What is Lao Zi?

Laozi, also known as Tao Te Ching, is said to have been written by Laozi. Laozi is the founder of Taoism, surnamed Li Mingyong. He was born in the State of Chu in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was born before 470 BC at the latest. Laozi belongs to the gentry class, and he advocates "governing by doing nothing, being quiet and self-correcting". The Tao Te Ching consists of eighty-one chapters, which are divided into the first part and the second part.

Laozi is a philosopher with conscious consciousness. Tao Te Ching has 5,000 words, and "Tao" has appeared more than 70 times in the text. It is Lao Zi's initiative to regard "Tao" as the highest category of philosophy. "Tao can be Tao, not surprising", and "Tao" is the origin of the universe, so the classic Tao Te Ching can reflect the height of the abstract thinking ability of the Chinese nation in the Spring and Autumn Period. At the same time, Lao Tzu is a simple naturalist. He believes that nature does nothing, and the world should also conform to it, taking "governing by doing nothing" and "small country with few people" as political ideals. What he cares about is how to solve the disputes in human society. Human behavior can be based on the naturalness and spontaneity of Tao, and political power does not interfere in people's lives. The "rule of saints" he recommended was "not Shang Xian, so that the people do not dispute; Expensive and rare goods, so that people do not steal; If you can't see what you want, you won't be chaotic. It is based on the rule of saints, emptying their hearts, consolidating their stomachs, weakening their ambitions and strengthening their bones, which often makes the people ignorant and have no desire. " "Saint" is the highest ideal figure recognized by Taoism, and its personality form is different from that of Confucian saints. The Confucian "sage" is a model moral person, while the Taoist "sage" is to know nature, expand the inner life, take "virtual quietness" and "indisputable" as the ideal life, and "try to make heaven and earth walk without hearing its voice". Laozi's inaction means that he is not willful, does not pursue self-interest, abandons all thoughts and considerations, and obeys the natural laws of heaven and earth. However, Laozi is not completely unified internally. "I don't want to say too much, but sometimes there will be angry words. I still want to rule the world by doing nothing. " Angry people, such as: "the avenue is useless and righteous." Wisdom comes out, and there is a big fallacy. There is filial piety when six parents are not in harmony, and loyalty when the country is in chaos. "

Laozi believes that the metaphysical Tao is absolute and eternal, while all metaphysical things are relative and changeable: "Whether there is mutual existence, whether there is difficulty, whether there is long or short, whether there is high or low, whether there is sound or not, whether there is constant." This relativism is another dominant idea in Laozi, but this passage also reveals Laozi's persistence. It is impossible for him to do nothing at all. "Don't be short-sighted and know black and white", but his heart is still "taking care of the world".

Tao Te Ching is famous for its concise language style, and the famous saying "whether there is mutual learning or not" is a popular and vivid motto. In addition, the rhythm of the Book of Songs has ups and downs: "It is the world to know its men and keep its women; For the world stream, Changde never gives up and returns to the baby. Know its white, keep its black, and be the world; For the world, Changde is not dangerous, and it is endless. " I have a deep understanding of what is strong and what is strong, but I can settle down with a gentle and humble attitude, as if I were the natural flowing stream; If you are willing to be a natural flowing stream, you will not lose your eternal "virtue" and return to a simple and simple state like a baby. Deeply understand what glory is, but you can settle in a dim position, as if you are a tool for divination; If you are willing to become a tool for divination to predict the world, you will not deviate from the eternal "virtue" and return to the ultimate truth. The Analects of Confucius

Laozi's theory advocates the idea of "governing by doing nothing", while Confucius (about 55 BC1-479 BC) is the opposite. He "knows what he can't do". He imagined the era of Yao Shun and Wu Wang in ancient times as an ideal society, trying to influence the leaders of various countries with his own theory and return to the ancient Qingming politics. Confucius, surnamed Qiu, was born in Lu, and once worked as a common people in Lu. In his later years, he taught with 3000 disciples, among whom 72 were particularly famous. Confucius himself "narrates without writing". After returning to Lu in his later years, he devoted himself to compiling ancient literature classics, including Shangshu, Shijing, Zhouyi, Chunqiu, Li and Yue. And his remarks mainly stayed in the Analects recorded by his disciples. Although The Analects of Confucius is the work of Ji Yan, the image of Confucius is very distinct. "The elegance of Confucius is beyond the motto". When Confucius was young, he was poor and humble, which was common. Later, he left Shandong for the government and traveled around the world. "He refused Qi, pursued Song and Wei, and was trapped between Chen and Cai." He was in trouble, just like a lost dog. But I have no regrets all my life, and I have been tirelessly pursuing it, carrying forward the past and opening up a new school. Sima Qian, the best historian in China, said in Historical Records of Confucius' Family that he "read Confucius' books and wanted to see him as a man", as if facing a mountain, "the mountain rises and the scenery stops" and "although it is unreachable, his heart yearns for it". This is probably the basic attitude of most China intellectuals towards Confucius since the Han Dynasty.

The Analects of Confucius recorded Confucius' words and deeds, with concise words and elegant and meaningful language. The core ideas of Confucius-"benevolence" and "ceremony" are aimed at "above" at first. "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you. There is no complaint in the state and no complaint in the family. " Among them, "those who are in the state" are princes and "those who are at home" are QingDafu, which is obviously a requirement for rulers. "Benevolence" means "self-denial" and "love", and restrain yourself from returning to the road stipulated by "courtesy". "see no evil, don't listen to evil, don't say evil, don't move." "Rite" is also a set of systems and norms of "treating people with morality, courtesy, shame and dignity". When people are bound by ethics and morality, they will have a correct view of honor and disgrace.

Although The Analects tells stories, its characters are also vivid. The image of Yan Yuan, Confucius' favorite disciple, has been circulated through the ages in Confucius' exclamation: "Good for you, good for you! A spoonful of food, a spoonful of drink, in the mean lane, people can't bear their worries, and they won't change their fun when they go back. Xian zai, you come back! " Yan Yuan is also the most learned disciple of Confucius, with noble character. He is "not angry, not guilty." Unfortunately, he was "unfortunately short-lived". Other disciples also have their own characteristics: straightforward, eloquent and elegant. "Lutz, as it is; You Ran, Zigong, Kan Kan. " "Good behavior" is powerful, while "Kan Kan" describes fluency. Their personality is most obvious in the article "Lutz, Zeng, Gong Xihua sit on the bench" in The Analects of Confucius Advanced: Lutz "directed himself against Japan" and rushed to answer; The final answer is Zeng. His ambition is: "I don't know the walker, the one who has already served, the five or six champions, the six or seven boys, bathing and interpreting, and returning with the wind and dance." In late spring, we took five or six adults and six or seven children, took a bath by the water, blew a breeze on the platform, and then came back to sing. Confucius said "I am with the point", which shows that his thoughts are closest to Zeng's, but his sense of personal mission has kept him busy all his life.

The Analects of Confucius initiated the system of quotations, which had a far-reaching influence on later generations. The language of The Analects is close to spoken language, and the short stories recorded are concise and realistic, which are the advantages of the quotation system. Later, Mencius, Mozi and Zhuangzi all had quotations. In the Song Dynasty, the system of quoting classics was further developed, and the vast majority of Neo-Confucianism adopted the system of quoting classics. Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi's Quotations from Cheng and Zhu's Style are both famous works on Quotations. Mencius

Mencius (about 372 BC-289 BC) and Zou (now southeast of Zou County, Shandong Province) were once disciples of Confucius' grandson Sisi, and his theory was inherited and carried forward by Confucius. Mencius was deeply worried that he was in a "bustling, all for profit" situation, so he described the ancient virtue of Yao and Shun, taking benevolence and righteousness as the foundation of the world. Mencius first taught at home, and once said that "a gentleman has three pleasures", one of which is "cultivating talents in the world". Later, he traveled around the world and met Qi Xuanwang and Wang Hui, the king of Liang. However, because the situation in the whole Warring States period was "striving for power and profit" and the king cared about the tactics of Machiavellian tactics, Mencius, like Confucius, was difficult to be adopted by the rulers of various countries, but was regarded as "circuitous and broader than things". Mencius was written by Mencius himself and described by his disciples. The overall style is consistent, and his words are sharp and eloquent.

Mencius believes that human nature is good, and people have four ends. "Compassion is also the end of benevolence; The heart of shame and evil, the end of righteousness; The words of the heart are the end of the ceremony; The heart of right and wrong is also the end of wisdom. "Since human nature is good, the management of people is to guide him to give full play to the goodness in human nature, and politicians should not keep people's goodness out." People have four ends and still have four bodies; There are people who call themselves incompetent on all sides, and there are also thieves. "People can live in harmony with their families by developing their natural nature, and then live in harmony with others and society.

Mencius, as an essay, is different from the Analects of Confucius in its simplicity. Although the article is also a dialogue, it is often very long and the arguments are carefully conceived. The style of the article is vigorous and rigorous, and the color of the debater is obvious. Mencius once laughed at himself and said, "I am argumentative, but I have to argue." In order to promote kingliness, he took pains to state his views repeatedly in the debate. The first chapter of Liang, the first article in Mencius, sets the tone for the whole article and even the whole book. This chapter begins with argumentation. When Mencius met Liang, Liang asked him the first sentence: "Is it good for our country that you came all the way?" Ask "Li" as soon as you open your mouth. Liang Wanghui's so-called "profit" means that Qiang Bing, a rich country, is beneficial to Liang, while Mencius emphasized "benevolence and righteousness", so he replied, "Why should the king benefit Japan? There is also righteousness. " Then, if Liang Wang cares about "how to benefit our country", then the doctor cares about "how to benefit my family" and the scholar Shu Ren cares about "how to benefit my body", and each cares about the most vital interests, then it is possible to "compete for profits", that is, the upper and lower sides get benefits from each other, and the country is in danger. Liang only asked Mencius a word about "benefit", and Mencius publicized his theory of "benevolence and righteousness" in a few words, which was an effort to convince the other side with a parallel and sustained momentum. In addition, he also adopts the question-and-answer method, which is quite Socrates' wisdom. Mencius mentioned "being king" in "On Politics", saying that "whoever pretends to be benevolent with strength will have the advantage, and hegemony will lead to great power." The king of Deren, the king is not big, the soup is 70 miles, and the king of Wen is 100 miles. "His own core idea is" people first, country second, and monarch first ". This was very democratic under the historical conditions at that time, but it was not necessarily acceptable to the vassal States. Therefore, after describing his ideal situation of "kingly way", he strongly criticized the serious consequences of the hegemony of various countries at that time, and after Liang said "I would like to settle down", he started a dialogue with Liang:

Mencius said to Japan, "Isn't it unusual to kill people with a hammer blade?"

Yue: "There is no difference."

"Is it unusual to use the blade and politics?"

Yue: "There is no difference."

As the saying goes, "there is fat in the barn, fat horses in the stable, hungry people and hungry people in the wild." This led to beasts and cannibalism. "

Mencius once said: "Wealth cannot be lewd, poverty cannot be moved, and power cannot be bent. This is called a gentleman. " Mencius also showed the image of such a great scholar in his article. He affirmed people's good nature, so he was also full of confidence in his own nature, saying that "an adult will not lose childlike innocence" and "I am good at cultivating my noble spirit". If you think there is a scale in your heart, then "you will shrink back from it, although thousands of people in Qian Qian will go!" Ask yourself, if there is nothing wrong, then even if there are thousands of people blocking me, I will move on.

Mencius is good at metaphor, saying that idioms such as "Don't worry, the meaning is unique", "pot calling the kettle black" and "Encourage Young Seeds" have become household names. Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi (about 369 BC-286 BC), born in the Song Dynasty (now Shangqiu, Henan Province) in the middle of the Warring States Period, was an official in Dream Paint Garden. He was about the same age as Liang and his life. Little is known about his life, which is only briefly introduced in Historical Records, but his thoughts can be fully understood in the works left by Zhuangzi. There are thirty-three articles in Zhuangzi, which are divided into internal articles, external articles and miscellaneous articles. Among them, seven inner chapters are generally recognized as Zhuangzi's works, and there are many works with similar ideas in the outer chapters and miscellaneous articles. Zhuangzi expressed Zhuangzi's great Taoist philosophy in the form of literature. Zhuangzi is more complicated, mysterious and beautiful than other books because of its magnificent scroll and uneven writing, which has opened the trend of romanticism in China literature. However, Zhuangzi's philosophical way of thinking had a great influence on later generations, and metaphysics and Zen Buddhism in Wei and Jin Dynasties both inherited its mantle. Zhuangzi's philosophy has little influence on political rule, but it plays an important role in shaping the personality of China intellectuals. He pursues absolute spiritual freedom, and regards "no self to people, no work to God, and no name to saints" as his ideal personality. He believes that only a noble "giant" can achieve the state of selflessness, that the spiritual world is detached from the material "God" is not an achievement, and that a perfect "saint" does not seek fame. His articles have a very broad spiritual realm and strong spiritual strength. Zhuangzi's prose depicts a vast space, he wrote:

There is a kind of fish named Kun in the north. Kunda, thousands of miles away. Become a bird. Its name is Peng. Peng's back is thousands of miles away; Fly away angrily, its wings hang in the sky like clouds. If it is a bird, shipping will migrate to Nanming. South ghost, Tianchi also.

The giant fish Kun, thousands of miles away, turned into a soaring Peng, with open wings like clouds on the horizon. The spiritual realm of man admired by Zhuangzi is just like this big bird, roaming outside the world, "interacting with the spirit of heaven and earth alone without caring about everything". In the form of individuals, such as the god on the mountain, "skin is like ice and snow, graceful as a virgin" and "travel around the world by flying clouds and dragons." Its spirit is condensed, so that things will not be flawed and mature. "Some hermits, like Guo Zi," sit quietly, face upwards and hiss "(sitting beside a few cases, looking up at the sky and taking a rest), entered the realm of selflessness, their eyes were like wood, and they heard the voice of" heaven ". And those who serve the society wholeheartedly, they "know a lot about leisure, but know very little;" "Big word hot, small word zhan. His sleep is also soul-to-soul, his sleep is also open, he is connected with it, and he is fighting hard every day. " They know a lot, small things are subtle, big things are domineering, small things are contending, they are confused when they sleep, restless when they wake up, entangled in foreign exchanges, and intrigue all day.

Out of respect for people's real life, he restored his keen senses, so Zhuangzi was able to "imperceptibly", not only observing the grandeur of everything in nature, but also observing those subtle movements. Zhuangzi's articles have a peculiar imagination. If people in the Book of Songs era pay more attention to the life around them, it is natural that everything related to their own lives in the world, that is, the "utility" mentioned in the Book of Songs earlier; Then "nature" in Zhuangzi is not used in the sense of "things", but perceived in the sense of "gods".

Zhuangzi's description of everything is often based on fable design, but at the same time, his description of nature is very accurate. He wrote about birds, animals, insects, fish, turtles, trees, landscapes, especially the description of the sounds of various winds, which is really unsightly:

Husband's tone is big, called wind. If you do nothing, you will get angry. And I'm not the only one who smells it? Fear of mountains, holes surrounded by trees, such as nose, mouth, ears, eaves, circles, mortar, depressions and dirt; Stimulate, slap, scold, inhale, scream, scold, bite. The former sings with the followers. Lingfeng is small and harmonious, the wind is big and harmonious, and Li Feng's economy is empty.

This is Guo Zi's anger, written in the Theory of Everything. It tells the "three sounds" of "earth, man and nature" through the sound made by a tree hole. "Lai" refers to the sound made by an empty place. He said, "There are hundreds of trees halfway up the mountain. The holes in the trees are different in shape, some are like people's noses, mouths or ears, some are like square holes at the top of roof beams, some are like mortar, some are like deep pools, and some are like shallow depressions. Some of the sounds made by these tree holes are like the sound of running water, some are like the sound of arrows, some are like the sound of screaming, some are like the sound of breathing, some are like the sound of crying, some are like the sound of deep valleys, and some are like the sound of lamentation. " This was originally used to show that everything is harmonious, but from the perspective of "literary imagination", we find that the author's sixteen metaphors about the shape and sound of tree holes are not just the result of careful observation, but the forging of emotional projection and imagination. Although the book Zhuangzi is full of empty talk and no facts, it is rich in imagination and graceful in writing, so it can be used as a grave-robbing philosopher.

Zhuangzi's thinking is unconventional, so many grotesque people in his works are enlightened "real people". In addition to writing "painting style and drinking dew", he seems to have a soft spot for "craftsmen"-people with special skills. In his works, these people are also the closest to "Tao", such as skillful craftsmen who can help cows, craftsmen with deep pockets, and single-minded husbands. His ideas are often unexpected. In his works, skull and bones speaks, but a man with a broken limb may be the closest to Tao. As for Zhuangzi herself, when her relatives died, she was happy to "beat drums and sing" and said that she had returned to nature.

However, Zhuangzi still attaches great importance to life. In that troubled times, he also knew how to protect his life effectively without causing fatal disasters. His articles are "fable-oriented" and often don't "express his mind directly". He also set up an adversary. Hui Shi and Hui Shi often exist as opposites of Zhuangzi's views, such as the following famous fable about owls.

It's a magical bird like a phoenix in the south. It flies from the South China Sea to the North Sea. "Not a phoenix tree, not a practice, not a drink." An owl caught a dead mouse and just flew by. The owl shouted "Scare!" Dead rat who thought he was going to rob it. This is a very famous passage in Zhuangzi Qiushui, in which Zhuangzi expressed his contempt for power. Hui Shi was the prime minister of Wei Shiliang, who Mencius had seen. People told him that Zhuangzi was coming to Wei to compete with him. Hui Shi looked for Zhuangzi in China for three days, and Zhuangzi personally came to Hui Shi and told him this fable, expressing his view that his interests were as bad as Hui Shi's. There are many famous fables in Zhuangzi, such as caring for each other and learning from each other.