In addition to Confucianism and material culture in the Song and Ming dynasties, this article attempts to analyze the understanding of ＂things＂ and ＂world＂ by the late Ming scholars through the discourses by the Yu brothers and their friends (mainly Tang Xian-zu and the Yuan brothers of Gongan), and to point out the epistemological basis of Buddhist philosophy of Yogachara, which is an essential way to understand the cultural context of the late Ming dynasty. In other words, ＂things＂ in the cultural context of the late Ming dynasty might not only refer to ＂substances,＂ or ＂the investigation of things＂ in the Confucianism context of Zhu Xi and Wang Yang-ming, but might also be closely related to the concept of ＂consciousness＂ or ＂emotional consciousness＂ in the study of Yogachara. Eventually, ＂world,＂ apart from referring to the ＂external world＂ which is ＂real＂ as perceived by the senses, was also of great concern to the late Ming scholars in terms of a certain sense of ＂illusory nature.＂ The viewpoints of ＂consciousness is the only reality,＂ ＂spirit,＂ and ＂the spiritual world＂ not only lead to self-reflection and reflection on the world, but also open up new writing styles and humanistic discourses. These are the main contents of this article.
