Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t7.5

v1.c7.s7.t7.5

In the middle and later periods of Tang Dynasty, Han Yu, Li Ao and other scholars tried to change the study style since Han and Tang Dynasty. Han Yu wrote the book *Yuandao*, Li Ao wrote *Fuxingshu* (*Complexity of Human Nature*, Xing refers to Human Nature); they started to begin the transformation of Confucianism. Earlier, during the Song Dynasty, the famous Confucians such as Sun Fu, Hu Yuan and Shi Jie advocated "Taking humaneness and righteousness and music as learning contents" and took Confucian Orthodoxy as their own responsibility. They started the Neo-Confucianism in Song Dynasty and they were called "Three elites in the earlier of Song Dynasty" by later generations. Though "Yilizhixue" started by the three elites was not perfect. They gave priority to practicing personally, so they established the foundation of Neo-Confucianism. What's more, the study style advocated by them got rid of the ancient chapters kept exegetical study style, so they were called the forerunners of "Lixue". But the actual inaugurator of Neo-Confucianism was Zhou Dunyi. He wrote the book - *Interpretation of Tai-chi Diagram* in which he pointed out many elementary statements, such as the generation and development of the Universe, the prevalence of the Principle of Heaven and life of human beings, and the new development direction of Neo-Confucianism. Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, two brothers in Henan, were students of Zhou Dunyi, and they insisted to regard the "Li (Principle)" as the foundation of study. Later, they preached in the capital of their country, and had many followers. At the same time, Zhang Zai and Shao Yong also pursued the doctrine and strived to practice personally; they preached and taught apprentices, and "Lixue" was prevalent for a long period. Zhang Zai wrote *Zhengmeng*, *Tongshu*, *Ximing*, *Dongming* those books, paid more attention to the learning of sages, and obeyed the principle of practicing personally strictly, while Shao Yong was famous for his *Huang Ji Jing Shi Book*, *Guan Wu WaiPian* Book and *Yin ChuanJi Rang Ji Book*. Though his knowledge was the same with the spirit of humaneness and righteousness, courtesy and music, his opinions about the change of the Universe were unique. Shao paid more attention to the research of divination; he once precast that Wang Anshi would be the Prime Minister (in feudal China) of Song Dynasty and many other things as well. In Southern Song Dynasty, Chu Hsi learned the philosophy of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi mainly, as well as other Confucians and then he appointed Neo-Confucianism as the main philosophy in the society and finally became an agglomeration of different thoughts; he preached Confucian classics argumentation and wrote books. After that, Daoism became prevalent. People in