的程度。
王邦維教授的研究意見是，也不能因為《烈士池》已在一些國家具有本地的流行性，這種現(xiàn)象還比較多見，就斷定它的前世今生。為什么今天要研究《烈士池》？原因不僅僅在于它來自印度，還要考慮怎樣解釋它的文學(xué)價值？王教授的聚焦點是，《烈士池》是印度故事，但《大唐西域記》的作者是中國高僧唐玄奘。唐玄奘把印度故事收入自己的中文書中，介紹給印度以外的國家，當(dāng)然主要是中國，這就產(chǎn)生了跨文化之舉。此文本在中國產(chǎn)生了連鎖反應(yīng)，結(jié)果對中國古代文學(xué)史而不是佛教史產(chǎn)生了變革作用，對這種“跨”來的轉(zhuǎn)變就要進(jìn)行研究，要點有二：1）一個印度故事，經(jīng)過跨地理、跨歷史、跨社會的流傳，在“烈士”的概念上產(chǎn)生了變化，孱入了新的含義，而概念的變化就是一個點，需要聚焦；2）印度故事連環(huán)成套，這種形態(tài)中國過去沒有。唐代以后才有，應(yīng)該說，印度故事的輸入，促進(jìn)了中國故事線性敘事向連環(huán)體形式的轉(zhuǎn)變，我國后來出現(xiàn)的章回連環(huán)小說已在《烈士池》中初具大端。
三、跨文化的文化解讀
什么是跨文化研究的文化價值？這是王邦維教授此課的又一個重點，他在研究目標(biāo)和方法也值得注意。他認(rèn)為，印度文本被他者記錄和解讀的結(jié)果，未必代表印度人原來的想法。玄奘在《大唐西域記》中談到的現(xiàn)象和所作的解釋，其實印度人也未必都那么想。玄奘久居印度，也與印度高僧有很多辯論和交流，深得印度高僧的認(rèn)可，但這不等于文化同化。一個關(guān)鍵問題是，玄奘記載的《烈士池》就不是佛經(jīng)故事，而是一個在印度當(dāng)?shù)亓鱾鞯墓适?，但這個故事流傳到中國，增加了佛教色彩，如輪回觀念；也增加了道家思想，如《河?xùn)|記》對“蕭洞玄(道士)”和“終無為(烈士)”的塑造。還有，所有中國文本都否定出世，肯定入世，宣揚的是儒家“親親”的倫理價值觀。此外，歷代文人學(xué)士用力著墨于“慎無言”，是否具有哲學(xué)思辨的傾向？追求大化無言、大音希聲的至高境界？也不妨從這個方向多少做一些思考。上述中國思想成分都是原來印度故事中所沒有的。
王教授還指出，跨文化研究要注意跨民族性。我國西部青藏高原地區(qū)和印度、巴基斯坦、阿富汗、烏茲別克斯坦等毗鄰國家，還有另一種類似“無言”主題的故事文本，如印度古代梵文故事集《僵尸鬼故事二十五則》和在我國西藏和青海地區(qū)流傳的《尸語故事》。這類故事都有“不說話”能帶來好品德或好結(jié)果的訓(xùn)誡。把這類故事與《烈士池》的故事合起來看，能看到文化多樣性，也能看到會“跨”的故事獨具特征。王邦維教授的講課要言不煩、抽絲剝繭，實證細(xì)密而氣象博大。在不知不覺中，帶領(lǐng)師生穿越歷史的文本，進(jìn)入理論的勝境。跨文化研究的文化價值，就在于找到這種文化轉(zhuǎn)場。文化轉(zhuǎn)場是跨文化研究的核心概念兼方法。王教授的授課正是一次跨文化研究目標(biāo)和方法的生動演示，深入淺出而思想深邃。三個小時的授課倏忽而逝，大家仍然意猶未盡。
王邦維教授《“烈士無言”與“生死之夢”：一個故事的文學(xué)及文化解讀》授課現(xiàn)場（2022年4月9日）
青海師范大學(xué)文學(xué)院副院長劉曉林教授做了課程總結(jié)，他高度評價王邦維教授的治學(xué)將傳統(tǒng)與創(chuàng)新結(jié)合、將實證與理論結(jié)合，體系博大，厚積薄發(fā)。青海師范大學(xué)民族師范學(xué)院藏語文研究專家吉太加教授熱情地回應(yīng)說，在青海藏族人民的精神世界中，《尸語故事》占有不同尋常的重要位置。在他的家鄉(xiāng)青海貴德縣，藏民家庭的老人世世代代給孩子講《尸語故事》，藏民以這種傳統(tǒng)方式教育人們恪守戒律，積德行善。民族師范學(xué)院的藏族青年學(xué)者卓澤加副教授說，《大唐西域記》在青海和西藏地區(qū)影響也很大，近年還出版了公貢布加譯本、工布查布譯本和次仁頓珠譯本等一批藏文譯著。多民族語言文本可以拓展《大唐西域記》的研究空間，促進(jìn)內(nèi)地高校與西部高校的學(xué)術(shù)交流。
Postgraduate General Course of the First-Level Discipline
Chinese Language and Literature of Qinghai Normal University
“Methodology of Transcultural Study on Chinese Society and Culture” Invites
Professor Wang Bangwei to Deliver Lecture on:
“The Silence of Hero” and “The Dream of Life and Death”:
The Literary and Cultural Interpretation of a Story
On April 9th, 2022, the fifth lecture of “Methodology of Transcultural Study on Chinese Society and Culture”, postgraduate general course of the first-level discipline Chinese Language and Literature of Qinghai Normal University, was delivered online by Professor Wang Bangwei from Peking University. The title of his lecture is: “The Silence of Hero” and “The Dream of Life and Death”: The Literary and Cultural Interpretation of a Story. Due to the impact of COVID-19, this lecture was still conducted by remote network teaching, with real-time synchronous classes in Xining and Beijing. More than 70 participants attended the lecture online, including postgraduates and teachers from College of Chinese Language and Literature of Qinghai Normal University, Teachers College for Nationalities of Qinghai Normal University, Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability of Qinghai Normal University, College of Transcultural Studies of Beijing Normal University, and European Universities. Academic type of postgraduate students from College of Chinese Language and Literature of Qinghai Normal University enrolled in 2021 and 2022 attended the lecture. Professor Liu Xiaolin, vice dean of College of Chinese Language and Literature, QNU, presided over the lecture.
The texts used by Professor Wang Bangwei were excerpts from Hero’s Pond (or Life-saving Pond) from Five Countries, the seventh volume of The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions. The team of professors Ji Xianlin and Wang Bangwei from Peking University conducted long-term research on The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions and achieved important results, winning the first prize of the National Book Award of China. In this lecture, Professor Wang Bangwei made a transcultural study of Hero’s Pond and put forward a new interpretation.
I. Transcultural Resource System
Professor Wang Bangwei’s research on Hero’s Pond is based on a rigorous system with fertile historical resources, which can be divided into three levels: first, basic resources from The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions. Second, important resources from historical documents of Tang Dynasty as well as Buddhist scriptures collected by Xuanzang in India at that time. Third, relevant historical materials of cultural exchange between China and India.
II. Transcultural Literary Analysis
Returning to the text is the method used in the study of Hero’s Pond by Professor Wang Bangwei. He pointed out that the Indian “Hero”, originally referring to silent martyr, is very different from the way Chinese people understand this word today. After this story moved out of India, it changed a lot in different countries, regions and ethnic groups, generating various variations. Tang Dynasty was an open era. Scholars of Tang Dynasty were very willing to absorb the stories Xuanzang brought back from India. Hero’s Pond had the largest number of variations in Tang Dynasty, such as Youyang Za Zu by Duan Chengshi, Xuan Guai Lu by Niu Sengru and He Dong Ji by Xue Yusi. Later generations also had such stories in Records of the Taiping Era compiled by Li Fang in Song Dynasty and Stories to Awaken the World by Feng Menglong in Ming Dynasty. Japanese author Ryunosuke Akutagawa published an adapted novel called Du Zichun. A new play Du Zichun was staged at Peking University a few years ago. It is said that there has been a cartoon version of Du Zichun. According to Professor Wang Bangwei, Xuan Guai Lu and He Dong Ji developed Hero’s Pond adequately, reaching a considerable degree of Chinese style.
There is an important point of view from Professor Wang Bangwei. According to him, previous or present life of a story cannot be concluded arbitrarily just because this story is popular locally in different countries and the phenomenon is relatively common. Hero’s Pond is an ancient Indian story. Why do people study it today? The reason is not just that it is an Indian story. We focus on the fact that Hero’s Pond is an Indian story, but the author of The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions is a Chinese man, Xuanzang. He took Indian stories into his Chinese books and introduced them to other countries outside India, mainly China of course. In doing so, Xuanzang made a remarkable transcultural move which had a transformative effect on the history of ancient Chinese literature rather than the history of Buddhism. There are three main points: 1) The transfer of the concept of “hero” occurred through the spread of Indian legends across geography, history and society. 2) The literary thinking, structure and thematic pattern of Indian stories were integrated, which did not exist in China until Tang Dynasty. The import of such Indian works helped to transform the genre of Chinese fiction.
III. Transcultural Cultural Interpretation
What is the cultural research value of transcultural texts? This is another important point of Professor Wang Bangwei’s lecture. He also made the noteworthy point that certain Indian texts which were handed down to people of other countries for interpretation did not represent what the Indians originally thought. He emphasized that Xuanzang’s cognition of the Indian scriptures and his interpretation of Indian myths and legends in The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions were not necessarily what Indians thought. Xuanzang, who lived in India for a long time, was recognized by Indian eminent monks and had many debates and exchanges with them, but this did not amount to cultural assimilation. Hero’s Pond is not a Buddhist story, but in the process of Chinese people’s acceptance of this story, it gradually has Buddhist colors, such as the concept of reincarnation, and Confucian thoughts, such as the idea that men are better than women, and the metaphor of men turning to women. There are also Taoist thoughts in it, such as the portrayal of “Xiao Dong Xuan” and the notion of “ultimately doing nothing”.
Anyway, most of the “hero” narratives in China deny “out of the world” and affirm “into the world”. Choosing the Confucian values is regarded as a cultural transition. In addition, whether the so-called “prudent silence” has the tendency of philosophical speculation can also be examined from this perspective.