Yan Family Precepts. Zhu Zi Family Precepts (Chinese Family Basic Collection. Notes and Miscellaneous Volume)

Author: Cheng Yanqing Translated and Annotated
Publisher:
Publication Date: Not Available
Features: The Family Precepts of Yan is an ancient book from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420–581 AD) that details personal experiences, thoughts, knowledge, and offers admonitions to descendants. Written by Yan Zhipu, it is divided into seven volumes and twenty chapters. Yan Zhipu (531–591 AD), styled Jie, was originally from Langya Linyi (now northern Linyi, Shandong Province in eastern China). His ancestors crossed the Yangtze River during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317–420 AD) and settled in Jiankang. Later, during the Hou Jing Rebellion, Emperor Xie Yi of the Liang Dynasty declared himself emperor in Jiangling, and Yan Zhipu served as a Gentleman of the Chamber. In 554 AD, the Western Wei Dynasty conquered Jiangling, and Yan Zhipu was captured and later served in the Northern Qi Dynasty. He subsequently held positions in the Northern Zhou and Sui dynasties. His Family Precepts of Yan was completed after the Sui Dynasty conquered the Chen Dynasty in 589 AD.
The Family Precepts of Zhu is a classic of traditional Chinese culture, advocating for feudal ethical concepts such as the "Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues" and the "Three Submissions and Four Virtues." Its primary purpose was to serve the feudal ruling class, filled with suppression of human nature and desires, severely hindering social progress. The oil paintings The Family Precepts of Zhu series by Wei Guangqing, exhibited in Images of Ideas—2002 Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Oil Paintings organized by Shenzhen Art Museum, represent a strong critique of such feudal culture and ideology.
Yan Zhipu (531–c. 591 AD), styled Jie, was originally from Langya Linyi (now northern Linyi, Shandong Province). His ancestors moved south during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and settled in Jiankang (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province). Initially, he served as the Left Attendant of the Xiangdong Kingdom of the Liang Dynasty. During the late Liang Dynasty, he was captured and sent to Jianye during the Hou Jing Rebellion and later became the Gentleman of the Chamber to Emperor Xie Yi of the Liang Dynasty. In the third year of the Chengsheng era (554 AD), the Northern Zhou Dynasty conquered Jiangling, and Yan Zhipu and his family were captured. Later, he fled north to the Northern Qi Dynasty with his family. Due to the replacement of the Liang Dynasty by the Chen Dynasty, he remained in the Northern Qi Dynasty and rose to the position of Yellow Gate Attendant. During the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, he was summoned by the crown prince as a scholar and served in that role until his retirement.
Throughout his life, Yan Zhipu served in the Liang, Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, and Sui dynasties, becoming a refugee three times. He wrote, "I have tasted the bitterness of tea and felt the loneliness of a withered forest, the sharpness of a bird whose wings are clipped, and the violence of a fish whose scales are torn. I sigh at the vastness of the universe and lament my inability to find a place to belong" (from The Autobiography of My Life). This experience led him to advocate for a life of few desires, contentment, and humility while also urging scholars and officials to engage in practical governance. As a member of the aristocratic clan, Yan Zhipu was deeply influenced by Confucian moral teachings but was also exposed to Buddhist and Taoist thought. Described as "a wide reader of books, knowledgeable in all fields, with elegant words and sentiments" (from the biography in the Book of the Northern Qi), he was one of the few high-ranking families who remained committed to traditional Confucian studies during the era of (Xuan wind). His erudition, integrity, and extensive life experiences provided the foundation for writing The Family Precepts of Yan in his later years.