Neutralize at the place of walking - Sun Qifeng's path of learning

【Reading History Notes】

Author: Li Liuwen (Associate Professor, Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management)

There is no doubt that in the writing of the intellectual history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Sun Qifeng was seriously ignored. And this may have something to do with the academic path he chose. At the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Gu Yanwu advocated the concept of science, that is, classics, and opened up a generation of atmosphere; Huang Zongxi was extremely critical and the founder of zhejiang eastern historiography. In contrast, Sun Qifeng still clings to the old stronghold. He obeyed Wang Xue's straightforwardness and insisted on defending Wang Xue in the context of Wang Xue becoming the target of public criticism. In his opinion, those who pass on the Yang Ming lose the Yang Ming, and the late Ming scholars deviate from the cultivation kung fu of Yang Ming, so that they are empty. The most urgent task at the moment is to practice the kung fu in a down-to-earth manner and implement the way of Confucius and Mencius into the daily use of morality. This kind of academic path is not valued in the writing of the history of ideas that seeks innovation and difference, and it is reasonable that he is ignored by intellectual historians.

However, "learning and learning from time to time", Confucianism itself is a study that focuses on moral practice. The scholarship of the late Ming Dynasty deviated precisely from this direction, and after more than two hundred years of theoretical contamination, the intellectual circles were filled with emptiness and urgency, and there was no Confucian Yongxi neutrality, and the theoretical practice of the Ming Dynasty was largely a failure. In the face of the vanity and obedience of the late Ming Dynasty, Sun Qifeng appointed himself as a Taoist system, trying to pull Confucianism back to the right path of faithfulness and faithfulness, and reproduce the benevolent neutrality of Confucianism.

In view of the vacuousness of the study style at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Sun Qi was firm in his grasp. "Not far from the daily use of the usual line, straight to create the heavens and the earth before the painting", high and far is humble, after school is up, eating and dressing are all manifestations of heavenly reason. "In the daily use of the day, whenever one thing is done, there is no improper reason, and this so-called Tao is also the so-called learning" ("The Collected Works of Mr. Xia Feng", vol. 14). Sun Qifeng often said: "It is better to speak a foot than to walk a foot." On the one hand, he promoted the etiquette system and practiced the way of Confucius and Meng in the daily cloth and millet, on the other hand, he opposed sitting and talking about the Tao, and opposed empty talk about life. At that time, Tian Benpei, the head of the Ministry of Works who was serving as Wei Hui, invited Sun Qifeng to give a lecture at Baiquan Academy, and the children of the world from near and far were also called to come, eagerly awaiting. Sun Qifeng refused this invitation and wrote to him, saying, "The illness is talking more!" Filial piety and strength, everyone is sufficient, only bow down to the two words, lifelong can not be exhausted, more than a lecture, will give birth to branches, branches born and pseudo-learning. (Sun Zhengjun's Daily Genealogy Record, vol. 16, hereinafter referred to as the "Dizhi Spectrum") Several masters and apprentices gathered in the same room from time to time and calmly discussed, which was the way he admired the teaching. Sun Qifeng also stressed that the scholars should be able to do things, criticizing the corrupt Confucians who "talk about their hearts in peace and talk about their hearts in peace, and tie their hands when things happen," saying that they are "enough to be reproachful of science." He once led the township party members to take refuge in Wugongshan, and while reciting the strings and not abolishing the poetry book, he discussed the military and learned martial arts, resisted the attack of the Manchurian Iron Horse, and saved the lives of more than 5,000 people. This shows his path to learning.

In response to the obedience of the late Ming Dynasty, Sun Qifeng was lenient. School disputes, which have a long history, extended to the early Qing Dynasty, and the honor of Cheng Zhu and the denigration of Lu Wang almost became the main color of science. In this regard, Sun Qifeng did not argue, but used the practice of practicing to unify the various factions, showing a broad mind and boldness, which can be seen from his interaction with Wei Yijie. Wei Yijie, a courtier, criticized Wang Yangming for "drifting into the study of Tianzhu without knowing it", questioning in a letter to Sun Qifeng: "The heart is one. Is it 'the body of the mind of the one who has no good and no evil', or 'the body of the nature of the one who has no good and no evil'? If we say 'the body of the human nature without good and without evil', it is another accusation. (The Collected Works of Jian Ji Tang, vol. IX) This is in stark contrast to Sun Qifeng's views. Sun Qifeng once defended Yang Ming's "body without goodness and no disgust": The heart is the heart, and sex is sex. However, Sun Qifeng did not refute Wei's remarks, but said that "here he is seeing the public determination of Baixiang", affirming that his learning has been gained. He went on to emphasize: "What is the difference between the two factions of the real mind and the work? "Lead the way of learning to the practical work of practicing." The Wei-yi introduction of the "Records of the Sacred Knowledge" and the "Continuation of the Sacred Knowledge" are very different from the selection criteria of Sun Qifeng's "Biography of the Rigaku Sect", but Sun Qifeng did not demand it, but encouraged him as a scholar of the previous generation, saying that the book was "exhausted to the point of exhaustion and consistency". He compares Wei Yijie to Xu Heng and Yao Shu of the early Yuan Dynasty, encouraged by the way of Kong Meng, and with the expectation of Transforming Yi into Xia Xiang (Nikko, vol. 27). His open-mindedness and temperament greatly touched Wei Yijie, calling him "xiang in the thousands of people, outstanding and high-quality". After his death, Wei Yijie wrote a biography for him, expressing his admiration for him, and the original portal dispute had long since dissolved into his tolerance.

Sun Qifeng's practice of Kuan He is also reflected in his reflection on Jie Xia. He was actively involved in the rescue of the Donglin Party, and became famous all over the world. However, after thinking bitterly, Sun Qifeng realized that he and the Donglin Party members were good, victorious and impetuous. He said bitterly: "The villain is not deeply guilty, and I deeply regret it for those who attack the villain." At the time of the apocalypse, the misery of the calamity was also stirred up by all the righteous people. "(Diary, vol. 35) Why do you say this?" When a minister is in power, he must have a deep and profound atmosphere, not only to tolerate gentlemen, but also to tolerate villains. Not only to tolerate villains, but also to transform villains into gentlemen, is the heart of the sage, the role of Haojie. Divide the portal lightly, and first cross your mind... A benevolent gentleman has the duty of upbringing, and it is advisable to remember it" (Diary, vol. 11). Sun Qifeng treated people with tolerance, and although he advocated integrity and repeatedly refused to be recruited by the new dynasty, he was tolerant of Xue Suoyun, Liu Yuyou and other officials who had come out of the new dynasty, and had no intention of being harsh and contemptuous.

"The scale should be lenient and the affairs should be peaceful", this is Sun Qifeng's teaching to his children and grandchildren, and it is also self-encouragement. There is love in generosity, not to mention the treatment of family, and the treatment of neighbors is also the same. When he left home and went south, "dozens of people from the clan party followed him", often filling the hunger with wild vegetables, and the hardship was abnormal. Later, Weihe made Ma Guangyu give away the property of Xiafeng Village in Hui County free of charge. This manor had more than 100 acres of fertile land, which was enough to enable the Sun family to live a rich life, but he distributed the land to the people and disciples who accompanied him, so that everyone could avoid the scourge of hunger and frostbite. Zhang Fengxiang, a contemporary, said that he was "loyal to his subjects, filial to his sons, and filial piety to his brothers, and those who wished thought that the high purity was out of reach, and that is, they were very respectful and warm, and the oil and oil had the meaning of the unity of all things and the meaning of saints all over the streets" (The Annals of Mr. Sun Xiafeng, vol. 2). It is this kind of generosity and benevolence, Sun Qi's children and grandchildren around the knees, the neighbors and neighbors, and the scholars and people from afar, creating a state of harmony in the film.

"The undeveloped joys and sorrows are said to be in the middle, and the hair is all in the middle, and it is said to be the sum." The one who is in the middle, the one who is the great under the heavens, the one who is in harmony, the one who reaches the path under the heavens, the one who is neutral, the one who is in the heavens, and the one who nurtures all things. "Neutralization is the core concept and value pursuit of Confucianism. Although The Song Ming theorists have many difficulties in the concept of neutralization, Sun Qifeng's interest lies not in the hanging meditation, but in how to grasp the joys and sorrows of the undeveloped from the practical level, how to achieve the sum of the middle and the middle, so as to build a wide and harmonious society. In its neutralizing practice, two points are worth noting. First, time and change. The sages interpreted "zhong" as "impartial", "no fault and no", the problem is how to find "zhong" in the complex and changeable real life, which requires a combination of principle and flexibility, which is difficult and difficult. For example, not making friends with the official government was an ancient moral requirement for the squire, but Sun Qifeng exchanged letters with Wei Yijie and Wei Xiangshu, who were important ministers in the middle of the dynasty, and were also guests of the Weihe envoys, Weihui prefects, Tongjue, and Zhixian who were stationed in Weihui. Some people have questioned this, and Sun Qifeng's explanation is: "Gentlemen who want to grow old and young, why should they be willing to wither away, and hinder people from being good?" I hear that if I do a good deed every day, or turn one person into a good deed, I will repay the truth of the firmament, and if I can turn a noble person into a good person, it has a greater relationship. Proudly treating himself with high purity, and saying that people are not enough to be a hope, not a disciple of Zhongni. (Nikko, vol. 12) This is "the same glue between China and Africa, the sum of a time and a time, and a time and a time" (Nikko, vol. 18). In order to promote the science of science, it is necessary to grasp the key group of officials, rather than sticking to stereotypes, "everything is right and wrong, and it is ignored." Second, unremitting prudence. In order to learn "to be cautious and independent", "always remind, morning and evening", he practiced in the daily diet, and strived to be moody, sad, and happy. Although he was old, he still did not slacken off, "the scholar must be angry and seek progress every day, so as to avoid degeneration." When there is a flicker, it becomes a gou-an" (Nikko, vol. 24). This is his encouragement to his disciples, but also his self-encouragement. He said that he was "more dense than sixty years old, eighty years old and denser than seventy, ninety years old and denser than eighty" ("Mr. Xia Feng's Collection" volume, it is in the unremitting pursuit, day by day, gradually approaching the realm of neutralization.

Guangming Daily (2019.03.25 14th edition)