| The formation and development of the New-Confucianism in Northern Song dynasty was a course of criticizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism of Han and Tang dynasties. It was also a course of reviewing continually its own construction of theories. Lv Dalin successively studied from Zhang Zai and Cheng brothers, participated in the rise of Guan School and Luo School and their discussion. He not only differentiated strictly Confucianism from Buddhism and Taoism, but also be accomplished in Six Classics, especially in ritual. It typically reflects the interaction and transformation between New-Confucianism theories and Confucian classics studies and ritual theory in its early established time, also exhibits the impact and union of question awareness and styles of studies within New-Confucianism Schools. His theoretical activities was an important part of evolution of New-Confucianism in Song dynasty.On the premise of inheriting Zhang and Cheng's New-Confucianism theory, Lv accept the theory tradition of mind and human nature in Doctrine of the Mean and Mencius, penetrated and reinterpret self-cultivation efforts such as Qiongli(ç©·ç†)and Gewu(æ ¼ç‰©)in Yizhuan and The Great Learning. His theory, based on the Benxin本心,original mind) and originated from Tiandao天é“,the Heavenly Tao), and with the Confucian ethical norms as its commonly Tao, it integrated the ideas of Guan and Luo Schools, and promoted the spiritual tradition of fair emphasis on knowing virtue and ritual in Confucianism. Lv also developed the scope of noumenon-cosmology in the Northern Song New-Confucianism theory, with emphasis on self-cultivation efforts as his theoretical characteristic and thought direction. Thus, he proposed how to understand noumenon and accomplish it in the real world, and made his contribution to the discourse transfer of New-Confucianism theory from constructing noumenon to self-cultivation efforts. In personal cultivation context, Lv Dalin reexplained the real world, the noumenon of mind and nature, and the process of studies through interpreting Confucian classics.According to the traditions of Confucianism, the existence of real world connotes the order of value world. In the structure, Qi(æ°”,air) and ritual are included. Qi, as an essential element of the real world existence, is the material origin of all things; whereas, ritual is the concrete embodiment of heaven and earth, and thus regulates the concrete position of each social unity in the entire cosmos. From the perspective of personal cultivation and effort theory, Qi is the basis of mutual feeling and penetration of heaven and human being, and ritual follows the function of heaven and earth and regards respect and cultivation of mind and body as its meaning direction. In the process of "feeling and penetration" and "respect and cultivation", the order of value world was identified and unfolded.The actual existence of Qi and ritual suggests the necessity of entering the value world, and "feeling and penetration" and "respect and cultivation" provide the possibility, but Xin(心,mind) and Xing(性,nature) are the foundations of entering the value world. New-Confucianism theory integrates Tiandao(天é“)with Xing-Ming(性命),it does not only provides a transcendent basis for ethic commonly Tao but also helps the accomplish of this transcendent cause to life and ethic, which becomes the basic motivation to moral practice. What the original mind behaving is Tao, and Xin is the motivation of ethic practice and embodiment of Xing. A self-reflected mind accomplishes nature, which forms the foundation of New-Confucianism cultivation theory.Accomplishing nature, as one of the moral practice, need accomplish things'nature as well as his own human nature. Therefore, Gewu and Qiongli are ought to be in it. The Principle of all the things ultimately is one. And the Tao of saint is from Cheng(诚,sincerity) to Ming(明,light), whereas, the study of saint is from Ming to Cheng. The premise of accomplishing things'nature lies in turning things into principle, so the significance of that from Ming to Cheng in the effort theory of New-Confucianism is more realistic. However, it is the effort from Cheng to Ming that provides what form Ming to Cheng the ideal realm and effort cultivation direction, so is the significance of the effort from Ming to Cheng. Thus, the study of Qiongli developed the idea of from knowledge to practice which attaches importance to both virtue and ritual in New-Confucianism, and the Tao of Chengming points out an ultimate ideal realm direction to moral cultivation. |