Fu Shan’s Thoughts Of Tao

The period of late Ming and early Qing is not only a time of great changes in modern society of China,but also a period of transformation in ideological and cultural circles,in which time various kinds of thoughts exist just as all colorful flowers blooming together.Fu Shan was well-nourished by various traditional sources and achieved a lot in his deep pondering in responding to the social-cultural problems he met then,so that his thought has been noticed by the descendants for its distinct characteristics of that times he lived in.And,it is valuable to unfold a systematical research on Fu Shan and his thoughts.Among Fu Shan’s rich thinking achievements,the core is his thought of the traditional theory of Tao,which he attached great importance to and gave many related explanations and comments then fruited obvious thoughts appearing in his academic works,especially in his annotated literatures of Lao Zi andZhuang Zi,and also being embodied in his theoretical considerations over reality problems.Thesethoughts includehis individualized understanding and interpretation of Tao theory,and the methods of viewing objects or practice principlesthat he proposed based on his conceptions of Tao.This paper is trying to study on Fu Shan’s thoughts of Tao,including his explanations of Tao,his thought of the viewings from Tao and practice with Tao.The firstchapter,as a part focusing on his theoretical thought of Tao,dose on his multi-angle of viewing and narration,his discourses and comments on theso-called None(无)the Tao features naturally,the essential relations that refers to the understanding of Tao’s nature,such as the relation between Oneness(一)and Changes(易),Heaven and Human,and argues that,according to Fu Shan,Heaven or natural principle is the Tao and,because of this,the term of Tao is also shared the name of Heaven-Tao,Tian-Dao(天道)in Chinese,so that he suggests reverence to Heavenas the right and fundamental attitude.On thus explanations and conceptions of Tao,Fu Shan thinks that there is a closely connection between human and nature and we can get along with it in harmony.He also advocates human should fully understand and comply with the laws of nature,but not controlled by the destiny.The second chapter dose on Fu Shan’ spoints of viewing methods at Tao’s angle.He suggests a so-called sage ideology of "Ping Yin Yang"(平阴阳),a harmonious idea of yin-yang,arguing the truth and validity of yin and yang,of their existence along with the differences between them,as the base and even the way towards to the aim of harmonies in a theoretical consideration that yin-and-yang roots the same universal principle of Li(理),which is thought as Tao’s embodiment in concrete things.He also suggests the conception of truth of Right and Wrong so as to lay stress on the identity method in dealing with them,known as "Ming Shi Fei"(明是非);an assertion of "Zhi Xu Dai"(知须待)to urge the necessity of objective reality and conditions in a knowing or judgment making;and still,as an initial pragmatist suggests,a pragmatism idea to keep with the practical concern,thinking practice is the point of very starting and far ending.The third chapter dose on Fu Shan’s thought of the practicing with Tao,especially the practice principles of none-acting,keeping nature and change that he promotes particularly.As for action-without-actingof the most characteristic practice of Taoist’s,he has it refurbished to be a mixed one of acting and none-acting,or the truly inner acting that seems a none-acting,so as to renews it in positive aspects.Meanwhile he recommends invariability of and adaptation to inner nature in case of any lost or obstacles of nature’s accomplishments.And he thinks highly of change principle and the ways of flexibility,holding that it is anessential and eternal principle in virtue of Tao’s essence of eternal movement.