Anyone who has read The University knows that The University contains two parts: classics and biographies, and the classic content is summarized by
Anyone who has read The University knows that The University contains two parts: classics and biographies, and the classic content is summarized by Zhu as "three cardinal guides" and "eight items". The "three programs" are "showing virtue", "being close to the people" and "stopping at perfection", and the "eight items" are "respecting things", "knowing and doing", "being sincere", "keeping the house" and "leveling the world". Behind the scripture is a biography, that is, the post-Confucian interpretation and play of the scripture. Zhu believes that the author of the biography is. It should be said that the interpretation and development of biographies may not fully conform to the original intention of the scripture, but it is still very helpful for readers to understand the scripture. Because of its profound thoughts, the article itself has become a part of the classics. However, readers who are a little more careful will find that eight items in the original text of the university, such as sincerity, integrity and self-cultivation, and the following items, such as housekeeping, governing the country and leveling the world, have biographies, while the first two items, namely style and knowledge, have no biographies. The biographies people see today were supplemented by Song Ru and Zhu in their notes on the Four Books.
Some people may ask, why are "things" and "knowledge" the "two most important"?
Look at the scripture carefully and you will understand:
If the ancient desire is obviously superior to the world, govern the country first. If you want to govern your country, you should unite your family first. If you want to keep your family together, you should trim your body first. If you want to cultivate yourself, you should be upright first. If you want to be right, be sincere first. Be sincere, let him know first; Knowledge exists in things.
Everyone knows everything, everyone knows it and is sincere, sincere and upright, upright and upright, well-trained and well-groomed, well-groomed and well-governed, well-groomed and well-governed.
It is made clear here that the external king is based on the inner holiness, and then he can cultivate himself and rule the country and level the world; Only after physical training can a family rule the country and the world. Self-cultivation requires sincere efforts, but to be sincere, it is fundamental to learn from things. It can be said that the importance of the governor, or the author's emphasis on the governor, cannot be more prominent. Therefore, we say that "learning things" and "knowing knowledge" are the "two most important".
But it is precisely these "two most important articles", there is no biography, no relevant explanation and discussion, and there are no other items.
Why is this happening?
Some people speculate that there is no biography of "Wu Ge Zhi Zhi", which may be due to simplification. Ancient books are made up of pieces of bamboo slips. Once the rope that runs through the bamboo slips is broken, the bamboo slips are scattered and lost, and some words are lost. This is the so-called "broken Jane".
But this speculation can't explain our above problem, that is why the two most important items are lost, while the others are not.
In my opinion, the theory of "breaking Jane" is just a guess, which is not in line with reality.
The actual situation should be that "learning while learning" has no biography and no explanation.
The reason is two words: confidentiality.
The reason for saying this is based on a basic understanding of traditional culture. Traditional culture is called traditional culture because it has been handed down from ancient times and has been preserved and passed down from generation to generation through a long history, thus becoming a national cultural wealth. How is this inheritance realized? Why can some traditional cultures travel through time and space for thousands of years? What is the reason? I think it can be explained by three laws: the first law is called "Law of Need". We know that if a commodity wants to be welcomed by people, it must first meet people's needs and help them solve some problems. Once this function is lost, people no longer need it, and it will "die naturally". The same is true of a technology, such as the technology of repairing pots and pans handed down in the past, which is no longer needed by people and naturally disappears. Different forms of culture are no exception. The second law is called the law of potential energy. For example, why do the Yangtze River and the Yellow River have a long history? Because they originate in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flow from west to east at such a high altitude, they have strong potential energy, so they roll forward and are unstoppable. Just like a water delivery system, it has a very high water tower, or a high enough pressure, so it can send water to far and high places. Similarly, those cultures that can be passed down for a long time must have strong potential energy. China's Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, for example, have had a great influence since ancient times. One of the important reasons is that they have a high starting point. The founders of the three major religions are the top representatives of mankind. Their wisdom and morality far exceed the general public, so they can be admired by countless people from generation to generation, so their education has naturally spread for a long time. But these two articles are not enough. The thoughts and knowledge of ancient saints, especially their orthodoxy, can be passed down to future generations, and there must be a pipeline and a realistic system. Let's compare the water delivery system. If we want to transport water from a certain water source to a distant place, what else is there except that the water source is high enough and the pressure is high enough? There must be a reasonable laying pipeline, and the pipeline must be connected well. Water can't be leaked and overflowed everywhere, otherwise the water will be wasted and people far away will not use it at all. Similarly, high-level culture and wisdom should be passed down for a long time, and there should also be a corresponding inheritance system. Once the system fails and the inheritance is cut off, this culture will become rigid and brain-dead. We call this law "the law of pipes". This kind of inheritance pipeline needs careful maintenance and connection from generation to generation. How did the ancients do it?
In order to ensure the continuity of culture, most ancient schools were closed, that is to say, they all had their own secret inheritance, and not everything was open. Generally speaking, the core content of inheritance includes specific methods and formulas. The way of inheritance is passed down from generation to generation by this door, only inside the door, not outside. For example, Tongrentang, a century-old shop, has many reasons for its prosperity, but one of them is that it has its own unique skills. Some prescriptions, from formula proportion to processing, are exclusive and unique. "The key technology is confidential." This is an ancient patent protection mechanism. Although the ancients did not have a patent law, the consciousness of protecting patents had long existed.
On the one hand, this secret inheritance has the significance of protecting patents, but it is not only for protecting patents. For schools such as Confucianism and Taoism, it is also of great significance, that is, to protect the sacredness and purity of Taoism, avoid its contempt and blasphemy, and prevent it from being polluted and destroyed. Because what is readily available, people will not cherish it; And the information spread at will is easily distorted. Lao Tzu said, "Staff sergeant is diligent; The sergeant heard that if there was nothing; The corporal laughed at this, but it was not enough. " Therefore, the real Tao is not something that is sold casually all over the street, it can only be meaningful to the right person. Just like state secrets, you can't just put them on the internet or in newspapers.
Therefore, from ancient times to the present, hundred schools of thought has strict inheritance rules. Beginners will be asked to make a sacred promise, abide by the rules, keep a secret and never "pass it on to bandits". Bandits are unqualified and inexperienced people, mainly people with bad conduct, who can't keep the precepts and don't respect their teachers. Such people are not allowed to join the team as apprentices. For example, in the Buddha's time, if you want to be a junior disciple of the Buddha, you must convert to the Three Treasures and observe the precepts. In many schools, it is also very important that, for the sake of confidentiality, "key technology" and "formula" are forbidden to form various words, which can only be passed on internally and cannot be leaked.
We know that some families have a "secret recipe" that has been passed down from generation to generation. In order to protect patents, it is even stipulated that only daughters can be passed on. We also heard that Zen Buddhism has the rule of "don't write words, point directly at people's hearts". In the altar sutra, we saw that the fifth ancestor gave the sixth ancestor a law in the middle of the night, and they wanted to cover the window with cassock.
All these remind us how traditional culture works. Considering this, it is easy for us to understand why there is no biography of "learning from the scriptures".
But Zhu, who wrote four books on notes, obviously doesn't think so. Maybe he didn't realize it at all. Just like many scholars today, they think that as long as they have enough knowledge, they can read the classics of the ancients by interpreting words. No wonder some books do. Therefore, we can see that Zhu has done something unprecedented, that is, to supplement the biography of the scriptures.
?
As we all know, Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean were originally two books in the Book of Rites, but they were extracted from the Book of Rites by Cheng Er in the Song Dynasty and co-edited with The Analects of Confucius and Mencius as teaching materials. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu wrote "Notes on Four Books", hence the name of "Four Books". Zhu's Annotation was widely circulated at that time, which played a role in promoting Confucianism from the phenomenon. In the Yuan Dynasty, the notes of the Four Books became compulsory reading in schools at all levels, and also became examination books for scholars seeking fame and profit. Until the Ming Dynasty, this book was read by countless scholars day and night for nearly 600 years, and its far-reaching influence can be imagined.
Is Zhu a hero of Confucianism or a hero of Confucianism? Did the Notes on Four Books deepen people's understanding or misunderstanding of Confucianism?
Let's take a look at Zhu's "A Supplement to the Scriptures":
"The so-called case of knowing things, as far as I know, is poor in the immediate matter. Everything in the world is unreasonable, but there is no lack of reason, so there is no lack of knowledge. Starting from "university", scholars must be everything in the world, benefiting the poor because of their known principles, so as to achieve the ultimate. As for the hard work for a long time, once suddenly enlightened, everything is fine and thick, and the use of the heart is unknown. This is called a matter, and this is called knowing. "
According to Zhu, "learning things" means learning from the poor, and "knowing things" means acquiring knowledge after learning from the poor. Through a thorough understanding and understanding of all kinds of things, we finally reach the realm of epiphany, that is, we can understand things by learning things. Zhu Dui said, "Things are still things. Poor to the truth, I want to be everywhere. "
In the eyes of ordinary people, there is nothing wrong with this, doesn't everyone think so?
As we all know, the reason why we think so today is because Zhu's explanation has been handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. Everyone has been brainwashed and no longer feels bad.
Then some people will ask, what is wrong with Zhu's explanation?
As we know, Confucius said, "My Tao is consistent". Consistency means simplicity, not fragmentation. It has a basic thing. Therefore, Confucius said: "few people are cheap, but many people are light." I was poor when I was a child, so I learned a lot of tips. Then he said; Many gentlemen, few villains. It means that a gentleman does not have to learn all kinds of knowledge and skills. Confucius also said that I am not as good as an old farmer in planting crops and an old nursery in planting vegetables.
However, Zhu's explanation of "knowing knowledge by studying things" is just the opposite. It's easy to say "everything is fine and rough". Things in the world are endless, and so is knowledge. Where is the end? Zhuangzi said: "My life is limited, but knowing that there is no limit, it is dangerous to follow the limit with the limit." Life is only a hundred years, and 70 years old is already very rare. I am too young to be sensible, and I have to support my family when I grow up. How much can you learn in life? How can we understand everything in the world?
Furthermore, how can we reach the realm of "all the uses of my heart are unknown" by studying things in general? Whether in theory or in practice, the relationship between the two can not be said to be causal, or even completely opposite. Because the study of things is to seek laws from the outside, to realize the noumenon of the mind, we must seek from the inside. There is no reason to understand the mind and see nature without seeking from the outside. Therefore, this kind of "learning from the scriptures" and sincere self-cultivation are completely different!
The "University" scripture clearly says, "Do you want to fix it? Who is it first? ; Want to be right? The first sincere person; Be sincere, let him know first; Knowledge exists in things. Case? After knowing? After knowing it, I mean it. Really? After that? Positive? Positive? After that? Repair. " There is a close logical relationship between cognition and sincerity, that is, cognition can be realized through things, sincerity can be realized through knowledge, and cultivation can be realized through sincerity. The meaning of sincerity is interpreted as not deceiving yourself, such as hating stench and liking beauty. Many people will be confused here because it doesn't follow the logical relationship of context. In fact, the core of sincerity is to keep a person's mind focused, single-minded and not scattered, instead of thinking about things all day, which is consistent with the principle that "Zhi Zhi can decide later". Therefore, the Doctrine of the Mean says, "Honesty means clarity, and clarity means honesty". Righteousness is to correct one's heart, so that it is aboveboard, not selfish, not perverse, not perverse, not absurd. If we generally understand things as studying things and knowledge as acquiring knowledge after studying things, it makes no sense here. From our own life experiences, we can all realize that common sense in the world does not have much effect on sincerity and integrity. There are many such people in ancient and modern China and abroad: they are smart, knowledgeable and knowledgeable, but they have evil intentions, and their energy to harm the country and the people is many times greater than that of ordinary street hooligans.
Therefore, Zhu's explanation does not conform to the spirit of "university". This line of studying is not "adult learning", nor is it the way of inner holiness.
Zhu's "Supplementary Biography" is a typical example, and he is aggressive. This is not for people, just for things. Since ancient times, the Tao of Confucius and Mencius has represented a lofty, great and sacred realm of life, but it was suddenly pulled into the mud pond on the ground from the height of 9600 meters by Zhu's explanation. The way of Confucius and Mencius is no longer the way of Confucius and Mencius, but has become the neo-Confucianism of Cheng and Zhu. Confucianism has only a sacred shell, but it has been completely secularized inside.
Therefore, Zhu's thought was criticized by Lu Jiuyuan at that time. Lu Jiuyuan believes that the Confucian way of being sage inside and king outside is to teach people to "stand first in freshman year" and "invent their initial heart", rather than endlessly studying things or finding chapters and sentences. He said, "If you learn the book, I will note all six classics." Lu Jiuyuan and his brothers Lu Jiuling and Zhu Zeng met in Goose Lake, Jiangxi Province to discuss their academic differences. This is the famous "Goose Lake Meeting" in the history of Confucianism. An important topic at the meeting was "How to learn and how to teach others". Zhu Heng, a disciple of Lu Jiuyuan, recorded a passage: "When it comes to teaching people, (that is, Zhu) means that people want to see the Expo and then come back. The meaning of Erlu is to invent the initial heart first and then make it Expo. " At this meeting, Lu Jiuling once wrote a poem to express his views:
"Going to the market tomb to mourn the ancestral temple Qin, people are the most spiritual.
The water trickles into clear water, and the first stone is Chengchong Taihua Cen.
Simple kung fu will be great in the end, and a fragmented career will be ups and downs.
If you want to understand the place from bottom to top, you must first distinguish between ancient and modern. "
The meaning of the whole poem is limited to space, so I won't discuss it here. We only look at the third sentence, which is the five or six sentences. The "Kung Fu" in the poem is exactly the essentials of scholarship emphasized by the Lu brothers. This is the ancient sacred heart method in Yi Zhuan and the spirit of "learning from others" in Da Xue. And "fragmented" is the pain point of Zhu's academic thought.
? Today, many scholars believe that Zhu and Lu's two different academic thoughts have their own reasons, and they are not necessarily one or the other. This seems fair and mean, but it is out of the context of the problem. You know, the core issue they discussed is where Confucianism is, in other words, how to master the way of being sage inside and king outside, that is, the way of university. Or simply, how can we break the mystery and be enlightened? At the beginning of "Great Learning", it has been pointed out that "the way of a university is to be well-known, close to the people and stop at perfection", but Zhu has made such an explanation of "learning from others", which is different from being a sage inside and a king outside.
But what needs to be added here is that Zhu's misunderstanding of "university" and even the whole Confucianism is not because his knowledge is not good enough, let alone because he deliberately misinterpreted the ancients, but because the Confucian orthodoxy has long been cut off. As Han Yu said, after the death of Mencius, the Confucian orthodoxy was lost. Zhu didn't get real inheritance, he just got knowledge from books. And the Tao is never in the book. Zhuangzi said: The book of saints is just the dross left by saints. Because if there is no inheritance, people can't really read the book of saints.
In the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming took over the banner of Lu Jiuyuan's theory of mind and continued to criticize Zhu's academic thought. Because although Zhu Xiren died, his thoughts deeply influenced every scholar at that time. Notes on Four Books is a textbook designated by the state, and it is the standard answer to the imperial examination. The way of Confucius and Mencius has been quietly replaced by Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism. Wang Yangming knew that to revive the real Confucianism, people must be aware of Zhu's problems. And "learning from the classics" is the breakthrough.
Wang Yangming believed Zhu's explanation at first. He "read all Zhu's works" and personally practiced Wu Ge's theory. It is said that he once sat in the pavilion and observed bamboo all day, but in the end he found nothing, so Wang Yangming had doubts about Zhu's statement. This may just be a dramatic expression. The formation of Wang Yangming's thought will certainly not be so simple. How does Wang Yangming understand the knowledge of things? He said, "where meaning originates, there must be something, and meaning is its meaning." He defined "things" as objects and things that the mind pays attention to, which are interrelated with selfish desires and evil thoughts, blinding people's conscience, while Wang Yangming thought that "ge" in "ge" meant to get rid of and get rid of, thus excluding "ge". In Zhu's view, "knowledge" is to acquire knowledge, while Wang Yangming thinks it is "to conscience", that is, to reply to people's original good knowledge and ability. Once good knowledge and ability are restored, children naturally know how to honor their parents, and courtiers naturally know how to be loyal to the monarch and serve the country. In the face of different situations, everyone can respond appropriately, which is the meaning of "knowledge" and "conscience".
We must admit that Wang Yangming has made a big step forward compared with Zhu. He turned the focus of attention from external things to internal body and mind, and grasped the main brain of learning. In this way, the relationship between the governor and sincerity is much more logical.
However, Wang Yangming's understanding of "things" is still general, uncertain, selfish or delusional. Everyone in the world, unless he is a great sage or a great sage, is hard to leave, which can be said to be deeply rooted. If we take getting rid of material desires as the starting point of learning, it will be easier to achieve. Because the power of desire is often greater than reason, just like taming a wild horse, which is much stronger than human beings. If you blindly fight wild horses, where are their opponents? How many people can be so successful?
But, on the other hand, people's roots are different. If they are sharp weapons, once they realize the importance of heart, understand the key to good or bad luck, and mention mindfulness, they will never forget it. The beautiful idea of "always wiping, not making dust" in Zen is just such an idea. After the magic show, Guo An's Ten Bull Map and Yu Zhan's Heart Light Record called on people to know the "heart cow" and "this self" and then keep their jobs until they were "brilliant", which is also a road to awakening.
However, is this direction the true meaning of "University Way"?
(To be continued)
Please read and understand the true meaning of things (part two)