I don’t know when Lao Tzu died. The chapter "Zhuangzi? The Master of Health Preservation" clearly records the death of Lao Dan. This text in "Zhuangzi" cannot be forged by future generations. It can be seen that Laozi did not "enter the pass" The myths of "death" and "no one knows where they will end up". In "Historical Records", it is said that Lao Tzu lived "more than sixty years old" or "more than two hundred years old", which may have been added by later generations.
Why is Lao Tzu called Lao Tzu? The statement that "he was born with a bright head, so he is called Laozi" is not credible (this is from the "Biography of Immortals", Xie Wuliang used it in "History of Chinese Philosophy"); "because of his old age, his book is called "Laozi"" ( "The Biography of Gaoshi") is also not credible. There are probably no two explanations for the name "Laozi":
1. "Lao" or the word "Lao". In "Spring and Autumn", people often used "zi" in front of "name", such as Shuliang (zi) He (name), Confucius (zi) Jia (name), Zheng (zi) Kaofu (name), Mencius (zi) Ming (zi) looks at (name), Mengshi (zi) and She (name) are all the same; "Zuo Zhuan" in the 11th year of writing and "Zhengyi" in the 10th year of Xiang Dynasty both said: "The ancients always mentioned the name first. "Postname", according to "Laoshou Xunkao" or Laozi's real name is Dan, with the word Er and the word Lao. It was often used as a name in ancient times. For example, "Tan Gong" has Zhang Lao in Jin Dynasty, and Chu has Shi Lao in "Chu Yu". The ancients used names together, saying the characters first and then the names. Therefore, the books written during the Warring States Period were all called Lao Dan. Wang Niansun's "Explanation of Names in the Spring and Autumn Period" and "Reading Magazine" both follow "Suoyin". According to "Shuowen": "Dan , Ermanye", "Shiming" means the word "er", according to Zhu Junsheng's "Shuowen Tongxun Dingsheng", the Chinese "Laozi Ming" quoted under the word "dan" says: "Danran, the appearance of the old man"; and " "Book of Rites? Zeng Ziwen" notes: "Lao Dan is the title of the person who took the longevity test in ancient times." Dan also means longevity test, so the name Dan, with the word Lao, does not necessarily mean that he was named after his longevity test. This is the same as the name of the person. Uncle Lianghe and Zhengkaofu did not mention their surnames. In the same example, the ancients could add the words "zi" and "father" under the word "zi". "Youzi" was called "Youzi" in the "Biography", so later generations also called him "Laozi".
2. "老" or surname. In ancient times, there were distinctions between surnames. Ordinary common people each took their surnames according to their origins, so they were called "common people." In addition to surnames, nobles also had surnames, such as the country as their surname and the official as their surname. Although Lao Tzu was never a high-ranking official or came from a wealthy family, his surname was Lao and his surname was Li. Later generations did not understand the ancient clan system and confused the two surnames into the same thing, so they said "surname is a certain surname". In fact, these three characters are wrong. . Lao Tzu's surname is Lao, so he is called Lao Dan or Lao Tzu. Both explanations are reasonable, but there is no evidence at present, so we cannot be sure which one is correct.
The five most powerful schools in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were "Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism". Among them, the representative of Confucianism was Confucius, the representative of Taoism was Laozi, the representative of Mohism was Mozi, and the representative of Legalism was It was Han Feizi, and the representative figure of the military strategist was Sun Tzu.
Among these five people, only Lao Tzu is an alternative. Because other people's names are related to their surnames, such as Confucius's original name was Kongqiu, Mozi's original name was Mo Zhai, Han Feizi's original name was Han Fei, and his grandson's original name was Sun Wu, but Lao Tzu's original name was Li Er.
So, why is Li Er called Lao Tzu?
First of all, let me explain to you why we call them "zi". As we all know, the titles in the Zhou Dynasty were divided into duke, marquis, uncle, son, and male. Among them, "zi" was the fourth-class title in the Zhou Dynasty.
However, with the decline of the power of Emperor Zhou, the title system also became invalid. However, "Zi" was retained as a title. At that time, "Zi" was generally used to refer to two types of people:
p>One is a person with high credibility in society, and the other is a moral noble and royal family member. At that time, whether it was Confucius, Laozi, Mozi, or Sun Tzu, they were all people with relatively high credibility in society. Therefore, to show respect for them, people habitually added "Zi" after their surnames. And call them "So-and-so son", which is similar to what we call "So-and-so teacher" now.
In fact, the title of Zi was very popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. For example, in the famous article "Zhu Zhiwu Retreats the Qin Army" in "Zuo Zhuan", Duke Xi once said to Zhu Zhiwu: "I can't do it early." It is the fault of a few people to ask for a son in a hurry. However, if Zheng dies, the son will also be disadvantaged. "The word "zi" here actually means the teacher.
It is precisely because of this that a series of thinkers such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi are all regarded as "zi" They are well known by later generations, but their real names are often ignored. As for Lao Tzu, whose name is Li Er, why is he called Lao Tzu? In fact, Lao Tzu's real name was Lao Dan, and in the literature at that time, I was always called Lao Dan.
However, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, "Lao" and "Li" had the same pronunciation, and "Dan" and "Er" had the same meaning, so some people at that time also called Lao Tzu Li Er, but this name Not much.
Until the establishment of the Li Tang Dynasty, Emperor Li, in order to demonstrate the naturalness and legitimacy of the imperial power, greatly exaggerated the name Li Er, and regarded Li Er as his ancestor and promoted him as emperor. Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, also posthumously named Li Er the "Emperor Taishang Xuanyuan". Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty named his temple "The Great Holy Ancestor", and later he was given the title "Emperor Tianhuang". In short, he is as noble as he is. In this context, Lao Tzu's famous talent is widely known as Li Er.
Because Li Er was the "father" at that time, his children would call him "Laozi" whenever they mentioned him when writing books. Over time, it became widely known. If you open it, others will become accustomed to it.
First of all, in terms of chronological order, Laozi is "older" than the other scholars;
Secondly, theoretically speaking, "Laozi" is also "older" than "the other masters" , the Tao Te Ching is the basic doctrine that explains the laws of the natural universe. He studies the relationship between man and nature and understands the ultimate concern. Others are studying the relationship between people.
Therefore, in order to distinguish the time sequence and the theoretical level, we respect him as Laozi...
Zi is the highest title for celebrities in ancient times!
Answer: If this is a brain teaser question, then I can answer you: "The reason why Li Er is not called Li Zi but Lao Tzu is because if he is called Li Zi, he will "I am despised by Taozi."
However, it is estimated that the netizen who asked the question is sincerely asking for answers and is determined to learn knowledge. So, come, sit down and listen carefully to what I am telling you. said.
First of all, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, people liked to call teachers or moral and knowledgeable people "zi". Everyone knows this, so there is no need to explain it further.
From the sentence "Confucius is called Confucius, Mo Zhai is called Mozi, Sun Wu is called Sun Tzu, why is Li Er not called Li Zi?" I vaguely felt that the netizen who asked the question thought that Confucius' surname is Kong Mingqiu, Mo Zhai's surname is Mo Zhai, Sun Wu's surname is Sun Mingwu, and Li Er's surname is Li Ming'er. So, calling Confucius Kongzi means Teacher Kong or Mr. Kong; calling Mo Zhai Mozi means The meaning of Teacher Mo and Mr. Mo...
However, I want to tell you that Confucius was not named Kong. In fact, his surname was Zi, his first name was Qiu, and his given name was Zhongni. Kong is just his surname.
In addition, Mozi was not named Mo. He was a descendant of Mu Yi, a nobleman of the Song Dynasty. This Mu Yi was the eldest son of Song Huan Gong and the half-brother of Song Xianggong. He also had the surname Zi. His given name was Mu Yi and his courtesy name was Ziyu. Because he served as Sima, others also called him Sima Ziyu. The descendants of Sima Ziyu took the surname Yu. Jimo Zhai should be named Yu, and his given name is Zhai. As for the word "ink", it was because he and his disciples had "calloused hands and feet and dark faces", so someone added the word "ink" before the word "Zhai".
As for Sun Wu, his surname is Sun, but his ancestor was originally the king of Chen State, whose surname was Zhi. Later, civil strife broke out in Chen State, and Chen Ligong's son Quan defected to Qi State. Sun Tianshu, the fifth generation of Chen Wan, had meritorious service in attacking Ju, and was given the surname Sun by Qi Jinggong. Tian Shu therefore became Sun Shu. Sun Shu begat his son Sun Ping, and Sun Ping begat his son Sun Wu. It can be seen that the surname Sun Wu is still very new.
Having said all this, I want to tell you: Never use modern thinking to understand the surnames and first names of ancient people.
Having talked about Confucius, Mo Zhai and Sun Wu, let’s talk about Li Er.
Li Er is Lao Tzu’s nickname rather than his name.
Why do you say that?
Because, in all the documents written in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, such as "Xunzi", "Lu Shi Chunqiu", "Zhuangzi", "Warring States Policy", "Han Feizi" and other books, whenever Laozi is mentioned, They all just call him Lao Tzu or Lao Dan, and no book says that I am called Li Er.
Why are Li Er and Lao Tzu brought together?
It turns out that when Lao Dan was just born, his parents saw that his ears were long and big, a bit like a cat civet, so they named him "Dan" and added the nickname "Li'er" ".
The pronunciation of "Li'er" is very close to "Li Er", and it was later rumored to be "Li Er".
Think about it, since "Li Er" is a nickname, how could others regard "Li Zi" as an honorific?
Sima Qian's "Historical Records" confused "Li Er" as Lao Dan's "real name". There was no way, after all, Sima Qian was too far away from the time when I lived. This kind of mistake is understandable.
However, Sima Qian's "Historical Records" had a huge influence, and later generations believed that "Li Er" was Lao Dan's real name, regardless of whether it was true or false.
The later Li and Tang dynasties also confused Laozi with Taishang Laojun in Taoism, insisting that "Li Er" was the real name of Laozi, Taishang Laojun, and posthumously recognized him as their ancestor. There's nothing we can do about it.
Among the hundreds of scholars in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, three people are very mysterious: Gui Guzi of the political strategist, Mozi of the Mohist school, and Lao Tzu of the Taoist school.
(Laozi sculpture)
The reason why Guiguzi is mysterious is that he has never left the mountain. Where does he live? ? What is his food, clothing, housing and transportation situation? Who has he dated? We have no idea. We know him because he taught four disciples, Pang Juan, Sun Bin, Su Qin, and Zhang Yi, who turned the Warring States Period upside down. The reason why Mozi is mysterious is that he lived at the bottom, he opposed war, he advocated frugality, and he ran around shouting in a coarse coat. He had many followers, almost more than Confucianism at that time. However, the historical description of his life is unclear and fragmented. And Lao Tzu is the most mysterious of these three mysterious masters.
There are at least five aspects why Lao Tzu is mysterious:
First, whose surname is Lao Tzu? From which country? Some say that my surname is Li Ming'er, some say that I am Lao Dan, and some say that I am Lao Laizi. As for the place of birth, there are now at least 20 kinds of classics that give different descriptions of Laozi's birthplace. There are at least three places where Laozi was born: Chen State, Chu State, and Song State.
Second, how old is I? Some historical data say that I lived to be 101 years old. There are also some historical data that say that I have disappeared, so it is not known how many years he lived. But everyone agrees on one thing: I was already very old when I was born. How old? His hair is all white, and some say he is over 60 years old.
(Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching)
Third, where has Lao Tzu gone? Some historical data say that I died at home and lived to be 101 years old. When he died, everyone in the neighborhood cried bitterly, but it was his good friend Qin Yi who came to his soul, howled three times and turned around to leave. This made the neighbors very unhappy and questioned Qin Yi. Then Qin Yi took the opportunity to preach to everyone about Lao Tzu's views on life and death. But there are also historical data that say that after I rode a green ox out of Hangu Pass, I didn't know where I ended up. Later, some Taoists said that he attained enlightenment and became an immortal, and some said that he went to India to enlighten Sakyamuni.
Fourth, Lao Tzu never wrote or wrote in his life, but when he left Hangu Pass, he dictated the Tao Te Ching in five thousand words eloquently in three days. This "Tao Te Ching" not only established Laozi's supreme philosophical status, but also established Laozi's supreme literary status. The New York Times once ranked him among the top ten writers in the world. His only article, the Tao Te Ching, is one of the most widely circulated books in the world besides the Bible. The mystery lies in this: Since Laozi did not establish writing, why did he leave behind the Tao Te Ching? The text of Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" is so mature. Is it because of long-term thinking and thorough understanding, or is it just a whim?
(Laozi riding a green ox)
Fifth, the most sage teacher Confucius worshiped Laozi as his teacher twice , and lamented that Laozi's dragon has seen its beginning but not its end. Confucius even sighed like this, how advanced is Laozi's knowledge? Later generations even came up with a saying based on this sentence: I am the best in the world.
Having said all that, let’s go back to the question, why is I called Lao Tzu and not Li Zi? There is a saying that in the ancient pronunciation, Li means old, and in the ancient meaning, Er means Dan. Therefore, Lao Tzu is actually a plum. Another theory is that because I was born very old, people think that "oldness" is his most important characteristic, so they call me Lao Tzu.
The debate over Lao Tzu's name and his mystery is not over yet. Scholar Zhu Dake believes that Lao Tzu should be a scholar who studied in India. Many of Lao Tzu's thoughts are consistent with many of Hindu thoughts. The reason why he is considered to be very old at birth is actually because he went to India to study and practice when he was young and middle-aged, and did not return until he was in his later years. Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" is not the work of Laozi alone, but should be the collective work of the entire Taoist school. It is a book that has been revised and revised repeatedly. This can be proven by the fact that the number of words in the Tao Te Ching is different among the several versions unearthed so far.
Of course, this is just a guess. The study of Laozi, this great thinker, is far from over, and has not even really begun.
Lao Dan is my name. Works before the Qin Dynasty called him Lao Dan, and "Han Feizi" has two articles "Jie Lao" and "Yu Lao". The stories in "Zhuangzi" are fables, but the names are real. This all proves that I am an old man.
As for the saying that I lived eighty-one years in my mother’s womb, only a ghost would believe it. The name Li Er comes from "Historical Records". During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Laozi was vague. Sima Qian recorded three Laozi in "Historical Records". In the Tang Dynasty, the rulers respected Lao Tzu as the first ancestor, so Lao Tzu was named Li Er. Personally, I think the previous title of Qin shall prevail. That is, my name is Lao Dan!
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, hundreds of schools of thought contended and celebrities emerged in large numbers. It can be said to be a rare period of great ideological liberation in Chinese history. The Hundred Schools of Thought are often referred to as the Hundred Schools of Thought. Their representatives are usually called by their "surname" plus the word "zi", and most of their works are named after a certain son.
In ancient times, Zi was an honorific title. Adding the surname before Zi showed respect.
Zi could be used to address all adult males in ancient times. However, most of the time, Zi is used to refer to people who have a certain identity, status, or are moral and knowledgeable. Add the last name of the person being addressed before the son to show respect.
The origin of the problem that Lao Tzu is not called Li Zi
Confucius, Mo Zhai, Sun Wu and others all had their surnames added before Zi to show that Respect, then why is I a bit special?
The main reason for this problem is probably because "Historical Records" written by Ma Qian of the Taishi Company has too great influence on Chinese history.
According to the records of "Historical Records", "Lao Tzu... his surname is Li, his given name is Er, and his courtesy name is Dan."
Lao Tzu, whose real name is Li Er, since his surname is Li, why not call him "Li Zi"?
Lao Tzu’s original surname may be Lao, but later his surname was changed to Li
Many later generations of scholars have come to a more recognized conclusion after textual research and analysis, Lao Tzu It should be Lao. To this day, the old surname still exists. And Lao Tzu is respected by them as the ancestor of the surname.
According to the "Customs of Customs" compiled by Ying Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as well as ancient books such as "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Dahuang Xi Jing", Zhuanxu, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, had a son named "Lao Tong". "Zuo Zhuan" also records that there was a person named "Lao Zuo" in the Song Dynasty during the Spring and Autumn Period. In many pre-Qin works, such as "Book of Rites", "Zhuangzi", "Xunzi", "Han Feizi", "Lu Shi Chunqiu", "Warring States Policy" and other ancient books, there is the title of "Lao Dan". Especially in "Zhuangzi", there are many "Lao Dan said", or descriptions of what Lao Dan did.
Therefore, Lao Tzu should be named Lao and his real name is Lao Dan, so he is respectfully called "Lao Tzu".
The reason why Laozi’s surname was later came to be said to be Li. According to research by scholars, it was said that Lao and Li had the same pronunciation at that time. The ancients had the habit of borrowing characters from each other, so some people wrote the character Lao as Li. Since then, it has been said that Lao Tzu was named Li Er.
The reason why Lao Tzu is called Lao Tzu may also mean double respect.
Lao Tzu’s name is Li Er. It is called "Plum", which has the same name as the fruit called "Plum". Is it really to avoid duplication of names? This is really possible.
According to the annotations in "Historical Records Suoyin", Laozi's surname may be because "it was born to refer to the plum tree, so it was considered a surname". "Historical Records of Zhengyi" quoted the records of "Xuanmiao Neipian", saying that Laozi's mother "was pregnant for eighty-one years, under the Xiaoyao plum tree, she was born by cutting off her armpit".
At the time of Lao Tzu, there were already plum trees in China, and the fruits they produced were also called plums. Plum trees have been cultivated in China for almost three to four thousand years. There are records in the "Book of Songs" such as "give me peaches and give me plums in return" and "the flowers are as beautiful as peaches and plums".
Lao Tzu once served as a library official in the Zhou Dynasty, and also served as a "Historian under the Pillar", which was later the Censor. Because he is well-read, knowledgeable, and has a high social status, he is respected by the world. Because of this, Lao Tzu was once asked by Confucius. The respect that Lao Tzu held at that time can also be seen from this.
If Lao Tzu is called "Plum", it is indeed a bit inappropriate to have the same name as a fruit.
In Chinese civilization, the tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young had already been formed before the Zhou Dynasty. The word "老", whether in ancient times or in modern times, is a respectful name for older people, such as calling an elder a certain old person. Lao also means test, which means father.
Zi is an honorific title, and Lao is also an honorific title. When I got older, I became knowledgeable and had a high status, so I was called "Lao Tzu". This may be why people respected Lao Tzu as "Lao Tzu". One's elders, seniors, a title that is given by one's superiors and superiors.
As for "Lao Dan", the word "老" here may also mean respect, that is, the meaning of "elder" Dan.
There is also a legend that says that my beard and hair were all white when I was born, so I was called "Lao". This is just a legend and not credible.
There is another person who does not add a surname in front of the child as an honorific title, and that is "Guiguzi". Guiguzi's real name is Wang Xu, and he is also called Wang Chan. According to the usual honorific method, he should be called "Prince". However, the title "Prince" has another purpose, so people called the place where Guiguzi lived in seclusion "Guiguzi".
I don’t call plums, but they should have the same purpose. Moreover, Laozi coincides with the basic concept in the "Tao Te Ching". The old is the father, and the son is the child. Only by passing on from father to son and constantly changing, will there be endless life and endless life.
The above is just Yitian’s personal humble opinion, and there are inevitable omissions. However, the name Lao Tzu seems to be a good one. With this name, coupled with the masterpiece "Tao Te Ching", I am worthy of being the first in the world and the first of the saints.
Confucius is called Confucius, Mo Zhai is called Mo Zi, Sun Wu is called Sun Tzu, why is Li Er called Lao Tzu instead of Li Zi? The question is probably like this: "Zi" is the honorific title given to a learned gentleman in ancient times, while Laozi is a title, which means to nourish all things, transform all things into good things, and be good at helping all things, and has a deeper connotation. According to legend, Li Er was Li's mother who "dreamed of falling into the entrance of a meteor and became pregnant, and gave birth to Lao Tzu at the age of seventy-two." It is also said that "Mother Li saw five-colored beads day and night, as big as bullets, coming from all over the world. She swallowed them, and she became pregnant." This is the reason for this statement. For details, see the notes of "Historical Records: Biography of Laozi and Han Fei".
Thank you Wukong for the invitation!