Ma Li was a famous scholar of Yijing learning in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. He authored the book Zhouyizanyi and sat at the feet of Wang Shu and Wang Cheng Yu. Ma Li's Yijing learning emphasizes the the sage's righteousness and self-cultivation, and connects the world and human affairs with the principle of Yin and Yang, which was actually influenced by Wang Zhu and his son. Ma Li's Yijing learning is a blend of the Han and Song dynasties, and is attributed to Cheng-Zhu school. In the face of the Buddha's views on the formation of the universe, the practice of human nature and self-cultivation, as well as the concept of life and death, Ma Li responds with the principle of Endless, the sense of rapport, and the middle way of Yijing. Ma Li uses the political ideals of the Confucianism to interpret Yijing, discussing at the root that a ruler should cultivate virtue, use wise and good listeners, be diligent in government and love the people, and that a minister should be public and forget his own selfishness, be careful in his words and actions, and follow the times. Although Ma Li's Yijing learning emphasizes the interpretation of meaning and theory, he does not neglect the interpretation of signs and figures and divination, devotes himself to the interpretation of the scriptures, integrating the views of previous sages and combining them with the times and his own realization to create new meanings from time to time, which will serve as a model for future generations.
