Researching into the Meaning of “Xiangwai(象外)” Used in the Tang Dynasty

Today people usually think that the word “Xiangwai(象外)” appearing in poem theory materials in the Tang Dynasty means “beyond the poetic image created in a poem”. But an fact has been neglected that “Xiangwai(象外)” appeared much more frequently in other materials than in poem theory materials. So it’s very important for us to extend the context from poem theory to other circumstance, and then we can draw a conclusion that the word has been used in two meanings: a feeling status aloof from the world and a way of getting the truth of Taoism or Buddhism in mind. Apparently, this word reflects the thoughts of the Tang Dynasty in the fields of society and culture.