Listen "The Cloud Dream of the Nine: Illusion, Enlightenment, and 17th-Century Korean Philosophy"
Episode Synopsis
Journey into The Cloud Dream of the Nine (Kuunmong), a 17th-century Korean masterpiece by Kim Man-jung. This philosophical frame tale follows Hsing-chen, a Buddhist monk dissatisfied with ascetic life, who dreams of worldly success.In his vivid dream, he's reborn as Shao-yu, achieving immense power, wealth, and marrying eight beautiful women—the idealized Confucian path. Yet, the novel asks: is this truly fulfilling? Blending Chinese literary traditions with profound introspection, it explores the tension between Confucian worldly pursuits and Buddhist spiritual liberation.More than fantasy, Kuunmong suggests the idealized Confucian life is ultimately illusory, like a dream. Through vivid characters and veiled commentary, it invites readers to ponder life's meaning. Andrew, R. (2021). “Honoring” Mary Wollstonecraft (Review). Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 2(2), 57. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2021.2.2.18Bi, J. (2019, September 26). The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Manjung | Notes & summary. Johnathan Bi. Cahill, S. A. (2021). Race, religion, and revolution in the Enlightenment (Editorial introduction). Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2021.2.2 Cahill, S. A. (2023). Don Quixote’s troubles (Editorial introduction). Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), i-iii.Castro-Santana, A. (2023). ‘Don quick-sottish, or so’: Cervantic ingredients in Aphra Behn’s The Emperor of the Moon. Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2023.3.1.4Cawley, K. N. (2021, November 24). Korean Confucianism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved May 13, 2024, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/korean-confucianism/Cho, F. (2003, December 12). A literary analysis of Kuunmong. Kurodahan Press Has Closed. Choi, Y. (2013). The comparative research on The Cloud Dream of the Nine and Journey to the West (『구운몽』과 『서유기』의 비교연구). Journal of Korean Literature, (28), 85–108.Choi, Y., & Lim, H. M. (2017). The Cloud Dream of the Nine: An allegory on the revolution (혁명에 대한 알레고리로서의 「구운몽」). Korean Language and Literature, 65(65), 99–126. https://doi.org/10.23016/kllj.2017.65.65.99Dietle, L. (2022, July 6). The origins of classic Korean literature.Fessler, S. (2003, December 12). Introduction to Kuunmong: The Cloud Dream of the Nine. Foster, S. (2023). Estranged by a veil: The Gothic other and the uncanny sublime. Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), 6–20. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2023.3.1.1Intelligent-Gap2578 (User). (n.d.). Asian novels revolving around religious/philosophical issues? [Online forum post]. Reddit. Jewelonni (User). (n.d.). What I love about Cloud Dream of the Nine: What to expect/Beginner's guide [Online forum post]. Reddit. Kale, K. A. (2023). The romance of mystery and the mystery of romance: Charlotte Smith’s Ethelinde, Wilkie Collins’ “I Say No,” the McGuffin, and narrative closure. Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2023.3.1.2Kneitly, J. (2023). The Female American and its liminal spaces. Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), 28–40. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2023.3.1.3Literature Translation Institute of Korea. (n.d.). Kim Man Jung(김만중). Digital Library of Korean Literature.Spencer, S. (2023). An impossible dream and nightly quests: The Quixotic impulse in Kim Man-jung’s Kuunmong and Nguyễn Du’s Truyện Kiều. Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2023.3.1.5Tita, C. (2023). Ignatius Sancho’s Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African (1782): Race and nation as a rhetoric of resistance. Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment, 3(1), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.32655/srej.2023.3.1.6Wikipedia contributors. (2024, May 5). Korean Buddhism. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 13, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Korean_Buddhism&oldid=122340995
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