Chapter 1102: How Does One Become a Sage? (Please Subscribe)

"Misui, can you understand what you're reading?"

Zhu Cilang was speaking "Japanese" again — in a Japanese-styled room, addressing a beautiful young girl in kendo attire who was kneeling on a tatami mat, reading a book. The girl was Takada Misui. She had not followed Tokugawa Taka to Nagasaki, but had remained in Wuhan to keep the Ming Emperor company.

After getting to know Misui more intimately, Zhu Cilang learned that this Japanese girl's grandfather had been an expert at skewering people with a long spear. He had campaigned in the Shimabara Rebellion and, all told, skewered 108 Catholics to death! For this, Tokugawa Iemitsu promoted him to hatamoto and even bestowed on him the name Yari Mataemon.

But a single Shimabara Rebellion could not bring the Takada family much wealth or rank, so Takada Yari Mataemon pinned his hopes for further advancement on his children and grandchildren, urging them to study martial arts and learning diligently, so as to secure good posts. Of course, the girls of the Takada family also had to work hard — if they mastered martial arts, they could serve as bodyguards to the princesses and ladies of their domain lord's household, and perhaps even catch the domain lord's eye.

So this Takada Misui could not only wield spear, staff, and sword, but could also read and write. Of course, she merely "could" do these things — she was far from proficient. Even her best skill, spear technique, was only passable in the eyes of someone of Wu Sanmei's level; if Wu Sangui saw it, he would surely call it mere showmanship. And her scholarship was even weaker — she merely knew a fair number of Chinese characters and had learned to speak Chinese in Nagasaki.

And the Confucian Canon was written precisely for people like her — if one were illiterate, one could not read the Confucian Canon; if one truly had the learning of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, one would certainly scorn it.

Takada Misui nodded. "I can understand some of it."

"What do you understand?" Zhu Cilang asked.

Takada answered with great seriousness: "I understand that one must be loyal to one's lord, must be brave in offering oneself up for one's lord — even if it means death and destruction, one must not hesitate. Only thus can one be a worthy in life and a sage in death!"

Is that what you got from the Confucian Canon? Zhu Cilang thought to himself: That is clearly bushido! Wait — did she just say she would offer herself up for her lord without hesitation? Really?

"Misui," Zhu Cilang asked, "who is your lord?"

Takada Misui said: "It is Your Majesty!"

Before Tokugawa Taka left Wuhan, Zhu Cilang had obtained her from him.

Zhu Cilang looked at Misui with a beaming smile: "So, you are willing to offer yourself up for Us?"

"Of course I am willing!" Takada Misui lowered her head and said softly, "I will do anything."

Heh heh, very obedient!

Zhu Cilang stood up and said to Takada: "Tonight, wait for Us in Our chamber!"

"Hai!" Takada of course understood what was to happen — her little face instantly flushed bright red, but she still agreed readily.

"Now... follow Us!" Zhu Cilang said again.

It was not yet time for Takada to offer herself up, because Zhu Cilang still had a meeting to attend to discuss the Confucian Canon — and he was bringing Takada Misui along.

Launching the Confucian Canon was a major matter affecting the unity of the entire Heavenly Dynasty civilization sphere!

It involved not only compilation, but also promotion and dissemination!

Dissemination had always been Confucianism's weak point. After all these years of propagation, it only had a market in Huaxia, Joseon, Annam, and Japan. It could not compare with Christianity or Islam — it was even inferior to Buddhism!

In addition, there was also the matter of the "Sage and Worthy Ranking System" and the Shrine of the Loyal, the Heroic, the Worthy, and the Good to discuss. This had been proposed by Huang Zongxi. The great Confucian scholars who had participated in compiling the Confucian Canon had jointly submitted a memorial proposing to set a standard for "a worthy in life, a sage in death," and to establish a dedicated institution for rites and evaluation. The reason for Confucianism's poor propagation, apart from classical Chinese being too hard to read (if even its own adherents cannot read it, how is it to be propagated?), was also that there was no dedicated organization responsible for spreading it.

After Emperor Zhu took power, he had given the matter no small amount of thought.

But one must eat one's rice mouthful by mouthful! Propagating Confucianism could not rely on "physics" alone — there had to be sound reasoning as well. The reasoning at least had to be irrefutable; only then, with physics added on top, could one persuade through reason. Therefore, before propagating Confucianism, Zhu Cilang first had to straighten out Confucian doctrine.

And Confucian doctrine could not be straightened out by him alone, no matter how he tried. So he had seized the opportunity of Dorgon's tomb-robbing at Qufu to put forth the "Zilun Gewu Pian" as a brick to attract jade.

Now the "Zilun Gewu Pian" had been out for nearly ten years, and it had indeed drawn forth much sound doctrine. It had also made the Confucian truth-system of "investigating things to extend knowledge" and "the unity of Heaven and man" considerably more solid.

Only after the Confucian truth-system had become solid could great Confucians like Kong Yinzheng, Huang Zongxi, Wang Fuzhi, and Zhang Guozhong write the Confucian Canon — which seemed simple but was in fact extremely profound. Confucianism, after all, was ultimately a school of thought, not a religion! Therefore it must insist on using dialectical inquiry to seek the Principle of Heaven, and must not use divine revelation or oracles to expound the Principle of Heaven, still less fabricate an all-powerful deity as an object of worship.

Therefore, before deeply studying the "Zilun Gewu Pian," people like Kong Yinzheng, Huang Zongxi, Wang Fuzhi, and Zhang Guozhong simply could not have written the Confucian Canon.

"Misui, tell us your views on the Principle of Heaven!"

In the assembly hall on the ground floor of the Qingliang Pavilion, Emperor Zhu, in front of the assembled court officials and great Confucian scholars, asked Takada Misui for her views on the Principle of Heaven.

This startled Misui — surely this was not something to speak of carelessly? With so many great lords present, if she said something wrong, would she have to cut her belly open in apology?

"Speak freely, say whatever comes to mind!" Zhu Cilang was kindly enough. He glanced at the important personages present, then looked at the nervous Misui, and explained, "The Confucian Canon is mainly meant for people like Misui. If she finds it incomprehensible, finds it unreasonable, then the book has been poorly compiled. Misui, speak!"

"Hai..." Takada breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that even if she spoke poorly, she would not be punished. "Your Majesty, this slave has only one point of confusion: what is the relationship between the Principle of Heaven and Amaterasu Omikami?"

Zhu Cilang turned to look at the officials and great Confucians present, and asked with a smile: "Do you all know who Amaterasu Omikami is?"

"This subject knows," Huang Zongxi replied. "She is the supreme deity of Japan's Shinto religion."

Zhu Cilang nodded. "Then what is her relationship to the Principle of Heaven?"

"All things in the world originate from the Principle of Heaven, and Amaterasu Omikami is no exception!" Huang Zongxi said. "The Principle of Heaven created the world. The Principle of Heaven is Heaven itself — there is nothing higher than Heaven, nothing greater than Heaven, nothing more enduring than Heaven."

"Do you understand?" Zhu Cilang asked Misui.

"I understand."

"Is there anything else you do not understand?"

Takada Misui nodded and said: "This slave has one more point of confusion. The Confucian Canon says that everyone can become a sage. If that is truly so, will there not be too many sages?"

Zhu Cilang again looked at the group of great Confucians.

Kong Yinzheng said: "Becoming a sage is not the same as becoming a Sage. To become a sage in death is different from becoming a Sage while alive. One who is a worthy in life can become a sage only in death. One who is a Sage in life is one beloved by the Principle of Heaven and revered by the world."

Takada asked again: "Then... what kind of person can become a Sage?"

"One who establishes the heart for Heaven and Earth, establishes the destiny for the people, carries on the lost teachings of past sages, and opens peace for ten thousand generations — only such a person can become a Sage!"

"Then who decides?" The young Takada girl still had the spirit of one who breaks the pot to get to the bottom of the question.

This question Kong Yinzheng did not dare answer; instead he fixed his gaze on the Ming Son of Heaven. Zhu Cilang smiled and said: "Naturally, the great Confucians nominate by public acclaim, and then the Son of Heaven confers the title."

He paused, then said: "Both becoming a Sage in life and becoming a sage in death should be divided into ranks. For those who are Sages in life, they may be divided into the Utmost Sage, the Second Sage, and the Continuing Sage. None but the greatly worthy and greatly capable may receive such titles.

Of course, being a Sage in life does not mean being enfeoffed as a Sage in life. One who is a Sage is a Sage even without the title! The Son of Heaven's conferral is merely to honor their merit and virtue. Therefore it may also be conferred posthumously."

He paused, then continued: "For those who become sages in death, their rank is determined by the shrine where their spirit tablet is enshrined. The highest is to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple; next is the Shrine of the Loyal and Heroic; next, the Shrine of the Worthy and Good; then the Shrine of the Loyal and Righteous; and finally, the Shrine of Local Worthies."

At this point Emperor Zhu suddenly looked seriously at Takada Misui. "Misui, do you believe in Buddhism?"

"This slave believes in Buddhism."

"Which sect?"

"The Jodo Shinshu."

"Good!" Zhu Cilang said. "We wish to confer upon Master Jianzhen the title of Continuing Sage. What do you think?"

(End of Chapter)