World  (Shih-shuo  Hsin-yuu).  It also  records  the

　　   skirmishes between the "Conformist" Confucian forces

　　   and  the  "Naturalist"   Taoist   camp,  vying   for

　　   political control of the court. The execution of the

　　   out-spoken  naturalist proponent Hsi K'ang (223-262)

　　   was a strong inducement  for more veiled expressions

　　   in a poetic form. Thus, Juan Chi (210-263) contrasts

　　   the broad vision of the Naturalists  with the narrow

　　   vision of the Conformists  using the imagery  of the

　　   crane and the small birds:

　　　　  Amid the clouds there is a dark-hued crane;

　　　　  With high resolve  it lifts its mournful  sound.

　　　　  Once flown from sight into the blue-green  sky.

　　　　  In all the world it will not cry again.

　　　　  What has it to  do with  quails  and  sparrows

　　　　  Flapping their wings in play within the central

　　　　  court? (22)

　　   One could  readily  conclude  that Buddhism  offered

　　   ever greater  attractions  for the disappointed  and

　　   embattled  Taoist  forces  as a means to escape  the

　　   domination  of their  Confucian  foes.  The  general

　　   openness  of the intellectual  climate  during  this

　　   period facilitated a Taoist-Buddhist synthesis among

　　   the literati.(23) These develop-

　　   ────────────

　　   (21) John  C.H.Wu, The  Golden  Age  of Zen,  rev.ed

　　　　   ( Taipei,  Taiwan : United  Publishing  Center,

　　　　   1975), p.44

　　   (22) Note  the  poet's  allusion  to  the  differing

　　　　   visions  of the P'eng bird and the little  dove

　　　　   in  the  first  chapter   of  the  Chuang  Tzu,

　　　　   respectively  representing  Great Knowledge (ta

　　　　   chih) and Small Knowledge (hsiao chih).  Quoted

　　　　   by Richard B.Mather in his introduction  to Liu

　　　　   I-ch'ing's  Shih-shuo Hsin-yu: A New Account of

　　　　   Tales of the World (Minneapolis: University  of

　　　　   Minnesota   Press,  1976) ,  p.xix.   See  also

　　　　   Mather's informative discussion of the conflict

　　　　   between the Naturalists and the Conformists  in

　　　　   this essay.

　　　　　　　　　　　　  P.356

　　   ments are reflected in the pages of the New Tales of