Selected Works of Nan Huaijin (Volume 1)

Author: Nan Huaijin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Nan Huaijin, a renowned scholar with international acclaim, was born in 1918 into a scholarly family in Leqing County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang. At 85 years old, he received early education at home and studied the classics in his youth. When the Anti-Japanese War broke out, the young Nan Huaijin took up arms and served on the southwestern frontier. After returning to Sichuan, he taught at the Central Military Academy and Jinling University. With exceptional talent and detachment from worldly matters, he often traveled with straw sandals and bamboo staffs, exploring famous mountains and rivers to seek out eminent monks and scholars. He once secluded himself at the Shaping Temple on Mount Emei for three years, thoroughly reading the vast Buddhist canon. Later, he traveled to Tibet, studying with masters of Vajrayana Buddhism and gaining deep insights into the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism. After leaving Tibet, he moved to Kunming, initially teaching at Yunnan University and later at Sichuan University. After the war, he returned to his hometown and soon retired to Mount Tianzhu in Hangzhou and Mount Lu in Jiangxi, dedicating himself to scholarly pursuits. After moving to Taiwan, he was appointed to teach at Cultural University, Fu Jen University, and other universities and research institutions, spreading his knowledge to Japan, the United States, and Central and South America. In recent years, he has resided in Hong Kong, contributing significantly to cultural exchange between the mainland and Taiwan. Nan Huaijin is well-versed in Confucian, historical, and classical studies, bridging Eastern and Western cultures with profound knowledge and extensive writings. Especially notable is his use of the "integration of classics and history" method to explain the core texts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. His explanations are rich in references, engaging, and deeply meaningful, making him a beloved figure among readers across all levels in both Taiwan and mainland China. Fudan University Press is the earliest publisher of Nan Huaijin’s works and the publisher with the most comprehensive collection of his writings. They have published a total of twenty-four works, most of which are his representative works. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization, these works have been compiled into ten volumes, bound in hardcover to meet the needs of readers for reading and collecting. The following is the content of each volume:
Volume 1: The Analects Decoded
Volume 2: The Way of Lao Tzu and Mencius Unbound
Volume 3: The I Ching Unbound and Commentary on the I Ching
Volume 4: Zen and Taoism and Taoism, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Eastern Mysticism
Volume 5: Exploring the Zen Sea and Zen Talks
Volume 6: A Brief History of the Development of Buddhism in China and A Brief History of the Development of Taoism in China
Volume 7: The Experience of History and A New Generation of Cultural Integration
Volume 8: The Essentials of Buddhist Practice and The Healing Vision of the Lotus Sutra
Volume 9: The Heart of the Diamond Sutra and The Meaning of the Heart Sutra
Volume 10: The Original Meaning of the Great Learning
The Analects, compiled by Confucius’s disciples and later scholars, is an important Confucian classic that records the words and deeds of Confucius. Since the Western Han Dynasty, the teachings of Confucius as expressed in the Analects have rapidly expanded, influencing politics, thought, culture, education, and ethics across various fields, becoming a major symbol of traditional Chinese culture. Annotations and commentaries on the Analects have been passed down through generations. The renowned scholar Nan Huaijin, with his profound knowledge, has written The Analects Decoded as a lecture record, drawing on extensive references and weaving historical stories to explain the text. Each passage of the twenty chapters is explained in detail and vividly, with insights into the structure, connections, and meanings of the original text, as well as the cultural background it references. What makes it particularly innovative is the author’s compilation of these explanations into engaging historical narratives, offering deep meaning and delightful humor, setting it apart from other commentaries on the Analects. Originally published by the Lao Gu Cultural Enterprise Company in Taiwan in May 1976, it was reprinted eighteen times by 1988. To promote the shared Chinese culture between the mainland and Taiwan, the author and the original publisher have agreed to republish the eighteenth edition of The Analects Decoded for research purposes.