How Zhu Xi Talks About the "Four Books"

Before the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism used the Five Classics as classics, and the Analects and Mencius had not yet been officially listed as scriptures; the University and the Zhongyong were two of the Book of Rites and had no special status. The four books began in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the formal collection was written in Zhu Xi. In the minds of Song dynasty scholars, the Four Books are also scriptures, and the status of the Four Books is more important than that of other classics. The Commentaries on the Four Books, including the University Chapters and Sentences, the Zhongyong Chapters and Sentences, the Analects of the Analects, and the Mencius Collection, are the most diligent works of Zhu Xi's life. Mr. Qian Mu said that the four books are the center of all of Zhu Xi's scholarship or its knots, which shows the weight of the four books in Zhu Xi's academic system.

The four books are a whole

Zhu Xi regarded the four books as a whole, and the connection between them was very close. According to Zhu Xi, the reason why people are human beings, the truth that people cannot fail to learn, and the correct order of learning, can be found in the four books. He repeatedly emphasized the order of reading the four books, first looking at the University, then the Analects, Mencius, and then the Zhongyong. If you really work the four books, you will be able to swim in the words and sentences, and then see through in connection with yourself, you will be exhausted for a lifetime.

Zhu Xi elaborated on the characteristics of each of the four books and their overall connection. In the "Zhuzi Reading Method", Zhu Xi talked: "The university is the supreme classic that the first saints and sages spread throughout the world and practiced enlightenment, and it is taught to all future generations under the heavens; the Analects and Mencius expound the truth for a moment and a thing, recording the views of random changes and specific discussion of problems; as for the "Zhongyong", it is the supreme idea taught by Confucianism, and later generations of scholars may not be able to easily understand it. Zhu Xi held that if the "University" is valuable in proposing the program, if there is no overall grasp of the "University" program, it will be difficult to understand the subtleties and subtleties of the "Analects" and "Mencius"; if we do not study the "Analects" and "Mencius", if we cannot integrate and penetrate, we will not be able to understand the meaning of the "Zhongyong"; if we cannot reach the height of "Zhongyong", how can we establish the great scriptures on the occasion of heaven and man, and then discuss the major events of the world.

Therefore, we must know the four books, understand the four books, and comprehend the four books as a whole. Through the "University", we studied the great canon of the establishment of the religion in the world on a programmatic basis; through the integration of the Analects and Mencius, we understood the subtleties of the opportunity to receive things; next, we realized the height of the "Zhongyong", established the fundamentals, and planned for a great cause. Therefore, according to Zhu Xi's words, when reading the four books, one should not read them in general, but must "keep the cycle of reviewing and making them ripe."

On "The University"

What is the origin of "University"? The preface to Zhu Xi's "University Chapters and Sentences" says that the book "University" is exactly the method of teaching people in ancient universities. In ancient times, the teaching of the university prevailed, the teaching program was very detailed, and the man who was a king could act as a gentleman, and most of the things taught were within the ethics of the people's daily use, so everyone in the world learned. In the ancient past, when it was prosperous, the rule was on the top, and the beauty was on the bottom.

At the end of the Spring and Autumn period of Confucius's life, the Zhou Dao was in decline, and the indoctrination and customs were all decadent. Confucius took the methods of the previous kings and recited them to illuminate the people. Among Confucius's three thousand disciples, Zhu Xi believed that only Zengzi had passed on his lineage, and then Mencius. After Mencius died, although the book existed, not many people knew its meaning. The "biography of Zengzi" mentioned here is the "Li Ji" version of "University", also known as the "University" ancient book. Since Mencius, there has been a long gap period, until the Northern Song Dynasty received the biography of Mencius and honored the "University".

Regarding the chapters of "University", Ercheng believed that there were errors and simplified, and reordered the order. From Ercheng, Zhu Xi not only inherited the purpose of inventing "University", but also paid attention to the compilation of "University". He rearranged the order, divided the chapters, and made his own interpretation, called the University Chapters and Sentences. Compared with the ancient version of the University, Zhu Xiben's "University" distinguished between the scriptures and the transmissions; adjusted the order of the parts; and added the transmission texts to make the book look "in a harmonious order, consistent in righteousness, and seemingly true."

In the four books, Zhu Xi believes that he should read "University" for the first time. Because the book "University" says that the ancients were generous in learning; "University" is for the program of study; first pass the "University" and establish a program; first read "University", it can be seen that the ancients were the first and last orders of learning. To be a person and to do learning, it is expensive to grasp the program first, and the program is extensive. Zhu Xi has repeatedly stated that "University" is where the program and program lie. This program is exactly what the University says about the three programs and eight items. The "Three Principles" are "Ming Mingde, Close to the People, and Stop at the Highest Good"; the "Eight Eyes" are "Qualities, Knowledge, Sincerity, Righteousness, Self-Cultivation, Unity of Family, Governance of the Country, and Peace in the World". In the "Three Principles and Eight Eyes", Zhu Xi is particularly concerned about the methodology of "Gewu Zhizhi", which is the initial employment office and initial starting point of the "University".

On the Analects of Mencius

Zhu Xi often talked about the Analects and Mencius together, and these two books were indispensable, and it was wonderful to read them together. He taught his disciples that if they were very familiar with the "University", they could read the "Analects" and "Mencius", and he said that the "Analects" and "Mencius" were both meat dishes in the "University", and they were shallow and deep, and they were uneven.

Regarding the method of reading the Analects and Mencius, Zhu Xi quoted Cheng Zi's words and placed them before the main text of the Analects. He inherited and developed Cheng Zi's thought, and took "the meaning of watching the sages so they do the scriptures, and the saints so they are attentive" as the main point of reading the sages' books. It provokes people to think about why holiness is holy, and why I have not yet attained it. Around this central proposition, sentence by sentence, day by day, by night, in a panoramic picture with the saint, in order to see the "meaning of the saint".

Compared with the Six Classics, Zhu Xi said: "The "Language" and "Meng" have less work and more effects; the Six Classics have more work and less effect." This is because "Language" and "Meng" are "easy and easy to use in daily use, and there are few doubts in reading and more." In his view, among the classics left by the saints, only the Analects and Mencius used plain and easy to understand words, which were closely related to everyone's daily life. Zhu Xi suggested that people should read the text to see the ease and justice. From this, we can also see that the writing characteristics of the Analects and Mencius are that "the words are easy and easy to use for daily use"

As a person and as a scholar, Zhu Xi emphasizes "doing kung fu" (same as "kung fu"). In his view, Kong and Meng are teaching people to do work, and the Analects and Mencius are the classics that teach people to do work. Zhu Xi thought that today's people reading Kong and Meng's words are a bit sloppy. If you have seen them in a cursory way, it is easy to see their differences literally, and if you read them with your heart, you will read that they are in the same vein and consistent in their use. Taking "faithful words and deeds with devotion" as an example, it seems that only plain things are said, and they do not reach the root of what they are. When the scholars themselves put their work in place, it is natural to meet the "body" is probably like this. What "body"? As for Mencius, I am afraid that people will not be able to read it, so I will talk about it more directly, such as "the heart of compassion" and "the way of learning, please rest assured", the heart is the body. Where the heart is, words and deeds are naturally faithful and respectful. Zhu Xi read the true taste of it and thought that Mencius's words were "gradually becoming kinder", and the essence of it was only one thing. Kong Meng taught people to do work, that is, to act with the heart, and the matter is in the heart; to test the heart with things, and the heart is in the matter.

On the Middle Way

Reading "Zhongyong", Zhu Xi bluntly said that "Zhongyong" is very difficult to study. "Zhongyong" tells about the categories of "Mandate of Heaven", "Sex", "Tao", "Sent", "Undeveloped", "Sincerity" and so on, which is profound in its teachings, has no certain foundation, and is difficult to read. Zhu Xi reminded his students that to read "Zhongyong" to make a preparation, that is, to make efforts to read "University", "Analects", and "Mencius", and to understand these three books clearly, "Zhongyong" will be half understood.

Why was "The Mean" written? Zhu Xi believed that Zi Si's work "Zhongyong" was taught by Kong Men. In the Zhongyong Chapter Sentence Order, Zhu Xi mentions Taoism and Taoism. Taoism is the sincere practice of the middle way; the tradition of passing on Taoism is called Taoism, and such a tradition has a long history. Since ancient times, Yao, Shun, Yu, Chengtang, King Wen of Zhou, King Wu of Zhou, Duke of Zhou, and the Holy Saints have inherited each other. When Confucius arrived, he continued to pass on the transmission of the Taoist system, Yanzi and Zengzi received their sect, and Zengzi passed on to Zisi. By the time of Zi Si, both scholarship and the situation were already in a situation of "going to the holy and heresy", which caused Zi Si to be deeply worried, afraid that the longer the time went on, the more distorted it became. Therefore, he pushed the meaning of Ben Yao and Shun's inheritance, recalled the words of his grandfather Confucius and his teacher Zengzi, and added his own understanding to compose "Zhongyong".

How to practice the Middle Way, Zhu Zi talked about the Taoist heart and the human heart. The Book of Shang says: "The people's hearts are only in danger, the Tao's heart is small, only the essence is the only one, and it is allowed to be in the middle." This is the description of the basic nature of the human heart and the Taoist mind by the sages of the ancient times. The human heart is unfathomable; the Taoist heart is subtle and profound. The only way to deal with the relationship between the two is to sincerely and sincerely pursue the Middle Way with a refined attitude.

Zhu Xi talked about the heart and defined it as "virtual spiritual awareness", an illusory thing, with knowledge and awareness. Man has only one heart, so why is there a difference between the human heart and the Taoist mind? Zhu Xi believes that in the process of giving birth to all things from reason to qi, if you are born of the righteousness of life, this is the Dao mind; if you are born of the selfishness of the form qi, it is the human heart. Although this mind is different from the heart of the heart and the heart of the Tao, it is the same heart. In every concrete mind, no one's mind is a pure and unadulterated Dao mind, because in the process of taking shape, man will always have more or less the selfishness of form and qi, so even the wise man cannot be without a human heart; no one's heart is full of selfish desires and hearts, because everyone has his nature of benevolence, righteousness, and wisdom, and even the foolish person has a Dao mind. Viewed in this way, the Taoist mind and the human heart are mixed with each other and form the same mind. Zhu Xi reminded the people of the world that the intermingling of people's hearts and Taoist hearts is very subtle, only between square inches, between words and thoughts, if you do not know how to cure it, it will make people want to gain the upper hand, and Tianli will be defeated.

How to solve such a problem? Zhu Xi said, "Everyone who learns must first understand a mind before he can learn." Give play to the "jingyi" of the mind, use its "essence" to perceive the Daoist mind, and make the human heart closely follow the Daoist mind; use its "one" to keep the righteousness of the original mind and not deviate from it. With hard work on the "jingyi", there is no less interruption, the Taoist heart becomes the master of the human body, and the human heart obeys the orders, so "the dangerous are safe, the small are written", and the Taoist heart is clear. "The Mean" is such a classic, teaching people to change their temperament, follow the nature of nature, and restore the Taoist mind.

Rong zhu group speech, in the "narrative" "do"

For Zhu Xi's four books, the Compendium of the General Bibliography of the Four Libraries focuses on one detail. Zhu's "Analects" "Hu Lian" is inconsistent with the "Li Ji Ming Tang Position", and mencius's "Cao Jiao" is inconsistent with the "Spring and Autumn Biography", which raises people's questions. However, he did not know that Zhu Zhu's annotation "Hu Lian" used the Eastern Han Dynasty classicist Bao Xian's note; the note "Cao Jiao" used the Eastern Han Dynasty classicist Zhao Qi's note, not Zhu Xi's fabrication. Another example is the chapter "The Wall of the Master Counts the Servants", with the note "Seven Feet of The Seven Feet of The Book"; the chapter of "Digging the Well nine feet", the note "Eight Feet of the Nine Feet", which seems to be contradictory, but in fact, the "Seven Feet" Zhu Xi used Bao Xian Notes, and the "Eight Feet" were taken from Zhao Qi Notes.

This detail precisely reflects Zhu Xi's tradition of following the "shu", casting group words and "doing" in the "shu". It is precisely because of the profound foundation of his "exposition" that his "work" is rooted in the fertile soil, and then there is a collection of works. However, since the Ming Dynasty, those who attacked Zhu Xi thought that he was negligent in the examination of the degree of famous objects; while those who respected Zhu Xi thought that such a problem was only a small matter and defended it, in fact, neither of them really understood Zhu Xi's original purpose, nor did they see the meaning of Zhu Xi's writing. Therefore, the Compendium of the General Catalogue of the Four Libraries reminds the world that "those who read his books should seek their roots in small words of righteousness." The essence of what is said here is to follow the tradition of "narration", cast group words, and "do" in "shu".

Emperor Baoqing of Song Li issued an edict in the third year: "You can give Xi Taishi a special gift, and posthumously write a letter to the Duke of Guo", and encouraged the disciples to study Zhu Xi's "Notes on the Four Books" and other works. Later, in the more than 700 years until the end of the Qing Dynasty, the "Notes on the Four Books" became a must-read book for ancient literati to open up science and scholars, and its status was comparable to that of the Five Classics, and its theories, ideas, and viewpoints became the standard for intellectuals to distinguish between right and wrong.