The Combination Of Confucianism And The Rules Of Playing "Qin"

The combination of Confucianism and the rules of playing piano has a repeated inspection process that referring to the musical system of the Western Zhou, an musical instrument named Guqin was selected by Confucians in Han Dynasty from the perspective of the enlightenment for rites and music; then a theory was made specially for Guqin and was followed by Confucians of Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasty. In the discourse system of the Han Confucians, Guqin could confirm to Nature and Yin and Yang, and playing piano was related to suppressing the riot and can transform social traditions. So the Han Confucians hoped that the theory of playing Guqin could be into practice and help emperors moralize people and govern his country.The Confucians of the Han and Tang Dynasty were willing to controlling the seven emotions of mankind that are joy, anger, pity, fear, love, fate and desire. The executors were saints and their managed objects were all of the people who were in the passive position. Gupin could forbid the evil of people and upright their heart. However, the social environment of the Spring and Autumn had been quite different from that of the Western Zhou, and after their rules of playing Guqin were carried out, there came to two conclusions; one is helping emperors govern his country which is unrealistic; the other is cultivating which is fit to Confucians and can be developed further. While due to Time limitation, their cultivation cannot be recorded clearly.Though Confucianism is overwhelmed by Metaphysics and Buddhism, it is developed gradually. The opinion on Qin of Confucians is turned from enlightenment to cultivation. The opinion on Qin of Confucians is turned from enlightenment to cultivation. Being confronted with the invasion of external culture such as Buddhism and Hu music, Guqin is emphasized as the classic instrument again, competing against Hu misic and even keeping monks off. However in the trend of cultural integration, Confucianism is influenced inevitably by Metaphysics and Buddhism, and finally developed into Neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty.In the influence of Neo-Confucianism, the theory of Qin no longer pays attention to the impact from outside, but establishes cultivation basing on itself. On this premise, there are two divisions because of different views on Neo-Confucianism. From Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong, Zhang Zai, Yi Chuan to Zhu Xi, they hold that the Way is expressed by Qin; however, Cheng Mingdao, Lu Jiuyuan, Wang Mingyang and Li Zhi, they believe that Qin is the Way. Neo-Confucianism is also known as the School of Mind. The efforts of Confucians in Song and Ming to explain the whole universe finally come down to the moral practice of life process and cultivation of mind.In brief, in the eyes of Han Confucians, the saints can control the feelings of the public by ritual and music. For instance, Qin can help people prohibit immorality, return to themselves and thus transform social traditions. While Song and Ming Neo-Confucians maintain that every individual can manage his feelings by sincerity, integrity,cultivation and learning; thus "Qin stands for prohibition " means that gentlemen control feelings by themselves. Huang Qian of the Republic of China adopts both views and maintains that Qin can purify the public as the music for the mass, and is also fit for the cultivation of the gentlemen as the single music. When it is concerted with other instruments, it can restrain depravity of the mass and make people upright. At the same time, it is fit for the performance as the single music. The gentlemen must control themselves for that Qin sounds subtle and distant; thus who is pure in heart can comprehend its subtlety and who has few desires can realize its mystique.