Words of Sighs

Name: Words of Sighs
ISBN: 9787505726611

Lü KunChina Friendship Publishing Company · ChinaOct 2024

4.2

Word count: 109K words
Chapters: 27
ISBN: 9787505726611

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Summary

Shenyin Yu (Words of Sighs) is the representative work of the Ming dynasty thinker Lü Kun, completed in 1593, the twenty-first year of the Wanli reign. The book is divided into six volumes: the first three form the inner chapters, the last three the outer chapters. In it, Lü Kun records his observations and reflections on the cosmos, human nature, fate, current affairs, governance, the natural world, and human relations—philosophical throughout and sparkling with wisdom.

This edition is a selected version. Keeping the format of the original block-print edition, it selects over a hundred passages and adds modern annotations and translations. Accessible and easy to understand, it is an excellent choice for general readers who do not study ancient texts professionally.

Editor's review

Shenyin Yu is a philosophical notebook distilled by the Ming thinker Lü Kun over more than thirty years of effort; its value far exceeds that of an ordinary collection of quotations. Though titled "sighs," the book is in fact the crystallization of the author's profound observation and painful reflection on life, the ways of the world, learning, and all things in the universe. It is divided into seventeen chapters—Human Nature and Destiny, Preserving the Mind, Ethics, Discourse on the Way, and others—grand in system and deep in thought, inheriting and reexamining Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism while brimming with concern for and criticism of contemporary society. Lü Kun's discussion never indulges in empty talk; it usually starts from everyday human relations and the nature of things and pushes toward the foundations of heavenly principle and human destiny. The style is plain yet sharp, charged with a brooding, forceful speculative energy.

As an editor, I believe the book's value for readers lies in its "immediacy of thought." It is not a tightly structured systematic treatise but an on-the-spot record of sparks of thought, preserving the original tension and confusion of thinking. Readers can not only glimpse the spiritual world and problematic concerns of late Ming scholar-officials but also be prompted to think about their own situation and the questions of their age. Many of its views on self-cultivation, dealing with the world, and learning—such as "deep and weighty is the first-rate quality"—still carry strong practical relevance today. For readers who wish to understand the "substantive learning" strand in traditional Chinese culture or to find calm of mind and body in a noisy age, this is a classic worth repeated savoring. This edition from Youyi Publishing House strikes a good balance between textual collation and popular accessibility.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Deep readers with a strong interest in traditional Chinese philosophy and intellectual history
Readers seeking wisdom for living and a philosophy of conduct, who prefer aphoristic texts
Researchers or enthusiasts hoping to understand the mentality of Ming scholars and the intellectual currents of the period
People who long for quiet reflection amid a busy life and use reading for self-dialogue

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a plot-driven, smoothly narrated light novel
Readers unfamiliar with classical Chinese expression and philosophical concepts who are unwilling to spend time adapting to them

Reading tips

Do not feel obliged to read straight through in order; begin with the chapters closest to your concerns, such as "Self-Cultivation" or "Dealing with the World," savoring a few passages each day
Keep notes while reading, recording lines that resonate or raise questions, and try to interpret and reflect on them in light of your own experience
Consult brief introductions to Lü Kun's life and the intellectual background of the Ming dynasty to better understand the text's context and deeper meaning

About the publisher

China Friendship Publishing Company China · Founded in 1983

China Friendship Publishing Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literary titles, covering classical Chinese literature, foreign literature, folk literature and cultural appreciation. According to the books in the database, its classical list includes celebrated dramas and novels such as The Peony Pavilion, The Romance of the Western Chamber and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, as well as note-style classics like Hong Mai's Rongzhai Suibi. In foreign literature it offers translations of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Kawabata Yasunari's Snow Country and Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, involving translators such as Zeng Siyi. It also publishes The Complete Literary Works of Lu Xun and titles associated with the "Xue'er Shuguan" editorial group, balancing the collation and popularization of classic texts. Public information on its publishing features and plans is limited; the above is summarized only from the books in the database.

版权信息
呻吟语序
呻吟语摘
明史·吕坤传
卷一内篇礼集
性命
存心
伦理
谈道
卷二内篇乐集
修身
问学
卷三内篇射集
应务
养生
卷四外篇御集
天地
世运
圣贤
品藻
卷五外篇书集
治道
卷六外篇数集
人情
物理
广喻
词章

FAQ

Does the title Shenyin Yu have a special meaning?

"Shenyin" here does not mean moaning in illness; it is a metaphor for the author Lü Kun's murmurs and laments, uttered as deep thought and sudden insight arose while he probed the ultimate principles of heaven, earth, and human life—vividly expressing the hardship of intellectual exploration and the stirring of the mind.

Is this book similar to Caigentan or Xiaochuang Youji?

They belong to the same Ming-Qing genre of qingyan xiaopin, or light philosophical aphorisms, but with different emphases. Shenyin Yu is more philosophical and systematic, concentrating on fundamental questions of the cosmos, human nature, principle, and vital force; its depth and systematicity far exceed ordinary collections of maxims on conduct.

Can readers with only a basic grounding in classical Chinese understand it?

Editions of this book usually include annotations, and Lü Kun's prose is relatively plain, not overly polished. Readers with some grounding in classical Chinese, or who are willing to read patiently with reference tools, can get through it. Complete beginners may find obstacles, but it can still serve as a text for improving classical Chinese reading ability.

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About the author

Lü Kun Author · Chinese · 1536–1618

Lü Kun (1536–1618), courtesy name Shujian and style name Xinwu, was a native of Ningling, Henan, and a Ming dynasty thinker and man of letters. A jinshi of 1574, he served as Grand Coordinator of Shanxi and Vice Minister of Justice; upright and incorruptible in office, he was known with Shen Li and Guo Zhengyu as the "three worthies" of the Wanli reign. He championed practical learning and helped open the way for the late Ming and early Qing currents of reformist and enlightenment thought. His works include Shenyin Yu, Quwei Zhai Ji and Shizheng Lu. His writing spans Eastern philosophy, prose miscellany and folk literature; twelve titles are held here, including several editions of Shenyin Yu, Xinwu Lü Xiansheng Shizheng Lu, Jiuming Shu, Xu Xiao'er Yu, and the annotated Chinese family-instruction series. Whether discussing self-cultivation and governance, recording administrative and everyday life, or collecting maxims and household precepts, his plain, practical style emphasizes daily conduct and has influenced later writing on self-improvement and literary appreciation.