Of course not.
Laozi
Laozi
(approximately) 600 BC - 500 BC
〖Spring and Autumn Period〗
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A thinker in the Spring and Autumn Period and the founder of Taoism. One theory is that Lao Dan, whose surname was Li Ming'er and whose courtesy name was Boyang, was from Qurenli, Li Township, Ku County, Chu State (now east of Luyi, Henan Province). He served as the "History Keeper" (historian who managed the collection of books) of the Zhou Dynasty. Confucius once asked him for courtesy, retreated into seclusion, and wrote "Laozi". When it comes to Laozi, he means Taishi Dan, or Lao Laizi. There has always been controversy over whether the book "Laozi" was written by Laozi. "Laozi" uses "Tao" to explain the evolution of all things in the universe. He believes that "Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things." "Tao" is "the order (command) of Fu Mo and remains natural", so "human beings" The earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature." "Tao" is an objective natural law, and at the same time it has the eternal significance of being "independent and unchangeable, moving forward without peril". "Laozi" contains a large number of simple dialectical views, such as the belief that everything has positive and negative sides, "the opposite is the movement of the Tao" and can be transformed by opposition, "the good can turn into wonder, the good can turn into monster", "misfortunes can turn into monsters", and "disasters can turn into monsters". It is where blessings depend, and blessings are where misfortunes lie." He also believes that everything in the world is the unity of "being" and "nothing", "being and non-being are interdependent", and "nothing" is the basis, "everything in the world is born from being, and being is born from nothing". "The way of heaven is to make up for the deficiency when there is excess damage, but the way of man is not the same. If there is not enough damage, there will be more than enough to serve."; "The people are hungry because of the high food and tax"; "The people despise death because they seek to survive." "Thick"; "People are not afraid of death, so why should they be afraid of death?" His theory has a profound influence on the development of Chinese philosophy, and its content is mainly found in the book "Laozi".
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------The above is collected and compiled by Jing Zumin
Taoism Philosophy
Taoism is one of the most important schools of thought among hundreds of scholars in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China. Taoist thought originated very early. According to legend, Emperor Xuanyuan had the idea of ??the unity of heaven and man.
Generally speaking, it is recognized that the first person to establish Taoist doctrine was Laozi in the Spring and Autumn Period. Laozi gave a detailed explanation in his "Laozi" ("Tao Te Ching").
Other representatives of Taoist thought include Zhuang Zhou, Lieyu Kou, Hui Shi and others during the Warring States Period. Taoism advocates a natural world view and methodology, respects Huangdi and Laozi as its founders, and calls them Huang Lao.
The core of Taoist thought is "Tao". It is believed that "Tao" is the origin of the universe and the law that governs all movements in the universe. Laozi once said in his works: "There are things mixed together, born in advance of heaven and earth. Xiaoha! Liaoha! Independent and unchanging, it can be the mother of heaven and earth. I don't know its name, so I call it Tao" ("Laozi" Chapter 2 Chapter 25)
In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty governed the country with Taoist ideas, allowing the people to recuperate from the harsh rule of the Qin Dynasty. History calls it the rule of Wenjing. Later, Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu proposed to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty the policy of "deposing hundreds of schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone", which was adopted by later emperors. Taoism has since become a non-mainstream thought. Although Taoism was not officially adopted, it continued to play an important role in the development of ancient Chinese thought. Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties was developed by integrating Taoist thoughts.
Taoist thought was later absorbed by Zhang Lu’s Five Pecks of Rice and other religions, and evolved into Taoism, one of the important religions in China. Fengliu in the Wei and Jin Dynasties paid more attention to alchemy when talking about metaphysics. Therefore, Taoism and Taoism are often confused.
Basic viewpoints
Taoist philosophy first breaks away from the approach of Confucian social philosophy, directly starts from the principle of the operation of the way of heaven, and develops the "Taoism" based on natural meaning and neutral meaning. "Philosophy.
The movement of heaven has its own natural principle. The philosophy of Tao is to explain this principle connotation and to propose a lively and comfortable world space. Through the undefined and non-persistent understanding of the operating order of the world, Taoist philosophy has developed a social philosophy that is completely different from Confucianism. Society is just an object that exists in one place, and people who live in it should have their own independent self-existence. freedom without being bound by any ideology. Basically, Taoist philosophy does not deny the social ideals of Confucianism, but it does not have a pre-existing position on social responsibility, but can have an attitude and existential orientation that respects human autonomy more.
Taoism attaches great importance to the freedom and liberation of human nature. On the one hand, liberation is the liberation of people's knowledge and ability; on the other hand, it is the liberation of people's life and mood. The former puts forward the cognitive principles of "learning more and more, and doing the Tao" and "this is also right and wrong, and that is also right and wrong", and the latter The author proposed the life skills of "modesty", "weakness", "softness", "xinzhai", "sitting and forgetting", "turning into a butterfly" and so on to face the world.
Taoist social philosophy is not aggressive or positive, because society is just a process of heaven, not the end itself. Taoists believe that Confucian social ideals are reasonable, but not absolute. Therefore, there is basically no need to propose a set of decisive social ideals. Because the way of heaven changes, it does not matter the absolute nature of right and wrong, good and evil, so Taoists emphasize more It is the principle of wisdom for surviving in society, and this wisdom must be an effective way of survival in society in any historical situation. It is also because Taoist social philosophy does not focus on one's own development standards, but emphasizes the wisdom of coping, which is conducive to people's needs for self-cultivation and survival. Therefore, Huang-Lao's rule in the early Han Dynasty had an experimental theoretical basis. At the same time, it also stabilized the Chinese scholar-officials who had been frustrated by the Confucian-based officialdom culture for thousands of years, so that they could have a broad mind world to live a smooth life.
Thoughts of Important Philosophers
The theory of Taoism is based on Laozi. Laozi’s "Tao Te Ching" is a book of five thousand words, each word is exquisite, and the metaphysics of Tao is extensively discussed in the book. The righteousness and wisdom of life put forward a theory of the origin of the natural universe in which things are mixed and independent, and also put forward the ontological thought that the principle of the existence and operation of the world is "the movement of the opposite way". For the human beings living in it , what one should learn is the wisdom of life, so Laozi also put forward many political, social and philosophical views on life, but the focus was on self-preservation rather than on the creation of civilization. It can be said that he used a set of principles based on wisdom. We use social philosophies and theories to deal with the chaotic world situation, and have no intention of creating a new atmosphere in society, because those are not the roots of the Tao
Zhuangzi is the most important founder of Taoist theory after Laozi, and Taoist philosophy basically It’s just the second type of Lao and Zhuang. Zhuangzi's Taoism is different from the old school in that Zhuangzi deals with the relationship between man and nature in more detail, and man's creative abilities, including wisdom, cognitive ability, physical energy, etc. Zhuangzi also stood on the proposition of the way of nature and nature, and proposed a way of life from human self-cultivation to facing the entire society and the country. The seven chapters of Zhuangzi's book are from his world view to the theory of knowledge to the theory of gongfu to social philosophy. The theory of the inner saint and the outer king.
Liezi was a native of the Warring States Period. The eight existing chapters of Liezi were compiled by Zhang Zhan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It is generally believed that the book reflects the thoughts from the Warring States Period to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. "Lieh Zi" starts from Taoist thought and transforms the inaction view of life in Taoist thought. It emphasizes the positive role of human beings in the natural world and believes that in a state of existence without any force, human beings have no worries about nature and no fear of genius. It is the best state of existence.
Wang Bi, a man from the Three Kingdoms era. When the development of Confucian classics in the Han Dynasty came to an end, social politics were still in a situation of turmoil and injustice, and intellectuals turned to the trend of metaphysics and talk. Wang Bi used his deep understanding of Laozi's philosophy to annotate Laozi's "Tao Te Ching", emphasizing the use of body and mind. The distinction between presence and absence not only developed the purpose of interpreting the old school: the spirit of "valuing nothing", and used this principle to annotate the "Book of Changes", it even changed the gasification cosmology of the Yixue since the Han Dynasty. Replacing the research direction of the Yi Jing with pure metaphysical thought has brought the history of Chinese Yi studies to a new situation.
Guo Xiang, a native of the Western Jin Dynasty, is famous for his "Annotations to Zhuangzi". He advocates the theory of "independence" as a metaphysical concept theory developed from highly abstract thinking. He believes that everything in the universe is born by chance. The "Xuan Ming" realm therefore advocates a spirit of letting everything take its own course, regardless of size, and an outlook on life that respects every life equally.
Development period
The origin of Taoism should be the ancient hermit tradition. Of course, some scholars say that Lao Tzu was the guardian of the Qing temple. In short, the origin of Taoism is by no means an active participant in social politics. They observe the world situation from the sidelines and seriously ponder the truth of the universe. They use highly abstract and non-ideological persistent language to describe the laws of heaven and human affairs. The level of principled research is their specialty. After the two chief ministers of the pre-Qin Dynasty, Lao and Zhuang, compiled the program of Taoist thought, the depth of Taoist metaphysical thought immediately affected the metaphysical thought of Confucianism and Legalism. The Confucian "Yi Zhuan" and Han Feizi's "Jie Lao" both It is a new theory established on its theoretical basis. However, in terms of actual social and political influence, Laozi's teachings were not officially tested until the implementation of the Huang-Lao rule in the early Han Dynasty, because after the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the destruction of Qin, and the Chu-Han conflict, the social wars finally came to an end. When it stopped, people finally discovered the harm of striving for power and the importance of recuperation, so the political philosophy of Laoxue Principles was taken seriously. When the Western Han Dynasty was strong and prosperous, the kings began to enjoy great achievements, the years of war began again, and the atmosphere of the times changed again, and then became corrupted again. When the trend of free talk in the Wei and Jin Dynasties began, Taoist philosophy began to have its vitality again, with He Yan and Wang Bi taking the lead. Wang Bi theoretically deepened and elucidated Taoism with his concise and powerful annotations, while Xiang Xiu and Guo Xiang developed the annotation work of Zhuangxue. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Taoist thought did not have a clear reappearance of the creative tradition, but the rationale of Taoist thought turned into an important inspiration borrowed from the creation of Taoism, Yixue and Confucian theory, especially the qi-based cosmology derived from Zhuangzi. is being extensively and deeply redeveloped. During the same period, the spread of Buddhism was also expressed in terms of the Taoist wisdom principle of "nothingness" for a long period of time. This was the period known as "Geyi Buddhism".
Contribution to Chinese culture
Taoism’s contribution to Chinese culture is equally important as Confucianism, but the difference is that one is expressed and the other is concealed in terms of political thought. The depth and dialectical nature of Taoism's theoretical capabilities provide a source of creativity for all other traditions in Chinese philosophical thought. As for the influence of Taoist culture on Chinese art, painting, literature, sculpture and other aspects, it occupies an absolutely dominant position. It is not an exaggeration to say that the expression of Chinese art is the expression of Taoist art. Of course, Taoist philosophy also provides a flexible space for Chinese political activities, so that Chinese intellectuals will not be obsessed with pursuing officialdom and investing their lives because of too strong Confucian-based political ideals, but can more easily find progress and retreat. Tao, understanding the wisdom between entry and exit
Taoism should be understood simply
Tao can be Tao but not Tao, and names can be famous but not famous.
These two sentences are Lao Tzu’s most profound thoughts, but they are also the simplest principles.
In fact, the two sentences mean the same thing.
The actual breakdown should be: Tao, Tao, very Tao. It can also be broken down into: Dao Ke, Dao Fei, Chang Dao. The meaning is very simple, but there are many, just like the mountains of strange rocks, different people see them differently. There is no final conclusion. This is the most mysterious and profound part of the Tao Te Ching. In fact, this is also the meaning of this sentence.
Tao, the way of heaven and earth. The Tao can be attained by everyone. It is very Tao, but the Tao of the world is not the eternal Tao. (Some versions call it the non-eternal Tao) The sum total is: the Tao of heaven and earth is actually a Tao accessible to everyone, but all things in the world, Tao after Tao, are not the Tao of eternity. Not white enough? Then just be whiter!
Bai Ding’s translation: The rules set by the King of Heaven and Laozi are actually not that complicated. As long as everyone observes the surroundings carefully, loves and enjoys life, he can understand this "mysterious and mysterious" way. But don’t forget that all the ways in the world are not eternal. Everything has life and death naturally.
Laozi’s Tao Te Ching is not the embodiment of truth and will be overthrown and replaced sooner or later. In fact, this principle that there is no permanent way in the world is the way of all things in the world.
The Tao is OK, the Tao is not, and the Tao is always the same. In fact, this is roughly the truth.
Tao can control everything in the world.
Dao is wrong, but no matter how great the Tao is, it will sometimes be overthrown and knocked down.
The permanent way is the only permanent way in the world. Everything has a beginning and an end.
The meaning of these two methods of splitting is the same. In fact, you can try it. No matter which method you use to split these six words, the meaning is the same. This is also a subtle deduction. The central idea of ??Taoism is the cycle of all things and the constant rotation of Tai Chi. This is the greatest wisdom of Lao Tzu.
Haha, in fact, Lao Tzu’s fundamental thoughts are self, normality, harmony and circulation.
As long as you are happy, safe, see yourself through, and tolerate others.
You can already be regarded as my disciple!
1. Laozi, according to the records of "Historical Records", had a surname of Li, a given name of Er, a posthumous title of Dan, and a courtesy name of Boyang. He was a native of Ku County (now Woyang County) of Chu State. He lived between about 571 and 471 BC and served as the guardian of Tibet in the Zhou Dynasty. Lao Tzu is a great ancient thinker well known to the Chinese people. The Tao Te Ching he wrote pioneered ancient Chinese philosophical thought. His philosophical thoughts and the Taoist school founded by him not only made important contributions to the development of ancient Chinese thought and culture, but also had a profound impact on the development of Chinese thought and culture for more than 2,000 years.
A The Story of Laozi
The Birth of Laozi
In the summer and June of 576 BC, the king of the Song Dynasty, Duke ***, died, and Hua Yuan, the right master, took charge of the state affairs. The Huan clan, headed by Zuo Shi Yushi, had long wanted to seek political power, but they had no choice but to take advantage of the Duke's reign. Now that I see Mr. *** passing away, I want to take the opportunity to cause trouble. Because his plans were not kept secret and the news leaked out, he was expelled from the Song Dynasty by the Dai clan headed by Hua Yuan. After that, he appointed Xiang Rong as Zuoshi, Lao Zu as Sima, and Yue Yi as Sikou; he established a new monarch, who was Song Pinggong.
Yu Shi led more than 200 members of the Huan clan to flee to Chu State and stayed in Chu State for three years. In the summer and June of 573 BC, the Chu State launched an army to attack the Song Dynasty and captured Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province) of the Song State. They sealed Yushi and Yufu to defend the city, leaving three hundred chariots to assist in the defense.
King Ping of the Song Dynasty summoned his courtiers to discuss the matter and asked: "The enemy is strong and we are weak. The Chu soldiers invaded and occupied Pengcheng. They are my confidants! If we sit back and ignore it, there will be endless troubles! Who is willing to pull out this fortress for me?" As soon as he finished speaking, someone walked out of the class and said, "I wish I could go!" King Ping took a look and saw that this man was two feet tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, broad cheeks and broad shoulders, and was powerful and muscular. He turned out to be Sima Laozuo. Hua Yuan expressed concern and said to King Ping: "Yu Shi is cunning and Yu Mansion is ferocious. Pengcheng is occupied by three hundred Chu chariots and three thousand guards. They are very powerful. Although Sima is highly skilled, bold, strong and brave, he may not be able to defeat him." "Win." Lao Zuo said logically: "Yu Shi is like a worm that eats books; Yu Mansion is like a dog that ties up chickens. What's the point? Lao Zuo is willing to surround Pengcheng with his family. If the city doesn't conquer him, he won't return!" King Ping promised. He sent Lao Zuo as the general and led 20,000 troops to recapture Pengcheng.
It is said that the Song Dynasty surrounded Pengcheng and attacked day and night. Lao Zuo was brave and mighty and took the lead, which greatly boosted the morale of the Song army. In less than half a month, the Pengcheng defenders were in danger. One day, Yushi and Yufu were supervising the battle on the city. They saw Song soldiers as numerous as ants, all of them bravely climbing up the ladder to the city, everyone vying for the first place. They also saw a general with a silver helmet and silver armor, a golden sword and a white horse, galloping on the battlefield. Go up and dispatch your troops and generals. A Chu general asked: "Who is this Song general?" Yushi replied: "It is the new Sima and the siege general Lao Zuo." The Chu generals discussed one after another: "The general who attacked the city was not behind the army to observe the enemy's formation, but he How can you not boost morale by galloping left and right in front of the army! From this point of view, Pengcheng is too dangerous!" But Yu Shi was a scheming man, and he said to his subordinates: "Everything will succeed but it will fail. Success, there are many examples in history, how do you know that our army will be defeated? Lao Zuo is brave and takes the lead, which is the root of his success; he is self-willed and arrogant, which is the root of his failure.
How do you know that his army will win? General Chu asked: "Master Zuo seems to have a well-thought-out plan. Do you have any good plans?" "Yu Shi replied: "The two armies are facing each other. Who is the commander in front or behind? You have to act according to the opportunity. Now when the soldiers of the Song Dynasty attack the city, the general stands out in front and gallops in front of the arrows. This is a taboo for military strategists! I have a little plan. If the plan is followed, it is hard to say whether the Song army will succeed or fail. ”
It turns out that Yu Shi asked his subordinates to shoot hidden arrows to kill Lao Zuo. Lao Zuo was supervising the battle in front of the army. Suddenly an arrow flew and hit his chest five inches. Unfortunately, he fell from his horse and died. The Song army was leaderless and collapsed. , fled in all directions.
Lao Zuo's family members were in the Song camp's military tent, including maids, dozens of generals, and dozens of guards. The general drove hurriedly, while the old lady ran away. In the evening, although the pursuers were gone, there were only two maids and a driver beside the old lady. The general did not dare to stop, wearing stars and moon. Walking in the dark, he panicked and ran in the southwest direction. At dawn the next day, he came to a remote village and asked the villagers about the way to Song Capital. They all shook their heads and said they didn't know. They knew they had already turned west. The group of four traveled around the trail for seven days, but still did not see the capital of Song Dynasty, but arrived at Chen Guoxiang (now east of Luyi, Henan). When they were traveling, the old lady suddenly felt pain in her abdomen. It turned out that the old lady was already seven months pregnant. In order to fulfill the promise before the emperor, Lao Zuo went to war with his family with the determination to win. At this time, the army was defeated, and the old lady felt the sorrow of losing her husband and fled to another country. Her heart was anxious, her body was tired, and her belly was moving and the pain was unbearable. The maid was panic-stricken, and the family hurriedly parked the car on the side of the road and ran to the village to find an old woman. Within a few moments, she heard a cry of "Wow" coming from the caravan, and a premature baby boy was born. He was Laozi, the son of Lao Zuo. He was born with a weak body and a big head, wide eyebrows and wide ears. His eyes were as clear as the pearls of the abyss, and his nose was like a rut in his ears, so he was named "Dan". Because he was born in the Gengyin Year of the Tiger (571 BC), his neighbors also called him Xiao Li'er, which means "little tiger" because people in the Jianghuai area called "cat" "Li'er", which has the same sound. "Li Er". Over time, Lao Dan's nickname "Li Er" became the famous name "Li Er" and was passed down from generation to generation.
The old woman who delivered the baby saw that the mother and child were pitiful, so she let the family of five live in her home. My father-in-law makes a living by opening a pharmacy. His surname is Chen, and he is known as Father Chen, so the old woman is called Mother Chen. Mother Chen has no children and is kind and warm-hearted. She gave up three rooms in the west wing for the old lady and her family to live. The old lady was extremely grateful when she met this kind-hearted person in times of crisis. Although she was displaced during the war, she came from a wealthy family and could still make ends meet by carrying her belongings with her. In addition, the two of them often helped Mr. Chen make a living. The maid took care of the housework, and the family of five, young and old, lived a comfortable life. From then on, the wife and children of the Song Dynasty general Lao Zuo lived in the Chen Kingdom.
The wise young man
Old. Dan was smart and studious since he was a child. He often asked his family members to learn about the rise and fall of the country, the success or failure of wars, sacrifices, divination, and stargazing. The old lady wanted her son to be a successful man, so she asked Mr. Shang Rong, who was proficient in Yin and Shang rites, to teach him. Astronomy, geography, ancient and modern etiquette, deeply respected by Lao Dan's family.
One day, Professor Shang Rong said: "Between heaven and earth, people are the most valuable, and the king among them is the most important." Lao Dan asked: "What is heaven?" "The gentleman said: "Heaven is the Qing Qing above. Lao Dan asked again: "What is the Qing Qing?" "The gentleman said; "Qingqing means space. "What is it in space?" "The gentleman said: "Above space, there is a pure and pure one. "What's on top?" ""The pure one is above the pure one, and the more pure one is the pure one." "Lao Dan asked again. "What is the end of the Qing Dynasty? "The master said: "It has not been passed down by the sages, it has not been recorded in the ancient books, and the foolish master dare not speak falsely. "At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but the mother could not answer; he asked the generals, but the generals could not answer. So he looked up at the sun, moon and stars, lowered his head and thought about what the sky was, and could not sleep all night.
Another day, Mr. Shang taught: "In the Liuhe, there are no characters in heaven and earth. The sky has its way, the earth has its geography, people have their relationships, things have their nature, and there is the way of heaven, so the sun, moon and stars can be made. There is geography, so mountains, rivers, rivers and seas can be made. There are people's ethics, so the elders and the younger can be distinguished. They have physical properties, so they can be differentiated from long and short, strong and brittle.
Lao Dan asked: "Who can interpret the sun, moon and stars?" Who created the mountains, rivers, and seas? Who determines the distinction between seniority and inferiority? Long and short are strong and fragile, who can tell the difference? "The gentleman said: "It's all done by gods. "Lao Dan asked. "What can God do? The gentleman said, "God has the power of change." It is the merit of creation, so it can be done. Lao Dan asked: "Where does the power of God come from?" When will the power of God be ready? "The teacher said: "It has not been passed down to me by my ancestors, and it has not been recorded in ancient books. A foolish teacher dare not speak nonsense. "At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but she couldn't answer. He asked the general, but the general couldn't answer. So he looked at things and thought about them, touched them and sorted them. For three days, he didn't know the taste of food.
Also One day, Mr. Shang taught: "The king is the one who regulates the world on behalf of heaven; the people are the ones the king controls. If the king does not follow the will of God, he will be deposed, and if the people do not obey the king and pastor, they will be guilty. This is the way to govern a country. Lao Dan asked: "The people's livelihood is not for the king. It is understandable if they do not obey the king and his pastoral care." It is God's will that you should be born, so why should you betray God's will? The gentleman said: "God sends you to rule the world on behalf of Heaven." If you are born, it will be like being outside; if you are going to be outside, you will not receive your orders. When you were born, God's will was not fulfilled. Lao Dan asked: "God has the power of change and the power of creation. Why doesn't he create a king who obeys orders?" "The master said: "It has not been passed down by the sages before, it has not been recorded in the ancient books, and the foolish master dare not speak falsely. "At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but she couldn't answer; when he asked the generals, the generals couldn't answer. So he asked the people of Xiangyi for advice. He traveled all over the land of Xiangyi, but he didn't know it was wet when it rained, and he didn't notice the wind blowing.
One day, Mr. Shang taught: "Harmony is the most valuable thing in the world. If there is a breakdown in peace, there will be war, and if there is war, there will be mutual destruction. If one fights against the other, both will be injured. If both are injured, it will be harmful but useless. Therefore, doing good to others will benefit oneself, and doing harm to others will harm oneself. Lao Dan asked: "The world is at peace, which is causing great harm to the people. Why don't you take care of it?" "The teacher said: "When the people fight, they will lose a small harmony; if they lose a small harmony, they will get a small disaster, but the king can control it. If a country fights, it means losing great peace; if it loses great peace, it will lead to great disaster. The great disaster is the fault of the king, so how can we govern ourselves? Lao Dan asked: "If you cannot govern yourself, why can't gods govern you?" "The master said: "It has not been passed down by the sages, it has not been recorded in the ancient books, and the foolish master dare not speak falsely. "At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but she couldn't answer; when he asked the generals, the generals couldn't answer. So he visited the people of each town and read the books of each town. He didn't know the heat when it was hot, and he didn't know the cold when he was cold. .
Study in Zhou dynasty
Mr. Shang taught for three years. He came to say goodbye to the old lady and said: "I have little knowledge and am very smart. How can I teach you after three years?"
The reason why I have to say goodbye today is not because I am a professor who has no end, nor because Daner is not diligent in his studies. In fact, I have learned a lot. Dan'er's desire is endless, but if he has exhausted all he can provide, isn't he trapped? Dan'er is a boy with great ambitions; Xiangyi is a remote and isolated place. If you want to carve out raw materials and turn them into jade, you need to go to the Zhou capital for further study.
The capital of Zhou has a sea of ??classics and a cloud of wise men. It is also the holy place in the world. Without entering it, it is difficult to achieve great things. "When the old lady heard this, she felt troubled: first, Dan'er was only thirteen years old, and it was difficult to return to the capital of Song Dynasty. Why not go to the capital of Zhou for nine days? Second, the old man only had this root left, so how could he rest assured that he would be alone? That's right? I hesitated and didn’t know how to answer. Unexpectedly, my husband had guessed the difficulty and hurriedly said: "To tell you the truth, my senior brother is a doctor of Zhou Taixue. He is knowledgeable and broad-minded. He loves talents and respects the virtuous. He makes a living by cultivating people and enjoys helping virtuous people. , it is the duty to recommend talents. The number of domestic prodigies are all selected by the public. Don't provide food and clothing, treat them as your own children.
The doctor heard what the old man said and knew that Dan'er was eager to learn, good at thinking, and extremely intelligent. He had long wished to meet her. Recently, several servants passed by this place and wrote to me, intending to take Dan'er to Zhou. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, please cherish it! "After hearing this, the old lady couldn't help but feel a mixture of sadness and joy. Mr. Xi's recommendation made it possible for Dan'er to enter the Zhou Dynasty and have a way to climb the Dragon Gate. She was sad that mother and son were separated. When can we see each other? Thinking about this, it seems that Dan'er is thousands of miles away, and she can't help but feel sad. Suppressed and bursting into tears, Lao Dan threw himself into his mother's arms and cried, "Don't be sad, mother. Dan'er will never live up to the teacher's high expectations. When I succeed in my career, I will definitely come to pick up my mother as soon as possible!" "After that, the mother and son hugged each other and cried.
After crying for a long time, the mother and son turned to joy and thanked the husband for the recommendation. Three days later, the whole family and Mr. Shang sent Lao Dan to Wuli. Outside. Old Dan bowed down one by one, mounted his horse and headed westward with the doctor's servant. The old lady watched Dan'er's figure go away, then got into the car and returned gloomily.
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Lao Dan entered the Zhou Dynasty, met with doctors, and entered Taixue. He learned everything from astronomy, geography, and human relations. He studied all the cultural relics, canons, and history books, and made great progress in three years. The doctor recommended him to the Shou Tibetan Room as an official. The book is full of books, and there is nothing missing. Old Dan is like a dragon swimming into the sea, the sea is vast and the dragon is leaping; like an eagle spreading its wings in the blue sky, the sky is high and the birds are flying. He understood the source of rituals and music and the purpose of clarifying morality. Three years later, he moved to the post of guardian of the history of the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce. In the Spring and Autumn Period, people who were knowledgeable were called "Zi" to show respect. Therefore, people called Lao Dan "Laozi".
One day in 538 BC, Confucius said to his disciple Nangong Jingshu: "Lao Dan, the keeper of the Tibetan Chamber in Zhou Dynasty, was knowledgeable about the past and the present. He knew the origin of rituals and music, and understood the essentials of morality. Now I want to go to Zhou to seek advice. Would you like to go with me? "Nangong Jingshu readily agreed and immediately reported to Lord Lu. Lord Lu agreed to go. He sent a cart, two horses, a boy and a chariot, and Nangong Jingshu accompanied Confucius there. I was very happy to see Confucius come all the way. After the professor, He also introduced Confucius to visit the great doctor Chang Hong. Chang Hong taught Confucius music rhythm and music theory. He also introduced Confucius to observe the rituals of worshiping gods, examine the missionary places, and observe the etiquette of temple fairs. Confucius was amazed and benefited a lot from his stay. A few days later, Confucius bid farewell to Laozi and sent him outside the residence, saying: "I heard that the rich and noble give money to others, and the righteous people give words to others. I am neither rich nor noble, and I have no money to send you. I would like to send you a few words. In today's world, those who are smart and insightful are often in trouble and almost die because they like to ridicule other people's faults; those who are good at eloquence and understanding are the reason why they bring disaster and often end up in trouble because they like to promote others' evil. As a son of others, do not put yourself first; as a minister of others, do not put yourself first. I hope you will remember this. Confucius paused and said, "Disciple, you must keep this in mind!" "
Walking to the bank of the Yellow River, I saw the turbulent water and rolling turbid waves. Its momentum was like ten thousand horses galloping, and its sound was like the roar of tigers and thunder. Confucius stood on the bank and sighed unconsciously: "The dead are like this. Sifu, don’t give up day and night! The water of the Yellow River continues to surge, and people's years continue to pass by. I don't know where the river is going, and I don't know where to return in life? Hearing what Confucius said, Lao Tzu said: "Life is between heaven and earth, and it is one with heaven and earth." Heaven and earth are natural things; human life is also a natural thing; people have the changes of youth, youth, strength and oldness, just like the heaven and earth have the alternation of spring, summer, autumn and winter. What's so sad about it? Born in nature, died in nature, if you let nature take its course, your nature will not be chaotic; if you don't let nature take its course, if you are busy between benevolence and righteousness, your nature will be fettered. If fame and fame are kept in the heart, anxiety will arise; if the desire for gain is kept in the heart, worries will increase. Confucius explained: "I am worried that the great road will not work, benevolence and righteousness will not be implemented, wars will continue, and the country will not be governed. Therefore, some people lament that life is short and they cannot make contributions to the world or do anything for the people."
Lao Tzu said: "The heavens and the earth move on their own without being pushed, the sun and the moon shine by themselves without being burned, the stars sequence themselves without being arranged, the beasts emerge by themselves without being made by man, this is what nature does, so why bother with man?" The reason why people are born, why they are incompetent, why they are honored, and why they are disgraced are all based on natural principles and ways. If we follow the principles of nature and act in accordance with the ways of nature, the country will be autonomous and people will be self-righteous. Why should we focus on rituals and music and promote benevolence and righteousness? To dwell on rituals and music and advocate benevolence and righteousness goes against human nature! It's like beating a drum to find someone who is escaping. The louder the drum is, the farther the person will run away!
After a moment's pause, Laozi pointed at the mighty Yellow River and said to Confucius: "Why don't you learn the great virtue of water?" Confucius said: "What virtue does water have?" Laozi said: "The best thing is like water: water is good for all things and does not fight for it. It is what everyone hates. This is the virtue of humility. Therefore, the river and the sea can be the king of a hundred grains. If they are good, they can be the king of a hundred grains." There is no one in the world who is soft and weak compared to water, and no one who attacks the strong can win. This is the virtue of softness; therefore, the soft can defeat the strong, and the weak can defeat the strong. Because it has no existence, it can enter the non-existence. From this, we can see the benefits of teaching without saying anything and doing nothing. "When Confucius heard this, he suddenly realized: "Sir's words made me understand: when everyone is above, the water alone is down; when everyone is together, it is easy, but when the water is alone, it is dangerous; when there are everyone, the water is clean, but when the water is alone, it is dirty. Wherever people are doing evil, who can argue with me? This is why it is the best.
"I nodded and said, "You can teach me! You must remember: If you don't compete with the world, no one in the world can compete with you. This is to imitate Shui De. Water is similar to Tao: Tao is everywhere, water is unfavorable to all, avoid heights and go downwards without going against the grain, it is good to live on the ground; empty space is pure and quiet, unfathomable. Goodness is the abyss; loss is not exhausted, giving without expecting repayment, goodness is benevolence; circles must turn, squares must break, plugs must stop, determinations must flow, good and trustworthy; wash away the filth of the crowd, level the high and low, and be good at managing things. Also; if you use it to carry it, you will be floating, if you use it to learn, you will be clear, if you use it to attack, you will be strong and invincible, and make good use of your energy; don't give up day and night, make progress in Yingke, and treat the time well. Therefore, the sage acts at any time, the wise man changes in response to the situation; the wise man governs by doing nothing, and the wise man lives according to nature. After you leave, you should get rid of your arrogance in your words and your appearance. Otherwise, if the voice has been heard before the person arrives, the wind has moved before the body has arrived, and you are flamboyant, like a tiger walking on the street, who would dare to use you? Confucius said: "The teacher's words came from the bottom of his heart and entered the heart of the disciple. The disciple benefited a lot and will never forget it." Disciples will obey and obey without hesitation to thank the teacher for his kindness. "After that, he said goodbye to Lao Tzu, got into the car with Uncle Nangong Jing, and reluctantly drove to the State of Lu.
Back to the State of Lu, the disciples asked: "Sir, how can I meet you when you visit me? ? Confucius said: "See it!" "The disciple asked. "How is I doing? Confucius said: "Birds, I know they can fly; fish, I know they can swim; beasts, I know they can walk." Those who walk can use a net to tie it, those who swim can use hooks to catch it, those who fly can use arrows to catch it. As for the dragon, I don't know what it is? The dragon rides on the wind and clouds and ascends to the nine heavens! When I see Lao Tzu, does he look like a dragon? Knowledge is deep and unpredictable, ambitions are high and difficult to understand; like a snake that bends and stretches at any time, like a dragon that changes at the same time. Lao Dan is my true teacher! '"
On Life and Death
It is said that Lao Dan was appointed as the guardian of the Zhou Dynasty. He returned home several times to visit his relatives, and wanted to persuade his mother to go to Zhou Dynasty with him. His mother lived in Chen Guoxiang for a long time, and she was The land is ripe and I don't want to move far away. Time flies, and more than thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye. One day, Lao Dan suddenly heard from his family that his mother was critically ill, so he reported to the emperor that he would come home to check on her. When he got home, his mother had passed away. Facing a pile of loess on the vast land, thinking about his mother's spirit under the nine springs, and recalling his mother's kind appearance and nurturing grace, the old man was so sad that he did not eat or sleep, and sat on the ground, meditating. I was stupid, and when I pursued it, I suddenly realized that I was relieved, and my sorrow was relieved. I suddenly felt hungry and tired, so I had a good meal and fell asleep.
The generals and maids felt strange when they woke up. , asked why. Lao Dan replied: "People are born with feelings and wisdom. If there is affection, the relationship between people will be harmonious and they will be warm to each other; if there is wisdom, it will be clear and clear and the affairs will not be chaotic. Emotion is attached to wisdom; wisdom is the master of emotion. If emotions are used to guide wisdom, people will be dull and things will be messed up; if wisdom is used to guide emotions, people will be smart and things will be in harmony. When my mother was born, her kindness was as heavy as a mountain. Now that my mother has said goodbye to Dan, my love for her is hard to break. Love is hard to break, it's human nature. If it is difficult to judge and not unified with wisdom, it will be chaotic, so it is sad and unwilling to live. Today, Dan is sitting upright and meditating, suddenly wisdom comes, and he uses wisdom to control his emotions, so his emotions can be controlled and things can be adjusted. When emotions are controlled and things are managed, the belly is hungry and desires food, and the body is tired and sleepy. "
The general asked: "How can wisdom govern emotions? ”