The Study On LinXiyi’s Thought About The Three Religions Fusion

Lin Yixi was a Neo-Confucianism expert at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty. He acquired extensive knowledge and wrote a large number of books. His works were handed down to posterity, and had a far-reaching influence." Sanzi Kouyi" was also well received in Japan and Korea due to its extensive and profound influence.Lin Xiyi is the successor of Ai Xuan School, whose academic origins can be traced back to Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi in Northern Song Dynasty, and during Lizong Dynasty (1224-1264) it developed fast. With the development of Neo-Confucianism, the Three Religions Fusion thought also had considerable development in the Song Dynasty. Many literati held three religions thought that Confucianism should be given the first place and Buddhism and Taoism would be the supplements. Though Lin Xiyi was also a member of this thought, he had his own characteristics. Compared with them, his three religions thought was more open and clear-thinking. By studying Lin Xiyi, his books as well as his thoughts, his ideas about Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism can be obtained. All of them take Dao which has no meaning as the core, with it to centralize the three religions. Under its affects, he pays equal attention to the knowledge of innate laws of things, the knowledge of ideal state in learning classics, and the knowledge of natural in instincts.When he noted the "Sanzi Kouyi", he fully complied with the idea of "daily use as the foundation" of Ai Xuan School. His notes not only concentrated on argumentation but also on article science. Lin Xiyi advocated his three religions thought through the interpretation of articles. His three religions thought could be found almost in his every work. He did not adhere to the sectarianism or orthodox rigidly. He came up with his own three religions thought by learning from Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and adhering to the idea of "daily use as the foundation" of Ai Xuan School. Compared with other Neo-Confucianism experts who insisted " Yang Confucianism Yin Buddhism " and " Yang Confucianism Yin Taoism", his thought is more distinctive and open. His works preached his Three Religions Fusion theory and pointed out that the three religions were consistent basically, as they were all morality without tolerance. Though words like "we Confucianism" can be found in his works, it only serves for the interpretation of the Three Religions Fusion thought. Although he expressed from a Confucianism standpoint, his open and distinctive Three Religions Fusion thought at that time seemed extraordinarily unconventional. And his thought has a manner of its own in that prosperous era of Neo-Confucianism. Therefore, its distinctive Three Religions Fusion thought is typical for the study of three religions fusion in Song Dynasty.