釋鑑稽古略續集 1.158

1.158

吳澄　字幼清。撫州崇仁人。經傳悉通貫用力聖賢之學。元明善以文學自負。聞澄易詩書春秋奧義嘆曰。與吳先生言如探淵海。董士選曰。吳先生天下士也。澄甞為學者言。朱子於道。問學之功居多。陸子靜以尊德性為主。問學不本於德性。其弊必偏於言語訓釋。故學以德性為本。又謂。為善者死則上通神明。其極品與日月齊光。為惡者死則下淪污穢。其極下與沙蟲同類　八月帝崩于行幄臥所。

Wu Cheng: His courtesy name was Youqing; he was a native of Chongren in Fuzhou. He thoroughly comprehended the classics and commentaries, exerting his efforts in the learning of sages and worthies. Yuan Mingshan took pride in his literary accomplishments, but upon hearing Cheng's profound expositions of the Changes, Songs, Documents, and Spring and Autumn Annals, he sighed: "Talking with Master Wu is like exploring the deep abyss of the sea!" Dong Shixuan said: "Master Wu is an exceptional scholar of the realm." Cheng once said to students: "In Zhu Zi's approach to the Dao, the effort of broad inquiry and learning plays the greater part. Lu Zijing took revering the virtuous nature as the principal focus. If inquiry and learning are not grounded in virtuous nature, their shortcoming will inevitably incline toward verbal glosses and explanations. Therefore, learning takes virtuous nature as its root." He also said: "When those who do good die, they ascend to communicate with the divine beings, and their highest grade shares the brilliance of the sun and moon. When those who do evil die, they sink down into filth and corruption, and their lowest grade becomes of the same kind as earthworms and sand bugs." In the eighth month, the Emperor passed away in his sleeping quarters in the travelling tent.