A Study On Lnterpretation Of Mencius By Zhu Xi

The book Interpretation of Mencius lays a foundation for Zhuzi Mencius thoughts,A research and discussion on the latter has a significant meaning from the perspective of observing development trends in the studies of Mencius in Song Dynasty as well as that of exploring the details in Zhu Xi's Mencius thoughts.The author totally read through seven versions of this book as follows: a Ming manuscript,the second block-printed edition of A Collection of Zhuzi's Books by Lv Family Bao Gao House in the middle of the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty,a manuscript of Complete Works of Chinese Classics in the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty,a block-printed edition published by Gong Shan House,Jinling,in the thirteenth year in the reign of Emperor Tongzhi;a block-printed edition,Xi Jing Qing Lu Book Series,published by Chuan Jing House in the twelfth year in the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty,a block-printed edition,Zi Yang Book Series,published in the twenty-seventh year in the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty and a Japanese block-printed edition published in the fourteenth year in Zhengbao period.Through a careful observation and comparison of all these different versions of the book Interpretation of Mencius,I discovered and sorted out quite a number of errors in the Complete Works of Chinese Classics while such quite popular versions as Zhuzi Complete Works and Confucian Collection,both of which were compiled based on the version by Lv Family Bao Gao House and through careful emendation,also have some minor problems in them.Although the Interpretation of Mencius is a “narrative work”by Zhuzi,but it is definitely not a simple collection and compilation of materials.On one hand,when compiling these materials,Zhuzi had a total master of such matters like which chapters in Mencius deserve an intensive interpretation,what aspects of the doctrines in Mencius did the groups of Neo-Confucianism focus their interpretation on,and how did the majority of people combine their interpretation of Mencius and Neo-Confucianism.Well,in terms of the structure of the whole book,it has a deliberately planned detailed or brief statement of the doctrines shown in each chapter,such arrangement itself implying that Zhuzi had got a profound comprehension of the discussion objects in the book.In terms of the text content in the book,we can easilysee that the speeches by those scholars of Neo-Confucianism covered in the Interpretation of Mencius are basically following such a concept pattern of “the original content—hard practice” to explain the doctrines of Mencius while Zhuzi mainly used their interpretations to reconstruct a new interpretation system of Mencius theories.Well,through such reutilization of old concepts and construction of some new ones,the given traditional modes of interpretation and thinking of Mencius were totally broken.Therefore,we can say that the book Interpretation of Mencius has such a significance of developing some new traditions from old materials.Well,in terms of Zhuzi's personal academic history,the creation of Interpretation of Mencius has a double meaning of“gave up Zen and turned to Confucianism” as well as “established the school of Yi Luo Study”.In fact,in the few years from the beginning of compiling the book up to the final publication of it,Zhuzi gradually turned his attention from Taoism and Buddhism to Confucian scriptures,by continuous reading,thinking to finally choose to inherit Confucian doctrines while totally giving up Zen theories.At the same time,through repeated emendation of the book,Zhuzi gradually absorbed some Confucian doctrines and then applied his results into the Yi River Study.On the other hand,Zhuzi perfectly practiced such concepts of exclusion of paganism and evil speeches into the process of editing and compiling the Interpretation of Mencius.Well,these concepts had some negative effects though they also had such positive effects like removing of some unimportant thoughts,establishing an authoritative system of Neo-Confucianism with the interpretation of the doctrines of Mencius as its main focus.A detailed analysis of the academic inheritance of the groups of Neo-Confucianism included in the Interpretation of Mencius shows that this system of Neo-Confucianism is mainly consisted of two Chengs,Zhang Zai and his disciples and students,and the academic orientation of Zhuzi obviously highlights the Guan Study and the Luo Study while he paid no attention to those interpretations of Mencius by other schools.This kind of editing method demonstrates some quite intensive closure and exclusiveness when Zhuzi opposed the interpretations of Mencius by such people as Wang Pang,Xu Yuncheng,Suzhe while inside the system of Neo-Confucianism the other parts of the thoughts of those scholars who were included in the Interpretation of Mencius,began to lose people's attention too.With the prosperity of the study of Zhuzi in the Chinese history of academic thoughts,a large number of different interpretations of Mencius by some other academic schools,which were never approved by Zhuzi,just gradually disappeared in Chinese history due to failing to gain attention from people and society.