Sighing language

Author: Zhong Lei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Whimpers of the Heart is a work by the famous Ming Dynasty thinker and philosopher Lü Kun, exploring the philosophy of life. In response to the various social problems that arose during the decline of the Ming Dynasty in its later years, the author proposed numerous ideas for promoting the beneficial and eliminating the harmful, urging for diligent governance. He also elaborated on his personal insights and experiences in self-cultivation, human relationships, and worldly affairs, which hold significant reference value for people today. Lü Kun was a Ming Dynasty thinker, styled Shujian, also known as Xingwu, and called himself the Hermit of Solitary Embrace. Born in 1536 during the 15th year of the Jiajing reign (common era), he was from Ningling, Henan Province. He passed the imperial examinations in the second year of the Wanli reign and served as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and Governor of Shanxi. Dissatisfied with the court's policies, he resigned due to illness and lived in seclusion for twenty years, dedicating himself to writing and teaching. He criticized those who were hypocritical in words and deeds, calling them "fake" and "decadent," and advocated for practical learning that was useful for the survival of the nation, the lives of the people, and the rectitude of the mind and body. His contemporaries praised his writings as "full of original ideas," with the essence lying in drawing from various schools of thought, grasping their core principles, delving into their significance, and finding personal enlightenment. He sought to eliminate the "prejudices" of all schools and reach a "single truth." He claimed, "I am not Confucian, not Taoist, not Buddhist, yet I am Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist." He wrote extensively, including The Collection of the Studio of Removing Falsehoods, The Whimpers of the Heart, Annotations on the Yin Fu Classic, The Four Rites Doubts, and The Four Rites Wings.