Regarding the position of Confucius and Zhuzi in the history of China's thought and culture, Qian Mu made the most thorough statement in his book An Introduction to Zhuzi Studies. He said: "In the history of China, there were Confucius in ancient times and Zhuzi in modern times. Both of them shine brilliantly in the history of China's academic thought and China's cultural history, leaving a great influence. Throughout history, I'm afraid there is no third person. Confucius fused ancient academic thoughts, initiated Confucianism, and became a pillar of China's cultural tradition. The rise of Neo-Confucianism in the Northern Song Dynasty is the highlight of Confucianism. Zhu's rise in the Southern Song Dynasty is not only a master of Neo-Confucianism since the Northern Song Dynasty, but also a master of academic thoughts after Confucius. These two men who have stood successively can absorb the crowd and return to a trend. Confucianism has its own Zhuzi and later Confucius, regained new opportunities and played a new spirit until now. "
Above the gate of Zhai Wei Temple in Nanxi Academy, there is a plaque that reads "Nishan Mountain in the Middle of Fujian". This is the plaque of Zhu in Yuan Dynasty. Wenli, the official name of Zhongshu Province, is responsible for investigating and verifying criminal cases. Aichan is a name. "Minzhong" refers to the center of Youxi in Fujian, and "Nishan" is the birthplace of Confucius in Qufu, Shandong. "Nishan in the middle of Fujian" means that there is a Confucius in Nishan, Shandong Province, and a Zhuzi in Youxi Public Mountain, just like Nishan in Qufu, that is, comparing the public mountain to Nishan and Zhuzi to Confucius.
Cha Yue, an official of Jiajing Dynasty in Ming Dynasty, left a poem when he visited Nanxi Academy: "Zhou Dongni's father was born, and Song Nanhui Weng came out. This Weng is extraordinary, the first after three generations. " "Refers to the week. In 770 BC, Zhou Pingwang moved the capital to Luoyi, known as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. "Songnan" refers to Songnandu. In a.d. 1 127, Zhao Gou was located in Yingtianfu, namely Song Gaozong, which was known as the Southern Song Dynasty. The famous historian Cai Shangsi also wrote a poem: "Kong Qiu was born in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and Zhu was born in the Southern Song Dynasty; China ancient culture, Mount Tai and Wuyi. "Mount Tai refers to Shandong and Wuyi refers to Fujian. These two poems regard Confucius in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and Zhu in the Southern Song Dynasty as two masterpieces of China ancient culture, and give a high evaluation of Zhu, which spans time and space and penetrates history. When Cai Shangsi visited Nanxi Academy, he also wrote a thought-provoking self-portrait, "I would rather be a dog under Zhu than an anti-Confucianism".
With his broad mind and philosophy of life, Zhu completed a great integration in the cultural history of China, and was called "Confucius under three generations". However, some people put forward different views that Confucius is "the most holy" and Mencius is "the second saint". Even Mencius can only be called Zi Sheng, and Zhu can't be compared with Confucius at all.
In the history of Confucianism, Mencius was not listed as a "sage" from the beginning. In the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu put forward the theory of "orthodoxy", arguing that Mencius directly inherited Confucius and opened up the concept of the Tao of Confucius and Mencius. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, the name of "Confucius and Mencius" appeared. From the pre-Qin Dynasty to the Han and Tang Dynasties, the more popular name of Confucianism was "Tao of Truth", and Zhou means "Duke of Zhou". The direct source of Confucianism is the ritual and music civilization of the Western Zhou Dynasty represented by Duke Zhou. Strictly speaking, Confucius is not the founder of Confucianism, but a master of ancient academic thoughts, so the core building of Confucius Temple is called Dacheng Hall.
Zhu's transcendence over Mencius in Ming Dynasty and its comparison with Confucius. In the Wengong Temple of Nanxi Academy, there is a couplet: merit is not under Mencius, but the Tao shows the sun and the moon. It means that Zhu's work of carrying forward and inheriting Confucianism is not under Mencius, but Zhu's Neo-Confucianism can be carried forward, just like the sun and the moon shine on people. This pair of couplets has the same effect as "Zhong Ni is not born in the sky, and the night is long", but it is only a positive statement and a negative statement.
The author of this couplet is not famous. He was born in Yi Long, Guo Cheng, Shaxian County, and Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province during Wanli period of Ming Dynasty. However, this couplet represents the recognition of Zhu's position in the cultural circles of the Ming Dynasty. As the poem of Cha Yue, the official minister of Jiajing Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty said, "This man is extraordinary and ranks first after three generations." In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu was above Mencius.
In the Yuan Dynasty before the Ming Dynasty, "Confucius and Mencius" was still respected. For example, He Xiong, a representative of Confucianism in the Yuan Dynasty, said: "After Confucius and Mencius for more than 1,500 years, Taoism was not respected as a literary official." We can see Zhu's lofty position in the cultural history of China, but we have not yet formed an understanding that Confucius and Zhu are on the same page.
In the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi was a loyal fan of Zhu. He believes that Zhu is a person who has made great contributions to cultural development after Confucius. Kangxi once said: "(Zhu)' s articles and remarks are all about the meaning of heaven and earth and the avenue of the universe. I read his book and studied the reasons. Otherwise, I can't know that heaven and man are one. Otherwise, I can't rule all the nations at the banquet. Otherwise, I can't be benevolent and benevolent. Otherwise, I cannot be a family. " Kangxi praised Zhu's "knowledge has been learned for thousands of years, and made some rules for hundreds of millions of years." "In the fifty-first year of Kangxi (17 12), the imperial edict Zhu's memorial tablet was moved from the list of sages at the eastern end of Confucius Temple to the' Second of Ten Philosophers' in Dacheng Hall. In the history of the Confucian Temple in China, Zhu is the only one who entered the Dacheng Hall of the Confucian Temple, and he is not a disciple of Confucius, which is a great honor. The "Wenshan" plaque of Kangxi Imperial Book hangs in Nanxi Academy, praising Youxi's deeds of giving birth to Great Sage Zhu.
From Confucius and Mencius to Confucius and Zhu, it reflects the evolution of Confucianism and the changes in the historical status of important Confucian figures.
Respect for Zhu is not after death. When Zhu was alive, with the continuous maturity of his Neo-Confucianism, he had a high reputation in the cultural circle. At that time, Xin Qiji, Lu You and Zhu had the highest evaluation.
Zhu and Xin Qiji have the same anti-Xing thought. The close contact between Xin Qiji and Zhu can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty. In August of the fifth year of Xichun (1 178), Zhu's righteous brother died, and Zhu went to Yiyang to meet the coffin with tears. When Xin Qiji was appointed as the Hubei transshipment ambassador, the two met in Xinzhou (now Shangrao City). When they met for the first time, they were deeply moved, and they forged a deep friendship from then on. Soon, on Zhu's 50th birthday, Xin Qiji sent a poem "Hui Weng":
The west wind is full of frost, and the jasper pot is full moon.
Phoenix has a history of 5,000 years, and Longshan is a good day.
Sitting first makes ghosts crouch, and a smile can return to the spring of the universe.
After thousands of years in Tang Yao, there were only two or three public figures.
At that time, Xin Qiji had regarded Zhu as a leading figure of Confucianism, and thought that only two or three people could compare with Zhu for thousands of years. Two or three people, needless to say, are Confucius, Mencius and Zhu.
A bold poet and champion in the Southern Song Dynasty, he made deep friendship with Zhu and Xin Qiji and praised him as "the dragon among men", which was the masculinity of a generation of Confucianism. One is the "tiger in the text", a chivalrous man who has overwhelmed all heroes in the world.
Lu You and Zhu, Xin Qiji are also good friends. During Zhu's lecture in Wuyi Jingshe, Xin Qiji visited him and called him "the royal guest teacher in the mountains". Lu You also sent four congratulatory poems, one of which is: "Sir, when you build a house on the edge of Qingyan, you can read it easily and get to know it again and again." Don't shock the world with wisdom, lest people accuse Tao of being immortal. "Zhu praised his seclusion and learning.
In March of the 6th year of Qingyuan (AD 1200), Zhu died of illness in Kaoting, Jianyang. At that time, the party ban in Qingyuan was still there, and the court strictly prohibited funeral treatment. Lu You, 76, could not come to offer condolences, but his eulogy to Zhu fully expressed his deep thoughts and high praise for Zhu. Lu You's eulogy said, "Some people have a heart to donate hundreds of corpses to Jiuyuan, and they shed tears in the East China Sea. The road has been repaired and I am lost. If you don't die, you can still enjoy it! " Xin Qiji, however, regardless of his personal safety, not only personally came to Wuyishan to mourn his sacrifice, but also brought a memorial that shocked the world at this dark moment: "The Tao is immortal." It is said that Gong is dead, but he is still alive. "
As a saint of an era, is Zhu dead? What do you mean, dead, still alive!