He is a philosopher, an educator, a politician, and a legendary figure. His lifelong achievements have perfectly realized the most noble ideals of ancient Chinese scholars – to establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to inherit unique knowledge from the past, and to create peace for all generations. Scholars in later generations praised him as a sage who established virtue, achievements, and career. He mounted his horse as a general, dismounted from his horse as a teacher, and governed the court with beauty and customs in the wilderness. He used his inner sages to create external kings, cultivate himself, regulate the family, govern the country, and pacify the world. He is one of the most active Confucian thinkers. He established a school of thought, sparking Confucianism in the Ming Dynasty. The wave of climax has had a profound impact on generation after generation of intellectuals, and he is Wang Yangming. His pioneering study of Wang Yangming’s mind has profound significance in the history of Chinese thought. Wang Yangming, known as a saint by his disciples, was once a young man with a crazy silk. This kind of crazy silk had already been revealed when he was fifteen or sixteen years old. As a young man, he hoped to truly understand the true essence of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism, which was the goal that most Confucian scholars pursued throughout their lives since the Song Dynasty. The top priority that young Wang Yangming had to do was Ge Zhu. Zhu Xi, a great Neo Confucianism master in the Song Dynasty, advocated the theory of “Ge Wu Quan Li”, believing that universal truth is contained in concrete things. Therefore, in order to seek the principles of heaven, it is necessary to use the method of grid objects. The grid of grid objects is the study. To grid one object today and grid one object tomorrow, it is necessary to study the principles of specific things. After accumulating to a certain extent, one can suddenly realize that everything is nothing but the presentation of the principles of heaven. The bamboo forest in the backyard of his father’s official office became a carrier for young Wang Yangming to seek justice. He looked at the bamboo forest in front of him alone, like an old monk settling down, feeling the wind and grass in the bamboo forest, and observing the changes in the details of the bamboo. He spent seven whole days without thinking about tea and rice, unable to sleep at night, looking forward to a sudden realization. In the end, the bamboo forest in front of him was no longer the same as before. However, with the twists and turns of the earth, Wang Yangming, who had worked hard and fell ill, could not persist and finally defeated. Obviously, he did not understand justice through the bamboo grid. Peking University – Du Weiming: He asked the teacher, what is the number one person in the world? So the teacher said to study and become a top scorer because his father was the top scorer. Perhaps he should learn from your father well. However, his direct response was that he said maybe not, maybe he was studying and becoming a sage. Of course, his father Wang Hua also felt happy and shocked when he heard this, saying that you actually want to become a sage. Of course, in Yang Ming’s heart, it is difficult to say what a sage is. It is his ambition to be the number one person. Wang Yangming’s former residence is in Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province. His name is Shouren. He was born into a typical scholarly family. According to the Wang family’s genealogy, his ancestors can be traced back to the aristocratic family of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His father, Wang Hua, was the top scorer in the 17th year of the Chenghua reign and was appointed as a literary attendant by the Hanlin Academy. Wang Yangming, who came from a family of poetry, etiquette, and hairpin tassels, has shown extraordinary wisdom since childhood. He once improvised the poem “Covering the Moon Mountain House”: “The mountain is close to the moon, and the moon is far away, and the mountain is smaller than the moon.”. If a person’s eyes are as big as the sky, they will see the mountains higher and the moon wider. His free spirited and open poetic realm, as well as his unconventional perspective, showcase his agility and level of thinking beyond his age. Wang Yangming created a large number of poems throughout his life, with over 600 of them included in the “Complete Works of Wang Yangming”. More than 40 scattered poems have been discovered. He is skilled in poetry and prose, skilled in calligraphy, and mainly uses running grass, which is highly sought after by the world for collection. His calligraphy rules and ancient methods have new meanings, his poetry style is elegant yet natural and sincere, his brushwork is skilled, and his method is profound, which contains his philosophy of life. From the age of eleven, Wang Yangming left his hometown of Yuyao and followed his official father Wang Hua to the capital. Wang Yangming had the opportunity to read a large number of Confucian classics. The Confucian philosophy of self-cultivation, family unity, governance, and world peace, like a fire, inspired this young man. He longed to explore the true meaning contained in things, and also longed to discover the world outside. Wang Yangming began his next action. This time, he went to the border and traveled to Juyong Pass, Zijing Pass, and Daoma Pass in Hebei Province, with the ambition of managing the four directions. At that time, there were often wars in the northwest border, and he asked the people on the border about the fate of various ethnic groups. The situation of the tribe, upon hearing their advice on good strategies for border defense, he took a look at the situation of the mountains and rivers. The Great Wall meandered and undulated, stretching for thousands of miles, and his heart was filled with pride. He made great contributions and recorded achievements, which was not just a dream of the young man. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: In Confucianism, the main focus is on self-cultivation, from the emperor to the common people. Firstly, self-cultivation is the foundation, with both external and internal aspects. Externally, self-cultivation leads to the rule of the family, the country, and the world. Secondly, it extends to all things in heaven and earth. However, more importantly, inwardly, how can one maintain a positive mindset, sincerity, knowledge, and understanding. After a month of inspection at the border, the adventurer Wang Yangming returned. The anxious Wang family finally settled down, but the situation was far from over. Since ancient times, heroes have emerged as young men, and the ambitious Wang Yangming wanted to submit a memorial to the emperor, proposing defense strategies to eliminate the bandits. With youthful fantasies, Wang Yangming wrote the memorial and solemnly presented it to his father Wang Hua, asking him to forward it to the current emperor. However, as his blood boiled, he was greeted with a scolding from his father, who scolded him for his arrogance. His father’s scolding did not make Wang Yangming give up. He studied military tactics and collected walnuts to practice arranging troops and formations at family banquets. A young man talked on paper all day long, and his father felt that his son should get married. In the first year of the Hongzhi reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming was ordered by his father to go to Nanchang to marry various clans. This young man who had just entered the marriage hall had an endless desire for knowledge and the pursuit of his inner world. At this time, Wang Yangming did not need the control of marriage, but needed a mentor to point out the direction of his heart. In 1489, the second year after marriage, he returned to his hometown in Zhejiang with his newlywed wife. While passing through Shangrao, Jiangxi, he specifically visited an important figure, Lou Liang, a renowned Confucian scholar who played an important role in Wang Yangming’s life. Lou Liang can be said to be the spiritual mentor of young Wang Yangming, guiding him on the path to progress. Professor Yu Zhaopeng from Nanchang University: Lou Liang said that restraining and indulging one’s heart is the door to respect, which is the basic method for beginners. The second sentence, “What should you think and filter, do not forget and do not help” is the key to respect. What does this mean? You should not have all kinds of distractions, such thoughts, and do not rely on external factors to help you improve your moral character and cultivation. The lofty ambition of becoming a sage could not solve Wang Yangming’s practical problems. In that era, in order to govern the country and achieve success, everyone had to take the imperial examination, which was a necessary path for entering the officialdom. At the age of nineteen, his father instructed him to study the classics and prepare for the imperial examination. To take the imperial examination, he must thoroughly read the classic teachings of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism. In the Ming Dynasty, he selected scholars based on the classics and took the imperial examination, which included questions from the Four Books and Five Classics. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zixue was the national ideology of the Ming Dynasty, and some scholars even believed that Zhu Xi’s “Annotations to the Four Classics” was extensive, extensive, and precise, fully embodying the thoughts of ancient sages and sages without any remaining accumulation. Later generations did not multiply their works, only needed to follow Zhu Xi’s instructions, step by step, and practice them. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: During the Ming Dynasty, the most influential school of thought was the Zhu School. Zhu’s knowledge was based on the passing of the imperial examination, which is known as the Zhu School. There is a basic form of Zhu School called the gradual teaching, which is a gradual accumulation of knowledge in Buddhism. After accumulating knowledge, the prophet moves forward. You first have knowledge, accumulate knowledge, and most people are preparing for the imperial examination, just like our modern people preparing for the college entrance examination. So, you need to read a lot of books, memorize a lot of texts, and then you learn to be a good person, trembling and following a set of rules. Come and do it. According to his father’s instructions, Wang Yangming began preparing to participate in the imperial examination. Ten years later, at the age of 28, Wang Yangming participated in the imperial examination in the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, passed the imperial examination, and finally entered the official career as his father had hoped. Entering and leaving the officialdom, Wang Yangming was sent to the Ministry of Works for an internship. At that time, there were frequent wars in the northwest, and there were also star changes. The court issued an edict to request advice. Wang Yangming, who has long had a border complex, has always been paying attention to the border situation. Therefore, Wang Yangming wrote “Chen Yan Border Affairs Memo” and finally realized his wish to attend the memorial since he was fifteen years old. In his memorial, he proposed eight strategies: storing materials for emergencies, discarding shortcomings and using strengths, simplifying teachers and saving expenses, cultivating fields and sufficient food, using methods to boost power, infuriating kindness, donating small amounts of power, and strictly observing obedience and cheating. After more than a decade of preparation, this memorial was extremely reasonable. However, Wang Yangming regretfully found that his memorial was like a mud ox in the sea, with no response. At this time, the court officials only knew how to stick to the old ways and live a mediocre life, and the entire officialdom was like a stagnant water. Cheng Zhu’s philosophy not only failed to inject vitality into the Ming Dynasty, but also made him more rigid. Although he was already in his prime, Wang Yangming felt that he had achieved nothing, his past values were collapsing, and his thoughts and knowledge were unable to be applied. He felt extremely frustrated and lost. This is Yangming Cave on Wanwei Mountain South Road, about 6 kilometers away from Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. It has been a holy land of Taoism since ancient times. In the fifteenth year of the Hongzhi reign, 31 year old Wang Yangming took leave to return to his hometown to recuperate and built a house next to Yangming Cave. He temporarily put aside Cheng Zhu’s Neo Confucianism and his family and country, but did not want to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of thousands of rocks. He meditated and practiced diligently, trying to find a good solution to the spiritual crisis in Buddhism and Taoism. He only sits in meditation every day, pondering hard, which has troubled his life for more than thirty years. In Yangming Cave, all the past events have come to Wang Yangming’s mind one by one. Although cavalry and archery are practical, they are ultimately useless in the land of martial arts. The teachings of Buddhism and the elderly can please the mind. If he wants to pass away, his grandmother, Zeng, and father cannot be separated. What should he do. One day, Wang Yangming suddenly realized that the attachment to his family was inherent in childhood, it is human nature, and it is also the foundation of being human. If we cut off the human relationship that we had since childhood, it would be the destruction of human nature. Therefore, human self realization should not be based on the excuse of seeking immortality and meditation, but rather on the premise of accepting universal human emotions. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: If my grandmother’s thought can be forgotten, I am still not alone, then this is the most crucial issue between Confucianism and other academic fields. The history of Confucian thought has entered the world, and there are some emotions that cannot be forgotten or cut off, but are necessary conditions for being human. For Wang Yangming, Yangming Cave was not just a physical space for self-cultivation and self-cultivation. He abandoned Buddhism and returned to Confucianism. Before leaving Yangming Cave, he made a bold decision to return to Confucius and Mencius. More importantly, what he realized in the cave was that it was no longer the norm of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism, and he wanted to start breaking the shackles of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism on people’s thinking and taking his own path. Yang Mingdong’s contemplation was a very important experience that brought about significant changes in his life. Professor Zhou Yueyue from Communication University: To achieve great success and success, one must walk on the golden path of Confucianism. There is no other choice. After practicing, he feels that the bumpy spirit is meaningless. It is about achieving immortality, making achievements, speaking up, and cultivating virtue. The year 1505 was an important year for Wang Yangming. At the age of 34, Wang Yangming served as the head of the Military Selection and Clearing Bureau of the Ministry of War. It was during this year that he began to formally recruit disciples and give lectures on Taoism in Beijing. During this period, he also met the Neo Confucian scholar Zhan Ruoshui and found a soulmate in his thoughts. Chen Baisha, the teacher of Zhan Ruoshui, was a famous Neo Confucianism scholar in the early Ming Dynasty. He advocated abandoning books and writing, listening and experiencing the mind and body in silence. He was an important figure in opening up the study of the mind in the Ming Dynasty, which is in line with Wang Yangming’s thoughts. At this moment, Wang Yangming seemed to see a new direction, as he and Zhan Ruoshui honed and learned from each other, hoping to open up a new world outside the mainstream ideological realm. However, to cross the Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism, he still has a big mountain to cross, which is himself. After the death of Emperor Xiaozong of Ming, Emperor Wuzong succeeded to the throne at the age of fifteen. Eunuch Liu Jin and others became increasingly favored, disrupting the political order and cracking down on ministers who rejected integrity. Most of the ministers who were loyal to the previous dynasty resigned and returned to their hometowns. Officials such as Dai Xian advised and arrested them, leading to imperial edicts and imprisonment. As the head of the Ministry of War, Wang Yangming faced two choices: to be wise and protect himself, or to speak out with righteousness. Choosing the former could ensure a secure career, while choosing the latter would inevitably lead to imprisonment. Whether to live in a reality that goes against his heart, or to follow the guidance of his heart, Wang Yangming fell into a contradiction between knowledge and action. He realized that following the path of Confucius and Mencius requires going straight, and that morality is only true knowledge as long as it is implemented in practice. It is the duty of literati to do what they know cannot be done. So, Wang Yangming decided to step forward and risk his life to remonstrate, suggesting forgiveness for Yan Guan. Liu Jin was furious and threw him into the imperial prison. He passed out with a staff of forty dozen and only recovered after a long time. Although he was not killed, he was later demoted to the post office of Longchang in Guizhou. The road to Guizhou was extremely difficult, but this path of exile was also the path to achieving Wang Yangming’s mental education. In the spring of 1508, Wang Yangming went through countless hardships and dangers and traveled a long distance to Longchang. Longchang Post, located in the jungle of Wanshan in northwest Guizhou, is very small in scale, with only one post official and one official. When they first arrived, they didn’t even have a residence, so they had to build a thatched hut to live in, but this hut was difficult to shelter from wind and rain. Yangming Xiaodongtian, located in Xiuwen County, Guizhou Province, is a cave where Wang Yangming moved to Dongfeng. It is called Yangming Xiaodongtian. Yangming Xiaodongtian is located in Xiuwen County, Guizhou Province, on Longgang Mountain to the east of the city. Today, there are 43 cliff carvings from the Ming, Qing, and Republican dynasties left in the cave, making it the most cave cliff carvings both domestically and internationally. They may express admiration for Wang Yangming, or marvel at his extraordinary life experience, or reflect on the path of his studies that Wang Yangming embarked on as a result. In the Ming Dynasty, Longchang was located in the jungle of Wanshan in northwest Guizhou, surrounded by poisonous snakes, witchcraft, malaria, and epidemics. The people of Longchang were mostly indigenous Miao and Li ethnic groups, and they had difficulty communicating with each other due to language barriers. The only people who could speak to him were Han bandits who had fled to this area. Such a wicked land became Wang Yangming’s spiritual home. He lives in a state of poverty, not defeated by harsh environments, and always maintains a high spirit of optimism. He has built a cave for himself, living day and night in it, meditating on life and understanding life and death. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: If you were a Confucian, you would have nothing, no interpersonal relationships, and you would only be left with yourself. Can you still be a Confucian? At that time, his enlightenment was called self sufficiency, and as a person, I would be complete. However, this enlightenment is very different from that of Buddhism or Taoism. He was the first to recite the Five Classics he memorized, and he went through it again in his mind, called the Five Classics Speculation, which is my current feeling. Does this feeling of self sufficiency contradict the Confucian classics I read? After examination, he felt that there was no contradiction, so it was only later that the development of Confucianism was focused on the study of the mind. Wang Yangming’s self reflection is whether it is about external objects or seeking inner thoughts, dealing with direct challenges from the outside world or focusing on inner subjectivity. He sits day and night in the cave, gradually experiencing inner peace. After a long period of contemplation, one night in the middle of the night, as if someone had been talking to him in his sleep, Wang Yangming shouted and reveled in a daze. Finally, he found a satisfactory answer to the long-standing problem of physical exhaustion, which was that the heart is reason. Du Weiming: So, the heart is the reason. Starting from Lu Xiangshan, because nature is the reason, it means that anyone who is engaged in Confucian research in the Song and Ming dynasties has accepted it, but Xunzi does not accept it. This is Mencius’ theory, which is the nature of human nature itself. This essence is the reason. If we use Mencius’ theory, this essence is your four ends, compassion, shame, concession, right and wrong. This so-called heart means that every person has an inner emotion, not influenced by external factors, an inner empathy, an inner right and wrong standard, an inner concession, and an inner right and wrong standard. Shame and shame. Longchang Wudao was the beginning of Wang Yangming’s construction of his mind studies. Since then, his mind studies have been like a river breaking through, and nothing can resist it. Wang Yangming’s mind study theory established from then on is a revolution against the orthodox Confucianism since Zhu Xi. When he looked at everything with a thoughtful and rational eye, he discovered a brand new world of meaning. The problem of grid and bamboo that he couldn’t think of in his youth was suddenly resolved, and the living conditions gradually improved. The local people built several houses for Wang Yangming, named Longgang Academy, He Haoxuan, Junzi Pavilion, and Playbook Nest. After modern restoration, the original appearance of Longgang Academy was preserved, and Longgang Academy became famous all over the world due to Wang Yangming, becoming a holy place of learning. The grand occasion of Wang Yangming giving lectures in Longgang soon spread to the provincial capital. The Deputy Minister of Education in Guizhou, Xi Shu, led his students to worship Wang Yangming as his teacher and hired him to teach at Guiyang Wenming Academy. In response to the fact that people at that time only knew how to read the scriptures of the sages and stay away from daily use, Wang Yangming first proposed the theory of unity of knowledge and action in his conversation with Xi Shu. He believed that due to the disconnect between knowledge and action, people knew to bury themselves in book knowledge, relying solely on pure knowledge for knowledge, and ignored lively and vigorous practical actions. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: Yangming said that I want to be filial, so it is impossible for me not to act filial. My knowledge, the knowledge that needs to know filial piety itself, means that we must put it into practice. He believes that this is the original appearance of knowledge and action, and knowledge is a kind of conscious and meticulous observation. If you know how to do it, then action is to implement your own conscious and meticulous observation. Therefore, the relationship between them is inseparable. The new theory that Wang Yangming’s mind is the unity of reason and execution initially had little impact, and Wang Yangming’s lectures were only limited to a corner of Guizhou. His theoretical system of mind theory was not yet fully integrated and mature at this time. This flame of new ideas still needs some training to burn stronger and stronger. Shang Chuan, President of the Chinese Ming History Society: Wang Xue is a development based on Neo Confucianism, but it contains certain elements. Personally, I think he has something against Neo Confucianism because he promotes personality, expresses personal things, and restrains himself from Neo Confucianism. He demands self-restraint and restraint, and all of this is done in accordance with the most traditional rules, which are obviously different from each other. Longgang Manxing Poetry Stone Carving, Wang Yangming Cultural Memorial Hall, Xiuwen County, Guizhou Province. This stone tablet was erected by later generations to commemorate Wang Yangming at Longgang Academy. It bears a poem written by Wang Yangming in Longgang: “When the Wolong Dragon dies, Longgang Manxing is famous for generations. Who can play the music in the grass house? There is no ear in the mulberry world to listen to salty English, clouds and birds are left in the river, sand, desert, and desert. The grass and trees are rustling, and the soldiers are ready to join forces with Pang Chushi in Lumen. They hope to harvest medicine and enter the blue and dark.” This poem depicts Wang Yangming’s inner desolation, as deep in a remote place, he cannot achieve his own goals. Wang Yangming’s aspirations and ideals, as well as a leisurely reclusive life, were not what he longed for. Fortunately, Wang Yangming did not stay in Longchang for too long. He was promoted three levels in a year. In the eleventh year of the Zhengde reign, due to frequent banditry in Jiangxi, at the age of 45, Wang Yangming was recommended to serve as the Left Censor of the Imperial Censorate, overseeing military affairs in Nan’an, Jiangxi, Ganzhou, Tingzhou in Fujian, Zhangzhou, and other areas. From February of the twelfth year of the Zhengde reign to March of the following year, Wang Yangming commanded three battles: the Battle of Zhangnan, the Battle of Hengshui Tonggang, and the Battle of Litou. In just over a year, he pacified the bandits in Jiangxi, Fujian, and other places. He realized that in order to govern the world, he must first govern the heart, break through the bandits in the mountains, and break through the difficulties of the heart. Why did the bandits and those who were harmed by the mountain people, who were once close relatives or childhood playmates, transform from a kind and upright person overnight to a vicious and vicious thief. Do those mountain bandits still have conscience in their hearts, and can they return to their original ways and become the people? Chairman of the Ming History Society of China – Business Biography: The Baojia Law was originally established during the Ming Dynasty. His management at the grassroots level was focused on Li Jia, which was more important than taxation and security. He used this form to manage the entire grassroots society, and then changed people’s thinking in the form of this rural agreement. It was better to eliminate the bandits in the heart than the bandits in the mountains. His ideas were able to be implemented in all of his governance work and activities. Jiangxi can be called Wang Yangming’s second hometown. She married her lifelong partner in Nanchang and met her spiritual mentor Lou Liang in Shangrao, which determined the direction of her life. More importantly, Jiangxi was also a mature place for Yang Ming’s philosophy. On June 14th, the 14th year of the Zhengde reign, shortly after Wang Yangming quelled the rebellion in Jiangxi, the rebellion of Prince Ning Zhu Chenhao broke out in Jiangxi. Zhu Chenhao rebelled in Nanchang and continued until Nanjing. Zhu Chenhao was the great grandson of Zhu Quan, the 17th son of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. He inherited the throne of Ning in the 10th year of the Hongzhi reign. Faced with this great turmoil, Wang Yangming fully demonstrated his military talent. With a temporary army of 20000 to 30000, he quelled the rebellion in just 35 days. Regarding this military victory, Wang Yangming was even more thoughtful. The wife of Prince Ning, Lou Fei, was actually the granddaughter of his spiritual mentor, Lou Liang, who was 17 years old and he paid his respects to. The Nanchang Painting Academy, formerly known as Shuiguanyin Pavilion, has undergone hundreds of years of changes. Its layout, style, and even architectural artifacts have been well preserved. It was also the palace of Prince Ning Zhu Chenhao, who lived here before. Today, the Nanchang Painting Academy still preserves cultural relics related to Princess Lou, such as the Loufei Well and stone tablets. The screen characters on this giant stone tablet are said to have been written by Princess Lou on green silk for Prince Ning. Before Prince Ning’s uprising, Princess Lou advised him hard. When Prince Ning was defeated, Princess Lou wrapped herself in white silk and threw herself into the water, causing Zhu Chenhao to commit suicide. After being captured, he also regretted not listening to the words of Empress Lou and begged Wang Yangming to bury Empress Lou with courtesy. After quelling the rebellion of Zhu Chenhao, Wang Mingming had a deeper reflection on good and evil. Whether they were winners, losers, or disappointed, they all had a common thing in their hearts, which was conscience. However, the presentation of conscience must be carried out by example, otherwise conscience is just an implicit moral existence. Wang Yangming proposed the concept of conscience to enrich his psychological system. He realized that previous theories one invented the original intention, and the other emphasized the unity of knowledge and action, but the knowledge of the original intention and the external action were still cut off, and it was better to make conscience simple and straightforward. He claimed that the three words “to conscience” were thoughtfully expressed by himself from the midst of a hundred deaths and thousands of difficulties. Only by awakening the conscience in everyone’s hearts and making everyone a saint can we build a beautiful and harmonious society. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: It is difficult to understand the concept of conscience. In Mencius, the concept of conscience, knowledge, and ability refers to the four ends of our own good nature, which are manifested through concealment, shame, concession, and right and wrong. These are all things that we originally possess. But Yang Ming’s significant contribution is generally described as moral practice and a category in moral philosophy, which has become the core value and concept of the entire epistemology and ontology. How to put it, it is that all things in heaven and earth are qi, which is an old tradition in China. This qi is a phenomenon of good knowledge and ability, so this good knowledge and ability is not only present in humans, but also in animals, plants, and non living organisms. Wang Yangming’s Former Residence in Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province. This is the former residence of Wang Yangming located at the northern foot of Longquan Mountain in Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province. The residence has a grand scale, complete layout, and gives people a deep sense of courtyard, while also maintaining a dignified and elegant demeanor. There is a plaque written by contemporary calligrapher Jiang Dongshu in the Shoushan Hall of the former residence, which is the true three immortal plaques. This is a precise evaluation of Wang Yangming’s outstanding achievements in three aspects: meritorious service, moral service, and speech throughout his life. In November of the 16th year of Zhengde, Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province, the memorial archway of Xinjian Bo, Wang Yangming was named Xinjian Bo because of his contributions to quelling the rebellion of King Ning. When his career was at its peak, he had decided to give up his career and returned to his hometown Shaoxing in August. During his six years in Shaoxing, Wang Yangming devoted himself to teaching and reached the pinnacle of his life’s thinking. Scholars from all over the country came to study, and his disciples, Li Shi Shi, served Wang Yangming. Even the elderly, who were young and rare, used their staff and shoulders to carry ladles, hats, and poetry scrolls, bowing to his doorstep. These students surrounded his residence, and the sound of string songs was heard from morning to night. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: During the Ming Dynasty, the idea of caring about family, state, and world affairs was closely related to Yangming’s philosophy of mind. The sound of wind and rain, the sound of reading, and the sound of sound were heard. That is to say, everyone should be independent and autonomous. Therefore, based on the basic principle of not doing to others what one does not want to do to others, one should become independent and capable. If a society is established and capable, with a large number of people, it will be peaceful and benevolent. The great way is like the heart of the human heart, which has never been changed. Wang Yangming proposed the theory of promoting conscience, fundamentally reshaping the structure of Confucianism. From the 16th century to the late 17th century, his philosophy spread throughout China and dominated the Chinese intellectual community. Modern scholars such as Gong Zizhen, Wei Yuan, Kang Youwei, Tan Sitong, Liang Qichao, Liang Shuming, Xiong Shili, He Lin, and Zhang Junmai all praised his theory. The influence of Yangming’s thought on philosophy extends far beyond Europe and America, and has had a significant impact in the field of global philosophical research, especially in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Zhang Taiyan, a famous modern Chinese scholar, said that the Japanese Reformation was also led by Wang Xue, and Liang Qichao also said that the Japanese Reformation was governed by the study of the mind. Professor Du Weiming from Peking University: The academic tradition of Japan, which has been dominated by Zhu Xi studies since the Japanese Shogunate, has been an important challenge. The reason why Japan’s modernization has developed is that it has broken through the strict system and comprehensive customs represented by Zhu Xi, and developed his creative power. This is what Yangming studies represent. Wang Yangming’s School of Mind not only had a significant impact on the field of Confucian thought, but also began with the cultural trend of respecting human nature, advocating individual liberation, and daring to express oneself in the mid to late Ming Dynasty. With the expansion and popularization of Wang Yangming’s School of Mind, his thought directly influenced the artistic creation dynamics in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, forming a colorful and diverse artistic creation trend in the development of art. The Painting of Gathering Talents to Listen to the Qin by Dong Qichang, collected in the Minneapolis Museum of Art during the Ming Dynasty, is a work by the famous painter Dong Qichang in the late Ming Dynasty. The characters in the painting have a peaceful and comfortable demeanor, are free and full of vitality, and their psychological thinking directly affects the author’s expression of art. Xu Wei integrated his artistic expression with the individual liberation advocated by the philosophy of mind in Ink and Flower Painting, forming a style of art that combines knowledge and action. Chairman of the Chinese Ming History Society – Shang Chuan: I think he is a very typical Confucian ideology, because he is a great Confucian, a generation of great Confucian, and a new Confucian. However, Confucianism is not a bookworm, not someone sitting in a study, but someone who applies what I have learned to society and the country. He is such a talent. Wang Yangming ultimately practiced the theory of the mind with his life. When Wang Yangming thought he could teach to end his old age, the court sent him to Guangxi to quell the rebellion. At the age of 56, he reluctantly went to Guangxi with a sick body. Before leaving, his students asked him for advice on the purpose of learning. Yang Ming left four teachings: no good or evil is the body of the heart, good or evil is the action of intention, knowing good and evil is conscience, and doing good and removing evil is the essence. The Four Sentences Religion integrates the wisdom of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, representing the social care and moral obligations of Confucianism, while Non represents inner tranquility and transcendence. The fusion of the realm of existence and non existence is achieved through reverence and seeking freedom, reflecting the spiritual temperament and realm of Wang Yangming’s philosophy. On November 29th, the seventh year of the Jiajing reign, January 9th, 1529 AD, Wang Yangming, who was 57 years old, passed away on his way back after suppressing a rebellion at Qinglongpu in Nan’an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province. Before his death, his disciples asked him what his last words were. Yangming said, “This heart is bright, and there is nothing more to say.”. Indeed, only when the heart is clear and bright, with abundant vitality, can there be this realm of exploring life and death, this inner light. This light, like the supreme righteousness of Mencius, inspires future generations. A Confucian passed away at this moment, and a sage was born from then on. 90 Seconds of History: In 1572, at the age of 65, An Da Khan began implementing his great plan to build a city in a vast grassland area. He aimed to create a grassland base that could be advanced, attacked, and defended for future generations. He was Hohhot, which means “blue city” in Mongolian. This city was built in accordance with the pattern of inland cities, with blue bricks built on the city walls and houses covered in green tiles. From a distance, it looked blue. In the third year of the Wanli reign, Hohhot was officially built, and the Ming government at that time had a mixed flavor of the construction of Hohhot. The original containment policy actually stimulated the growth of Mongolia. However, adapting to the development of the times has become inevitable. The Ming Dynasty, in response to the sentiment of Anda Khan, gave this city a name for naturalization, From then on, Hohhot became the political and cultural center of the Ming Mongolian trade center and the southern Mongolian region, connecting with the Central Asian trade network and becoming an important town in the world trade pattern.
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