Biography of Qian Daixin

Author: Zhang Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Jiading is a small coastal town with no famous mountains or rivers, and before the establishment of the county in the Southern Song Dynasty, there were no remains of scholars or literary families. The officials were mostly prudent and simple, with none reaching high positions. The learning in Jiading generally flourished during the Jiajing and Longqing years of the Ming Dynasty, when Xu Yunlu, Tang Shisheng, Lou Jian, Cheng Jiasui, Li Liufang, and Yan Yan "respected and promoted ancient learning." Later, Huang Chunya "had his literary talent and integrity shine through the ages." After the Qing Dynasty, many scholars and literati emerged from Jiading, such as Zhang Yunzhang, Sun Zhiming, and Zhang Pengchong, who "were either deeply versed in classics or set their mark in literature." Thus, "due to the abundance of virtuous scholars in the hometown," Jiading "though small and remote, was still renowned within the empire." It can be said that the cultural tradition of Jiading scholars, who valued simplicity and integrity, had a profound influence on Qian Daixin.
Qian Daixin's ancestors were not originally from Jiading. During the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, Qian Zi, a farmer from Shuangfengli in Changshu, came to a family named Guan in Shengjing, Jiading, to marry into the family. Later, due to insufficient funds to return to Changshu, he settled in Shengjing. Although the couple had only about four or five acres of land and two rooms, their life was harmonious and happy. After Qian Zi's death, he was also buried locally, becoming the progenitor of Qian Daixin. Subsequently, the Qian family prospered through farming, gradually accumulating wealth through hard work and continuous effort.
In traditional Chinese patriarchal society, when a family had many descendants, they would often branch out. As a result, the Qian family began to divide into two branches during the generation of Qian Zi's grandson. One branch settled in Wai'an, while the other lived in Wangxianqiao. The branch that moved to Wangxianqiao was Qian Daixin's great-great-grandfather, named Qian Bing. Qian Daixin's grandfather, Qian Wangjiong, was a county student, and his father, Qian Guifan, was an associate county student, both of whom taught students to support themselves as village tutors. Qian Wangjiong was upright and unambitious. At the age of 69, when the imperial court granted grain and cloth to those over 70, many neighbors falsely claimed older ages to receive the rewards. Some persuaded Qian Wangjiong to do the same, but he sternly declared, "Life is determined by heaven; one may deceive others, but can one deceive heaven? To deceive heaven and betray the superiors is something I will never do."
When teaching his disciples, Qian Wangjiong also cited passages from Guanzi·Shuyan ("When the pot is full, people will pour it out; when people are full, heaven will pour them out") and Huainanzi·Qianyanxun ("Only those who do not seek profit are harmless; only those who do not seek blessings are free from misfortune"), reflecting a selfless and desireless state. Even at over 80, Qian Wangjiong continued to read and said, "A day without reading makes one vulgar." His father, Qian Guifan, was also "honest and did not associate with others recklessly. When friends made mistakes, he would admonish them fully." The spiritual character and lifestyle of his ancestors had a subtle yet profound influence on Qian Daixin's life and academic journey. This influence is also easily felt in Qian Daixin's deeply emotional reflective writings, and the phrase "Yangxin" in his later work Shijaizhai Yangxinlu (Record of Cultivating New Insights) was derived from his grandfather Qian Wangjiong's study name.
In the preface to Shijaizhai Yangxinlu, Qian Daixin wrote:
"'When the banana heart is exhausted, new branches unfold; with each new leaf, a new heart follows. I wish to learn the new heart and cultivate new virtue, always following the new leaves to gain new knowledge.' Zhang Zihou's Ode to Banana."