The term "Zhuó Li Ji Cha" (着力即差), which means "Efforts Leading to Failures" was coined by Chinese artist and philosopher Su Dongpo (苏東坡 1037-1101). Song Dynasty (960-1279), the era in which Su Dongpo lived, referred as "The Chinese Renaissance” by Ernest F. Fenollosa was a time of great achievements in Chinese culture. During this period, Chan (禅) Buddhism which had appeared during the Tang Dynasty, became a mainstream ideology. Myōan Eisai (明菴栄西 1141-1215) and other Buddhist priests introduced to Japan as Zen, flourished under the Shogunate of Ashikaga Yoshimizu（足川義満 1358–1408) and profoundly impacting Japanese arts and aesthetics. Su Dongpo’s philosophy is closely connected to Su's beliefs of "Shan Jiao He Yi" (三教合一) which has been explored in the context of research on Su ’s poetry and artworks. This essay will explore the concept of "Zhuó Li Ji Cha" (着力即差) through his nearly 100 poems related to music and sounds along with his composition of guqin piece "鹤舞洞天" (Crane Dance in Dongtian) and the lyrics for guqin piece “Song of a Drunken Men ("醉翁吟). Specifically, it will analyze Su’s "Natural Rhythm" in light of Ji Kang (嵇康 223-262), Tao Yuanming (陶渊明 364-421), and the ancient worship of the “God of Wine” (酒神). The analysis carried out in this work calls into question of Western logic and knowledge-based paradigms. Furthermore, aiming to take as a departing point to understand the concept of "Spirituality" in connection with the concept of "Zhuó Li Ji Cha" (着力即差), A further reflection regarding the meaning in the East and West for the dream of the “New Rationality” in the interconnected world.

Authors:
Ling Sayuri Chen, Independent Scholar, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Ling Sayuri CHEN is an Independent Scholar and Former Research Fellow at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies. Her research has focused on the concept of "Integration" through the examination of ancient Asian arts and rituals.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ling-sayuri-c-000649280/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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