Study On CAI Qing’s Yi-ology

Cai Qing was a famous scholar of Neo-Confucianism and Yi-ology, who lived in Ming dynasty. At that time, Cai Qing’s Yi-ology had a very huge impact and played a significant role in the spreading and development of Zhu Zi Doctrine of Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. After the construction of the Ming regime, to adapt to the political centralization, it has also strengthened the ideological domination. Cheng Zu issued "The Summa of Four Books and Five Classics", and named the Neo-Confucianism as the official orthodoxy. The Neo-Confucianism of Ming was also originated by Zhu Xi’s master. Cao Duan, Xue Xuan, and Hu Juren were acknowledged as the Confucianism orthodox school of Ming dynasty. Another cultural characteristic of the Ming dynasty was the institutionalization and normalization of imperial examination, which has become an important system of official selection. Under the impetus of the imperial examination, Neo-Confucianism, with strong vitality, deeply influenced every quarter of the society. Zhu Zi’s Doctrine became the dominant ideology. In this context, the Yi-ology of that time was more complied with Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi. Cai Qing is a famous Neo-Confucianist scholar of this period.Throughout his life, Cai Qing payed his attention to Zhu Zi Doctrine. He believed that Zhu Xi epitomized the thoughts of Neo-Confucianism, but Confucians of Song, Yuan and Ming dynasty could not comprehend Zhu Zi Doctrine. Moreover, Zhu Xi’s works, written and spoken in different context, are numerous, which often appeared inconsistent in many specific issues, even conflict with each other. Aware of this, Cai Qing tried to compromise different theories through Zhu Xi’s note, and to return to the original purpose of sages. This paper tries to interpret "Yijing Mengyin" and related data, from the view of Yi-ology, Xiang-shu, principles and reconstruction of philosophy system, to expound Cai Qing’s Yi-ology, show its characteristics and development to Zhu Xi’s Yi-ology and Neo-Confucianism. Through the interpretation of Zhu Xi’s "Original Meaning", Cai proposed the theory of Three Yi. He thought Yi had universe’s Yi, my body’s Yi and Yi-book’s Yi. All these three Yi were fundmentally formed by Yin and Yang, and were outlined by the principle of changing. The universe’s Yi and my body’s Yi are the objective Yi, and Yi-book’s Yi is the saint’s Yi. Yi-book parallels universe’s Yi and my body’s Yi, and was so called as the imitation of the two latter Yi. Yi-book contains significant images and microscopic principles. Images lie in the principles, and vice versa. Therefore, the two of them are essentially one. Zhu Xi thought Yi was the book of divination, in which Cai agrees, but on the other hand, Cai does not put his focus on the influence of the divination, but on the idea that fortune and misfortune were based on the righteousness. Cai’s thoughts of Yi developed Zhu’s ideas about Yi and finally surpassed it. Therefore, it became the mainstream of the study on Zhu’s thoughts about Yi at his time. Cai’s idea about Yi has a great influence at his time of Ming Dynasty and years later.Diagrams such as Taiji, Hetu and Luoshu were important parts in Yi-studies after Song dynasty, which contained the Yi of universe.On the origin of Taiji Diagram, Cai Qing believed that it, which belongs to system of the Confucian discourse, could be linked up with "The Doctrine of The Mean", and was self-created by Zhou Zi. Due to the different understandings on the inheritance of Taiji Diagram, it could be mainly divided into two different icon, which are the Taiji Diagram of Zhu Zhen and that of Zhu Xi which was changed. On the thoughts of Taiji Diagram, Cai Qing, from the idea of "Wuji means no extreme", believed that Wuji is an attribute of Taiji that cannot serve as an independent stage or status of the universe generation, which on one hand, avoided the accusation to Zhu Xi’s thought by Lu Jiuyuan and on the other hand, highlighted the transcendental nature of Taiji. In the relation of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, Cai Qing highlighted the integration of Taiji. He believed that Qi is originally one integration, which can be seened as Yin and Yang and the Five Elements when divided. While moving, Taiji generates Yang. While static, it generates Yin. Through the interaction of Yin and Yang, water, fire, wood, metal and soil come into being. But the Taiji of Wuji and that of Yin and Yang are one. The separation of Yin and Yang is, in fact, the transformation of one Qi. The Five Elements, whether from the point of generation or the movement of Qi, are just one integration, the transformation of one Qi. On the topic that Taiji Diagram of Zhou Zi is from Taoism, previous scholars treated it as a problem that could diminish Zhou Zi’s status on Confucianism. Otherwise, Cai Qing believed that it just reflected Zhou Zi’s broad mind and innovative spirit of Confucianism.On Hetu and Luoshu, Cai Qing also had his own unique perspectives that Hetu should be studied together with Taiji Diagram. Hetu demonstrated the dynamic process of Taiji producing Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. Cai Qing, from the perspective of the universe, treated Hetu as, not a simple diagram of number of different orientations, but the endless cycle of process that Taiji produces Yin and Yang, while Yin and Yang rely on each other. Thus, more specifically, he discussed the images that contained among Hetu and Luoshu, which are Taiji, Two Forms, Four Images and Eight Diagrams. In addition, to the contradictions generated between Hetu and Eight Diagrams, such as, the difference of number and position of Yin and Yang in the round diagram, the diverse of diagrams and number between the cross figure and the round diagram, Cai Qing explained it by the idea that Yin is static and keeps its regular, while Yang is positive and variational. He thought that Hetu contains the wonderful principle of Yin and Yang, which is in accordance with that of the universe. The knowledge of Hexagrams figure, though was considered fake by scholars of Qing dynasty, however, the value of its existence can not be denied.Scholars of Yi-ology of Song and Ming dynasty, discussed Yi-ology of Xiangshu in the way of Hexagrams figure. They explored the origin of Yi-ology, and explained the meaning of its text, in the purpose of constructing the philosophical system of Yi-ology which put principles as the core. Based on this, through the study of Hexagrams figure, Cai Qing constructed a complete system of philosophy. This article, mainly from the theories of ontology, mind and self-cultivation, discussed his reconstruction of Zhu Xi’s Yi-ology.In Cai Qing’s ontology, Taiji is the highest concept, which he described with the term of "no extreme" and "extremely great criterion". Taiji is a noumenon which has transcendence. Meanwhile, Taiji is an extremely great criterion that get all of the wonderful principles, containing the nature of universe and absoluteness. So what is the principle of Taiji? Cai Qing treated the rationale of Yin and Yang’s mutual roots as Taiji which mainly refers to their contradiction and evolution. Contradiction refers to the opposites of Yin and Yang. Evolution refers to the mutual transformation of Yin and Yang. Yin and yang reinforce each other and complement each other, which can be treated as both two and one. But while in the process of operating, the function and role of Yin and Yang are not identical. Yang is dominating. Thus, Li is not a pure philosophy entity, not substantive matter, but the orderliness of the evolution of Yin and Yang. For Cai Qing, Li has been detached from noumenon, and turned into the orderliness of the evolution of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang is the entity of Taiji, and the fundamental law of existence. Li is the law of Yin and Yang, which can not exist independently. Cai Qing believed that Tanji contained Yin and Yang, which is their noumenon. But Yin and Yang, as Qi of the physical, which just contained the reason of Taiji, are not exactly the same as Taiji. While constructing his concept of Taiji, Cai Qing also made some compromise amendments to Zhu Xi’s thoughts.Reflected on human, Taiji turns into human nature."Copulative" says that one Yin and one Yang is called Dao, which is followed by good deeds, and accomplished by nature. Cai Qing believed that human nature cannot do without temperament. Therefore, the reality of human nature is that of temperament.The so-called nature of universe is just logically launched. Original nature lies in the nature of temperament. Although the original nature and nature of temperament combined into one, the original nature played the leading role, which makes human nature inclined to goodness. Goodness of the original nature is commonality. Due to different endowments, the goodness are hierarchical. Evil in human nature comes from the stagnant Qi. But such as Yin is the extinction of Yang, evil in human nature also lies in goodness. Since the reality of human nature is that of temperament, good and evil are mixed among humanity, so how to promote good, which relates to the heart, becomes a problem. Cai Qing thought that heart is initiative, which determines good and evil. In his mind, the heart was not just flesh and blood, but embodiment of metaphysical perception. He believed that the heart is the spirit perceiver, the master of human body. Perceptual ability of the heart is ingrown, which is the spirit of the universe. So the heart is all-encompassing. Heart also contains body and function. The body of heart is nature, which means humanity, justice, propriety and wisdom. The function of heart is emotion, which cannot be removed. Nature can be considered as perfection without evil, but emotion contains both possibility. This topic also related to the intention. Intention and emotion are different. Intention comes from the heart, but emotion from nature.Cai Qing thought that all the cultivation lies in the heart. The destination is in the heart, not elsewhere. On how to conserve the heart, Cai Qing put forward the term of static virtual heart. Everything in the world is both dynamic and static, yet with a priority to static,which can also be used in self-cultivation. Static is mainly divided into two aspects. One is the state that all desires be excluded. Another is that static with dynamic,without losing each other. But the static is not the main purpose, which is the main way to virtual. The character and purpose of static is virtual. The inevitable result of static is virtual. Cai Qing’s static and virtual are neither Buddhist nihilism, nor meditation, which has the same purpose with Respect. Cai Qing’s cultivation theory layed particular stress on inner repair. As a successor of Zhu Xi, he did not emphasize the theory of investigation and research of things, but to work inside out. The fundamental idea is that static leads to virtual, virtual brings about wisdom, and wisdom gives rise to perfection. Static is the only way to get into the virtual. Virtual is the fundamental factor. Because of virtual, heart contains Li, and then follows it. At the same time, Cai Qing also proposed that when following Li, we must adopt proper therapeutic measure in line with Time. To observe the universe, so as to keep up with the Time. Cai Qing believed that under the cultivation of static and virtual, following Time and Li, and assisting Yang, restraining Yin, people can reach the state of neutral state.In conclusion, the article affirmed the status and influence of Cai Qing’s Yi-ology. Cai Qing, as the first person at Zhu Zi Doctrine of Ming dynasty, made contribution in mainly three aspects. Firstly, through his explanation, Zhu Zi Doctrine established its position in Ming dynasty. Secondly, through compromising the annotation of Zhu Xi of Song, Yuan and Ming dynasty, he got closer to Zhu Xi’s thoughts. Thirdly, he compromised Zhu Xi’s works, to make them more consistent. Cai Qing rose on the occasion of decline of Zhu Zi Doctrine, whose explanation had already surpassed other scholars, making a profound impact on the renaissance of Zhu Zi Doctrine. In the early Ming, when Zhu Zi Doctrine were taken as the measure of academic level, Cai Qing proposed that study should deliberate the truth, not Zhu Xi’s books. This is significant to break the fence of Zhu Zi Doctrine, to the breakthrough of the Qi and Heart school from Neo-Confucianism. Cai Qing thought that Taiji could not be separated from Yin and Yang, and Li could not be separated from Qi. Li is the orderliness that contained in the evolution of Yin and Yang. His theory shook the absoluteness of Li, which was an important part in the process of Neo-Confucianism’s dematerialization, and in the development of ontology of Qi. Cai Qing’s theory of human nature, and had important theoretical and practical significance in the structure of human nature theory that attached to ontology of Qi.Cai Qing, though in the name of elucidating the original meaning of Zhu Xi, tried to overcome the limitations of Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism, which had the characteristics of merging the theory of Li, Qi and Heart together. His thoughts, which had great influences on the development of philosophy in Ming dynasty, reflected contradiction and complexation, and at the same time, the regression to the theory of Qi, and the transformation to the theory of Heart. Liu Zongzhou, in the perspective of theories of Heart, fused the theories of Heart and Qi. I believe Cai Qing’s pioneering contributions cannot go unnoticed.