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Wang Zheng's Ultimate Discussion of the Awe of Heaven and Care of Human Beings

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Wang Zheng's Ultimate Discussion of the Awe of Heaven and Care of Human Beings WANG ZHENG'S ULTIMATE DISCUSSION OF THE AWE OF HEAVEN AND CARE OF HUMAN BEINGS “From his childhood, he embraced the virtues of filial piety, brotherly affection, loyalty and reciprocity in the virtue of humanity; one dares to say that he only transmitted the one consistent line of the saints and sages. Till his old age, he did not make a sharp distinction between the two ideas of standing in awe of Heaven and taking care of human beings; he always exerted his heart and nature to the utmost in them.”1 The Chinese Christian scholar Wang Zheng (1571-1644; bap- tized as Philippe in 1616 or shortly later, but before 1622) is not well known in modern Western studies on Christianity in China. In Chinese studies, however, he has been the focus of renewed attention in recent years2. In order to contribute to further studies on Wang Zheng, this arti- cle intends to analyse one of his major Christian writings entitled Weitian The author would like to express his gratitude to Ad Dudink, Carine Defoort and Griet Vankeerberghen for their valuable comments on earlier versions of this article. Abbreviations: FANG Hao = FANG Hao , “Wang Zheng zhi shiji ji qi shuru xiyang xueshu zhi gong- xian” in Fang Hao liushi zidinggao , Taibei, 1970, vol.1, pp. 319-378. SONG Boyin = SONG Boyin (ed.), Ming Jingyang Wang Zheng xiansheng nianpu , Xi'an, Shaanxi shifan daxue chubanshe, 1990. TZSY = M. Ricci's Tianzhu shiyi : the first reference is to the photoreproduc- tion of Tianxue chuhan , (ed.) LI Zhizao , Taibei, 1965, vol.1; between brackets the section-number in M. RICCI, The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven, (transl.) D. LANCASHIRE & P. HU Kuo-chen, (ed.) E. MALATESTA, St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1985. WTARJL = WANG Zheng's Weitian airen jilun : the first reference is to the manuscript version in Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Fonds Chinois, n. 6868; between brackets the page of the reprint in Song Boyin. References to Jiren shipian and Qike are also to Tianxue chuhan edition. 1 Couplet written by Wang Zheng himself as mentioned in ZHANG Bingxuan , Wang Duanjie xiansheng zhuan in SONG Boyin, p. 405; FANG Hao, p. 333; Zhang Bingxuan was Wang Zheng's cousin (SONG Boyin, p. 532). 2 Aside from FANG Hao and SONG Boyin: LI Zhiqin (ed.), Wang Zheng yi zhu 164 N. STANDAERT airen jilun (The Ultimate Discussion of the Awe of Heaven and Care of Human Beings). The title seems to reflect one of the principal reasons why he was attracted to Christianity. The theme appears also in the caption at the beginning of this article: the couplet is Wang's self-description that was placed beside his tomb. 1. The text Before entering into the meaning Wang Zheng attributed to the awe of Heaven and care of human beings, we will first look at the text itself, its structure and major characteristics. 1.1. Background of the manuscript Weitian airen jilun seems never to have been published3, although it is mentioned in the section Yiwenzhi of Jingyang xianzhi 4. To our present knowledge, it is only preserved as a manu- script in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Paris) (Fonds chinois n. 6868). This manuscript consists of: – Preface (xu ) by Zheng Man , dated August 14, 1628 (Chongzhen 1/7/15): 6 folios (1a-6b) – Main text Weitian airen jilun : 48 folios (1a-48a) writ- ten (zhu ) by Wang Zheng and commented (ping ) by Zheng Man , Xi'an: Shaanxi Renmin chubanshe, 1987; GUO Xiwei , “Wang Zheng sanlun” (A Remark on Wang Zheng), Shijie zongjiao yanjiu (1994:2), pp. 135-146. HUANG Yi-long ,“Mingmo zhongxi wenhua zhi chongtu xitan: yi tianzhu- jiaotu Wang Zheng quqie yu xunguo weili” : , in Diyijie quanguo lishixue xueshu taolunhui lun — shibian, qunti yu geren , Taibei, Taiwan daxue lishixi, 1996, pp. 211-234; ZHANG Zhongzheng , “Ming Jingyang Wang Zheng xiansheng xingshi shuping” , Shixue jikan (1994:4), pp. 70-74, 50. 3 Cf. epitaph by ZHANG Jinyan , Ming Shandong anchasi qianshi jian liaohai junwu wanggong muzhi ming , (1650) in SONG Boyin, p. 447 note 1; Fang Hao, p. 329. 4 Jingyang xianzhi , ed. LIU Maoguan , 1911; Taibei, 1969, 2 vols., IX p. 335. WANG ZHENG’S ULTIMATE DISCUSSION 165 – Postscript Weitian airen jilun jiyan : 2 folios (49a- 50a) dated August 14, 1628 (Chongzhen 1/7/15); not signed but written by Wang Zheng at Jingjiao tang . The text was most probably written in Yangzhou. According to Song Boyin5, Wang's father Wang Yingxuan (born 1549) died in the winter of 1628, which means that Wang Zheng was probably still on his post in Yangzhou (Jiangsu) in the month of August. The Jingjiao tang6 where the postscript was written was then probably a smaller chapel in Yangzhou. We know that the author of the preface and correc- tor, Zheng Man (1594-1639), who was Wang's fellow degree holder of the jinshi examination of 1622, stayed some time with Wang in Yangzhou in 1628 and also wrote an epitaph on Wang's deceased father7. It is also possible that the text was written or finalised in Wang's native place Luqiaozhen . 1.2. Structure The main text Weitian airen jilun is a continuous text without any the- matic division or textual interruption. On the basis of the contents, how- ever, the following structure can be established. 1. Conversion story (1a-4a; 237-239) 2. God (Explanation by D. de Pantoja (4b-5a; 240)) God (5b-6a; 241) Creation (6b-7b; 242) Names for God: Tian(zhu), Shangdi (8a-9a; 243-244) (Explanation by Wang Zheng)8 Knowledge of God and awe (9a-10a; 244-245) Li and qi (10b-12b; 245-246) History of the attitude of the Chinese towards God (13a-14b; 247-248) 5 SONG Boyin, p. 115. 6 The title refers to the Nestorian stele discovered a few years earlier and commented upon by Wang himself. 7 Zheng Man's autobiography mentions his stay with Wang and the epitaph: but Weit- ian airen jilun is not mentioned: Tianshan zixu nianpu in Zheng Man shiji in Guxue huikan 19 (1969), III p. 1514. 8 One could also prolong the conversion story to this passage, because at this stage Wang Zheng reaches a new insight concerning tianming. In the following, Wang then repeats themes that have been brought up by de Pantoja. 166 N. STANDAERT False devotion of Buddha (15a-15b; 249) Veneration of God (16a-18b; 250-251) [Guest]: The uniqueness of God (19a-20a; 252-253) 3. Heaven and hell: Human being has intelligence (20a-21b; 254) Heaven, hell and the world (21b-22a; 255) God blesses the good and punishes the evil (22b-23b; 256) Reward and punishment, heaven and hell in the Chinese Clas- sics (24a-25b; 257-259) Happiness in heaven (26a-31b; 259-263) Suffering in hell (32a-33a; 264-265) Reward and punishment in this world and after death (33b-36b; 265-268) Benefit and harm in the next life (37a-38b; 268-269) 4. Human soul (eternal life): Three different types of souls (38b-40b; 270-271) Difference with animals (41a-41b; 272) Man's soul cannot be destroyed (42a-43a; 273) 5. Ethical consequences: Ten commandments (43b-44a; 274) Cultivation of virtue (44b-45b; 275-276) On love (46a-46b; 276) 6. Concluding remarks (47a-48a; 277-278) There are several ways of subdividing Weitian airen jilun. Roughly four different themes can be discerned: God, heaven and hell, the human soul, and some ethical consequences. They are preceded by Wang Zheng's conversion story and end in some concluding remarks and a postscript. At first sight the work seems to miss some focus, especially since apparently no special section is devoted to the theme of awe of Heaven and care of human beings as announced in the title. Still the four themes of the central part of the work are interlinked. The knowledge of God implies the knowledge of God's power to reward and punish9. Rewards and punishments are carried out in heaven and hell, the places to which the imperishable human soul goes after death. The whole rea- soning leads to some ethical consequences for the life on earth. 9 WTARJL, p. 10b,9 (p. 245,12). WANG ZHENG’S ULTIMATE DISCUSSION 167 Structurally the text seems to consist of two parts which in the history of composition of the text could have been written at two different moments. The whole is constructed as a dialogue between a guest (ke yue ) and Wang Zheng himself (yu yue ). This style is not unique, since M. Ricci's Tianzhu shiyi (1603) for instance, is constructed in the same way. Moreover, Wang himself had already some experience with the dialogue genre through the short text entitled Kewen (Questions from a Guest) which he wrote in 1623. In this text Wang and the guest discuss the invasions in Chinese territory by Manchus from Liaodong Peninsula and military affairs related to them10. There are, however, some significant differences between these two dia- logue texts and Weitian airen jilun. It is indeed difficult to consider Weitian airen jilun a real dialogue. Most of the text is a monologue by Wang, interrupted by the questions of the guest to indicate a transition of theme. This appears from the internal organisation of the different sections of the work. The first section on the conversion story starts with an exchange between the anonymous guest and Wang. In the second part, however, the place of the guest is taken up by Diego de Pantoja (1571-1618), since Wang Zheng relates an extensive conversation with this Jesuit which lead to his change of mind11.
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