491-Nan Huai Chin-Selected Work of Nan Huai Chin-Philosophy-2003
Barack
2023/11/21
Nan Huaijin was born in Yueqing, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China in 1918 and died in 2012. He is a contemporary Chinese writer, educator, master of Chinese studies, and a disciple of Shi Chengzhi, a master of Chinese studies. Nan Huaijin studied in the Chinese Martial Arts Trainer Training Class of the Zhejiang Martial Arts Academy, the Political Studies Class of the Central Military Academy, and the Graduate School of Jinling University. During the Anti-Japanese War, he joined the army and organized border reclamation. He served as the general manager of the Liangshan Reclamation Company and the commander-in-chief of the Self-Defense Regiment. After returning to Shu, he taught in the Officer Education Team of the Central Military Academy. Later, he lectured at Yunnan University, Sichuan University, and other universities. After 1949, he moved to Taiwan and served as a professor at National Chengchi University, Taiwan Fu Jen Catholic University, and Taiwan Chinese Culture University. Later, he lived in the United States, Hong Kong, and other places, where he founded the East-West Essence Association, Laogu Publishing House, Humanities World Magazine, Zhijian Magazine, etc. While in Hong Kong, I cared about the construction of my hometown. In his later years, he settled in Suzhou Taihu University. Passed away in Suzhou on September 29, 2012, at the age of 95.
Nan Huaijin devoted his life to promoting traditional Chinese culture and advocated the integration of the essence of Eastern and Western cultures to benefit the future of mankind. He studied Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism intensively, and integrated various thoughts of Chinese culture. In addition, he specialized in medicine, divination, astronomy, boxing, kendo, poetry, etc. Nan Huaijin is rich in writings, including more than 30 works such as "The Analects of Confucius", "Mencius' Bypass", "Yuanxue Weiyan", "Laozi and His Sayings", etc., which have been translated into eight languages and have influenced China and foreign countries.
"Selected Works of Nan Huaijin", first published in 2003. There are a total of twenty-four kinds of Nan Huaijin's works published, basically, all of them are his masterpieces. With the authorization of the author and the original publishing company, these writings of Mr. Nan Huaijin are compiled into ten volumes.
Table of Contents
Volume 1 (The Analects of Confucius)
Volume 2 (Laozi Heshuo·Mencius Bypass)
Volume Three (Miscellaneous Comments on the Book of Changes·Farewell Lectures on the Book of Changes)
Volume 4 (Zen and Taoism·Taoyou, Tantra and Eastern Mysticism·Jinghui Taoism and Immortality)
Volume 5 (Zen Hailizhi·Zen Talk·History of the Development of Chinese Buddhism·History of the Development of Chinese Taoism)
Volume Six (Historical Experience·A Generation Both New and Old·General Introduction to Chinese Culture)
Volume 7 (How to practice Buddhism·The world view of the Medicine Master Sutra·Basic beliefs of Buddhists)
Volume 8 (What does the Diamond Sutra say? The present explanation of Leng Yan’s great meaning)
Volume 9 (A Brief Explanation of the Sutra of Enlightenment·Initial Practice of Dinghui·The Present Explanation of Leng Jia’s Great Meaning)
When I was in junior high school, I had a lot of free time, and suddenly on a whim, I decided to recite the entire Analects of Confucius. "The Analects" is divided into 20 chapters. I recited one chapter every month, and it took me less than 2 years to complete it. When I recited it, there were many things I couldn't understand, but as time went by, I gradually formed my own understanding. Some views that I once agreed with in junior high school may no longer agree with me, and some views that I did not agree with at the time seem quite reasonable now. How many of our generation have recited the classics that have been required reading by Chinese scholars for thousands of years, or even just read them completely? Are these classics probably as meaningful to Chinese people as the Bible is to Westerners? However, the past dynasty's approach to consecrating it was too extreme from my modern perspective. It is normal to have different opinions about these scriptures. But it is important that this disapproval should be based on deep understanding. If you don't know anything about a certain knowledge and you express opinions or even criticize rashly, then such a judgment may not be tenable. Only by understanding it deeply first, and then making choices based on your own values, can you dig deeper into the essence of these classics.
"What is good above will be bad for the people below." The leader's preference has a great influence on the followers. In the long history of China, Confucianism has experienced ups and downs in the past 3,000 years, but its profound impact on China's cultural heritage cannot be denied. However, later interpretations and annotations often made Confucianism more dogmatic and became a tool used by upper-class figures to regulate and restrain the people. Later generations of scholars further strengthened these dogmas, making them more rigid and rigid. If we can trace back the original appearance of Confucianism as much as possible and draw our own understanding from it, it may be more suitable for our own needs and understanding than the various existing explanations. As for whether moral education is useful, I think it does have its value. Without moral guidance, people are likely to be driven by their own desires. Biological instincts such as alcohol, sex, wealth, and anger are not bad, but if a person is completely controlled by these desires, what is the difference between us and animals? The real power of moral instruction is to help us recognize our true nature and strive to transcend it.
In ancient China, the so-called "knowledge" was essentially about personal cultivation. It didn't matter how many facts you mastered, but how you acted. Mastering many facts means rich knowledge and well-written articles mean great literary talent, but these cannot be called real "knowledge". The knowledge discussed in "The Analects" actually emphasizes personal moral cultivation, understanding of the world, and the ability to deal with interpersonal relationships. Confucius said it very clearly in "The Analects", "If you recite "Poetry" three hundred times and teach them how to govern, it will not reach your goal; if you use it in all directions, you will not be able to do it specifically; even if there are many, it will be ridiculed ?" The significance of knowledge is not just It’s about how many facts you know, but how you use those facts. If a person can't deal with practical problems no matter how much he studies, then what is the use of such knowledge? Confucius was obviously opposed to nerds who talked about theory but lacked practical ability. Sadly, many students turned into nerds themselves when they studied his ideas. Whether it is the imperial examination, the college entrance examination, or the entrance examinations in other countries, they are essential tools to screen talents and decide who has the opportunity to receive higher education. Let's be clear about this. It is ridiculous to equate test scores or degrees with a person's worth or accomplishments. If parents hold a degree-based concept, the way they educate the next generation can easily go to extremes, training their children to be products of exam-oriented education, and self-righteously believing that this is the correct way of education. After spending youth and getting a diploma, although you get the ticket to change your class, without practical ability, it will be difficult to open up the situation.
As a representative figure of Taoism, Laozi's thoughts are profound and unique. To deeply understand Taoism, you first need to understand the teachings of Laozi. Different from the Confucian concept of "joining the world" and the Buddhist pursuit of transcendence and liberation, the Taoist idea lies in "one in, one out". In history, especially during periods of great chaos, many people often emerged as Taoist scholars to help establish new dynasties. Taoism emphasizes "retirement after success and fame", which is a life attitude that combines joining the world and transcending the world. In the early days, disciples would "enter the world" to make achievements; after their careers were completed, they would turn to "leave the world" in order to seek wisdom and protect themselves. After the establishment of a new dynasty, in order to avoid being involved in power struggles and to protect themselves, Taoist scholars will adopt a wise and self-protective strategy. In contrast, Confucianism ignores life and death and only seeks to die exhausted.
In Sima Qian's writings, Mencius's deeds were recorded in detail. During the Warring States Period, Mencius was not taken seriously by the monarchs of various countries and received a cold reception. However, Zou Yan, who was at the same time, was regarded as a distinguished guest by the monarchs of various countries and was treated with the etiquette of a scholar. However, a thousand years later, very few people knew Zou Yan, while Mencius's reputation was widely known, and almost every scholar knew something about his thoughts. They may not be valued during their lifetime, but they may be famous throughout the ages after their death. The first half of your life may be miserable, but the second half of your life may be prosperous. This phenomenon makes people think about what kind of principles we should choose to live by. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, although the people suffered greatly, later generations would call it the era of "a hundred schools of thought contending." In order to become something great, does it really have to go through hard work? But after hard work, there may not be a chance of success. Destiny is ups and downs, and fortunes and misfortunes depend on each other. How can we predict this clearly?