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Segments from the Zhu Zi Yu-lei (Classified conversations of Master Zhu)

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Juan 1, Passage 2

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ZZYL 1:2a/11

utf-8: 0 Traditional:

問：「昨謂未有天地之先，畢竟是先有理，如何？」曰： 「未有天地之先，畢竟也只是理。有此理，便有此天地： 若無此理，便亦無天地，無人無物，都無該載了！有理， 便有氣流行，發育萬物。」曰：「發育是理發育之否？」 曰：「有此理，便有此氣流行發育。理無形體。」曰： 所謂體者，是強名否？」曰：「是。」曰：「理無 極，氣有極否？」曰：「論其極，將那處做極？」

淳。

Simplified:

问：「昨谓未有天地之先，毕竟是先有理，如何？」曰： 「未有天地之先，毕竟也只是理。有此理，便有此天地： 若无此理，便亦无天地，无人无物，都无该载了！有理， 便有气流行，发育万物。」曰：「发育是理发育之否？」 曰：「有此理，便有此气流行发育。理无形体。」曰： 所谓体者，是强名否？」曰：「是。」曰：「理无 极，气有极否？」曰：「论其极，将那处做极？」

淳。

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[Someone] asked: "Yesterday you said that before there was Heaven and Earth there was first Li. How is that?" [Zhu Xi] said: "Before there was Heaven or Earth, there was indeed just Li. There being this Li, there was then this Heaven and Earth. If this Li had not been present then there could not have been a Heaven or an Earth or people and creatures either. There would have been nothing to establish them. There being Li there is then lifebreath, which flows about and gives rise to and nurtures the myriad creatures. " [The questioner] said: "Does that mean that it is Li that gives rise to and nurtures [those things]?" [Zhu Xi] said: "There being Li there is lifebreath which flows about and gives rise to and nurtures [things]. Li does not have a corporeal body (xing² ti³)." [The questioner] said: "Is this 'basis for function' a forced name (i.e., a name used in desperation when an entity is in fact ineffable)? [Zhu Xi] said: "Yes." [The questioner] said: "Is it the case that Li is boundless while lifebreath has bounds?" [Zhu Xi] said: "If you were to speak of its bounds, then what point could you take to be on its boundary?" [Recorded by the disciple Chun]

 

 

PEM -- Commentary   Some tentative definitions:   fa¹ yu⁴ = give rise to and nurture.
tai⁴ ji² = "Supreme Ultimate" -- that which underlies all being and all pattern in the universe but is beyond the universe of our experience. It is usually explained by Zhu Xi as Li.
li³ = (1) pattern (in the sense of the pattern of spots in a peacock's tail, not in the sense of a dress pattern); (2) the pattern in events that accounts for and makes possible, the reason for, particular entities and events. (3) the metaphysical basis for all being and pattern (or regularity or organization) in the universe, for which I write Li³.
Li³ = cosmic basis for all being and all pattern in the universe.
ti³ = basis-for-function.
yong⁴ = function (something that flows from a basis-for-function).
ti³ and yong⁴, an example: A flute is a ti³, and the sound it produces is its yong⁴.
xing² ti³ = physical form.

 

Zhu has indicated that li is the ti³ (body, basis-for-function) of the universe while at the same time saying that it has no xing² ti³ (physical form), so the questioner asks whether "ti³" is one of those words used when nothing better can be found to get one's idea across.

-- PEM

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Chinese text checked against the Zhu Zi Yu Lei Da Quan on 5 July 2003

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To see the Tai-ji Tu, click here To see the entire Wesleyan Chinese text of the first chapter of the Zhu Zi Yu-lei, click here .