Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 238 The Path to Becoming a Saint
The Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties was another important theoretical paradigm in the history of Chinese philosophy, following the Confucian classics of the Han and Tang Dynasties.

Compared to the Confucian classics of the Han and Tang dynasties, the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties deepened and expanded the spirit of Confucianism in four aspects.

These are, respectively, cosmology, ontology, theory of mind and nature, and theory of practice.

Lu Beigu met Zhang Zai not long ago. To put it simply, his research direction was to try to unify cosmology and ontology.

Zhang Zai believed that the formless "Great Void" itself is Qi. "Void" describes the natural state of Qi before it gathers and is formless. It is precisely the gathering of formless Qi that gives rise to all things in the phenomenal world, and the principles of Heaven are contained within it.

Its important advancement lies in upholding the primacy of matter.

Of course, at the time of the first year of Jiayou, Zhang Zai's theory of qi was not yet complete, so he had not yet conducted in-depth research on the theory of centripetal nature based on the theory of qi.

At this time, Zhou Dunyi was the one who had the deepest understanding of the theories of mind and nature and the theory of self-cultivation.

Zhou Dunyi's outstanding contribution was to take "sincerity" from the theory of mind and nature as the source of all things, thus initiating the ontologicalization of the theory of mind and nature in Song Dynasty Confucianism and showing an initial idea of ​​integrating ontology and the theory of mind and nature, thereby truly opening up the dimension of "inner sagehood" in Confucianism.

The Cheng brothers' theory of mind and nature was learned from Zhou Dunyi, and the proposal of the theory that "nature is principle" marked the complete integration of the ontology and the theory of mind and nature of Song Confucianism.

As for the later Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind, they are actually two sides of the same coin.

However, Lu Beigu still believes that the Cheng brothers have gone astray and should not criticize the theory of Qi, which insists on the primacy of matter, in order to follow the path of "heavenly principles and human nature".

Therefore, it was essential for him to take this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Zhou Dunyi's theories on mind and nature and on self-cultivation.

The two are interdependent; the theory of practice cannot exist independently of the theory of mind and nature, nor can the theory of mind and nature be discussed in isolation from the theory of practice.

As for Zhou Dunyi's theory of human nature, Lu Beigu already knew it. It was that as long as a person is sincere, without delusions or selfishness, he can fully express his true nature without being obscured. In this way, he can naturally communicate with people, things, and heaven without any barriers.

The theory of practice explains how to achieve this through practice.

Lu Beigu will have to experience it to see how it actually works.

If it's useful, it's excellent for calming the mind; if it's not, just forget about it.

"The so-called 'cultivation of stillness' is neither sitting in a stagnant, empty space nor living in isolation."

Zhou Dunyi gestured to Lu Beigu not to be reserved and got up to walk to a slightly more spacious area in the center of the study.

"Young friend, please stand with me."

Zhou Dunyi first stood still, his posture relaxed yet slack, like a green bamboo in the courtyard, possessing its own inherent elegance.

Lu Beigu glanced at it and thought to himself, "This does have the air of a qigong master."

"When the body is upright, the mind is upright; when the mind is upright, the breath flows smoothly. The eyes are slightly lowered, seemingly closed but not quite, with the gaze focused inward, not letting it wander outward, turning the gaze inward and listening inward."

The so-called "returning to the source" is a key step for Song and Ming Confucian scholars to restrain their senses and focus on introspection when sitting or standing quietly. It is also a practice of the theory of self-cultivation.

In fact, since Zhou Dunyi proposed the idea of ​​"maintaining tranquility and being free from desires," Confucianism has undergone a significant change in its ideological form, evolving from "whether a person can become a sage" to "how a person can become a sage." The former belongs to the realm of ontology, that is, the inner basis for a person's sagehood, while the latter clearly belongs to the realm of practice, that is, the path to sagehood.

Besides aiming to overcome the externalized "principle" of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism with an internalized "mind-body," another important aspect of Lu-Wang Neo-Confucianism is proposing a theory of practice centered on meditation, thereby finding a path to sagehood.

Since Wang Yangming, all Confucian scholars of the School of Mind have unanimously based their theories of self-cultivation on Zhou Dunyi's method of "quiet practice," though they have different interpretations.

In other words, Lu Beigu is now studying the most fundamental theory of self-cultivation in the history of Chinese philosophy.

Lu Beigu adjusted his gaze as instructed, trying to fix it on a spot about a foot in front of his nose, instead of letting it wander.

"Breathing should be like a silkworm spinning silk, continuous and gentle."

Zhou Dunyi's voice, like a guide, carried a unique rhythm: "When inhaling, there is no need to deliberately make it deep and long, but seek it to be natural and even; when exhaling, there is also no need to be hasty, but slowly exhale the stale air in your chest. Let your mind follow the breath in and out, know its coming and going, but do not force it, this is called 'neither forgetting nor assisting'."

The concept of "neither forgetting nor encouraging" was first proposed by Mencius, and was later singled out by Song and Ming Confucian scholars such as Chen Baisha and Wang Yangming as a method for cultivating one's mind and character. It mainly emphasizes neither letting things drift away and forget, nor deliberately encouraging them, but maintaining a natural and peaceful state.

Lu Beigu tried to follow, initially somewhat deliberately, but after a few breaths, he gradually felt his breathing become longer, and the pent-up energy in his chest due to pressure and worries seemed to be slowly being expelled.

The rustling of the wind through the bamboo grove outside the window, and the musty smell of books, all seemed to be separated by this focused breathing.

“This is regulating your breath.” Zhou Dunyi observed Lu Beigu’s condition and continued, “When your breath is regulated, your mind will gradually calm down, but a restless mind is the most difficult thing to subdue. At this time, you should ‘observe’.”

"View?"

Lu Beigu's heart stirred slightly; these words sounded quite mysterious.

"It is neither about seeing gods or Buddhas, nor about seeing illusions."

Zhou Dunyi seemed to see through his doubts: "Just observe his heart with sincerity."

This is the core of Zhou Dunyi's theory of self-cultivation, which is "to sincerely observe the phenomena of heaven and earth and the living things in order to embody benevolence." In layman's terms, it means to experience the unity of the vitality of the universe and the essence of morality in a state of tranquility.

"Wuji, formless and imageless, utterly still and empty, is the original state of my mind before it manifests. Taiji, with yin and yang mutually rooted, movement and stillness mutually generating, is the spiritual mechanism by which my mind senses all things. You should concentrate your mind and imagine your mind as deep and silent as the 'Wuji,' encompassing all things and unmoved; and observe the ceaseless movement of the 'Taiji,' with yin and yang flowing and generating endlessly, which is precisely the wondrous function of this mind in perceiving all things."

"This mind is inherently complete, bright and clear, like the bright moon in the sky, illuminating all rivers. Even if floating clouds obscure it, its light will not be diminished in the slightest. You only need to be aware of the coming and going of the floating clouds, let them arise and disappear, neither welcoming nor rejecting, neither following nor chasing. Your thoughts will naturally pass by like floating clouds in the vast void, leaving no trace, and the bright moon of your true nature will naturally appear."

The "unexpressed" in these two sentences is an important concept in the Doctrine of the Mean, referring to the balanced state before the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure are expressed. Song Dynasty Confucian scholars such as Li Tong and Zhu Xi attached great importance to "experiencing the unexpressed state in stillness". "Neither welcoming nor rejecting, neither following nor chasing" is the core principle of the theory of self-cultivation for dealing with distracting thoughts in stillness, emphasizing neither deliberately suppressing nor following, and maintaining awareness and detachment.

Lu Beigu stood quietly and meditated as instructed.

At first, a jumble of thoughts came to mind: the upcoming provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites, Ouyang Xiu's words, the hustle and bustle of the Imperial Academy, and even fragments of trivial matters from my modern memories.
These thoughts, like thick, dark clouds, obscured the imagined bright moon.

He couldn't help but feel anxious; his brow furrowed slightly, and his body stiffened.

(End of this chapter)