Selected Works of Nan Huaijin (Volume 3)

Author: Nan Huaijin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Nan Huaijin is a renowned scholar with a high reputation both in China and abroad. Born in 1918 in Leqing County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, to a scholarly family, he is now 85 years old. From a young age, he received rigorous education at home and studied the classics. When the Second Sino-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 freedom from worldly constraints, he often traveled barefoot with a bamboo cane, exploring famous mountains and rivers, seeking out eminent monks and scholars. He once retreated to the Pingping Temple on Mount Emei, where he secluded himself for three years, thoroughly reading the vast Buddhist canon. Later, he traveled to Tibet, studying with masters of Vajrayana Buddhism and gaining deep knowledge of its various schools. 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. Soon after, he retired to Mount Tianzhu in Hangzhou and Mount Lu in Jiangxi, dedicating himself to scholarly pursuits. Upon 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 classics, history, and philosophy, bridging Eastern and Western cultures with his profound knowledge and extensive writings. Particularly notable is his use of the "integration of classics and history" method to explain the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. His explanations are rich in references, insightful, and engaging, making him a beloved figure among readers across all levels in both Taiwan and the mainland. Fudan University Press is the earliest publisher of Nan Huaijin's works in China and the publisher with the most extensive and varied collection of his writings. They have published a total of twenty-four works by Nan Huaijin, 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 Confucius, Mencius Unbound
Volume 3: The I Ching Unbound, The I Ching: Line by Line
Volume 4: Zen and Taoism, Taoism, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Eastern Mysticism, Meditation for Self-Cultivation and Longevity
Volume 5: Exploring the Zen Sea, Zen Talks, An Outline of the Development of Buddhism in China, An Outline of the Development of Taoism in China
Volume 6: Experiences from History, A New Generation of Tradition, General Remarks on Chinese Culture
Volume 7: How to Practice Buddhism, The Healing Vision of the Lotus Sutra, The Fundamental Beliefs of a Buddhist
Volume 8: What the Diamond Sutra Means, The Meaning of the Heart Sutra
Volume 9: An Abridged Explanation of the Lotus Sutra, The Initial Practice of Mind and Wisdom, The Meaning of the Heart Sutra
Volume 10: The Original Meaning of the Great Learning
The I Ching (also known as the Book of Changes) is the oldest divination text in China and also a philosophical work embodying the wisdom of ancient sages. It uses the symbol "—" (the yang line) to represent the masculine and the symbol "--" (the yin line) to represent the feminine as its basic signs. The eight trigrams (each composed of three lines) and the sixty-four hexagrams (each composed of six lines), formed by combining any two trigrams, are its fundamental diagrams. Through the interpretation of these hexagrams, it explains the laws of the generation and transformation of things and phenomena. This book is a lecture record by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin on the I Ching. The first part introduces general knowledge about the I Ching and related topics, while the second part focuses on explaining the sixty-four hexagrams (starting with the Qian hexagram and ending with the Wuji hexagram), with the explanation of the Qian hexagram being the most detailed. The content includes the names of the hexagrams, their titles, and their lines, as well as the Tuan Ci (Judgment), Xiang Ci (Image), and Yan Wen (Commentary) that interpret them. It is characterized by its clarity and accessibility. With the author's and original publisher's authorization, the 1987 revised edition by Lao Gu Cultural Enterprises is published for research purposes.
The I Ching is a masterpiece of Chinese culture and a required textbook for scholars in ancient times. The Zhisi Zhuan (Great Commentary on the Changes), traditionally attributed to Confucius, is a general treatise on the I Ching, covering its meaning, function, origin, and divination methods, and has been highly regarded throughout history. This book is a lecture record by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin on the Zhisi Zhuan. The method is to first quote each chapter's original text, then elaborate on it with historical knowledge, social phenomena, and natural phenomena. The language is simple yet profound in philosophy. With the author's and original publisher's authorization, the 1991 revised edition by Lao Gu Cultural Enterprises is published for research purposes.