Abstract

Employing the theoretical framework of the “Consciousness of Darkness” proposed by Chang Hao, this paper examines the latent role played by the consciousness of darkness embedded in Daoist confessional rituals and Buddhist repentance ceremonies in the Self-Cultivation Techniques of scholars during Six Dynasties. The findings reveal that the profound consciousness of darkness within Daoist and Buddhist religious cultures, as a vigilant and critical force toward human nature, began to permeate into the self-cultivation practices of the scholar stratum from the Six Dynasties period onward, thereby exerting a significant influence on the multiple identities and self-cultivation techniques of scholars in Medieval China. Through a methodology that integrates intellectual history with socio-cultural analysis, this paper delves into the cultural context of the period and the experiences and beliefs of the scholar. By focusing on specific cases such as Wang Xizhi (303–361) and Shen Yüeh (441–513), it elucidates the reasons and pathways through which the consciousness of darkness in Daoist and Buddhist traditions propelled the renewal of self-cultivation techniques among scholars. In doing so, the study offers new perspectives and approaches for researching the mechanisms of subject formation within the Chinese scholar class.

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