Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.2, 2019

Chinese Aesthetic Spirits On “Shixin”

(Abstract)

Ke Hanlin

The term “shixin” has scarcely been used as a category in traditional Chinese poetic works, though in Shi wei or Shi Weft Texts one can read that “poetry is the heart of heaven and earth”. It is neither an expression of “shixin” as a poetic concept, nor about poetry being the center or the core between heaven and earth. Instead, it explains the relation between Shijing (Book of Songs) and “the heart of heaven and earth”, the latter referring to “tiandao” (the way of heaven) in terms of the changes of yin and yang. Shijing fits with and embodies the way of heaven, hence the line “poetry is the heart of heaven and earth”. According to Confucius’ understanding of Shijing, “shixin” denotes the inner spirit of Shijing and the mind of poet. In a broader sense, it can be understood as the poet’s mind in poetry creation, as“artistic mind” or “aesthetic mind”. It is a kind of “mind of virtue” as well as “mind of wisdom”, which fuses Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, and Chan Buddhism. “Shixin” is characterized by emotion or affection, and features an aesthetic mind of transcendence, freedom and following the natural way. An aesthetic mind as such is the psychological prerequisite for creating the poetic realm.