As the group that claims to be exclusively connected to the TaoLineage, the I-Kuan Tao has extreme respect for Chinese classicalscriptures.。。。It takes the literal meanings of classical scriptures seriously。。However,at the same time, we see that the I-Kuan Tao continually generatesnew scriptures and even sometime alters the sequences and words ofclassical scriptures. How do we perceive this discrepancy in theI-Kuan Tao’s attitude toward classical scriptures?
Thescriptures come from several sources: (1) the classical scripturesfrom Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; (2) scriptures generated bypatriarchs and senior elders of the I-Kuan Tao; and (3) newscriptures generated by spirit writing or channeling.。。。。theConfucian Four Books----the Analects (Lun Yu論語),the Book of Mencius (Meng Zi孟子),the Great Learning (Da Xue大學),and the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhong Yong中庸----theTaoist Tao De Jing (道德經),and two Buddhist texts--the Diamond Sutra and the Platform Sutra ofthe Sixth Patriarch. Here we should emphasize that, within the Four Books used by theI-Kuan Tao, the versions of the Great Learning and theDoctrine of the Mean, are not the commonly known Zhu Xi (朱熹)versions; rather, they are versions generated by spirit writing,entitled, respectively, Testimony and Interpretation of theGreat Learning (Da Xue Zheng Shi大學證釋)andTestimony and Interpretation of the Doctrine of the Mean(Zhong Yong Zheng Shi 中庸證釋).。。Accordingto Zhong (2000:17-21), the Testimony and Interpretation of theGreat Learning and Testimony and Interpretation of the Doctrineof the Meanwere generated by spirit writing in a religioussect called the New Salvation Sect (救世新教)around the 1920s. The spirits descending to produce these two textsincluded Confucius, Mencius, Yan Hui (顏回),Zeng Zi (曾子),Zi Si(子思), Lu Dong Bin (呂洞賓),and so forth. The spirit-writing versions of the Great Learningand the Doctrine of the Mean alter the structures, wordssequences, and contents of the versions once edited by Zhu Xi.。。itis extremely interesting to notice that for any changes appearing inthe newer version of the texts deities or saint-spirits havedescended to explain the changes and they sometimes have evenexpressed their regrets for mistakes appearing in the previousversion. For example, the first paragraph of the Zhu Xi-edited version of theGreat Learning is: “What the Great Learning teaches, is---toillustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest inthe highest excellence.” (大學之道,在明明德,在親民,在止於至善,see translation in Legge 1960 1:356-357). Now, the spirit-writingversion is: “What the Great Learning teaches, is---to illustrateillustrious virtue;to treat relatives with affection[emphasis mine]; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highestexcellence.” (大學之道,在明明德,在親親,在新民,在止於至善).
Afterthis change, the spirit of Confucius soon descended and said:
So the Tao of the Great Learning now is completed. The Confuciandoctrines transmitted by saints are also completed now. It is veryimportant for us to know this. Later generations missed out thecharacter qin [親“familiarity”] and the two characters “torenovate the people” [zai xin 在新].Although Zhu Xi cited the Kang Gao [康誥,a classical history book] “to renovate the people.” to interpretthe word qin [familiarity] as xin [to renovate] isquite inspiring and creative, yet it misses out the real meaning of“treating the people with affection” and thus cannot makeConfucianism complete. (Testimony and Interpretation of the GreatLeaning2002 : 37)
Anyreal fundamentalists certainly may be amazed by the above paragraph’sidea that even the classical scriptures could be revised bydescending spirits.
In the preface of the spirit-writing version of the the GreatLearning, Yan Hui descends and says:
Confucius this time comes to testify and interpret the GreatLearning. Mistakes should be corrected. These mistakes have beenwrongly followed for a long time; people have already failed tounderstand the real meaning behind [them]. Confucius takes seriousthis problem, and wants to correct it, as well as to expound it inmore detail. The previous version and current version will becompared side by side. Thus the true meaning can be clarified (Testimony and Interpretation of the Great Learning2002:28)
In the postscript of the spirit-writing version of the GreatLearning, the spirit of Zhu Xi even comes down and says:
I was foolish before. Now I come down together with the spirit ofConfucius. Once [I] listened to his teaching, I was enlightened. Thismoment was so great and never happened before. Those who have achance to learn the lesson admire it very much, as well as areinspired. When I was alive in the human realm, I studied scripturesand looked for teachers. Yet many things in the Classics I couldn’tunderstand. Even though I worked very hard, there was still a gapbetween the saints and me. Many years passed, [but] I still did notcatch it [the essence of Tao]. Now in the current magnificentgathering, saints instruct me. I get the chance to know saints’real intents behind the scriptures….In the past, I exerted myselfto explain those things I did not understand, thus missing out on allthe essences. Now thinking about these things, I so regret and feeldeeply guilt about my past. (Testimony and Interpretation of theGreat Learning2002: 220)
Therefore,this is to say that Zhu Xi admitted his annotation of the GreatLearning was not accurate at all, either in the interpretation orin the way of paragraph division. His version of the GreatLearning cannot shed light on the real intents of the saints. Nowonly the spirit-writing version the Great Learningappropriated by the I-Kuan Tao, can reveal the truth approved by allthese great saints.
发表于 13-10-2012 03:52 PM
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