Yes, there are non-dualistic elements in Neo-Confucianism (宋明理學), though they differ from the non-dualism of Buddhist, Daoist, or Advaita Vedanta traditions. Neo-Confucianism is often associated with Li (理, principle) and Qi (氣, vital force/material energy), and some thinkers within the tradition develop metaphysical frameworks that blur strict dualities.
1. Li (Principle) and Qi (Vital Energy) as Non-Dual
• Zhu Xi (朱熹): He distinguishes between Li (principle, 理) as the metaphysical structure of reality and Qi (氣) as the material force through which Li manifests. While this sounds dualistic, Zhu Xi insists that they are never separate—Qi always embodies Li, and Li cannot exist apart from Qi.
• Wang Yangming (王陽明): Moves closer to an explicitly non-dual view. He argues that Li is not external but fully present in the mind itself—a radical claim that dissolves distinctions between self and principle, knowing and being.
→ Non-dual aspect: In Zhu Xi’s and Wang Yangming’s thought, the split between principle and materiality is never absolute. They are two aspects of one integrated reality, much like the Buddhist idea that form and emptiness are interdependent (色即是空).
2. The Unity of Mind and Reality
• Wang Yangming’s 心即理 (Mind is Principle): He rejects Zhu Xi’s more structured metaphysics in favor of a radical non-dualism of mind and world—all principles are already fully present in human consciousness.
• Zhan Ruoshui (湛若水): He extends this, arguing that reality and the self are fundamentally intertwined in an inseparable continuum.
→ Non-dual aspect: This anticipates later phenomenological or idealist philosophies, where there is no ontological gap between knower and known.
3. Morality as Spontaneous Awakening (Not External Law)
• Zhu Xi emphasizes moral cultivation through study and reflection, whereas Wang Yangming sees morality as an immediate, intuitive realization (致良知, “Extending innate knowledge”).
• Wang’s idea is similar to Zen Buddhism, where enlightenment is not acquired but directly realized.
→ Non-dual aspect: Morality is not external but an inherent, indivisible part of human nature, much like in Daoism and Chan Buddhism.
4. Relationship to Buddhist and Daoist Non-Dualism
• Buddhist Influence: Neo-Confucians, especially Wang Yangming, integrate ideas from Chan Buddhism, where self and reality are fundamentally one.
• Daoist Resonance: The Neo-Confucian emphasis on the spontaneity of moral action (Wang Yangming’s effortless virtue) mirrors Daoist wu wei (無為, effortless action), which itself is a non-dual concept.
Conclusion: Is Neo-Confucianism Non-Dualist?
• Yes, in Wang Yangming’s Idealism: The mind and principle are one, eliminating subject-object dualism.
• Partially, in Zhu Xi’s Framework: Li and Qi are interwoven, though not fully collapsed into one.
• Yes, in Ethical Practice: Moral truth is not separate from self-realization but arises naturally.
Thus, while not explicitly non-dualist like Advaita Vedanta or Zen, certain strands of Neo-Confucianism challenge dualistic thinking and emphasize an underlying unity in mind, morality, and reality.
