Chinese Classics Collection - Great Learning / Doctrine of the Mean

Author: Wang Guoxuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: "The Great Learning" is one of the famous classical texts of ancient China. Originally a chapter in the "Book of Rites," it did not attract special attention before the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, figures like Han Yu began to cite "The Great Learning," drawing attention to it. By the Song Dynasty, the founders of Neo-Confucianism, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, held it in high regard, calling it: "The of Confucius and the initial gateway for entering virtue." The great synthesizer of Neo-Confucianism in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi, said: "The celestial cycle is unending, with no return without repetition. The virtue of the Song Dynasty flourished, and governance and education were clear and bright. Thus, the two masters of the Henan Cheng family emerged, connecting with the tradition of Mencius. They truly revered and highlighted this text, organizing its chapters, revealing its essence, and thereby restoring the ancient method of teaching and the guidance of the sacred and virtuous tradition to the world." Later, Zhu Xi, building on the foundation of the two Chengs, reordered it, dividing it into one chapter of the "Text" and ten chapters of the "Commentary," and believed that the chapter on "Extending Knowledge through Investigation of Things" was missing, composing his famous "Supplementary Commentary." Zhu Xi's interpretation of "The Great Learning" was a reinterpretation, in other words, a new explanation from the perspective of Neo-Confucianism. It fully embodied the study of mind and nature, elevating "The Great Learning" to a philosophical work. From then on, Neo-Confucianism not only continued the transmission of the Way but also developed its own structure and order.
"The Doctrine of the Mean" is an important Confucian classic, like the "Book of Changes," it is a theoretical wellspring of Confucianism. However, the "Book of Changes" has a greater influence and broader scope than "The Doctrine of the Mean," and it became the focus of study for Confucians after the Song Dynasty. Many concepts and propositions in Neo-Confucianism originate from "The Doctrine of the Mean," many great Neo-Confucian scholars adhered to its principles, and many Confucians used its methodology for thinking. Thus, it can be seen that "The Doctrine of the Mean" has had a profound influence on the formation of Chinese civilization.