Author: Liu Xiaochuan
The academy originated in the Tang Dynasty, originating from the private study of the study hall and the official government to sort out the classics of the yamen. After the development of the five dynasties at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the academy gradually developed and took shape in the early Song Dynasty, and developed into a form of educational organization in which teaching and research promoted each other during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While carrying out the study of the Tao, the ancient Chinese academy pays special attention to virtue, which contains the moral education concern of Ming Lun Xiude.
Constructing a heavy "moral"
As a place where people teach, the ancient Chinese academy has high requirements for its own architectural structure, from site selection, internal structure, to architectural decoration and landscape layout, which contain rich moral education connotations.
In addition to paying attention to the natural landscape characteristics, the college also emphasizes the cultural environment such as historical and cultural monuments and the relics of famous scholars, so as to "go far away from the hustle and bustle of the world, listen to the quiet and quiet, heel the traces of the famous sages, and think of the friends of the prosperous". The sound of the literati reading and the beautiful piano are intertwined with the wind and rain of nature, forming a beautiful picture with sound, color, and moving strings. What is contained in this is the unique spirit and transcendence necessary for carrying out academic research.
Generally speaking, the construction of ancient Chinese academies reflects the simple connotation of decoration, while avoiding both secular atmosphere and luxury. Every set of courtyards, every house, every square stone stele, and even every piece of brick and tile often contains a timeless moral connotation. As the saying goes, "morality is the place, faithfulness is the foundation, benevolence is the house, righteousness is the road, etiquette is the door, shame is the wall, the Six Classics are the household, and the Four Sons are the ladder." The most common titles in the academy, such as "Chongde Hall" and "Yilu", are the most intuitive expressions.
In the process of design and construction, ancient Chinese academies prefer to decorate the courtyard with allegorical plants such as Meilan bamboo chrysanthemums and pine cypress lotus lotuses, which are representatives of gentleman's integrity, which can infect the ideological understanding of indoctrination and disciples, and play a moral education function.
Coursework emphasizes "moral cultivation"
In addition to the "Four Books" and "Five Classics", most of the contents studied in the academy include Zhou Dunyi's "Taiji Illustrations", Zhu Xi's "Zhuzi Quotations", Wang Yangming's "Records of Transmission and Practice" and other books. Using Confucian classics as the main teaching materials of the academy is one of the important ways to carry out ideological and moral education for students. Because Confucianism pays special attention to human quality and moral accomplishment. The "Four Books" and "Five Classics" contain rich ideas on the cultivation of creditworthiness. For example, the Son teaches four things: the word, the deed, the faithful, the faithful, the way of heaven, and the way of the heavens; the one who thinks of sincerity, the way of man. Using Confucian classics as the main teaching materials of the academy, the disciples naturally received an education in honesty while familiarizing themselves with Confucian works, and then cultivated an honest and trustworthy gentleman's personality.
The "self-study curriculum" of ancient Chinese academies is particularly clear in the emphasis on moral cultivation. For example, when Li Yong, a famous Confucian in the early Qing Dynasty, gave a lecture at the Guanzhong Academy in Shaanxi Province, he put forward such a self-cultivation requirement: First of all, he got up at dawn and sat solemnly for a while to calm his mood at night. Get rid of distractions, look at the heart, let the body and mind be in a quiet and clear, and cultivate the body and mind when the mind is not moving. Secondly, at noon, after dinner, I read the "University Derivative Supplement", carefully studied and pondered, understood the reasoning, and then cultivated morality. Finally, in the evening, sit quietly, silently reflect on the correct and crooked places in today's thinking, and reflect on the gains and losses in speech and behavior today.
Strict rules and regulations on "tree morality"
The rules of the college have their own emphases, but there is a common feature, that is, in order to make students better "adult", cultivate students and disciples in personality, morality, integrity, and cultivation, and show excellence everywhere, that is, to seek the improvement of people's inner quality. Zhu Xi's "Revelation of the White Deer Cave Academy" is the most representative here, and thus became the mother of many later academy rules. Zhu Xi wrote in the rules of the court that it is necessary to study extensively, consult in detail, think diligently, clearly discern, and act faithfully. The "revelation" formulated by Zhu Zi is concerned with the construction of ethics and the cultivation of virtue throughout, and is intended to be the fundamental pursuit of the scholars of the academy to exhaust morality.
The Song dynasty name Ru Zuqian stipulated in the rules formulated for Lize Academy: Those who are not filial to their parents, unfriendly to their brothers, discordant to their clans, insincere to their friends, and inconsistent in words and deeds are not allowed to enter the academy.
Yao Mian lectured at Xijian Academy, and in the rules he formulated, he emphasized the "six virtues". He wrote in the rules of the court that the wise men recommended and used by the Zhou Dynasty must be people with noble moral character and noble words and deeds. The so-called virtue refers to the six virtues, that is, having wisdom, having a benevolent heart, having a superior personality, stressing faith, abiding by the way of moderation, and communicating with people; with these six virtues, you can be filial to your parents, love your brothers, love your people, marry relatives, and be trusted by your friends.
Leading by example and emphasizing "virtue"
The College pays special attention to the moral exemplary role of teachers. In the selection of teachers, the college regards high moral character as the primary criterion, and its purpose is to provide an example for the formation of good ideological character of students. Therefore, the moral exemplary role of ancient academy teachers on students and disciples is reflected in various aspects such as paying attention to self-cultivation, dedication and love for students.
Leading by example means strengthening one's own moral cultivation and paying attention to one's own moral cultivation. For example, when Zhu Xi was in the White Deer Cave Academy, he gave his disciples the impression that he was very particular about prestige and appearance, and that all the clothes, food, and clothing were moderate; he walked steadily and sat upright. In his spare time, before dawn he would get up, put on his dress, and then pay homage to his ancestors and sages, and he would sit in his study. Song Daru Yang Jian's words and deeds were also deeply praised by his disciples: there is no flaw, although in a remote and uninhabited place, it is like facing the vast number of guests, although he has been old, he is still modest and respectful in doing things, and he never slacks off.
The masters of the Academy are not only exemplary in virtue and learning, but also pay special attention to the students' moral cultivation. During his lectures at Longmen Academy, The Qing Dynasty literary scholar Liu Xizai often lectured with various students and worked tirelessly all day long. Every five days he would ask each of his disciples about their studies, ask them what they had done, and help them answer their questions.
For students and disciples of the academy, the teacher who gets along with him day and night is a true practitioner of morality and ethics, and it is easy to believe and imitate it psychologically, so as to achieve the moral education effect of respecting the teacher and the Tao. According to records, Qian Daxin served as a teacher at Jinling Zhongshan Academy and Taicang Loudong Academy, and there were more than 2,000 protégés, of whom countless people had achieved fame and fame, and they all admired Qian Daxin for his learning and practice, and all respected him with the way of a teacher.
Worship of the sages and "reverence for virtue"
For traditional Chinese academies, rituals are one of the three functions alongside book collection and teaching. The primary function of the Academy's ceremonies is to honor the sages and repay merits.
At the White Deer Cave Academy, Zhu Xi carved the books of celebrities and the poems of Bao Zheng in the courtyard for students to observe and study. Yuelu Academy has portraits of the Ten Philosophers and the 72 Sages. Although the ancestors of the academies in different places are different and in different forms, this practice of the academy not only highlights the virtue and virtue, but also reflects the importance attached to the model of personality.
In addition, the academy ceremony is not only a synodic worship service, but also has an important educational value in itself, containing rich indoctrination connotations such as respecting teachers, emphasizing the Tao, revering the sages, respecting learning, and shangcheng.
Ancient Chinese academies have cultivated a large number of students with both ability and political integrity by using the ideas of qualities, knowledge, sincerity, righteousness, self-cultivation, family unity, governance of the country, and peace in the world, which still have important reference significance in terms of teaching concepts and academic thought.
Source: Learning Times