Abstract In both Chinese and Western literary theory, there are several fundamental perspectives on the exploration of “the source of textual meaning,” which can be categorized into ontological, entitative, and generative types. Future research must integrate the “source” perspective with the “trigger” perspective, while overcoming the postmodern cultural pluralist limitations of “multiple symbiosis.” This article adopts the perspective of a “multi-source symbiosis” of textual meaning and maintains that textual meaning possesses characteristics of multiple sources, co-generation, and dynamic transformation. The “multi-source symbiosis” of textual meaning does not emphasize “differences,” but rather strives for “consensus.” The objectivity of the source of textual meaning and the regularity of textual understanding and interpretation are the prerequisites for agreement on textual meaning. The trigger mechanism for the symbiosis of textual meanings lies in three aspects: disclosing textual meanings in reading behavior, proliferating textual meanings in critical activities, and multi-source triggering of textual meanings in literary events. “Multi-source symbiosis” creates a heteroglossic state of textual meaning, with the ultimate goal of establishing a common understanding of textual meaning.