What is Eastern aesthetic thought?

In ancient China, there were several characteristics regarding the exploration of the nature of beauty. First, it is not clear, it is conscious intention, that is, what we call non-discursive; secondly, there is no distinction between dimensional mind and dimensional object, the distinction between dimensional mind and dimensional object is truly imported; thirdly, these discussions are basically subordinate to the category of ethics. Regarding the exploration of the nature of beauty, there are three Confucian, Taoist and Zen sayings in the ancient East.

Confucianism: its representatives are Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi. They dealt with the essence of beauty in exploring the beauty of human nature and personality. They believed that the essence of beauty is goodness. What makes a person a person is moral, knowing benevolence and righteousness, and benevolence and righteousness in morality is to speak of goodness, which is fullness. That is why Confucius said: Xian Ren is beauty. Beauty is the perfect realization of the moral ideal.

Taoism: represented by Zhuangzi. In talking about life and personality, the Taoists explored the nature of beauty developed from the cosmology. They believe that the source of the world is the "Tao", which cannot be seen or touched, but can be experienced, and is the root from which things are derived. In Laozhuang's view, the "Tao" is natural and inactive. There is no consciousness, no purpose to pursue, everything happens naturally and dies naturally. To do nothing is to be in a world of absolute freedom. Therefore, Taoists believe that beauty is absolute freedom.

Zen: Zen is the Chinese style of Buddhism, combined with to the family. Buddhists believe that the real world is full of sin and there is no beauty, and that beauty is in the world of the gods, while Taoists preach freedom. The combination of the two forms the Zen theory of beauty: Zen believes that life is full of pain, and to get rid of pain, one must stop all spiritual activities, obliterate heavenly objects, abandon all pursuit of desires (life is sentient), and reach the realm of nirvana, that is, the complete liberation from pain, and be able to have absolute spiritual freedom, that is, enlightenment. Therefore, they believe that beauty is the complete transcendence of worldly suffering, which is tranquility and freedom. In other words: beauty is transcendence.