The term was originally used to indicate a person’s social status, usually referring to the rulers’ subjects or those low in social ranking. Later generations also used the term to indicate one’s moral standard in a disapproving way. Those of base character were called petty men as opposed to men of virtue. A petty man only pursues his personal i…
Qi (器) is a real object or a specific official, position, etc. A qi is something visible, or something one may describe in concrete terms. Every kind of qi has a specific form, function, or capability. Therefore there are clear distinctions between one qi and another. However, a common dao exists in different kinds of qi. The existence of a qi is b…
This idea was first put forward by Zhang Zai (1020-1077)of the Northern Song Dynasty, who held that people and things are all created by the vital force of heaven and earth, and thus are similar in nature. He advocated love for all people and things in the world, and his view transcended the old anthropocentric viewpoint and aimed to reach harmony…