the World ( shih-shuo  Hsin-yu ),  where the Taoist-

　　   Buddhist interactions are documented. Among the most

　　   influential  of the Buddhists  was the monk Chih Tun

　　   (314-366), who was highly regarded for his eloquence

　　   and scholarship,including creative reinterpretations

　　   of  such  Taoist  texts  as  the  Chuang  Tzu.   His

　　   importance  can  be gauged  from  the fact  that  he

　　   merited   nearly   fifty  mentions   in  the  Tales.

　　   Commenting  on a comparison between erudition in the

　　   North  as opposed  to the  South, Chih  Tun utilized

　　   both metaphorical  language  and an allusion  to the

　　   Taoists' distrust of language:

　　　　  Sages  and  worthies, of course, are  those  who

　　　　  'forget  speech,' but  if  we're  talking  about

　　　　  people  from the middle  range down, the reading

　　　　  of the Northerners is like viewing the moon in a

　　　　  bright   place,  while  the  erudition   of  the

　　　　  Southerners  is like peering at the sun  through

　　　　  a window.(24)

　　　　  The   Tales  also  demonstrate  the   continuing

　　   prominence  of poetic  expression  in all  walks  of

　　   life-from  political  intrigue  to social criticism,

　　   literary  fame to refined entertainment.  The poetic

　　   preference  for interweaving  the strongly imagistic

　　   Taoist terminology into one's work gradually evolved

　　   toward Buddhist doctrine.(25)

　　   T'ao Ch'ien

　　　　  The poet T'ao Ch'ien  (365-427;  also known  as

　　   T'ao Yuan-ming) represents a transitional  figure in

　　   the  increasing   rapport  of  Taoist  and  Buddhist

　　   currents.  He was on intimate terms with individuals

　　   from  both  groups.  Especially  noteworthy  is  his

　　   connection  with monks from the White  Lotus Society

　　   that eventually developed into Ch'an Buddhism.

　　　　  T'ao  Ch'ien has been hailed for both his poetic

　　   prowess and his spiritual re-

　　   ────────────

　　   (23) For  a detailed  discussion of this climate see

　　　　   Kenneth  Ch'en, "Neo-Taoism  and  the  Praj~naa

　　　　   School  during  the  Wei and  Chin  Dynasties,"

　　　　   included  in  Chinese  Philosophy,  Volume  II:

　　　　   Buddhism (Taipei, Taiwan: China Academy, 1974),

　　　　   pp.129-42.

　　   (24) Liu I-ch'ing,  A  New Account of Tales  of  the