Hong Zicheng
Encyclopedia
Hong Zicheng was a Chinese philosopher who lived during the end of the Ming Dynasty
.
Zicheng 自誠 was Hong's zi 字 "courtesy name", his given name
was Hong Yingming (Hung Ying-ming) 洪應明, and his hao 號 "pseudonym
" was Huanchu Daoren (Huan-ch'u Tao-jen) 還初道人 "Daoist Adept who Returns to the Origin".
Hong Zicheng wrote the Caigentan, the Xianfo qizong, and several no-longer extant books. The ca. 1590 Caigentan
菜根譚 "Vegetable Roots Discourse" is an eclectic compilation of philosophical aphorisms that combine elements from Confucianism
, Daoism, and Chan Buddhism. The 1602 Xianfo qizong 仙佛奇蹤 "Marvelous Traces of Transcendents
and Buddhas" contains legends about Daoist and Buddhist masters. The Qing Dynasty
catalog to the Siku Quanshu
summarizes the Xianfo qizong.
Hong is a historically enigmatic figure. "Nothing is known about his life and career", write Goodrich and Fang (1976:678), except that he was a contemporary of Yu Kongqian 于孔兼, both of whom flourished during the Wanli Emperor
's reign (1572–1620). Yu Kongjian was a high-ranking scholar-bureaucrat in Wanli's administration, but he resigned in 1588 after involvement in a controversy, returned to his birthplace in Jintan (Jiangsu Province), and devoted himself to writing and teaching, including lectures at the Donglin Academy
. Yu's preface to the Caigentan provides the only early information about Hong Zicheng's life.
"We glean from this work that Hong might have suffered, like his friend Yu Kongjian," say Aitken and Kwok (2006:173), "a disappointing departure from official life joining the increasing ranks of recluses in the towns and lake areas of the lower Yangzi River region."
Modern research (Lo 2002:136) suggests that Hong might have been a native of Xindu District
of Chengdu
(Sichuan Province).
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
.
Zicheng 自誠 was Hong's zi 字 "courtesy name", his given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
was Hong Yingming (Hung Ying-ming) 洪應明, and his hao 號 "pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
" was Huanchu Daoren (Huan-ch'u Tao-jen) 還初道人 "Daoist Adept who Returns to the Origin".
Hong Zicheng wrote the Caigentan, the Xianfo qizong, and several no-longer extant books. The ca. 1590 Caigentan
Caigentan
The Caigentan is circa 1590 text written by the Ming Dynasty scholar and philosopher Hong Zicheng 洪自誠. This compilation of aphorisms eclectically combines elements from the Three teachings , and is comparable with Marcus Aurelius' Meditations or La Rouchefoucauld's Maximes.-Title:Chinese...
菜根譚 "Vegetable Roots Discourse" is an eclectic compilation of philosophical aphorisms that combine elements from Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
, Daoism, and Chan Buddhism. The 1602 Xianfo qizong 仙佛奇蹤 "Marvelous Traces of Transcendents
Xian (Taoism)
Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:*"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being"...
and Buddhas" contains legends about Daoist and Buddhist masters. The Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
catalog to the Siku Quanshu
Siku Quanshu
The Siku Quanshu, variously translated as the Imperial Collection of Four, Emperor's Four Treasuries, Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature, or Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, is the largest collection of books in Chinese history and probably the most ambitious editorial...
summarizes the Xianfo qizong.
It covers episodes of about sixty-three Daoist from LaoziLaoziLaozi was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching . His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism...
to Zhang SanfengZhang SanfengZhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
; comments on immortality; nineteen patriarchs of Indian Buddhism, from Sakyamuni to PrajnataraPrajnataraPrajñādhara was the twenty-seventh Brahmin patriarch of Indian Buddhism, according to the Chinese Chan lineage. He traveled around India preaching the Buddha's teachings. He was the guru, or teacher, of Bodhidharma....
(c. 457), and forty-two patriarchs of Chan Buddhism, from BodhidharmaBodhidharmaBodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
(c. 502) to Chuanzi 船子 (ninth century); and mysteries of eternity. (tr. Aitken and Kwok 2006:173, cf. Vos 1993:170)
Hong is a historically enigmatic figure. "Nothing is known about his life and career", write Goodrich and Fang (1976:678), except that he was a contemporary of Yu Kongqian 于孔兼, both of whom flourished during the Wanli Emperor
Wanli Emperor
The Wanli Emperor was emperor of China between 1572 and 1620. His era name means "Ten thousand calendars". Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor's third son...
's reign (1572–1620). Yu Kongjian was a high-ranking scholar-bureaucrat in Wanli's administration, but he resigned in 1588 after involvement in a controversy, returned to his birthplace in Jintan (Jiangsu Province), and devoted himself to writing and teaching, including lectures at the Donglin Academy
Donglin Academy
The Donglin Academy , also known as the Guishan Academy , was originally built in AD 1111 during the Northern Song dynasty at present-day Wuxi in China...
. Yu's preface to the Caigentan provides the only early information about Hong Zicheng's life.
One day my friend Hung Tzu-ch'eng appeared with his Ts'ai-ken t'an which he showed to me begging me for a preface. … The fact that he uses the words "vegetable roots" to designate his discourse has its origin in his purifying experience of poverty, and is also based upon a comparison of the cultivation of human morality with that of plants. One can imagine that the author has been harassed by the storms of life and has endured several precarious situations. Master Hung says [paraphrasing 1:91]: "If Heaven makes me suffer physically, I set my mind at rest and supplement my physical frailty in this way. If Heaven tries me by adversity, I stick to my principles to the utmost and withstand the setbacks in this way." From this we can infer that he admonishes and stimulates himself. (tr. Vos 1993:171-2)
"We glean from this work that Hong might have suffered, like his friend Yu Kongjian," say Aitken and Kwok (2006:173), "a disappointing departure from official life joining the increasing ranks of recluses in the towns and lake areas of the lower Yangzi River region."
Modern research (Lo 2002:136) suggests that Hong might have been a native of Xindu District
Xindu District
新都区位于成都市北郊，居“天府之国”川西平原腹地，素有“天府明珠”和“香城”之称。全区幅员面积496平方公里，六分之五为平原，六分之一为浅丘。新都区现辖13镇（街道）、255个村（社区），全区总人口65万人。新都区是成都市科技·文化·旅游卫星城，在成都市总体规划中被确定为都市区，其中32.6平方公里为都市区 Xindu District is a district of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China....
of Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
(Sichuan Province).