DIALOGUE AND SYNTHESIS AMONG THE THREE TEACHINGS IN TRUYỀN KỲ MẠN LỤC: AN APPROACH FROM THE CONFUCIAN VALUE SYSTEM

Tóm tắt

Truyền kỳ mạn lụcby Nguyễn Dữ has long been regarded as a representative work of medieval Vietnamese chuanqi fiction, while also reflecting the presence and interaction of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism in the intellectual life of its time. However, most existing studies have largely stopped at affirming the synthesis of the Three Teachings without clarifying the internal mechanism through which this relationship operates within the work’s intellectual structure. Approaching Truyền kỳ mạn lục from the perspectives of discourse and the Confucian value system, this article analyzes the roles of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism in constructing the artistic world and orienting the work’s meaning. The findings show that Confucianism functions as the primary frame of reference and the central value system in the organization and interpretation of the narratives, whereas Buddhism and Daoism are selectively received, both providing materials for constructing the supernatural world and being reinterpreted to serve didactic purposes and affirm moral values in the Confucian spirit. In this way, the article helps clarify the mechanism of dialogue and synthesis among the Three Teachings in Truyền kỳ mạn lục, while contributing an approach to the processes of intellectual adaptation and the localization of the Three Teachings in medieval Vietnamese literature.