Wang Shouren (1472-1529), Han nationality, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang. His courtesy name was Bo'an, his nickname was Yangmingzi, and he was known as Mr. Yangming in the world, so he was also called Wang Yangming. The most famous thinker, philosopher, writer and military strategist in the Ming Dynasty of China. The master of Lu Wang's philosophy was not only proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, but was also able to lead an army in battle. He was a rare all-round great Confucian in Chinese history. He was awarded the title of "Xian Confucian" and was enshrined in the 58th place in the east veranda of the Confucius Temple.
Wang Shouren (October 31, 1472 - January 9, 1529), courtesy name Bo'an, nickname Yangming, posthumous title Wencheng, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang. Because he once built a hut in Yangming Cave in Yuyao and named himself Yangmingzi, he was called Mr. Yangming by scholars. Later generations generally call him Wang Yangming, and his theory is known as "Yangmingology" in the world. Wang Yangming was born in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. At this time, there was political corruption, social unrest, and academic decline. Yangmingzi tried to turn the tide and save people's hearts. He invented the "study of mind and body", advocated the teaching of conscience, and cultivated the benevolence of the unity of all things. Yangmingzi was not only the master of the Song and Ming dynasty's spiritual studies, but also made great achievements in his life, so he was called the "Three True Immortals". His academic thoughts have had an important and far-reaching influence in China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asian countries and even the world.
Life story
Life summary
He was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang during the Chenghua period of Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty. His father, Wang Hua, won the first prize in Xinchou (1481), the 17th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty. Wang Shouren moved to Peking (Beijing) with his father. "History of the Ming Dynasty" records that Wang Shouren was named Wang Yun when he was born, but he could not speak at the age of five. A senior monk told Wang Hua to change his son's name to Wang Shouren. Wang Hua did as he was told, and then Wang Shouren spoke. Wang Hua was very strict with his son's tutoring. Wang Shouren studied literature and martial arts very hard when he was young, but he liked playing chess very much and often delayed his homework for this. Although his father repeatedly scolded him, he never changed his mind. In a fit of anger, he threw the chess piece into the river. Wang Shouren's heart was shocked, and he suddenly realized that he immediately wrote a poem to express his ambition: Chess is a joy all day long, but the pain of being strictly loved is once lost. Soldiers who fell into the river were not saved, and generals drowned and died together. A horse travels thousands of miles and follows the waves, just like an elephant wanders into three rivers and follows the waves. The sound of the cannon and the earthquake in the sky suddenly startled Crouching Dragon to worry. Wang Shouren has been smart since he was a child and is very studious, but he is not limited to the Four Books and Five Classics, but also likes other books. His thoughts are also quite eccentric, and many private school teachers have always been unable to understand him. There is a limerick he wrote that illustrates his thinking: When the mountain is near and the moon is far away, I feel that the moon is small, so I say that the mountain is larger than the moon. If a person has eyes as big as the sky, he will see that the mountains are high and the moon is wider. According to research, the author Wang Shouren was twelve years old at the time. This poem is called "Moon-covered Mountain House" and is Wang Shouren's first poem that has been passed down through the ages.
He used Zhuge Liang to describe himself and was determined to make a career. After that, he studied hard and made great progress in his studies. He became more and more proficient in riding, archery, and the art of war. In the twelfth year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1499), he passed the Jinshi examination and was awarded the title of head of the Ministry of War. At that time, everyone in the court knew that he was a learned man, but Zhang Zhong, the eunuch in charge of military affairs, believed that Wang Shouren was appointed as the head of the military department as a scribe, so he despised Shouren. Once he actually forced Shouren to shoot an arrow in public, hoping to make a fool of himself. Shouren declined repeatedly, but Zhang Zhong refused. Shouren had no choice but to pick up his bow and arrow, bend the bow, and shoot three arrows. All three arrows hit the red heart. The whole army cheered, which made Zhang Zhong very embarrassed. Wang Shouren served as the chief of the Ministry of War for three years. Because he opposed the eunuch Liu Jin, he was sentenced to forty by the imperial staff in the first year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1506) and was demoted to Yi Cheng in Longchang (the seat of Xiuwen County) in Guizhou. After going through twists and turns on the way to Longchang, he successfully escaped the pursuit of Jin Yiwei, and finally achieved enlightenment in Longchang. After Liu Jin was executed, he was appointed as the governor of Luling County and became the Shaoqing of Nantaipu Temple. At that time, Wang Qiong was appointed Minister of the Ministry of War. He believed that Shouren had extraordinary talents and recommended him to the imperial court. In the eleventh year of Zhengde (1516), he was promoted to the censor of Youqiandu and succeeded him as governor of southern Jiangxi. He mounts his horse to govern the army and dismounts his horse to govern the people. He is a civilian official who controls military talismans. He combines civil and military strategies. He is smart in his work and uses troops quickly. For suppressing the peasant uprising and quelling the "Chenhao Rebellion", he was worshiped as the Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing and was granted the title of "Xinjian Bo". Later, he was banned because of his outstanding achievements, so he resigned and returned to his hometown to give lectures. He founded academies in Shaoxing and Yuyao to preach "King's Learning". In the sixth year of Jiajing (1527), he was again assigned as governor of the military affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi. Later, his lung disease worsened and he begged to return home. He died of pneumonia in a boat in Nan'an, Jiangxi Province on November 29, 1528 (January 9, 1529).
Childhood life
Wang Yangming was born on the 30th day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar in 1472, the eighth year of Chenghua reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty. He was born into a family of scholars and officials. His distant ancestors were from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The great calligrapher Wang Xizhi. His father, Wang Hua, won the first prize in the 17th year of Chenghua (1481) and later became the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing.
According to the Chronicle, on the eve of his birth, his grandmother dreamed that someone was sending her son from the clouds. When he woke up from the dream, Wang Yangming happened to be born, so his grandfather named him Wang Yun. The villagers also called the place of his birth Ruiyun Tower. However, he was still unable to speak when he was five years old. One day, a senior monk passed by, touched his head and said, "What a good boy, it's a pity to tell the truth." This means that his name "Yun" revealed the secret of his birth. His grandfather suddenly came to his senses and changed his name to Shouren, after which he began to speak. This story is a bit mythical, but it can be seen from this story that he did not show intelligence and talent in his childhood. When he was ten years old, his father was the top scholar in high school. Wang Yangming went to Beijing with his father. When he passed by Jinshan Temple, his father had a gathering with friends. At the banquet, someone proposed to write a poem to praise Jinshan Temple. Everyone was still thinking hard, but Wang Yangming had already completed it: "A little Jinshan is bigger." Like a fist, breaking the sky under the Weiyang water. Drunkenly leaning on the wonderful high platform, the jade whistle blows through the cave and the dragon sleeps." The four people were amazed and asked him to write a poem about the moon-covered mountain house. Wang Yangming casually recited: "The mountain is close and the moon is far away. If the moon is small, it means that the mountain is larger than the moon. If a person has eyes as big as the sky, he will see that the mountain is even wider if it is small." This shows extraordinary imagination and profound cultural literacy. When he was studying in the capital at the age of eleven or twelve, he asked his private school teacher, "What is the first-class thing?" The teacher said, "The only way to get a rank in the imperial examination is to study." Learn to be a sage." Despite this, he has never followed the rules since his youth, and all records describe him as "bold and unruly" from an early age. For example, after his mother died at the age of 13, his stepmother treated him badly. He bribed a witch to play tricks on his stepmother, so that she would treat him well from then on. He did not study very hard and often led his companions to play military games. When he was young, he traveled to the border areas, practiced horseback riding and archery, and read various secrets of military art. When he met guests, he often used the formation of fruit cores as a game.
Enlightenment in Longchang, Guizhou
In the first year of Zhengde of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty (1506), Wang Yangming was punished by the imperial staff forty because he opposed the eunuch Liu Jin and was demoted to Longchang, Guizhou (northwest of Guiyang). Seventy miles away, Xiuwen County Governor) served as postmaster. He came to the mountainous area of ??southwestern China, where Longchang Mountains were thin and thick, and Miao and Liao people lived together. This gave him a new understanding of the central idea of ??"The Great Learning". Wang Shouren believed that the heart is the root of all things, and everything in the world is the heart. The product of (mind is reason). Realizing that "the way of the sage is self-sufficient in nature, it is wrong to seek truth from it." This is known as Longchang Enlightenment in history. In the quiet and difficult environment of Longchang, Wang Yangming reflected on his experiences over the years day and night. In the middle of the night, he suddenly had an epiphany, which is the famous "Longchang Enlightenment". During this period, he wrote "All the Lives in the Dragon Training Field". Many of his disciples were puzzled by his theory of "no reason outside the mind, nothing outside the mind" and asked him for advice: The flowers and trees in Nanshan bloom and fall by themselves, what does it have to do with my mind? He replied: "When you didn't look at this flower, the flower and your heart were silent together. When you looked at the flower, the color of the flower became clear for a moment. Then you knew that this flower was not outside your heart." He himself died 7 years later. The narration of this slightly legendary enlightenment says: Shouren had done a lot of work in his early years and was addicted to the habit of writing poems. Since he knew a little about engaging in serious learning, he suffered from the turmoil of public opinions and was exhausted, and he was at a loss, so he asked the elders to , explanation, I am happy to have the understanding in my heart, thinking that the learning of the sage is here! However, the teachings of Confucius often go in and out, and the daily use of measures is often incomplete and has no return. It goes back and forth based on disobedience, and it is both trustworthy and doubtful. After that, he was demoted to Longchang and lived in a barbaric place. After being moved and endured, he suddenly seemed to have enlightenment, experienced and explored, and then went back to the cold and heat, and realized the Five Classics and the Four Sons, as if he had broken the river and released it into the sea. Then sigh that the way of the saint is as smooth as the road.
Pinging down Jiangxi
In the twelfth year of Zhengde (1517), civil uprisings broke out in southern Jiangxi and the mountainous areas at the junction of Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong. The mountain people rely on the mountains to build strongholds in caves and build their own armies, covering an area of ??nearly a thousand miles. The local officials had no choice but to report to the Ming court. The Ministry of War recommended Wang Shouren, then the censor of Youqiandu, to patrol Jiangxi and suppress the civil uprising. In the first month of the thirteenth year of Zhengde (1518), Wang Shouren pacified the tribe of Chi Zhongrong (Chi Dawan), and petitioned for the establishment of Heping County and the construction of county schools. In March, Shouren arrived in Jiangxi to take up his post. He quickly mobilized troops from the three provinces to suppress the uprising in Xinfeng and other places. In July, Wang Shouren thought that the war had caused huge damage, so he petitioned the imperial court for permission to recruit troops. The Ming court then entrusted local military and political power with the authority to act expediently. In October, Wang Shouren led his troops to defeat the strongest Lan Tianfeng and Xie Zhishan military strongholds in Zuoxi, Chongyi County, Jiangxi, and joined forces in Zuoxi. Wang Shouren personally went to persuade them to surrender. In November, Wang Shouren sent envoys to recruit troops and defeated Lan Tianfeng's tribe. It was during these two years of war that he mastered a mysterious tool - the unity of knowledge and action.
Capturing King Ning
The greatest military achievement of Wang Shouren's life was to quell the rebellion of King Ning Zhu Chenhao in Nanchang. When Wang Shouren was about to go to Fujian to suppress bandits (he did not have a large number of troops), his troops had just arrived in Fengcheng when the Ning King Zhu Chenhao suddenly raised his troops and rebelled. Therefore, Wang Shouren actively prepared for war, allocated military rations, repaired equipment, and then issued a proclamation to punish the thief, announcing King Ning's crimes and asking all places to raise troops to serve the king. At that time, what Wang Shouren was most worried about was that Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao would send his troops eastward to occupy the old capital of Nanjing. If Nanjing falls, King Ning will have the capital to proclaim himself emperor, and he will also gain geographical advantage, so it will not be easy to eliminate him. Wang Shouren bluffed and used false information to disrupt King Ning's sight in the city, forcing him to make a wrong judgment and believe that all armies had formed an encirclement situation. At the same time, he used counterintuitive tactics and ordered people to sneak into Nanchang with wax pills, making King Ning suspicious of his men's strategy of attacking Nanjing. King Ning was indeed fooled. He hesitated for half a month and was at a loss, and did not dare to send troops to attack Nanjing. Wang Shouren took advantage of this opportunity to prepare to defend Nanjing, making it impossible for King Ning to attack Nanjing. In July, King Ning led 60,000 men to capture Jiujiang and Nankang, and crossed the Yangtze River to attack Anqing. At this time, Wang Shouren had mobilized 80,000 troops (mainly militiamen and farmers from various places), which was known to the outside world as 300,000. Wang Shouren summoned his subordinates to ask how to retreat from the enemy. Someone pointed out that Anqing should be rescued. Wang Shouren said: "Now Jiujiang and Nankang have been occupied by the enemy. If we cross the river to rescue Anqing from Nanchang, we will be attacked from both sides. Nanchang is empty now, and our army is full of energy and can defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. I heard that if Nanchang is lost, we will definitely return to rescue him. If we attack him at Poyang Lake, we will definitely win." Due to the large amount of propaganda work previously carried out, falsely claiming that a large number of troops were attacking the city, Nanchang actually failed to attack and stopped. Two days later, Wang Shouren sent his generals in five groups to attack King Ning's army returning to support Nanchang. The troops were divided into four groups to welcome the advance, and an ambush was set up along the way. After the battle, King Ning's army was quickly attacked from both sides and was divided into several parts. Later, it was ambushed and suffered a heavy defeat. It fled and retreated to the Bazinao area. Seeing that the situation was not good, King Ning hurriedly mobilized the elite troops from Jiujiang and Nankang to attack. Wang Shouren sent several armies to fight and take Nankang. This battle was quite fierce and it was a crucial battle. The officers and soldiers retreated for a while, and Wang Shouren's general Wu Wending immediately killed those who retreated and ordered the troops to fight to the death. Finally, the enemy was defeated. The enemy retreated to the Qiaoshe area and formed a phalanx of large ships. King Ning took out gold, silver and jewels to reward the soldiers. He rewarded the soldiers with thousands of gold for the charge and hundreds of gold for the wounded, and asked them to fight to the death. But Wang Shouren saw flaws in the phalanx of King Ning's army, so he decided to imitate the Battle of Chibi and set fire to the ship. The next day, King Ning and his ministers gathered together and were holding a "morning court" meeting on the boat. Wang Shouren's army arrived, loaded the boat with grass, set it on fire in the wind, and burned King Ning's auxiliary boat, the palace officials below Princess Lou, and civil and military officials. They dived one after another. King Ning's flagship ran aground and was unable to move. He hurriedly changed to a small boat to escape, but was chased and captured by Wang Yangming's subordinate Wang Mianbu. Other civil and military ministers of King Ning also became prisoners. Soon, Nankang and Jiujiang were also captured by the army, and King Ning's rebellion was completely suppressed in only thirty-five days. Wang Shouren was therefore known as the "Military God of the Ming Dynasty". Later, Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty went on an expedition under the pseudonym of "Governor-General Military Affairs, Mighty General, Chief Soldier Zhu Shou". Jiang Bin had evil intentions and instigated Emperor Wuzong to fight King Ning and captured him himself. Wang Yangming treated the eunuch Zhang Yong with affection and reason, indicating that more people would die if he did so. The final coordination result was: let Ming Wuzong arrive in Nanjing, and then release Prince Ning to let the emperor be captured, which would make him happy.
Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi
In 1527 (the sixth year of Jiajing reign of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty), Wang Shouren was the governor-general of the military affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi, and defeated the local armed forces of ethnic minorities such as the Yao and Tong ethnic groups. Because of his meritorious service, he was granted the titles of Guanglu Doctor, Zhu Guo, and Xinjian Bo. He was hereditary and received a thousand dan per year, but neither the iron certificate nor the annual salary was given.
Died of illness and returning home
After the campaign in Guangdong and Guangdong, Yangming's lung disease worsened and he begged to return home. On January 9, 1529 (November 29th, the seventh year of Jiajing reign) , Wang Shouren died of illness in a boat in Nan'an, Jiangxi Province on his way home. When he was dying, the students around him asked him what his last words were. He said: "My heart is bright, so what else can I say!". After his death, he was given the posthumous title of Wencheng, and was later granted the posthumous title of Xinjian Hou. He was enshrined in the Confucius Temple in the twelfth year of Wanli.
Political opinions
Clear rewards and punishments
Advocate clear "rewards and punishments" to improve the effectiveness of governance, and practice ethics and ethics to prevent "crime". He believes that rewards and punishments are " "National Grand Ceremony" should be fully valued and used correctly.
At that time, the increasing number of "thieves" was due to excessive "appeasement". Excessive "appeasement" was due to insufficient military strength. The insufficient military strength was due to the failure to implement rewards and punishments well, so that "there was no reward for serving, and there was no reward." If you retreat and run away, you will not be killed." If the laws are unclear and rewards and punishments are not believed, even if there are millions of troops, it will be useless. He also advocated that "rewards should not be delayed, and punishment should not be delayed." He believed that rewards that were delayed were equivalent to no reward, and punishment that was delayed was equivalent to no punishment, and they would not have the effect of encouraging good and punishing evil. The purpose of these propositions is to improve the efficiency of governance and "break the thieves in the mountains". He also advocated the practice of moral education to ease class conflicts and reduce crimes and rebellion. He said: "When people are poor, there will be thieves." He believes that the people are already extremely poor and want to continue to collect money endlessly, which is tantamount to driving them to become thieves. Therefore, it is necessary to "remove the salary of redundant personnel, lose the rewards that are not urgent, stop unknown expeditions, economize on expenses", implement "relief" and "rent-free" for the victims, so that they "will not abandon themselves and become thieves". Therefore, he opposed "disregarding morality and relying solely on laws" and advocated "establishing schools to change customs" immediately after suppressing the people's uprising, in order to achieve long-term peace and stability. He taught the lower-level officials that if county magistrates can devote their efforts and intelligence, sincerely "love the people" and implement the policy of "nurturing and educating", even barbarians can be influenced; even if they produce " The place where thieves and thieves are strong can also be turned into a place where "courtesy and righteousness can be crowned". He emphasized that the purpose of this aspect was concentrated on one point, which is to use a soft hand to "break the thief in the heart." But there is a limit to a soft hand. He emphasized that punishment is the guarantee of "moral education". "If there are stubborn and tyrannical people who refuse to submit to political governance," they must be "captured immediately and governed by military law. Do not tolerate thieves and encourage stubborn people."
Appreciating the law of emotion
Emphasis on the need for law enforcement to "explain emotions and laws", treat him differently and oppose "killing for greed of merit, regardless of jade and stone". For example, when dealing with the rebels of the "Chenhao Rebellion", it was advocated that only the principal offender should be sentenced to death. As for the "rebellious" offenders, it was believed that "the original situation is not necessary, and if you forgive them, it will be taken lightly, and beheading will be like hurting someone." "serious", it is better to "comply with public opinion" and be sentenced to eternal exile in the army, so that "emotions and law can be balanced" and "benevolence should be taken lightly while doubting the guilt". In another "announcement", he even announced that those who coerce and "make trouble" will be exempted from prosecution, "all will be allowed to surrender their heads to avoid death, and will be given physiological conditions for returning to work." Doing this not only made "the slander known to the police and the country's constitution clear", but also showed the "mercy" of the court. This is the specific legal application of his "Sui Rou Liu Thief" strategy. In addition, he also advocated that the application of the law should be based on the specific local conditions at that time, especially in remote areas where "the land is far away and the state and religion are not accessible" and when "the common people have no knowledge of the laws", all "litigation is a waste of money and food" All matters such as these can be dealt with expediently based on the actual conditions of the place at that time: "Those who apply should apply, and those who should initiate revolution should initiate revolution. We must ensure the welfare of the livestock and the people, and there is no need to interfere with the law." Under the principle of "enforcement of law to enhance prestige", he has noticed the issue of flexibility in the application of law.
Emphasis on "Principality and Discipline"
We seek to attach importance to "Principality and Discipline", purge law enforcement officials, and put an end to "extra-legal punishments." It is necessary to deal with the illegal behavior of those children of wealthy and powerful families who have stolen official positions, such as those with malicious intentions, "harassing the road, taking advantage of power to take credit, risking rewards for no work, slacking off soldiers' ambitions, and creating resentment for border guards". Vigorous efforts should be made to rectify the situation, and strict requirements should be imposed on law enforcement officials who are "violent to the law" in particular. However, he pointed out that in judicial trials, "criminal proceedings are conducted in prisons" and things are "complicated and difficult to handle." They are often suppressed and restrained by the powerful, so that the words to end the prison according to the law "have not come out of their mouth, but the humiliation has been imposed on themselves; the matter has not been solved, but the opportunity has been caught in a trap." Under such circumstances, it is difficult to make them "resolutely adhere to the law and not suffer disaster". In particular, we must start with purifying the administration of officials and strictly enforcing rewards and punishments to eliminate obstacles to the enforcement of the law. He also advocated strengthening prison management and putting an end to "extra-legal executions." He pointed out that the "prison hall" in the capital was an important place where "all the prisons in the world are located." Officials responsible for prison must be treated with caution, especially for "prisons" "The delay of shackles, the opening and closing of keys, the different defenses against cold and heat in the morning and night, the special care for hunger, thirst and diseases", even things as trivial as "broomsticks, knives and cones", "cleaning away dirt", all should be carefully paid attention to. To "experience it personally". In this way, we can not only prevent the "risk of unexpected changes", but also prevent the prisoner from being "abandoned to death". He also emphasized that the "crimes" committed by prisoners in prison were not all due to "lack of protection", but also due to improper supervision that prompted them to re-offend.
Therefore, only by ensuring that "orders are strict but tight" in prisons so that prisoners are protected from "extra-legal punishment" can "harmful crimes" be avoided.