Dream of the Red Chamber by Tsao Hsueh-Chin

Such practices attributed to Ancient Chinese societal structure followed by the Jia clan and their household help include filial piety, ancestor worship and the belief in spirits. Other Taoist elements include Bao-yu’s Phantom Realm which is similar to that of a Taoist’s Dream-land, monks coming to perform funeral rites, visits to monasteries, mystic medicine and protective charms.Īnd while Baoyu refused to ascribe to Confucianism, he followed many of its traditional practices without ascribing to its study in part due to his Confucist father, Jia Zheng. Jia Baoyu is said to have been born with jade in his mouth which is an elemental allusion to the spiritual realm concurrent with Taoism’s primordial creation myth of the three pure ones. As the compound is in close proximity to many monasteries there are many instances of visiting nuns responsible for blessing birthdays and celebrations as well as assisting in prayers and mourning. Throughout the chapters the author also makes allusions to famous Buddhist texts in various character’s compositions and stanzas. In the end Jia Baoyu renounces the world and becomes a Buddhist monk.

Jia Baoyu’s philosophies are predominately shaped by the influences of Buddhism can be seen in such instances as when he is angry or upset instead of confronting the issue he finds a quiet place to practice Zen. The novel mixes elements of Buddhism and Taoism as well as bits of ancient Confucianism as it is a reflection of the intermingling of religious beliefs at the time.

As for light and dark, each character is neither wholly good nor wholly bad. Where there is great joy in Xue Baochai’s marriage there is great sorrow for the family in Daiyu’s passing because of her broken heart over the marriage. The novel opens with the quote that “Truth becomes fiction when the fiction is true Real becomes not-real where the unreal’s real” which sets the tone for a family dynasty where the line between the phantom realm and mundane daily life is hazy and the author’s fictional clan and events emulate his own upbringing and family.Īn example of good fortune begetting suffering is that the emperor’s favor was responsible for the Jia family’s reputation and wealth and yet it is this same wealth and seeming security that brings in the decay of the household’s good graces thus causes their downfall in having their assets seized by the same government. Paramount to Chinese philosophy this concept of opposites complimenting each other can be seen throughout the saga such as the idea of light and dark, good fortune and suffering, and most notably fiction and reality. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

Dream of the Red Chamber by Tsao Hsueh-Chin