Biography of Laozi

Lao Zi (ca. 600 BC - 500 BC) was a thinker in the Spring and Autumn Period and the founder of Taoism. He was the founder of Taoism in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was surnamed Li Er (李耳), with the character Bo Yang (伯阳), a native of Qu Ren Li (曲仁里) in Li Township (厉乡) in Bitter County (苦县) of the State of Chu (present-day Lu Yi (鹿邑) in Henan Province), and was a historian in the Zhou Dynasty (周朝). It is said that Laozi was Tai Shi Dan, or Lao Lai Zi. Whether the book Laozi was written by Laozi has been debated. Laozi explains the evolution of everything in the universe in terms of "Tao", thinking that "Tao begets one, two begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things", and that "Tao" is "the order of the man. The "Tao" is "the order (command) of Mo and often natural", and thus "man is the law of the earth, the law of the earth is the law of the sky, the law of the sky is the law of the Tao, and the law of the Tao is the law of nature". "The Tao is the objective law of nature, and at the same time has the eternal significance of "independent and unchanging, circumventing without danger". Laozi book includes a large number of simple dialectical point of view, such as thinking that all things have positive and negative sides, "the opposite of the Tao of movement", and can be transformed by the opposition, "the positive again for the odd, the good again for the demon", "disaster is a blessing, blessing is an ambush". Fortune is the ambush of misfortune". Also thought that things in the world are "there" and "nothing" of the unity, "there, nothing is born", and "nothing" for the The foundation, "everything under the sun is born from existence, and existence is born from nothing". "The way of heaven is to make up for the deficiencies with the losses, but the way of man is not, the losses are not enough to serve the surplus"; "The people are hungry because they are taxed for their food"; "The people are light in death because they are thick in their quest for life"; "The people do not fear death, why should they fear death?" The people are not afraid of death, why should they be afraid of death? Its doctrine had 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 in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period of China, and the origin of Taoist thought is very early, and the legend says that Emperor Regulus had the idea of the unity of heaven and man.

Generally, it is recognized that the first to establish the doctrine of Taoism was Laozi during the Spring and Autumn period, who elaborated on it in his book Laozi (Tao Te Ching).

Other representatives of Taoist thought include Zhuang Zhou, Lie Mikao and Huishi during the Warring States period. Advocating a natural worldview and methodology, Taoism honors the Yellow Emperor and Laozi as its founders, and is known as Huang Lao.

The core of Taoist thought is the Tao, which is the source of the universe and the law that governs all movements in the universe. In his writings, Lao Tzu once said, "Something was born before heaven and earth. Xiao He! Liao huh! Independent and unchanged, can be the mother of heaven and earth. I do not know its name, but strongly named it Tao" (Laozi, Chapter 25)

In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Jing of Han ruled the country with Taoist ideas, which allowed the people to recuperate from the harsh rule of the Qin Dynasty. History calls this the reign of Wen and Jing. Later, the Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu advocated to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty the policy of "Dismissing all schools of thought and respecting only Confucianism", which was adopted by later emperors. Since then, Taoism has become a non-mainstream ideology. Although Taoism was not officially adopted, it continued to play an important role in the development of ancient Chinese thought. The Song and Ming philosophies were developed by combining the ideas of Taoism.

Taoism was later absorbed by religions such as Zhang Lu's Wu Dou Mi Dao and evolved into Taoism, one of China's major religions. The Wei and Jin styles placed more emphasis on alchemy in their puritanical discussions of metaphysics. As a result, Taoism and Daoism are often confused.

Basic point of view

The philosophy of Taoism firstly got rid of the Confucian social philosophy, and started directly from the side of the principle of the operation of the heavenly way, and carried out the philosophy of "Tao", which is based on the meaning of nature and the meaning of neutrality. There is a natural principle in the operation of the Heavenly Way, and the philosophy of the Way is to explain this principle so as to present a lively and free world space. Through the understanding of the limitlessness and non-attachment of this world order, Taoist philosophy developed a social philosophy that is very different from Confucianism's, in that society is only an object that exists, and the people who live in it should have the freedom to exist independently without being bound by any ideological patterns. Basically, Taoist philosophy does not reject the Confucian ideal of society, but it does not take a position on social responsibility, but rather has an attitude and position of existence that is more respectful of the autonomy of human beings.

The Taoists emphasize the freedom and liberation of human nature. Liberation is the liberation of human intellectual ability on the one hand, and the liberation of human life state of mind on the other. The former puts forward the cognitive principle of "learning is getting better and better, and the way of life is getting worse and worse" and "this is also a right and wrong, and the other is also a right and wrong", while the latter puts forward the principles of "modesty", "humility", "social responsibility", "social responsibility", and so on. The latter put forward the principles of "modesty", "weakness", "softness", "mindfulness", "sitting in oblivion", and "transformation". The latter puts forward such life skills as "modesty", "weakness", "softness", "mindfulness", "sitting in oblivion" and "transforming into a butterfly" to face the world.

The social philosophy of Taoism is not aggressive and positive, for society is only a process of the Way of Heaven, not an end in itself. Taoism believes that Confucian social ideals are reasonable, but not absolute, and therefore basically does not need to put forward a set of decisive social ideals, because the way of heaven is changing, and it does not matter whether it is absolutely right or wrong or evil, and therefore Taoism emphasizes more on the principle of the wisdom of surviving in society, and this wisdom must be a way of surviving that can be effective in any historical context of society. It is also because Taoist social philosophy does not focus on its own developmental specifications, but emphasizes the wisdom of coping, which is conducive to people's need for recuperation and recuperation, that the Huang-Lao rule at the beginning of the Han Dynasty had a theoretical basis for experimentation. At the same time, it also stabilized a vast world of mindfulness for the Chinese scholars who had been disillusioned by the Confucian-based official culture for thousands of years.

Thoughts of important philosophers

The theory of Taoism was laid down by Lao Zi, who wrote the Tao Te Ching, a book of 5,000 words, in which every word is a pearl, in which he discusses extensively the moral meaning of Tao and the wisdom of life, and puts forward the theory of the origin of the natural universe in which all things are mixed together and independently exist, and also puts forward the principle of the existence and operation of the world, which is "the movement of the Tao which is the opposite of the Tao," which is an ontological thought for human beings who survive in it. For human beings living in the world, what they should learn is the wisdom of the world, so Lao Zi also put forward a lot of political, social and philosophical viewpoints on life, but the focus is on the protection of the body rather than the creation of civilization, it can be said that he is a set of Zongben in the wisdom of the way of social philosophy and theories to cope with the chaotic world situation, and has no intention of creating a new phenomenon of the society, because those are not the Tao of the original

Chuang Zi is the most important founder of Taoism after Lao Zi. Zhuang Zi's Taoism is different from the old school, is Zhuang Zi more detailed treatment of the relationship between man and nature, man's ability to create, including wisdom, cognitive ability, physical energy and so on. Zhuangzi also stood on the basis of the proposition of heavenly nature, put forward from the human self-cultivation to face the whole society and the country's way of life, Zhuangzi book within the seven works, is his from the world view to the theory of knowledge to the theory of work to the theory of social philosophy of the way of the inner saint and the outer king.

Lie Zi was a man of the Warring States period. The eight extant books of Liezi were compiled by Zhang Zhan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and are generally regarded as reflecting the thinking between the Warring States period and the Wei and Jin dynasties. The book starts from the Taoist thought and modifies the Taoist concept of inaction, emphasizes the positive role of human beings in nature and believes that it is the best state of existence for human beings to live in a state where they do not have to be strong or fearful of the heavens and the earth.

Wang Bi was a native of the Three Kingdoms period. When the development of Confucianism in the two Han Dynasty came to an end, the social and political situation was in turmoil and iniquity, and intellectuals turned to metaphysics, Wang Bi, with his deep understanding of the philosophy of Lao Tzu, interpreted Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, focusing on the distinction between the body of the use of the distinction between existence and non-existence, and not only developed the spirit of the Lao Tzu philosophy of "Noble Nothingness", but also used this principle in the interpretation of the I Ching, and even changed the cosmology of qi, which was the symbolism and number of the Han Dynasty, and the cosmological theory of Qi, the universe, and the universe, which is the basis of the I Ching. He even changed the cosmological theory of qi and chemistry that had been used since the Han Dynasty and replaced the study of the I Ching with a purely metaphysical one, bringing the history of Chinese I Ching to a completely new level.

Guo Xiang, a native of the Western Jin Dynasty, famous for his Commentary on Zhuangzi, advocated the theory of "uniqueness", which is a metaphysical conceptual theory developed from highly abstract thinking, believing that everything in the universe is born in the realm of the "mysterious underworld" by chance, and therefore advocating the spirit of conformity to each individual's own suitability regardless of its size and respecting the concept of life equally for each individual being. The concept of life is one of equal respect for each and every life.

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 temple, in short, the origin of Taoism is never an active participant in the social politics, they are from the sidelines to observe the world situation, seriously contemplate the true picture of the universe, use a high degree of abstraction and do not have the consciousness of type of obsessive language, describing the laws of the heavenly way and the changes in human affairs, belonging to the principle level of research is their specialty. This is the level of principled research that they specialize in. When the pre-Qin masters Laozhuang and Chuang organized the platform of Taoist thought, the depth of Taoist formal thought immediately influenced the formal thought of Confucianism and Legalism, and both the Confucian "Yi Chuan" and Han Fei Zi's "Explaining the Old Man" were new sayings built on their theoretical foundations. However, in terms of actual socio-political influence, the study of Laozi was not formally tested until the implementation of the rule of Huanglao at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, because after the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the destruction of Qin, the social turmoil of the Chu and Han Dynasties finally ceased, people finally realized the harm of the struggle for strength and the importance of rest and recuperation, and the political philosophy of Laozi's principles was then taken seriously. By the time the Western Han Dynasty became strong and powerful, the kings began to be pleased with their success, and the years of war began again, and the culture of the times changed again, and then it was also corrupted again. By the time the Wei and Jin dynasties started to talk about Taoist philosophy, Taoist philosophy began to take on a new life, and He Yan and Wang Bi were the first to start it, and Wang Bi even made a succinct and forceful commentary on the scriptures, which theoretically penetrated into Taoism and expounded on it, and Xiang Xiu and Guo Xiang developed the exegesis work of Zhuang Studies. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, Taoist thought did not reproduce a distinctive creative tradition, but its rationale became an important source of inspiration for the creation of Taoism, Yijing, and Confucianism, especially the cosmic concept of qihua originating from Zhuangzi, which was widely and y re-developed. During the same period, the spread of Buddhism was also expressed for a long period of time by the Taoist principle of wisdom of "nothing", which is known as the period of "Gueyi Buddhism".

Contribution to Chinese culture

The contribution of Taoism to Chinese culture is as important as that of Confucianism, except for the difference in political ideology between those who show and those who hide. The depth and dialectical nature of Taoism's theoretical ability, on the other hand, provided a source of creativity for all other traditions of Chinese philosophical thought. As for the influence of Taoist culture in Chinese art, painting, literature, sculpture, etc., it is absolutely dominant, even if it is not too much to say that the expression of Chinese art is the expression of Taoist art. Of course, the Taoist philosophy of Chinese political activity also provides a lively space, so that Chinese intellectuals will not be too strong Confucian-based political ideals and obsessed with the pursuit of the officialdom and the life of the investment, and can more easily find the way in and out of the understanding of the wisdom of the in and out of the

On the Taoist should be a simple understanding of the

Dao can be Road is very Road, the name of the name of the name is very name.

These two sentences are Laozi's most profound thoughts, but they are actually the most superficial truths.

In fact, the two sentences are one and the same.

To actually split it up, it should read: Tao, may be, not very Tao. It can also be split into: Tao may be, Tao is not, and very Tao. The meanings are simple, but also very many, just like the big mountain of strange rocks, different people see it differently. There is no definitive conclusion, and this is the most subtle and profound part of the Tao Te Ching, which is actually the meaning of the phrase.

The Tao, the way of heaven and earth. It can be the Way, but everyone can have the Way. It is not the way of the world, but all the ways of the world are not the eternal way. (Some versions are non-eternal ways.) Taken together, this means: the way of heaven and earth is, in actuality, the way that is accessible to all, but all things in this world, the way of the Tao, are not eternal ways. Not white enough? Then make it whiter!

Baiding translation: The rules set by the Heavenly King Laozi are not that complicated, and everyone can realize this "mysterious" Dao if they observe their surroundings with all their heart, love life, and enjoy it. But don't forget, all the Tao in the world is not eternal, all things are born, naturally there is also death. Laozi's Tao Te Ching is not the embodiment of truth, and sooner or later it will be overthrown and replaced. And in fact, this truth that there is no eternal Dao in the world is the Dao of all things in heaven and earth.

The Tao may be, the Tao is not, and the constant Tao is, in fact, roughly the same thing.

The Tao may, the Tao may sway all things in heaven and earth.

The Tao is not, but even the greatest Tao has times when it is overturned and knocked down.

The constant Tao, the only constant Tao in the world is this Tao, everything has a beginning and an end.

The meaning of these two ways of splitting is the same, in fact, you can try, take these six words, no matter what way to split, the meaning is the same, which also exquisitely should be deducted from the Taoist cycle of everything, the central idea of the taiji constant rotation. This is the greatest wisdom of Laozi.

Oh, in fact, the fundamental idea of Laozi is self, ordinary, harmony and cycle.

As long as you are happy, peaceful, see through your self and tolerate others.

You can already be considered a disciple of Lao Tzu!

1. Laozi, according to the Records of the Grand Historian, was surnamed Li, known as Ear, posthumously as Dan, and known as Boyang, a native of the Bitter County of the State of Chu (present-day Eddy County). He lived between about 571 and 471 years ago, and worked as a keeper of the Zhou Dynasty. Laozi is an ancient great thinker known to the people of China, and the Tao Te Ching written by him pioneered the philosophical thinking of ancient China. His philosophical thinking and the school of Taoism founded by him not only made an important contribution to the development of China's ancient thought and culture, but also had a profound impact on the development of our country's thought and culture for more than 2,000 years.

A Laozi Story

Laozi's Birth

In the summer and June of 576 B.C., the ruler of the state of Song, Duke ****, died, and the right division, Huayuan, took charge of the state. The Huan clan, led by the left master, Yu Shi, had long had the intention to seek political power, but it was unable to do so because of the reign of Duke ****. Now, seeing the death of Duke ***, they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to start a rebellion. As a result, the Dai clan led by Huayuan was expelled from the state of Song. Thereafter, namely, Xiang Rong was appointed as the left division, Lao Zuo as the secretary, and Le Shi as the secretary; and a new ruler was established, which was Duke Ping of Song.

Yu Shi led a group of more than 200 people from the Huan clan to flee to the state of Chu, where he stayed as a guest for three years. In the summer and sixth month of 573 B.C., Chu raised an army to attack Song and captured Song's Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province), sealing Yu Shi and Yu Fu to guard the city and leaving 300 chariots to assist in the defense.

King Ping of Song summoned his courtiers to discuss the matter and asked, "The enemy is strong and we are weak, and the Chu soldiers have invaded Pengcheng, which is my heart! If we sit back and do nothing, there will be a lot of trouble! Who is willing to pull out this fortress for me?" As soon as the words fell out of his mouth, a man came out of the class and said, "I am willing to go!" King Ping took a look and saw that this person was about two feet tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, broad cheeks and broad shoulders, powerful and robust, and turned out to be Sima Laozuo. Hua Yuan expressed his worries and said to King Ping, "Yu Shi is cunning and Yu Fu is ferocious, and there are 300 chariots and 3,000 guards in Pengcheng, which is a very strong force. Although Sima is skillful and brave, I am afraid that he will not be able to win." Old Zuo said reasonably, "The fish stone is a worm that mothers books; the fish mansion is a dog that fetters chickens. There is nothing to fear! Lao Zuo is willing to bring his family to besiege Pengcheng, and I will not return until the city is conquered!" King Ping promised. He sent Lao Zuo as the general to lead 20,000 men to recapture Pengcheng.

That is to say, the state of Song besieged Pengcheng and attacked it day and night. Lao Zuo's bravery and courageous leadership made the Song army's morale so high that in less than half a month, the defenders of Pengcheng were in critical condition. One day, the fish stone, fish House in the city to supervise the war, see the Song army as many as ants, each brave, set up a ladder to climb the city, everyone competing for the first; and see a general silver helmet and silver armor, jingo white horse, galloped on the frontier, deploying troops and generals. A Chu general asked, "Who is this Song general?" Fishstone replied, "It is Lao Zuo, the new Secretary General and main general of the siege army." The Chu generals all commented, "The main general of the siege, instead of being behind the army to watch the enemy's formation, he is suddenly in front of the army galloping to the left and right, how can he not inspire the morale! It seems that Pengcheng is too dangerous!" But Yu Shi is a man with a plan, he also said to his men: "Things will be accomplished but lost, things will be lost and become, there are many examples in history, how do we know our army will be defeated? Lao Zuo's bravery and heroism, and his leadership are the basis of his success; his headstrong and self-opinionated attitude is the root of his failure. How do you know that his army will win?" The Chu general asked, "The left master seems to have a good plan, what is his good plan?" Yu Shi replied, "When two armies are facing each other, whether the commander is in the front or in the back, we have to act according to the opportunity. Now the Song soldiers attacked the city, the main general protrudes in front, braving the arrows and galloping, this is the great taboo of the military ah! I have a small plan, if act according to the plan, the success or failure of the Song army, it is still hard to say."

It turned out that Fishstone was letting his subordinates release secret arrows to shoot Laozuo, who was supervising the battle in front of the army, when suddenly an arrow flew and entered the chest five inches. The old man was in the front of the army, and suddenly an arrow flew into his chest, five inches into the chest. The Song army, without a leader, collapsed and fled in all directions.

The old man's family was in the tent of the Song camp, with a maid, ten generals and dozens of guards. Suddenly heard that the old man was killed in action, and see the routed troops like a tidal wave, all the family will rush to drive, to protect the old lady to run away. By evening, although the pursuers had disappeared, there were only two maids of honor left beside the old lady, and one general of the family who drove the car. The family will not dare to stop for a moment, wearing stars and moonlight, traveling in the dark, panicked, running along the southwest direction. The next day at dawn, came to a remote village, asked the villagers to go to the Song capital road, all shook their heads and said they did not know. The family will only know should be westbound, I do not know has long been south. The four of them traveled for seven days on a small road, but they still could not see the capital of Song, but came to Xiangyi in the State of Chen (present-day Luyi East, Henan Province). While 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 made by the king, Lao Zuo brought his family along with him to the battlefield with the intention of winning the war. At this time, the defeat of the army, the old lady had the grief of losing her husband, dying in another country, anxiety in her heart and fatigue in her body, so that the fetus in her abdomen was moving and the pain was unbearable. The maid panicked, the general was busy stopping at the roadside, and ran to the village to find an old woman to come. In a few moments, the sound of "wah wah" was heard in the caravan, and a premature baby boy was born, which was Lao Zuo's son, Lao Zi. Lao Zi was born, weak and big head, wide eyebrows and ears, eyes as clear as the abyss, nose with double beams in the rut. Because his ears grew up, he was named "Dan"; because he was born in the year of the tiger Geng Yin (571 B.C.), his relatives and neighbors called him "Little Civet", which means "Little Tiger". Because people in the Jianghuai area called "cat" as "civet", it sounded the same as "Li Er". As a result, Laozi's nickname, "Civet," became his first name, "Li Er," and was passed down from one generation to the next.

The old woman who gave birth to the baby let her family of five stay in her house. The old man to open a pharmacy for a living, Chen surnamed, known as Chen old man, so they call the old woman for Chen mother. Chen mom has no children, no children, people are generous and warm, let out three rooms in the west wing, to stay in the old lady's family to live. The old lady in a time of crisis, met this kind person, the heart is grateful; although displaced in the war, after all, out of a large family, carry the soft enough to survive. In addition, the family will often help the old man Chen livelihood, two maidservants to take care of household chores, the old and young five people, life is also nourishing. From then on, the wife and children of the Song war general Lao Zuo lived in Chen.

Bright young man

Lao Dan was a bright, meditative and studious young man, and he often pestered his family to listen to the rise and fall of nations, the success or failure of wars, and matters of rituals, divination, and star-gazing and astrological observation. The old lady wanted her son to be a great successor, so she asked Mr. Shang Rong to teach her, who was well versed in Yinshang's rituals and music. Mr. Shang Rong, who was well versed in astronomy and geography and had a good knowledge of ancient and modern rituals, was highly respected by Laozi's family.

One day, Mr. Shang Rong said, "The man of heaven and earth is precious, and the king of all people is the most important." Laozi asked, "What is heaven?" Mr. Shang said, "Heaven is the one who is clear and clear above." Laozi asked again, "What is the clear one?" Mr. Laozi said, "The clear one is space." "What is above space?" Mr. Wang said, "Above the space, the clear of the clear is also." "What is above it?" "Above the Clear of the Clear, even more Clear of the Clear." Laozi asked again. "What is at the end of the Clear One?" Mr. Lao said, "The sages have not transmitted it, the ancient books have not contained it, and my humble teacher dares not speak of it." At night, Laozi asked his mother with his doubts, and she could not answer; he asked the family general, and the family general could not speak. So he looked up and watched the sun, moon and stars, and looked down and thought about what the sky in the heavens was, and he could not sleep all night.

On another day, Mr. Shang taught, "In the six heavens, there are people in heaven and earth. The sky has a heavenly way, the earth has geography, people have human nature, things have physical nature, there is a heavenly way, so the sun, moon and stars can be feasible; geography, so the mountains, rivers and oceans can be made; human nature, so the inferiority and superiority of long and short, can be divided also. There is the nature of things, so the length and brittleness can be distinguished." Laozi asked: "the sun, moon and stars, who pushed the line? Who made the mountains, rivers and seas? Who made the distinction between the young and the old? Who made the length and fragility of the mountains, rivers and seas?" Mr. Laozi said, "All are made by God." Laozi asked. "How can God do this?" Mr. Laozi said, "God has the ability to change. The work of creating things, so it can be done." Laozi asked, "Where does God's ability come from? When was the work of God prepared?" Mr. Laozi said, "It has not been transmitted by the late master, and it is not contained in the ancient books, so I dare not say anything." At night, Laozi asked his mother about his doubts, but she could not answer. When he asked the general of his family, he could not speak. Then he looked at things and thought, touched things and felt like them, and did not know the taste of food for three days.

On another day, Mr. Shang taught, "The ruler is the one who rules the world on behalf of Heaven; the people are the ones whom the ruler controls. If the ruler does not do the will of heaven, then it will be abolished, and if the people do not obey the ruler's pastor, then it will be a sin, and this is the way to rule the country." Laozi asked, "The people's livelihood is not for the ruler, and if they do not obey the king's pastoralism, their reasoning can be explained. The king's livelihood is the will of heaven, but what is the reasoning behind the king's disobedience to the will of heaven?" Mr. Lao said, "God sends the ruler to rule the world on behalf of Heaven. If you are born, you will be outside; if you will be outside, you will not be subject to the order of the king. When the king is out of the world, the will of heaven is not accepted." Laozi asked, "God has the ability to change and create things, so why does he not create a ruler who listens to his orders?" Mr. Lao said, "It has not been transmitted by the late sages, and it is not contained in the ancient books, so my teacher dares not speak presumptuously." At night, Laozi asked his mother about his doubts, and she could not answer; he asked the family generals, and they could not speak. So he sought the advice of the men of Xiangyi, and traveled all over the land of Xiangyi, not realizing that he was wet in the rain or blowing in the wind.

One day, Mr. Shang taught him, "Harmony is the most important thing in the world. If you lose peace, you will fight, if you fight, you will hurt each other, if you hurt each other, you will hurt each other, if you hurt each other, you will hurt each other, if you hurt each other, you will hurt each other. Therefore, if you benefit with others, you benefit yourself; if you harm others, you harm yourself." Laozi asked, "The world is out of peace, and the people are in great danger, why does the ruler not rule?" Mr. Laozi said, "The people's dispute is the loss of small peace; the loss of small peace will lead to small woes, yet the ruler can rule. When the state is in dispute, it loses the great peace; when it loses the great peace, it gets the great misfortune, and the great misfortune is the fault of the ruler, so how can it be ruled by the ruler?" Laozi asked, "If the ruler cannot rule himself, how can the gods not rule?" Mr. Lao said, "It has not been transmitted by the forefathers, and it is not contained in the ancient books, so my teacher dares not speak presumptuously." At night, Laozi asked his mother about his doubts, and she could not answer; he asked the family generals, and they could not speak. So he visited all the scholars of Sangyi and read all the books of Sangyi, not knowing the heat when it was hot and not knowing the cold when it was cold.

After three years of teaching, Mr. Shang came to the old lady and said, "I am a shallow man, but Dan's mind is sensitive, and I have taught you for three years.

This is not the end of his teaching, nor is it the end of Dan's study. It is not that Dan's learning is not diligent. Dan's request is endless, and it would be difficult for him to provide for the infinite. Dan's son was a child who had high aspirations, and Xiangyi was a remote and isolated place. If you want to pick a diamond and turn it into a jade, you need to go to the capital of Zhou for further study.

Zhoudu, with its sea of books and its many scholars, is the most sacred place in the world, and it is difficult to become a great scholar unless you enter it. "

When the old lady heard this, she had a dilemma: first, Dan was only thirteen years old, and it was difficult for him to return to Song, so would it be better to go to Zhou than to ascend to the ninth heaven? Secondly, as this was the only root of the old family, how could she be sure that he would be able to travel alone? I was hesitant about how to answer him, but Mr. Lao guessed his difficulty and said, "To tell you the truth, my elder brother was a doctor of the Zhou Imperial College, and he was a learned man with a broad mind, who loved talent and respected the wise, and made his living by nurturing people, and took pleasure in helping the wise and recommending them. The family raised several prodigies, all selected from the people. The family has several prodigies, all of whom are chosen by the people. They don't need to be provided with food and clothing, but treat them as their own children.

The doctor had heard that Dan's son was a good student and a smart man, and he wanted to meet him. Recently, several of his family's servants were passing by and wrote to me, saying that they would like to take Dan's son to Zhou. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I hope you will treasure it!" Upon hearing this, the old lady could not help but feel a mixture of sadness and joy. She was happy that Mr. Dan had the chance to go to Zhou, and that there was a way to get to the Dragon Gate, but she was sad that her mother and son were parting, and that she would never see him again. As she thought of this, it seemed as if Dan was already thousands of miles away, so she couldn't help but weep. Lao Dan jumped into his mother's arms and sobbed, "Mother, don't be sad. Dan's son will never let down his teacher's high hopes, and when I have succeeded in my endeavor, I will certainly come to fetch my mother as soon as possible." The mother and son hugged each other and wept.

After crying for a long time, the mother and son turned joyful and thanked Mr. Shang for his recommendation. Three days later, the whole family and Mr. Shang sent Laozi five miles away. After a few days, the family and Mr. Shang sent Dan five miles away, where he knelt down, got on his horse, and followed the doctor's servant westward. The old lady looked at Dan's figure in the distance before she entered the car in depression and returned sullenly."

Lao Dan entered the Zhou Dynasty, met with the doctor, and was enrolled in the Imperial College, where he learned everything about astronomy, geography, and human relations; he studied everything about poetry, books, the I, the I, and the calendar; he read everything about rites and music; and he studied everything about cultural relics, canons, and history, and he made great progress in the past three years. The doctor also recommended him to be an official in the Shouzang Room. The Shouzang Room was the place where the Zhou Dynasty collected its canonical books, and it was a place where all the literature of the world was collected, and all the books of the world were collected, and there was nothing to be found in it. When Laozi was there, he was like a dragon swimming into the sea, the sea was wide enough for the dragon to leap; like an eagle spreading its wings in the blue sky, the sky was high enough for the birds to fly. Laozi was so eager to read and study that he became a master of his art, and was able to understand the origins of rites and music and the purpose of morality. Three years later, he was appointed as a historian in the Shouzang Chamber of the Treasury, and his fame spread far and wide, and his reputation spread to all corners of the world.

Professor Kong Qiu

Lao Dan lived in Zhou for a long time, his learning deepened and his reputation grew. In the Spring and Autumn period, the learned were called "Zi" to show their respect, so people called Laozi "Laozi".

One day in 538 B.C., Confucius said to his disciple Nangong Jingshu, "Laozi, who was the keeper of the Zhou's treasury, is a man who is knowledgeable about things past and present, who knows the source of rituals and music, and who understands the essentials of morality. Now I want to go to Zhou to seek guidance, are you willing to go with me?" Nangong Jingshu readily agreed, and immediately reported to the ruler of Lu. The king of Lu allowed him to go. He sent a car, two horses, a child and an emperor, and Nangong Jingshu accompanied Confucius. Lao Zi was very happy to see Kong Qiu come from a long distance, and after teaching him, he guided Kong Qiu to visit Dr. Jang Hong, who was good at music and taught him how to play. Janghong was good at music and taught Kong Qiu music and music theory; he guided Kong Qiu to see the ceremony of sacrificing to the gods, examining the place of preaching and examining the rituals of the temple, which made Kong Qiu marveled and gained a lot of benefits. Stay a few days. Kong Qiu said goodbye to Laozi. Laozi sent him outside the pavilion and said, "I have heard that those who are rich give away money, and those who are benevolent give away words. I am neither rich nor noble, and I have no wealth to give you; I would like to give you a few words as a gift. In today's world, smart and insightful people, its so difficult and a few to death, in the good ridicule of people's wrong; good argument and understanding, its so inviting disaster and repeatedly to the body, in the good to raise people's evil also. For the son of a man, do not take yourself as high; for the minister of a man, do not take yourself as above, hope you remember." Kong Qiu bowed his head and said, "I will certainly bear this in mind!"

Walking to the banks of the Yellow River, see the river, turbid waves rolling, its momentum as ten thousand horses galloping, its sound as a tiger roaring thunder. Kong Qiu stood on the bank, and sighed: "The passing of the day is like the passing of the night! The water of the Yellow River rushes endlessly, people's years pass more than, the river does not know where to go, life does not know where to go back?" Hearing Kong Qiu's words, Lao Zi said, "Life between heaven and earth is one with heaven and earth. Heaven and earth are natural things; life is also a natural thing; people have the changes of young, young, strong and old, just as heaven and earth have the alternation of spring, summer, autumn and winter, so what is there to be sad about? Born in nature, die in nature, let nature be, then the nature is not chaotic; not let nature, busy between benevolence and righteousness, then the nature is bound. If fame is in the heart, anxiety is born; if profit and desire remain in the heart, the feeling of worry increases." Kong Qiu explained: "I am worried about the road is not, benevolence and justice are not implemented, more than war, the country is not ruled out, so there is a short life, can not be meritorious in the world, can not be for the people's sigh carry"

Lao Zi said: "Heaven and earth no one pushed by themselves, the sun and the moon no one burned and self-brightening, no one list of the stars and order! The reason why people are born, so no, so glory, so shame, all have the natural reason, the natural way. Follow the natural reason and tend to follow the natural way and behavior, the country is self-governing, people are self-correct, why need to be in the rituals and music and advocate benevolence and righteousness? Zin in the rituals and music and advocate benevolence and righteousness, it is against the nature of man is far away! It's like beating a drum to find someone to run away, the louder the beating, the farther the person runs away."

After a short pause, Lao Zi pointed at the vast Yellow River and said to Kong Qiu, "Why don't you learn the great virtue of water?" Confucius said, "What is the virtue of water?" Lao Zi said, "Water is as good as water: water is good at benefiting all things without contention, and it is good at doing what all people hate, which is the virtue of humility. Therefore, the river and the sea are able to be the kings of all valleys because of its goodness. The world is not soft and weak in the water, and attack the strong can not win, this is the virtue of soft; therefore, soft wins just, weak wins strong firm. Because it has nothing, it can enter into nothing, thus we can see the benefit of teaching without words and doing nothing." Kong Qiu heard the words, suddenly realized that: "Mr. this statement, make me open up: all people in the upper, the water alone in the lower; all people in the easy, the water alone in the dangerous; all people in the clean, the water alone in the dirty. The place where all people's evil, who will compete with it? This is why it is a superior good." Laozi nodded and said, "You can teach! You can remember: with the world without competition, then no one in the world can compete with, this is to follow the water virtue also. Water is a few in the road: the road is omnipresent, the water is not unfavorable, avoiding the high tends to be down, have not been some of the reverse, the good in the ground; empty place Cham still, the depth of the unfathomable. Good for the abyss; loss but not exhaustion, Shi does not seek reward, good for benevolence; Won must spin, square must fold, plug must stop, decided to flow, good to keep faith; wash the group of filth, leveling the high and low, good governance of things; to carry is floating, to identify is clear, to attack is strong, good use of the ability to be able to; do not give up the day and night, after the surplus section of the future, the good to wait for the time is also. Therefore, the saints at any time and line, the sage should be changed; the wise do nothing and rule, the people who are born with the sky. After you go, you should go to the pride in the expression, in addition to the desire in the appearance. Otherwise, people have not yet arrived and the sound has been heard, the body has not yet arrived and the wind has moved, open and open, such as a tiger walking in the street, who dares to use you?" Kong Qiu said: "Mr. words, from the lungs and into the disciple's heart and spleen, the disciple benefited greatly, unforgettable. Disciple will comply with not slack, to thank Mr. grace." After saying this, he said goodbye to Laozi, got into the car with Nangong Jingshu, and reluctantly drove toward Lu.

Returning to the state of Lu, the disciples asked, "Mr. visit Laozi, can you see him?" Confucius said, "See!" The disciples asked. "What is Laozi like?" Confucius said, "Bird, I know it can fly; fish, I know it can swim; beast, I know it can walk. He who walks may be bound with a net; he who swims may be fished with a hook; he who flies may be taken with an arrow; as for the dragon, I know not what it is. The dragon rides on the wind and clouds and goes up to the nine heavens! I have seen Laozi, is he like a dragon? His knowledge is profound and unfathomable, his aspirations are remote and difficult to know; he is like a snake that bends and stretches at any time, and like a dragon that changes in response to the times. Laozi, truly my teacher!'"

Talking about life and death

The story goes that Laozi, who had been appointed as Zhou's chief of staff, returned to his home several times to save his family, and tried to persuade his mother to go with him to Zhou; his mother had lived in Xiangyi in the state of Chen for a long time, and was not willing to move far away from home, as she was familiar with the place. As time went by, more than thirty years passed. One day, Laozi suddenly received a message from his family that his mother was critically ill, so he reported to the Son of Heaven and returned home to visit her. When he returned home, his mother had already passed away. Facing a pile of yellow earth on the vast earth, thinking of his mother's spirit in the nine springs, recalling his mother's kind face and the kindness of her upbringing, Laozi was overwhelmed with grief and pain, and his sleep and food were all wasted. Sitting on the ground, he contemplated and meditated, and suddenly realized that he had been foolish; he followed his own reasoning, and came to a sudden realization, and, as if relieved of a heavy burden, he felt that he had been starving and was tired. So I ate a full meal and fell asleep.

The generals and the maids of the house were all surprised, and when he woke up, they asked him why. Laozi replied, "People are born in the world with feelings and intelligence. If you have feelings, you will be able to harmonize and warm up to each other; and if you have wisdom, you will be able to understand the truth and not be disturbed by it. Sentiment is the attachment of wisdom; wisdom is the master of sentiment. If we use our emotions to communicate with our intellects, then we will be ignorant and things will be upside down; if we use our intellects to unify our emotions, then we will be intelligent and things will be in order. My mother had given birth to Dan, and her kindness was as great as a mountain. Now that his mother has left him, it is hard for Dan to break his love. It's hard to break his love, but it's human nature to do so. But if it is difficult to break it, and if it is not united by wisdom, then it will be chaotic, so he is sad and does not want to be born. Now Dan was sitting in deep meditation, and suddenly he came to his senses, unifying them with wisdom, so that his feelings could be restrained and his affairs could be regulated. The emotions could be restrained and things could be rationalized, so the belly was hungry and wanted to eat, and the body was tired and wanted to sleep."

The general of the family asked, "How can wisdom unify the emotions?"

"All human beings are born from nothing to something; and from nothing to something, something must return to nothing. When there was no Dan's mother and Dan, there was no love between mother and son; when there was Dan's mother and Dan, there was love between mother and son; when the mother left and Dan stayed, the mother had no love, but the son had love alone; and when the mother and Dan had no love, there was no love at all. There is no difference between the time when there was no human feelings and the time when there were no human feelings at all. There is no difference between indulging in