“定之以中正仁义而主静”——对周敦颐“主静”修养工夫内涵的考察

Study on the Connotation of Zhou Dunyi’s Cultivation of “Tranquility Proposition”

周敦颐主张“主静”的修养工夫,他在《太极图说》中提出了“定之以中正仁义而主静”的观点,并在其《通书》等著作中多有阐发。从正面来说,人性易感而动,易被物欲蒙蔽,故而圣人立教而“主静”;从反面来看,动而失正的“邪动”会导致妄作、暗塞等不良后果,故而需要“慎动”;实现“主静”修养工夫的具体路径是“主一无欲”,保持纯一,摒弃私欲,最终才能达到“明通公溥”、廓然大公的境界。周敦颐从天道“至诚”为人道“主静”找寻理论依据,并明确“主静”修养工夫的最终目标,是实现成圣成贤而天下化治。

Zhou Dunyi put forward the theory of cultivation of “Tranquility proposition”. He put forward the view of “taking benevolence and righteousness as the principle of being a man, while proposing tranquility to cultivate himself” in Explanations of Taiji Diagram , and explained it in his works such as Tongshu . Zhou Dunyi believes that, from a positive point of view, human nature is easy to be moved and blinded by material desires. Therefore, the sage set up to this principle and the“Tranquility proposition”. From the opposite point of view, the “evil movement” which is losing justice can lead to bad consequences, such as misdeeds, hidden stoppers, and so on, and therefore human nature needs to be “carefully moved”. Zhou Dunyi gave the concrete way to realize the cultivation of “Tranquility proposition”, that is,“To remain pure and abandon desire”. Only when people keep pure and abandon selfish desire, can they finally achieve “knowing everything and keeping selfless”. Zhou Dunyi held the “Tranquility proposition ” for the sincerity of nature. And the ultimate goal of “Tranquility proposition” is to achieve the goal of becoming saintly and then ruling the world.