The Idea of Refuting Buddhism from Reflections on Things at Hand

As a classic of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, Reflections on Things at Hand is of great value.Among them, the section on "Sifting Heterodox Doctrines" focuses on the basic critical attitude of the three Northern Song scholars towards heterodox doctrines, and the idea of refuting Buddhism is elaborated very profoundly.This not only shows the seriousness of the damage caused by Buddhism, but also reveals the necessity and importance of Refuting Buddhism, and at the same time reflects the basic ambition of the Song scholars to break heterodox doctrines and advocate holy learning at a time when it was flourishing.By clarifying the direction of the Song Confucian scholars' criticism of heterodox doctrines, we can also grasp the basic trend of the Song Confucian scholars' practice of supporting saintly learning, which is of great significance for understanding the relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism and the development of Confucianism in later times.