왕양명 공부론에서의 정좌공부의 지위와 기능

Abstract

Yangming acknowledged the benefits of the Quiet Sitting, but also concerned about its side effects and adopted a seemingly inconsistent attitude that emphasizes active moral practice. The relationship between the Quiet Sitting and the Fulfilling Innate Knowledge of Goodness(致良知), the final docline of Yangming, is also unclear. It is clear that Quiet Sitting does not constitute an active practice, so this study explores how Yangming rationalized Quiet Sitting as a method of cultivation performed during periods of inactivity, aiming to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic from vairous perspectives. He recommended the Quiet Sitting as a way to cut off thought that tends toward desire and to remove the “the root cause of trouble(病根)” for pleasure, wealth, and fame. For Yangming, self-interest does not have a tangible source, but the habit of clinging to feelings and desires for objects solidifies, forming the root of the pursuit of self-interest. Yangming ordered his students to examine their mental activities to see if attachment had arisen, and to eliminate it through the Quiet Sitting during periods of inactivity. Therefore, it is evident that Yangming did not reject Quiet Sitting itself, but rather criticized his students’ approach ti differentiating between the internal and external and realms and their pursuit of tranquility. The above discussion suggests that the Quiet Sitting is compatible with Yangming’s theory of mind and has the potential to be established as a Fulfilling Innate Knowledge of Goodness study When nothing happens.