A Study Of Taoist Thought Between The Song And Song Dynasties

This dissertation will study the thought of Yang Shi in Song dynasty, who is a famous thinker as an excellent student of Cheng Brothers, and it will be divided into five chapters, which are the Bibliography of Yang Shi, the Thought of Way, the Thought of Mind and Nature, the Thought of Benevolence, and the Thought of Meditation.In the first chapter the Bibliography of Yang Shi, I will study the works of Yang Shi by four stages, namely study dependently before 29 years, study under Cheng Brothers from 29 to 47 years, advocate the thought of Cheng Brothers from 48 to 71 years, and develop the thought of Cheng Brothers until the end year of Yang Shi 83 years old. I will also discuss the attitude of Yang Shi to the Buddhism, Taoism and the transition of Way.In the second chapter the Thought of Way, I will point out that the noted feature of the Yang Shi's thought of Way is how to practice in the people's daily life. Yang Shi had paid more attention to discuss how to practice the Way, and Yang Shi believed that practicing the Way shouldn't deviate from the people's daily life.In the third chapter the Thought of Mind and Nature, I will discuss the words of Yang Shi, that we can't practice without Mind and the nature isn't need to be decorated. Yang Shi believed that the human nature is perfectly fulfilled and what the human needs to do is to practice according to the human nature. In the people's practicing, people's mind hold the key position to act right. Yang Shi believed that if the private minds were all eliminated, people will always act right, which means always practice according to the human nature.In the fourth chapter the Thought of Benevolence, I will point out that pursuing what is the Benevolence is the driving force of the development of the thought of Yang Shi. Yang Shi had said that the gentleman's study is just to know what is the benevolence, and to know the benevolent need to act under the approaches to the benevolence. I will also pointed out that Li-Yi-Fen-Shu (the only principle which is represented by various things), raised by I-Chuan, is originated from the dilemma of Benevolence. In the fifth chapter the Thought of Meditation, I will discuss the Yang Shi's thought of realizing the ultimate Way in meditation. Yang Shi believed that the normal people won't recognize the ultimate Way by study, just as the way which can be recognized will definitely not be the ultimate way, so meditation is a necessary approach to realizing the ultimate Way.