ranked next to Zhu Xi

ranked next to Zhu Xi

Zhou Dunyi (June 1, 1017 - July 14, 1073), also known as Zhou Yuanhao, formerly known as Zhou DUNSHI, the word maoshu, posthumous title Yuangong, was born in daolou Tianbao (today's Daoxian County, Hunan Province) of Daozhou, and was known as Mr. Lianxi. He is one of the five sons of Northern Song Dynasty, the founder of Neo Confucianism in Song Dynasty, a writer and philosopher.

His works include zhouyuangongji, Ailian Shuo, Taiji tushuo and Tongshu (compiled into zhouyuangongji by later generations). Zhou Dunyi's basic concepts of Neo Confucianism, such as Wuji, Taiji, Yin Yang, five elements, dynamic and static, Zhujing, Zhicheng, Wuyu and Shunhua, were repeatedly discussed and developed by later Neo Confucianists and constituted an important part of the category system of Neo Confucianism.

Life of the characters

Childhood memory

Zhou Dunyi was born in the Zhou family of Runan. On May 5, 1017, the first year of emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty, Zhou Dunyi was born in loutianbao, yingleli, Daozhou County, Daozhou city (< I > now Loutian village, Daoxian County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province). Zhou Dunyi has a half brother Zhou Li, who is ten years older than him, a sister Zhou Jichun, who is five years older than him, and a brother Zhou dunben, who is four years younger than him.

In the sixth year of emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty (1028), his sister Zhou Jichun, who was less than 18 years old, died of illness. Two months later, Zhou Dun Yi's eight year old brother Zhou Dun Ben died of illness.

Moon rock enlightenment

In 1029, 14-year-old Zhou Dunyi, accompanied by his servant Zhou Xing, rushed to Yueyan with his simple life luggage, many books and many questions he couldn't understand.

A thousand miles away

In 1030, when Zhou Dunyi was 15 years old, his father died of illness. After more than two months of traveling, Zhou Dunyi followed his mother to take refuge with his uncle, Zheng Xiang, a Bachelor of LongTuge. Because of his intelligence, benevolence and filial piety, he was deeply loved by Zheng Xiang and loved white lotus. Zheng Xiang planted lotus in a pavilion at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain (now Hengyang No.

In the third year of Jingyou (1036), Zheng Xiang got the favor of the imperial court according to his official title and custom, and allowed a son to be a minor official. AI zhiruzi's uncle gave him this opportunity, and Zhou Dunyi became the commander of the imperial court. In the same year, Zhou Dunyi married Lu Shen, the daughter of Lu Shen, a doctor in the military department of the imperial court.

In 1037, Zheng Xiang was transferred to Zhejiang Province. Zhou Dunyi left Hengyang and moved to Dantu County of Runzhou (now Dantu District of Zhenjiang City) with his uncle. In less than a year, her uncle and mother died one after another. According to her mother's will, Zhou Dunyi buried her in Runzhou with her uncle Zheng Xiang. After that, Zhou Dunyi watched the funeral at Helin temple in Runzhou, during which he met Fan Zhongyan.

A new official career

In the first year of Kangding (1040), Zhou Dunyi was 24 years old. After three years of mourning, he took up the post of governor of Fenning County in Hongzhou.

In the fourth year of Qingli (1044), the Ministry of officials came to Fenning for examination, and Zhou Dunyi was widely praised. At the age of 28, Zhou Dunyi began his first promotion in his official career, that is, he was promoted to the position of director of Nan'an army.

Developing education and running a school

In 1046, when Zhou Dunyi was the magistrate of Chenzhou County on Jinghu South Road, his most outstanding achievement was to promote education. As soon as Chen county came, Zhou Dunyi made use of the old county school to give lectures in his spare time. Cheng Xiang, a minister of Dali temple, the father of Er Cheng, met Zhou Dunyi in Nan'an (now Nan'an Town, Dayu County, Jiangxi Province). When he saw that he was "very handsome", he talked with him and knew that he was "learning to know". He made friends with him. Then he sent his two sons, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, to Nan'an to learn from him.

In the winter of the sixth year of Qingli (1046), he was promoted to be the county magistrate of Guiyang (now Rucheng County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province).

In the fourth year of emperor you's reign (1050), he was changed to order of Guiyang in Chenzhou and continued to develop education.

In the first year of Zhihe (1054), he was given the title of Dali Temple Cheng, who knew Nanchang County in Hongzhou (now Nanchang, Jiangxi). When he arrived, when the local people learned that he was Zhou Dunyi, who was able to distinguish suspicious cases when he was an official in Ning, they happily said, "he is a person who can distinguish right from wrong in the tranquil prison. We have found the person to tell." (< I > selected from the biography of the first Taoist school in the history of Song Dynasty < / I >)

In the first year of Jiayou's reign (1056), Zhongshe, the crown prince, was changed and He Zhou magistrate signed the contract for five years. A year later, he gave birth to his eldest son, Zhou Shou. Unfortunately, his wife Lu died when his son was less than one year old,

In the fourth year of Jiayou reign (1059), Pu zongmeng, the Taichang Cheng, passed by Hezhou and talked with Zhou Dunyi for three days. He not only fell in love with Zhou Dunyi, but also felt that Zhou Dunyi was noble, broad-minded and unrestrained. The next year, he married his sister Pu to Zhou Dunyi. Three years later, he gave birth to his son Zhou Tao.

On Wang Anshi

In June of 1060, Zhou Dunyi was dismissed from Hezhou (today's Hechuan, Chongqing) and returned to Beijing. He happened to meet Wang Anshi, who returned to Beijing to report his work. They have admired each other for a long time. On a clear and bright night in Beijing, Zhou Dunyi was invited to visit Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi is full of respect for Zhou Dunyi, who is four years older than himself. So much so that Zhou Dunyi left, he thought about it for a long time, and forgot to sleep and eat. Both sides got new ideas from each other during their meeting and conversation.

Get married in Lushan

Jiayou six years (1061), moved to the state Zijian doctor, tongduan Qianzhou. Pan Xingsi, a good friend of Zhou Dunyi, knew that he was going to pass through Jiangzhou, so he went to Jiangzhou ahead of time to wait. He met Zhou Dunyi in the post office and invited him to visit Lushan.

to rank as a masterpiece throughout the ages

In May of the eighth year of Jiayou (1063), Zhou Dunyi was invited to have a party with a group of literary friends. As a result of this, we made an appointment to write poems and compositions. Zhou Dunyi wrote a 119 word essay in one stroke, which is the famous saying of love lotus.

Ruling for the people

In 1064, he was transferred to Yongzhou Tongtan.

In the first year of Xining (1068), Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty transferred to the doctor of the Yu Department and promoted him to the prison of Guangnan West Road. The next year, he moved to the Nankang army.

In the third year of Xining (1071), he became a doctor of Yu Department and promoted Guangnan East Road to some punishment. The next year, he brought up some prison matters. Zhou Dunyi worked in Guangdong for less than a year. In less than a year's time, he patrolled around, almost all over the mountains and rivers of Guangdong.

Return to Lushan

In 1072, Zhou Dunyi, unfortunately infected with malaria, resigned from office and settled down at the foot of Lianhua peak in Lushan Mountain. He moved his mother's tomb from Runzhou and buried it close to his residence. He officially named the stream in front of the gate Lianxi in his hometown. He settled in Lianxi Shutang, Lushan, Jiangxi.

On June 7, 1073, he died in Lianxi Shutang, Lushan. He was 57 years old.

Main achievements

Ideological contribution

The core of his philosophy is "sincerity". "Sincerity" is his expression of the highest realm of heaven, humanity and the unity of heaven and man. "Sincerity" is mainly divided into two aspects: the ontology of heaven and the ontology of mind. In Zhou Dunyi's view, "sincerity" is the basis of the existence of the universe and the ontology of the universe, that is, the ontology of the way of heaven. In Taiji Tu Shuo, he thinks that human beings and all things are also produced by the interaction of two Qi, and the source is Taiji, and then from Taiji to human pole, that is to say, human morality and human nature are regarded as the process of infinite Taiji, Yin Yang and five elements, which are the same as the birth process of the universe. In this way, Zhou Dunyi laid the foundation of cosmology for his theory of sincerity. One of the outstanding manifestations of the ontology of mind and nature embodied in "sincerity" is human ethics. Zhou Dunyi's emphasis on "sincerity" means that he firmly believes that human beings have the nature of sincerity and kindness. He gave full play to the thought of "sincerity" in the doctrine of the mean, deduced the view of humanity from cosmology, and established the ethical theory based on "sincerity".

His educational thought includes three aspects: one is the educational purpose of "teaching people to be good and to cultivate morality". Zhou Dunyi believes that the goodness of human nature depends largely on the teacher's teaching. The second is the educational content of "six classics based, honesty oriented". He attached great importance to Confucian classics, always put "honesty" in the most important position of education, and repeatedly expounded that the word "honesty" appeared as many as 20 times in Tongshu. The third is the education method of "self-study is the main, and the emphasis is inspiration". We always adhere to the open-minded education method, in addition to inviting celebrities to give lectures at that time, we mainly adopt students' self-study, and pay special attention to the principle of inspiration.

It can be summarized into two aspects: the rule of virtue and the rule of punishment. First, rule by virtue. It is reflected in three aspects: the cultivation of saints, the emphasis on teachers, and the promotion of rites and music. Zhou Dunyi called it the way to build people. "The way to build people is to build benevolence and righteousness." benevolence and righteousness are cultivated to influence all the people. We should attach great importance to teaching. Zhou Dunyi believes that the only way to make the world from good to evil is to attach importance to the teacher's way: "if the teacher's way is established, there will be more good people. If there are more good people, the court will be right and the world will be governed." Push rites and music. Zhou Dunyi thought: "the ceremony, the reason also; the music, and also." The essence of Li lies in Li, and the original intention of Li lies in governance. Second, the rule of punishment. Zhou Dunyi's Thoughts on the administration of punishment are embodied in his views on morality and punishment. In Zhou Dunyi's view, the rule of punishment is a last resort to make up for the lack of morality. He pointed out that sages take the way of heaven as the law, and mainly use government to support the people. Rule of virtue is the best way and means to support the people. He advocated "cautious punishment" and did not use it easily until he had to.

Neo Confucianism

Zhou Dunyi put forward many new problems and made new judgments in his academic research, which pushed Confucianism forward a step. His Neo Confucianism bases include Wuji, Taiji, Yin Yang, five elements, dynamic and static, Zhujing, Zhicheng, Wuyu and Shunhua

Chinese PinYin : Zhou Dun Yi