
WangYangMing
WangYangMing-WangYangMing
王阳明生平大事记
王阳明诞生
王阳明出生于浙江余姚,自幼聪颖过人。

二十岁求学
年轻时期苦读圣贤书,立志圣学。

考中进士
28岁考中进士,任南京刑部主事。

龙场悟道
贬谪龙场驿,顿悟"心即理"之旨。

平定宸濠之乱
以军事才能平定宸濠之乱,功勋卓著。

广西巡抚
任广西巡抚,治理边疆,传播心学。

逝世
在返回家乡途中病逝于江西省南昌市。

王阳明心学传承谱系
注:此谱系展示了王阳明主要弟子及其重要传承分支
WangYangMing Quotes
XinJiLi, ZhiXingHeYi
Innate Knowledge
Innate knowledge is where the heavenly principle manifests its clarity and consciousness. Everyone inherently possesses this innate knowledge, without needing to seek it externally. This emphasizes that everyone has the innate ability to judge right from wrong and good from evil, without needing to seek it from outside.
Knowledge and Action
If you know but don't do, it's not real knowledge. Wang Yangming believed that true knowledge must lead to action. If you know but don't do, it's not real knowledge.
Practice on the Job
The sage teaches people that they must practice in actual affairs to verify the substance and function of the mind. This emphasizes practicing and comprehending truth through practice, rather than empty theorizing. This tells us to cultivate ourselves through concrete matters.
Easy to break the mountain, hard to break the heart
The inner afflictions like greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance are harder to overcome than external enemies. This reminds us to focus on inner cultivation and overcome our own bad habits.
Unity of All Things
All things are within me. The human being and the world are one, and we must save the public reason and eliminate the private desire. This inspires us to have a broad mind and coexist with all things.
Settle Your Mind
Without a clear purpose, nothing can be achieved. This emphasizes the importance of setting a clear goal and a firm will. It tells us to set a great ambition.
Rest and Cultivate
When you are quiet, you need to cultivate your mind. When you are active, you need to observe and反省. This guides us to focus on self-reflection and cultivation.
Practice on the Job
Therefore, the sage's learning must be based on practice. It cannot be empty talk. It tells us to practice in actual work and life.
The Heart is Not Outside the Body
The heart is not outside the body, the heart is not outside the matter, the heart is not outside the reason, the heart is not outside the righteousness. It emphasizes that all principles are in the heart, not outside the matter. This inspires us to focus on inner cultivation.
The Heart is Not Outside the Body
Investigation of things means investigating the non-material nature of the mind. Extension of knowledge means extending one's innate moral knowledge. This explains that the true meaning of investigating things and extending knowledge lies in understanding one's original mind and restoring innate moral knowledge. This guides us to understand our original mind and restore our innate moral knowledge.
Why learn Wang Yangming?
Wang Yangming is one of the most influential thinkers in Chinese history, and his thoughts have important guiding significance for the cultivation of self-cultivation and spiritual growth of modern people. Here are the main values of learning Wang Yangming:
Improve Your Mind
By learning the thoughts of Wang Yangming, you can improve your self-cultivation, cultivate good character, and gain inner peace and wisdom.

Guide Your Life Practice
The concept of knowledge and action teaches us to put knowledge into practice, avoid empty talk, and practice in actual life.

Restore Your Original Mind
The concept of knowledge and action teaches us to put knowledge into practice, avoid empty talk, and practice in actual life.

Enhance Your Social Responsibility
Wang Yangming emphasizes that the prosperity and decline of the country depend on the individual. This inspires us to have a sense of responsibility and a sense of mission.

Expand Your Thinking
The concept of knowledge and action teaches us to put knowledge into practice, avoid empty talk, and practice in actual life.

Enhance Your Leadership Skills
Wang Yangming is a thinker, military general, and educator. His wisdom in dealing with things is very helpful for the cultivation of modern leadership.

Enhance Your Leadership Skills
The concept of knowledge and action teaches us to put knowledge into practice, avoid empty talk, and practice in actual life.

Overcome Life Adversity
Wang Yangming's life experience tells us how to自强不息 in adversity, which is very启发 for modern people to face.

Enhance Your Leadership Skills
The concept of knowledge and action teaches us to put knowledge into practice, avoid empty talk, and practice in actual life.

Gain Life Wisdom
Wang Yangming's thoughts contain rich life philosophy, which can help us better understand ourselves and grasp life direction.

FAQ
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions
What are Wang Yangming's main ideas?
Wang Yangming's core ideas are 'Mind is Principle' and 'Unity of Knowledge and Action'. He believed that people inherently possess moral rationality within their minds, without needing to seek principles externally. Meanwhile, knowledge and action are unified - true knowledge must lead to practice. These ideas still provide important guidance for modern people's self-cultivation and spiritual growth.
What was Wang Yangming's life experience?
Wang Yangming (1472-1529) was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang, showing extraordinary talent in his youth. At age 28, he passed the imperial examination and served in the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing. Later he was banished to Longchang Post in Guizhou for speaking out, where he had his enlightenment about 'Mind is Principle'. He demonstrated military talent in suppressing the Ning Rebellion and later governed the frontier as Governor of Guangxi. He devoted his life to spreading his School of Mind philosophy and wrote important works like 'Instructions for Practical Living'.
What is the significance of the Longchang enlightenment?
The Longchang enlightenment was a crucial turning point in Wang Yangming's philosophical development. In the harsh environment of Longchang Post in Guizhou, he broke through Zhu Xi's view that 'Principle exists in things' and realized that 'Mind is Principle', establishing his School of Mind philosophical system. This experience not only laid the foundation for his philosophical theory but also demonstrated his perseverance in seeking truth amid adversity.
What are Wang Yangming's important works?
Wang Yangming's important works include philosophical writings like 'Instructions for Practical Living', 'Questions on the Great Learning', 'Critique of Zhu Xi's Later Views', and literary works collected in 'Complete Works of Wang Yangming'. Among these, 'Instructions for Practical Living' is his most important work, systematically expounding his School of Mind philosophy and profoundly influencing later generations.
How to understand Unity of Knowledge and Action?
Unity of Knowledge and Action is a key concept in Wang Yangming's philosophy. He believed knowledge and action form an integrated whole - true knowledge must lead to action, and knowledge without practice is not real knowledge. This idea emphasizes the unity of theory and practice, providing important insights for modern learning and life.
What is Wang Yangming's historical status?
Wang Yangming, along with Zhu Xi, is known as one of the 'Two Masters Zhu-Wang' and is one of the most influential thinkers in Chinese history. His School of Mind philosophy not only formed an important school of thought in the Ming Dynasty but also influenced East Asian countries like Japan and Korea. As a philosopher, military strategist, and educator, he holds an important position in Chinese intellectual history.
What is the modern value of Wang Yangming's thought?
Wang Yangming's thought remains highly valuable to modern society. His theory of moral cultivation can guide modern people's self-improvement, his concept of Unity of Knowledge and Action helps overcome the disconnect between theory and practice, and his ideas about character cultivation and social responsibility provide important inspiration for modern spiritual growth.
Begin Your Journey to Explore Wang Yangming's Wisdom
Let's experience the essence of Wang Yangming's thought and gain life inspiration together




