The Joy of Reaching Heaven

石成金Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJul 2024

3.2

Word count: 23K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Everyone is endowed with the joy of their innate nature, which does not shift with favorable or adverse circumstances. Yet though each person has this heavenly joy, few ever enjoy it, for all are obscured by selfish desires. In my ignorance, I have taken clear and perceptive accounts of events and set them down in plain language in several kinds: so-and-so, because he followed heavenly principle, received many blessings of joy; so-and-so, because heavenly principle was obscured by selfish desires, suffered many misfortunes of sorrow and hardship. To each I append a simple commentary, and I title the book Tongtian Le (Joy That Reaches Heaven). It means that one who comprehends the joy of innate nature will enjoy supreme joy without limit at all times and in all circumstances.

Editor's review

Tongtian Le uses a plain, colloquial style to ground the traditional philosophical idea that "the joy of one's nature is not altered by favorable or adverse circumstances" in concrete human affairs. Through contrasting accounts—so-and-so enjoys blessings by following Heavenly principle, while so-and-so suffers misery because private desires obscure Heavenly principle—Shi Chengjin makes abstract moral self-cultivation tangible. His writing avoids abstruse language, favoring everyday vocabulary and story-like examples, so that even readers without a background in Neo-Confucianism can follow the narrative and appreciate the idea that "one who understands the joy of one's nature enjoys supreme joy at all times and in all circumstances." The book is short, structured mainly as examples followed by plain commentary, and is well suited to reading a piece or two slowly amid a busy life, using the ancients' perspective to reexamine gain and loss, worry and joy. Its value lies not in systematic theory but in popular moral persuasion that reminds people to recognize the obscuring of private desires and adjust their outlook; it still has relevance for dealing with anxiety, comparison, and adversity today.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in traditional moral exhortation literature and self-cultivation
Office workers seeking to adjust their mindset and reflect on gain and loss amid a fast-paced life
Readers who enjoy short stories with plain moral commentary that can be dipped into at will
Literature and history enthusiasts interested in Ming–Qing popular literature and folk ethical expression

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers expecting systematic philosophical argument or a rigorous theoretical framework
Readers who prefer novels with complex plots and richly developed characters
Those who dislike exhortative preaching and want only light entertainment

Reading tips

Read only one or two stories and commentaries at a time, pausing afterward to reflect on your own recent circumstances
Read the examples first, then return to the author's commentary to appreciate the movement from concrete affairs to moral principle
Keep a pen handy to note passages or contrasts that strike you, for rereading later
Do not feel obliged to finish in one sitting; keep it on your desk or by your bed and dip into it when emotions fluctuate

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
序
第一种长欢悦
第二种莫焦愁
第三种沈大汉
第四种麻小江
第五种追命鬼
第六种讨债儿
第七种除魇魅
第八种打县官
第九种下为上
第十种尊变卑
第十一种投胎哭
第十二种念佛功

FAQ

Can I understand Tongtian Le without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Largely yes. The book deliberately uses colloquial language to narrate its examples, and its reasoning is fairly plain, unlike classical histories and philosophical texts with dense allusions. When you encounter an occasional classical phrase, the context and the direction of the story usually make the general meaning clear; with an ordinary dictionary of classical Chinese, the obstacles will be even fewer.

Is this book suitable for reading as a work of philosophical theory?

Not really. It is closer to popular moral exhortation, conveying ideas about self-cultivation through examples and plain commentary without developing rigorous theoretical argument. Those seeking to study the history of philosophy or thought should look for systematic works; as a book for popularizing ideas and reflecting on one's mindset, it is quite suitable.

Are the examples and reasoning in the book remote from life today?

The specific situations are of course historically distant, but issues such as the obscuring of private desires, anxiety over gain and loss, and favorable versus adverse circumstances remain common. Readers need not cling to the ancients' specific judgments; they can treat the examples as a mirror for observing their own reactions to gain and loss, and take from them whatever reminders prove useful.

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About the author

石成金 Author

Public information about Shi Chengjin is currently limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name have not been clearly recorded and await further verification. Judging from the five works held in the collection, his writing mainly involves social fiction and classical literature, with tags such as "otherworld continent" also appearing, suggesting diverse attempts in subject matter. Representative works include Tongtian Le and the Chinese Classical Novel Selections series, the latter appearing in forms such as a middle volume and a three-volume set, indicating some presence in the compilation and selection of classical fiction. Based on the available information, Shi Chengjin's writing tends toward popular narrative and depictions of social life, with a language style close to the traditional manner of classical fiction. His works are classified under social fiction and classical literature, offering readers insight into his narrative orientation and thematic interests.