Shu Lin (1136–1199) was a Southern Song Neo-Confucian scholar and thinker. His courtesy names were Yuanzhi (元質) and Yuanbin (元賓), and his sobriquet was Guangping (廣平); he was a native of Mingzhou Fenghua (present-day Fenghua, Zhejiang). His name is also found in the variants 舒麟 and 舒磷.
Life and career
From childhood, Shu showed great ambition, entered the Imperial College as a supplementary student, and worked diligently without relaxing.
In the eighth year of the Qiandao era (1172), he obtained the jinshi qualification; the qualification is also described as an award to an upper-she student of the Imperial College. During the Chunxi era he served as a professor at Xinzhou. He then became an administrative officer in the Jiangxi Transport Office. During the Shaoxi era he served as professor at the Huizhou prefectural school. Chief Councillor Liu Zheng called him “the foremost instructor of the present day.”
In Qingyuan 2, he became magistrate of Pingyang and, after completing his term, assistant prefect of Yizhou. His appointments also included service in the Sherenyuan at Shuzhou. He died in Qingyuan 5, at age sixty-four. During the Chunyou era he received the posthumous name Wenjing.
Family
His father was Shu Fu (舒黻; 1116–1179), and his father-in-law was Wang Ruxian (汪汝賢; 1125–1180). His elder brother was Shu Wan (舒琬), and his younger brother was Shu Qi (舒琪).
He had sons Shu Zheng (舒鉦) and Shu Bing (舒鉼), the latter his eldest; his grandson was Shu Ying (舒瀛). His grandnephews included Shu Jin (舒津; 1213–1293), Shu Hu (舒滸), Shu Jing (舒涇), Shu Tang (舒湯), and Shu Zhou (舒洲); a great-grandnephew was Shu You (舒楀).
Scholarship and teaching
He studied with Zhang Shi (張栻), Lu Jiuyuan (陸九淵), Zhu Xi (朱熹), and Lü Zuqian (呂祖謙), and was a disciple of Lu Jiuyuan. He discussed learning with Zhu Xi, and Lu Jiuyuan wrote to him.
The disciples of Lu Jiuyuan—Yang Jian (楊簡), Yuan Xie (袁燮), Shu Lin, and Shen Huan (沈煥)—were all described as transmitters of his learning. His pupils included Yuan Su (袁肅), Zhu Xin (竺欣), Wang Xingjian (汪行簡), and Luo Ziyou (羅子有); Yuan Su later passed the jinshi examination in Qingyuan 5. Shu was also a friend of Zhu Xin; Zhu Xin sent his son Dainian to study with Shen Huan and later told Shu that the children's rough and violent habits had become refined and warm.
Writings
He wrote Shu Wenjing ji (《舒文靖集》) and Shixue fawei (《詩學發微》). Another title associated with his writings is Shu Wenjing leigao (《舒文靖類稿》)。
References
- CBDB Shu Lin (10325)
- 搜韵 舒璘 (31379)
- Wikidata Shu Lin (Q16077193)