I

A student asked. "Fk

Way from principlei"
ZhuXirespondeJ- '-ciple is the pattern."
"Is it like the grain u

40

Zh:uXi answered-'-l
The student then

.-o

;ase, the \Way and Princ

"The word'-W.av' co'
"Principle consrsts

ZHU XI'S CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS DISCIPLES

'aid.

passed by the

Wav." H

*-hole; principle is the I

Tbe reuiual of Confucianism in the Song period was accomplished in large part by
great teachers who gathered around them adub students intent on learning more
about the wisdom of tbe sages and bow to apply it in their liues. The stwdents
were usually expecting to attempt the ciuil seruice examinations, but the most
inspiring teachers wrged tbeir disciples to set tbeir sights on the bigber goals of
kn owle d ge and s e lf- cubiu ati on.
Perhaps the greatest of all these teacbers was

'Wang

Zichong asket
I met a master u-ho ut

ions to take."
ZhuXi responde,i'
lerstand the moral pri

ZhwXi (1130-1200).Immensely

actions?"

learned in the classics, commentaries, bistories, and the teacbings of his predecessors, Zhu Xi managed to serue seueral times in office, write, compile, or edit
almost a hundred books, correspond with dozens of other scholars, and still
regularly teach groups of disciples, many of whorn stayed with bim for years at a
time. Zhu Xi considered himself a follower of the Cheng brotbers Cheng Hao
\1032-1085) and Cheng yi (1033:11a7), and elaborated tbeir metaphysical theories about tbe workings of the cosmos in terms of principle (li) and qi (uital
energies, material force, psychophysical stuffl. In the conuersations which his
disciples recorded, howeuer, he also discussed all sorts of otber isswes releuant to
tbeir wnderstanding of nature, the pdst, and bow to condwct tbeir liues. The selection below is only a tiny fraction of the thousands of conuersations his followers recorded.

"This teacher explar

'ou will understand

"Compare this ro :
:oad," ZhuXisaid. "lr
:e walk on it? Lots oi
:ow to act. Thev all set
:each them to others. )
.:.l'erage disposition do
ie principles of thrngs
:le sage wrote the G/a
into the realm ol
=ove
::lly grasped the prin.r
:lial in their service to

it-'

=eir elder
=ust,"
A student asked, "Principle is something people and animals alike get from Heaven. !7hat
about insentient things? Do they also have prin-

A student asked, "Do dried and withered things

have principle?"

ZhuXr responded, "Once an object exists, it

has a principle. Heaven didn't invent writing
brushes; it was human beings who took rabbit

ciple?"

"Certainly they have principle," Zhu Xi

re-

sponded. "For instance, boats can only travel on

water and carts can only travel on land."

hairs to make them. But once there were brushes,

there was a principle for them."

brothers. ar

student asked. "

-rrg confused bv d
::ad?"
ZhuXi answered.'
-en read one theory. I
-g another. After vou
:g:in, what is right anr

-\

ell

become apparenr

::,mpared to trying to
172

student asked, .,How can we distinguish

_A
the
Way from principle?,'
.,The

responded,
V/ay is the path. prin_
qple
- lhyXi
rs the pattern.,,
"Is it like the grain in wood?,,

Zhu Xi answered, ..yes.,,

The student then commented, .,If

that is the
caseJhe Way- and principle
,..,o b. ;h; r;".,,
'- Ihe word
'Way'covers a gteat dealr,, ZhuXi

DISCIPLES

said. "Principle consists

i, th"Larryu;i;, ;"__
p1s1d by the yry.', He added, .,fn.
Wrv l, tf..

wnote; pnnciple is the fine structure-.,

I in hrge part by

asked, ...W.hen I was in Hunan,

J-^:grrrhong
r met
a master who taught people
only what ac_
rions to take.,,

but the most

'bigher goals of
zs,

, Zhu Xi.responded,,,If a person does not un_

oerstand-rhe moral principles,
how can he take

lAOt.Immensely
gs of his predecompile, or edit

actions?"

"This teacher explained, .Once you practice

it,

you

will understand it., ,,

"Compare this to a person walking
along a
.,If
he dr.,
:oad," ZhuXisaid.
irli.rn

bohrs, and still

va for years at a
ras Cheng Hao

".;r;;;;:
walk on it? Lots
p.opt.ioJr,
ho1to, a.t. They all "r
"rif, o..rr.
seithei,
,r,.,
teach them to others. Naturally
gr.Jp..rr",f
a-verage disposition does
"
nor ha,r."to
i"r"
the principles of things or study
extensively. But
me sage wrote rhe Great Learnizg
ro help people
move inro the realm of sages.
Wt'." p*ifl irru.
g_.i:o:o the principleJ, they uri lrr,Lrriy u.
HlT
nral ln thelr service to their parents,
respectful to
*eir elder brorhers, ,"a
y .i'rir# rri."ar,
he

rctaphysical the-

,;;uJ;;il.

ht and qi (uital
tions uthich his
-:sl*.cs releuant to
* lites. The se-

f.rl"

follow-

trLtst.

hinciple is something peo.

: get from Heaven. 'W.ha:
s? Do they also have prin-

re principle," Zhu Xi

r+.

only travel o"

rls travel on land."
e- boats can

Disciples

l_3
is good or bad. you observe him
wherever he
goes, notice what he says or
does, and then knorr
if he is good or bad.,, He.als. ,;iJ::t"-r*pt,
h.ave an open mind,,, urd ,.Wurh
,rJryr-o*
11st
old opinions to let new ideas in.,,
His

{.**
A student asked, .,What can I do to
attain

reverent attitude?,,

,hu

,.
Ti :i,.d,..,Simply
nave no toolish thoughts,
foolish actions-',

Tbe students

aons his

uith

do this: on rhe inside.

on the outside, have no

+*

a barningmore

x-

Zhu Xi's Conuersations

"

**tt

"

answered, *Srarr with an open mind,

*7\:
\,one
uen read
theory. Read one view before read_
mg another. After you have
read tt._ us"i., ,rra
again, what is right and
ur.f,rtrrra'ur"t"rr,

rill

slres /

rid of his

de_

Zhy Xi responded, ,,These are the

end_points.
".
ilnceflty
requtres getting rid of all ,o.r,
oi frlr._
nes.s. Reverence requires getting
rid of all sorts of
Iazlness.
l)esires should be blocj<ed..,

-^-r-g**r:
many books.,,

,r,;

,,r,J

,,u".ro survey a sreat

"Dol'l do that,,, ZhuXisaid. ..Read one

book
.,
rnoroughly,
then read another one. If you con_
fusedly ffy to advance on several
fronrc, you w.ill
end up with difficutries. It's lik.
,;;;;. ir'*Io,, *.
strong enough for a five_pint bow,
use'a four_pint
one. You will be able to draw
it
tn. ,r"r rra
still have strength left over. Students
"U
todav do nor
measure their own strengrh when
readiag books.
I worry that we cannot manage *vhar
rve"already

have set ourselves.',

.,What
should I do about
.A student asked,
,*r1g-confused by different theories
when I

read

rr5.; ,.uo- .rL u o.rro, develop

nrs srncenty and reverence

and get
",.1,:,^11,.-l_r
''

become apparent of].1/rong,

itseff]fhe
oompared to trying to discover

prr..r*"" U.
*t.tt., u p"rron

**+

A student asked whether srudying for

the ex_
aminarions would interfere with his

.?f_rr-ui..uf

learning. Zhs Xi responded, .,Mrrt..-6h.rg

said,- Don't wofry a!ou1 it irrt"rf..irrg-;ith-yo.r,
errorts. worry about it robbing you
of your deter_
mination.'If you spend t., dry, u rnorlrtlr.pur_

ing for the examinarrons, you will

still have
If i, .ture., ,ou

twenty days to do real study.

determination, however, there is

".;;;:;"

'

1--+ ;

The Song and Yuan DYnasties

will

***
Renru asked about the saying, "Human goodness is the principle underlying love."
Zhu Xi said, "This saying makes sense if you
rhink about the mind, nature, and feelings. The
mind is the master of the body. A person's nature
consists in humanity, righteousness, propriefy,
and u'isdom. They find their expression in the feelings of commiseration, shame, deference, and the
abilin-to distinguish right from wrong. Commiseration is love, the beginning of human goodness.
Human goodness is the substance, while love is an
aspect of its function."

***
A student inquired, "Human nature is just the
nature of Heaven and earth. In the beginning it
didn't come from somewhere else, nor does it later
go back to another place. It just seems this way
from the condensing or dispersing of qi."
Zhu Xi responded, "You're right, it doesn't re:urn any'where at the end. It is like the reflection of
:ie moon in a pan of water. 'l7ithout the pan of
','.'.:rer. there would be no reflection. No one could
!-.::ose the reflection flies into the sky to return
::, ::3 moon. It's also like a flower dropping and
::--:. i'eing gone. How could you think it went
:--,::-;-,t..:ere and next year will be reborn on this

i:::.;: i "

T:-. .:::dent also asked, "How can we analyze

:o:--.::

:reories about anomalies, demons, and

::; --i=i"
Z-..^ \: said, "Eighty percent of what ordi:-::-. :.-.:-; sav is nonsense, but twenty percent
-: ::--::::. ]n most of these cases, the person's
--:. .:::- '.\'as not up when he was drowned, or
nu:i.:-i. o: feli victim to a violent illness. Since
hrs -:; ::i ror been exhausted, he was able to
possess peoeie. There are also cases

of

people

rr.ho die su,jdenlv and their qi hasrr't yet completelr- dispersed because of the richness of their
original endou-ment. Eventually their 4i does
disperse, for essence and qi are combined to produce people and thtngs. As in the phrase, "The

wandering of the spirit becomes change," there

be no more qi. For when people talk abou:

immortals, they only talk about ones from recen:

times. The immortals of antiquity are no longe:

the story o:
Boyu wreaking revenge, but no one sees hi.
ghost today."
The student also asked, "Mr. Xie said, 'N1'
ancestors' spirit is my own spirit.' Do yo;
seen. The Zwo Commentary tells

ground, even a fis163 * )

-:
:e able to move it' Sin;:

--re

::rd solid, hevT gsrlld

:rove things?"

ZhuXi answered. "l ::::

..hen wind co[lects tosir:r
lt, its power intensitie=. ::

::t

Iand, its 4l disPer'.="'

The student said. "P=:l

agree?"

"The sentence puts it very well," Zhu Xi rc

::inciple."

sponded. "Ancestors and descendants have onl.'

one qi. !7hen sincerity and reverence are fully de-

ZhuXi

veloped, they can affect each other. It can be compared to a large tree whose seeds are on th.
'lfhen they grow and become trees, the:
ground.
are in fact that large tree."
:i-

X-

A student asked, "'W'hat should an educate:

man do if he is marrying an ordinary person an:
he wishes to perform the proper rituals but th.
other family disagrees?"
Zhu Xi smiled, looked at Yigang for a lor::
time, then said, "This is a waste of effort. All tha:
is needed is to send someone to talk it over wit.
the other family. The ancient rituals are less trou'Why wouldn't they be willing to practic:
ble.
them?"
Zhiqingsaid, "If there are steps in the ancier::
rituals that are very hard to practice, you don:
have to insist on them. For instance, the pa::
about revolving the carriage wheels three time'
This doesn't mean that you have to revolve th.
sedan chair three times." Even the master laughein response to this.
Yigang said, "If the customary practices don':
harm moral principle very much, would it be ;
right to retain a small number of them?"

ZhuXi

said, "Yes."

***
ZhuXisaid, "When wind acts on things, it e:-'
ters into all of them. Today coffins are buried ::
the ground. To a small extent they get blori':some eYen blown over."
A student asked, "If one places on object c:

ri---:-'

said,

"In Z:'::'=

:J his parent at a ce:'!::::: heard sounds fr.':..- ---'

--ne. His famill'

rho::-:

:;rred because the Pi:;; r

::ne the familY ProPci-r :
::scendants [s62rns 3"':'::,ace was unfortuna:e ;--

ok at it' Thev fou:: :i

.=ashed and was ru::'=i'
exactly in the fronl :
".-rs
-:med by curved r::;'
.:-:efs. "

:
-

The student said. "Pt::

Zhu Xi answered. "\:
tv could there har s re=:
:i't know what the .r:'

-\

-.:;

srudent

,.L.6. "\\-:

a Parent died. he '-:

:-:'e Buddhists Perforn :

Zhu Xi resPonJe;. "-

: .:.
l:re srudent Persi:::3'

::.n

Of not?"

Zru Xi said, "The:. :'

: : ;frild cannot be:: :c
'

:=:ul consideration."

*.

-. student asked. "\i

-::: lne's father is srli, :l

- :-'iiolv customar\. :
- --ring garment). ;=-:
r-. -3s. and har-e rh; :r

Zhu Xi's Conuersations with His Disciples

ien

peoPle

rtout

wind will not necessarily

be able to move it. Since the ground is so strong
and solid, how could wind blow through it to

de ground, even

talk abou:

ones from recen:

mriquiry are no longe:

tells the storY c:
-n'
'nur no one sees kl=

l-

a fierce

move things?"

ZhuXi

answered,

"I think that in the ground

rhen wind collects together and wants to come

out, its power intensifies, but when it is out on the
lat land, its 4i disperses."
The student said, "Perhaps there is no such

"-\fu. Xie said, '\1'

vo-

osrr sPirit.' Pq

rinciple."
ZhuXi said, "In

ren rvell." Zhu Xi rt-

iore

Zhenghe county, a man burlrd his parent at a certain place. After the burial
he heard sounds from the grave from time to
thought that these sounds oc'ime. His family

,*

:ime the family property slowly declined and the

descendants became poor. They thought that the
Diace was unfortunate so took the coffin out to

Jescendants have on-'

d reverence are fullY de-

i;h other' It

can be cor:--

seeds are on ti-'

'-gnd become trees, th(1

-nar

urred

ar:
le proper rituals but t;':
ed at Yigang for a lo:':
a s-aste of effort. A11 th':

Gnters."

The student said, "Perhaps water caused this."

Zhu Xi answered, "No. If water had entered,
Lon'could there have been the sound of hitting? I
Con't know what the explanation is."

reone to talk it oYer 1\.r=

sient riruals are less tro.--

be rvilling

to

Practl=

)F*x'

re are stePs in the ancie=

:J

ro practice, You do:

r- For instance, the P=

rriase wheels three tims
, tJu hrr. to revolve *
" Esen the master laugl::
:

-lstomary practices do:

ierr much, would it be 'o.umbr of them?"

-{ student asked, "'What should one do if beftre a parent died, he or she left instructions to
Llre Buddhists perform the services?"
Zhu Xi responded, "This is a difficult ques-

Dn."
The student persisted, "So should he employ
6em or not?"
Zhu Xi said, "There are some things the heart
t: child cannot bear to do. This issue requires

qetul

-:
buriei
are
cotfins
lqias

ai, extent theY get blo$-*

r.

one Places on object -':

-i

The student responded, "One could not obey."

ZhuXisaid, "The first two are superficial matters. If it is as you say, obeying would be all right.

But cremation cannot be practiced."

Yong said, "Cremation destroys the parents'
remains."

Zhu

Xi

added, "Discussing

it

along with

mourning garments and Buddhist services shows

an inability to recognize degrees of importance."
*)F)F

student asked, "'W'hen Yang forces first

moved and gave birth to people and things, it
seems they all were produced at once, but according to the theory [of the great ultimate], it seems

they were produced in stages."

ZhuXi responded, "'S0'e can't give the order,
but there must have been stages. Shao Yong cal-

'!(hat was it like before

culated back 128,000.
that? There must have been a world before the
great ultimate, like last night and this morning'
Yin and Yang set things in motion all at once, but
before then, there must have been dimness that
gradually became clear. Therefore there were
these stages present in it all along"'
The student also asked, "If we thus speculate
about the period before the great ultimate, will
the period after it be similar?"
responded, "Certainly. Master Cheng
said, 'Movement and quiescence have no beginning; Yin and Yang have no starting point.' rvhich

ZhuXi

clarifies it. Today on high mounrains there are

rocks with oyster shells in them, shorving that a
low place has become a high one. Further, oysters
have to live in muddv sand, but now they are in
rock, so what rvas soft became hard. The cosmos
changes; there is no constancY."

{-**
asked, "Recently Liao Zihui said
that when he visited you this year he asked you
about Master Yanping's doctrine of quiet sitting,
and that you had some disagreements with it' Is
that so?"
ZhuXi responded, "This is a difficult topic'

A student

:t

-\ srudent asked, "'$V'hat if one's mother

: srnd acts orl things, it

1'7

ZhuXi responded, "'$[hat do you think?"

consideration."
)t

'li

After a long

bok at it. They found that one side had been

mashed and was ruined. The place it had been
ras exactly in the front part of the pit, the part
iormed by curved bricks, where the coffin

should an educatt:

: an ordinarY Person

because the place was good.

dies

one's father is still alive and the father wants

iollow customary practices with regard to

ing garments, employ Buddhist monks for

and have the body cremated?"

1,76 I

The Song and Yuan Dynasties

There is no harm in someone who understands

principle sitting quietly, but it is not right to insist
on quiet sitting. Those who understand principle
thoroughly are naturally quiet. Nowadays, people insist on quiet sitting to get out of doing things.
That won't do. I once heard Master Li say that

when he first heard Master Luo lecture on the

Spring and Autumn Annals he was not impressed
and wondered how much understanding Luo had
attained by quiet sitting at Mount Luo-fou. I also
had doubts, but now I think it works. How can a
person whose mind is excited perceive principle?
'Sfhat
is called
One must be quiet to perceive it.
quiet sitting simply means having nothing on
'When
one's mind is thus clear, prinone's mind.

ciple

will make itself known, and the mind will

become even clearer and quieter."

)t;t*

A student asked, "'W'hen selfish thoughts arise,

I immediateiy weed them out, but even though I

get nd of the stems and branches, the roots re-

I encounter a similar stimulus,

thev arise again. What can I do about it?"
Zhv. Xi responded, "That is lust the way it is.
That is s,hI [Confucius's disciple]Zengzi said, 'In
trepidation, as though standing on a precipice or
on thin ice.' "

Little by little you will gain a thorough unde:standing. If there are points you are not clea:
about, think about them yourself, don't rely oothers or wait until you can ask questions. If thei.
is no one to ask, you might give up. People acvance in their learning when they can rid themselves of the desire to depend on others."
)l

)t

,t

Zhu Xi asked Kuang, "How long have you

been here?"

"Eighty-five days."

"Aren't you going tomorrow?"

Kuang said, "Early tomorrow I will be saying
goodbye."
Zhr:. Xi said,

"Do you have any remaining

:t

Dou said his dreams were very garbled. Zhu \

responded, "The spiritual soul and the earthl
soul interact to constitute sleep. The mind is sti-

present and can think as usual. That is hol

dreams result." Zhu Xi then discussed his ori'experiences, "'W'hen I was sick for several days.

dreamed only about explaining the Book" of Do;'

uments. Once when serving in office I dreame:
only about judging legal cases."
Dou said, "These are still daily affairs."
ZhuXi said, "Even though these are everyda'
affairs, still they shouldn't appear in dreams."

main, and u,hen

)l

'l

x_

:r

tt

Every evening when his students gathered, on.

of the older ones would start to chat as soon as h.
sat down. ZhuXi scolded him, "Sir, you are ol'e:

forry and still do not understand the books yoread, yet as soon as you sit down you talk abou:
other people's affairs. On some recent nights yogentlemen have chatted idly until ten p.u' I7hil.
we are gathered together, why don't you refle'-:
on yourself or do serious work rather than tal.
about trivial things?" He then sighed and sighec
;r

{-

)}

ZhuXihadan asthma attack and for days non.

students asked him any questions. On.

oou Dts i

of his

"Right now I have no points that need clatify'

ing, but as I apply myself, some will surely arise,
so I will write you letters to ask for your instruction."
ZhuXisaid, "Just work hard at applying yourself. The biggest fear for a student is that he will
grow lax. Do not expect instant results. If today
you learn something or put something into prac-

evening he summoned them to his room. The students still did not ask any questions. Zh:uXi ar'
grily demanded, "You gentlemen are just sittin:

\rt

srudent asked. "S-l

-:: the Buddhisr :;J
--

tice, that is something positive. Just do not sto:

idly. If you are not going to do anything, wh'

don't you go home? Why did you come here fror
so far away?"

r
:r'-:i"

Z:u Xi said. "Tc, l-ao

:E

-.n

from his sa\.:tr=

" :,-.nbeing;

I n-aii io

Zhu Xi's Conuersations with His Disciples

ridve. Just do not stoprain a thorough under>ins vou are not clea-1-ourself, don't rely otm ask questions. Iftherc
gfir give up. People ac-

ien

rhey can rid them-

md on others."
:re tery garbled. Zhu

rI soul and the earthlr

: sleep. The mind is sn-

rs usual. That is hor

6en discussed his os-:
s

sick for several days. -

rining rhe Book of Docrng in office I dreame;

;ass."

dll daily affairs;'

cugh these are everydat
't appear in dreams."
+

rTudents gathered. on:

art to chat as soon as hr
Ihim, "Sir, you are ove
lersrand the books r-os

;it down you talk abou:

some recent nights yo'.:
dlv until ten r,.u. Whilt
. u-hy don't you reflec
; s-ork rather than talA
fren sighed and sighec

rrrack and for days non:

In any questions. oni

:m to his room. The sn:r questions. Zhu Xi an-

ndemen are just sittin5

g to do anything, u'hr
did vou come here frorc

A student asked, "'What are the differences between the Buddhist and Taoist doctrines of nonbeing?"
ZhuXisaid, "To Laozi, being existed. This can
be seen from his saying, 'I want to see the subtlety

of nonbeing; I want to

see

the results of being.'

1,77

The Buddhists consider Heaven and earth to be

illusory and the four elements [earth, water, fire,
and wind] to be temporary combinations. Thus to
them everything is nonbeing."
Translated by Patricia Ebrey