Theory of Body and Application

Author: Xiong Shili
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Xiong Shili (1885-1968) was a renowned philosopher and patriotic democratic figure of modern China. One of the most original philosophers in the history of thought. Original name Jizhi, Shengheng, styled Zizhen, later called Qiyuan Laoren. Born in Huanggang, Hubei. Participated in the Wuchang Uprising and the (Protecting the Law Movement). In 1920, he entered the Nanjing Zhina Inner Academy to study Buddhism. From 1922 to the late 1950s, he taught at Peking University. During the War of Resistance against Japan, he lectured at Fuxing Academy in Sichuan. He settled in Shanghai in his later years. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he participated in the First Session of the (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) as a "Special Invited Person," and was later elected as a member of the CPPCC's Second, Third, and Fourth National Committees. Xiong Shili's academic achievements spanned ancient and modern times, integrating Eastern and Western thought, engaging with both Buddhism and Taoism, extracting essence and applying it broadly, ultimately returning to Confucianism. He adopted the "Chinese body, Western application" model to reform Buddhist Yogacara (Consciousness-Only) theory, creating a philosophical system based on the concept of "constant transformation" as its foundation. His major works include "New Yogacara Theory," "On Body and Application," "The Origin of Heaven and Earth," "Essentials of Xiong's Philosophical Discourses," "Interpretation of Buddhist Terminology," and "On Confucianism." This collection of essays aims to include Xiong's published and unpublished major academic works. The preface features several photographs of Xiong, including his portrait and autographs, while the final volume appends a chronology of his life and an index of his works.