Table Of ContentSelf-Cultivation (修身)
in Early China
SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture
—————
Roger T. Ames, editor
Self-Cultivation (修身)
in Early China
PAUL FISCHER
Cover art: Image courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Light Snow on the Moun-
tain Pass. Unidentified artist. China, late Ming (1368–1644)–early Qing (1644–1911)
dynasty. Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988. Accession Number: 1989.363.168
唐人楊昇畫關山蒲雪圖, 宋御府所藏.
康熙丙午得見於長安借綠堂, 因以重價購得.
此畫有所賞心, 永寶. 沚鑑題.
Tang artist Yang Sheng painted this Light Snow at Mt. Guan, which was in the
collection of the Song Imperial court.
In the bingwu year (1666 CE) of the Kangxi emperor, I was able to view
[this painting] at the Borrowed Green Studio in Chang’an, and then purchased
it for a hefty price.
This painting has something that appeals to the heart, and I will treasure it forever.
Inscribed by Zhijian [i.e., Feng Xianshi 馮仙湜; fl. mid-17th to 18th cent.]
Translation by (and thanks to) Yunchiahn Sena.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2022 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system
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permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Name: Fischer, Paul, author.
Title: Self-cultivation in early China / Paul Fischer.
Description: Albany : State University of New York Press, 2022. | Series: SUNY series
in Chinese philosophy and culture | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021051929 (print) | LCCN 2021051930 (ebook) | ISBN
9781438488332 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438488356 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Ethics—China. | Conduct of life.
Classification: LCC BJ117 .F57 2022 (print) | LCC BJ117 (ebook) | DDC
170.951—dc23/eng/20220120
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021051929
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021051930
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
“If the mind does not have its Heavenly wanderings, then the six senses
will be mutually confused.” (心無天遊，則六鑿相攘。)
—Zhuangzi 莊子
“As truth is gathered, I rearrange . . . inside out, outside in: perpetual
change.”
—Jon Anderson
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Book Title Translations xi
Introduction 1
Part I. Person (人)
Chapter 1 Body (體) 33
Chapter 2 Nature (性) 77
Chapter 3 Mind (心) 101
Part II. Environment (地)
Chapter 4 Virtuosity (德) 143
Chapter 5 Timeliness (時) 191
Part III. Objects (物)
Chapter 6 Learning (學) 213
Chapter 7 Music (樂) 235
viii CONTENTS
Part IV. Cosmos (天)
Chapter 8 Fate (命) 247
Chapter 9 Destiny (天) 271
Chapter 10 Spiritousness (神) 283
Works Cited 321
Index 331
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the many very nice people I met during my years
studying in China: teachers, fellow students, office workers, librarians,
bookstore workers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, neighbors,
shop owners, restaurant workers, tea shop servers, bartenders, barbers, bicy-
cle-fixers, everyone who sold things at Beijing’s Panjiayuan 潘家园 market,
all those who gave me directions when I was lost (this was in the early
2000s, before cellphones with GPS were common), and all those who just
walked up to me and started a conversation; all of those interactions were
overwhelmingly positive and left a lasting impression that is somehow related
to the theme of this book. I would in particular like to thank my fellow
sinologist Lin Zhipeng 林志鵬 for his many years of help and friendship. I
would also like to thank the Visiting Scholars Program of the International
Center for Studies of Chinese Civilization (ICSCC) at Fudan University
(复旦大学中华文明国际研究中心访问学者计划). Zhang Ke 章可 and Qian
Yu 钱宇 of the ICSCC were especially gracious and helpful in facilitating
my visit and the attendant conference in the summer of 2015. Six years
later (while also attending to my day job), I have finally finished what I
began that summer in Shanghai. I further thank another fellow sinologist,
He Jianjun 何建軍, for his encouragement and friendship. Thanks also to
Jimi, Jimmy, David, Steve, and Trey, for their spiritousness. Last, according
to custom, but not least, ldl.
ix
