並列摘要
In the mid-Tang dynasty, Han Yu promoted guwen (ancient-style prose), elevated Confucius and Confucianism, condemned Buddhism and Daoism, and expounded on the teachings of the great sages of the past. Huangfu was Han's student, and he discoursed on the doctrines of the sages often, too. However, Huangfu argued against Buddhism less ardently than his teacher did. Buddhism was popular then and made an impact on Huangfu; Huangfu also discussed man's Heart and Nature, which were major Buddhist concerns of the time. Although Huangfu remained chiefly Confucian, he accommodated Buddhism and Daoism to a certain extent and contributed to Confucianism with these insights. The essential points of Huangfu's thought on the sage are as follows: 1. The sage is the only one who can fully grasp the Principle of the universe, and live out his Nature accordingly. The theories of Mencius and Xunzi are not complete enough in this regard. 2. The difference between the sage and the foolish is in the ”inner heart,” not in ”outward deeds.” 3. Scholars should take the sage as their exemplar, and follow the sage's inner heart, not his outward deeds. In short, compared to Han Yu, Huangfu emphasized the inner more strongly, and the Heart played a more important guiding role in the kind of Confucianism he envisioned. Huangfu reflected the transition and development of Confucianism from the Han dynasty to the Song with shifting priorities from the outer to the inner.