Nan Huaijin Selected Works. Volume 2

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 Province. At 85 years old, he received early education at home and later studied the classics. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the young Nan Huaijin abandoned his literary pursuits to join the army, serving on the southwestern frontier. After the war, he returned to Sichuan and 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 secluded himself for three years at the Emei Mountain’s Shaping Temple, immersing himself in the vast Buddhist canon. Later, he traveled to Tibet, studying with masters of Vajrayana Buddhism and gaining profound 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 and later retired to Tianzhu Mountain in Hangzhou and Lushan 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 deeply versed in classics, history, and philosophy, bridging Eastern and Western cultures with extensive knowledge and numerous works. 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 thorough, insightful, and engaging, making traditional Chinese culture accessible to readers across all levels. Fudan University Press is the earliest domestic publisher of Nan Huaijin’s works and the publisher with the most extensive collection of his publications. 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, beautifully bound 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 and Its Power (Laozi Says), Mencius in Perspective
Volume 3: The I Ching Unveiled, Commentary on the I Ching
Volume 4: Zen and Taoism, Taoism, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Eastern Mysticism, Meditation for Self-Cultivation and Immortality
Volume 5: Exploring the Zen Sea, Zen Talks, A Brief History of the Development of Buddhism in China, A Brief History of the Development of Taoism in China
Volume 6: Experiences from History, A New Generation Between Tradition and Modernity, General Remarks on Chinese Culture
Volume 7: How to Practice and Verify the Buddha’s Teachings, The Perspective of the Lotus Sutra for the World, Basic Beliefs of a Buddhist
Volume 8: What the Diamond Sutra Means, Interpretation of the Great Meaning of the Lengyan Sutra
Volume 9: A Brief Explanation of the Avatamsaka Sutra, Initial Practice of Samatha and vipassanā, Interpretation of the Great Meaning of the Lengya Sutra
Volume 10: The Original Meaning of the Great Learning
The Laozi, also known as The Classic of the Way and Virtue, is one of the most famous classics of the Taoist school and the Daoist tradition. It is comprehensive, profound, and concise, with just five thousand characters, yet it revolves around the concept of the "Way," constructing a philosophical system that spans from the governance of emperors to the self-cultivation of recluses, encompassing an extraordinary wealth of wisdom. This book is a lecture record by the renowned Taiwanese scholar Nan Huaijin on The Laozi. With his deep literary and historical background and keen social insight, the author provides a thorough elucidation, correction, and citation of the text’s meaning, making it accessible and easy to understand. It represents a valuable effort to popularize traditional Chinese culture, making ancient classics more approachable and specialized academic knowledge more widely available. The book also includes a bibliography of historical studies on The Laozi. Originally published by the Laozu Cultural Enterprise Company in Taiwan, this book has been revised multiple times by the author based on his insights since its publication in 1980. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization, this 1994 sixth edition, revised and published by Laozu, is now available for research.
Mencius is a classic of Confucianism and an essential source for studying the life and teachings of Mencius. Many timeless, inspiring maxims originate from it. This book is a lecture record by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin on Mencius. The author employs the "integration of classics and history" method, using the original text of Mencius as the "classic" and the social background and activities of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods as the "history," supplemented by various historical stories and social phenomena. This approach provides an in-depth explanation of Mencius’s character and the influence of his thoughts. It allows readers to engage with traditional Chinese culture in a lively and relaxed manner, gaining profound insights and wisdom. The book also includes a bibliography of historical studies on Mencius. Originally published by the Laozu Cultural Enterprise Company in Taiwan, this book has been revised multiple times by the author based on his insights since its publication in 1980. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization, this 1994 sixth edition, revised and published by Laozu, is now available for research.