克己与主敬:朱子晚年的工夫抉择

Keji or Zhujing: the Choice of Self-cultivation Method in Zhu Xi’s Late Years

朱子晚年工夫论的转变问题,是朱子哲学思想讨论中的重大问题之一。钱穆先生倡说朱子晚年"以克己代敬",此说法尚未得到充分的讨论。由于在语录之外没有参考同时期的书信材料,对于克己与敬在工夫原理上也缺乏全面和细致的分析,钱穆先生此说实不能完全成立。朱子62岁以后仍以敬为圣门第一义,以主敬穷理教人。克己分为压制私欲和除尽私欲两种,但都不能完全替代"敬"在整个工夫规模中的地位和作用。若说强调克己是工夫重心的调整,其实这种"调整"仍然可以在"主敬、致知、力行"三者关系中得到理解。敬恕虽偏向静重持守,但不能简单地以此为缺陷,收敛贞藏实为至明至健之根基。晚年愈加强调克己,是朱子不满守成、要求进取的表现,也可以理解为是持敬之效。可见,朱子晚年不存在工夫论的重大转变,只有工夫的深入、圆成,体现出了朱子思想的深邃与活力。

It is one of the crucial issues in the discussion of Zhu Xi’s philosophical thoughts whether his self-cultivation method changed in his late years. Mr. Qian Mu advocated that Zhu Xi replaced Zhujing with Keji. Unfortunately,he didn’t take Zhu Xi’s correspondences into account and his conclusion lacked complete and thorough analysis on the principle of the two self-cultivation methods:Keji and Zhujing. Therefore,Qian’s idea can’t fully hold good. Zhu Xi still preached Zhujing after 62 years old and regarded it as the first doctrine. Keji was divided into repressing selfish desires and wiping them out,both of which were not able to substitute Jing’s status and position in the whole system of self-cultivation. Even Keji was an adjustment of the focus of self-cultivation method,in fact,this " adjustment" could still be understood in the relationship of " Zhujing,Zhizhi,and Lixing." Although Zhujing tended to be conservative,we cannot simply treat it as a defect. Instead,conservation was the foundation of ultimate brightness and soundness. In his late years,Zhu Xi emphasized Keji more,which was the performance of his continuous demand for progress and could be understood as the effect of Zhujing. Therefore,in Zhu Xi’s late years,there was no significant change in his self-cultivation method,but the mere penetration and accomplishment of cultivation,which precisely manifested the depth and vitality of Zhu’s thoughts.