Er Cheng cuiyan 二程粹言

Er Cheng cuiyan 二程粹言 "Perfect words of the two Cheng brothers" is a treatise on the philosophical, social and political theories of the two Northern Song-period 北宋 (960-1126) Neo-Confucian philosophers Cheng Hao 程顥 (1032-1085) and Cheng Yi 程頤 (1033-1107). It was compiled by one of their disciples, Yang Shi 楊時 (1053-1135).

The 2 juan-long book has been compiled after Yang's withdrawal from office. It consists of ten chapters that in a systematic way summarize the teachings of the brothers Cheng in order to compensate the fact that the two philosophers never wrote personally down their teachings. Plans for such a book have been made by the great philosopher Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200), and Zhang Shi 張栻 (1133-1180) planned to write a book with the title Yichuan cuiyan 伊川粹言. For the understanding of the philosophical teachings and views of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, the Er Cheng cuiyan is a valuable and concise tool.

There is a print from the Kangxi reign-period 康熙 (1662-1722) published by Master Lü's 呂氏 Baogao Studio 寳誥堂 of which Master Tu's 涂氏 Qiuwo Studio 求我齋 printed a facsimile in 1821. In 1936, the Zhonghua shuju Press 中華書局 published a modern edition. The Er Cheng cuiyan is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 and Sibu beiyao 四部備要 (as part of the collection Er Cheng quanshu 二程全書).