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Scholarly examples

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-13 07:42

Two great masters in their own fields passed away on Saturday: linguist and historian Ji Xianlin at 98 and philosopher Ren Jiyu at 93. Both have long been considered as standard bearers of Chinese academia.

It is not just the achievements in their respective fields but also their character as men of integrity that have earned them immense respect. In fact, they are stellar examples that millions may emulate.

The loss of these two tall and noble figures is particularly saddening at a time when many in academia are concerned solely with the pursuit of fame and money, with some even going so far as to plagiarize or forge dissertations.

As a matter of fact, the titles of "Great Masters" or "Giants" were not important to them in their lifetime. Ji Xianlin wrote in his essays that he would never accept being called "Giant of Academia" or "Great Master of Traditional Chinese Cultural Studies". Ren Jiyu once said that he was no great philosopher, and that any other philosopher in his place would have accomplished what he had.

Both know the truth: The more one learns, the more one realizes that there is much more to be learned in the vast ocean of knowledge. Both are clear that solitude is what one must learn to keep company with if one expects to get somewhere in his or her studies.

This is the legacy both have left behind for the academic world.

As we all know, both of them - like most of their fellow Chinese intellectuals - suffered a great deal in the political movements in the decades before 1978. But, they never gave up their academic pursuit. What set these two stalwarts apart from many of their colleagues was their adherence to their conscience.

They chose to keep silent rather than tell lies or slander others when most people succumbed to the pressure and acted against their conscience.

This is what gives them a moral stature as men of conscience.

Both led simple lives and considered themselves as ordinary persons. This is borne out by a popular story doing the rounds in Peking University. A new student met an old man wearing a straw hat. He entrusted his luggage to the old man while he went about sorting out the formalities for entrance registration. The old man stood there for hours to take care of the luggage until the student returned. It was much later that the student, to his utter shock, came to know that the man was no other than the well known scholar and university vice-president Ji.

Ren Jiyu never let his students celebrate his birthday. He said time and again to his students that no collection of his works should ever be published as it would be a waste of money and resources.

Vanity had no place in their life, for they knew the true meaning of life. The two great men have gone, but the examples they set will never perish.

(China Daily 07/13/2009 page4)