Water and the Concept of Self

A monochrome painting of the Snowy Stream by Wang Wei in a more spontaneous technique called pomo (“broken ink”), using varying shades of ink washes.

Wang Wei and Śūnyatā

Furthermore, water has also been frequently used as a symbol of emptiness and inner tranquility to advance the poets’ understanding of the idealistic way and purpose of life. For example, the portrayal of different bodies of water (such as rivers, streams, and fountains) in Wang Wei’s poems aided the portrayal of a harmonious, dynamic, free, and idealistic ideological world that the poet longed for, which further inspires the readers to explore the Śūnyatā (roughly translates as "all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature”) tenet that Buddhism advocates for.

A Green Creek (青溪)

To find the Yellow Flower River

One follows the waters of Green Creek

Through the mountains in ten-thousand turns.

But only a few miles, at most.

Sounds drown among the wild rocks,

And colors quiet within deep pines.

Water chestnuts bob lightly.

And reeds and rushes shine

In the clear, stilling waters.

My heart and the river are equally at peace.

Let me sit upon a large, flat rock

And drop my line and hook forever.

In this poem, Wang Wei almost personified the green creek, endowing it with human-life characteristics of both dynamic livelihood and serenity. The depiction of clear water (particularly in the line “In the clear, stilling waters”) reflects his own aspiration of maintaining a noble and unsullied character as well as an indifferent attitude towards fame and power by distancing himself from the mundane political struggles. The line “My heart and the river are equally at peace” directly ties the inner peace and tranquility that Wang Wei pursues with the peacefulness of the river, further emphasizing the ideological and metaphorical meanings of serenity and calmness that water carries. Overall, the imagery of water painted throughout the poem strongly evokes the sense of emptiness. For example, the peaceful descriptions of “the waters of Green Creek” and the lines “Sounds drown among the wild rocks, And colors quiet within deep pines.” all generates a deep sense of void and stillness. This strongly resonates with the idea of emptiness in the doctrines of Buddhism, further demonstrating a conception of the lack of inherent existence of beings in the world. By portraying the emptiness in the Green Creek and the related scenery, Wang Wei effectively expresses that the sense of self or “I” here is not inherently valid or proper, just as argued by the Buddhist philosophy of Śūnyatā. The harmonious integration between the poet himself and the peaceful river diminishes the existence of an independent self and reevaluates the relationship between the mind and the body.

Li Bai and the Existence of an Intrinsic Self

On the other hand, although Li Bai also frequently connected water with emptiness, in contrast with Wang Wei, Li Bai’s sense of emptiness is filled more with the spontaneity of nature and an inherent existence of self, as opposed to the “selfless” concept in Wang Wei’s Buddhist ideals. For instance, as he wrote in the poem Farewell with Zhiti Song in Jiangxia, “Water in Yangtze River is so clean, almost like empty, Pouring into the green ocean which is at far distance. Soon we will be separated, thousand miles away, Let’s leave the sorrowful sentiment in the wine vessels.” The emptiness of water is a vivid depiction of the beauty and cleanliness of the water in the Yangtze River, which emphasizes the inherent magnificence of nature. Though both Li Bai and Wang Wei portray the clear and unsullied nature of water, Li Bai imparts it with characteristics of himself and uses it as a motif to express the value of his own individual existence. In other words, the emptiness and the unrestrained nature of Li Bai’s water emphasizes his own emotions and characters. In this sense, Li Bai’s water possesses an intrinsic energy and vibrance, further inviting the readers to explore the great spontaneity inherent in the existence of water and nature. This implicit emphasis on the beauty and spontaneous order of the universe largely stemmed from his affiliation with the Daoist ideals. By resorting to “leave the sorrowful sentiment in the wine vessels”, Li Bai attempts to escape from the mundane world and to further find inner peace with himself, much adhering to the Daoist tradition of letting go of one’s earthly desires.

Another monochrome painting of the Stream and Mountains by Wang Wei.