Xiong Shili
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Xiong Shili (熊十力) (1885–1968), was a twentieth century Chinese philosopher whose major work A New Treatise on Consciousness-only (xin weishi lun 新唯識論) is a Confucian critique of the Buddhist "consciousness-only" theory popularized in China by the Tang Dynasty Monk Xuan Zang (玄奘, 596-664 C.E.).
Xiong, a participant in the 1911 Republican Revolution that ended the Qing dynasty and ushered in China's first republic, left politics in 1917 in disgust over corruption and what he termed "latent feudalism" among the revolutionaries.
Offered a sinecure as a school teacher, Xiong stopped in Nanjing to listen to lectures at the Buddhist China Institute for Inner Learning (zhina neixue yuan, 支那內學院). (Buddhists refer to metaphysics as 'inner learning' and science as 'outer learning.') Xiong remained at the Institute as a student of Ouyang Xiu (also known as Ouyang Jingwu ), the Insitute's learned lay teacher.
In the 1920's, the then Chancellor of Beijing University, Cai Yuanpei, stopped in Nanjing to visit Ouyang. Cai asked Ouyang to recommend someone to teach Buddhist Logic (yinming xue 因明學) at the Philosophy Department at Beijing University. Ouyang recommended Xiong and passed Cai a rough draft of Xiong's New Treatise on Consciousness-only (新唯识论). Impressed with the Xing's work, Cai invited Xiong to Beijing University where Xiong published his major work A New Treatise on Consciousness-only, in 1932.
Major works of Xiong Shili: A New Treatise on Consciousness-only (新唯識論); A Refutation of the Refutation of the New Treatise on Consciousness-only (破破新唯識論); Origins of Confucianism (源儒); Essay on Substance and Function (體用論); Essential Sayings of Xiong Shili (十力語要); First Continuation of the Essential Sayings of Xiong Shili (十力語要初續); Essentials for Reading the Classics (讀經示要); A Comprehensive Explanation of Buddhist Terms (佛家明相通釋); On Change (乾坤衍); "Conservative Buddhist Clandestine Opposition to Xuan Zang During the Tang Dynasty," (in Zhongguo zhexue shi lunwen chuji,[Initial Collection of Essays on the History of Chinese Philosophy] Beijing, 1959, pp. 97-103) ("唐世佛學舊派反對玄奘之暗潮," 中國哲學史論文初集).
Outline to Xiong Shili’s Biography
A. Childhood and Early Education
B. The 1911 Revolution (辛亥革命)
1. He Zixin (何自新) and Wang Han (王漢)
2. The Science Study Group (科學講習所)
3. Wang Han’s Assassination Attempt on Tie Liang
4. Society for the Daily Increase of Knowledge
5. Xiong Shili on the 1911 Revolution
6. Xiong Shili After the 1911 Revolution
C. The Buddhist Scholar
1. The Institute for Inner Learning (支那內學院)
2. Xiong’s Early Interest in Buddhism
3. Xiong at the Institute for Inner Learning
D. Professor of Philosophy
1. Peking University
2. Liang Shuming (粱漱溟) and Lin Zaiping (林宰平)
3. Ma Yifu (馬一浮)
4. A Student’s View of Xiong
5. The Research Institute of Chinese Philosophy
6. Xiong’s Academic Career
