The original text of the four sentences in Hengqu is: make a heart for heaven and earth, make a life for the people, carry forward the past and learn from the past, and make peace for all generations.

Translation: Scholars are familiar with the principle of creation, which makes the heaven manifest. Sufficient food and clothing from the material, ethical politics and religion from the spirit, so that the people can settle down. We will continue the immortal theory of the sages of past dynasties and create a great inheritance of permanent peace for generations to come.

The four sentences of Hengqu refer to the famous sayings of Zhang Zai, a great scholar in the Northern Song Dynasty, which is called "the four sentences of Hengqu" by contemporary philosopher Feng Youlan. Because of its simple words, it has always been praised by people.

throughout his life, Hengqu advocated "practical learning", emphasizing practical application, covering a wide range of research, and made unique achievements in natural sciences such as astronomical calendar calculation, agriculture, military affairs and politics.

Different from Cheng Er's "Luo Xue", Hengqu believes that the "origin" of the world is "Qi", not "Reason". Through the concept of "Qi", Zhang Zai constructed a unique philosophical system of "monism". Feng Youlan evaluated it as a great original contribution of Zhang Zai to China's philosophy.

The author's life experience

Zhang Zai (12-177) was a great scholar, philosopher, one of the founders of Neo-Confucianism in the Northern Song Dynasty, the founder of the branch of Neo-Confucianism, the sage Feng, and the 38th in the West Temple of Confucius. His ancestral home was Daliang (now Kaifeng, Henan Province), and he was a migrant in Hengqu Town, Jixian County (now Meixian County, Shaanxi Province). Scholars called him Mr. Hengqu.

Song Renzong Jiayou was a scholar in the second year, and he has been awarded the book and knowledge of Chongwen College for a long time. Later, his younger brother supervised Zhang Jian, who was demoted for opposing Wang Anshi's political reform, and Hengqu resigned. After returning home, he devoted himself to reading and giving lectures, creating "Guan Xue", which was famous for a while. He died in Tongguan in the tenth year of Xining, Song Shenzong (177).

In the 13th year of Jiading in the Southern Song Dynasty (122), Song Ningzong conferred Ming, and in the first year of Chunyou in Song Lizong (1241), he became a scholar and worshipped Confucius Temple. In the 9th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (153), he was renamed as the first Confucian Zhang Zi.