Laozi (about 600 BC - 500 BC) was 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, believing 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". The book "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", "misfortune can turn into evil", 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".
Confucius asked for courtesy
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, believing 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". The book "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", "misfortune can turn into evil", 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".
Taoist Philosophy
Taoism is one of the most important schools of thought among the hundreds of scholars in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China. The origin of Taoist thought is very early. According to legend, Emperor Xuanyuan and the Yellow Emperor had a harmony between heaven and man. The thought of one.
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.
Taoism and Taoism. Taoism is one of the major religions in China. Because it takes "Tao" as the highest belief and believes that "Tao" is the origin of all things in the universe, hence the name. The "Five Pecks of Rice Tao" founded by Zhang Daoling in the Eastern Han Dynasty was the beginning of the finalization of Taoism. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, religious forms gradually became complete. He regarded Lao Dan as his religious ancestor and honored him as "Tai Shang Lao Jun". Taking "Tao Te Ching" as the main classic. 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.
I came out of seclusion
I finally saw that the Zhou Dynasty was getting weaker and weaker, and it was in disgrace. He decided to run away and fly far away. This is about my coming out of seclusion.
If I want to go to Qin State and the Western Regions, I have to pass through Hangu Pass. Another way to say it is Dashanguan. Hangu Pass was probably originally located in today's Lingbao County, Henan Province, and later the pass was moved to today's Xin'an County, Henan Province. Here two mountains confront each other, and there is a small road in the middle. Because the road is in a valley, it is deep and dangerous, as if it is in Hanzi, so it is named Hangu Pass.
The officer guarding the pass is Yin Xi, who is called Yin Xi, the commander of the pass. On this day, he was standing at the gate of the city and looking around, when he saw a group of purple air drifting slowly from the east in the valley. Guan Ling Yinxi was a man of extremely high cultivation and knowledge. When he saw this scene, he was heartbroken, a saint was coming! Only when saints come, there will be such clouds. Today, there must be a saint passing through my city gate. I don't know which one it is. After a while, I saw a man of extraordinary character and immortal spirit, riding a green bull slowly towards the pass. It’s me! Guan Ling Yinxi knew that he was going to fly far away, so he must let this most famous contemporary thinker leave his wisdom behind, so he pestered him and asked him to write some books as a condition for letting him out of quarantine.
Of course I am not willing, but if Yin Xi does not agree to the customs clearance, he will not let him pass. He will not give you a passport or visa! I had no choice but to agree to the conditions. In addition, there is another reason why I agreed to him. There is information in "Anthology of Historical Records" that Guan Ling Yinxi was "good at studying the stars", so he could see the sky, the stars, and the clouds. When he saw a cloud of purple air coming, he knew that a saint was coming. Even if we see this purple gas, we can't decipher it. It is said that Guan Ling Yinxi himself also wrote a book called "Guan Lingzi". Lao Tzu also admired this great wise man who "obeys the essence, conceals his virtues and practices benevolence", and "also knows his strangeness", so he has a feeling that he has met a close friend, so he wrote a book for him. Isn't it a pleasure to write for a close friend?
At that time, Lao Tzu meditated and wrote down his wisdom on the slips word by word. He wrote the first part and then the next part. It is said that he wrote it for several days. After finishing the writing, I found that it has about 5,000 words, and I named it "Tao Te Ching". The first part is called "Tao Te Ching", and the second part is called "De Jing", which is divided into eighty-one chapters. Thus a great and earth-shaking work of "five thousand words" was born! It is said that Guan Lingyin was deeply intoxicated and attracted after reading such a wonderful work. He said to Lao Tzu: "After reading your works, I no longer want to be a border officer. I want to run away with you."
"I smiled and agreed. It is said that Guan Ling Yinxi really ran away with me. Later, someone saw the two of them together at the quicksand in the Western Regions, and they both lived a long, long time!
Laozi's departure from seclusion has always been talked about and interpreted by people. Mr. Lu Xun was also interested in this. He also specially created a new story "Laozi's departure from seclusion" and also had some ink battles with others. In addition, the "Purple Qi coming from the east" when I came out of isolation has also become a gene in Chinese culture. The emperor's family regards "Purple Qi" as auspicious and auspicious. You see, if a child is born and the house is full of Purple Qi, the ancients believed that This child must have a great future. The common people also regard "purple air" as a symbol of good luck, so they write the words "purple air comes from the east" on the door and so on. The ancestors also believed that where there is a treasure, there is a treasure. Purple air will appear in the sky above the place.
What’s interesting is that the “green ox” that Lao Tzu rode on has also become a famous image in Taoist culture. The green ox later became the mount of the immortal Taoist priests. Later, "green ox" became synonymous with Laozi, and he was also called "Qingniu Master", "Qingniu Weng", etc. This green ox was also regarded as a sacred cow by the people in Laozi's hometown, saying that he was a sacred cow. When I left the customs, I flew over on this green bull, and there is a wonderful legend.
There is a 13-meter-high platform in the northeast corner of Luyi County, Henan Province today, called " "Laojun Terrace", also known as "Shengxian Terrace", there is a Laozi Temple on the terrace. In front of the temple there is an iron pillar as thick as a bowl, which is called "Mountain Whip". It is said that Laozi gave lectures here when he was in his 50s. There are many roads away from our home, and we have to pass a mountain called "Yinyang Mountain". This mountain is very high and blocks out the sun. The north of the mountain cannot see the sun, and there is ice and snow, and there is no grass growing in the south of the mountain. Withered and dead, the people suffered a lot. Although I saw all this, I wanted to save the people, but I was unable to do anything. Now I rode the green bull and flew over Hangu Pass. I knew that I had become an immortal and that the green bull could speak human language. , so he asked Qingniu to fly back to his hometown to manage the mountain. When he arrived at his hometown, I whipped the mountain, and the top of it was cut away. Then it flew to Shandong and became Mount Tai. He whipped it again and hit the mountainside to Henan. It became a flat mountain. At this time, the whip was broken and the broken whip flew to Shanxi. When I saw that there was only one pole left in the whip, I inserted it on the ground. This is the origin of this iron stick. The cow flew away, but the whip pole stayed there forever. The people thanked me for coming to drive away the mountain, because from then on, my hometown had a good life, and the people whipped me to drive away the mountain. The earthen platform on which I stood at that time was called "Shengxian Terrace", and the iron pillars on the ground were called "Moshan Whip". Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, respected me as "Tai Shang Laojun" and called this platform "Laojun Terrace" and built a temple. , perform sacrifices. ——What a magnificent imagination of the common people! After reading this legend from Laozi’s hometown, I feel that I am living in flesh and blood among the common people! This is how Laozi’s culture is accumulated bit by bit. This is how China's profound and profound culture is derived bit by bit and accumulated layer by layer.
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) To put it all together: the Tao of heaven and earth is actually a Tao that everyone can obtain, but all things in the world, Tao, 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, and a courtesy name of Dan. He was a native of Ku County, Chu State (now east of Luyi, Henan Province). He lived around the end of the Spring and Autumn Period 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 ***, passed away, and his right teacher Hua Yuan 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 stubborn and arrogant, which is the root of his failure. "The Chu general asked: "The Zuo division seems to have a plan in mind. What good plan does it have?" Yu Shi replied: "The two armies are facing each other. The commander is in front or behind. Now the Song soldiers are attacking the city, and the commander is in the front. It is a taboo for military officers to gallop in the face of arrows! I have a little plan. If the plan is followed, it is hard to say whether the Song army will succeed or not."
It turns out that Yu Shi wanted to let his subordinates go. Hidden arrow, killed 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, defeated, and fled in all directions.
Lao Zuo's family members are in the Song camp's military tent. There are maids, dozens of generals, and dozens of guards. Suddenly they heard that Lao Zuo had been killed in battle, and saw the defeated army coming like a tide. All the generals hurriedly drove to protect the old lady and fled. Fighting and fleeing, by evening, although the pursuers had disappeared, only two maids and a driver were left beside the old lady. The general did not dare to stop for a moment, so he walked forward in the dark under the stars and the moon, panicking and running in the southwest direction. At dawn the next day, I came to a remote village and asked the villagers about the way to the capital of Song Dynasty. They all shook their heads and said they didn't know. The general only knew that he should go west, but he didn't know that he had already turned south. A group of four people took a detour and traveled for seven days. They still did not see the Song capital, but came to Chen Guoxiang Yi (now east of Luyi, Henan). While walking, the old lady suddenly felt pain in her abdomen. It turns out that the old lady is already seven months pregnant. In order to fulfill the promise made by the emperor, the old man set out with his family to fight with 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. In just a few moments, a cry of "wow wah" could be heard inside the caravan, and a premature baby boy was born. This was Lao Tzu, the son of Lao Zuo. When I was born, I was weak but had a big head, broad eyebrows and wide ears, eyes as clear as pearls in the abyss, and a nose with double bridges like a rut.
Because his ears grew bigger, 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 call "cat" "li'er", which sounds the same as "li'er". Over time, Lao Dan's nickname "Li Er" became his 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 called Father Chen, so everyone calls the old woman Mother Chen. Mother Chen had no children, but was kind and enthusiastic, so she gave up three rooms in the west wing to let the old lady and her family live. The old lady was extremely grateful when she met this kind-hearted person in a time of crisis. Although she was displaced during the war, she came from a wealthy family and could still survive by carrying some valuables with her. In addition, the family general often helps Mr. Chen make a living, and the two maids take care of the housework. The family of five, old and young, lives a comfortable life. From then on, the wife and children of General Lao Zuo of Song State lived in Chen State.
Intelligent young man
Lao Dan has been smart since he was a child, quiet and studious, and often pestered his family members to hear about the rise and fall of the country, the success or failure of wars, sacrifices, divination, and stargazing. The old lady hoped that her son would be successful, so she asked Mr. Shang Rong, an old man from Shang Dynasty who was proficient in the rituals and music of the Yin and Shang Dynasties, to teach her. His business knowledge is astronomical and geographical, and he is well versed in ancient and modern etiquette. He is deeply respected by Lao Dan's family.
One day, Professor Shang Rong said: "Human beings are the most precious among heaven and earth, and the king among them is the most important." Lao Dan asked: "What is heaven?" The teacher said: "Heaven is above. "What is Qingqing?" Lao Dan asked, "Qingqing is space." "What is Qingqing?" said the teacher. "Above the space, there is the clear one." "What is above the clear one?" "The clear one is above the clear one," Lao Dan asked again. "What is the end of the Qing Dynasty?" The gentleman said: "The sages have not passed it on, the ancient books have not recorded it, and the foolish teacher dare not speak nonsense." At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but the mother could not answer; when he asked the generals, the generals could not Word. So I raised my head to look at the sun, moon and stars, and lowered my head to think about what was in the sky. I couldn't sleep all night.
Another day, Mr. Shang taught: "In the Liuhe, the characters of heaven and earth exist. The sky has its way, the earth has its geography, people have their relationships, things have their nature and the way of heaven, so the sun, moon and stars It is feasible; there is geography, so mountains, rivers, and seas can be made; there are human relationships, so seniority and inferiority can be distinguished; there are physical properties, so long and short can be distinguished." Lao Dan asked: "Who can distinguish the sun, moon, and stars? How can mountains, rivers, and seas be made? Who can differentiate between superiority and inferiority? "How can God do anything?" The teacher said, "God has the ability to change. He is the work of creation, so he can do things." Lao Dan asked, "Where does God's power come from? When will God's power be prepared?" Mr. He said: "It has not been passed down by previous teachers, and it has not been recorded in ancient books. A foolish teacher dare not speak falsely." At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but her mother could not answer. When you ask your generals, they will be speechless. So he looked at things and thought about them, touched them and sorted them out, and for three days he didn't know the taste of food.
Another day, Mr. Shang taught: "The king is the one who regulates the world on behalf of heaven; the people are the ones controlled by the king. If the king does not follow the will of God, he will be ruined; if the people do not obey the king, they will be guilty. This is the way to govern a country." Lao Dan asked: "The people's livelihood is not the king's. It is understandable that the king's life is not governed by the king's will. What is the reason for the king's disobedience to God's will?" God sends you to take charge of the world. If you are born, you will be outside. If you are outside, your destiny will be different. If you are born, God will not accept it. "Lao Dan asked: "God has the power of change and creation. Why don't you create a king who obeys orders? "The master said: "It has not been passed down by the sages and it has not been recorded in the ancient books. A foolish teacher dare not speak falsely." At night, Lao Dan asked his mother about his doubts, but she could not answer. Unable to speak. So I asked the people of Xiangyi for advice. I walked all over the land of Xiangyi. When it rained, I didn't know how wet it was, and when the wind blew, I didn't notice it.
One day, Mr. Shang taught: "In all things in the world, harmony is the most important thing. If there is a loss of harmony, there will be war, and war will lead to mutual destruction. If we fight each other, we will suffer two injuries, and two injuries will be harmful but useless. Therefore, with If you benefit others, you will benefit yourself, and if you harm others, you will harm yourself. "Lao Dan asked: "If the world is not harmonious, the people will be harmed, so why don't you take care of it?" The gentleman said: "The people are fighting, and they are losing small harmony; It may be a small disaster, but you can cure 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 can't 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 the mother could not answer; when he asked the generals, the generals could not answer. So he visited the people of each town and read the books of each town. He did not know the heat when it was hot, and he did not know the cold when it 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 family only had this root left, so how could you rest assured that he would be alone? That's right? He hesitated and didn’t know how to answer. Unexpectedly, the teacher had already 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 wanted 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. Lao Dan bowed down one by one, got on his horse and went westward with the doctor's servant. The old lady watched Dan'er's figure go away in the distance, and then she got into the car and returned sadly. After entering Taixue, he studied astronomy, geography, and human relations. He studied everything including "Poetry", "Books", "Yi", "Calendar", "Li" and "Music". He also studied all cultural relics, regulations and history books. Great progress has been made over the years. The doctor also recommended him to be an official in the Tibetan Secretariat. The collection room is the place where Zhou Dynasty classics are collected. It collects all the texts and books from all over the world. Old Dan is among them, like a dragon swimming into the sea