The pursuit of Confucian spirit has surpassed its own self-interest from the beginning and has an "ancient" style. This is the embodiment of the saint's personality, and it is also the most important personality spirit in the saint.
1. Return to the spirit of Confucian Yuan Dian.
The significance of the imperial examination system should be viewed from two aspects. For the imperial court, it is to put the intellectual class under its own control through the imperial examination, and bring the thoughts of the soldiers into the track that the royal family hopes, so that this social group, which belongs to the "head of the four people", can truly unite with the royal family. The imperial examinations in Ming and Qing Dynasties set the four books and five classics as the basic examination contents, with the aim of "being an official if you are good at learning" and "thinking highly of learning", so as to train scholars to be mature gentlemen who read Confucian classics and follow the rules, and to train talents for the court. For scholars, learning the Four Books and Five Classics and learning the way of sages are the main contents of self-cultivation emphasized by Confucianism. Through self-cultivation and self-cultivation, Mencius' lofty spirit and the subject personality of "wealth can't be lewd, power can't be bent, poverty can't be moved" can be cultivated, and a perfect internal moral order can be established. Only in this way can we give it to others. According to the idealized design, it is a good thing for literati to complete the road of "cultivating themselves, governing the country and leveling the world" by virtue of the imperial examination, and the two aspects of the significance of the imperial examination system are unified in theory; However, in practice, due to the simplification and stylization of the imperial examination system, especially the stereotyped writing system, there has been such a situation: the imperial examination has often become a tool to win fame, Confucian classics have become more and more familiar, stereotyped writing has become better and better, but the character has become worse and worse, and more and more scholars have alienated into slaves and slaves of the imperial examination. As Wang Mian said, "This law is not well formulated! In the future, when scholars have this road of honor, they will despise the source of writing! "
Sages attach importance to the source of literary works, which enables them to maintain their self-awareness and independent personality. However, they did not completely deny the Road to Glory, but adopted the attitude of returning to the spirit of Confucian Yuan Dian. Specifically, the sages did not oppose the Four Books and Five Classics. What they oppose is only the trading relationship of "the Lord sells official titles and the minister sells intelligence" and the utilitarian purpose of scholars "learning written martial arts and tasting the emperor's family" In other words, they abandoned the abnormal mentality and utilitarian color since the implementation of the imperial examination system, and directly returned to the Confucian Yuan Dian spirit: to be a gentleman who is familiar with Confucian classics and acts according to them.
Many literati satirized by Wu grew up under the influence of eight-part essay, such as Miss Lu. Self-cultivation with eight-part essay has obvious utilitarian purpose, that is, taking eight-part essay as a stepping stone to gain fame and fortune. No wonder Jin Fan didn't know Su Shi, Ma didn't know Li Qingzhao, and Zhang Jingzhai made Liu Ji up as a "scholar who started studying in Hongwu for three years". Once "fame and fortune" defeated "the way of sages", it led to snobbery and the world went from bad to worse.
Dr. Yu's accomplishment can be compared with this. He was enlightened at the age of six, and the author didn't explain what he read. I guess it's also the four books and five classics. The difference is that the satirized figure turned to stereotyped writing, while Dr. Yu studied ancient poetry from a Mr. Qingchuan, and then came to Qitai Public School for "Geography, Fortune-telling and Choice". I studied poetry because Mr. Qingchuan's poems are "the best in the world", and Dr. Yu admired him; Learning "geography" and so on is "learning two skills to find food", which has nothing to do with "the glorious road". As for his later exam, it was for his livelihood, not for the title of any subject. It is enough to prove that he did not ask Kang's adult to recommend him, but wrote his age on the resume of choosing Hanlin. The author doesn't describe much about Zhuang Shaoguang's accomplishment, but it is not difficult to infer from his "when he was eleven or twelve, he would write a 7,000-word fu, which is well known all over the world". When Zhuang Shaoguang was young, he was addicted to eight-part essay without fame, otherwise how could he write excellent fu? As an adult, he did not attack stereotyped writing. "At this time, he will stand at forty and be famous all over the world, but he will write a book behind closed doors and refuse to make mistakes." Zhuang Shaoguang notes Yi at home (this was revealed when Gao Hanlin slandered Zhuang Shaoguang) and is still studying knowledge. Du also attaches great importance to his study. He once suggested that Zhang Junmin read more books and "learn some arts and sciences". His monograph The Book of Songs is quite influential, which shows that he has "goods" in his stomach, but the "goods" in his stomach are not used for imperial examinations. After resigning from the conquest, he was in high spirits: "All right! I'm a scholar. With this ending, I shouldn't take the provincial examination in the future, regardless of subjects and age. I will be very happy and do my own thing. " Xiao said that Chihengshan is a talented person in the ritual and music system and a famous place in Nanbang. It can be seen that Chi Hengshan did not grow up eating stereotyped writing. He has a very insightful remark: "A scholar only talks about learning, not seeking fame;": Those who reward merit only talk about fame and don't need to learn. If you want to talk about both, you can't do anything later. "Although two roads were listed, he chose the former himself. Chi Hengshan's knowledge is practical knowledge such as etiquette, music, ordnance and agriculture.
Because the sages have returned to the spirit of Confucian Yuan Dian, the imperial examination has become irrelevant to them. You can cultivate your self-cultivation without passing the imperial examination. Taking the exam is at most a means of making a living, not the so-called "glorious road". Therefore, sages can stand in the world according to the personality standards of ancient sages, without being bound, enslaved and alienated by the imperial examination. Attach importance to the process of "self-cultivation" itself, so as to obtain the skills needed to realize the ideal and practice the historical mission of the intellectual class, or poetry, or learning, or practical learning, and have the noble character possessed by ancient sages.
Self-cultivation is the first step of self-realization and the process of establishing internal moral order. The internal moral order extends outward. First, it is applied to the family to establish a family order full of goodwill and affection. The father is kind and filial, the brothers and friends respect each other, and the husband and wife are harmonious. Then apply it to the country and establish a perfect political order. In foreign history, the sages encountered the reality that "the country has no road" in the process from home to country. This is clearly reflected in the plot of Zhuang Resignation. Tai Bao Gong is a mature politician. He wants Zhuang Shaoguang to get out of this door, with the aim of cliques. After being rejected by Zhuang, he wrote an absurd memorial: "Zhuang Shangzhi is a talent in a group, and he is extremely favored by the emperor and has a good impression on the ruling and opposition parties." However, I was born as a scholar and suddenly fell in love with you. My ancestors didn't have this method, and they started the world with luck. "The contradiction is obvious: since you want to learn, why do you have to make moves? Lord Tai Bao is just a cover for the emperor. Although the author did not directly criticize the emperor, the actual situation revealed was just as Zhuang Shaoguang said: "It seems that I can't do it. "This means that the final completion of Confucian ideals has encountered obstacles in reality. There are two ways to dispel this ideal stagnation: one is to return to China; -it is to practice the feelings of saving the world in a folk way.
Let's talk about the first way first. The Qijia here is no longer the Qijia in the general sense, but after the road of life is blocked, it becomes the "second time" of Qijia again, and experiences the spiritual comfort of people returning home. If the first time, the family was purposeful and full of hope, then the second time, the family was more aesthetic and played down the utilitarian color. Although this is a retreat on the road of life, it shows from another side that the sages have no intention of fame and fortune.
The author's description of the family life of the sages, which is full of human feelings, was carried out after their road to saving the world was blocked. Du resigned and lived in seclusion in Nanjing. Although life is dull, he feels very happy. He said to his wife, "Leave Nanjing, a fun place, and leave me at home. I will accompany you out to enjoy flowers and eat wine in spring and autumn." Zhuang Shaoguang resigned and returned to his hometown, living in seclusion by the lake of Yuan Wu. "Be free and at leisure, he poured a glass of wine, took out the poem Du said, and asked his wife to sit next to him and read it to him. See interesting places, eat a big glass and laugh at each other. "Dr. Yu was released as a idle minister. How can ordinary people tolerate this? However, he said happily: "Nanjing is a good place with mountains and water, and it is also close to my hometown." It is better for me to go to a place to reunite with my wife and children this time than to be a poor academician. "
Here, Qijia is the "second Qijia", which is not only to maintain the basic needs of survival and establish family relations in line with ethical order, but also the spiritual home of the sages under the condition of "no country". This kind of retrogression of life path and "the country has no way" but still advances (the essence is the pursuit of wealth) are completely different choices. Its theoretical basis can be found in Du Fu's new explanation of "Nvyue":
Whenever a gentleman has the idea of being an official, he must be proud of his wife first, and his wife wants to be his wife. He can't think of anything, everything is unsatisfactory and noisy. Look at this couple. They have no interest in fame and fortune, in playing the piano and drinking, or in the pleasure of being knowledgeable. This is a gentleman who has cultivated himself for more than three generations.
Du's interpretation of Female Yue is actually Wu's research experience on this poem. The author reminds readers that the family life of sages can be so "happy" because they have no intention of fame and fortune, and it is this mentality that makes them have the character of ancient gentlemen.
3. Help the world: beyond the road of official transport
On the surface, the "second time" of the sages is to live a "happy" and comfortable life, instead of being a "poor academician", which seems to have nothing to do with their "ultimate concern". In fact, the "second time" to bring the family together is, in the final analysis, a retreat on the road of life. Sages are always looking for ways to realize their ideals because they hide the sadness that their ideals cannot be realized in their seemingly comfortable daily lives. The road to official promotion is not feasible because "the country has no choice." In the view of sages, the ultimate goal of being an official is to establish a society of rites and music, so as long as this ultimate goal can be achieved, it is not necessary to take the road of being an official. They found a way to practice their ideal of saving the world: folk method. This is a transcendence of "potential". This transcendence got rid of the cage of fame and fortune, which reflected the humanistic feelings of the sages who were concerned about the country and the people. It can be divided into three levels:
First, the influence of noble virtues on society.
In the forty-seventh reply, Mr. Yu Er commented on the doctor like this: "Looking at the doctor's behavior, he does not want to forbid people to do anything, but because of his virtue, people naturally cannot do that indecent behavior." Mr. Yu Er means that people with reclusive personality like Dr. Yu don't seem to be of much benefit to society, but they set a spiritual example outside the secular society. This spiritual example is keen on fame and fortune, abandoning etiquette and music, and plays a decisive role in improving social atmosphere.
Sages and hermits are not exactly the same. Although the behavior of hermits can improve the social atmosphere, they live in different circles from the public after all. Sages live among the masses, and their feelings of worrying about the world are directly related to the masses, so their influence is more obvious and effective than that of hermits to improve social atmosphere. Du knows his way around and is penniless, but he pawned a box of clothes and gave it to tailor Yang who lost his mother. Zhuang Shaoguang buried two strangers on his way home from his resignation. Dr. Yu saved people and showed people that Feng Shui is sincere and has many "yin virtues"; Wait a minute. They not only embody the realm of fame and fortune, but also have the Confucian style and humanitarian spirit of "worrying about the world first", and the latter is easier for the public to observe, appreciate and admire. To some extent, the influence of the personality ideal of "resignation and fame and fortune" on society is accomplished with the help of the spirit of benevolence.
Second, be vigilant and learn from the mistakes.
If on the first level, the influence of sages on society is not expressed in an active way, then on the second level, they take the initiative to evaluate some worrying social phenomena in order to attract people's attention.
For example, I believe that geomantic omen is quite common among the people. The world believes in Feng Shui, but wealth is in its bones. Superstition in geomantic omen is closely related to fame and fortune. Sages don't believe in geomantic omen, and their intention is not only to get rid of superstitions, but more importantly, to correct the world's worship of fame and fortune. Chi Hengshan's incisive assertion profoundly exposes the absurdity of superstitious geomantic omen, which can be summed up as follows: "As long as the underground is dry and warm, there is no wind and no ants, it is enough to settle down; Those who are either rich or expensive will not listen. Du said more bluntly: "The court should make a solution." . "He hopes to execute the nonsense Mr. Feng Shui, so that the superstition of Feng Shui and the greed for wealth can be' less'. (It should be pointed out that Dr. Yu sincerely looks after Feng Shui for others, as long as he can settle his ancestors, unlike those Mr. Feng Shui who talk nonsense. )
Third, the great cause of rites and music is bleak.
This is a particularly important way for sages to practice morality and customs. According to the social ideal of primitive Confucianism, propriety is the foundation of governing the country and safeguarding the country, and the education of propriety and music is the top priority of rulers. For scholars, the system of rites and music should be regarded as the "right way" to pursue official career and rely on the power of state institutions (that is, the power of "potential"). However, because powerful people are not keen on this (as Chi Hengshan pointed out: "I decided the world at the age of Mao, and I am as good as you, but I never engage in ceremonies." ), the sages only take the "folk" road, that is, rebuild rites and music by their own strength. The purpose of "offering sacrifices to Taibo Hall as the beginning of the book" is to let "everyone learn etiquette and music, make some talents, and also help politics and religion". The sages showed great enthusiasm for this. Du was the first person to donate money when Zhihengshan initiated it. Zhuang Shaoguang assured Chi Hengshan before applying for the job: "Don't worry, Sir, my younger brother will come back and won't miss the big sacrifice at Taibo Temple." Dr. Yu is a priest. The spectacle of the whole festival,
Even people in their seventies and eighties who grew up in Nanjing lamented, "I have never seen such a ceremony and heard such a blow." It serves to show that offering sacrifices to Taibo Temple is a painstaking undertaking of sages.
Although from today's perspective, the sages tried to save the world with the help of moral power, they were doomed to fail in the social situation at that time. But everyone lives in the pattern of his time, and we can't blame them for not finding the right path with the changes of the situation today. What's important is that the sages' persistence in ideals and pursuit of Confucian spirit surpassed their own self-interest and had an "ancient" demeanor. This is the embodiment of the saint's personality, and it is also the most important personality spirit in the saint.
1. Return to the spirit of Confucian Yuan Dian.
The significance of the imperial examination system should be viewed from two aspects. For the imperial court, it is to put the intellectual class under its own control through the imperial examination, and bring the thoughts of the soldiers into the track that the royal family hopes, so that this social group, which belongs to the "head of the four people", can truly unite with the royal family. The imperial examinations in Ming and Qing Dynasties set the four books and five classics as the basic examination contents, with the aim of "being an official if you are good at learning" and "thinking highly of learning", so as to train scholars to be mature gentlemen who read Confucian classics and follow the rules, and to train talents for the court. For scholars, learning the Four Books and Five Classics and learning the way of sages are the main contents of self-cultivation emphasized by Confucianism. Through self-cultivation and self-cultivation, Mencius' lofty spirit and the subject personality of "wealth can't be lewd, power can't be bent, poverty can't be moved" can be cultivated, and a perfect internal moral order can be established. Only in this way can we give it to others. According to the idealized design, it is a good thing for literati to complete the road of "cultivating themselves, governing the country and leveling the world" by virtue of the imperial examination, and the two aspects of the significance of the imperial examination system are unified in theory; However, in practice, due to the simplification and stylization of the imperial examination system, especially the stereotyped writing system, there has been such a situation: the imperial examination has often become a tool to win fame, Confucian classics have become more and more familiar, stereotyped writing has become better and better, but the character has become worse and worse, and more and more scholars have alienated into slaves and slaves of the imperial examination. As Wang Mian said, "This law is not well formulated! In the future, when scholars have this road of honor, they will despise the source of writing! "
Sages attach importance to the source of literary works, which enables them to maintain their self-awareness and independent personality. However, they did not completely deny the Road to Glory, but adopted the attitude of returning to the spirit of Confucian Yuan Dian. Specifically, the sages did not oppose the Four Books and Five Classics. What they oppose is only the trading relationship of "the Lord sells official titles and the minister sells intelligence" and the utilitarian purpose of scholars "learning written martial arts and tasting the emperor's family" In other words, they abandoned the abnormal mentality and utilitarian color since the implementation of the imperial examination system, and directly returned to the Confucian Yuan Dian spirit: to be a gentleman who is familiar with Confucian classics and acts according to them.
Many literati satirized by Wu grew up under the influence of eight-part essay, such as Miss Lu. Self-cultivation with eight-part essay has obvious utilitarian purpose, that is, taking eight-part essay as a stepping stone to gain fame and fortune. No wonder Jin Fan didn't know Su Shi, Ma didn't know Li Qingzhao, and Zhang Jingzhai made Liu Ji up as a "scholar who started studying in Hongwu for three years". Once "fame and fortune" defeated "the way of sages", it led to snobbery and the world went from bad to worse.
Dr. Yu's accomplishment can be compared with this. He was enlightened at the age of six, and the author didn't explain what he read. I guess it's also the four books and five classics. The difference is that the satirized figure turned to stereotyped writing, while Dr. Yu studied ancient poetry from a Mr. Qingchuan, and then came to Qitai Public School for "Geography, Fortune-telling and Choice". I studied poetry because Mr. Qingchuan's poems are "the best in the world", and Dr. Yu admired him; Learning "geography" is "learning two skills to find food", which has nothing to do with "Glorious Road". As for his later exam, it was for a living, not for the name of any subject. It is enough to prove that he did not ask Kang's adult to recommend him, but wrote his age on the resume of choosing Hanlin. The author doesn't describe much about Zhuang Shaoguang's accomplishment, but it is not difficult to infer from his "when he was eleven or twelve, he would write a 7,000-word fu, which is well known all over the world". When Zhuang Shaoguang was young, he was addicted to eight-part essay without fame, otherwise how could he write excellent fu? As an adult, he did not attack stereotyped writing. "At this time, he will stand at forty and be famous all over the world, but he will write a book behind closed doors and refuse to make mistakes." Zhuang Shaoguang notes Yi at home (this was revealed when Gao Hanlin slandered Zhuang Shaoguang) and is still studying knowledge. Du also attaches great importance to his study. He once suggested that Zhang Junmin read more books and "learn some arts and sciences". His monograph The Book of Songs is quite influential, which shows that he has "goods" in his stomach, but the "goods" in his stomach are not used for imperial examinations. After resigning from the conquest, he was in high spirits: "All right! I'm a scholar. With this ending, I shouldn't take the provincial examination in the future, regardless of subjects and age. I will be very happy and do my own thing. " Xiao said that Chihengshan is a talented person in the ritual and music system and a famous place in Nanbang. It can be seen that Chi Hengshan did not grow up eating stereotyped writing. He has a very insightful remark: "A scholar only talks about learning, not seeking fame;": Those who reward merit only talk about fame and don't need to learn. If you want to talk about both, you can't do anything later. "Although two roads were listed, he chose the former himself. Chi Hengshan's knowledge is practical knowledge such as etiquette, music, ordnance and agriculture.
Because the sages have returned to the spirit of Confucian Yuan Dian, the imperial examination has become irrelevant to them. You can cultivate your self-cultivation without passing the imperial examination. Taking the exam is at most a means of making a living, not the so-called "glorious road". Therefore, sages can stand in the world according to the personality standards of ancient sages, without being bound, enslaved and alienated by the imperial examination. Attach importance to the process of "self-cultivation" itself, so as to obtain the skills needed to realize the ideal and practice the historical mission of the intellectual class, or poetry, or learning, or practical learning, and have the noble character possessed by ancient sages.
Self-cultivation is the first step of self-realization and the process of establishing internal moral order. The internal moral order extends outward. First, it is applied to the family to establish a family order full of kindness and affection. The father is kind and filial, the brothers and friends respect each other as guests, and the husband and wife are harmonious. Then apply it to the country and establish a perfect political order. In foreign history, the sages encountered the reality that "the country has no road" in the process from home to country. This is clearly reflected in the plot of Zhuang Resignation. Tai Bao Gong is a mature politician. He wants Zhuang Shaoguang to get out of this door, with the aim of cliques. After being rejected by Zhuang, he wrote an absurd memorial: "Zhuang Shangzhi is a talent in a group, and he is extremely favored by the emperor and has a good impression on the ruling and opposition parties." However, I was born as a scholar and suddenly fell in love with you. My ancestors didn't have this method, and they started the world with luck. "The contradiction is obvious: since you want to learn, why do you have to make moves? Lord Tai Bao is just a cover for the emperor. Although the author did not directly criticize the emperor, the actual situation revealed was just as Zhuang Shaoguang said: "It seems that I can't do it. "This means that the final completion of Confucian ideals has encountered obstacles in reality. There are two ways to dispel this ideal stagnation: one is to return to China; -it is to practice the feelings of saving the world in a folk way.
Let's talk about the first way first. The Qijia here is no longer the Qijia in the general sense, but after the road of life is blocked, it becomes the "second time" of Qijia again, and experiences the spiritual comfort of people returning home. If the first time, the family was purposeful and full of hope, then the second time, the family was more aesthetic and played down the utilitarian color. Although this is a retreat on the road of life, it shows from another side that the sages have no intention of fame and fortune.
The author's description of the family life of the sages, which is full of human feelings, was carried out after their road to saving the world was blocked. Du resigned and lived in seclusion in Nanjing. Although life is dull, he feels very happy. He said to his wife, "Leave Nanjing, a fun place, and leave me at home. I will accompany you out to enjoy flowers and eat wine in spring and autumn." Zhuang Shaoguang resigned and returned to his hometown, living in seclusion by the lake of Yuan Wu. "Be free and at leisure, he poured a glass of wine, took out the poem Du said, and asked his wife to sit next to him and read it to him. See interesting places, eat a big glass and laugh at each other. "Dr. Yu was released as a idle minister. How can ordinary people tolerate this? However, he said happily: "Nanjing is a good place with mountains and water, and it is also close to my hometown." It is better for me to go to a place to reunite with my wife and children this time than to be a poor academician. "
Here, Qijia is the "second Qijia", which is not only to maintain the basic needs of survival and establish family relations in line with ethical order, but also the spiritual home of the sages under the condition of "no country". This kind of retrogression of life path and "the country has no way" but still advances (the essence is the pursuit of wealth) are completely different choices. Its theoretical basis can be found in Du Fu's new explanation of "Nvyue":
Whenever a gentleman has the idea of being an official, he must be proud of his wife first, and his wife wants to be his wife. He can't think of anything, everything is unsatisfactory and noisy. Look at this couple. They have no interest in fame and fortune, in playing the piano and drinking, or in the pleasure of being knowledgeable. This is a gentleman who has cultivated himself for more than three generations.
Du's interpretation of Female Yue is actually Wu's research experience on this poem. The author reminds readers that the family life of sages can be so "happy" because they have no intention of fame and fortune, and it is this mentality that makes them have the character of ancient gentlemen.
3. Help the world: beyond the road of official transport
On the surface, the "second time" of the sages is to live a "happy" and comfortable life, instead of being a "poor academician", which seems to have nothing to do with their "ultimate concern". In fact, the "second time" to bring the family together is, in the final analysis, a retreat on the road of life. Sages are always looking for ways to realize their ideals because they hide the sadness that their ideals cannot be realized in their seemingly comfortable daily lives. The road to official promotion is not feasible because "the country has no choice." In the view of sages, the ultimate goal of being an official is to establish a society of rites and music, so as long as this ultimate goal can be achieved, it is not necessary to take the road of being an official. They found a way to practice their ideal of saving the world: folk method. This is a transcendence of "potential". This transcendence got rid of the cage of fame and fortune, which reflected the humanistic feelings of the sages who were concerned about the country and the people. It can be divided into three levels:
First, the influence of noble virtues on society.
In the forty-seventh reply, Mr. Yu Er commented on the doctor like this: "Looking at the doctor's behavior, he does not want to forbid people to do anything, but because of his virtue, people naturally cannot do that indecent behavior." Mr. Yu Er means that people with reclusive personality like Dr. Yu don't seem to be of much benefit to society, but they set a spiritual example outside the secular society. This spiritual example is keen on fame and fortune, abandoning etiquette and music, and plays a decisive role in improving social atmosphere.
Sages and hermits are not exactly the same. Although the behavior of hermits can improve the social atmosphere, they live in different circles from the public after all. Sages live among the masses, and their feelings of worrying about the world are directly related to the masses, so their influence is more obvious and effective than that of hermits to improve social atmosphere. Du knows his way around and is penniless, but he pawned a box of clothes and gave it to tailor Yang who lost his mother. Zhuang Shaoguang buried two strangers on his way home from his resignation. Dr. Yu saved people and showed people that Feng Shui is sincere and has many "yin virtues"; Wait a minute. They not only embody the realm of fame and fortune, but also have the Confucian style and humanitarian spirit of "worrying about the world first", and the latter is easier for the public to observe, appreciate and admire. To some extent, the influence of the personality ideal of "resignation and fame and fortune" on society is accomplished with the help of the spirit of benevolence.
Second, be vigilant and learn from the mistakes.
If on the first level, the influence of sages on society is not expressed in an active way, then on the second level, they take the initiative to evaluate some worrying social phenomena in order to attract people's attention.
For example, I believe that geomantic omen is quite common among the people. The world believes in Feng Shui, but wealth is in its bones. Superstition in geomantic omen is closely related to fame and fortune. Sages don't believe in geomantic omen, and their intention is not only to get rid of superstitions, but more importantly, to correct the world's worship of fame and fortune. Chi Hengshan's incisive assertion profoundly exposes the absurdity of superstitious geomantic omen, which can be summed up as follows: "As long as the underground is dry and warm, there is no wind and no ants, it is enough to settle down; Those who are either rich or expensive will not listen. Du said more bluntly: "The court should make a solution." . "He hopes to execute the nonsense Mr. Feng Shui, so that the superstition of Feng Shui and the greed for wealth can be' less'. (It should be pointed out that Dr. Yu sincerely looks after Feng Shui for others, as long as he can settle his ancestors, unlike those Mr. Feng Shui who talk nonsense. )
Third, the great cause of rites and music is bleak.
This is a particularly important way for sages to practice morality and customs. According to the social ideal of primitive Confucianism, propriety is the foundation of governing the country and safeguarding the country, and the education of propriety and music is the top priority of rulers. For scholars, the system of rites and music should be regarded as the "right way" to pursue official career and rely on the power of state institutions (that is, the power of "potential"). However, because powerful people are not keen on this (as Chi Hengshan pointed out: "I decided the world at the age of Mao, and I am as good as you, but I never engage in ceremonies." ), the sages only take the "folk" road, that is, rebuild rites and music by their own strength. The purpose of "offering sacrifices to Taibo Hall as the beginning of the book" is to let "everyone learn etiquette and music, make some talents, and also help politics and religion". The sages showed great enthusiasm for this. Du was the first person to donate money when Zhihengshan initiated it. Zhuang Shaoguang assured Chi Hengshan before applying for the job: "Don't worry, Sir, my younger brother will come back and won't miss the big sacrifice at Taibo Temple." Dr. Yu is a priest. The spectacle of the whole festival,
Even people in their seventies and eighties who grew up in Nanjing lamented, "I have never seen such a ceremony and heard such a blow." It serves to show that offering sacrifices to Taibo Temple is a painstaking undertaking of sages.
Although from today's perspective, the sages tried to save the world with the help of moral power, they were doomed to fail in the social situation at that time. But everyone lives in the pattern of his time, and we can't blame them for not finding the right path with the changes of the situation today. What matters is the persistence of the sages in their ideals.