Magic，Milarepa and Nirvana: Iris Murdoch’s Rewriting of Tibetan Buddhism in The Sea，the Sea
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摘要: 艾丽斯·默多克一生对藏传佛教持有浓厚的兴趣，布克奖小说《大海，大海》浓缩了作家关于藏传佛教的认识与思考。小说中有大量藏传佛教元素，主人公詹姆斯是一位藏传佛教徒，在小说中多次运作法术，并以藏传噶举派尊者之名讳米拉日巴给一位夏尔巴人向导取名，最后，詹姆斯以一种近似“涅槃”的方式神秘辞世。这留下了一系列关于藏传佛教的未尽讨论。首先，为什么詹姆斯的藏传佛教法术经常失败？其次，詹姆斯为什么给夏尔巴人取名米拉日巴？詹姆斯乃至小说与这位藏传噶举派尊者之间存着什么样的关系？最后，默多克以一种神秘的方式让詹姆斯退场，那么，詹姆斯到底死了吗？本文围绕《大海，大海》中“法术”“米拉日巴”和“涅槃”等藏传佛教主题，再现作家关于藏传佛教意象的创作灵感来源，以及如何对这些象征展开了微妙而深刻的改写。一方面是对藏传佛教概念的借用，法术审视背后“权力”的诱惑，以“幻人”诠释“臆想”概念；另一方面是默多克道德哲学与藏传佛教教义的分歧，包括“善”与宗教式的“厌离心”之“苦行主义”的区别，以及“涅槃”与“空虚”的不同。上述改写不仅反映了默多克对藏传佛教乃至西藏的态度，改写的动机更折射出作家的道德与哲学关切。Abstract: Iris Murdoch holds lifelong interest in Tibetan Buddhism, which has been elaborated and explored in the author’s Booker Prize-winning novel the Sea, The Sea. The novel is replete with elements of Tibetan Buddhism, particularly when the protagonist James Arrowby, a Tibetan Buddhist, frequently performs magic spells and names a Sherpa guide Milarepa after the revered figure of the Kagyu school. Ultimately, James departs in a manner reminiscent of “nirvana,” leaving behind a series of unresolved discussions about Tibetan Buddhism: First off, why James, the Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, failed in most of his magical practices？ Next, why James named sherpa the guide after Milarepa, the esteemed saint from Kagyu clan of Tibetan Buddhism？ Furthermore, as James made his exit in a mystical manner, the final question is whether James was really dead or not. The article rivets on “magic,” “Milarepa” and “nirvana,” three key Tibetan Buddhist symbols in the fiction, tracks the origins from where Murdoch has obtained such inspirations, and eventually, to re-demonstrate how Murdoch subtly rewrites aforementioned symbols. Unveiling rewritings and untold motivations, the study not only reveals Murdoch’s attitudes upon Tibetan Buddhism and Tibet, but also her moral-philosophical stance. This paper explores the themes of “magic,” “Milarepa,” and “nirvana” in The Sea, the Sea, re-envisioning the sources underlying the author’s creative inspiration regarding Tibetan Buddhism and how she subtly and insightfully reinterprets these symbols. On one hand, Murdoch’s rewriting involves borrowing concepts from Tibetan Buddhism, such as the allure of “power” underpinning the act of “magic” and interpreting the concept of “fantasy” through the figure of “tulpa.” On the other hand, the rewriting process highlights the divergence between Murdoch’s moral philosophy and Tibetan Buddhist doctrines, including the distinction between “goodness” and religious “asceticism,” as well as the difference between “nirvana” and “void.” Not only do these rewrites reflect Murdoch’s attitude towards Tibetan Buddhism and Tibet, but they also evince the author’s moral and philosophical concerns through the motives behind her rewrites.
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Key words:
- Iris Murdoch /
- Tibetan Buddhism /
- The Sea,the Sea /
- rewriting
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