Figures of Taoism: Luo Congyan 罗从彦

Luo Congyan (1072~1135) was a scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty. styled Zhongsu, he was also known as Mr. Yuzhang. He was from Nanjian (now part of Fujian Province).

In his early years, he studied under Wu Yi. At the beginning of the Chongning era, inspired by Yang Shi, he developed a strong interest in the Neo-Confucianism of the Cheng brothers (Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi). He then sold his fields to raise travel funds and went to Luoyang to seek an audience with Cheng Yi. In the fourth year of the Jianyan era (1130 AD), he took up the post of assistant magistrate in Boluo. After completing his term of office, he went to Mount Fushan to practice quiet sitting for a year. He was posthumously awarded the title "Wenzhi".

As a Neo-Confucianist, he was not widely renowned, but he was praised by scholars of his time for his deep thinking, practical efforts, sense of responsibility, and pursuit of perfection. Among Yang Shi's disciples, he was the one who uniquely inherited Yang's teachings. He passed on his learning to Li Dong, who in turn passed it on to Zhu Xi. Therefore, he played an important connecting role in the ideological inheritance from the Cheng brothers to Zhu Xi. His cultivation theory of "taking maintaining tranquility as the core" originated from the Luo School (the Neo-Confucian school founded by the Cheng brothers in Luoyang) but also had Taoist tendencies, advocating the Taoist ideas of self-sufficiency and freedom. He wrote: "The words of the sages are as lofty as the sky and as deep as the sea; only through long-term wholeheartedly contemplation and immersion can one grasp them. I disdain the various schools of thought, yet I rashly talk to you about the 'one unifying principle' of Confucius. Even someone as virtuous as Zigong only understood part of it, and a learner like Chen Kang only got a fraction. Once one comprehends this Dao, they will be self-sufficient, and then they can talk about flying south like the roc." (Farewell to Yannian on His Journey)

He said that the words of Confucian sages are as lofty as the sky, hard to reach, and as deep as the sea, hard to fathom. Although he had long immersed himself in contemplating them, he had no fondness for the various schools of thought, including Confucianism, and his talks to students about Confucius' "my Dao is unified by one principle" (referring to loyalty and reciprocity) were almost casual. Confucianism is difficult to master. To truly comprehend the Dao, one must be self-sufficient, and when one feels self-sufficient, they cannot help but be as free as the roc. "Self-sufficiency" is an important concept in Taoist philosophy: Taoism advocates that each individual is self-sufficient, with no shortcomings or excesses, no superiority or inferiority, no goodness or evil, no nobility or baseness, "so although there are differences in size, they are all equally free" (Guo Xiang's annotation to Zhuangzi·Xiaoyaoyou).

Luo Congyan also advocated self-sufficiency and freedom. His line "yet talk about flying south like the roc" precisely embodies the idea of achieving freedom through self-sufficiency. The phrase "flying south" comes from Zhuangzi·Xiaoyaoyou: "With its back against the blue sky, unobstructed, it is only then that it plans to fly south." Guo Xiang explained: "The reason why it plans to fly south now is not that it likes to soar high and yearn for distant places, but that when the wind accumulates sufficiently, there is no obstruction. This is the freedom of the great roc." (Ibid.) Luo Congyan also advocated "heart fasting" based on emptiness: "Heart fasting refuses to be contaminated by the dust of the world; a shabby alley will not tolerate the comings and goings of the vulgar." (Ode to Yantle Pavilion, Using Chen Motang's Rhythm)

The term "heart fasting" is found in Zhuangzi·Renjianshi: "Emptiness is heart fasting." The original meaning of "heart fasting" is emptiness. Luo Congyan's cultivation theory of "taking maintaining tranquility as the core" also embodies the Taoist thought of the unity of tranquility and emptiness. He said: "In quietude, observe the heart, unpolluted by dust." (Reflections on Reading)

Here, he is talking about the emptiness of the heart. He also said: "A colored pen painting emptiness does not stain it; a sharp knife cutting water leaves no trace. If the human heart can be like empty space and water, it will naturally have no enmity or gratitude towards things." (Five Poems Encouraging Li Yuanzhong)

What is emphasized here is still the emptiness of the heart. The emphasis on the emptiness of the heart is completely consistent with the Taoist theory of "heart fasting".

His biography is included in Volume 428 of The History of the Song Dynasty. His works include Zun Yao Lu (Records of Respecting Yao), Tai Heng Lu (Records of the Imperial Court), Yi Lun Yao Yu (Essential Words of Discussions), Chun Qiu Zhi Gui (The Gist of the Spring and Autumn Annals), and Yu Zhang Wen Ji (Collected Works of Yuzhang), etc.