Wang Yangming, whose real name is Wang Shouren, was a famous thinker, writer, philosopher and military figure of the Ming Dynasty, and a master of Lu Wang's xinxue, who was proficient in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Wang Shouren's "Records of the Elephant Ancestral Hall", volume, cursive, paper, size 30.9 cm×700 cm, Zhengde Three Years (1508) National Palace Museum collection, Taipei.
The Elephant Ancestral Hall was written when Wang Shouren was demoted to Guizhou Longchang Yicheng . Elephant Shrine, an ancestral hall built to commemorate Yu Shun's half-brother Elephant. According to ancient legend, Elephant, at the instigation of his mother, plotted to kill Shun many times, but did not succeed. Subsequently, Xiang was inspired by Shun. After Shun ascended the throne, he was enfeoffed as the King of the State of Youbi (whose territory was in present-day northern Hunan Province). In the traditional view, xiang is a denied figure, and during the Tang Dynasty, the Daozhou Thorn History destroyed the local elephant shrine. However, Wang Shouren believes that "there is no indelible person under the heavens", and the reason why Xiang was finally inspired is to explain the greatness of Shun, and thus to illustrate the importance of gentleman's cultivation. This is also a concrete example of the "to the conscience" that the author has always advocated.
"Elephant Shrine" Spirit, Bo Mountain, there are elephant shrines. The dwellers of the Miao yi under it,
Salty gods and worship. Xuan Comfort Anjun, because of the request of Zhu Miaoyi, the new ancestral house, and
Please remember the rest. Yu Yue: 'Destroyed?' Its new also?' "New.". "New no Ya, where is it?" say:
"The Si Temple of Zhaoye, Gai Mo knows its origin." But the dwelling place of my barbarians is self-contained
Father and my ancestors, who were once high and high, all respected and worshipped; they did not dare to abolish it." child
He said, 'Hu ranhu?' There is a temple of The Temple, and the people of Tang will destroy it. The way of the elephant, think of the Son
Not filial piety, think that the brother is proud. Rebuked by tang, but still exists in the present; bad is worse than there is a lot, and judas
Yu Zi Tu ye, Hu Ranhu? I know. The gentleman's beloved husband is also pushed
His house is dark, and the brother of the saint is huh? However, the worshipper is Shun, not an elephant
also. The death of the image, after the dry feathers? Otherwise, wouldn't it be less than that of the Ancient Shockers?
And the Elephant Shrine is unique to the world. I then covered to see Shunde to the end, into the depths of the Lord, and
Ryuzawa is far away and long. The unkindness of the elephant covers its beginnings and ears, and it knows its end
Not seen in Shunya? The book is not cloudy: "Harmony with filial piety, humility, adultery, blindness is also allowed."
If". The blind has been transformed into a loving father, like a brother, and cannot be harmonious. To govern for the good is not
As for evil, if it is not against adultery, it will be good. Believe it, the elephant cover has been transformed into Shunyi. Mencius:
"The Son of Heaven makes the rulers rule his kingdom, as if he were not to do anything about it." Skyshun loves elephants deeply and is worried
Detailed, so support the counseling of the week also. Otherwise, Zhou Gongzhi's saint and Cai Cai's care is inevitable, Si
It can be seen that the image is transformed into Shun, so it can be enabled by the sages, and it is content to be in its place, and Ze is added to it
The people are dead and the people are pregnant. The secretary of the princes, ordained by the Son of Heaven, covers the system of Zhou officials, which is imitated
Yu Shun's seal of Xiang Xiang? I believe in the goodness of human nature, and there is nothing under the heavens that cannot be transformed
People also. However, it is the destruction of the Tang dynasty, the beginning of the elephant, and the worship of the present Zhuyi, the inheritance
The end of the elephant also. Si Yiye, I will show the world, so that I can know the unkindness of men, though they are like it, judas
It can be changed; and the virtue of a gentleman, and its supreme being, though it is unkind, can be transformed
Also.' Young brother Shouren.
【Full text of the interpretation】
The mountain of spirit and bo has an elephant shrine. The dwellers of the Miao Yi under it are salty gods and worship. Xuan Comfort Anjun, because of the request of Zhu Miaoyi, the new ancestral house, and please remember Yu. Yu Yue: "Destroyed, its new also?" "New." "Shinnoya, what's the matter?" "Si Ci Zhi Zhaoye, Gai Mo knows its origin." However, the dwellers of my barbarians, from my father and my ancestors, have been high and high, and they have all respected and worshipped, and they have not dared to abolish it. Yu Yue: "Hu Ranhu? There is a sacrifice, and the tang people cover it and destroy it. In the way of the elephant, thinking that the son is not filial piety, and thinking that the brother is proud. Rebuke the Tang, but still exist in the present; worse than you, and still flourish in Zi Tuye, Hu Ranhu? ”
I know: If a gentleman's love is like a man, it is pushed to the uth of his house, but to the brother of a saint? However, the devotee is Shun, not Xiangye. The death of the image, after the dry feathers? Otherwise, wouldn't there be few of the ancient ones? And the shrine of the elephant is unique to the world, so I cover it to see the depth of Shunde, into the depths of people, and the flow of the long and long.
The image is not kind, cover its beginnings and ears, and know that it will not be seen in Shunye in the end? The Book is not cloudy: "Harmony with filial piety, cunning and treachery, not adultery." If you are blind, you have become a loving Father. Like a brother, it cannot be harmonious. If you rule for good, you will not be evil; if you do not resist adultery, you will be good. Believe it, the elephant cover has been transformed into Shunyi! Mencius said: "The Son of Heaven makes officials rule his country, as if he were not allowed to do anything about it." "Skathun loves the elephant deeply and carefully, so he supports the counselor Zhou Ye." Otherwise, Zhou Gong is sacred, and Guan and Cai are not spared. Si can see that the image is transformed into Shun, so that he can be empowered and be content with his position, and Zejia is in his people, and he is dead and cherished. The secretary of the princes, ordered by the Son of Heaven, covers the system of "Zhou Guan", which is imitated by Shun's fengxiang 欤?
I then covered the goodness of believing in human nature, and there was no one under the world who could not be transformed. However, the destruction of the Tang dynasty is also the beginning of the elephant; the present Zhuyi is also the end of the elephant. Si Yiye, I will show the world, so that if I know the unkindness of man, if it is like it, it can be changed, and the cultivation of a gentleman, and its supreme virtue, although it is unkind, can be transformed. ”