Nan Huaijin Selected Works (Volume 10)

Author: Nan Huaijin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Nan Huaijin, a renowned scholar with international acclaim, was born in 1918 to a scholarly family in Leqing County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang. At 85 years old, he was nurtured in early childhood and studied the classics in his youth. When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, the young Nan Huaijin took up arms and served on the southwestern frontier. Later, he returned to Sichuan, teaching at the Central Military Academy and Jinling University. With exceptional talent and detachment from worldly matters, he often traveled with straw sandals and bamboo canes, exploring famous mountains and rivers to seek out eminent monks and scholars. He once retreated to the Shaping Temple on Mount Emei for three years of seclusion, thoroughly reading the vast Buddhist canon. He then 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. Soon after, he retired to Tianzhu Mountain in Hangzhou and Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi, dedicating himself to scholarly pursuits. Upon moving to Taiwan, he was appointed to teach at Cultural University, Fu Ren 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 Taiwan Strait regions. Nan Huaijin is well-versed in classics, history, philosophy, and literature, bridging Eastern and Western cultures with profound knowledge and extensive writings. Particularly, he employs the method of "comparing classics with history" to explain the core teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, drawing on extensive references and blending ancient and modern wisdom. His works are deeply meaningful, vivid, and humorous, achieving remarkable success in popularizing traditional Chinese culture and gaining widespread appreciation from readers across all levels in both Taiwan and mainland China. Fudan University Press is the earliest domestic publisher of Nan Huaijin's works and the publisher with the most extensive and varied collection of his writings. The total number of his works published by Fudan University Press amounts to twenty-four, most of which are his representative works. With the authorization of the author and the original publishing house, these works have been compiled into ten volumes, bound in hardcover, to meet the needs of readers for reading and collecting. The contents of each volume are as follows:
Volume 1: The Analects Decoded
Volume 2: The Way of Lao Tzu and His Sayings, The Unrecorded Mencius
Volume 3: The I Ching Unveiled, The I Ching Systematic Lectures
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: Lessons from History, A New Generation of Tradition, General Remarks on Chinese Culture
Volume 7: How to Practice and Attain Enlightenment, The Healing Vision of the Lotus Sutra, The Fundamental Beliefs of a Buddhist
Volume 8: What the Diamond Sutra Means, The Contemporary Interpretation of the Great Wisdom Sutra of the Lengye King
Volume 9: A Brief Explanation of the Great Awakening Sutra, Initial Practices of Meditation and Wisdom, The Contemporary Interpretation of the Lengye King
Volume 10: The Original Meaning of the Great Learning.
The Great Learning is one of the representative works of Confucianism, traditionally attributed to Zengzi (Zeng Can), a student of Confucius. Together with The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects, and Mencius, it forms the "Four Books," which were mandatory reading for scholars and students after the Song Dynasty. It is structured around the principles of "illuminating virtue," "transforming the people," and "attaining perfection," and outlines the relationship between moral cultivation and social politics with the goals of "investigating things," "gaining knowledge," "sincerity of heart," "rectifying thoughts," "self-cultivation," "governing the family," "governing the state," and "peacefully governing the world." It has had a profound influence on ancient Chinese thought and culture. This book is a lecture record by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin on The Great Learning. The title "Original Great Learning" refers to the ancient text The Great Learning from the Small Sealed Records of Rites. With his profound knowledge, Nan Huaijin synthesizes a wealth of historical and literary allusions to reveal the deeper meanings of The Great Learning, offering readers both intellectual enjoyment and life insights. With the authorization of the author and the original publishing house, Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprises, this book has been published in its revised edition (January 2003) for research purposes.