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朱子語類

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Text ID
KR3a0047
Date
1170–1270
Dynasty
宋

Zhūzǐ yǔlèi 朱子語類

The Recorded Sayings of Master Zhū, Classified edited by 黎靖德 (Lí Jìngdé, fl. 1263–1270, 宋, 編)

About the work

The 140-juan integrated compilation of Zhū Xī’s recorded oral teaching, completed by Lí Jìngdé of Dǎojiāng in Xiánchún gēngwǔ (1270). Drawing on six previously-separate recensions — the Chí lù 池錄 (1215, ed. Lǐ Dàochuán 李道傳, 32 disciples’ records in 43 juan plus a Zhāng Qià 張洽 supplement); the Ráo lù 饒錄 (1238, ed. Lǐ Xìngchuán 李性傳, brother of Lǐ Dàochuán, 42 disciples’ records in 46 juan); the Ráo hòu lù 饒後錄 (1249, ed. Cài Kàng 蔡抗, 32 disciples’ records in 26 juan); the Jiàn lù 建錄 (1265, ed. Wú Jiān 吳堅, 29+4 disciples’ records in 20 juan); the Shǔ běn 蜀本 (1219, ed. Huáng Shìyì 黃士毅, 140-juan thematic fēnlèi, printed at Méizhōu); and the Huī běn 徽本 (1252, ed. Wáng Bì 王佖 supplement, 40 juan, printed at Huīzhōu). Lí Jìngdé removed 1,150 duplicate items, organised the material into 26 thematic divisions (mén 門), and produced the standard 140-juan integrated text that has remained authoritative.

The 26 divisions: Lǐ qì 理氣, Guǐ shén 鬼神, Xìng lǐ 性理, Xué 學, Dà xué 大學, Lúnyǔ 論語, Mèngzǐ 孟子, Zhōng yōng 中庸, Sì shū gài shuō 四書概說, Yì 易, Shū 書, Shī 詩, Xiào jīng 孝經, Chūnqiū 春秋, Lǐ 禮, Yuè 樂, Zǐzǐ zhī shū 諸子之書, Lìdài 歷代, Běn cháo 本朝, Zhèng tǐ 政體, Zhēng shì 徵事, Zì xué 字學, Zuò shī wén 作詩文, etc. The work is the single most important source for Zhū Xī’s mature thought, especially as it developed in the post-1180 period of the Chángshā (Hu-nán) lectures and the post-1190 Zhúlín jīngshè periods.

Tiyao

We respectfully submit that the Zhūzǐ yǔlèi in 140 juan was edited in Xiánchún gēngwǔ (1270) of the Sòng by Lí Jìngdé of Dǎojiāng. Originally the questions and answers between Zhūzǐ and his disciples — the disciples each made their own recordings into volumes. In Jiādìng yǐhài (1215), Lǐ Dàochuán gathered the records of Liáo Démíng 廖德明 and 32 others into 43 juan, with a continuation of Zhāng Qià’s record in 1 juan, printed at Chízhōu — called the Chí lù. In Jiāxī wùxū (1238), Dàochuán’s younger brother Xìngchuán continued, gathering Huáng Gàn 黃榦 and 42 others’ records into 46 juan, printed at Ráozhōu — called the Ráo lù. In Chúnyòu jǐyǒu (1249), Cài Kàng again gathered Yáng Fāng 楊方 and 32 others’ records into 26 juan, also printed at Ráozhōu — called the Ráo hòu lù. In Xiánchún yǐchǒu (1265), Wú Jiān gathered the 29 sources left out of the three previous recensions, plus 4 unprinted families, into 20 juan, printed at Jiànān — called the Jiàn lù.

Of the fēnlèi biānjí (thematic-classification compilation): in Jiādìng jǐmǎo (1219), Huáng Shìyì compiled the 140-juan version, printed by Shǐ Gōngshuō at Méizhōu — called the Shǔ běn. Further, in Chúnyòu rénzǐ (1252), Wáng Bì continued in 40 juan, printed at Huīzhōu — called the Huī běn. The various recensions had mutual variation; subsequent reprinting was non-uniform; errors multiplied. Jìngdé therefore gathered them, deleted over 1,150 duplicate items, and divided into 26 mén — quite clean and easy to view.

Among the disciples’ records there were arbitrary additions and inaccurate statements: like Bāo Yáng’s 包揚 record on Hú Hóng’s Zhī yán — that “the book is a great pit drowning the heart-mind” — these are all cut. Truly the editing was of substantial service to Zhūzǐ.

Jìngdé’s catalogue postface says: “Zhūzǐ once said the Lúnyǔ’s last 10 篇 fall short of the first 6, and that liùyán liùbì does not resemble the sage’s authoritative discourse — even the records of the Confucian school may be doubted, how much more later books?” Looking at his words: there are passages in other books that record Zhūzǐ’s sayings but are not in the present yǔlèi — most likely because Jìngdé deleted them. Zhèng Rènyuè 鄭任鑰 did not understand this; he took the citations in the Sìshū dàquán not seen in the present yǔlèi as evidence of huòwèn xiǎozhù (small notes in the Huòwèn). He is far from having investigated.

Respectfully revised and submitted, ninth month of the forty-fourth year of Qiánlóng [1779].

General Compilers: Jǐ Yún 紀昀, Lù Xīxióng 陸錫熊, Sūn Shìyì 孫士毅. General Reviser: Lù Fèichí 陸費墀.

Abstract

The Zhūzǐ yǔlèi is the principal source for Zhū Xī’s mature thought and one of the foundational texts of pre-modern Chinese philosophy. Its composition window has two layers: (i) the original yǔlù records by Zhū’s disciples, spanning roughly 1170 (Zhū’s mature lecturing period from Hánquán Jīngshè onward) to 1200 (his death); (ii) the editorial recensions, running from Lǐ Dàochuán’s Chí lù of 1215 to Lí Jìngdé’s integrated 1270 text. The frontmatter brackets the work to ca. 1170–1270.

The textual situation is complex. Lí Jìngdé’s editorial work was essentially curatorial — selecting and arranging from existing recensions — but his deletions of 1,150-plus duplicate items and his removal of disciples’ “arbitrary additions” (such as the Bāo Yáng / Hú Hóng Zhī yán item flagged in the tíyào) impose a definite editorial position. The Sìshū dàquán and other late-Sòng / early-Yuán citations of Zhū Xī’s yǔ sometimes preserve material not in Lí’s compilation, indicating that some of Lí’s deletions were substantive.

The 26-mén organisation became the standard frame within which Zhū Xī’s thought is studied: discussions on Lǐqì, Xìnglǐ, Guǐshén — the metaphysical foundations — open the work; the systematic treatment of the Sìshū and the Wǔjīng occupies the bulk; the closing divisions cover zhèngtǐ (governance), historical commentary, and writing-craft. Within SòngYuánMíng Lǐxué the work is the standard quarry for Zhū Xī’s positions on every topic.

The bibliographic record: Sòng shǐ yìwén zhì; Wénxiàn tōngkǎo; Zhízhāi shūlù jiětí; SKQS Zǐbù — Rújiā lèi (the largest single Sòng work in this section).

Translations and research

  • Daniel K. Gardner, Learning to Be a Sage: Selections from the Conversations of Master Chu, Arranged Topically, University of California Press, 1990. Major partial English translation, organised topically.
  • Hoyt Cleveland Tillman, Confucian Discourse and Chu Hsi’s Ascendancy, University of Hawai’i Press, 1992 — extensive use of the yǔ-lèi.
  • Wing-tsit Chan, Chu Hsi: New Studies, University of Hawai’i Press, 1989 — major treatment.
  • Yú Yīngshí, Zhū Xī de lìshǐ shìjiè (2003).
  • Wáng Xīng-xián 王星賢 (and Lí Jìng-dé editorial team), Zhū-zǐ yǔ-lèi (Zhōnghuá Shūjú, 1986; 8 vols.). The standard modern critical edition.
  • Conrad M. Schirokauer, “Chu Hsi as an Administrator”, in Études Song (1976) and elsewhere — uses the yǔ-lèi.
  • A. C. Graham, Two Chinese Philosophers (1958, rev. 1992).

Other points of interest

The Zhūzǐ yǔlèi is one of the longest yǔlù compilations in Chinese intellectual history (140 juan is roughly an order of magnitude larger than the ÈrChéng yíshū’s 25 juan). Its sheer volume is a measure of the institutional success of Zhū Xī’s school and the systematic recording of his teaching by his disciples — methodologically a more thorough preservation than that of any earlier Chinese teacher.

The closing divisions on zì xué (philology) and zuò shīwén (composition) preserve Zhū Xī’s positions on writing and language — a substantial corpus of pre-modern Chinese literary-critical material that complements the better-known jīngyán sections.

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