The pinnacle of the palace of arts
Q: So you also like Western opera?
A: I definitely love Western opera. Opera is the crystallization of various forms of art. It brings together drama and music, and also places great emphasis on lighting, scenery, and the other fine arts of the stage. You could say that it is the pinnacle in the palace of arts, and the cream of Western culture can be found in opera. Through opera we can appreciate symphonic music, voice, visual arts, drama, and costume. Moreover, Western opera houses are like exquisite imperial palaces which leave you gasping in amazement.
There has thus far not been a Chinese work performed in Western opera houses. There have been a few works adapted from Peking Opera performed in opera houses, but these have not reached the level of real innovation, and performances have not been very impressive. I hope to have a large-scale innovative work that can be performed in opera houses, so that international audiences can see something a little different.
Moreover, the story of Huineng is of epic proportions, on a par with any drama from the pen of Shakespeare. In fact, Snow in August melds Eastern and Western cultures. The form is like that of Shakespearian or Greek tragedy, but the spirit can only have come from the wisdom of the East.
I see Huineng as a thinker, and not simply a religious leader as in the eyes of most people. He is a significant figure in the history of thought in China. First, he broke through the obsession with material objects. He didn't even want the traditional cassock and bowl [which were passed from master to disciple as a symbol of transmitted knowledge] but preferred to just try to achieve a spiritual connection or tacit understanding between master and acolyte. This was a major freeing up of religion, and transcended the problem of transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. This was an enormous breakthrough, and after all only a true thinker could have penetrated to this level.
Secondly, Huineng was unwilling to play the role of a messiah. He only guided people and inspired them to realize their own natures. You could say there has never been any other figure so outstanding in the history of traditional Buddhist thinking. He has an even more modern image than Jesus Christ. Christ sacrificed himself to save others, but the thought of Huineng is even more modern-the point is not who will save who, but to go out and save yourselves!
Q: There is a great deal of Chan thinking in Snow in August, but it lacks those elements like family relationships and love with which audience members can most easily identify, and there is also no female lead. Do you think this will affect the drawing power of this drama?
A: In fact there is a female lead in Snow in August-Wujincang. She is mentioned in The Biography of Huineng, and undoubtedly really existed. In addition, in the background I've also created the role of the courtesan. She helps fill out the female role that Wujincang represents.
Where lies the appeal of Snow in August? There are two questions here that need to be discussed. One is whether Chan can be made into a stage drama. The moral tales of Chinese Buddhism, in which good is rewarded and evil punished, have appeared in play form. But there has never been any integration of Chan into Chinese drama. I believe that since Huineng was a thinker, he can be expressed through theater. If the play were just to publicize a religion it would be insignificant.
Secondly, even today many people think that Chan is modern Japanese-style Zen. They have modernized and commercialized the performance of Chan. You cannot say that this is bad, but Japanese place too much emphasis on formal ritual. At its inception Chan rejected formal ritual, and only in that way can you see the real profound significance of Chan.
In the book Wu Deng Hui Yuan there is a clear listing of 1800 koans [Chan riddles], demonstrating all kinds of ways in which one can "become a Buddha by recognizing the essence." You could say that there is Chan in every person, and everyone can become a bodhisattva. It just depends on whether or not you achieve realization.
Since Chan is so closely connected to human nature, why can't it be the subject of a theater production? The ultimate goal of theater is to express human nature. I have as much as possible integrated the enlightening approach of these 1800 koans into the play, so naturally I had to look for a corresponding dramatic form that would express this approach. This play should have a spiritual impact on people; it will be a jolt to the innermost mind, so it requires a powerful theatrical form. So long as you grasp the essence of Chan, you can move the audience.
(facing page) Gao Xingjian says that he has never rejected tradition, and that there is no point in destroying artistic tradition. After all, without tradition a lot of things wouldn't exist at all.