Replies to Questions at the Erya Terrace

Ma YifuJul 2022

4.3

Word count: 24K words
Chapters: 44

Summary

Ma Yifu (1883–1967) was a modern Chinese thinker, poet, and calligrapher, and an early representative of Modern New Confucianism. He was the first person in China to introduce the German and English editions of Marx's Das Kapital, and together with Liang Shuming and Xiong Shili he is known as one of the "Three Sages of New Confucianism."

In scholarship he attained deep mastery of ancient philosophy, Neo-Confucianism, literature, and Buddhist studies, integrating Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism into a single whole, and was regarded as a Confucian master of his age. Philosophically, he held that the fundamental spirit of Chinese culture lies in "bringing to light the principles of one's own mind." In Neo-Confucianism, his profound study and personal experience of traditional Confucian culture, especially Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, were widely recognized by his contemporaries. His "Theory of Principles and Names" was his own innovation, a exposition and elaboration of the principles of the "Six Arts" suited to teaching, which he called his new doctrine of principles.

As a calligrapher, he fused zhangcao and Han clerical script into a style of his own, combining the bearing of a Confucian, the ethereal quality of a Daoist immortal, and the mind of Chan Buddhism in one furnace; he was a master calligrapher whom Feng Zikai praised as "the leading figure of Chinese calligraphy."

This book collects letters in which the great scholar of Chinese studies Ma Yifu, during his teaching at the Fuxing Academy, replied to scholars within and outside the academy, along with his habitual instructional sayings and comments on students, forming an important part of his educational practice.

Editor's review

Erya Terrace Answers collects letters Ma Yifu wrote during his teaching at the Fuxing Academy in reply to scholars within and outside the academy, along with instructional sayings and comments on students, an important record of his educational practice. Unlike conventional formal lectures, these texts mostly arose from questions and offer guidance on specific matters, revealing both his scholarly aim of "bringing to light the principles of one's own mind" and the working out of his "theory of principles and names" in concrete teaching. The letters especially show his manner of responding to inquiries from all sides, while the sayings and comments are brief and incisive, carrying the immediacy of master-disciple instruction in an academy. Readers may thus learn how Modern New Confucians undertook teaching in the traditional academy manner, and sense Ma Yifu's scholarly bearing in integrating Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. The book is best read together with the continued collection, noting the classics behind his replies and the stages of study; read slowly and savor, without rushing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers concerned with Modern New Confucian educational practice and the academy tradition
Scholars studying Ma Yifu's thought and his answer-style writings
Those interested in the traditional master-disciple question-and-answer, comment, and instructional-saying forms
Readers with classical Chinese grounding willing to read principled texts slowly

Not a good fit for

Beginners who need vernacular annotation to read classical Chinese
Readers expecting a systematic overview of Ma Yifu's thought
Readers who only want to browse calligraphy or life stories

Reading tips

Read the letters first to understand the background of the inquiries, then the sayings and comments to appreciate the incisiveness of his guidance.
Read the answers against the classics they involve, noting the grounds of his arguments.
Read alongside the Continued Collection of Answers from the Erya Terrace to observe continuity and change in the answers.
After reading, write short notes on several entries, connecting them to your own perplexities in reading or teaching.

版权信息
答张立民
答袁竹漪
答杨硕井
答杨霞峰
答张德钧
答程泽溥
答夏眉杰
答王白尹
答陈兆平
答贾君
答周君
答吴君
答池君
答黄君
答云颂天
答某上座
答郭君
答刘君
答许君
答张君
答刘君
答张君
答龚君
答罗君
答王君
答徐君
答张君
答许君
答杨君
答熊君
答赵蕃叔
答刘君
答刘君
答许君
答张君
答谢子厚
答李君
答杨君
答徐君
答鄢君
答周君
答徐君
答任君

FAQ

Which should be read first, this book or the continued collection?

It is advisable to read this original volume first, then the continued collection. The original already presents the basic features of answers, sayings, and comments, and the continued collection builds on it; reading the original first makes the thread easier to follow. If only the continued collection is at hand, reading it alone does not prevent understanding its answer format.

What is the nature of the letters and comments in the book?

The letters are Ma Yifu's replies to inquiries from scholars within and outside the academy, characterized by responses tailored to the occasion; the sayings and comments are daily guidance to students and judgments on their writing, briefer and more incisive. Both belong to his educational practice at the Fuxing Academy rather than to systematic treatises.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

It is best to have some understanding of basic concepts of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, the Confucian classics, and common Buddhist terminology, along with some ability to read classical Chinese. If background is insufficient, use reference tools and related annotated editions, first grasping the question each answer addresses, then examining its principled grounds.

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About the author

Ma Yifu Author · Chinese · 1883–1967

Ma Yifu (1883–1967), whose given name was Fu and who used Yifu as his courtesy name and Zhanweng as his literary name, was a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. A modern Chinese thinker, philosopher, poet and calligrapher, he was one of the early representative figures of modern New Confucianism and, together with Liang Shuming and Xiong Shili, was known as one of the "Three Sages of New Confucianism." In 1939 he founded Fuxing Academy in Leshan, Sichuan, where he continued to lecture and write. His works combine philosophical reflection with a literary and poetic temperament, often taking the form of lecture records, talks, answers to questions and poetry talks, with closely reasoned argument and elegant, refined language. Works such as Lecture Records of Fuxing Academy, Talks at Taihe and Yishan, Answers to Questions at Erya Terrace and Poetry Talks from the Juanxi Studio embody his exposition of Confucian principles and his continuation of traditional scholarship. The library holds 32 of his works, spanning classics, Eastern philosophy and modern poetry, which shows the enduring influence of his writings on the transmission of modern Confucianism and the study of traditional culture.