Laozi

Laozi

Laozi, whose surname is Li and whose name is er, has the same name as Bo Yang, or his posthumous name is Bo Yang. He was born in the late spring and Autumn period. His birth and death date is unknown, and his native place is controversial. According to historical records, Laozi was born in the state of Chen in the spring and Autumn period, and his native place is also controversial. Ancient Chinese thinker, philosopher, litterateur and historian, founder and main representative of Taoist school, and Zhuangzi are also called "Lao Zhuang". Later, he was revered as the ancestor of Taoism and called "the supreme emperor". In the Tang Dynasty, Li was regarded as the ancestor of Li. Has been listed as the world's cultural celebrities, one of the world's 100 historical celebrities.

Laozi once served as the history keeper of the collection room in the Zhou Dynasty, and was famous for his erudition. Confucius once asked him about rites in the Zhou Dynasty. At the end of the spring and Autumn period, when the world was in chaos, Laozi wanted to abandon his official position and return to seclusion, so he rode qingniu to the West. When he arrived at Lingbao Hangu pass, he was invited by Yin Xi to write Tao Te Ching.

Laozi's thought has a profound influence on the development of Chinese philosophy, and its core is simple dialectics. In politics, he advocated governing by doing nothing and teaching without words. In terms of politics, we should pay attention to the principle that things will go against the extreme. In the aspect of self-cultivation, we should pay attention to the practice of modesty, firmness and no competition with others, which is the ancestor of Taoist life and soul cultivation.

Tao Te Ching (also known as Lao Tzu) is one of the most widely published works in the world.

Life of the characters

Born in kuxian

Laozi was born in kuxian County of Chen state about the first year of King Ling of Zhou Dynasty. According to the biography of Laozi and Han Fei in historical records, Laozi, namely Li Er, is a native of qurenli, Li Township, kuxian County, Chen state.

Guo Lanfang, Professor of Philosophy Department of Peking University, wrote in "on Lao Tzu's philosophy thought": Lao Tzu's surname is Li Ming, who was born in qurenli, Lixiang, kuxian County, Chen state. Born in the late spring and Autumn period, he was the librarian of Zhou Dynasty and the librarian of books. He was the predecessor of Confucius and asked him questions.

Weekly effect room

In the 21st year of King Ling of Zhou Dynasty (the 22nd year of Duke Lu Xiang, 551 BC), Lao Tzu entered the royal family of Zhou Dynasty as the official in charge of the collection. Before being recommended to work in Zhoushi, Laozi followed Chang Zong (Shangrong) to learn knowledge.

In the 10th year of King Jing of Zhou Dynasty (the 7th year of Duke Zhao of Lu, 535 BC), Laozi was expelled from the position of keeping the history of the collection room by Duke Jian of Gan because of the exclusion of powerful people, and went on a trip to the state of Lu. In the lane of Lu state, the party presided over the funeral of friends, and Confucius helped. When Confucius was 17 years old, he asked Li in laodan.

In the 15th year of King Jing of Zhou Dynasty (the 12th year of Duke Zhao of Lu, 530 BC), Laozi was recalled by Duke Ganping and was still in charge of the collection room.

In the 19th year of King Zhou Jing (the 16th year of Duke Lu Zhaogong, 526 BC), Confucius, 26, visited Lao Tzu.

In the fourth year of King Jing of Zhou Dynasty (26th year of Duke Zhao of Lu, 516 BC), Lao Tzu was brought to the state of Chu by the prince dynasty because of his books and records. He was removed from the post of history keeper and returned to his hometown. Later, he went to the state of Qin. The exact date is unknown.

In the 19th year of King Jing of Zhou Dynasty (the 9th year of Duke Ding of Lu, 501 BC), Confucius, 51 years old, went south to Laozi's hometown and asked Laozi to learn.

Writing books for customs clearance

In the 35th year of King Jing of Zhou Dynasty (the 10th year of Duke AI of Lu, 485 BC), Lao Tzu saw that the Zhou Dynasty was declining, so he left his hometown and prepared to travel around Hangu pass. Yin Xi, the officer guarding Hangu pass, admired Laozi very much. He was very happy to hear that he came to Hangu pass. But when he knew that Lao Tzu was going to travel around, he thought it was a pity, so he tried to keep Lao Tzu. So Yin Xi said to Lao Tzu, "if you want to go through the customs, you can, but you have to leave a book." After listening, Lao Tzu was locked up in Hangu for a few days. A few days later, he handed Yin Xi a work of about 5000 words, which is said to be the later handed down Tao Te Ching. Then I rode away on the big green ox. It is said that the hermit cultivation was in Jingshi mountain (later renamed "Laojun Mountain").

Seal after death

It is said that Lao Tzu lived a long life. He died in the state of Qin in 471 BC at the age of 101. "Zhuangzi health master" has: "old man died, Qin lost hanging, three out." Hu Shi believes that Lao Tzu has not lived for more than 90 years at most.

In the first year of Qianfeng reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty (666 AD), Laozi was named emperor Xuanyuan of the Supreme Court; in the sixth year of dazhongxiangfu reign of emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty (1013 AD), Laojun of the Supreme Court was named emperor Shangde of the mixed Yuan Dynasty.

Main achievements

Laozi's achievements are mainly reflected in Laozi. Laozi, also known as Tao Te Jing or de Dao Jing, and the book of changes and the Analects of Confucius, are considered to be the three most profound ideological masterpieces. However, according to the date of Laozi unearthed from Guodian bamboo slips in 1993, the date of its completion is at least in the middle and early Warring States period. This book is about 5000 words in total. It was originally called Lao Tzu instead of Tao Te Ching. Later, it was called "Tao Te Ching" and divided into 81 chapters, which were divided into two parts: the first chapter was 37 chapters of Dao Jing, and the second chapter was 44 chapters of De Jing. The ideological structure of the book is: Tao is the "body" of virtue, and virtue is the "use" of Tao.

The theory of the way of heaven

The main category of Lao Tzu's thought is "Tao". The word "Tao" appears 73 times in Lao Tzu, and the natural inaction of heaven is the main theme of Lao Tzu. Tao is a kind of chaotic initial state. It is the beginning of heaven and earth, the mother of all things, and the root of all things. Tao is often nameless and does nothing but do everything. Like water, it benefits all things but does not compete with all things, and is the highest good. Tao is unspeakable, and human senses can not directly perceive it, see it, hear it, and hold it It's impossible. Tao is not only the noumenon of the universe, but also the rule of all things and the rule of life. Confucianists regard heaven, earth and man as "three principles", while Laozi regards Tao, heaven, earth and man as "four principles". The addition of Tao to the "three principles" in the "four principles" has opened up an extremely lofty and imaginative thinking space for the framework of Chinese cultural thought. Tao comes from the metaphysics and runs through the metaphysics; and in the process of running through, there is no room for willful and purposeful creators such as heaven and the emperor to intervene. Two thousand and five hundred years ago, Lao Tzu's Tao was a great invention based on the fundamental transformation of the original Tao theory.

As the origin and noumenon of the existence of all things in heaven and earth, Tao creates and achieves all things in heaven and earth. However, Tao's achievement of all things in heaven and earth is not intentional act, but totally out of unintentional act, which is totally natural. Laozi said: "man follows the earth, the earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows the nature." "Tao follows nature", and those who are natural enjoy it. Nature is the description of the state and action of Tao, not the nature with a substance beyond Tao. It is the nature of Tao to be born without being, to do without relying on nature. The nature of Tao is natural inaction, but it is this inaction that makes it possible; it is inaction that makes everything possible. This phenomenon, which is highly summarized by Laozi's philosophy, is "doing nothing but doing everything".

"Doing nothing but doing everything" is not only the great virtue and utility of Tao, but also the most fundamental law governing all things in heaven and earth. It is the fundamental law for individuals to settle down and live, and it is the so-called "truth". "If you don't live by yourself, you can live forever" and "if you don't grow by yourself, you can grow by yourself". This is the fundamental law for an individual to settle down and live. "Doing nothing but doing everything" is not only the use and principle of Tao, but also the "art of Tao", which is the fundamental means and method for the Marquis to govern the country. The "King" and "governing the country" of marquis should also take Tao as the law, "often nothing, even something, is not enough to win the world". Therefore, "I have nothing to do, but the people have their own way; I am quiet, but the people have their own right; I have nothing to do, but the people have their own wealth; I have no desire, but the people have their own simplicity.".

Dialectical Thought

Laozi thinks that everything in the world exists by comparison. Beauty and ugliness, good and evil, existence, difficulty, and length are interdependent. Only when there is this can there be another, right can there be wrong, and good can there be evil. On the surface, the two opposite sides are opposite to each other, but in fact, they contain and permeate each other. "Misfortune is the source of fortune; fortune is the source of misfortune." Everything is you in me, I have you, everything is not immutable. In Chapter 40 of Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu proposed "the action of opposing Tao". That is to say, when things develop to a certain extent, they will inevitably transform to the opposite direction. The so-called "strong things make old people" and "strong soldiers make old people". At the same time, the development of things and the transformation of things to the opposite side are not realized all at once. They need to go through a process of constant accumulation in quantity. "The tree that embraces is born at the very end; the platform of nine storeys starts from the earth; a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."

Social theory

Laozi believes that the nature of Tao is natural inaction, which is the fundamental law governing all things in the universe and the basic code of conduct that human beings should abide by. Starting from the principle of inaction, Lao Tzu opposed man's action, because action destroyed man's original natural simplicity, caused the split of personality, and brought all kinds of social ugly phenomena, such as hypocrisy, cunning, greed, evil and so on. "There is benevolence and justice when the great way is abolished; there is great hypocrisy when wisdom comes out; there is filial piety and kindness when the six parents are at odds; there is loyalty when the country is in chaos." There is a way in the world, everything is natural. Instead of flaunting benevolence and righteousness, it has its own benevolence and righteousness. It means that benevolence and righteousness no longer exist. Therefore, Lao Tzu put forward "no wisdom, no deceit", "no cleverness, no profit", and advocated "a small country with few people, so that the people have the tools of Shi Bo instead of using them", "although there are boats and boats, there is nothing to ride on; although there are armour soldiers, there is nothing to show; people can tie ropes and use them". This is a kind of retro thinking. In line with this social ideal, the old man is the best

Chinese PinYin : Lao Zi