玄览Peaceful Contemplation 玄览原指在深远虚净的心境下览知万物，是老子提出的认识“道”的一种方法。老子认为，只有摒弃一切杂念与成见，保持内心明澈如镜，才能静观万物，从而认识“道”，体会其精要。 后世文艺评论家因为“玄览”所主张的心境与文艺创作及鉴赏所要求的的审美心境相契合，遂用为文艺思想的重要术语，以说明文艺创作与鉴赏时应具有的超越一切欲望与功利的特殊心境。This term was first used by Laozi as a way to understand Dao. He believed that one cannot understand Dao by calmly observing everything unless one abandons all distracting thoughts and biases, and keeps one’s mind as clear as a mirror. Later literary critics believed that the state of mind as required for xuanlan has similarities with the state of mind required for literary writing and appreciation, thus they made it an important term to mean one’s state of mind must transcend all desires and personal gains in literary writing and appreciation.
Examples
◎涤除玄览，能无疵乎？（《老子·十章》）（涤除一切杂念，在深远虚静的心境下观照一切，就没有瑕疵了吗？） Is it for sure that there will be no flaws when one cleanses away all distracting thoughts and watches the world with a clear, peaceful mind? (Laozi) ◎伫中区以玄览，颐情志于典坟。（陆机《文赋》）（久立于天地间以深远虚静的心境观照一切，在典籍的阅读中颐养性情、培养志向。） Standing between heaven and earth and watching the world with a clear, peaceful mind, the writer enriches and improves himself through reading great works of the past. (Lu Ji: The Art of Writing)
