Three Theses on The Thinking of Hanshan Deqing :An Analysis of Commentary of The Inner Chapters of Zhuangzi and Observations on the Impact of Laozi and Zhuangzi
Author: Chun-Hung Lin
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
Tri-religious fusion (or the syncretism of three religions), also known as the syncretism of the three teachings, was a part of statecraft from the early to late Ming dynasty. Hanshan Deqing was a famous monk during the late Ming dynasty who was actively engaged in tri-religious fusion, especially from the Buddhist dimension. This article is about the internal context of Hanshan’s thinking, principally based on an analysis of his books Commentary of The Inner Chapters of Zhuangzi and Observations on the Impact of Laozi and Zhuangzi.
This paper is divided into three parts. The first part is a discussion of the Dao (the great origin), and its relationship with Wu (non-being) and You (being). The second part is a discussion of nature, desire and cultivation. The final part focuses on the boundaries of political roles, political cultivation, and the ideal of non-action which offers a kind of platform for the three religions to conduct dialogue with each other.
Hanshan tried to make a connection between his core ideas, which were centered around the Dao, epistemology, and the concept of rule based on human nature and knowledge. In this sense, he found that at different levels the three religions had the capacity to provide the dimension of governance with good order from the metaphysical dimension. Other than simply increasing knowledge about the three religions, the dialogue further provided a platform for understanding the tri-religious fusion.