Introduction to the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest

The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest refer to the seven people of Ji Kang, Ruan Yuan, ShanTao, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Wang Rong, and Ruan Xian during the Three Kingdoms Wei Zheng Dynasty (240-249 years). Because he often drank, sang, and drank under the bamboo forest of Shanyang County at that time, he was known as the Seven Sages, and later together with the place name Bamboo Forest, the Seven People were the representative figures of metaphysics at that time, although their ideological tendencies were different. Ji Kang, Ruan Yuan, Liu Ling, and Ruan Xian always advocated the study of Lao Zhuang and "let nature go beyond the name of teaching", Shan Tao and Wang Rong were good at lao Zhuang and mixed with Confucianism, and Xiang Xiu advocated the unity of famous religion and nature. They are informal, quiet and inactive, gathering in the bamboo forest to drink and sing songs. Metaphysics emphasizes the spiritual pursuit and philosophical realm of "Tao" and "nothingness" that transcend nature and the universe. The rise of metaphysics is related to the deepening of the social crisis at the end of the Han Dynasty, the disintegration of the Han Dynasty and the decline of scripture, because under the influence of orthodox metaphysics, the absurd and strange deeds of famous scholars such as Ji Kang are actually manifestations of self-disclosure, self-awareness, and spiritual awakening and promotion. With its unique style, it shows the spiritual world of the "bamboo forest metaphysics" of the crazy celebrities, and the works expose and satirize the hypocrisy of sima court. Ji Kang: Good Guqin, works include "Qin Fu", "Sound Without Sorrow", "Difficult Nature and Good Learning", "Health Theory", "Renunciation book with Shan Juyuan", "Gift Show Before Entering the Army Poem". Ruan Xian: Produced the instrument of the same name - "Ruan Xian", proficient in musical rhythm, but left no works in literature Liu Ling: good drinking, the heirloom work "Wine Desong" Xiang Xiu: After the collapse of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, there was written "Thinking of the Old Endowment" Ruan Book: The legendary work "Biography of Mr. Adult", similar in style to Liu Ling's "Wine Desong", the poems stored in the "YongHuai Poems" eighty-two poems, the non-cooperation attitude of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, such as "Dazhuang Theory" and "Writing for Zheng Chong to Persuade the King of Jin", was not tolerated by the Sima court, and finally fell apart: Ruan, Liu Ling, Ji Kang did not cooperate with Sima Court, Ji Kang was killed, and Ruan Ji fled in a frenzy. Wang Rong and Shan Tao defected to the Sima court, and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest eventually scattered in the west and east. Although their creations are obviously different from Jian'an literature, and a general sense of crisis and disillusionment appears, they still reflect the political reality of this period, and in basic spirit, they still inherit the tradition of "Jian'an wind and bone". At that time, the society was in a period of turmoil, and the struggle between the Sima and Cao clans for power was extremely cruel, resulting in the people's livelihood. The scribes were not only unable to display their talents, but also worried about life all the time, so they advocated the philosophy of Lao Zhuang, sought spiritual sustenance from the illusory immortal realm, and used the forms of talking, drinking, and pretending to be crazy to dispel the depressed mood, and the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" became the representative of the literati in this period.