These four famous sayings with far-reaching meaning and sounding sound, "Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue to learn for the saints, and open peace for all generations" have been summed up by contemporary philosopher Feng Youlan as "four sentences of Hengqu", which is known as the "spiritual sentence" of the Chinese, and its author is Zhang Zai.
The four sentences of Hengqu "are the essence of the thought of the great Confucian Zhang Zai in the Song Dynasty, and they are also the creed he adhered to all his life. He was the founder of the "Guan Xue" of the Two Song Dynasty and was also known as Mr. Hengqu by later generations. His ancestral hall is located in Hengqu Town, at the northern foot of Taibai Mountain, the main peak of the Qinling Mountains. The gurgling water flowing from the back of the Qinling Mountains has nourished most of China and witnessed the longevity of Zhang Zai's spirit.
Walking into Zhang Zai Ancestral Hall, he was greeted by the ancient cypress planted by his own hands, which stood for thousands of years and showed its vigor and verdant. Just like the grand ambition embodied by its owner's "Four Sentences of Hengqu", it has been recited by the world for thousands of years.
In his early years, he was determined to open peace for all generations
Zhang Zai, a native of Fengxiang Yi County (now Meixian County, Shaanxi Province), was a famous thinker and educator in the Northern Song Dynasty, and one of the founders of science. He has successively served as a judicial officer in Qizhou, a magistrate of Yunyan County, a writer of Zuolang, a scholar of Chongwen Academy, and a scholar of Zhitai Changliyuan.
When Zhang Zai was young, he liked the art of war and was determined to join the army, and he planned to organize a militia group to regain the lost territory in TaoxiIn his prime, he assisted the commander of Weizhou in planning border defense. In Zhang Zai's officialdom career, although he has not encountered swords and swords, difficulties and obstacles, it is by no means smooth sailing. His career was not smooth and his political ambitions were not fully realized. In the end, Zhang Zai returned to Hengqu. He worked hard to write books, created the "Guanxue" with the same reputation as Zhou Dunyi's "Lianxue" and Ercheng's "Luoxue", and practiced it himself, and tested the feasibility of the "Jingtian system" with students in the three towns of Hengqu, Fufeng and Chang'an, showing the style of Confucianism.
When he was dressed in white, he took the world as his own responsibility, and wrote a letter to Fan Zhongyan, who was then the deputy envoy of Shaanxi Jinglu to pacify and preside over the defense of the northwest, and stated his views and opinions, intending to unite Jiao Yin, a Yongshou man from Shaanxi, to organize a militia to regain the lost land in Taoxi, which was occupied by the Western Xia, and to make contributions to the country. When he took the exam, he boarded the Jinshi with Su Shi and Su Zhe brothers. On the occasion of waiting for the edict, Zhang Zai was invited by Prime Minister Wen Yanbo to preach the "Book of Changes" at the opening altar of Xiangguo Temple in Kaifeng, which moved the capital for a while. However, when his reputation is all over the world, he can also humbly listen to the opinions of his sons and nephews Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers, resolutely withdraw from the pulpit, and say to the listeners: "The way of easy learning, I am not as good as Ercheng." Ask them for advice. ”
In the winter of 1077, the snow was falling heavily, and the fifty-eight-year-old Zhang Zai died. He was poor all his life, and after his death, he was impoverished, and the students rushed to buy a coffin when they heard the news.
The middle-aged man said that he would continue to learn for the sake of the saints
Mr. Hengqu created materialism, more than 500 years earlier than Descartes, and Zhang Hengqu, the father of world materialist philosophy, deserves it. "In 1960, when British Field Marshal General Montgomery visited Xi'an, he said to the *** Prime Minister who accompanied him.
Zhang Zai advocated that learning should be applied to the world, practical and practical, and actively practiced and disseminated his own doctrines, forming a set of ideological systems about the laws of the universe, the wisdom of life, social values, the meaning of life, and the Confucian principles, that is, the profound understanding of the life of heaven - Zhang Zai Academic, became an important founder of Guanxue and science, and was known as one of the "Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty", building an ideological and cultural monument that influenced Chinese history and culture for nearly a thousand years.
Zhang Zai put forward new Confucian ideas such as the ontology of "Taixu is Qi", the contradictory view of "one thing and two bodies", the cultivation theory of "changing temperament", and the realm theory of "harmony between people and things".At the same time, he emphasized practice, paid attention to the style of practical learning, and established the style of the school of Guan Xue, which is honest and courteous, and his main works include "Zhengmeng", "Ximing", "Hengqu Yishuo", "Jingxue Li Cave" and so on. In the era of Grandmaster Zhang Zai, "the prosperity of Guanxue, not inferior to Luoxue", was for the manifestation of learning, and formed a three-legged trend with "Luoxue" and "Lianxue", and became one of the founding schools of Song and Ming Dynasty science.
The great Confucian Zhang Zai can be a military general, a military commander, a family of learning, and an experimental sacrament of the sagesDo not lose their arms because of their position, and do not pride their hearts because of their reputation. It embraces the literati style of the family and the country, and inherits the previous generations and can learn from future generations.
In his later years, he set his heart to make a life for the people
Zhang Zai's philosophical thought is most admired for the broad feelings of "people and things". "The people and the people" is put forward by Zhang Zai in the article "Ximing" (also known as "Ding"): "Qian is called the father, and Kun is called the mother." To despise it is to be in the middle of the confusion. Therefore, the fortress of heaven and earth, my body;The handsomeness of heaven and earth, my nature. People, my compatriots;Things, I and also. "Man and I, things and people, and heaven and earth are born together, and they all uphold the nature of heaven and earth, so everyone should regard all people as compatriots and all things as friends.
Under the guidance of the people's materials and thoughts, Zhang Zai always cares about the safety and well-being of the people, and has the courage to shoulder the great responsibility of saving the people from fire and water.
Confucianism is valuable in "knowledge", innovation in thought, more valuable in "action", and positive impact on society with practical actions, the so-called "presiding over famous teaching, taking on the way of the world".
After Zhang Zai was admitted to the Jinshi, he successively served as a judicial officer in Qizhou and a magistrate in Yunyan County. He was strict in his official decrees, giving priority to "good customs", promoting moral governance, and advocating a social trend of respecting the elderly and caring for the young. When Zhang Zai was the county magistrate in Yunyan, he was committed to solving practical problems in the lives of ordinary people. He paid attention to listening to the voices of the people, and from time to time summoned the people to the county office, set up wine and food to entertain them, and chatted about their parents' shortcomings while eating and drinking, and the people could get feedback immediately if they were dissatisfiedThe policies and decrees posted at the entrance of the county ya, Zhang Zai summoned the prestige village sages every time, let them fully understand clearly, and then conveyed them to the ordinary people in easy-to-understand words;Zhang Zai used the power of the people to manage the civil order, leaving enough space for the villagers to give full play to their self-governance ability, and resolving many small and numerous civil contradictions as soon as possible. In addition, he also raised funds in various ways to build the first free school in Yunyan County, providing poor children with study opportunities.
At the critical juncture of the country and the nation, the "Four Sentences of Hengqu" were often quoted, and Wen Tianxiang quoted them to show his heart at the end of the Southern Song DynastyOn the occasion of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Huang Zongxi also expressed his will in these four sentences;During the Anti-Japanese War, Ma Yifu also used these four sentences to inspire the Chinese people to ......In times of countless crises, it has inspired generations of Chinese people to work hard for the country and the people. After Zhang Zai, there are countless "Zhang Zai". Their sense of responsibility and spiritual pursuit of caring for the common people and the world are still shining brightly. Whenever faced with difficulties and adversities, "establishing a heart for heaven and earth, establishing a life for the people, continuing to learn for the saints, and opening peace for all generations" will flash in front of people's eyes, allowing people to see the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation.
It has been passed down for thousands of years, and it has established its heart for heaven and earth
The great virtue of heaven and earth is born, and the whole virtue of the human heart is said to be benevolent. In the affairs of scholars, it is not necessary to seek benevolence in knowing benevolence, and benevolence in good and evil is not benevolent. To be able to do so is to "set a heart for heaven and earth."
The spirit of emphasizing mission, advocating morality, seeking practicality, upholding integrity, and being compatible with the nobles contained in Guanxue has an important and far-reaching impact on the way of thinking, values, and personality of the Chinese people, as well as the inheritance and innovation of the Chinese nation's ideology and culture.
In 1076, Zhang Zai's ** Lü Dajun formulated the first written village rules and civil covenant in Chinese history - "Lü's Township Covenant", which was the earliest rural autonomy system in China, and was respected by later generations as the ancestor of China's township covenant, which had a great influence.
There were many township rules and people's covenants modeled on the "Lü's Township Covenant" in various eras, and they were even spread to Korea, Japan and other countries. Political scientist Xiao Gongquan spoke highly of it: "The "Lü Township Covenant" is particularly unprecedented in establishing an autonomous group of villagers outside the rule of the monarchy. ”
In 1609, Feng Congwu, the "Master of Guanxi", founded Guanzhong Academy to inherit and revitalize Guanxue. In 1903, Niu Zhaolian, "the last great Confucian of Guanxue", served as the chief teacher of Guanzhong Academy, and resolutely shouldered the sacred mission of "continuing to learn for the saints".
In November 2016, the first family style museum in Shaanxi Province "Baoji Family Style Museum" was inaugurated in Hengqu Village, Hengqu Town, Meixian County.
On December 13, 2020, Hengqu Academy, covering an area of 188 acres, was completed and opened in Hengqu Town, Meixian County, Zhang Zai's hometown. In 2021, Zhang Zaici (Hengqu Academy) was named Baoji City Anti-corruption Education Base.
Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue to learn for the saints, and open peace for all generations", "Four Sentences of Hengqu" shows the magnificent atmosphere of science in the Northern Song Dynasty and carries the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture. From the majestic atmosphere of the "Four Sentences of the Hengqu", people can feel the sense of responsibility and feelings of "great promise". Confucianism is determined to make nothing in the world that cannot be placed, and Confucius said: "The old man is safe, the friend believes in it, and the young man cherishes it." "Establish the tide of the times, the changes through the past and the present, and the forerunner of thought. Zhang Zai's strong spirit has given great strength to the world, and he has also found the most solid spiritual home for every young man in the new era who has ideals, skills and responsibilities.
In the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, the sages and sages are as bright as the stars, but Zhang Zai's grand ambition has reshaped the Chinese literati for thousands of years, and stood out in the rolling torrent of history. Regardless of the prosperity or troubled times, Chinese literati can always embody a spiritual pursuit and firm belief for the world, for the people, for the nation, and for the world. This pursuit originates from Hengqu, from the Qinling Mountains, and is deeply rooted in the spirit of the Chinese nationJust as Taibai is like Qinling, Qinling is like China, and it continues in the blood of the Chinese nation.
Zhang Zai's thoughts have lasted for a long time and have spanned thousands of years, but his profound wisdom and great character are like spiritual sources, which continue to nourish the Chinese nation, so that the Chinese people can still draw a steady stream of spiritual strength from his thoughts after a thousand years.