Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 227 The Confucian Revival Movement
Cheng Hao's strong intuition at this moment, which connected "mind and nature" with "the Way of Heaven," was the source of his later theories on mind and nature, such as "recognizing benevolence" and "stabilizing one's nature."

The "lively and vibrant" he spoke of was not a playful use of words to feign cuteness, but rather a vivid depiction of this inner vitality resonating with the life force of the universe. It was far from the highly abstract concept of "heavenly principles" in later Neo-Confucianism; rather, it was a life experience full of emotional tension.

“What you say is absolutely right, brother.”

Cheng Yi, standing to the side, spoke with a serious expression and upright posture: "However, I believe that the pursuit of this 'Great Way' or 'Heavenly Principle' cannot rely solely on profound contemplation, but must also be sought within 'rites'. As the Analects says, 'To subdue oneself and return to propriety is benevolence.' 'If one can subdue oneself and return to propriety for one day, the whole world will return to benevolence!' Rites are not empty words, but are the true principles of Heaven and the norms of human affairs!"

“The sages did not create rites and music out of thin air, but rather through observing the natural order of heaven and earth and all things, and the natural principles of human relations and daily life. Just as the sun and moon move and the four seasons change, there are inherent and unchanging principles.”

"Therefore, in the investigation of things and the pursuit of knowledge, one should start with the 'rites' of daily life, such as the proper conduct of advancing and retreating, and the etiquette of yielding and accommodating others. Only by starting with the specific 'distinctions' can one comprehend the universal 'oneness of principles'! This is a practical and steady path."

Although they were brothers, Cheng Yi's path was in stark contrast to his elder brother Cheng Hao's intuitive understanding, and also quite different from Zhang Zai's cosmological inquiry.

He further emphasized the objectivity and orderliness of "reason," attempting to find a concrete expression of "heavenly reason" in the most sophisticated normative system of the world, "rites," which are tangible and perceptible.

This emphasis on practice, norms, and the idea of ​​"moving from diversity to unity of principle" was the early prototype of his later ideas of "nature is principle" and "investigating things to understand principles".

Cheng Yi's extreme emphasis on "rites" was both a rejection of the otherworldly tendencies of Buddhism and Taoism and a counter-reaction to the detachment of Han and Tang commentaries from daily practice. He attempted to bring the lofty "Dao" back to the human world and give it a solid practical foundation.

Ouyang Xiu stroked his short beard, lost in thought and remained silent.

He certainly admired the vigor of this younger generation, but as a literary leader who dedicated his life to the classical literature movement and literary innovation, he was actually more concerned with practical issues such as writing style, which had the potential to be reversed in the next few years.

After all, breakthroughs at the philosophical level have a significant lag in their impact on reality.

A philosophical idea can take anywhere from a few decades to be proposed, discussed, and widely accepted by the intellectual community, but Ouyang Xiu didn't have that time.

Each generation has its own tasks, and these things can only be accomplished by the younger generation.

However, Han Yu was Ouyang Xiu's eternal role model. He was not only a pioneer of classical prose, but also an expounder of Confucianism and a critic of Buddhism and Taoism in "On the Origin of the Way".

Therefore, Zhang Zai's words resonated with Ouyang Xiu.

Ouyang Xiu nodded slightly, his tone gentle, offering directional guidance: "What Zihou, Bochun, and Zhengshu said is insightful and thought-provoking. They break through the constraints of Han and Tang commentaries and delve directly into the origins. Their ambition is commendable, and their courage is admirable."

"When Mr. Changli advocated classical Chinese literature, he was also taking its essence and discarding its dross. He was exploring the great principles of heaven and earth. We should do the same. We need to integrate and understand it, and proceed step by step. We must not be overly ambitious and fall into empty talk. Literature carries the way, and the way is in daily ethics and morality, in the country and people’s livelihood. This is the foundation, nothing more."

Mei Yaochen said gently, “As Bo Chun said, this ‘principle’ should be vibrant. Observing ‘kites soaring to the sky and fish leaping in the abyss,’ is this not the natural principle between heaven and earth? It is vibrant and full of life. The sage’s intention may be to teach people to perceive the ever-renewing benevolence and the way of heaven in this vibrant world.”

However, while Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen acknowledged the philosophical explorations of young people like Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao, and Cheng Yi, not all the other members of the Qingsong Society present shared this view.

Zeng Gong remained frowning, and after a long silence, he finally spoke: "Brother Zihou's concept of 'the circulation of qi' is novel, but ultimately feels ethereal, bordering on Daoism. Bochun's 'lively and energetic' is more like a Zen koan. As for Zhengshu's view that 'rites' are the rules and regulations of heaven, he may be oversimplifying the profound meaning of the sages' creation of rites." Zeng Gong's view also represented the general attitude of the academic community at the time towards this new trend of thought.

—Although the authority of Han and Tang commentaries has been challenged, their foundation remains.

Zhang Zai's "qi" (vital energy), Cheng Hao's "xinxing" (mind and nature), and Cheng Yi's "li ji li" (rites are principle) were all considered by traditional Confucian scholars to be either too abstract, too heretical, or too rigid.

After all, these philosophers were young at the time, their ideas were still in their infancy, and they had not yet reached their peak of mastery.

Therefore, their theoretical systems are incomplete and full of loopholes, making it difficult for them to gain the approval of most people.

Therefore, although these members of the Green Pine Society all advocated the same ideas, they were far less convincing than Ouyang Xiu's advocacy of "purifying the Imperial Academy style."

But Lu Beigu, who has remained silent from the beginning until now, does not think so.

What he saw was the long river of Chinese intellectual history taking a sharp turn at this moment!
Zhang Zai's persistent questioning of "qi" (vital energy), Cheng Hao's agile and insightful understanding of the mind, and Cheng Yi's rigorous approach to ritual studies—these three streams, newly emerging from the depths of history, flowed in different directions, with varying strengths and even subtle repulsions and attraction between them. In later generations, they would have split into different schools of Confucianism, such as "Qi Studies," "Principle Studies," and "Mind Studies." But at this moment, their common goal was to break down the millennia-old dam built by the commentaries of the Han and Tang dynasties and find new sources of vitality for Confucianism!
This was the starting point of the Confucian revival movement in the Song Dynasty.

Although their current explorations are immature, unsystematic, and even bear traces of clashes between Buddhism and Taoism, and their divergences are already beginning to emerge, they are full of pioneering spirit.

In terms of time, Lu Beigu was destined to be merely an influencer of the Classical Prose Movement led by Ouyang Xiu, Mei Yaochen, and others. However, he could become an important participant in the Confucian revival movement, which had not yet officially begun, and could influence countless later generations.
Because Lu Beigu was well aware that the Classical Literature Movement could only have a temporary impact, while the Confucian Revival Movement would profoundly affect all aspects of Chinese society for the next few hundred years!
Therefore, in response to the questions raised by Zeng Gong and other members of the Green Pine Society, Lu Beigu spoke up.

"Brother Zigu's concerns are indeed prudent, but I believe that although the three of you may have different paths and different styles of thinking, your ambitions are the same: to break through the ice of Han and Tang commentaries and bring fresh water to irrigate the scorched soil of Confucianism for thousands of years!"

"This is not about being unconventional, but rather an inevitable return to the roots and a search for the source of the past! Like a river flowing to the sea, though it has many bends, it eventually flows to the same destination. Where is this 'living water'? I have gained some insights from reading Mr. Lianxi's 'Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate,' and tonight I dare to offer my humble opinion. I wonder if Mr. Ouyang would approve?"

At this moment, not only Ouyang Xiu was stunned, but Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi and others were also stunned.

Before the gathering began, Ouyang Xiu asked Lu Beigu if he had any profound insights, which was just the usual way of teasing the new junior.

The young man remained silent throughout, and no one knew whether he was just naturally taciturn or simply too shy to speak due to a lack of knowledge. However, no one truly thought highly of him.

Unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, Lu Beigu actually dared to stand up and express his opinion!
Moreover, it's the most difficult philosophical viewpoint!

If you pretend to know what you don't, you'll really make a fool of yourself.

Lu Beigu's confident demeanor left everyone unsure whether he truly possessed something.

(End of this chapter)