Biography

Zhan was born in Zengcheng, Guangdong. He was appointed the president of Nanjing Guozijian (南京国子监, the Imperial Nanjing University) in 1524. He was later appointed the Minister of Department of Li (礼部, Li Bu, which mainly administers national ceremony, sacrifice, imperial examination, education, diplomacy, etc.), Minister of Governmental Personnel (吏部), and then Minister of Military Affairs for War (兵部) at Nanjing of Ming Dynasty.

As a scholar, Zhan is famous for mind theory. He was also a famous educator. In his life he founded and jointly founded more than 40 Shuyuan (书院, Confucian academies).

Zhan was a lifelong friend of the philosopher, general, and administrator Wang Yangming. He shared an appreciation of Lu Xiangshan idealism (xinxue), Daoism, and Buddhism with Wang, although their intellectual paths ultimately diverged.

生平

生于成化二年十月十三日（1466年11月20日）。弘治五年（1492年）中广东乡试举人，弘治十八年（1505年）登乙丑科进士，选翰林院庶吉士，擢编修。当时王守仁在吏部讲学，湛若水、吕楠与其相唱和。不久，奉命出使安南。正德年间，母亲逝世，丁内艰归乡，为其守墓三年。守丧结束后卜居西樵山讲学，来此求学的书生，湛若水会先要求其学习礼仪，而后才能入席听讲，兴起者甚众。嘉靖初年入朝，升翰林院侍读，不久升南京国子监祭酒、礼部侍郎，官至南京礼、吏、兵三部尚书，后致仕归乡。嘉靖三十九年四月廿二日（1560年5月16日）逝世于番禺的禺山精舍，享耆寿九十四岁，后归葬故乡增城天蚕岭。追赠太子少保，谥文简。

学派

湛若水师从陈献章，是岭南学派的主要领导人，曾在南岳衡山紫云峰下衡岳寺废址上筑楼建宇，名为甘泉精舍，并在此讲学，后人又称之为甘泉书院。「天下靡然从之，号阳明之派曰浙宗，甘泉之派曰广宗，而王阳明早逝，甘泉独以高寿作人，学者慕风而至，得以及门为庆幸。」

著作

著有《湛甘泉集》、《格物通》、《三礼经传测》、《春秋正传》等卷。

注释