Wu zhong yigui 五種遺規

Wu zhong yigui 五種遺規 "Five books of rules to be handed down to later generations" is a collection of texts on education written by the Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Chen Hongmou 陳宏謀 (originally written 陳弘謀, 1696-1771), courtesy name Ruzi 汝咨, style Rongmen 榕門, posthumous title Chen Wengonggong 陳文恭公.

He hailed from Lingui 臨桂 (modern Guilin 桂林, Guangxi), obtained his jinshi degree in 1723 and had several official posts during his lifetime, the highest of which were governor (xunfu 巡撫) of Shaanxi, Hunan and then Jiangsu, governor-general (zongdu 總督) of Liang-Guang 兩廣 and then Hu-Guang 湖廣, Grand Academician (daxueshi 大學士) in the Eastern Hall 東閣, and finally Minister of War (bingbu shangshu 兵部尚書) and then of of Works (gongbu shangshu 工部尚書).

Chen had therefore a lot of experience in the administrative business both in the provinces and in the central government. He was also responsible for the foundation of public schools in the remote province of Yunnan. His collected writings are called Beiyuantang quanji 培遠堂全集.

The compilation Wu zhong yigui was published in 1739 by Li Anmin 李安民, who was a prefectural teacher (fuzhou jiaoshou 府學教授) in Nanchang 南昌, Hunan. The sources of Chen Hongmou's books were different writings on education written by about 80 scholars between the Han 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) and the Qing period. These sources covered aspects like nourishing the character, self-cultivation, regiment of the family, managing one's office, daily affairs and education. Chen Hongmou assembled their teachings in five different texts that each focused on a different matter.

The most important primary sources for Chen Hongmou's book were Ban Zhao's 班昭 (c. 45-c. 117 CE) Nüjie 女誡, Sima Guang's 司馬光 (1019-1086) Jujia zayi 居家雜儀, Zhu Xi's 朱熹 (1130-1200) Bailudong shuyuan xuegui 白鹿洞書院學規 and Tongmeng xuzhi 童蒙須知, Wang Shouren's 王守仁 (i.e. Wang Yangming 王陽明, 1472-1529) Gaoyu 告諭, Gu Yanwu's 顧炎武 (1613-1682) Rizhilu 日知錄 and Yan Zhitui's 顏之推 (531-591) Yanshi jiaxun 顏氏家訓.

The text Yangzheng yigui 養正遺規 (2-juan long) is a treatise on the cultivation of one's character in younger years. It explains how to learn and to study the ancient writings. The creation of "human talent" (rencai 人材) must begin in the days of boyhood, the author says. The name of this collection is derived from a sentence in the hexagram meng ䷃ 蒙 of the Confucian Classic Yijing 易經 "Book of Changes", where it is said that "[the method of dealing with] the young and ignorant is to nourish the correct (yangzheng 養正) [nature belonging to them]" (Legge 1882).

The text Jiaonü yigui 教女遺規 (3 juan) explains how girls are to be educated, in contrast to boys. The author follows the traditional concept that girls must learn to be obedient to their parents and husbands, and to develop a sense for the obligations of a mother.

The text Xunsu yigui 訓俗遺規 (4 juan) describes the life and social relations in a neighbourhood and among the greater network of families.

The text Congzheng yigui 從政遺規 (2 juan) concentrates on how the occupant of an official post must select his words and manners in order to develop an excellent reputation.

The text Zaiguan fajie lu 在官法戒錄 (4 juan) finally is divided into four chapters that provide historical examples of how successful officials managed their work.

The Wu zhong yigui was an important handbook on education was was therefore widely circulating. It is also referred to in the middle school statutes Zhongxuetang zhangcheng 中學堂章程 (see Xuetang zhangcheng 學堂章程) from the Guangxu reign-period 光緒 (1875-1908) as an important textbook. In the editions from 1893 and 1910 the last text is replaced by a book that Chen Hongmou wrote in his later years, the Xueshi yigui 學仕遺規, which focuses on students of colleges and universities.