Liu Zongyuan (773 -8 19), a native of Xiezhou Town, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, is the grandson of Liu Qing, the seventh Duke of Yin Ji in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and is known as Liu Hedong. A famous writer, thinker and politician in the Tang Dynasty, once launched the ancient prose movement with Han Yu, one of the "Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties", and was called "Liu Han" in the world, "Liu Liu" with Liu Yuxi, and "Wang Meng" with Wang Wei, Meng Haoran and Wei.
In the ninth year of Tang Zhenyuan (793), Liu Zongyuan was a scholar at the age of 265,438+0. At the age of 26, he took the "erudite and bold words" exam, and was appointed as a scholar in Jixian Hall and deputy general of Lantian County. In the 19th year of Zhenyuan (803), he served as the censor. In the twenty-first year of Zhenyuan (805), he died, and Shunzong (Li Yong) succeeded to the throne. Liu Zongyuan was promoted to be the minister of rites and actively participated in the political reform led by Wang and Wang Lai.
Yong Zhenyuan (805) in September, Liu Zongyuan was demoted to the secretariat of Shaozhou; On the way 1 1 was demoted to "Yongzhou Sima Foreign Assistant". In May of the first year of Yuanhe (806), Liu Zongyuan's mother died of illness and her health deteriorated rapidly. In the first month of the 10th year of Yuanhe (8 15), Liu Zongyuan returned to Beijing and went to Chang 'an for orders in February.
In the 12th year of Yuanhe (8 17), Pei Du became the prime minister and was willing to help Liu Zongyuan transfer back to Chang 'an. Unfortunately, Liu Zongyuan died in Liuzhou on the eighth day of November in the fourteenth year of Yuanhe (8 19) at the age of 47.
Liu Zongyuan has made outstanding contributions in poetry, prose, travel notes, fables, prose and literary theory. According to statistics, twenty-seven of Liu Zongyuan's existing landscape travel notes were written in Yongzhou. In addition to Eight Records of Yongzhou, there are also articles written by Liu Zongyuan in Yongzhou, such as Shiwan Pavilion in Yongzhou, Dongshan in longxing temple, Yongzhou, and Pure Land Academy in longxing temple, Yongzhou.
Main work
Liu Zongyuan left more than 600 poems in his life, and his achievements were greater than poems. There are nearly a hundred parallel prose, and ancient prose can be roughly divided into six categories.
Comments: including philosophy, political comments and discussion-oriented essays. Sharp pen, accurate argument. Tian Shuo is a masterpiece of philosophical papers. (Feudalism and Criminal Debate are the representative works of medium and long political essays. Jin Wengong's theory of asking the original, Dong's argument on the ground, and Yi's nine-section praise are all representatives of short political theory. )。
There is a simple materialistic factor in philosophy. His political thoughts are mainly embodied in the progressive social historical view that emphasizes "potential" and the Confucian people-oriented thought. But also influenced by Buddhism, especially when they are frustrated politically, they often seek spiritual liberation from Buddhism.