Meaning: All things that can be seen with form exist objectively; and all things that exist objectively are manifestations of some natural phenomena, and such phenomena can be explained as aura. The driving force means that all things have animism and nature. It is a simple materialistic view.

Source: Zhang Zai of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Zhengmeng Qiancheng": "Everything that can be described exists. Everything that exists is an image, and all images are Qi. The nature of Qi is essentially empty but spiritual. The spirit and nature are inherent in Qi. These ghosts and spirits are physical objects and cannot be left behind." This sentence means that Qi itself has no fixed form, and its movements are unpredictable. According to the Book of Changes, "qi" refers to the two qi of yin and yang. In philosophy, it is extended to the extremely small material qi, which Zhang Zai regards as the origin of all things. "Shen" refers to the unpredictable changes in the movement of Qi.

"Zhengmeng", also known as "Zhang Zizhengmeng", Zhang Zai is one of the five sons of the Northern Song Dynasty and an unavoidable figure in the history of Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties. It was written in the ninth year of Xining (1076). "Meng" is the name of a hexagram in the "Book of Changes". The hexagram contains the phrase "Meng to nourish righteousness". Meng means ignorance and unclearness; Zheng means correction. This means that they should be cultivated from childhood. Zhang Zai said: "It is the merit of a sage to raise him to be a righteous person." This is where the title of the book comes from.

Zhang Zai's book "Zheng Meng" was his final work in his later years, which fully demonstrated his theoretical panorama. He has written many works throughout the history. Wang Chuanshan wrote "Zheng Meng Zhu", which basically completely inherited and developed it. Zhang Zai’s philosophical system of Qi theory, Chuanshan School, can be called the last and largest school in the history of Chinese Confucianism. It has profound thinking and distinctive ideological characteristics. He interpreted the whole book and regarded "Zhengmeng" as the source of Confucian theory. It can be seen that this The depth and strength of the book in constructing philosophical theories. A better interpretation is that of Zhengmeng written by Zhou Yun.

Extended information:

1. Author introduction:

Zhang Zai (1020-December 6, 1077), founder of the Guanxue School in the Northern Song Dynasty, Zihou was born in Fengxiang County (now Hengqu Town, Mei County, Shaanxi Province). Thinker, educator and one of the founders of Neo-Confucianism in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Song Zhenzong was born in Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi) in the fourth year of Tianxi's reign (1020). When he was young, he liked to discuss the art of war and published "Nine Articles of Bilateral Discussion". Befriend Fan Zhongyan and study the Six Classics of Confucianism. After passing the rank of Jinshi, he joined the army under the jurisdiction of Qizhou, was awarded the magistrate of Yunyan County, and moved to Zuo Lang and Chongwen Academy Shulang. After resigning and returning home, he gave lectures in Guanzhong and established a school of thought called "Guan Xue".

In the tenth year of Xining (1077), Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, he died of illness in Lintong at the age of fifty-eight. He was known as Mr. Hengqu in the world, respectfully named Zhang Zi, granted the title of sage, and was enshrined in the 38th place in the west veranda of the Confucius Temple. , together with Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong, Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, are collectively known as the "Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty". His famous sayings of "establishing a heart for the heaven and earth, establishing a destiny for the people, carrying on the unique knowledge for the saints, and creating peace for all generations" were called "Four Hengqu Sentences" by contemporary philosopher Feng Youlan. Because of their conciseness and conciseness, they have been praised throughout the ages. He is the author of "Zhengmeng", "Hengqu Yishuo" and other works left in the world.

2. Content introduction:

The main purpose of Zhang Zai's "Zhengmeng" is to use Confucianism to criticize Buddhism and Taoism and establish a philosophical system of Qi monism. In "Zhengmeng", based on "Yi Zhuan", he demonstrated that material Qi is the origin of the world, and criticized Buddhism for "using the mind to cause and destroy the heaven and earth", "falsely calling the heaven and earth, the sun and the moon as illusions" and Laozi The idea of ??"being born out of nothing".

In the history of Chinese philosophy, for the first time the essence of Buddhist idealist philosophy is revealed from the perspective of world view. The idea of ??"one thing and two bodies" proposed in "Zhengmeng" made an important contribution to the development of ancient simple dialectics. The philosophy of Qi monism established in the book "Zhengmeng" opened up a new stage in the development of simple materialism in ancient China. Luo Qinshun, Wang Tingxiang, Wang Fuzhi, Dai Zhen, etc. all inherited and developed the ideas of "Zhengmeng".

"Eastern Inscription" and "Western Inscription" were originally two inscriptions written by Zhang Zai on the double doors of his study, called "Bianyu" and "Dingwen". Later, Cheng Yi suggested that they be changed to "Bianyu" and "Dingwen". "Dong Ming" and "Xi Ming" were compiled into "Zheng Meng". "Xi Ming" promotes the Confucian thought of "benevolence and filial piety" and was highly praised by Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi, and became one of the important ideological sources of Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties.

After Zhang Zai's death, his disciple Su Bing separated the book "Zhengmeng" into seventeen chapters, which were divided into "Taihe", "Shenliang", "Tiandao" and "Divination". Chapters such as "Qian Sheng" and "Qian Sheng" were printed and circulated, and were "recited in every household" in the Guanzhong area. The earliest extant version can be found in the Song version of "Zhu Confucian Ming Dao Ji". "Zheng Meng" has many annotations, of which Wang Fuzhi's "Zhang Zizheng Meng Annotation" is the most famous. The ancient book publishing house published a collated version in 1956.

Baidu Encyclopedia—Zhengmeng

Baidu Encyclopedia—Zhang Zai