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The Rhetoric and Reality of Learning to Be a Sage

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The Rhetoric and Reality of Learning to Be a Sage CHAPTER 8 The Rhetoric and Reality of Learning to Be a Sage In Part II, we saw that Huang Kan's exclusivist theory of human nature left little possibility that even the most gifted of Confucius' disciples might become sages. Given Zhu Xi's repeated exhortations to his own students to follow the proper sequences in learning to become a sage, was Zhu promoting a method to achieve sagehood rather than simply applying the accommodationist strategy of "expedient means" to encourage his students to develop as far as they could? Zhu Xi's assessments of three of Confu­ cius' disciples-Y an Hui, Zengzi, and Zigong-provide the answer to this question. Central to understanding these assessments is Zhu's interpreta­ tion of Confucius' "single thread" (yiguan -it) teaching and the philoso­ phical issues it generates: Is there a method for realizing humaneness? What are the conditions required for humaneness to be realized? Is shu (re­ ciprocity) the method of humaneness? What is the role of zhong (to realize one's mind fully) in realizing humaneness? What is the relationship be­ tween zhong and shu? What is the relationship between zhong and the mind? What is the relationship between humaneness, the emotional responses (qinj), and selfish desires? What role does ritual play in overcoming selfish desires? And most important, is there a point at which learning and effort become counterproductive? 222 The Rhetoric and Reality ifLearning to Be a Sage Zigong On balance, Zhu assessed Zigong favorably, placing him after Zengzi and Yan Hui and above Ran Qiu and Min Ziqian.1 He even allowed that "of the disciples below Yan and Zeng, only Zigong fully comprehended the sage."2 Sometimes this required an apologist interpretation of certain pas­ sages, such as the latter half of n.r83 in which the text compares Zigong unfavorably with Yan Yuan because of his willingness to accumulate wealth. Zhu cited Cheng Hao's claim that the events related in this section must have occurred years before those related in 5.I3 (which purportedly show that Zigong had achieved partial insight into human nature and the way of heaven and that he no longer sought to accumulate wealth).4 The most probable reason for Zhu's claim that Confucius held Zigong in high esteem is that Zhu himself regarded Confucius' single-thread teach­ ing to be of supreme importance. Besides Zengzi, Zigong was the only other disciple with whom Confucius spoke of this teaching (r5.24). Zhu ar­ gued that although nothing confirms that Zigong understood the signifi­ cance of this teaching, Confucius would have been unlikely to have men­ tioned it to a person incapable of understanding it. Even so, Zhu explained that Confucius did so to correct Zigong's misprision that one had to learn widely in order to become a sage.s This same point is repeated in Zhu's Collected Annotations commentary to r5.3: "Zigong had learned a lot and was able to remember what he had learned. Confucius wanted him to know what was the basis of his [i.e., Confuciusj learning and so he asked him this question6 to inspire him." Zhu then cited Yin Tun: [At 4-I5] Confucius did not wait for Zengzi to ask but directly told him about the single thread. With profound understanding, Zengzi replied, "I see." With Zigong, however, Confucius had first to arouse his doubts before telling him, yet still Zigong was unable to achieve an understanding such as that expressed in Zengzi's "I see." This reveals the difference in their depth oflearning. I. Zhuifyulei, 2: 720. 2. Ibid., 3= II39· 3· Zhu treats this as a separate section. 4· Lm!Ju Jizhll, ri.I8. 5· Zhllifyulei, 2: 679. 6. "Do you think I am the sort of person who retains a knowledge of things by learning a lot?" .
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