Cheng Yichuan To Learn Thought

It is well known that though CHENG Yi-Chuan was one of the most important founders of the neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties, the framework of his theory was established in his interpretations of Yi. Today, there are many scholars engaged in CHENG's neo-Confucian theory, but very few of them have noticed the correlation between his theoretical backgrounds and his thought on Yi. As a matter of fact, it is virtually impossible to really gain insight into the origins and theoretical basis without probing into the correlation, which this thesis aims at revealing.The"Introduction" of this thesis describes the initial formation of Yi-Chuan's Yi-ology. This part mainly focuses on the historical, educational, and cultural background, as well as a biographical summary. (1) However, the two major reforms during the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Qing-Li new policies" and "Xi-Ning political reform", both ended in failure. Nevertheless, the spirit of the intellectuals was greatly stimulated by these social events, and this was the social background of Yi-Chuan's life. (2) In the era of the Northern Song Dynasty, to revitalize Confucianism, many intellectuals pioneered at utilizing Zhouyi to fight against Buddhism. HU Yuan, one of "the three wise men in the beginning of the Song Dynasty", made the first example of enunciating Zhouyi based on the philosophical connotations conceived in it. Since then, building one's own theory based on Zhouyi was in vogue in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. It was in this context that Yi-Chuan constructed his Yi-ology. (3) After the enthronement of Emperor Zhe-zong, Yi-chuan was recommended strongly by the former party officials headed by SI-Ma Guang. In March of the year of Yuan You (1086 AD), CHENG Yi-chuan, at the age of 54, was promoted directly from a mere scholar to the post of "Royal Enunciator". Also, because he was inherently too cautious, he was finally repelled during the power struggles. In the 4th year of Shao Sheng (1097), the new party took the power and Yi-chuan's link to the old party caused him to be ordered to go to the country side as an editorial official in Fuzhou. In this job, he completed Cheng shi yi zhuan, CHENG's Commentaries on Yi. From his early age when he learnt Zhouyi, till his youth when he probed into Zhouyi, and till the finish of the works, it took 60 years of his hard work.Chapter 1: CHENG Yi-Chuan's views on Zhouyi. (1) Zhouyi consists of two parts: the Text and Commentaries. Based on its internal structure, the recently unearthed Gui Zang at Wang-jia-tai, and the applications of the Text after the publication of the book, this Chapter proves that the Text was actually a book for divination. Nevertheless, the Text was not limited to divinations, but rather contains some philosophy in-depth of the ancient people. Written in the middle and later Warring States Period, the Commentaries unprecedentedly revolutionized the philosophical thoughts conceived in the old classics by a high level of original interpretations of the mechanism in the divinations. As such, whereas the Text was about divinations, the Commentaries were a book of philosophy. With these two inseparable components, Zhouyi turned out to be a classic connecting the principles for the Heaven and Human. (2) In CHENG Yi-chuan's opinion, Zhouyi is a book that teaches people to adapt constantly and follow the Dao. His opinion was directlyinherited from the view in the pre-Qin period, and was formulated byprioritising the philosophical connotations. His emphasises were to interpret Zhouyi by the neo-Confucianism. Based on inheritance as well as combination of the relevant understandings in the Orderly Sequence of the Hexagrams in the Commentaries and Ti Wei Qian Zao Du, the Apocrypha of Yi: Chiselling Open the Regularity of Heaven, etc, his work Shang Xia Pian Yi, the Connotations of the Two Sections developed explicit sorting principles of division according to Yin and Yang. He pointed out "those hexagrams rich of Yang are arranged in the first section, and those rich of Yin in the other section", and analysed each hexagram, which greatly enriched the understandings in this area.Chapter 2: CHENG Yi-chuan's views on image-numberology. The Commentaries in Zhouyi has made very clearly how to deduce the philosophical connotations and the sage's will by the images and numbers. The layout for the image-number of succeeding, mounting, neighbouring, corresponding, and central position for the lines of hexagrams was also developed. K-ologists in the former and latter Han Dynasties developed many theories on the image-number layouts. WANG Bi, born in the Three Kingdoms period, carried out in-depth research in the image-numberology from the level of his metaphysics. He put forward the theories of Gua Zhu, ruling line(s) in a hexagram and Qu Shi, adapting to the changes of time, etc. CHENG Yi-chuan, born in the Northern Song Dynasty, carried out his work based on what had been achieved previously, particularly the Commentaries in Zhouyi and the image-number layouts by WANG Bi, and developed his own theories. The layouts of the image-number in Yi include two aspects: one is to interpret the layouts for the constitution of the hexagrams, and the other is to deduct the implications of the lines. Therefore, the layouts of image-number can be divided into two aspects: interpretations of the hexagrams and those of lines. Yi-chuan's layouts of image-number for hexagram interpretations include Two-section theory, Ruling Line theory, Gua qi theory (correlating the hexagrams to seasonal points), Hexagrams Transformation theory, etc. His layouts for lines interpretation include Succeeding and Mounting theory, Neighbouring Position theory, Responding Position theory, Central Position theory, Hexagram Quality theory, Adapting-to- Time theory, etc.Chapter 3: The fundamentals of CHENG Yi-chuan's ideology on Yi: substance and function share the same origin, and are inseparable. Even though the image-number layouts are the key to the understanding of Zhouyi, Yi-chuan's ideology on Yi was more aiming at seeking the philosophical connotations behind. In order to understand the invisible universal principles, it is necessary to correctly deal with the relationship between image-number and the universal principles. Historically, they were the first systematic interpretations and discussions of the Text and theoretical framework of Zhouyi, and were also the fist to point out the basic relationship between theimage-number and universal principles, that is, universal principles-----image-number-----universal principles. Following this, in the special period of the two Han dynastieswhen there was a very complicated and farfetched culture background, WANG Bi, who was born at the turn of the Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms, further interpreted the relationship between the image-number and metaphysical principles. He proposed the thought of "forgetting the remarks (affiliated to the hexagrams and lines) once one had obtained the images, and forgetting the images once one had obtained the metaphysical principles". CHENG Yi-chuan adopted the useful and discarded the useless thoughts inWANG Bi's ideology, and carried out deeper interpretations and discussions. He put forward the famous judgement "substance and function share the same origin, and are inseparable", believed that the universal principle was the substance while the images reveal the function, and the universal principle and images cannot be separated.Chapter 4: On CHENG Yi-Chuan's ideology of incorporation of internal moral conducts and external statecraft. (1) "The inseparable substance and function share the same origin" is the central principle of Yi-chuan's K-ology. In other words, universal principles are also the principles conceived in Yi. From the theoretical point of view, Yi-chuan interpreted Yi by using the universal principles, and explicated the universal principles in his commentaries on Yi. As such, his philosophy was built with the core of universal principles. The universal principles were referred to as the law that governs the existences, developments, and changes in the universe. The remarks affiliated to the hexagrams and lines in Zhouyi and the images illustrated the changes in universe as well as the underneath universal principles. (2) Learning to attain to the level of sage is CHENG Yi-chuan's lifelong goal. "Self-cultivation must be based on respect, and advance in knowledge must be based on studies of the phenomena in nature". Yi-chuan thus presented two routes toward the level of a sage: one is to respect;the other is to learn from the phenomena in nature. Both routes are centralised around the universal principles. (3) "Perfecting oneself when one is in predicament, and perfecting the world when one is in power". Internal perfection like a sage will lead to external perfection of statecraft like a sage king. Yi-chuan's external statecraft like a sage king consists of two aspects: one is to reform by learning from the history, and the other is to promote those who are able and good like a sage. By the interpretation of the hexagram Ge (literally, Reform, the 49th hexagram in the current version of Zhouyi), he pointed out that reforms and revolutions are a universal principle. In addition, reforms and revolutions must be carried out under suitable conditions and with sufficient preparations, and it is important to maintain the results once the reforms succeed. Regarding the external statecraft, CHENG Yi-Chuan paid most emphasis on promoting those who are like sages, that is, revering, knowing, respecting, and employing sagacious men.The annex of the thesis talks about ZHU Xi's comments on Yi-chuan's Commentaries on Yi. CHENG s Commentaries on Yi was not only for fighting against the Buddhism's challenge and reviving the Confucianism's orthodoxy standing, but als for carrying forward the Confucianism and losing no time in telling each other to perfect the world. ZHU Xi promoted and respected Yi-chuan's theory of universal principles, but criticised his theory lacks image-numberology. To make up the shortcomings of Yi-chuan's K-ology, ZHU Xi wrote the Original Meanings of Zhouyi and Enlightenment for the Beginners to Study Zhouyi. From the years when Yi-chuan completed his Commentaries to the years when LI Guang-Di in the Qing Dynasty complied Zhou Yi Zhe Zhong, in which ZHU Xi's interpretations were set forth at first, the aspect of image-number and the aspect of universal principles became coherently integrated and the developments of the K-ology reached its peak.