The reason why the way of Confucian scholars has remained unclear to the world for thousands of years is not the fault of the way itself, but rather that those who established the teachings failed to establish its foundation. Han Confucians adhered to literal interpretations of the classics while neglecting the essence, and scholars of the Wei and Jin dynasties advocated nihilism, undermining moral defenses. Taking advantage of this situation, Buddhists entered the scene, regarding the mountains, rivers, and the entire world as illusions and considering the relationships between father and son, and ruler and subject as burdens. As a result, scholars across the land flocked to Buddhism. Han Yu bravely stepped forward to denounce Buddhism and Taoism, which was truly heroic; however, it is easier to refute others' teachings than to establish one's own learning. They claim that emptiness and nothingness are superior to the physical world. If we have no foundation to counter them, even if we constantly refute their theories, people will ultimately abandon the real for the illusory. Therefore, if we want to denounce Buddhism and Taoism, we must first establish the foundation of our Confucianism. What is this foundation? It is: the great void is qi (vital energy).
The great void is formless and is the original state of qi. Its gathering and dispersing are just the transient forms of change. The great void cannot exist without qi. Qi cannot but gather to form all things, and all things cannot but disperse to return to the great void. It is like the relationship between ice and water. When water freezes, it becomes ice; when ice melts, it turns back into water. Although the forms of ice and water are different, their wet nature remains unchanged. The gathering and dispersing of qi in the great void are also the same. Once we understand that the great void is qi, we will realize that there is no such thing as absolute nothingness. Those Buddhists who talk about emptiness and Taoists who talk about nothingness only see the dispersing of qi but not its gathering. They see the formlessness of the great void but do not know that the formless is actually the original state of qi. Thus, they regard heaven and earth as illusions, which is truly absurd!
Qi has two aspects: yin and yang. One thing has two natures. Unity gives rise to mystery, and duality gives rise to transformation. Through the interaction of yin and yang, the great creation of heaven and earth occurs. The movement of the sun and the moon, the alternation of cold and heat, the falling of rain and wind, and the rumbling of thunder are all the inherent abilities of the expansion and contraction of the two qi, and there is no divine being controlling them. What are called ghosts and spirits are just the inherent abilities of the two qi. People in the world do not understand this. When they see the expansion or contraction of qi, they are frightened and think it is an evil omen. When they encounter good or bad fortune, they offer prayers in a superstitious way. All these are signs of people who do not understand qi. Once we understand the nature of ghosts and spirits, we will know that sacrifices are for establishing teachings rather than for flattery, and that good and bad fortunes are for warning the world rather than being false.
When qi gathers, it forms things, and things obtain their forms from it. When qi disperses, it returns to the great void, and the forms collapse and return to their original state. Whether it is in the state of gathering or dispersing, it is still my essence. Those who understand that life and death are just different states of the same essence can be talked to about human nature. Buddhists fear death and pursue extinction, while Laozi's followers are greedy for life and yearn for immortality. They are both attached to their physical bodies and ignorant of the great void. How can they be qualified to discuss the way!
However, the qi in people varies in terms of clarity, turbidity, purity, and impurity. Those who obtain the purest and clearest qi are said to have the nature of heaven and earth. Once a person takes on a physical form, there will be differences in terms of clarity, dullness, thickness, and thinness, which is called the nature of temperament. The nature of heaven and earth is purely good, the same as the great void. The nature of temperament is related to one's personality traits such as being gentle or impatient, and one's talents. Therefore, the greatest benefit of learning lies in self - improvement to transform one's temperament. If one can return to the right path, the nature of heaven and earth will be preserved. If not, human desires will run wild and the principles of heaven will be extinguished. The mind encompasses both nature and emotion. Nature is the principle of the mind, and emotion is the manifestation of nature. If a person can expand their mind, they can understand all things in the world. Ordinary people are restricted by their limited knowledge and experiences, while sages fully develop their nature and are not restricted by their senses. In their eyes, everything in the world is part of themselves.
Therefore, heaven is regarded as our father, and earth is regarded as our mother. We, as tiny beings, are in the middle of this harmonious whole. The qi that fills heaven and earth constitutes our bodies, and the guiding principle of heaven and earth is our nature. All people are our brothers and sisters, and all things are our companions. When we look at things from the perspective of differences, there are distinctions of kinship, distance, nobility, and lowliness. When we look at them from the perspective of unity, all things in heaven and earth are of the same qi as us. Filial piety towards our parents is a way of serving heaven, and benevolence towards the people is a way of embodying heaven. The principle is one, but its manifestations are diverse. The ethics of our Confucianism are not about forcing human nature to conform to externally imposed rituals, but rather about restoring the original state of our qi.
Alas! Since the death of Mencius, the sacred learning has been lost for more than a thousand years. Han Confucians only grasped the literal meanings of the classics, scholars of the Jin dynasty stole the mysterious and empty ideas, and Buddhists and Taoists appropriated the profound essence. As a result, the way of the sages has been completely destroyed. Han Yu wrote "On the Way," which was a great work in its intention; however, he did not elaborate on the essence of the way. Now, by establishing the great void as the foundation, using yin and yang to explain its transformation, achieving self - improvement by transforming one's temperament, and fulfilling our ethics by regarding all people as our brothers and sisters and all things as our companions, the way of the former kings will shine brightly in the world again!
