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Found across Daoist scriptures and ritual hymns of the fourth and fifth centuries, the term ‘Pacing the Void’ (buxu) was adapted into the linguistic repertoire of writers and became associated with a specific literary form, the “Lyric for Pacing the Void” (buxu ci). While the model for this poetry was the hymn found ten-stanza hymn found in the Scripture for Pacing the Void to the Jade Capitoline Mountain (Yujing shan buxu jing), part of the early Numinous Treasure (Lingbao) corpus, poets took great license in altering the themes, structure, and sentiments of the hymn to craft their own versions. Compiled by Guo Maoqian (1041–1099), the Collection of Music Bureau Poetry (Yuefu shiji) distinguishes buxu ci as a distinct poetic category, which contains versions written by ten different authors, the majority from the Tang period (618–907). Among the buxu poems preserved in this collection, three stand out for their length. Both Yu Xin (513–581), whose piece heads the buxu section of the Yuefu shiji, and Wu Yun (d. 778) crafted ten-stanza versions, clearly in imitation of the Lingbao hymn, though reflecting quite different concerns. Wei Qumou’s (749–801) nineteen buxu stanzas are by far the lengthiest selections preserved therein. This paper focuses on the selection by Wei Qumou, drawing comparisons to Wu Yun’s piece, in order to explore how authors addressed the connections between cultivation, heavenly ascension, and the Dao.
Biographical sources note that Wei initially studied longevity and cultivation methods on Mount Mao, as well as Buddhist ritual methods in present-day Jiangsu province. Later on, around 784, he entered government service and rose quickly to a number of high-ranking positions in Emperor Dezong’s (r. 779–805) administration. He personally impressed the ruler on several occasions and became his trusted confidante. Wei’s buxu poems likely stem from the period prior to his official career, when he was much more involved in Daoist communities. He was a contemporary of Wu Yun and crossed paths with him on at least one occasion, as evidenced by one extant linked-verse (lianju) selection.
Wei’s stanzas share a common theme with Wu’s—the celebration of the process and fruits of Daoist cultivation. Though despite their broad thematic overlap, the poems’ manifold differences suggest quite different visions of Daoist cultivation and experience. Wu writes of a celestial journey to the court of the highest deity of the Lingbao pantheon, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Commencement (Yuanshi tianzun) and beyond the outer reaches of the heavens, culminating in a final triumphant union with the Dao. It is a carefully structured experience of cultivation and ascension. Yet, Wei’s narrative dwells on the fantastic scenes of the heavens, interspersed with a hodgepodge of allusions to various regimes of practice, some with clear provenance in Supreme Purity (Shangqing) lore and texts. Though the loose narrative and structure seems to offer some path into the heavens, Wei’s vision of ascendence never comes to a definitive close beyond appointment in the celestial bureaucracy. I argue that the emphases and endpoint depicted in the two poems, ostensibly of the same genre, reflect a key difference in Daoist poetry, that between ecstatic and mystical visions of Daoist practice.
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
The production of ‘Pacing the Void’ lyrics accelerated in the Tang dynasty (618–907), a period that saw two lengthy versions produced by writers associated with Daoist cultivation practices, Wu Yun (d. 778) and Wei Qumou (749–801). This paper compares these two pieces, examining their structure, narrative, language, and imagery. Each gestures to Daoist regimens of practice, notably those of the Supreme Purity (Shangqing) tradition, which was prevalent during this historical period. Moreover, they both celebrate the wondrous sights and scenes of the Daoist heavens, as the practitioner ascends. Nevertheless, despite such similarities, the poems’ manifold differences suggest quite different visions of Daoist cultivation and experience. The culmination of such practices, as presented by both authors, reveals a key distinction in Daoist poetry, that is, between ecstatic and mystical visions of Daoist practice.