In the history of Confucian development, NeoConfucianism remains highly noted for its metaphysical ontological consciousness. However, this metaphysical ontological consciousness went through a longterm process before it was established. In this process of shaping, Confucian metaphysical ontological consciousness drew its practical resources from such sources as Buddhist spirit of transcendence pursuit, Taoist wisdom of reverse exploration of the origin and Confucian concern of human relations of “creating a peaceful society for later generations”. And those doctrines that indicated the preliminary establishment of Confucian metaphysical ontological consciousness included Shao Yong’s mathreasoning view history, Zhou Dunyi’s generative theory of the universe and Zhang Zai’s “The universe is the air”. Finally, the moral ontology of prescriptive Confucianism was introduced by Cheng Jing and Cheng Yi labeled as “heavenly principles” and “the character is the principle”, which indicated an organic combination of the three abovementioned sources. Since then, Confucian metaphysical ontological consciousness gained its theoretical basis against Buddhism and Taoism and neverexhausting internal dynamo for nearly a millennium of endurance through history.

Confucianism; NeoConfucianism in the Song and the Ming Dynasty; metaphysical ontology; consciousness