Caigentan

The ''Caigentan'' () is a circa 1590 text written by the Ming Dynasty scholar and philosopher Hong Zicheng (). This compilation of aphorisms eclectically combines elements from the Three teachings ( Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism), and is comparable with Marcus Aurelius' '' Meditations'' or La Rochefoucauld's '' Maximes''.

Title

Chinese ''Caigentan'' combines ''cai'' 菜 "vegetables; greens; (non-staple) food; dish; course (in menu)", ''gen'' 根 "roots (of plants); bottom (of mountains)", and 譚 "talk; conversation; discourse". This compound ''caigen'' 菜根 "inedible root of a vegetable; cabbage stalk" is a literary metaphor meaning "bare subsistence" (originating in Zhu Xi's ''Xiaoxue'' 小學 "Minor Learning"). The Chinese proverb ''Jiao de caigen, baishi ke zuo'' 嚼得菜根, 百事可做 literally means "ne who haschewed vegetable roots or lack of anything better to eatcan accomplish anything", or figuratively "One who has gone through hardships can do anything". "By vegetable roots, food such as turnips, radish, carrots and sweet potatoes is meant", says Vos.

English translations of the ''Caigentan'' title range from literal to figurative:
*"Musings of a Chinese Vegetarian"
*"Discourses on Vegetable Roots"
*"The Roots of Wisdom"
*"Discourses on a Simple Life"
*"Tending the Roots of Wisdom"
*"Zen of Vegetable Roots"
*"Vegetable Roots Discourse"
Isobe clarifies the title as meaning "Talks by a man who lives on vegetable roots", or more freely "Talks by a man who lives a plain and humble life".

Textual history

The history of ''Caigentan'' editions is convoluted. No original text is extant in China, and the earliest printed editions are preserved in Japan.

Traditionally, the two received ''Caigentan'' versions are identified by whether they list the author Hong's given name Yingming 應明 or courtesy name Zicheng 自誠. These two texts have three early prefaces. The first "Zicheng version" preface is by Yu Kongjian 于孔兼, a contemporary friend who calls the author Hong Zicheng. The second and third "Yingming version" prefaces, dated 1768 and 1794, are by Suichutang zhuren 遂初堂主人 "Suichu Hall Master" and Sanshan bingfu Tongli 三山病夫通理 "Three Mountains Invalid Tongli".

Both ''Caigentan'' versions are divided into two ''ce'' 冊 "books; volumes".
The Zicheng version has 360 (or 359) entries, and the Yingming version has 383. The first book is subdivided into four sections, titled ''Xiushen'' 修身 "Self-cultivation", ''Yingchou'' 應酬 "Social Relations", ''Pingyi'' 評議 "Critiques", and ''Xianshi'' 閒適 "Leisure"; the second book is titled ''Gailun'' 概論 "General Comments". Besides differing in number and ordering of entries, the Zicheng and Yingming editions also differ in content. "The Yingming version shows many more editorial changes and liberties", write Aitken and Kwok, and subsequent versions also exhibit "editorial excisions and additions". "Generally speaking ", say Goodrich and Fang, "the first part of his work counsels integrity in office, whereas the second part describes the joys of living in retirement. Its general spirit is that of the "Golden Mean"."

Scholarship tentatively dates the ''Caigentan'' between 1588 and 1591. Yu Kongjian's undated preface to the Zicheng version( provides internal evidence. It begins, "Sending ninvitedvisitors away, I am leading a retired life all by myself in a thatched cottage." The preface further says, "One day my friend Hung Tzu-ch'eng appeared with his ''Ts'ai-ken t'an'' which he showed to me begging me for a preface." In 1588, the Wanli Emperor (r. 1572–1620) demoted many scholar-bureaucrats involved in a scandal, including Yu Kongjian who retired to the lower Yangzi River valley, where he and his fellow exile Hong Zicheng lived. In 1591, the ''Caigentan'' was first published as an appendix to Gao Lian's ''Zunsheng Bajian'' 遵生八笺 "Eight Treatises on Nurturing Life". Thus, the ''Caigentan'' reasonably dates from 1588 to 1591.

The classic ''Caigentan'' "Vegetable Roots Discourse" remains popular in the present day. Digital editions are freely available on the Internet, and comic book adaptations are offered in both Japanese ''manga'' and Chinese '' manhua''.

Contents

In terms of traditional Chinese literary genres, the ''Caigentan'' is a ''yulu'' 語錄 (lit. "recorded sayings") "quotations; aphorisms", a subtype of ''shanshu'' 善書 ("good book") "moral-instruction; morality" book category.

The individual entries are predominantly written in ''pianwen'' 駢文 "parallel style", an ornate rhythmical prose marked by parallelism or chiasmus. For instance,

口乃心之門, 守口不密, 洩盡真機; 意乃心之足, 防意不嚴, 走盡邪蹊. (1:220)

The mouth is the portal of the mind. If not carefully guarded, it leaks true intents and motives. Feelings are the feet of the mind. If not carefully watched, they will take you onto all kinds of wayward paths.

The ''Caigentan'' records life lessons from the decadent and corrupt late Ming society, many of which have universal appeal. Take, for example, this warning to partygoers.

Those who pick up their coats to depart at the height of festivity are admired as adepts who can halt at the precipice. Those who pursue their night journey after their candle has burned out are ridiculed as ordinary persons awash in the bitter sea. (2:104)

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