Song-ming Neo- Confucianism 宋明理学 温海明 中国人民大学哲学院副教授   Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China 11

Han Yu and Li Ao  Han Yu and Li Ao  Han Yu: ‘Tao, no the Tao of the Buddhist and Taoist’  Li Ao: transmitted by scholars who did not understand them  Origins of Neo-Confucianism  Confucianism  Buddhism and Taoism: through Ch’ainism  Taoist religion   Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China 22

 Shao Yung [ ]  The sixty-four hexagrams, times of the year  Yang: heat  Yin: cold  The solid Yang line moves up to the top until it reaches it. Then the broken Yin lines moves up   Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China 33

 Chang Tsai [ ]  Ch’i: gas or ether  Makes up all things  The supreme ultimate is Ch’i  Ch’i: wonder air  Rising, floating: Yang  Sinking, falling: Yin  No non being. Only Ch’I state of dispersion  Not a complete vacuum  Serve Ch’ien and K’un (heaven and earth) as ones parents   Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China 44

Cheng Hao  Ch’eng Hao: oneness with all things is the main virtue of jen (humanheartedness)  Righteousness, property, wisdom, faith  Keep in mind that one is orignily one with all things  “Never help to grow”  More of a metaphysical interpretation then Mencius  Jen: takes heave and earth as one  Inner connection between all things   Prof. Haiming Wen, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China 55

Zhu Xi and His Context  Zhu Xi  Division of the Song Dynasty  Very prolific, wrote the Recorded Sayings  Cheng-Zhu school, or Li school  Influential book was Commentary

Li  Li is the basic essence of an object  Object is the concrete manifestation of li  “As soon as a thing exists, the Li is inherent in it”  Everything has its own li  Li is eternal, invention of ships and carts was simply our discovery of those things’ li

Tai Ji – the Supreme Ultimate  Just as there is a li of individual things, there is a li for the totality and wholeness of everything  The li is the qi of something, its ultimate standard (Platonic ideal)  Tai Ji is the universe’s ultimate standard  It unites the li of heaven, earth, and all things  Tai Ji resides in all things

Qi  Qi is the material manifestation of things  Everything has both chi and li  Li is simply a vast, empty void  Qi brings things into existence and helps produce them in physical reality  Neither one is prior to the other  Neither is the “first mover”

Nature and Mind  Human nature is the li of humanity inherent in all of us  The Li for all people is the same, the Qi makes us different  Some of us have clear chi, others have bad chi  This is Zhu Xi’s theory of the origin of evil  Nature is abstract, mind is active, produces things  Four constant virtues pertain to Li, belong to nature, four beginnings are mind operations

 There is a li of statehood and governance  If followed, states prosper, if not followed, disorder happens  It is always there, even if not appreciated  All successful statesmen followed li either consciously or unconsciously

Spiritual Cultivation  “Extension of knowledge through investigation of things” and “attentiveness of the mind”  These are the ways the Supreme Ultimate can be made clear within us  Investigate things and the li behind them will become apparent  Sudden Enlightenment will come after study

Lu Jiu-yuan  Lu-Wang School, or Mind School, started by Cheng Hao and finished by Lu Jiu-yuan and Wang Shou-ren  Lu’s story of enlightenment  Lu says “mind is Li” not “nature is Li”  Nature and mind are not different  Reality consists of one world: Mind

Wang Shou-ren and the Universe  Wang Shou-ren ( ) achieved enlightenment suddenly and a new understanding of the Great Learning  He reinterpreted it and systematized the Mind school’s teachings  The world only has what we experience, no abstract world of li  Mind is li and li only exists as long as the mind exists

The Three Cords  The Three Cords  Illustrious virtue is the heavenly nature within all of us, sometimes obscured  Loving people is the function of recognizing heaven, earth, everything’s unity  Resting in the highest good is exercising intuitive knowledge and attaining the natural mean

Intuitive Knowledge  Intuitive knowledge is basic and natural  What we instinctively know to be “right” and “wrong”  Don’t add anything to it to obscure it  Then you lose the highest good  Story of the thief in the house  Every man is potentially a sage

Rectification of Affairs  Cultivation of self is putting intuitive knowledge into daily practice  Rectification of affairs  Yi and wu  Great Learning is reduced to one idea: extension of intuitive knowledge

Mind Attentiveness, Buddhism  “Establishing the most important”  First recognize we all possess the universal, original mind  One with the universe  Criticism of Buddhism: they believe the world is empty  When in reality, it is filled with li  Buddhists really do have attachment of phenomena

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