110 THE THETSTIC IMPORT OF THE SUNG PHILOSOPHY 



all men find their way. * When analysed it is found to 

 consist of those same principles of our Nature which we 

 found to be the component principles of Li. Ref erring to a 

 saying of Shao Yung : "The Nature is the concrete expression 

 of the Tao," Chu Hsi says: "Though the Tao is present 

 even-where how are we to find it? The answer is: simply 

 by turning and looking within. It is wholly found within our 

 . Nature. From the fact that we ourselves possess the prin- 

 ciples cf Love, Righteousness, Reverence and Wisdom, we 

 infer that others possess them also; that, indeed, of the 

 thousands and tens of thousands of human beings, and of 

 all things in the Universe, there are none without these 

 principles. Extend cur investigations as far as w T e will, 

 we still find that there is nothing that does not possess them. 

 Shao Tzu expresses it well when he defines the Nature as 

 the concrete expression of the Tao." f 



Nothing could well be more explicit than this statement 

 both cf the ethical and of the universal aspect of Tao. Tao, 

 in fact, represents the transcendental aspect of Li. Corres- 

 ponding to this distinction between Tao and Li there are 

 four terms which, according to the Sung School, represent 

 the transcendental and universal aspect cf the four com- 

 ponent principles cf Li. They are Yuan, Heng, Li and Cheng 

 ( 7C 5p %\] Jl), the first four words of the Yi Ching. "Yuan, 

 Heng, Li, Cheng," says Ch'en Pei Hsi ( Pf 3fc^ ) one of 

 Chu Hsi's best known pupils, 'are the Eternal Constants of 

 Heaven's Moral Law (Tao); Love, Righteousness, Reverence 

 and Wisdom are the governing priciples of man's nature. 

 . . . The Decree cf Heaven is the diffusion of the Moral Law 

 of Heaven, and its impartation to the creature. Regarded as 

 the Yuan, Heng, Li, Cheng it is called the Moral Law of 

 Heaven; regarded as the diffusion and impartation to the 

 creature of this Moral Law it is called the Decree of Heaven." 



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In another passage the same writer says, "Yuan, inherent 



in the Decree of Heaven, when received by me is termed 

 Love ; Heng, inherent in the Decree of Heaven, when 

 received by me is termed Reverence; Li, inherent in the 

 Decree cf Heaven, when received by me is termed Righteous- 

 ness ; Cheng, inherent in the Decree of Heaven, when received 

 by me is termed Wisdom." ( fe^cfr&Tfr ftSS&fc f#5c^ 



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*g*7C§£35,Pt- * x - f- 8 - 



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I ft 5| ^C ^ . Bk. XXIX. f. 3. § Ibid. 



