Simulation model for Explicit and Implicit Samsara Narratives in Chinese fiction

Contemporary Chinese fiction incorporates two creative methodologies influenced by the Buddhist concept of Samsara: the “Explicit Samsara Narrative” and the “Implicit Samsara Narrative.” The Explicit Samsara Narrative transcends human-animal boundaries, employing non-human perspectives to offer a microscopic view during grand historical events. This technique enriches the narrative with folkloric realism, historical testimony, and symbolic meaning, while shifting religious belief from sacred to secular. It builds a tripartite trajectory of “Folkloric Adaptation–Utilitarian Deconstruction–Realist Criticism,” preserving cultural mysticism and highlighting the synergy between religion and rural Chinese society. In contrast, the Implicit Samsara Narrative doesn’t overtly depict Samsara but embeds its cyclical concept into the narrative structure. It operates on two levels: one, the spatial-temporal transformative nature of Samsara within a single text, and two, the interconnected historical cycles across multiple works. This approach refines traditional Samsara philosophy, infusing it with modern artistic styles and accomplishing an inward turn of Chinese culture and esthetics. Through these methods, contemporary Chinese fiction engages deeply with its historical and philosophical roots.

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