World Philosophical Heritage

Wisdom and teachings of
Confucianism

325 quote(s) | Page 10 / 14

M an's strength, weakness, slowness, quickness, and talent or lack of talent are due to the one-sidedness of the material force. Heaven (Nature) is originally harmonious and not one-sided. If one cultivates this material force and returns to his original nature without being one-sided, one can then fully develop his nature and [be in harmony with] Heaven. Before man's nature is formed, good and evil are mixed. Therefore to be untiring in continuing the good which issues [from the Way] (1) is good. If all evil is removed, good will also disappear [for good and evil are relative and are necessary to reveal each other]. Therefore avoid just saying "good" but say, "That which realizes it (the Way) is the individual nature.” (2)

quote 2386 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

(1) Changes, "Appended Remarks" pt. 1, ch. 5. Cf. Legge, p. 356. (2) Changes, "Appended Remarks" pt. 1, ch. 5. Cf. Legge, p. 356.

O ne who can fully develop his nature can also develop the nature of other people and things. He who can fulfill his destiny can also fulfill the destiny of other people and things (1), for the nature of all men and things follows the Way and the destiny of all men and things is decreed by Heaven. I form the substance of all thing without overlooking any, and all things form my substance, and I know that they do not overlook anything. Only when one fulfills his destiny can he bring himself and things into completion without violating their principle.

quote 2385 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

H e who understands virtue will have a sufficient amount, that is all. He will not allow sensual desires to be a burden to his mind, the small to injure the great, or the secondary to destroy the fundamental.

quote 2384 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

I f one knows his nature and Heaven, then [all the operations] of yin and yang and negative and positive spiritual forces are all part of my lot.

quote 2383 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

O nly through fully developing one's nature can one realize that he possesses nothing in life and loses nothing at death.

quote 2382 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

B y "sincerity resulting from enlightenment" (1) is meant to develop one's nature fully through the investigation of things to the utmost, and by "enlightenment resulting from sincerity" (2) is meant to investigate things to the utmost through fully developing one's nature.

quote 2381 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

(1) The Mean, ch. 21. (2) The Mean, ch. 21.

W hen the Way of Heaven [or principle] and the nature of man [or desires] function separately, there cannot be sincerity. When there is a difference between the knowledge obtained by following (the Way of) Heaven and that obtained by following (the nature of) man, there cannot be perfect enlightenment. What is meant by enlightenment resulting from sincerity is that in which there is no distinction between the Way of Heaven as being great and the nature of man as being small.

quote 2380 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

K nowledge gained through enlightenment which is the result of sincerity (1) is the innate knowledge (2) of one's natural character. It is not the small knowledge of what is heard or what is seen.

quote 2379 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

(1) Cf Mean ch.21 (2) Cf Mencius, 7B:15

N o two of the products of creation are alike. From this we know that although the number of things is infinite, at bottom there is nothing without yin or yang [which differentiate them]. From this we know also that the transformations and changes in the universe are due to these two fundamental forces.

quote 2378 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

I n its original state of Great Vacuity, material force (Qi) is absolutely tranquil and formless. As it is acted upon, it engenders the two fundamental elements of yin and yang, and through integration gives rise to forms. (1)

quote 2376 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

(1) Generally referring to physical forms and specifically referring to the Four Secondary Forms or Modes variously identified as Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire or yin, yang, strength, and weakness, or major and minor yang and major and minor yin.

M aterial force moves and flows in all directions and in all manners. Its two elements unite and give rise to the concrete. Thus the multiplicity of things and human beings is produced. In their ceaseless successions the two elements of yin and yang constitute the great principles of the universe.

quote 2375 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

O nly after [the One] is acted upon will it begin to penetrate [through yin and yang]. Without the two forces there cannot be the One.

quote 2374 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

I f yin and yang do not exist, the One (the Great Ultimate)" can not revealed If the One cannot be revealed then the function of the two forces will cease, Reality and unreality, motion and rest, integration and disintegration, and clearness and turbidity are two different substances. In the final analysis, however, they are one.

quote 2373 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

T he negative and positive spiritual forces (kuei-shen) are the spontaneous activity of the two material forces (yin and yang). Sage hood means absolute sincerity (1) forming a unity with Heaven, and spirit means the Great Vacuity in its wondrous operation and response. All molds and forms in the universe are but dregs of this spiritual transformation.

quote 2372 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

(1) The word ch'eng means more than sincerity in the ordinary sense. It means being true to one's nature and the nature of things, actuality, reality

F rom the Great Vacuity, there is Heaven. From the transformation of material force, there is the Way. In the unity of the Great Vacuity and material force, there is the nature (of man and things). And in the unity of the nature and consciousness, there is the mind.

quote 2371 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

material force = Qi

T he Great Vacuity is clear. Being clear, it cannot be obstructed. Not being obstructed, it is therefore spirit. The opposite of clearness is turbidity. Turbidity leads to obstruction. And obstruction leads to physical form. When material force is clear, it penetrates; and when it is turbid, it obstructs. When clearness reaches its limit, there is spirit. When spirit concentrates, it penetrates like the breeze going through the holes (of musical instruments), producing tones and carrying them to great distances. This is the evidence of clearness. As if arriving at the destination without the necessity of going there, penetration reaches the highest degree.

quote 2370 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

material force = Qi

T he integration and disintegration of material force is to the Great Vacuity as the freezing and melting of ice is to water. If we realize that the Great Vacuity is identical with material force, we know that there is no such thing as non-being.

quote 2369 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

material force = Qi

B efore the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are aroused it is called equilibrium (chung, centrality, mean). When these feelings are aroused and each and all attain due measure and degree, it is called harmony. Equilibrium is the great foundation of the world, and harmony its universal path. When equilibrium and harmony are realized to the highest degree, heaven and earth will attain their proper order and all things will flourish.

quote 2368 | The Zhongyong
Doctrine of the Mean, Chapter 1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 5.

I f material force integrates, its visibility becomes effective and physical form appears. If material force does not integrate, its visibility is not effective and there is no physical form. While material force is integrated, how can one not say that it is temporary? While it is disintegrated, how can one hastily say that it is non-being? For this reason, the sage, having observed phenomena and examined above and below, only claims to know the causes of what is hidden and what is manifest but does not claim to know the causes of being and non-being.

quote 2364 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

material force = Qi

I f it is argued that material force is produced from the Vacuity, then because the two are completely different, the Vacuity being infinite while material force is finite, the one being substance and the other function, such an argument would fall into the naturalism of Lao Tzu who claimed that being comes from non-being and failed to understand the eternal principle of the undifferentiated unity of being and non-being. If it is argued that all phenomena are but things perceived in the Great Vacuity, then since things and the Vacuity would not be mutually conditioned, since the physical form and the nature of things would be selfcontained, and since these, as well as Heaven and man, would not be interdependent, such an argument would fall into the doctrine of the Buddha who taught that mountains, rivers, and the total stretch of land are all subjective illusions. This principle of unity is not understood because ignorant people know superficially that the substance of the nature of things is the Vacuity, the Void, but do not know that function is based on the Way of Heaven (Law of Nature).

quote 2363 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

W hen it is understood that the Vacuity, the Void, is nothing but material force, then existence and nonexistence, the hidden and the manifested, spirit and eternal transformation, and human nature and destiny are all one and not a duality. He who apprehends integration and disintegration, appearance and disappearance, form and absence of form, and trace them to their source, penetrates the secret of Change.

quote 2362 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

O ne is qualified to discuss the nature of man when he realizes that death is not annihilation.

quote 2361 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

W hen, in the midst [of this universal operation] the sage fulfills the Way to the utmost, and identifies himself [with the universal processes of appearance and disappearance] without partiality (i.e., lives the best life and takes life and death objectively), his spirit is preserved in the highest degree

quote 2360 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

T he Great Vacuity of necessity consists of material force. Material force of necessity integrates to become the myriad things. Things of necessity disintegrate and return to the Great Vacuity.

quote 2359 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

material force = Qi

A lthough material force in the universe integrates and disintegrates, and attracts and repulses in a hundred ways, nevertheless the principle (li) according to which it operates has an order and is unerring.
As an entity, material force simply reverts to its original substance when it disintegrates and becomes formless. When it integrates and assumes form, it does not lose the eternal principle (of Change).
The Great Vacuity of necessity consists of material force. Material force of necessity integrates to become the myriad things. Things of necessity disintegrate and return to the Great Vacuity.

quote 2358 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.1, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

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Wisdom and teachings ofConfucianism

Wisdom and teachings of
Confucianism