Ming Dynasty Bai Scholar Li Yuanyang Mind

Liyuanyang is a famous scholar of Bai in Dali district of Yunnan in Midterm and the later period of the Ming Dynasty and he plays an important role in the cultural history of Yunnan. Most of modern men have been studying on all his life and achievements, learning and social thoughts. There are special discussions on his Mind-nature theory among them.Among these the discussions on Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory, the researchers have been aware of the importance of it, and have touch upon that the thought of Liyuanyang were deeply influenced by Buddhism, Taoism and Lu-wang' Mind theory. However, neither have they made a systematic and deep comparison and studied on the relationship between Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory and Mind-nature in Buddhism, Taoism and Lu-wang, nor have they analyzed and explained the relationship between Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory and his another thought, and nor have they investigated the total characteristic and tendency of the development in Yunnan culture after the Ming Dynasty which was reflected in Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory on these basis. The purpose of this paper is to compensate the shortcoming.The paper will make an inquire into Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory from six aspects. In the first part, the cultural background in which Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory was born, including the characteristic of Yunnan cultural development in Ming Dynasty and the cultural experience of Liyuanyang himself will be analyzed; In the second part, the construction and contents of Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory will be liquidated systematically from three aspects. They are "Nature" ontology, the theory of knowledge on "Fuxingjishizhizhi, xingfujishizhizhi" and the specific self-cultivation method about "attain enlightenment" and "gradual cultivation". From the third part to fifth part, the author will compare and analyze Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory and the Mind theory of Wangyangming who epitomize in it, Huineng who is the founder of the Chan sect and Chhuan Chen Tao in Taoism separately, and mainly center on the problems of understanding on "Mind", "Nature", "destiny", "meaning", study the phenomena of nature, acquire knowledge and method of mind-nature self-cultivation. In the sixth part, the thinking characteristic of Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory will be summarized on the basis of all above parts, and the position and value of Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory will be approached.With regard to the study method, the paper will mainly use the method of entirety and comparison. In the discussion and analysis of the whole paper, Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory will be placed under thebackground of exchange between Yunnan culture and interior Han culture from beginning to end, and the characteristic, position and value of it will be summarized from the perspectives by comparing with the great Mind-nature theory in han philosophy, and his another thoughts.The author comes to the following conclusion from studying: Firstly, Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory is an integrated thought system which is composed by the "Nature"' ontology, the theory of knowledge on "fuxingjishizhi, xingfujishizhizhi" and the self-cultivation method which is combined by "Dun" and "Jian". Secondly, Liyuanyang's Mind-nature theory emphasizes the mergence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, brings forth new idea, on these bases, it forms the Mind-nature theory system which has unique style and is never inferior to the tinkers of Han in standard. Thirdly, the "nature" ontology of Liyuanyang is not only the basis of the theory of knowledge on study the phenomena of nature in order to acquire knowledge, but also the goal of Mind-nature self-cultivation method on "attain enlightenment" and "gradual cultivation" which he advocated. Meanwhile, the "nature" ontology has become the foundation of his whole philosophy which is composed of standpoint of heaven and man, body and spirit through linking the "Nature", "Destination", "Intuitive knowledge" and "actual self equivalently. Forthly, Liyuanyang had completed the combination between his philosophy thought and social thought by getting through the relationship among "Nature", "Destination", and "Intuitive knowledge".Therefore, the contradiction between Mind-nature theory is closed to Chan and Taoism and the social thought is derived from Confucianism which exists in the thoughts of Liyuanyang just as researchers said is worth discussion. Fifthly, with regard to the Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism brought to Yunnan from inland. Liyuanyang shows off the attitude of open-minded which is more distinct than the thinker in central plains in his Mind-nature theory. It not only reveals the tendency towards Han in the development of Yunnan national minority culture after the Ming Dynasty, but also reflects the wider open breath of Yunnan national minority which receives Confucianism and foreign culture.