亢龙无悔:论宋明易学对乾卦上九爻的诠释

No Regrets for the Arrogant Dragon:On the Interpretation of the Sixth Line of Hexagram Qian in the Song and Ming Dynasties

针对乾卦上九爻爻辞“亢龙有悔”,汉唐易学多从戒骄戒躁、为而不恃的角度加以解释。理学兴起后,伴随着对君道、师道关系的重新定位以及对大丈夫人格的全新理解,易学家提出了“亢龙无悔”的重要命题。在诠释“龙德”“时位”等问题时,易学家不再局限于乘承比应的易学体例,而是将不惧盈亦不惧危的政治立场、审美取向带入到对乾卦义理的阐释中。由“亢龙有悔”演变至“亢龙无悔”是宋明时期学者以义理解易的新解新说,这一命题对于宋明时代道统精神、讲学运动的高涨产生了重要影响。“为天下万世而亢”“为天下万世而悔”的“亢龙无悔”说,成为学者彰显其博爱精神与道德责任的行动纲领,也成为震荡一时人心的崇高理念。

To the sixth line statement of the hexagram Qian[■,The Creative,1],which reads“arrogant dragons have regrets”亢龙有悔,scholars in Han(206 BCE-220 CE)and Tang dynasties(618-907)often explain it from the perspective of avoiding arrogance and impatience,acting unreliably.After the rise of Neo-Confucianism,with the repositioning of the relationship between the Dao of monarchs and the Dao of teachers,as well as a new understanding of the personality of a great man,scholars of Yijing studies proposed the important proposition of“no regrets for the arrogant dragon”亢龙无悔.When interpreting issues such as“the virtues of dragon”and“the time and position”,the Yijing scholars are no longer limited to the exegetical rules of mounting,yielding,neighboring and responding,but instead incorporate into the interpretation of the meanings and principles of the hexagram Qian the political stance and aesthetic orientation of not fearing gain or danger.The evolution from“arrogant dragons have regrets”to“no regrets for the arrogant dragon”is a new interpretation and theory for scholars in the Song-Ming period(960-1644)when they used meanings and principles to interpret the Changes.This proposition has a significant impact on the rise of the orthodox spirit and teaching movement in the Song-Ming era.The“no regrets for the arrogant dragon”theory of“being proud for the whole world”and“having regret for the whole world”has become an action plan for scholars to demonstrate their spirit of selfless and moral responsibility,and also a noble concept that shook people’s hearts for a while.