| This dissertation is composed mainly to expound Master Chu's ideas of Tao-tung (the Succession to Tao) contained in his book Yi-luo-yuen-yuen-lu (The History of Master Cheng's School), which is the first special book researching the history of Neo-confucianism and has exerted a great influence on the later studies of Neo-confucian history. Master Chu (A.D.1130-A.D.1200), the great synthesist of the Cheng-Chu School of Neo-confucianism in the Sung Dynasty, wrote the book Yi-luo-yuan-yuan-lu, by which he concluded the history of Neo-confucianism in the Northern Sung Dynasty, systematize its growing process, ranked the orthodox followers or gospellers of Tao, and thus put the Cheng-Chu School of Neo-confucianism in the orthodox position. The book's mission was to probe into the origin and evolvement of the Northern Sung Neo-confucianism and re-establish the classical sequence of Tao-tung.It is well known that Han Yu was the first man who put forward the thought of Tao-tung. He pointed out that the Confucian Tao just was Jen-Yi (Benevolence and Righteousness), which was completely different from the so-called Tao of Buddism or Taoism. And then he set up a passing pedigree for the Tao of Jen-Yi (Benevolence and Righteousness). It began from Yao, passed through Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen and King Wu and Duke Chou, Confucius and Mencius, and then was lost. This did be the formal foundation of the Confucian Tao-tung Theory.Although the Confucian Tao-tung Theory was founded by Mr. Han, the word Tao-tung was first presented by Master Chu. Master Chu, from the standpoint of the Cheng-Chu School of Neo-confucianism, mended the Confucian pedigree designed by Mr. Han to pass Tao, and perfect the Confucian Tao-tung Theory. He said that the Confucian Tao could be traced back to Huang Ti, Shen Nung, Fu Hsih, who all were before Yao, and then it was passed in turn by Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Duke Chou, Confucius and Mencius. After Mencius, however, the Tao was lost while the heretical doctrines such as Buddism and Taoism ran amack in the oriental world. It was not until the Northern Sung Dynasty that Master Chou, Master Cheng and Master Chang got the Tao from the scriptures left by Confucius, Mencius and the other ancient sheng-jens (sages), and illuminatingly re-popularized it. Master Chu's Yi-luo-yuen-yuen-lu was just to record the Neo-confucians' words and deeds in the Northern Sung Dynasty and continue the Tao-tung from Confucius and Mencius. That is to say, Yi-luo-yuen-yuen-lu was the striking embodiment of Master Chu's Tao-tung thought.This dissertation's purpose is to investigate Master Chu's Tao-tung thought by studying the school's evolvement written in Yi-luo-yuen-yuen-lu and analyzing the purpose and selecting-figure rule of the book, and then to reveal the significance of Tao-tung to the studies of Neo-confucianism and the contemporary renaissance of Confucianism.In order to accurately grasp the thoughts embraced in Yi-luo-yuen-yuen-lu, it is necessary to ascertain some brass tacks about the publication of the book. After deep investigation, the following can be found: (1) The book was composed in the 9th year of Chien-tao (A.D.1173) while there was no final text in Master Chu's lifetime. (2) The book consists of 14 volumes while there was not the volume about Master Shao in Master Chu's original. That volume was supplemented by publisher without Chu's permission.Yi-luo-yuen-yuen-lu covers the words and deeds of 46 persons, including Chou Tun-yi, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Chang Tsai, Shao Yung and the Cheng brothers' disciples. There were so many scholars in the Northern Sung Dynasty. Why did Master Chu just select those ones? It's because in Master Chu's opinions those persons, especially Masters Chou, Cheng, Chang, Shao, had acquired Confucian Tao-tung which had been lost from Mencius.According to Master Chu, Tao-tung was Tao's descending and inheritance. Therefore, to clearly dissertate Master Chu's Tao-tung thought, the necessity of expatiation on Tao is obviou... |
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