Viewed across the full arc of Bai Juyi’s life and writings, his thoughts and poetry exhibit a distinct transformation: in his early period, he inclined toward “improving the world,” centering his creative energy on “satirical poetry”; in his later years, he turned toward “self-cultivation,” expressed primarily through the poetry of “leisurely ease.” This shift indicates that Bai Juyi experienced a significant “turning.” Existing scholarship has largely focused on delineating the temporal boundary of this transition. In contrast, this paper seeks to examine the underlying cause of Bai Juyi’s “turning,” arguing that it stemmed from his existential awareness of unfreedom, derived from being-in-the-world and beingin-the-official.
The discussion unfolds in three parts: first, a discussion of the ancient usage of the Chinese word “freedom,” particularly its use in Bai Juyi’s poetry; secondly, based on Bai Juyi’s life experience, analyze the basic existential situation that led him to experience unfreedom; and finally, an exploration of Bai Juyi’s pursuit of freedom through his garden dwellings, health preservation, and self-writing, as well as the construction of a leisurely self-reflected in these practices.
The discussion unfolds in three parts: first, a discussion of the ancient usage of the Chinese word “freedom,” particularly its use in Bai Juyi’s poetry; secondly, based on Bai Juyi’s life experience, analyze the basic existential situation that led him to experience unfreedom; and finally, an exploration of Bai Juyi’s pursuit of freedom through his garden dwellings, health preservation, and self-writing, as well as the construction of a leisurely self-reflected in these practices.
Page：
151-190
Keywords：
Bai Juyi, freedom, leisurely ease, moderate hermitage, fundamental question
