Research On Lin Xiyi’s Study Of Chuang-tzu

As we all know that, Chuang-tzu is a very important ideologist in the history of Chinese philosophy. He carried forward the Taoist Theory, and become a representative of Taoism. His book of "Chuang-tzu" is full of profound philosophic thinking and magnificent diction.The study of "Chuang-tzu" began in the late Warring States Period. We may find a lot of quotes and recommends of "Chuang-tzu" in Lu’s Spring and Autumn. There are a large number of researches about "Chuang-tzu" in successive dynasties. Nowadays, the research about "Chuang-tzu" is still making progress.The 3 schools of thought^ such as Confucian, Taoism and Buddhism in the Song Dynasty wa,s flourishing. They all had the tendency of combine with each other. Therefore, the study of "Chuang-tzu" in the Song Dynasty was full of the characteristics of the times and flourishing as well.Lin Xiyi is a Neo Confucianist in the late Southern Song Dynasty. He was considered as the culmination of Aixuan School. His academic origin could be traced back to the Neo Confucianists whose name were Cheng brothers. Lin Xiyi use Confucian, Taoism and Buddhism for references in his study. He wrote 3 books. The 3 books are The oral analysis of Lao-tzu, The oral analysis of Chuang-tzu and The oral analysis of Lie-tzu. Lin xiyi had an eye for the three Taoist classics. The oral analysis of Chuang-tzuwas the best writing of LinXiyi. We could find a comprehensive understanding of Lin Xiyi’s study of Chuang-tzu in The oral analysis of Chuang-tzu. His book caused a bit of a stir at that time. Lin Xiyi’s research is based on idealist philosophy. Meanwhile, his study was an integration of Confucian, Taoism and Buddhism. The oral analysis of Chuang-tzu was acknowledged’and passed along to later generations.Lin Xiyi did not dwell on the old interpretation of Chuang-tzu. He differentiated and analysed lots of conceptions in Chuang-tzu. Afterwards, he put forward new ideas about it. As result, his book was made known extensively at that time. Therefore, the research on Lin Xiyi’s study about Chuang-tzu is very valuable. This was the reason I chose him as an object of my research.My doctoral dissertation is divided into five parts. A brief introduction as below:Chapter IThe first part of the dissertation is social and political background and the general situation of research on chuang-tzu in the Song Dynasty. This is an important background of Lin Xiyi’s research on Chuang-tzu. Lin Xiyi is an important member of Fujian Aixuan School. His teachers were Lin Guangchao, Lin Yizhi and Chenzao. They were famous Confucianists in Southern Song Dynasty. Therefore, a brief introduction of Lin Xiyi’s teacher and Aixuan School is contained in this chapter. The oral meaning of Chuang-tzu is the most valuable one in all his books. We should had a basic understanding about it.Chapter IILin Xiyi considered that there were "five difficulties" in annotating Chuang-tzu. In fact, this is the basic mentality of Lin Xiyi’s research about Chuang-tzu. In This chapter, the author analysised the "five difficulties". In addition, the author also selected a few of the most important concepts in Chuang-tzu.By contrast with Lin Xiyi’s understanding about those concepts in Chuang-tzu.Chapter IIILin Xiyi is a Neo Confucianist, therefore, his basic position of annotating Chuang-tzu was using the Confucian theory. In this chapter, the author analysised Lin Xiyi’s unique features of annotating Chuang-tzu. This section can be divided into 4 parts, there are the theory of heavenly principle, conception of nature, cosmology and theory of life.Chapter IVLin Xiyi said if one person want to understand Chuang-tzu thoroughly, he should know much about the Chan sect. Therefore, Lin Xiyi used a lot of buddhistic conceptions, comment, including a large number of quotations, lightsrecords, gongan and other materials. In my dissertation, those were carefully researched.Chapter VLin Xiyi lived in the Southern Song Dynasty. His times was the most prosperous era that the Confucianism, Buddhism andTaoism integrating together. Under the influence of this era, Lin Xiyi’s academic ideas also have a very clear convergence of the three schools. We could find Lin Xiyi using the viewpoint of Lao-tzu, the Chan terminology, gongan, lightsrecorded and Confucian classics analysis Chuang-Tzu. Therefore, the research about the integration of the three schools is very necessary. Hence Lin Xiyi’s The Oral analysis of Chuang-tzu had great academic value. In addition, the book is easy to understand, so it was widely circulated and had a great impact to later generation. It also spread to Japan, and become the most authoritative book in the Japanese academia at that time.