熱鬧場中 度化有緣：從明末清初佛教中人戲曲創作觀點看戲佛融通的可能性及其創作規範=A Study on the Possibility of the Integrating Drama and Buddhism and the Creative Scope from the Perspective of Buddhist Drama Creation in the Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties
In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties when Buddhism was rejuvenated, believers tried to express their beliefs by drama. Tu Long first conveyed the idea of monasticism through his dramas. His “Tan Hua Ji”, “Tsai Hao Ji” and “Siou Wun Ji” are works on human salvation, revealing the path from the secular life to the monastic life. He believed dramas are one essential salvation means for the Buddha but he had been questioned for this, as drama may “mislead people away from the right path their desires should follow.” Chin Da’s “Gui Yuan Jing” was also accused, so he wrote “Xi Ju Rong Tong”, “Wen Da Yin Yuan”and “Ke Wen Jue Yi”to elaborate the fusion of Chinese opera and Buddhism and underscored Buddha’s five essential salvation elements: Dharma, worldly truth, words, prosody and popular culture. Both dramatists incorporated theories in their creation, in which the creative ideas highlight “truth” and “popularity”. The truth of content and beliefs was underscored to fully manifest the divine meanings contained, and the use of popular language was emphasized to promote Buddhism. Besides, actors and audience must follow certain rules to transform dramas into a ritual of religious significance; this helped erase the Buddhism and drama opposition.
