Luo Congyan

Life

He was precocious as a child and did not occupy himself with the learning of words and texts; as he grew up he disciplined himself rigorously and set his heart on seeking the Way. He first studied under Wu Guohua, began studying under Yang Shi in the second year of Zhenghe (1112), and also sought instruction from Cheng Yi, at one point selling his fields and carrying grain to Luoyang to meet him. He was named together with Yang Shi and Li Tong as one of the "Three Masters of Nanjian."

In the fourth year of Jianyan (1130) he was appointed registrar of Boluo County in Huizhou by special examination; one account dates the appointment to the second year of Shaoxing (1132) and gives the office as county sheriff. He later retired to Mount Luofu, where he sat in meditation and pursued his studies, giving up all thought of an official career. He died in the fifth year of Shaoxing (1135), aged sixty-four.

Scholarship and writings

Luo Congyan was known for Neo-Confucian learning and was also regarded as a thinker; in classical studies he specialized in the Spring and Autumn Annals. Zhu Xi esteemed him and privately adopted his learning, and said of Yang Shi that although many scholars had studied at his gate, Luo Congyan alone thought deeply, worked hard, bore heavy responsibility, and reached the utmost.

His works include the Maoshi jie (毛詩解), Chunqiu jie (春秋解), Chunqiu zhigui (春秋指歸), Zhongyong shuo (中庸説), Yumeng jie (語孟解), Yilun yaoyu (議論要語), Sheng Song zun Yao lu (聖宋遵堯録) and Taiheng lu (台衡録); the Yilun yaoyu and Sheng Song zun Yao lu survive. His collected works, the Yuzhang wenji (豫章文集), also entitled Yuzhang Luo xiansheng wenji (豫章羅先生文集), run to seventeen juan.

Family and associates

His father was Luo Shenji; Luo You, a member of his lineage, was adopted as his heir. Li Yu, Xiao Yi and Chen Yan were his fellow students under Yang Shi, and Liao Ya was a friend. Li Tong was his pupil.

Posthumous honours and later transmission

In the Chunyou period he received the posthumous name Wenzhi, variant records giving Wenzhen or Wenjing; Yang Dong petitioned for the posthumous title, and Zhou Tan and Chen Xie wrote opinions on it. Later prefaces to the Yuzhang wenji were written by Ke Qian, Zhang Boxing, Shen Han and Feng Mengde, among others; Lin Biaomin and Huang Daren wrote colophons to his surviving drafts, Shi Gongzhe, Gao Side and Liu Yunji composed sacrificial addresses, and Mao Nianshi compiled the Luo Yuzhang xiansheng shishi.