Liu Yin

1249-1293

Scholar and philosopher

Sources

Charmed Start. Liu Yin’s father, who at the age of forty had not yet had an heir by his wife, dreamed that a spirit delivered a baby boy on horseback and then departed with the words, “Raise him well.” When his son was born, he named him Yin, “Two-colored Horse.” An intelligent child, Liu Yin began his studies at the age of three. Liu Yin’s mother died in 1256; his stepmother then took care of him, and he displayed intense filial piety toward her. Liu began a career as a private teacher in 1260 and soon became well known. During this time, Liu Yin made rapid progress in classical studies and literary composition and impressed his father with his abilities.

Official Service. In 1275 Liu showed his sympathy for the dilemma faced by the Song dynasty. He proclaimed his support for unity and accepted as inevitable the defeat of the Song. He expressed positive views on Kublai Khan’s conquest of the Song and claimed that it was the only way to save China from fragmentation. His praise of Kublai Khan’s efforts to reunify China was not unique among northern Chinese intellectuals at that time. In the meantime, Kublai Khan’s reunification appeared to have awakened Liu Yin’s interest in government service. In 1281 he was recommended to the court, and in 1282 he was called to the capital to serve as grand instructor in the newly established Household Department of the Heir Apparent. Liu Yin served only for a brief period, however, and then became more interested in philosophy than politics. In doing so, he remained faithful to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, the guiding lights of an ethical philosophy that emphasized devotion to the pursuit of moral improvement. For that reason, Liu was appropriately called a leading representative of Confucian eremitism (living as a religious hermit).

Developed Views. Liu’s opposition to aspects of Daoist ideas endured for all of his life. His views, as expressed in his 1270 essay, were developed in later writings. Liu’s essential position was that Lao Zi’s methods of self-preservation must be based on honesty and selflessness. During the decade until his death in 1293, Liu Yin lived in his native province and engaged in teaching and writing. He attracted many students, some of whom later gained distinction as scholars. Liu Yin became famous for his erudition, poetry, and character. One of the leading literati of northern China in early Yuan times, Liu left a considerable amount of prose, poems, and philosophical essays.

Sources

Igor de Rachewiltz and others, eds., In the Service of the Khan: Eminent Personalities of the Early Mongol-Yuan Period (1200-1300) (Wies-baden, Germany: Harassowitz, 1993).