Study On The Relations Between The Image-numerological Yi Studies And The Creation Of The Novel Journey To The West

The relation between the image-numerological Yi studies and the novel Journey to the West is an important issue in the study of the novel. It not only refers to all the three levers of the research on the novel, such as "literature lever, culture/religion lever and image-numerology/symbol level and has great impact on them, but also covers different historical space and time of the research from the Ming and Qing Dynasty to the present. So, it is of important meaning to make clear the issue in order to know correctly the basic problems of the study on the novel such as theme, figures, principals of creation, etc, and to know correctly the research works with the view of the image-numerological Yi studies on the novel.The researching method of this essay is as follows:by investigating the effects of the method of the image-numerological analysis on the study of the novel Journey to the West and its evolution through out the history from Ming dynasty to the present time, and analyzing the main works in the view of the image-numerological analysis in the history of the study, develops a new way of the image-numerological analysis to solve the problems in the study of the novel at the present time.The whole essay is divided into3parts:introduction, the first part and the second part. In the part of introduction, it gives a brief explanation to the basic concepts, principles, developments and evolutions of the image-numerological Yi studies and the intimate relationship between the image-numerological Yi studies and the tradition of image-thinking.The first part is the study on the creation of the novel Journey to the West in the view of the image-numerological Yi studies. It divided into7charters. The charter1is trying to review the different stages of study in the view of the image-numerological analysis on the novel Journey to the West in history from Ming dynasty to the present time. It can be concluded that the studies on the creation of the novel Journey to the West in Ming and Qing Dynasties in the view of the image-numerological analysis presents the highest academic level among the three different stages. The method based on the image-numerological Yi studies was criticized and abandoned thoroughly in modern times and was recovered to some extent until1980's.Among the chart2-6are in-depth researches in five different works about the novel Journey to the West. Mister Li Zhuo-wu's comments on the novel Journey to the West written by Ye Zhou in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), presented the beginning of the analyzing method based on the image-numerological Yi studies. Xi You Zheng Dao Shu (a book that can be used to prove the theory of Daoism) written by Wang Xiang-xu in the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) gave an example of the development of the method based on the image-numerological Yi studies. Xi You Zheng Quan (A Real Explanation to the Journey to the West) written by Chen Shi-bin in the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) was one of the greatest classical works in the studies of the novel in the view of the image-numerological Yi studies. Xi You Yuan Zhi (Original Purport of the Journey to the West) written by Liu Yi-ming in the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) presented the highest level of the research on the novel in the view of the image-numerological Yi studies. Li An-gang is one of the fewest researchers in the present time whose'work can penetrated in the level of the image-numerology/symbol.The main idea of chart7can be concluded that the studies on the novel in three different levels can coexist and be benefit from it by knowing the difference of their own purports and methods. And to use the method based on the image-numerological Yi studies, there's a premise to respect the image-numerological Yi studies as the knowledge.The second part is consisting of8,9,10charters which mainly explains the "Liu He Method"(a method of studying the principles of creation of the novel Journey to the West from six different aspects such as theories, symbols, numbers, names, events, feelings). The charter8is an explanation of the basic concepts, theories, methods and importance of the "Liu He Method" which based on the theories of the Dao (way) of the Gold Alchemy and the image-numerological Yi studies. The main idea of the "Liu He Method" is that every one of the six factors should be accord with at least one of the other five factors. And because of this reason, the "Liu He Method" has the function of self-verification. It also links up the researches in macroscopic view and microscopic view and builds a bridge between the study of creation and explanation of the novel.The charter9gives the examples of explaining the novel by means of the "Liu He Method". And the charter10tries to give new explanations to some difficult problems in the studies of the novel Journey to the West. First, it is believed that the author of the novel must be a master of "Dandao".(the Taoist theory for inner elixir) and the image-numerological Yi studies. Second, the appendix of the novel Journey to the West (Beijing:People's Literature Publishing House,1991) is the organic part of the whole story that illustrates the Taoist theory for inner elixir. Third, the plot of taking Bribes in charter98is not the sarcasm to the Buddhism but the metaphor of the Taoist theory for inner elixir. Forth, the development of the stories of "Yulan Guanyin "(one of the32images of the Great Mercy Mantra of Guanyin Bodhisattva) illustrates the Taoist theory for inner elixir by means of the image-numerological Yi studies.Finally, it concludes that the stories of Tang Seng's Journey is only the epidermis while the Taoist theory for inner elixir is the inner core of the whole book. Between the two of them is the image-numerological Yi studies which links the stories and the Taoist theory for inner elixir."Liu He Method" is just the key to decode the whole stories.