Daoist Philosophy and Literati Writings in Late Imperial China: A Case Study of The Story of the Stone

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements The production of a book often incurs for its author debts of various kinds—academic, spiritual, and psychological. Its publication provides him a convenient channel to release his pent-up gratitude. It is, therefore , with great pleasure and deep emotion that I am composing this short note of acknowledgement to convey my sincere thanks to those who rendered me assistance on its journey to publication. First and foremost, I want to thank Prof. Anthony Yu, who promptly responded to my solicitation of opinions on my manuscript while he was on a lecture tour in Australia. Though by no means an acquaintance, he kindly accepted me as an “unregistered student” while he was also mentoring six dissertations at the University of Chicago as a retired professor. After a meticulous reading of the manuscript, he sent me detailed comments on each chapter, often on individual lines, sharing with me his deep erudition and vast knowledge of Chinese culture. Some of his comments were directly incorporated into this book. What moved me most is the fact that he composed his last batches of e-mail responses to my manuscript when he was seriously ill. I cannot but marvel at his humanitarian spirit and his dedication to scholarship. I also want to thank Prof. Paul Ropp, who told me that he had been contemplating a similar book for a long time and gave strong support to this project. Ropp read an early version of Chapter Two and offered me very useful feedback. My thanks also go to Profs. Beata Grant and Qiancheng Li, my former teacher and schoolmate respectively at Washington University, for sharing with me their knowledge of Buddhism. Last but not least, I am deeply indebted to Prof. Robert Hegel, my lifelong mentor, who x Acknowledgements encouraged this project from its inception and served as my constant consultant until its completion. It is an honor to work with the group of editors at The Chinese University Press—Lin Ying, Wu Yongxi, and Agnes Chan, and with its director Gan Qi, whose joint support made it possible to hit the print. Special thanks go to Xie Maosong, a scholar in late imperial intellectual history himself, whose appreciation of the manuscript at the early stage warranted its serious consideration by the Press, despite being an academic work with limited circulation potential in an adverse financial environment. The meticulous copy-editing by Brian Yu at the Press and Ellen McGill improves this book in many ways. The prompt response, professional handling, friendly collaboration, and deep understanding of the editorial staff made me feel as if I had returned to my homeland, China, whose culture nourished such a diligent working style. I also thank the two anonymous readers of The Chinese University Press for accepting my provocative position in interpreting the individualistic thinking of the late imperial period as a transformed version of Daoist philosophy. Their support of this major thesis encouraged me to develop my argument with more confidence in my revision. One reader’s suggestion led me to change the title; another reader helped me improve the manuscript in many details through his meticulous reading. His urging to further explore the relation between Quanzhen Daoism and Cao Xueqin’s novel, along with Prof. Yu’s early feedback on the manuscript, prompted me to further research the inscriptions of the Daoist religion in the text. This resulted in an additional chapter, the Chapter One in this book, which, I believe, makes this study more comprehensive by incorporating both the philosophical and religious aspects of Daoism. The early version of Chapter Three appeared in T’oung Pao under the title of “Chaos and the Gourd in The Dream of Red Chamber” (winter 2001). A small portion of Chapter One was published in European Journal of Sinology (winter 2011) as “Freedom from the Fetters of Consciousness: A Daoist Dimension of The Story of the Stone.” I thank the editors of both journals for permitting me to use them in this book. I owe a debt to all the readers who reviewed these two pilot essays for Acknowledgements xi various journals and whose criticism helped me adjust my approach and revise my position. I am especially grateful to Carol Porr, my colleague at Hofstra University, who edited the early version of the manuscript and gave me valuable suggestions. The annual faculty research grants at Hofstra University from 2001 to 2010 enabled me to acquire books...