Qiao Ji's (sic)(sic) (c. 1280-1345) "Songs of the Fisherman" (Yufuci (sic)(sic)(sic))navigates the intricacies of literati identity within the specific sociopolitical context of the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Through a comparative analysis of Qiao's work with Zhang Zhihe's(sic)(sic)(sic) (fl. the eighth century) canonical model of the songs of the fisherman, I highlight the establishment of binary opposition and hierarchy between eremitism and government service in Qiao's songs, songs that in turn justify reclusion as the ideal mode of literati life. But while Qiao extolled reclusion he could not entirely sever his ties to the value system of the secular world. Thus his songs shed light on the complex and contradictory psychological experience of an intellectual attempting to legitimize eremitism as a path toward self-realization amidst the political and societal constraints in the early fourteenth century.
This article examines the social networks of the West Lake Lotus Society, an influential Buddhist community founded by the monk Xingchang (sic)(sic) (959-1020) in Hangzhou. Established in 990, the society attracted over one thousand devotees, including high-ranking officials in the capital. Using social network analysis of a newly discovered source,Anthology on Organizing the Lotus Society at Zhaoqing Temple at West Lake in Hangzhou ( n *11 (sic)(sic)E1 ((sic)(sic)(sic)7J ), I demonstrate how the society brought together prominent scholar-officials in the capital and Buddhist elites in the Jiangnan region. The analysis reveals how a coterie of capital officials, connected through civil examination and academic institute networks, were linked through poetry to the monastic elite of Hangzhou headed by Xingchang. By illuminating these multifaceted networks, this study provides new insight into how the imperial unification in 979 facilitated integration of southern Buddhist traditions with northern literati culture in the early Northern Song, and opens up new perspectives on the changing nature of Buddhist patronage and literati engagement with religion during the Five Dynasties-Northern Song transition.
