Why is Zhou Dunyi called the first person of the Millennium Daoist Unity?

Pu Yao Xue Palace

China has a Taoist system, there is no literary system, the article is to serve the Tao, the article is written well, but the ideological realm is not high, that is called the study of words and chapters, is a carving insect small skill, this kind of person can only be called "literati rioters", and "people with the Tao" is still one level behind. According to the Confucian theory of "Taoism", Confucianism passed from Confucius to Zengzi, the author of "University", then to Zisi, the author of "Zhongyong", and then to the fourth generation of Mencius. After Mencius, the Confucian Taoism was lost.

First of all, I will give you a test question: Do you know what is the most "domineering" couplet in Yuelu Academy? Someone may reply: "Only Chu has talent, Yu Si is prosperous." "Because it's written right on the main entrance of the academy." However, I have to tell you that although this sentence on the main entrance is "atmospheric", it is not "domineering".

If you walk to the Confucius Temple of the Academy, you will find that there is something even more powerful: "When I come south, it was originally a vein of Lianxi; when the great river goes east, it is nothing more than the aftermath of xiangshui." ”

This is written by Wang Minyun, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, which shows the true self-confidence of Hunan people. Hunan has been a "barbaric land" since ancient times, and its culture has always been relatively backward. We talked about so many famous thinkers and politicians earlier, from the pre-Qin Zhuzi to the Han and Tang classics, basically northerners, not a single Hunan person.

However, starting from the Northern Song Dynasty, Hunan people began to come to the forefront of Chinese culture. The upper link of this couplet, "I came from the south, it was originally a vein of Lianxi", which is such an allusion. "Lianxi" is a small river in Hunan Daoxian County, referring to Zhou Dunyi, that is, Mr. Lianxi; "Wu Dao South" refers to Cheng Zhu Lixue's transmission from the ercheng in the north to Zhu Xi in the south, but the teacher of the second cheng is Zhou Dunyi, so the source of the "Taoist system" of Cheng Zhu Lixue is still "Lianxi One Pulse". This is indeed the pride of Hunan people.

It is from the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty that we in Hunan can be called "cultured", the famous academies of the Song Dynasty, Hunan accounted for half, in addition to the Yuelu Academy in Changsha, there are also the Shigu Academy in Hengyang, the Biquan Academy in Xiangtan, the Yihou Academy in Nanyue and so on.

By the way, to give you a popular science: many people understand the phrase "only Chu has talent, Yu Si is sheng" as: "Only the Chu state has talents, and Yuelu Academy is particularly prosperous." "It's bragging. Although there is no fine for bragging, people in other provinces across the country have seen how embarrassing it is. In fact, the word "only" here is not the only meaning, but a mood auxiliary. Therefore, the correct understanding of this sentence is: "The Chu kingdom is really talented, and the talents here are especially prosperous." "Okay, let's get back to the point and talk about Zhou Dunyi."

Song Ming Science is an upgraded version of pre-Qin Confucianism

When we talk about Song Ming's science, we must first clarify a question: Song Ming's science is originally Confucianism, why is it called "science" or "Taoism", and even Westerners call it "neo-Confucianism"? To put it bluntly, Confucianism itself has shortcomings, and it has to be upgraded and an upgraded version.

1. What are the shortcomings of Confucianism?

Just like the products in the market, they will face competitive pressure, and if the quality is not good, there is a danger of being eliminated. I can say this now, but if it had been in the Song and Ming dynasties, those orthodox Confucian scholars would have been very angry and scolded me for slandering the saints.

In fact, any kind of ideological theory has advantages and disadvantages. As soon as human beings think, God laughs, and even if you are a saint, you can't do everything. Where are the shortcomings of Confucianism? Compared with Buddhism, its spiritual realm has not been developed. The so-called spiritual realm, according to Chinese philosophy, is the problem of mental nature.

The theory of mentality is the shortcoming of Confucius and Mengmeng's thought, and the Analects say that Confucius "the nature of the master's words and the heavenly path cannot be obtained and heard." Confucius did not talk about sex and the Tao of Heaven, Mencius only said "knowing nature and knowing heaven", and then there is no following. The reason why Confucianism since the Han and Tang dynasties has been neglected is precisely because the kung fu realm of Buddhist cultivation is stronger than it. Knowing this background is also knowing the purpose of Song Ming's theory. Song Ming Theory is the product of the competition between the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

2, Song Ming Science is a long "collective research"

In the 600 years of the three dynasties of the Song Dynasty, Yuanming, and Ming Dynasty, rigaku was a huge "social trend", which was not a whim or a whim of a person to make a theory. Rigaku is a kind of group action, a long "collective attack". For hundreds of years, a large group of scholars were doing the same thing, which was to upgrade Confucianism.

From a school point of view, there are mainly Cheng Zhu Lixue and Lu Wang Xinxue, referred to as "Cheng Zhu Lu Wang". In addition, there is Zhang Zai's "qi science" and Shao Yong's "mathematics". Geographically, there can be Lianxue, Guanxue, Luoxue, and Minxue, Lian refers to Zhou Dunyi in Hunan, Guan refers to Zhang Zai in Guanzhong, Luo refers to the second journey of Luoyang, and Fujian refers to Zhu Xi in Fujian, referred to as "Lianluo Guanmin".

3. Zhou Dunyi was the first person to connect the "Taoist system" of Kong Meng

We mentioned earlier that Han Yu and Li Ao, who were in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, both brought up the Confucian "Taoist system" and attacked the "Legal System" of Buddhism, in fact, they wanted to strengthen the brand advantage of Confucianism itself. However, Han Yue was more than enough to criticize and insufficient to build. Li Ao, his "Book of Restoration" is a bit of a "cottage" version of the taste, the set of cultivation of the "restoration of the Mingcheng" is flowing in the Buddha, orthodox Confucianism is very dissatisfied. The contribution of Han Yu and Li Ao in their thinking lies in the fact that although the problems are raised, the work is done a little roughly. Therefore, Han Yu and Li Ao cannot be regarded as theoreticians.

Who should the theorists of the Song Dynasty start from? It should be counted from Zhou Dunyi. Some people will ask: The Song Dynasty had many cultural celebrities, such as Fan Zhongyan, Su Shi, Ouyang Xiu, and Wang Anshi, who were also very powerful, so why can't they be counted as theoreticians? This is because science is about "professionalism", it has its own professional terminology, discourse system, not you have fame and knowledge can be called a theoretician.

China has "Taoist system", there is no "literary system", the article is to serve the Tao, your article is well written, but the ideological realm is not high, that is called "the study of words and chapters", is a carving insect skill, this kind of person can only be called "literati rioters", and those "people with the Tao" are still one level behind.

In addition, Westerners call Song Ming Lixue "Neo-Confucianism", that is their view, the most authentic title should be "Taoism", because the "History of Song" written by the Yuan Dynasty clearly uses the three words "Taoist Transmission". What the people of the former dynasty did, the people of the later dynasty summed up.

Song Shi · The Taoist Biography focuses on 6 people: Zhou Dunyi, Ercheng (程颢, 程颐), Zhu Xi, Shao Yong, and Zhang Zai. Although these 6 people have all contributed, Zhou Dunyi has the first merit. According to the Confucian theory of "Taoism", Confucianism passed from Confucius to Zengzi, the author of "University", then to Zisi, the author of "Zhongyong", and then to the fourth generation of Mencius. After Mencius, the Confucian Taoism was lost. Later Confucian scholars were either biased or crooked, and none of them were authentic, and at this time Buddhism, Taoism, and various "heresies" were in full swing, and Confucianism was in decline.

It was not until more than a thousand years later, when Zhou Dunyi "learned from the sages and did not pass on the teachings", that he took over the Confucian Confucian Confucianism. Therefore, Zhengshi regards Zhou Dunyi as a recognized "Taoist right vein" connecting Kong Meng's thought, and he should sit on the first chair of Song Ming's theory.

Later generations believed that Zhou Dunyi was the "patriarch of Taoism" and "the founder of science", and he was highly evaluated. I think there are two key points that are the most important reasons for such a high evaluation: first, his spiritual temperament has become an example for Confucians; second, some of the ideological theories he put forward have a far-reaching impact on the development of science. Let's first look at his spiritual temperament.

"The Sayings of Eileen" and Zhou Dunyi's Buddhist complex

Most people have read Zhou Dunyi's "Eilean Says", which is indeed a beautiful article for thousands of years. To compare, if you read Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Origin" and "Return to The Word", it is a kind of hermit feeling. Reading Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang LouJi", it is a kind of Confucian sense of distress and world feelings. It is also a beautiful text, but the spiritual temperament is different.

I once taught students that you can appreciate Tao Yuanming's articles and "not bend your waist for five buckets of rice", but in this era, don't be a hermit, be poor and happy, and love to drink, and enjoy yourself in the name of self-destruction. We should learn from Fan Zhongyan, who has the style of an ancient benevolent person who "lives in the height of the temple and worries about his king, and is far away from the rivers and lakes and worries about his people", and dares to take responsibility. As for Zhou Dunyi, it is worth looking up to, but you may not be able to learn it, and his realm can be summarized in 8 words, that is: "otherworldly, sage atmosphere".

1. A magistrate full of positive energy

Zhou Dunyi was a native of DaoXian County, Hunan Province, who lived in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty ruled the country with culture, which was the "golden age" of the imperial examination. However, Zhou Dunyi did not take the path of the imperial examination, and he was not a jinshi. He had an uncle, Zheng Xiang, who was a scholar of Longtuge. The Song Dynasty's Longtuge Bachelor, is an honorary idle post, the emperor's side of the cultural advisers, from Sipin, equivalent to the current deputy department level treatment, this status can recommend a person in the family to be an official, Zheng Xiang recommended his nephew Zhou Dunyi.

In the Song Dynasty, there were two lines in the selection of officials: one was the imperial examination, which was more formal; the other was Enyin, which was a supplement to the imperial examination. The bigger the official, the more recommended indicators, the purpose is to co-opt bureaucrats and doctors and show the grace of the emperor. As a result, the Song Dynasty had many officials, bloated institutions, and "redundant officials" had always been a burden on the state, and several of its major reforms mentioned the need to lay off "redundant officials", but to no avail. However, after all, the road of Enyin is a supplement, and those who go up through Enyin are mostly mediocre talents who need to be taken care of, and generally can only be petty officials, most of whom are petty officials.

Of course, Zhou Dunyi was not a mediocre talent, but at the beginning he could only be a small official, and he did the main book of Hongzhou, which is today's Fenning County in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. This year, he was 24 years old. However, Zhou Dunyi is very talented, and as soon as he took office, he handled a lawsuit that had not been resolved for many years and won word of mouth. It seems that Zhou Dunyi is a natural judge, and his next few officials are related to the judiciary, such as the Nan'an Military Division, the Dali Temple, Nanchang County, Hongzhou, Guangdong, and so on. He also served as the Guiyang County Commander of Chenzhou, the Qianzhou Tongju, the Yongzhou Tongju, and the Zhinan Kangjun.

The highest-ranking official Zhou Dunyi had been in his later years in Guangdong Province, a position equivalent to that of the director of the Department of Justice in Guangdong Province. In any case, he became a cadre at the level of the main hall. This should be a rare elite figure among the officials who were not from the classroom at that time.

The "History of Song" Zhou Dunyi passed on to posterity the image of a Qing official. He is a man of integrity, does not follow the customs, and is full of positive energy. When he joined the army as a si li in the Nan'an Army, the song dynasty's army and county were of equal rank, and the Nan'an army was in present-day Quanzhou, Fujian. There was a prisoner who should not be sentenced to death according to the law, but Wang Kui, the envoy in charge of the government and the local number one, was unreasonable and wanted to sentence the prisoner to death. It is estimated that he will either benefit or be under pressure. His subordinates did not dare to speak, but Zhou Dunyi stood up, after all, he was directly responsible for handling the case and insisted on handling things according to law. Wang Kui did not listen, and Zhou Dunyi threw down the "wat board" representing his identity on the spot, planning to resign from the official position, saying: "I will not do it by using the practice of killing people to please my superiors." In the face of the upright Zhou Dunyi, the brutal Wang Kui did not dare to make a mistake, and this prisoner was spared death.

Zhou Dunyi is a clean and honest official, and does not seek fame and fortune. He has been a magistrate for decades, basically using his salary income to help friends and the poor, eating rough tea and light food, having no surplus money at home, and sometimes going to other places and even paying for cars and horses. The Song Dynasty was highly paid and incorruptible, and Zhou Dunyi's economic treatment should not be low, but he was willing to be indifferent and live a hard life, which was indeed rare. He is a scholar-type leader who truly practices the "joy of Kong Yan" and has a sage atmosphere. His character is like "out of the mud and not stained" in "Eileen Says".

2. The Lotus Sayings and the Buddhist Lotus Character

"Eileen Says" is very short, only 119 words in total, and the words are like gold. This was written when Zhou Dunyi was 47 years old. He only lived for 57 years, and 47 years old is even middle-aged and elderly, and this work represents the maturity of his thinking.

The article said that there are three kinds of flowers in the world that represent three kinds of personality: the first is the chrysanthemum, the favorite of Tao Yuanming in the Jin Dynasty; the second is the peony, the favorite of ordinary people since the Tang Dynasty; the third is the lotus flower, which I love. Because she comes out of the mud without staining, Mao Qinglian is not demon, the heart is transparent, the appearance is upright, and it emits a faint fragrance. You can only admire her from a distance, but you can't blaspheme her. It is the hermit who loves chrysanthemums, the laymen who love peonies, and the gentlemen who love lotuses. I am a gentleman who loves lotuses. However, after all, there are many laymen and few gentlemen in this world, who wants to be the same as me, to be a gentleman who is not stained with customs and is straight from the outside?

Many people have a question: Isn't the lotus a lucky flower in Buddhism? Zhou Dunyi's love for lotus flowers is related to Buddhism? It really matters.

There are many Buddhist records about lotus flowers, and there is also a sutra that is specifically named after the lotus flower, called the Lotus Sutra of the Myofa Lotus, referred to as the Lotus Sutra for short. Everyone is most familiar with the Lotus Platform of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Since ancient times, India has regarded the lotus flower, especially the red lotus, as the most noble flower in aquatic plants, and Buddhism regards it as one of the "Seven Treasures". The Vimalaya Sutra says, "For example, on a plateau land, there is no lotus flower, but a wet mud, but a flower."

The lotus flower always grows in the muddy muddy water, and according to the Buddhist understanding, the muddy water is the trouble, and without all the troubles of the world, one cannot become a Buddha. This is called "defilement is bodhicitta," and bodhichitta is achieved in defilement. Zhou Dunyi never mentioned that he wanted to become a Buddha, he only became a gentleman, but the reasoning was the same. Zhou Dunyi himself said that his ideological realm was inspired by several monks.

There is a Zen book called "The Record of lay people's Divided Lamps", which says that Zhou Dunyi was the Buddha's heir to the Yuan Zen master, that is, a lay disciple. Zhou Dunyi also interacted with the obscure ancestral heart, Donglin Changzong, Buddha Yinyuan, Huang long Huinan and others, all of whom were famous monks at that time. According to Buddhist records, Zhou Dunyi's academic ideas were basically inspired by Zen masters.

For example, Zhou Dunyi especially advocates the realization of the "joy of Kong Yan", which originates from the obscure ancestral Zen master's "dotting in his own house". Zhou Dunyi played the "way of sincerity" of Confucianism, that is, it originated from Donglin Changzong's "practical reasoning, not a dust". Zhou Dunyi's original "Taiji Tushu" is derived from the "Legal Circle" theory of the Huayan Jing. Zhou Dunyi himself also admitted that Huang Long Huinan and Buddha Yinyuan inspired his "wonderful heart", and Donglin Changzong gave him a thorough grasp of the "Yi" theory.

You may not believe in The Buddhist account. However, the "Testament of Ercheng" records a sentence that Ercheng said: "Uncle Zhou Mao, poor Zen guest." ”

Zhou Maoshu is the word for Zhou Dunyi. Students say that their teachers are "poor Zen guests", which is inexplicable. Some people interpret this sentence as: "Zhou Dunyi once argued with a Zen master, and said that the Zen master was poor in words. "How is that possible. It was normal for Zhou Dunyi to be influenced by senior monks. He "does not remove the grass in front of the window", and when asked why, he replied that it was "the same as his own meaning". This allusion Zhu Xi once mentioned shows that Zhou Dunyi learned the essence of Zen Buddhism and lived a lively and free life.

Some people say that there are lotus flowers everywhere in Hunan, and Zhou Dunyi's writing of "The Saying of Loving Lotuses" may not be related to Buddhism. The problem is, you just sit in the water every day and look at the lotus, can you see what it is? Zhou Dunyi discovered the beauty of the lotus flower, which was the result of his near-perfection of spirit. Chinese regard peony as the national flower, and Indians regard the lotus flower as the national flower, one pursuing wealth and the other pursuing holiness. This is the difference between the two cultures. In China, Zhou Dunyi, who appreciates lotus flowers and says that lotus flowers are so noble, is probably the first person. Zhou Dunyi's "The Story of Eileen" shows that his spiritual temperament is extraordinary, and it is extremely difficult for ordinary Confucians to reach his realm.

"The bosom spills out like light and the moon." The free mind, like the clear and clean after the rain and the sun, shows zhou Dunyi's outstanding character. Note that true Taoists attain the realm of sages by practicing what they preach, and this is also the meaning of Wang Yangming's later emphasis on "the unity of knowledge and action." If you can't do it and want to sell your reputation, you are a false Taoist, a hypocrite.

The Taiji Tushu and its copyright dispute

A person who has a realm and does not learn cannot do it, and it is not possible to have a realm without learning. Where is Zhou Dunyi's true learning? It is in the "Taiji Tu Shu", which is a concentrated expression of his philosophical thought. "Taiji Tushu" was written by Zhou Dunyi when he was in his 30s, with a total of only 249 characters. Zhou Dunyi wrote "Taiji Tushu" in his 30s and "AiLian Saying" in his 40s, the former reflecting his philosophical innovation, and the latter reflecting his realm creation. This should be the basic sign that Zhou Dunyi became the founder of Taoism.

1. What does "Tai Chi Tu Shu" say?

Anyone who has been to Zhou Dunyi's hometown knows that there is a "moon rock" wonder there. It is actually a huge cave with two cave doors to the east and west. If you enter from the East Cave Gate and go to the West Gate, you can see a bend of the "broken moon" at the beginning, and then you can see a round of "Hao Moon", continue to walk forward, the moon is missing from the circle, and finally becomes the "winding moon". Local legend has it that Zhou Dunyi studied in Yueyan when he was a child, and it was this experience that provided a practical scene for him to later realize "Wuji and Taiji".

It's actually not that simple. Let's take a look at the opening sentences of Zhou Dunyi's "Tai Chi Diagram": "Wuji and Tai Chi." Taiji moves and gives birth to yang, moving pole and static; static and yin, static pole complex; one movement and one static, each other as their roots; yin and yang, two instruments stand up. ”

This passage seems familiar to everyone, because the "Yi Chuan" has an explanation of "easy to have tai chi, is to give birth to two instruments". Zhou Dunyi's "Taiji Tushu" was originally called "Taiji Tuyi Saying", which was used to explain the yin and yang changes of Zhou Yi. This cosmological pre-Qin era appeared. Zhou Dunyi's key is to add a "Wuji and Taiji", from Wuji to Taiji, which has caused controversy.

In fact, Zhou Dunyi's greatest contribution was to put forward a concept of "the unity of heaven and man" that had not been discovered by previous people: from Wuji to Taiji, to the five elements of yin and yang, to the incarnation of all things, and then to the "Lord Standing Human Pole". The changes of all things in the universe follow such a program. What about people? Man is also a member of all things in heaven and earth, and the best state of life is "the Lord stands still and stands at the pole of man." Life has movement and stillness, but it is necessary to focus on stillness, and with a quiet life, we can reach the extreme. Zhou Dunyi also added a sentence himself: "There is no desire to be quiet." This provided an idea for the later distinction of "Heavenly Reason and Human Desire".

2, Zhou Dunyi's "Tai Chi Diagram" is not a yin and yang fish

Some people say that the Taiji diagram is the "first map of China", which is described as a yin and yang fish, which is very beautiful and mysterious. We can see it in the Taoist temple, even in the fortune teller who sets up the stall. The Singapore Airlines logo also chose this image, which the South Koreans embroidered on the flag. Here to explain, the Korean flag map was originally designed by Chinese help him.

In 1882, the Qing Dynasty assisted Korea in signing the Treaty of Reconciliation and Commerce between Korea and the United States, which at that time was a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty. Before the treaty was signed, North Korean officials proposed the use of China's dragon flag, but Ma Jianzhong, who was in charge of North Korean affairs, disagreed. After discussion between the two sides, Ma Jianzhong suggested using The Taiji Diagram, the Outer Circle Bagua, the Bagua Pure Black, and the Taiji Half Red and Half Black, which is the original shape of the Korean flag diagram. Now the Flag of South Korea is not infringed, but is the product of special historical conditions. South Korea and Singapore originally belong to the Chinese cultural circle.

Let's now compare several Tai Chi diagrams: one is the Yin-Yang Fish Diagram, one is Zhou Dunyi's Taiji Diagram, and the other is the Taoist Alchemy Diagram. Of these 3 figures, the first is the common Tai Chi diagram yin and yang fish, it is the most concise, but also the best look, basically means that everything in the universe is divided into yin and yang, yin has yang, yang has yin.

The second Tai Chi diagram of Zhou Dunyi, Zhou Dunyi used in life, focuses on "the Lord stands still and stands at the pole". The third Daoist priest used it to refine Dan, and the recipe was: "Refining and refining qi, refining qi to transform gods, refining gods and refining gods." "The void and the main jing are the same idea. Therefore, Zhou Dunyi's Taiji diagram is related to Taoism.

3. The thousand-year copyright dispute of "Taiji Tushu"

Now here's the problem. You said earlier that the "Ai Lian Shu" is related to Buddhism, and now you say that the "Tai Chi Tu Shu" is related to Taoism, so where does the face of Confucianism rest? In fact, this is not a problem of "face", but a problem of "Lizi". We now feel that many problems are not problems, but in a particular era, they are very sensitive issues.

The reason is simple, in today's parlance, it involves copyright issues, intellectual property issues. The "Wuji and Taiji" in the Taiji Diagram is obviously related to Lao Tzu, and the Tao Te Ching says: "Knowing its whiteness and keeping its black is the style of the world." For the world style, Changde is not inferior, and returns to Wuji. ”

This is the original words, how do you deny it? There is also the "Tai Chi Diagram", which is obviously consistent with the Procedure of Daoist Alchemy, how do you deny it? As for "the Lord's meditation on the pole", it can be said that it is related to Taoism and Confucianism, and the Confucian classic "Li Ji LeJi" says: "Life is quiet, and the nature of nature is also; feeling things and moving, sexual desire is also." ”

This means that human nature is static, and the seven passions and six desires arise from contact with the outside world. It can be said that Zhou Dunyi's "Taiji Tushu" is a synthesis of Confucian Taoist thought.

However, this problem was not so simple in the Song and Ming dynasties. According to the opinions of Confucian scholars such as Zhu Xi and Zhang Yu, this is of course Zhou Dunyi's "not passed on by the teacher, tacit understanding of the Taoist body", no one taught him, it was he himself who realized it, thus inheriting the Confucian Taoist system that has not been transmitted for thousands of years. But Zhu Zhen, Lu Jiuyuan and others believe that it comes from Taoism and Taoism. Some scholars of the Qing Dynasty even examined it in detail, finding evidence that it was related to the Five Dynasties Daoist Chen Zhuo's Xiantian Tu and other Taoist alchemy classics. Buddhism even believes that the Tai Chi Tu Shu originated from the dictation of a Zen master.

Who is right? I think that such a question is not difficult to answer as long as there is no portal view.

First, in the spiritual realm, the Taiji Tushu and the Ai Lian Shu are connected, the former speaking of "main stillness", which is the main method of cultivating the mind, and the latter talking about "coming out of the mud without staining", which is the elevation of the realm. Zhou Dunyi wrote "Tai Chi Tu Shu" in his 30s, and when he was 47 years old, he summed up "Ai Lian Said", indicating that his spiritual realm had reached the extreme. Confucius and Confucianism did not discuss the mental problems in the past, but after Zhou Dunyi's interactions with the monks and Taoists, he helped the Buddha to enter Confucianism and opened up a new world of Confucian spiritual life, which in itself is "creative transformation, innovative development" and comprehensive innovation. No Confucian had reached this height before.

Second, in terms of cosmology, Zhou Dunyi combined the principles of human moral life with the development law of the universe through the "Taiji Tu theory", found the source for the ethical and moral life of Confucianism, and philosophically called "ontology" evidence, providing a basic idea for the debate between the core issue of "Heavenly Reason and Human Desire" in the later Cheng Zhu Theory.

Third, affirming Zhou Dunyi's innovation in Confucianism does not deny Zhou Dunyi's absorption and integration of Buddhism, Taoism, and Taoist doctrines. Any kind of ideology and theory needs living water at the source, people have strengths, you do not learn to learn, but to be self-intoxicated, that can only be built behind closed doors, so it is impossible to achieve achievements. We now advocate "not forgetting the original, absorbing foreign countries, and facing the future", which is a summary of The historical experience of China and foreign countries, and also our correct attitude towards ancient culture and foreign culture.

The biggest advantage of Zhou Dunyi is that he does not have the view of the door, and the reason why he can become the "Taoist Suzerain" is precisely because he can adhere to the value position of Confucianism, set up no barriers, boldly absorb the ideological nutrition of The Buddha's Tao, and comprehensively innovate. Such an ambitious scholar as Zhou Dunyi, only the later Wang Yangming can be compared with it, which is very remarkable.

Some people say that Ercheng's teacher is Zhou Dunyi, but Ercheng does not recognize him as a teacher. In fact, when Zhou Dunyi was a magistrate, Ercheng's father knew him and felt that he had real learning, so he brought his two sons, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, and let Zhou Dunyi be their teacher. According to the time, Zhou Dunyi only taught them for 1 year. So, what did Zhou Dunyi teach them? After Ercheng has a famous status, in the end he still does not recognize him as a teacher, and next time we will focus on the pioneers of science, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi.