《弘道錄》Vol. 20

Lü Zuqian (zi Bogong, hao Donglai Xiansheng) was a sixth-generation descendant of Lü Yijian. He inherited his family's scholarly tradition and was well versed in the classics and culture of the Central Plains. As he grew up, he studied under Lin Zhiqi, Wang Yingchen, and Hu Xian in turn, and he exchanged ideas with Zhang Shi and Zhu Xi, so that his learning grew steadily deeper.

Lü Zuqian once read an essay by Lu Jiuyuan and admired it, though he did not yet know its author. Later, while presiding over the examinations of the Ministry of Rites, he happened upon one examination paper and said, "This must have been written by the Little Lu of Jiangxi." When the papers were publicly released, it turned out to be exactly so. People admired his discernment in judging writing.

Earlier, a bookshop had published a work called Shengsong Wenhai (Sea of Literature of the Sacred Song). Scholar Zhou Bida judged that its selection of texts was improper and feared it would not be passed down, so he proposed that officials of the imperial libraries compile a new anthology that would represent the present age. Emperor Xiaozong then ordered Lü Zuqian to take charge of the task. Lü selected from writings produced before the restoration of the Southern Song, favoring works of elegance and rejecting ornate and superficial ones, and compiled a collection of one hundred and fifty juan, which he presented to the emperor. The emperor bestowed on it the title Huangchao Wenjian (Mirror of Literature of the Imperial Dynasty).

Lü Zuqian's scholarship was rooted in the Guan school and the Luo school, and he also searched widely through many books, so his learning was broad and profound. He was gentle in temperament and did not deliberately seek to be original, so many outstanding and talented scholars of his time respected him and gathered around him. In his youth, however, he was quick-tempered. One day, while reading the Lunyu (Analects), he came to the line "gong zi hou er bo ze yu ren" (one should reproach oneself heavily and reproach others lightly), and he suddenly understood it, and his anger dissolved at once. For this reason, Zhu Xi once remarked that only a scholar like Bogong, who studied in this way, could truly transform a person's temperament.

The teachings Lü Zuqian expounded and planned aimed to enlighten understanding and accomplish affairs. Even after he later fell ill and was bedridden, he did not forget his heavy responsibilities or his duty to advance the Great Dao (dao). The way he managed his household was also enough to serve as a model for later generations. In his later years, the place where he gathered with friends to lecture was called Liize Shuyuan (Academy of Liize), located within the city of Jinhua. After his death, the people of the prefecture set up a shrine near the academy in his memory and offered sacrifices there.

The compiler of the Honghao Lu (Record of Broadening the Dao) comments: In my view, the Lian school, the Luo school, the Guan school, and the Min school each had their own origins. After the Song court moved south, Lü Chenggong (Lü Zuqian) in the Zhejiang region carried on the scholarly tradition of the Central Plains and was the first to advocate lecturing and teaching. After him, scholars such as He Ji, Wang Bai, Jin Lüxiang, and Xu Qian emerged one after another and worked in this region to promote learning. In our dynasty, there followed Liu Ji of Qingtian, Song Lian of Pujiang, Ye Chen of Lishui, and Zhang Yi of Longquan. The Taizu emperor called them the "Four Masters," referring to them only as "Master" and never by their personal names. Here Confucian learning flourished and talented men arose in great numbers, and Wuzhou (the area of present-day Jinhua, Zhejiang) was indeed the place where Master Lü promoted the Way, so it could not go unrecorded.

Master Xishan, Cai Yuanding, was intelligent and quick of understanding from birth. His father, Cai Fa, transmitted to him the teachings of the Cheng family.

He read widely, including the Recorded Sayings (Yulu), the Jingshi (Ordering the World), and the Zhengmeng (Correcting Youthful Ignorance), and he regarded these works as the orthodox transmission of the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. He therefore studied their principles in depth. As he grew older, his skill in analysis became increasingly refined, and he climbed to the summit of Western Mountain, where he read while eating pickled vegetables.

After hearing of Zhu Xi's reputation, he went to study under him. Zhu Xi examined his learning and was greatly astonished, saying, "This is an old friend of mine, and he should not be counted among my disciples." The two then sat together on the same couch, discussing the profound principles of the various classics, and scholars who came from every direction were first questioned and corrected by him.

At that time, Han [missing character] Zhou (the character is missing in the original text; it is usually understood to be Han Tuozhou) issued a ban on "false learning" (weixue), using it as a pretext to exclude virtuous scholars. The Censorate and the remonstrating officials seized the opportunity to attack Zhu Xi. Shen Jizu and Liu Sanjie submitted memorials one after another to slander Zhu Xi, and the charges also implicated Yuanding, who was consequently banished to Daozhou. When he received the order, he did not refuse but asked to set out at once. Zhu Xi and fellow students who had traveled with him held a farewell banquet for him at a monastery. Some of those present sighed, and some even wept. Zhu Xi looked at Yuanding, whose expression was no different from usual, and then remarked, "The affection between friends who love one another, and the unyielding resolve of Jitong (Yuanding's courtesy name), may both be called complete."

Everyone said he should travel slowly, but Yuanding replied, "Having offended Heaven, how could I escape it?" He set out with a staff and straw sandals, taking his son Shen with him on a journey of three thousand li. Along the way his feet bled. Before long he arrived at Chunling. Students from near and far came to study with him in ever greater numbers, and scholars competed to attend his lectures. Even famous scholars, who ordinarily held themselves proud and disdainful of their talent, came to pay their respects to him with deep reverence and conducted themselves with great courtesy.

He studied everything he read and examined every matter thoroughly, and he could see clearly to the root of principles. From the River Chart and the Luo Writing, down to ritual and music institutions, he investigated all of them with depth and clarity. Peculiar and obscure phrases and profound principles in ancient texts that others could not understand, he grasped after a single reading.

He enjoyed annotating the Four Books, and he also took part in compiling the Commentary on the Book of Changes and the Outline and Digest of the Comprehensive Mirror, repeatedly discussing and revising them with Zhu Xi. The Qimeng (Elementary Learning of the Book of Changes) was entrusted to him for drafting. Zhu Xi said, "The subtle workings of Heaven and Earth's transformations can be recognized only by one who thoroughly understands principle."

After his death, Zhu Xi wrote a eulogy for him, praising him: "His profound and penetrating insight, his outstanding talent, his unyielding resolve, and his inexhaustible eloquence—these can never be seen again."

The Hongdao lu (Record of Broadening the Way) comments:

Mencius said, "When one wins people over through virtue, they will be pleased in their hearts and submit sincerely. The seventy disciples of Confucius submitted to him in exactly this way." Therefore, the hardship of Chen and Cai could not make Confucius change his aims, the people of Kuang could not take away his resolve, Shu-sun Wu-shu could not slander him, and Sima Huan could not harm him. How much more so, then, for a temporary rumor or the private gossip of certain people?

Yet if we privately compare this matter with the present day, the circumstances are already very different. Why? Because the Song...

In the declining age, people's hearts had not yet been fully lost, and the customs of the scholar class still survived. Those who excluded and slandered others or flattered the powerful were few. Scholars therefore still knew to straighten their robes and step forward, to sit with respect, and to call on others with sincerity. Now human hearts have grown shallow to the utmost, the spirit of the scholars is very low, and those who mock and ridicule others are countless. Under such conditions, how could one avoid falling into distress, like a fish in a cart rut with no way out, a situation that is hateful and frightening? Those who see this should also distinguish it clearly.

Chen Tongfu (Chen Liang, zi Tongfu, a thinker of the Southern Song) had outstanding talent, sweeping debate, and the bearing of a hero of his age. He cherished the aspiration to order the world and relieve the people. In the early Longxing (Longxing) years, he submitted three memorials to the court, superior, middle, and lower. Receiving no reply, he retired to Yongkang, where he studied diligently and wrote books. In the Chunxi (Chunxi) period, he went to court to present his views and vigorously described current affairs. Emperor Xiaozong was deeply stirred on hearing them and wished to post his memorials in the court hall to encourage the officials. Following precedent, the emperor also summoned him to audience, intending to promote and employ him.

Zeng Di (a powerful minister of the Southern Song) heard of this and wished to meet Chen Liang, but Chen Liang climbed over a wall to avoid him. Zeng Di was displeased, and the ministers, disliking Chen's uprightness, joined forces to obstruct him. Chen Liang laughed and said, "I wish to lay a foundation for the state that will last several hundred years. Should I trade that for an official post?" He then crossed the river again and returned home, and his learning grew broader still.

After Mencius, Chen most esteemed Wang Tong. He said, "In probing the subtleties of principle, I distinguish the similarities and differences of past and present. In searching the human heart, I attend to its finest points, and in weighing things, I am exact to the smallest measure. I take accumulation as my method of work and the nourishing of body and mind as my root. As for mild, gentle, and virtuous fullness showing in the face and on the back, I truly cannot match the Confucian masters. But as for commanding the majestic formation, arranging the upright banners, letting the attacks of wind, rain, cloud, and thunder arise together, and letting the changes of dragon, snake, tiger, and leopard appear and vanish unpredictably, overwhelming the wisdom and courage of the age and opening the breadth of mind for ten thousand ages, I consider myself slightly superior." The masters he had in mind were Zhu Xi and Lü Zuqian.

The author of the Hongdao Lu (Record of Broadening the Way) comments: I observe that the affairs of the world and the trends of the times extend only after they have been bent to the utmost. From the reigns of Guangzong and Ningzong onward in the Southern Song, discussion of Daoxue (learning of the Way) came close to leaving it no place to exist. Some held that the learning of zhengxin chengyi (rectifying the heart and making the will sincere) was what the emperor tired of hearing, and that the admonitions to caution and reverent fear were merely deceiving the world. Men such as Chen Jia, Lin Li, Jing Tang, Hu Tong, Shen Jizu, Liu Sanjie, He Dan, and Liu Dexiu, under the name of debate, vilified Daoxue, rolled up their sleeves, and attacked without restraint. They even repeatedly exiled and banished Daoxue scholars, and hardly a day passed without such action. Our Daotong (transmission of the Way) has suffered persecution of this kind to an extreme. Yet how could they know that the tangtang zhi zhen (majestic formation) and the zhengzheng zhi qi (upright banners)...

Lizong, having firmly raised the banner for rectifying the Way of the age, soon began to honor the Learning of the Way (Daoxue) and to commend the Confucian spirit. The men he praised were not limited to Zhou Dunyi, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Zhang Zai, and Zhu Xi, but also included worthy scholars such as the Masters Cai and Lü. From then on the atmosphere revived, like clouds and thunder rising together or the sun and moon growing brighter. The more wicked men were exposed, the more precious became talents like the phoenix and the qilin. Lizong indeed powerfully reversed the reckless course of the "Second Generation" and opened the hearts of men for ten thousand generations. Could his brother of the same father have been only a day older than he?

The Yuan History records that Master Caolu Wu Cheng, a scholar of the Yuan dynasty, was intelligent from childhood and, as an adult, knew to devote himself to the learning of the sages and worthies. He wrote the Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety and collated the Yi (Classic of Changes), Shu (Classic of Documents), Shi (Classic of Poetry), Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals), Yili (Ceremonies and Rites), as well as the Da Dai Liji and the Xiao Dai Liji. At that time the court issued an edict seeking worthy men, and the Censor Cheng Jvfu recommended him to enter the capital. He also requested that Wu's writings be placed in the Imperial Academy (Guozijian) so that scholars could study them.

The provincial official Yuan Mingshan, proud of his literary talent, once asked Wu Cheng to explain the profound principles of the Yi, Shi, Shu, and Chunqiu, and sighed, "Conversing with the Master is like searching an unfathomable sea." He thereafter treated Wu as a disciple for the rest of his life. The Left Assistant Administrator Dong Shixuan invited Wu Cheng to his home and personally arranged his meals, saying, "The Master is the worthiest scholar under Heaven."

In the first year of the Zhida era (1308), Wu Cheng was summoned to serve as Assistant Director of the Imperial Academy. Before this, when Xu Heng had served as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, he had begun teaching his students with Zhu Xi's Xiaoxue and other texts, but over time these older practices had gradually been abandoned. After Wu Cheng took office, he ordered the students to enter the school in turn to receive instruction. Each dawn he lit candles and began his lectures, which lasted until the sun was low in the west. After he returned to his lodgings, people carrying classics in hand came one after another to consult and debate with him. Adapting to each person's aptitude, he instructed and enlightened them repeatedly, sometimes until late at night. Regardless of cold or heat, he did not change his method of teaching.

His teaching had four components: classical learning, the practice of conduct, the skill of writing, and the handling of affairs. Wu Cheng was thin of frame, as if his clothes could barely hang on him. He sat upright with his hands clasped, his expression calm yet vigorous. When answering questions, he spoke with clarity and order and never tired of discussion, so that those who heard him were suddenly enlightened and their doubts dispelled at once.

He once wrote: "The root of the Dao comes from Heaven and is carried forward by spirits and sages. Before Yao and Shun was the beginning of the Dao; from Yao and Shun onward it was made to flow through; the worthies of the Zhu and Si region caused it to develop; and the scholars of Lianxi, Luoyang, Guanzhong, and Min made it pure." Separately considered, the transmission from high antiquity had Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor as its beginning, Yao and Shun made it flow through, Yu and Tang made it develop, and King Wen, King Wu, and the Duke of Zhou made it pure. The transmission of the Way (Daotong) in middle antiquity began with Confucius; Yan Hui and Zengzi made it flow through, Zisi made it develop, and Mengzi made it pure. The transmission of recent times began with Zhou Dunyi; Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and Zhang Zai made it flow through, and Zhu Xi made it develop. Then, who made it pure……

Today's commitment to upholding the correct Way may be seen in people who take it as their own mission to promote the Confucian classics.

The compiler of the Hongdao Lu (Record of Expanding the Way) says: Looking at the Yuan dynasty since its founding, I have not heard that the court ever laid down its weapons to study the classics, or let its warhorses rest while discussing principles. The Yuan achieved its civilizing influence only through two masters, Master Lu Zhai (Xu Heng) and Master Cao Lu (Wu Cheng). Above, they explained the art of governing to the ruler; below, they taught scholars through the teachings of the Confucian sages. Yet they merely sustained the dynasty for about a century. They did not truly undertake the great work of carrying on the former sages and enlightening later learners, and they did not produce a grand spirit capable of transforming the age.

Some use the four virtues of the Yijing (Book of Changes), yuan, heng, li, and zhen (origin, success, benefit, and correctness), to describe the lineage of the Dao (the Confucian transmission of the Way) from antiquity to the present. I think Shao Yong's Huangji Jingshi (Supreme Polarity Principles for Governing the World, a work that deduces the cycles of historical change) offers a more fitting account. Judging by Wu Cheng's circumstances and era, it was likely the winter of the cosmic cycle, not yet a time when heaven and earth were in harmony and all things flourished.

The Huangming Mingchen Lu (Record of Eminent Ministers of the Great Ming) records that Master Qianxi, Song Lian, studied in his youth under the local scholars Liu Guan, a Hanlin Daizhao (Academician-in-Waiting), and Huang Jin, a Lecturing Academician. In the early Hongwu reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming, the court summoned him from the commoner ranks, appointed him as tutor to the crown prince, and had him write a letter urging the prince to be filial and fraternal, respectful and reverent, diligent and quick, to study earnestly, improve his virtue, and cultivate his learning, so as not to disappoint the expectations of the world.

The emperor was pleased upon reading the letter and bestowed a letter of praise on Song Lian: "Previously, you strictly instructed my son, which fulfills the duty of a teacher. Using the literary works and institutions of the sages to transform customs shows a thorough understanding of worldly affairs. Holding to loyalty and esteeming frugality is how one grasps the root."

At that time, Song Lian took part in compiling and editing the court's ritual system for the suburban sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, the altar sacrifices, the ancestral temple, the mountains and rivers and the various spirits; the protocols for audiences, sacrifices, banquets, and celebrations; the systems of ritual music, the calendar, and official dress and headwear; the ceremonies for the tribute missions of the peoples of the four directions and the court's rewards in return; and the essays recording the virtues and achievements of meritorious officials and eminent ministers.

Later, the emperor wished to have him take part in the great affairs of state, but Song Lian firmly declined, saying, "In my youth I had no other strength, only a single-minded devotion to writing, and I am unwilling to hold concrete office."

Song Lian was gentle and sincere in his dealings with others and delighted in guiding younger scholars, always worried that he would not have time to teach them all. For students who came from afar to learn, he arranged lodging and provided food, and he did not grow weary of this even over long periods. His heart was sincere, his conduct toward others generous, and all of it proceeded from the correct Way. He often said, "The ancients valued the cultivation of virtue through teaching. Students and disciples certainly must seek out a teacher, and a teacher who meets a gifted student and guides him well will often be so delighted that it shows on his face. This is for no other reason than that the ethical nature bestowed on human beings naturally expresses itself."

"In my later years I met Fang Sheng of Tiantai. He was steady and dignified, unswayed by external things, and keen and perceptive..."

When it comes to illuminating whatever in the various principles is worth elucidating, and writing it into prose, the writing flows like a spring welling up or peaks rising into view, full of momentum. Amid the clamor of countless birdsongs, people catch sight of this solitary phoenix.

The Hongdao Lu says: Song Lian (courtesy name Qianxi) resolutely declined to take on weighty governmental duties, and there was reason for this. Intellectual talent and practical execution are not always found together. He excelled at instructing the crown prince, cultivating people's minds and natures, establishing state institutions, and clarifying the ancient classics; these tasks he could handle with ease. But when it came to participating in the great affairs of the court, he felt his ability was insufficient. This was bound up with the differences of the times and of one's responsibilities.

When Song Lian was together with Fang Xiaoru, he may have quietly considered the future of the cardinal bonds and ethical principles (the ethical standards that sustain social order). Surely, when they discussed matters in private or lectured to their disciples, they never confined themselves to ornate phrasing and parallel prose. They would have discussed the gains and losses of court politics, the security or peril of the state's fate, and the responsibilities and latent anxieties borne by the heir apparent (the successor to the throne). Matters that were hard to perceive would also certainly have been seen clearly by them, with no detail overlooked. It was for this reason that Fang Xiaoru was later able to stand firmly on his own and not betray the righteousness of the Sage Ancestor, whereas the officials in power at the time failed to do so.

Master Zhengxue, Fang Xiaoru, studied under Song Lian. He investigated deeply the transmission of Neo-Confucian learning, the rise and fall of persons and the subtle shifts in the fortunes of the age, as well as knowledge of named objects and institutions, measures, and the calendar. He pursued principles down to the most minute details and ultimately achieved a thorough synthesis. As he grew older, he widely befriended renowned scholars such as Su Boheng and Hu Han, engaging with them in mutual debate and deep research, and became thoroughly versed in the classics and histories. From self-cultivation to regulating the family and governing the state, his words and deeds were sufficient to serve as models.

He held that principle is present everywhere and can be manifested in everyday affairs. Accordingly, he set forth twenty precepts that one should strive to follow and wrote them as Zhen (admonitory essays of exhortation and reproof). He also composed Miscellaneous Admonitions in thirty-eight sections to awaken both himself and others. He further wrote nine chapters of Zongfan, instructing the members of his clan that in transforming the common people, one must first rectify one's own household.

Fang Xiaoru believed that some scholars of his time, influenced by the custom of adhering to old explanations, merely borrowed ready-made opinions to compose their writings. Their learning was miscellaneous and shallow, their aspirations were low, their arguments were superficial, and their outlook was narrow and fragmented; they no longer possessed the bearing of true gentlemen and noble persons. He therefore once declared with fervor: "To serve the ruler without the aspirations of Yi Yin or the Duke of Zhou is to harm the ruler; to take the learning of Confucius and Mencius as one's own learning is to harm oneself." Aspiring men across the realm respected his words, and some were even willing to set aside what they had previously studied in order to follow his views. He held himself in high regard, aiming to inherit the integrity of Boyi and Shuqi above, and to stand as equals with Yu Feng and those who sacrificed their lives for humaneness below. For the sake of righteousness, he was prepared to give up his life without regret.

When Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou assisted their rulers, why did they act as they did? Because Taijia would not abide by the proper Way, Yi Yin banished him to Tong; later, when Taijia had become worthy, Yi Yin welcomed him back. Guanshu and Caishu spread rumors that the Duke of Zhou meant harm to the young King Cheng, so the Duke of Zhou put them to death. These men truly deserved to be punished by all under Heaven.

Why did Confucius and Mencius stress learning? Confucius said: "A determined scholar or a person of humaneness will never harm their humaneness to preserve their life; at times they will give up their life to complete their humaneness." Mencius said: "Life is what I cherish, and righteousness is also what I cherish. If there were something I cherished more than life, I would not cling to life and evade righteousness." How do the teachings of the ancients, who expounded these principles, differ from ours today? Yet few are able to practice them personally. Should such deeds not be recorded?

Duke Zhongwen Wang Wei (Wang Wei) studied together with Song Lian under Liu Guan and Huang Jin. His friends of the time all admired him. Hu Han said: "The momentum of his prose surges like water welling up from level ground; compared with Huang Jin's writing, the style is of one lineage." The censor Hu Xingjian said: "Although his scholarly origins derive from Huang Jin, he penetrated deeply and gained his own insights, and his attainment surpassed that of Huang Jin." Song Lian said:

"When he was young and wrote essays, their scope was broad, his brushwork vast in its transformations, and his brilliance dazzling, so that he stood out among the senior masters. It was like building a tall hall: he used a great quantity of timber, and the foundation he laid was wide. After he passed twenty, the momentum of his writing surged like billows, with leaping fish and dragons, wind and thunder stirring, and hail falling all at once; five-colored lights vied to shine, as if ten suns were shining together. It was like a terrace already completed, its platforms set side by side and its eaves rising high, so that its bearing grew ever more profound and vigorous. In his forties, his writing became seamlessly natural and its order clear; the more one read it, the deeper it seemed, and each savoring revealed new content. It was like a hall, deep, solemn, and still: ritual vessels are displayed on the left, zithers and se are set on the right, and the erudite great scholars and eminent famous men, wearing caps and jade pendants, calmly perform rites and converse within it; while a scholar who lives in a remote lane, dressed in plain cloth, may long to look up to its bearing, yet cannot reach it."

Therefore, Wang Wei's strategy was manifest within the tent, and his achievements showed in governing the people; his writings could serve as models for later generations, his learning of the Way showed in remonstrating with the ruler, and his loyalty appeared in facing death in a time of peril. Alas, only in this way can one fittingly assess Duke Wang. Later, some judged him by a single matter, his persecution at the hands of the Hu (foreign) forces, but Duke Wang's complete character does not lie in that one matter alone.

I believe the Ming dynasty, too, rose from Huaixi, and the men it employed were mostly refined and courteous...

Scholars and those who made their living selling silk or butchering dogs were all different from one another, yet they were all outstanding talents of my native Zhejiang. They did not show favoritism out of ties to their home region, nor did they shield anyone because of kinship with Nanyang. Among them were also men like Huachuan, who died for the sake of righteousness, and Zhengxue, who gave his life for the sake of moral duty. Compared with figures such as Sui He and Zhou Chang, how many thousandfold were they superior!

Tracing the reasons for this, it is probably because after Daoxue (Learning of the Way) flourished greatly, the Confucian scholarship of Wuzhou (today's Jinhua area in Zhejiang) that arose was quite different from that of men influenced by the customs of the Qin dynasty in the early Han. Therefore, even at the very beginning of turbulent times in the state, the benefits of instruction and discussion among teachers and friends, and the influence arising from the sources of learning, were truly not to be ignored. Thus these deeds have been specially recorded.

Master Zhai Wu Yubi (a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Ming dynasty) at the age of twenty read the Record of the Origins of the Yi and Luo Schools (a work recounting the transmission of Neo-Confucianism through Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and others), and in his heart he admired Daoxue. Later, on reading Cheng Hao (styled Mingdao), he too once became interested in hunting. From this he recognized that the Way of the sages could indeed be attained through study. He therefore gave up pursuing official rank through the civil examinations, declined social obligations and courtesies, and each day studied the classics, gathered in his body and mind, and penetrated deeply into the meaning of principle. He held that the things the world prized were not worthy of being his aspiration, and he wholeheartedly wished to reach the state of the sages.

In his village, his every action conformed to ritual propriety. Those who came from various places to study with him paid no tuition fees (shushu). He was skilled at enlightening and guiding, and everyone who heard his lectures was invigorated and strove to advance. He often encouraged his students to aim at becoming sages in their studies and to take the Dao as their ultimate goal. In cultivating virtue and undertaking learning, one must not skip steps: one must first study the Xiaoxue (Elementary Learning) and then advance to the Great Learning. In reading the Analects, one should aim to attain the ideal of "extensively studying culture and restraining oneself through ritual" (broadly learning the textual tradition and binding oneself with ritual). In reading Mencius, one should recover the lost original mind and extend the Four Sprouts of goodness. In reading the Doctrine of the Mean, one should apply careful effort to cultivating and examining the self, gradually reaching the state of centrality and harmony.

He clarified the root of human nature by elucidating the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and he studied the Western Inscription (Ximing) to realize the substance of benevolence (ren). In lecturing on the Yi (Book of Changes), he honored the tradition before Cheng Yi and scorned the novel interpretations of later scholars. In lecturing on the Shu (Book of Documents), he held that the meaning of the ancient-text classics was profound and could not be lightly discarded. He once sighed that the various commentaries on the classics were so numerous that it was difficult to reach the meaning of principle directly, and for this reason he did not casually write books.

In the early Tianshun reign period (around 1457), Duke Zhongguo Shi Heng recommended Wu Yubi to the court. The court sent an envoy bearing an imperial edict and gifts to his home to invite him to take office. After arriving in the capital, Wu was granted the post of Vice Director of the Hall of the Heir Apparent (Chunfang Yudé), but he firmly declined and would not accept it. When the emperor summoned him to the Wenhua Hall, he still earnestly begged to be excused on account of his age. Emperor Yingzong said to Grand Secretary Li Xian, "This old man is not one who is pedantic and out of touch with worldly affairs; we must have him take office." In the end, Wu Yubi did not assume the post.

I believe Wu Kangzhai (Wu Yubi, a Ming scholar) had unavoidable reasons both for taking office and for withdrawing from it. Confucius traveled from state to state, and Mencius lived on the support of the feudal lords while moving about to teach. Whenever they heard of the Great Dao (the Way) being put into practice, or of the flourishing ages of the virtuous rulers of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, both sighed with feeling. Did they not wish to assist their rulers as Yi Yin and Lü Shang had, to see the ruler humble himself to seek out worthy men, and to share in the honor of being summoned to office? It was only that circumstances did not allow it.

Let us ask, then, what the appointment Wu Kangzhai received was really like. In terms of office, he was in charge of military affairs, not of recruiting men of talent. In terms of power, he held a position of authority, yet lacked the sincere conditions needed to carry out his duties steadily. In terms of timing, he was like a dragon that has flown to a high place, and it was no longer a time for retreat and seclusion. In terms of prestige, he was advanced in years and not suited to the heavy task of reconciling the various parties. If such a situation were not handled properly, even for a moment, calamity would soon arrive. Now, looking at the emperor's edict, it opens by expressing sincerity and closes by treating him with favor and courtesy. It is radiant, and its grace reaches everywhere. Wu Kangzhai's service to the emperor brought him ever greater glory, yet in regarding his office he treated it as nothing more than a worn-out shoe. In this way, both the bond between ruler and minister and the bond between friends could be said to have been fully satisfied.

Master Baisha, Chen Xianzhang, once studied under Wu Kangzhai. When Wu taught, he often quoted the sayings of the Yiluo school (the teachings of Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and their followers), and Chen did not at first grasp them. After returning home, he built a terrace named "Yangchun" (Spring Sunshine), where he sat in quiet stillness every day to nourish the root of his mind and nature. Few people ever saw him there.

At first, Chen Xianzhang resolved to pursue learning with great vigor, and at times his efforts were so excessive that they nearly injured his mind and spirit. Later he recognized that this was wrong, and he came to understand that sayings such as "be cautious and apprehensive" (remaining constantly vigilant and alert) were not themselves mistaken. Later scholars, lacking an understanding of actual conditions, would err slightly and thereby bend the principle out of shape. His warning was thus a response to a particular ailment. Many years later he finally attained some understanding and said: "From now on, my mind is like a horse with its reins in hand. Whether in motion or at rest, in affairs or in dealing with others, I can attend to and examine myself at every moment, and there is not a single instant when I am not within this."

When he discussed the way of governance, he always said: "If there is no sincerity in the world, people cannot be moved. If there is no ability, government cannot be done well. Only when ability and sincerity are united can moral transformation arise." In teaching, he always first had students sit quietly, so as to nurture the initial sprouts of goodness in their hearts. He said: "People learn in order to hear of and comprehend the Dao. If it cannot be found in books, one may turn inward and seek it within one's own heart. Why be burdened by external things? This matter must be thoroughly seen through. If one fails to see through it, then even studying every day amounts to nothing more than scholarship for others."

He also taught that in learning one should believe in and practice the principle of "learning for oneself." Trivial habits such as composing poetry and prose, along with the paths of pursuing fame and advancement, should all be blocked and swept away, so that not a trace of attachment remains in the heart. Only then can the sprouts of goodness within be nourished.

Devoting oneself wholeheartedly to cultivation, one's bearing improves day by day and one's attainment deepens day by day. This is what is meant by starting from what is near at hand, so that in the end the face of "spirit" (shen) is revealed. It is a principle that ordinary people use every day without knowing it.

He also said to his disciple Lin Guang: "Working diligently without pause all day long ultimately amounts only to gathering in and holding fast this heart-mind. This principle is exceedingly vast. It has no distinction of inner and outer, no sequence of before and after. There is no place where it does not reach, and no moment where it stops operating. Once one grasps this key, what is there that cannot be accomplished? Everything from past to present and from all four directions can be connected and brought together. Whenever and wherever, there is nothing that is not filled with this principle.

"At the Wuyu (the altar of ancient sacrifices and rain-prayers), Zeng Dian was at ease gathering with several companions, standing precisely between 'not forgetting and not helping': neither forgetting to preserve and nurture, nor deliberately forcing growth. He slightly revealed this lively effort, and Mencius clarified it in a single phrase, so that all things presented the vitality of 'kites flying and fish leaping.' Without the effort Mencius described, to suddenly speak of the delight Zeng Dian had seen would sound like talking in one's sleep."

Master Jingzhai, Hu Juren, received the orthodox transmission of the learning of the heart-mind (xinxue) from Kangzhai. After retiring, he continually expanded and deepened it, resolving to take the ancient sages as models and to shoulder the responsibility of transmitting the Way of the sages. He held that rote memorization and composing literary pieces were not matters of importance. He devoted himself to cultivating the inner heart, took loyalty and sincerity as the root, and made the recovery of the scattered, dissipated heart his essential task. He believed that the learning of the sages, from beginning to completion, depends entirely on "reverence" (jing), and so he named his studio after it.

Hu Juren was dignified and composed, his words and conduct conforming to propriety. In dealing with others, and even when alone in hidden places, he was all the more strict and cautious. He wrote a poem saying: "Being cautious when alone carries profound meaning; what matters most is to guard against the first stirrings, for this principle is the most subtle. The root of contention and rivalry lies here; the key is to be without shame before Heaven."

Many people came from various places to study with him. He built a study hall and named it "Liwu" (Ritual and Self). Later, when he served as a supervisor in the Southern Capital, he also lectured. He said: "There are two things a learner should fear most. First, failing to see the true principle. Second, having effort that is interrupted and discontinuous. Many people are naturally gifted, yet aim too high and wander into the path of Chan Buddhism. Others indulge only in the display of literary style, and so do not understand what it means to hold fast to the original heart and to examine and verify through reflection. How can such people attain the realm of virtue?"

He once gathered for lectures and discussion with Lou Yizhai of Shangrao, Luo Yifeng of Yongfeng, and Zhang Dongbai of Nanchang, at Guifeng in Yiyang and the Yingtian Temple in Yugan. His works include the Juye Lu (Record of Dwelling and Enterprise) and the Jingzhai Ji (Collected Writings of Jingzhai). The meaning of "juye" can be understood from the phrase in the Yijing "cultivating words to establish sincerity." By rectifying speech and establishing sincerity of intent, one settles and completes one's enterprise.

The Hongdao Lu comments: "Chen Xianzhang and Hu Juren both also studied under Kangzhai. Chen Xianzhang considered citing the established doctrines of the Yi-Luo school insufficient, while Hu Juren devoted himself singly to 'reverence,' and thereby obtained the foundation of the learning of the heart-mind."

What, then, is the proper path to learning? I was reading Yang Yuehu's (Ming Dynasty Neo-Confucian) letter to Lin Jixi, in which he writes:

Baisha (Chen Xianzhang, styled Baisha) liked to speak in veiled terms, while Kangzhai (Wu Yubi, styled Kangzhai) often quoted ready-made maxims to teach people. Baisha sought only to awaken to things himself. As for the maxims of the Yiluo school (referring to Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and their followers), these too were insights they had reached on their own. If later scholars insist on relying on such ready-made words to teach people how to attain understanding for themselves, another kind of harm is likely to arise.

The letter also says that Baisha did not come to know the Dao until late in life, and that he cultivated himself only in a plain and unadorned manner. Given this, how should scholars today seek their own realization, and what should be their foundation? The answer: take "reverence" (jing) as the foundation. What should they do? Concentrate on the studies that they ought to pursue. As long as they see clearly and seek sincerely, they need not worry about being unable to persevere steadily or failing to accumulate deep understanding. This both frees them from being discouraged by difficulty or weary of learning, and keeps them from falling into the errors of superficial practice. If they can grasp principles from the things around them and encounter their source everywhere, why would they need to wait for others to tell them? Someone asked: "Does beginning with discussion and debate amount to becoming confused?" Scholars must not fail to understand this point.

Master Yifeng, Luo Lun, kept his eyes from improper sights and his ears from improper speech, and he did not regard wearing shabby clothes or eating coarse food as shameful. When he spoke with people about the duties of a child, he spoke of filial piety; when he spoke of the duties of a minister, he spoke of loyalty. When he conversed with officials, he spoke of the sufferings of the common people. When he saw a good person, he delighted in them as one would in the qilin or the phoenix; when he saw a wicked person, he loathed them as one would a snake or a scorpion. When he saw someone starving or freezing, he gave away everything he had to relieve them.

In general, whenever something was right according to righteousness, he resolutely carried it out. The praise and blame of others, his own joy and anger, the success or failure and smoothness or adversity of affairs, and even his own life, death, misfortune, or blessing, he did not hold in his heart.

Luo Lun first served as a Compiler in the Hanlin Academy. At that time, the Grand Secretary Li Xian died, and the court, citing an old precedent, summoned Li Xian to resume office while still in mourning. The censors and remonstrating officials all dared not speak. Luo Lun privately pointed out that this was improper, and then submitted a memorial that laid out, article by article, the arguments from ancient and modern times against resuming office during mourning. He insisted that the sagely court follow the earlier precedent and let Li Xian complete his mourning period. The memorial ran to several thousand characters, and its essential grounds were the principles of Heaven's Pattern and of the human heart that could not be ignored. After the memorial was presented, Luo Lun was dismissed from his post as a result.

From this time on, the scholars of the realm vied to examine and refine themselves. Those who had previously been too concerned with appearing dutiful to speak out now changed their conduct. Until Luo Lun's death, no official in the court's censorial or executive offices was again called back to office during mourning.

Luo Lun retired to Mount Jinniu, where he opened his door to students and devoted himself every day to annotating the classics, and his reputation spread throughout the realm. Wherever he went, people often went along with him to see him. Even military officers and secular officials knew to respect and admire him. The people he associated with were all the outstanding heroes of his age……

This passage recounts the deeds and character of several upright officials from the Ming dynasty. Figures like Wang Zeng (a renowned Northern Song statesman) and Junshi (the courtesy name of Sima Guang) were historically celebrated for their integrity and moral rectitude. The author admires how these individuals neither pursued material comforts nor indulged in pleasures, maintaining their moral fortitude even in court politics. They refused to follow the crowd, steadfastly upholding their solitary loyalty. The text particularly notes that while imperial examination champions appeared in every dynasty, few possessed such rare combination of virtue and talent.

The account focuses on Zhang Mao (known as Master □shan). From youth, he nurtured lofty aspirations while remaining humble in conduct. At court, he found kindred spirits in Luo Yifeng, Zhuang Kongyang, Huang Zhongzhao, and others—all sharing the ambition to assist their sovereign in achieving governance akin to the golden age of Yao and Shun. Later, when he submitted a memorial opposing the wasteful lantern displays during the Yuanxiao Festival, his defiance of imperial wishes led to demotion. Yet this act earned him widespread acclaim, joining Luo Yifeng and others as one of the "Three Noble Men" and later celebrated among the "Four Hanlin Remonstrators."

Zhang Mao possessed profound virtue—his emotions never showed on his face, he bore no grudges, never boasted of his achievements, and remained free from arrogance. A man of encyclopedic learning who understood worldly affairs, he embodied Confucian principles through personal practice. He believed humans, endowed with the Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth, should emulate their vastness and ceaseless dynamism. In scholarship, he emphasized both broad-minded synthesis (to grasp interconnected truths) and meticulous investigation (to penetrate depths)—only this dual approach could prevent intellectual hubris.

The records state that Kangzhai (Wu Yubi) firmly declined the appointment as tutor to the Crown Prince; Baisha (Chen Xianzhang) did not regard his post as Compiler-Reviser (jiantao) as a distinction; and Yifeng (Luo Lun) did not esteem winning first place in the palace examinations as especially valuable. As a result, the reputations of these three gentlemen, the "Four Remonstrating Academicians of the Hanlin Academy," spread throughout the realm. Later, He Ji was also stirred by their example and rose to submit a memorial requesting to resign from office. What an age this was! Above, there was a benevolent and wise ruler; below, there were many sincere and upright ministers.

Yet why were they able to act in this way? It was precisely because they had, in their daily lives, worked diligently to investigate principle and to nourish their virtue. They set their aspirations broadly and did not keep external fame and profit in mind; they held fast to their minds and bodies with rigor, yet did not consider themselves already perfect. As for those called wild and arrogant, they simply failed to exert themselves diligently enough to meet the expectations placed upon them. How could one say that others had wronged them? The compiler has explained this in detail.

Zhang Yuanzhen's "Epitaph for Master Chen Xuan" states: Because the realm had enjoyed peace for a long time, most scholar-officials had grown listless and lacked integrity, and those few who possessed integrity often fell short in self-cultivation. Their conduct therefore was not conspicuous, and their principles were difficult to sustain. What could be criticized in someone like Master Chen?

Master Chen took the sages of antiquity as models, cultivating himself in secret and quietly embodying their teachings, without seeking to be known by others. In scholarship, he regarded the overcoming of selfish desire and the pursuit of humaneness as essential, and so he called his studio "Studio of Overcoming" (Kezhai). He did not rely on ornate prose when reading; whenever he came upon a maxim, he copied it by hand into a notebook to spur himself toward practice. In daily speech he was cautious, yet when something needed to be done, he acted with courage. His conduct was strict, and everything proceeded from sincerity. Whatever office Master Chen held, Master Chen wished to discharge its duties to the utmost; whatever task was undertaken, it was to be completed wholeheartedly. Toward resignation or retention, promotion or setback, Master Chen regarded all with light indifference, keeping the common people and the state alone in mind and letting all other concerns go.

Thus people said that Master Chen possessed a great integrity that no one in the realm could take away, a great talent sufficient to save the realm, and a great courage that nothing under heaven could obstruct. Wherever Master Chen went, people were moved. When Master Chen inspected Jiangxi, the local people still praise that work today; when serving as Educational Intendant (tixue, the official responsible for regional education and for examining the provincial academic administration) in the Southern Metropolitan Area and in Henan, people deeply missed Master Chen; and when serving in Guangdong, the people were especially attached to Master Chen. On the day of departure from office, crowds lined the roads to see Master Chen off, and they successively built a living shrine (shengci, a shrine erected for someone still alive) and a "Memorial Stele of Remembrance" (qusi bei, a stele commemorating an official who has left office and expressing longing for him). Therefore Master Chen's name filled the realm, and whether or not people had met Master Chen, when the people of the time spoke of upright men, they were sure to mention Chen Mou.

The compiler says: "Those whom people cannot wrong" refers precisely to Chen Shixian. Master Chen's official rank had not reached its highest level, and when entering court to serve, Master Chen had no conduct of envying others……

People everywhere have a standard in their hearts for judging right and wrong fairly. A man as upright and kindhearted as Zhang Dongbai lived quietly and contentedly in retirement for nearly thirty years. When he later entered public service, the Filial Emperor came to value him. He urged people to study orthodox learning and taught its orthodox traditions. Yet because he received generous favor and was esteemed by the emperor, people grew jealous of him.

In light of this, the worthy men of the Kangzhai school were indeed indispensable. Among friends, there is nothing harder than earnestly urging one another on, sharpening one another through mutual criticism, and acting in accordance with principle. That was how the matter ultimately ended.

Hongdao lu, juan 27