Reveal The Truth Of Buddhism With The Words Of Confucianism

Zhixu had his distinctive way of merging Confucianism and Buddhism. Firstly, he analyzed the similarities and differences between Confucianism and Buddhism from three aspects:Tao, Ji, Mingxiang. The same "Tao" embodied in Confucianism and Buddhism ensured the possibility of and necessity for Confucianism and Buddhism to be merged in the metaphysical aspect, while the differences in "Ji" will make sure their separate distinctions and values even after these two concepts are merged. Features such as different meanings with the same names, sharing the same names and meanings ensure the process of merging Confucianism and Buddhism feasible. Secondly, centering on the concept "Xin" which is the focus of both Confucianism and Buddhism, Zhixu pointed out that the meanings of "Xin" either in Confucianism or in Buddhism are the same, though one enriched its understandings, the latter explained "Xin" to its great extent, so there were merely the differences in the degree rather than in their fundamental understandings. Thirdly, Zhixu recognized the values of Confucianism while maintaining the glory of Buddhism as the supreme truth, with the specific method "exploring the temporary teaching and revealing the final truth" of Fahua Theory, which considered Confucianism as the easy way to nirvana."Interpretation on The Golden Mean" and "Interpretation on The Great Learning" are the specific practices that Zhixu merged the Confucianism and Buddhism. Centering on "The Golden Mean" opening sentence "The Mandate of Heaven Is Human Nature, Acting According to Nature Is Tao, Cultivating Tao is Education""Interpretation on The Golden Mean" distinctively interprets the metaphysical scopes of "Nature","Tao","Cheng". Regard to "Nature", Zhixu thought that "Nature" in the circumstance of "The Mandate of Heaven Is Human Nature" is not purely related to the goods, but a complex of goods and badness. However, the badness here is not in the sense of moral evil subjectively but a way of cultivating objectively. As for "Tao", since there are both good and bad features of "Nature", there are also "benevolence" and "no-benevolence". But this "Tao" can be distinguished good ones from and bad ones, so it is particularly important and urgent to "Cultivating Tao is Education". Zhixu pointed out that all words in "The Golden Mean" teach people to cultivate good deeds and get rid of dad habits, the purpose of cultivating oneself is just to let the hidden "Cheng" appear naturally, then guiding our behaviors. Besides,"Interpretation on The Golden Mean" also regards to the differences between "honoring the virtuous nature" and "following the knowledge". In Zhixu’s opinion, it is natural to see the debate between Zhu xi and Lu Jiuyuan, because they take "honoring the virtuous nature" and "following the knowledge" as separate things, which naturally lead to the tendency that one will be preferred, while the other will be neglected. Actually,"honoring the virtuous nature" and "following the knowledge" should be inseparable.Based on the traditional edition "The Great Learning", in "Interpretation on The Great Learning", Zhixu explained concepts such as "The Great Learning","Illustrious Virtue", and came up with "One Guiding Principle" Theory and "Careful Virtue" Theory. Zhixu considers "Great" as "Xin","Learing" as "Awakening","The Great Learning" refers to being aware of the sincere inner self;"Illustrious Virtue" emerges from "Nature", which is the summary of "Fa Shen Virtue","Prajna (wisdom) Virtue","Freedom Virtue";"Illustrating Illustrious Virtue" and "The Great Learning" have different names with the same essence,"Illustrating" refers to "Learning","Illustrious Virtue" refers to "Great", so the "Tao", the law of "The Great Learning" exists in "Illustrating Illustrious Virtue", not "Three Guiding Principles" of Confucianism. Since Illustrious Virtue" plays the role of absolute ontology, so it should be handled with great attention. Being cautious of qualities means carefully deal with the relationship between the fundamentals and incidentals. Fundamentals refer to the real inner of every one, while incidentals mean secular gains such as fames, interests and etc. As for "Eight Items", Zhixu attached great importance to "Ge Wu"(to investigate into the nature of things),"Zhi Zhi"(to reach toward the greatest knowledge and understanding),"Cheng Yi"(to strive to achieve sincerity),"Zheng Xin"(to keep a righteous heart),"Xiu Shen"(to cultivate morality), considering them as practical efforts to transform realizations into wisdoms.Merging the Confucianism and Buddhism, the thought of Zhixu has a tendency of setting the Buddhism as its standard. His interpretations on "The Great Learning" and "The Golden Mean", were based on "Mind-Nature" Theory instead of the traditions of Confucianism or text exegesis. Out of his subjective desire, he tried to melt Confucianism into Buddhism with the form of "Panjiao" However, he had to advocate his support for "Three Religions in One Source" in order to make his theory be more persuasive. In a word, his theory about the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism is complex of "Panjiao" Theory and "One Source" Theory. Zhixu’s thoughts, merging Confucianism and Buddhism, were of great value both to Confucianism and Buddhism. His understandings religiously and propaganda of Confucian classics played an active role in elevating the influence and validity of Confucian culture; for the development of Buddhism, he brought into the Confucian thoughts of statecraft, which promoted the return of Buddhism from the world of nothing to this real world, thus laying the ideological foundation for the rise of Buddhism with focus on people’s real life.