A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chu Hsi
446 Chu Hsi 朱熹 (T. 元晦 and 仲晦. H. 晦菴 and 沈郞 and 季廷 and 晦翁 and 遯翁 and 雲谷老人). A.D. 1130—1200. The famous commentator, known as Chu Tzŭ or Chu Fu Tzŭ. Born at 尤溪 Yu-ch'i in Fuhkien, where his father, Chu Sung, was an official, he soon displayed signs of unusual ability and graduated as chin shih at the early age of nineteen. His father had already died, but had left his education to the care of three trusty friends. In 1151 he was sent as assistant Magistrate to T'ung-an in Fuhkien, where he remained for three years, reforming the administration, and improving the condition of the people. He had previously been suspected of a strong leaning towards Buddhism – some say that he actually became a Buddhist priest; but by the year 1154, under the guidance of the philosopher Li T'ung, he had seen the error of his ways and had given himself up completely to the study of orthodox doctrine. His next appointment was a sinecure in Hunan, which left him an abundance of leisure for literary work until 1163, when he was summoned to the capital by the Emperor Hsiao Tsung. He soon returned to his old life and remained in comparative retirement until 1178, when he was forced to become Governor of 南康 Nan-k'ang in Kiangsi, where his administration was again very successful. While holding office here he built for himself a retreat at the White Deer Grotto on the hills near the Po-yang lake, and thither he was accustomed to retire for intervals of meditation. He was afterwards appointed for special duty on the coast of Chehkiang; and while there he ordered the demolition of the shrine which had been built in honour of the infamous Ch'ên Euei, his father's foe. In 1190 he was made Governor of Chang-chou in Fuhkien; and then began a series of attacks in which he was accused of sedition, of magic, of breaches of loyalty and filial piety, of seducing nuns, and even of weeping at the death of 趙汝愚 Chao Ju-yü, when all the Court was rejoicing. At first these attacks were unsuccessful; but at length Hu Hung, in 1196, caused him to be deprived of all honours and of his official posts. Three years later he was to a great measure re-instated; but he was now too old and infirm to re-enter official life. He passed the rest of his days in retirement, soothed by the ministrations of his faithful disciple Ts'ai Ch'ên. At his death, his coffin is said to have taken up a position, suspended in the air, about three feet from the ground. Whereupon his son-in-law, falling on his knees beside the bier, reminded the departed spirit of the great principles of which he had been such a brilliant exponent in life, — and the coffin descended gently to the ground. He was a most voluminous writer. In addition to his revision of the history of Ssŭ-ma Kuang, which under the title of 通鑑綱目 is still regarded as the standard history of China, he placed himself first in the first rank of all commentators on the Confucian Canon. He introduced interpretations either wholly or partly at variance with those which had been put forth by the scholars of the Han dynasty and hitherto received as infallible, thus modifying to a certain extent the prevailing standard of political and social morality. His principle was simply one of consistency. He refused to interpret words in a given passage in one sense, and the same words occurring elsewhere, in another sense. In the preface to his 四書朱子本義匯參, published in 1745, 王步靑 Wang Pu-ch'ing (born 1671) has the following passage: — "Shao Yung tried to explain the Canon of Changes by numbers, and Ch'êng I by the eternal fitness of things; but Chu Hsi alone was able to pierce through the meaning and appropriate the thought of the prophets who composed it." His other best known works are the 近思錄, metaphysical treatise containing the essence of his later speculations, and the 小學 Lesser Learning, a handbook for the young. He was ennobled as Duke, and canonised as 文, and in 1241 his tablet was placed in the Confucian Temple.