Yes, we can definitely say that Neo-Confucianism incorporated elements of non-dualism largely due to its assimilation of Daoist and Buddhist thought, especially Buddhism, which profoundly transformed Confucianism from its earlier, more practical and ritual-centered form into a metaphysical and introspective system.
1. The Buddhist Challenge and Confucian Response
By the time of Song dynasty, Confucianism faced serious competition from Buddhism and Daoism, both of which offered more comprehensive metaphysical frameworks addressing questions about existence, mind, and ultimate reality. Neo-Confucians had to reformulate Confucianism to remain intellectually and spiritually relevant—and in doing so, they absorbed and transformed Buddhist and Daoist non-dualist ideas.
• Buddhist Influence (Especially Chan Buddhism and Madhyamaka):
• The concept of 心即理 (Mind is Principle) in Wang Yangming resembles Zen’s direct realization of truth and Madhyamaka’s idea of emptiness (śūnyatā), where distinctions are seen as ultimately illusory.
• The idea of 格物致知 (investigating things to extend knowledge) in Zhu Xi bears resemblance to Yogācāra’s epistemology, where perception and knowledge shape reality.
• The idea that moral cultivation is a process of awakening rather than external discipline aligns with Buddhist enlightenment narratives.
• Daoist Influence:
• The Li (理) and Qi (氣) distinction in Neo-Confucianism echoes Daoist ideas of Dao (道) and De (德), where an invisible ordering principle (Li or Dao) underlies the visible transformations of the world (Qi or De).
• Wang Yangming’s idea of effortless virtue resembles Daoist wu wei (無為)—acting in harmony with reality without forceful imposition.
2. Non-Dualism as a State-Sanctioned Transformation of Buddhism
• The Tang and Song dynasties saw the state suppress Buddhism (as it was foreign and undermined family/ritual obligations), while promoting a Confucian revival.
• However, instead of rejecting Buddhist ideas outright, Neo-Confucianism absorbed and reinterpreted them in Confucian terms, making Buddhism’s non-dualist ontology compatible with social ethics.
• Thus, Neo-Confucianism became a “state-approved” non-dualism, where unity was found not in Buddhist nirvana but in the ethical harmony of Li (principle) and human relationships.
3. Neo-Confucianism as a Synthesis Rather Than a Purist Revival
• Unlike classical Confucianism (which was pragmatic and ritualistic), Neo-Confucianism was a transformed philosophy that absorbed Buddhist metaphysical concerns while maintaining Confucian social ethics.
• The shift from external ritual (li, 禮) to inner realization (xin, 心) in Neo-Confucianism mirrors the inward turn of Chan Buddhism.
Conclusion: Neo-Confucianism as a “Sinicized” Non-Dualism
• Yes, the presence of non-dualism in Neo-Confucianism is largely due to the assimilation of Buddhist and Daoist thought.
• Yes, this transformation allowed Confucianism to remain the dominant ideology while incorporating the spiritual and metaphysical concerns of Buddhism.
• However, Neo-Confucian non-dualism differs from Buddhist or Daoist non-dualism in that it remains ethically grounded—it does not dissolve distinctions entirely but harmonizes them within a Confucian moral framework.
Thus, Neo-Confucianism can be seen as a state-sanctioned, Sinicized non-dualism that allowed Confucianism to survive the Buddhist challenge while incorporating its deepest insights.
