Meaning: heaven and earth are the creation of all things, and the heart of heaven and earth means that scholars are familiar with the creation principle of all things and make heaven manifest. Confucianism pays attention to the state of being, not talking about the confusion between Machamp and God, but the material and spiritual aspects of life. From the material aspect, it is food and clothing, ethics and politics in spirit, and it is for the people to settle down.

The original sentence comes from Zhang Zai, a thinker in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Zhang Zai (1020—107765438+February 6th), born in Hengqu Town, Fengxiang County (now Meixian County, Shaanxi Province), was a thinker and educator in the Northern Song Dynasty and one of the founders of Neo-Confucianism. Known as Mr. Hengqu in the world, Zhang Zi is honored as a saint, and he is thirty-eight in the west of Confucius Temple. His famous saying, "Make a heart for heaven and earth, make a life for the people, link the past with the future, and create peace for all generations", was called "four sentences in a horizontal canal" by contemporary philosopher Feng Youlan. Because of its simplicity and grandeur, it has been praised by people throughout the ages.

Zhang Zai, together with Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong, Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, is also known as the "five sons of the Northern Song Dynasty", and his works such as Zhengmeng and Yi Shuo of Hengqu remain in the world.

Extended data:

The writing background of the four sentences of Hengqu;

In the second year of Song Shenzong, Zhang Zai was appointed as the master book of Chongwen Academy. When Wang Anshi acted as the "new law", he hoped to get Zhang Zai's support. Zhang Zai was not opposed to the political reform, but he suggested that he could not "teach jade people to chase", so he was at odds with An Shi. Later, because his brother Max Zhang was convicted of opposing political reform, Zhang Zai resigned and returned to his hometown to give lectures and write books for a living.

Zhang Zai's thinking is extraordinary, emphasizing practice and paying attention to "the king outside". He attaches great importance to Zhou Li, and the dimension of his concern may be different from Wang Anshi's, but his position of advocating practical use is completely consistent. He advocated Taoism in Guanzhong with "practical ethics", and even wanted to combine Zhou Li's "minefield" discussion with his own ideas to raise money to buy land in Guanzhong and put it into practice.

His four words in Hengqu "establish heaven and earth, establish life for the people, link the past with the future, and open a peaceful future for generations." The main point is to restore the Zhou ceremony to make peace, but the sergeant is not smooth, and his talent and ambition cannot be displayed. He can only give lectures, write books and build Taoism.