yesuo brief reading of classics||Zhuangzi
Author||yesuo
"Zhuangzi" is a collection of essays written by Zhuangzi and his disciples, divided into internal chapters and external chapters. There are 33 chapters in three parts: chapters and miscellaneous chapters, and 7 chapters in internal chapters. They are generally believed to be written by Zhuangzi. Although ancient essays are different from today's essays, they also use arguments to illustrate an argument. For example, the first part of the internal chapter, "Xiaoyaoyou", is divided into five chapters. Each chapter is both an independent article and seems to serve to illustrate the argument.
There are 33 articles. In fact, each article consists of several chapters. Among the miscellaneous articles, "Lie Yu Kou" has the most, and it is divided into 21 chapters. Some chapters are just one paragraph, such as " The sage is at peace with his place (the way of heaven) and is not at peace with what he is not at peace with (the way of humanity); everyone is at peace with his place (the way of humanity) and is not at peace with his place (the way of heaven).” is like a tongue twister; some chapters narrate a story or a dialogue, such as There is a chapter in this article where Duke Ai of Lu asked Yan He (the hermit of the state of Lu) if Confucius could be used to save the country? Yan He said to him: Confucius could only create red tape and use fancy words to make people abandon the truth and learn hypocrisy. How could he govern the country well in this way? What do the people need? Benevolence and relief, nourishment and entertainment. "That is suitable for you and me, and for your pleasure and entertainment."
There are many chapters in "Zhuangzi" that tell the story of Confucius. Of course, there are also Zhuangzi's old friends, the famous Huizi (Hui Shi), and ancient sages and others. stories and conversations. Zhuangzi is a Taoist, so the theme of the entire work is Taoist thought. Other scholars, especially Confucius, are often the target of Zhuangzi's ridicule.
The last chapter of "Zhuangzi" miscellaneous chapters, "The World", summarizes the thoughts of the Taoists in the pre-Qin period (the article regards both Mohism and Mingjia as a branch of Taoism), and what is the true meaning of Taoism? The way is explained. In ancient times, "Poetry" refers to Taoist affairs, "Book" refers to Taoist affairs, "Li" refers to Taoist conduct, "Yue" refers to Taoist harmony, "Yi" refers to Taoist yin and yang, and "Spring and Autumn" refers to Taoist names." However, after the great chaos in the world, " The way of inner sage and outer king is dark but not clear, depressed but not rising." All the disciples practiced Taoism according to their own preferences. "Unfortunately, the scholars of later generations do not see the purity of heaven and earth, and the generality of the ancients, Taoism will tear the world apart."
"Don't be extravagant to future generations, don't waste everything, don't be confused in a few degrees, correct yourself with ropes of ink, and be prepared for the emergencies of the world." This is what the Mohists are talking about. They advocate frugality, non-happiness, and balance. Love, non-aggression, and be very strict with yourself. The article pointed out that this kind of Taoism of Mohism is too cold, "it makes people worry and sad, and it is difficult to do it, fearing that it cannot be the way of a saint. The heart of rebelling against the world will make the world unbearable. Although Mozi can do it alone, what will happen to the world?" ? They are far away from the world, and they are far away from the king." He criticized them as "the ones who are above chaos and the ones who rule below." They were said to be the superior talents who brought trouble to the world and the inferior talents who brought peace to the world.
"Don't be burdened by the vulgar, don't be adorned with things, don't be harsh on others, don't go against others, nourish others and myself, and stop at the end." This is said by Song Jian (jian) and Yin The Taoists of the Huashan School, who are famous for their works, advocate few passions, not to be insulted, advocating frugality and non-fighting. Such people "do too much for others (think too much about others) and think too little for themselves." Both rulers and ordinary people do not like this. Like them.
"Public but not party, easy but selfless, decisively without an opinion (opinion), not interested in things (disagreement), regardless of worries, not pursuing knowledge, having no choice in things, just go with them. "This is about the Taoists of the school Peng Meng, Tian Pian, and Shen Dao. They advocate "no right and no wrong". If no one says what they are right or wrong, even if they succeed, they will be ridiculed as dead people's principles.
"Taking the original (original element) as the essence, taking things as gross, taking accumulated accumulation as insufficient, and living alone with the gods." This is what Guan Yin and Lao Dan said. One school of Taoism (Guan Yin here is Yin Xi who taught the Tao Te Ching to Lao Tzu. There is a dispute as to whether Lao Dan is Lao Tzu). They advocate weakness and humility, "taking profundity (profundity) as the root, and covenant (frugality) as the foundation. Tolerant of things, not cutting (cutting) to people." The article considers this school to be "the most profound and profound person in ancient times."
"Hui Shi has many methods (alchemy), his books are five chariots, his teachings are complex, and his words are not accurate." This refers to Hui Shi's famous debaters. These debaters "can win." People's mouths cannot convince people's hearts." This is nothing more than a famous reputation.
"Loneliness is formless, ever-changing, and all things are in ruins, but nothing is enough to return home." This is what Zhuangzi is talking about. The article says that he "uses zhi (zhi random) words as manyan, and uses repeated words. "To be true, to use fables as the broadest, to communicate with the spirit of heaven and earth alone, not to be arrogant (arrogant) in all things, not to condemn right and wrong, and to be in harmony with the world." He said that his articles are different, the truth is profound, and it is not easy to understand.
What exactly is written in the book "Zhuangzi"? What did you say? The "Three Words" mentioned above are a good annotation. Just like what Cao Xueqin said when writing "A Dream of Red Mansions", the paper is full of absurd words. Zhuangzi also laughed at himself and said that his writing was fragmented and absurd, and the paper was full of trains for the sake of argument. For his own point of view, he repeatedly borrowed the words of the sages and explained things in the form of fables.
Speaking of fables, it reminds me of the famous "Aesop's Fables" from ancient Greece, which is about the same time as Zhuangzi. However, the protagonists of "Aesop's Fables" are animals, while the protagonists of "Zhuangzi's" fables are mostly animals. Ancient Chinese figures.
Okay, let’s get down to business. Let’s take a look at several important articles representing Zhuangzi’s thoughts in the inner chapter.
"Xiaoyaoyou" is Zhuangzi's Taoist thought of pursuing freedom
"There is a fish in the North Ming Dynasty, its name is Kun, it turns into a bird, its name is Peng", "Peng Migration" In Nanming, the water hits three thousand miles, and the tuan surges up ninety thousand miles." Looking at the momentum, this is the freedom that Zhuangzi pursues.
The little bird by the pond couldn't understand Kunpeng's freedom, so he laughed and said, "What are you doing flying so high?" Zhuangzi believes that this is "a small knowledge is not as good as a big knowledge, a small year is not as good as a big year", those who have less experience are not as good as those who have more experience, and the young are not as good as the older ones.
Some people became local officials, and some became kings of a country. They were complacent and thought they were great. Song Rongzi (Song Le) couldn't help laughing when he saw this.
Some people "are praised by the world without encouragement (encouragement), and are criticized by the world without discouragement (frustration). They are determined by the distinction between internal and external, and debate between honor and disgrace." Such people can be called honor and disgrace. Don't be alarmed and take things as they come. Your cultivation level is already very high, but it's not very free yet.
Look at "Liezi (Lieyukou) walks in the wind, cool and clever", Liezi flies freely in the wind, how comfortable it is, compared to pursuing wealth in the world, in What is there worth mentioning in the face of freedom?
But Liezi still has to rely on the help of the wind. Those who "take advantage of the righteousness of heaven and earth, resist the debate (change) of the six qi (yin and yang, wind, rain, darkness), and swim infinitely" are the real freedom.
Zhuangzi concluded at the end of this chapter: "The perfect person has no self, the gods have no merit, and the saint has no name." Only by forgetting oneself and looking down on fame and fortune can a person achieve true spiritual freedom. .
"Xiaoyaoyou" *** has five chapters, and the remaining four chapters include four fables.
The first story tells that Yao gave the world to Xu You, but Xu You did not accept it. He said a famous saying: "The wren (jiaoliao bird) nests in the deep forest, but it is no more than a branch; the rat drinks from the river, but it is no more than a branch. "Full stomach", this is what people often say nowadays, "No matter how much money you have, you can only have three meals a day and one bed at night."
The second story tells about two Taoists. Jianwu and Uncle Lian said: I heard Jieyu (a sage from the Chu Kingdom) say that there is a divine man, "whose skin is like ice and snow, and who is as graceful as a virgin. He does not eat "The five grains absorb the wind and drink the dew, ride on the clouds and control the dragon, and with their concentration, the things are free from blemishes and diseases (cili disasters) and the grains are ripe every year." This is so awesome, I don't believe it. Uncle Lian said, "It's so rare that it's strange. Those who are extremely virtuous "see all things as one", and the world will naturally be peaceful. What's there to worry about?
The third and fourth stories are all about Hui Shi. Hui Shi said that I had a gourd. It was too big and of no use. When I was worried, Zhuangzi said, why don’t you make it a big gourd? What about the wine bottle, sitting on it "floating in the rivers and lakes"? Huizi said again, I have a big tree, but it is too big to be of any use. Zhuangzi said, you can "sleep under it at ease".
Zhuangzi finally said, "Having nothing to do, how can you live in poverty?" Zhuangzi told these fables. In fact, he just wanted to illustrate a truth. The greatest freedom lies in the freedom of the mind. Many times we are You are looking for trouble, and you don't know how to be blessed when you are in the midst of blessings.
"Equality of Things" is Zhuangzi's Taoist thought of the equality of all things
"Equality of Things" has 13 chapters. It opens with Nan Guo Ziqi (qi) and his disciple Yan The dialogue between Yan unfolded. The master and the disciple discussed what the sounds of man, the sound of earth and the sounds of nature are. The rhythm of human beings is in the orchestra, and the rhythm of earth is in the orifices. If you observe carefully, you can feel it. Where is the rhythm of heaven? ?
When you listen to people’s music, you may say that this one sounds good and that one doesn’t sound good, but do they sound good or not? You listen to the wind blowing on the earth, and there are all kinds of sounds. Which one sounds good and which one doesn't sound good? Then who made the earth make all kinds of sounds? Do you feel like there is an invisible force controlling all of this?
"The big knowledge is Xianxian (guangbo), the small knowledge Xianxian (careful), the big words are light, the small words Zhanzhan (zhan nagging)", people have joys and sorrows, and some people have a heart. Open, some people have deep thoughts, and others have secretive feelings, but do you know how these happen?
Of the five internal organs in the human body, which one should I be closer to? "It's so sad to be on the edge of each other with everything, and it's like running at full speed, but it can't be stopped." Humans and everything are killing each other and relying on each other. Human actions are like Mercedes-Benz cars, which can't stop at all. This Isn't it too sad?
"It's the shape and the way your heart follows it. Isn't it a great sadness?" As soon as the outside world changes, your heart changes accordingly. Isn't it the greatest sadness?
Is there right and wrong in this world? Some people say yes, some people say no, but the sage keeps it in his heart and does not say it. "The sage cherishes it, and everyone debates it." Integrity, courage, and stubbornness."
Is there beauty and ugliness in this world? Everyone thinks they are beautiful, Mao Qiang (qiang) and Xi Shi, but why do fishes see them deeply and birds see them fly high? In the eyes of fish and birds, beauty and ugliness do not matter.
Is there joy or sorrow in this world? There was a woman named Li Ji who was kidnapped by the Kingdom of Jin. She cried so much that she was crying. Later, she slept with the king and ate delicacies every day. She was so happy. Think about it, why did she cry at that time?
"Yes, no, yes, otherwise" means yes and no at the same time. How can there be any right or wrong in this world? Since misfortunes and blessings depend on each other, why should people be happy or sad about external things?
Are all things different? Is there any hierarchy? People at low levels think that there is, but at least there is no distinction between right and wrong. People at middle levels think that all things are no different. People at high levels say: How can there be anything in the world? "There is something before it begins."
The so-called high and low, good and bad, good and bad, right and wrong in the world are all integrated in the eyes of Tao. "Tao is what is done; things are how they are said to be." So what? Is it the Tao?
“Because it is already the case, but you don’t know why it is, that’s called the Tao.” If you follow the phenomena in the world as they are, but don’t know why they are like this, this is the Tao.
“To understand what is right and not to use it, but to incorporate all the mediocre things, is called understanding.” We do not pursue self-righteousness in affairs, but place all right and wrong in ordinary affairs. This is the way to truly understand the way of heaven. ah.
A monkey farmer said to the monkeys, I will feed you three liters in the morning and four liters in the evening. The monkeys were very angry. The monkey farmer said, I will feed you four liters in the morning and three liters in the evening. ? The monkeys were very happy after hearing this.
What is the difference between working day and night and working day and night? Therefore, "the sage and the people agree on right and wrong, and it has nothing to do with heaven." As long as people follow the way of heaven, agree on right and wrong, and rely on it to deduce things, they can live a stable life. The branches are spreading, so the years are poor." It is said that it is rare to be confused, isn't it?
Zhuangzi finally told the story of Zhuangzi dreaming of butterflies. Did Zhuangzi dream of butterflies, or did butterflies dream of Zhuangzi? Is there any difference between Zhuangzi and a butterfly?
"The Master of Health Preservation" is Zhuangzi's Taoist thought of following nature
"My life also has a limit, but my knowledge has no limit; if I have a limit and follow the limitless, it will be gone", "Health Preservation" You may only remember the first half of the opening sentence of "Lord" but not the second half.
From Zhuangzi’s point of view, using a limited life to explore infinite knowledge will definitely lead to exhaustion, which is a kind of irresponsibility for life. In fact, this is the case with anything you do. Do everything according to your ability and go with the flow.
So what is the right thing to do? Zhuangzi then told the famous story of "The Cook Ding Jie Niu". Undressing a cow is a very painful thing for ordinary people, but why is it so easy in the hands of the cook? Because the cook Ding has figured out the grain of the cow.
Everything in the real world has patterns and its trajectory. This is the law of nature and the Tao. The Tao follows nature, and if you follow the principles of nature and do it consistently, you can protect yourself and your family for the rest of your life. "Yuan Du believes that this sutra can protect one's body, improve one's life, support one's relatives, and extend one's life."
Lao Dan died, and his friend Qin lost his respect and cried three times before coming out. His students said to him, "Teacher, you are crying in the wrong way. You are not sad at all."
So what is the correct way to cry? What is the meaning of life? "Come at the right time; go at the right time." Life and death are just a natural law, and any life will eventually come to an end.
How can we make life last forever?
"The firewood is exhausted; the fire is passed on, but it is not known to be exhausted." If the wooden pillars are used as firewood, they will burn out, but if they are passed on, they will never be exhausted. This is the origin of the idiom "Inheritance of Fire".
Our human genetic code is passed down from generation to generation through DNA, and our human culture is passed down from generation to generation through word of mouth, pen, ink and paper. Zhuangzi told us that this is the ultimate meaning of life, "Inheritance. ".
"Human World" talks about how to behave and survive in the human world
Zhuangzi borrowed from Confucius to say that people in the world, even righteous kings, will inevitably "fame and wealth" Two words, "Those who are famous and real cannot be defeated by saints."
For fame and fortune, the world must be full of all kinds of dangers. For example, what should you do if your boss asks you to do something you don’t like? "It is the most virtuous thing to know that there is nothing you can do about it, but to accept it as if it were your fate." For example, what should you do if your boss asks you to convey a message that may hurt the other party? Communicate the facts as they are and don't add any extravagance. "If you convey the normal feelings without conveying the overflowing words, it will be almost complete."
Zhuangzi took drinking as an example. He said that doing anything is just like drinking. At the beginning, you keep the etiquette, but later you become messy and sometimes do extraordinary things. It is easy to start well but hard to finish well. .
How can we start well and end well? Just let your mind wander according to the situation of things, and cultivate the way of neutrality under the pretense of having to do it. That's it. "It's time to take advantage of things to wander your mind, and to support your heart with help as a last resort."
As the saying goes, being with a king is like being with a tiger. What should you do if you encounter a stupid and angry boss? First of all, you must correct yourself, and secondly, you must accommodate others on the surface, and you must be harmonious but different in your heart. You must not be too accommodating, and you must not let others see that you are harmonious but not harmonious.
Zhuangzi told the story of "a mantis' arm acting as a chariot" to illustrate, do you think you are great and great? You can’t force anything, you have to let nature take its course. Why can the keepers of tigers in the zoo live in harmony with the tigers? Just because he never used living animals to arouse the tiger's anger.
Zhuangzi also told several fables about "making use of useless materials for lumber and using useless materials for usefulness". It is precisely because of their uselessness that trees can save their lives, and people can avoid the pain of labor because of their deformity.
Confucius' Confucianism was rooted in the world, but Confucius was very depressed during his lifetime. Once when he went to Chu State, his father-in-law said that he "cannot wait for the afterlife, and cannot pursue the past life. If there is a way in the world, a saint will be achieved; Without the Tao, there is no way for a saint to live."
Zhuangzi sighed at the end of "Human World" and said, "Everyone knows the uses of useful things, but no one knows the uses of useless things."
The other three chapters in "Zhuangzi" are "De Chong Fu", "Great Master" and "Ying Di Wang".
"The Talisman of Virtue" has six chapters. In the first five chapters, Zhuangzi gave many examples of people with incomplete bodies but virtuous people. He just wanted to illustrate a truth: having virtue inside is in line with the way of heaven. , rather than appearance. Only those who are good at virtue can forget their own appearance. "Morality is good, but appearance is forgotten."
"The Grand Master" has nine chapters, telling the story of the virtuous people who have achieved the virtues of tomorrow and the earth. So what exactly are the virtuous people like? It means being able to forget yourself, be selfless, and forget everything. As the saying goes, "It is better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to help each other." Such people "win, the time is right; what they lose, they are smooth; they are at peace with the times, and sorrows and joys cannot enter." Obviously, it is difficult to truly do all this.
The last seven chapters of "Ying the Emperor" explain that the way of an emperor lies in "doing nothing and teaching without saying anything." "Only those who can do their job", "Wandering in indifference, combining Qi in indifference, following nature, not tolerating selfishness, and governing the world", the last chapter of this article, "The Death of Chaos", tells us that those who do not follow the way of heaven Misbehavior will kill people.
"Zhuangzi" has 15 external chapters and 11 miscellaneous chapters. The following is a brief explanation of the main ideas and famous sayings in these 26 articles.
Taoist thought pursues a return to nature and opposes anything imposed on nature. In the article "Horse Hoof", Zhuangzi gave the example of Bole treating a horse. The horse's nature is free and unrestrained, but Bole had to cure it so much that the horse became clever.
The same is true for people like Ma, so Taoists are quite dissatisfied with the Confucian set of benevolence, justice, etiquette and music. In the article "胠箧quqie", Zhuangzi shouted, "As long as the saint does not die, the thieves will not stop" and issued He lamented that "those who steal hooks will be punished, and those who steal the country will be punished by the princes".
The great thief Taizhi (the younger brother of Liu Xiahui) is mentioned many times in "Zhuangzi". Why are there thieves in the world? Because the saint used his wisdom and skill to create a colorful world that everyone admires. This colorful world actually consists of two words: fame and fortune. In order to compete for fame and fortune, various kinds of theft occurred.
In the chapter "Zeyang", Zhuangzi explained in detail the reasons for the emergence of big thieves. The rulers "hid themselves as things and were ignorant (concealing the truth and fooling the people into not recognizing it); when they were in great trouble, they did not dare to commit crimes ( Expand the difficulty of doing things, blaming the people for not doing it); attaching great importance to the task, punishing the people for not being able to do it (increasing the burden on the people, punishing the people who are incompetent); staying far away, and punishing them (putting them far away from the people, killing the people will not reach them) "Where are the people? "When the people's intelligence is exhausted, they will continue with falsehoods. If their power is insufficient, they will be false; if their knowledge is insufficient, they will deceive; if their wealth is insufficient, they will steal."
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were guarding the border in Yuyang, but they were unable to reach their destination on time due to heavy rain, so they rebelled; at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng was unemployed due to the abolition of the post station by Emperor Chongzhen and had to raise the flag to rebel. Although Zhuangzi did not live that long, his words have been repeatedly verified as wise sayings by later generations.
"Does a thief have his moral principles?" In the article "The Robber Zhi", Confucius once tried to persuade the Robber Zhi to surrender, but the Robber Zhi robbed him and said, Confucius, you are using pretentious words and hypocritical behavior to confuse the king, aren't you also seeking glory and wealth? You are the biggest thief in the world! Confucius was choked to the point of disgrace and returned home defeated.
Morals, benevolence, righteousness and etiquette. Everyone laments that the kings in ancient times were righteous and the world was simple. However, in the eyes of Taoists, the three emperors and the five emperors were not as good as each other. The "Heaven and Earth" chapter said that during the time of Yao, Shun and Yu, there was a prince named Bochengzi. During the reign of Yao, Gao was granted the title of prince, but when Yu became emperor, he resigned and returned to farming.
Yu was very depressed and asked why you want to resign? Zi Gao said that when Yao did not reward or punish, the people knew how to be diligent and fearful. Now you reward and punish, but the people do not know the way of benevolence. "Since then, virtue has declined, punishment has been established since then, and the chaos of future generations has begun." .
In the chapter "Tianyun", Confucius went to see Lao Tzu. When he came back, he was so lost that he didn't speak for three days. His disciples were very curious. Zigong couldn't help but also went to see Lao Tzu, and I followed him. He talked about his views on the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors governing the world. "The Yellow Emperor ruled the world and made the people's hearts united (Chun Yi Bu Za); the Yao ruled the world and made the people's hearts close; the Shun ruled the world and made the people's hearts competitive; the Yu ruled the world and made the people's hearts change (adapted to changes)." Zigong was stunned when he heard these words.
People who know the way and people who don’t know the way sometimes really seem to come from two different worlds.
"Worldly people like others who are the same as themselves, but hate others who are different from themselves" ("Zaiyou"), "Those who know their fools are not great fools; those who know their confusions are not greatly confused." ", "High words will not reach the hearts of many people, and even if they cannot be spoken, common words will prevail" ("Heaven and Earth"). Most people cannot understand the profound words, so the profound language cannot reveal its meaning, and the secular language accounts for advantages. You see, ordinary people giggle when they play TikTok, but they can’t understand truly elegant music.
In the chapter "Autumn Waters", Zhuangzi borrowed the words of the North Sea God to say: "The fish in the well cannot talk about the sea, and they are stuck in the ruins; the summer insects cannot talk about the ice, and they are devoted to the time; the qushi (people of rural music) cannot "Tao is spoken, bound by teaching". The chapter "Autumn Waters" begins with the God of the Yellow River feeling "laughing and generous" after meeting the God of the North Sea, which shows that the "frog at the bottom of the well" cannot understand the grandeur of Tao. The last chapter of this chapter is the debate between Zhuangzi and Huizi about fish and music.
Is Tao a good thing? Yes. So why can’t everyone learn this good thing? The chapter "Tianyun" says, "If there is no master within, it will stop; if there is no match outside, it will not work." If there is no firm master in the heart, the way will not stop; if there is no suitable soil in the outside world, the way of heaven will not be implemented.
There are actually several kinds of Tao. The chapter "Zaiyou" says, "Those who are respected by doing nothing are the Tao of Heaven; those who are tired by doing something are the Tao of Humanity." It is made very clear here that the Son of Heaven does nothing, The ministers do something, but if the ministers do nothing, the world will be in chaos. It is also said in the chapter "The Way of Heaven" that "the superiors must do nothing and use the world; the lower people must do something and serve the world."
The chapter "The Way of Heaven" actually talks about the way of the emperor, "The way of heaven is destined, but there is no accumulation, so all things are created; the way of the emperor is destined, but there is no accumulation, so the world returns; the way of the holy way is destined, and there is no accumulation. There is nothing to accumulate, so the sea is served", "The sky does not produce, but all things are transformed; the earth does not grow, but all things are nurtured; the emperor does nothing, but the world has merit", "The ancestral temple respects relatives, the court respects respect, and the township party respects teeth (age) , Acting wisely is the order of the great road."
"The way of heaven and earth is the virtue of saints", "The pure way is only guarded by God, guard it without losing it, and become one with God", "If it is simple and calm, then worries and evil spirits cannot enter." "His virtues are complete, but his spirit is not at fault." "Everyone attaches great importance to profit, honest men attach great importance to reputation, wise men honor ambition, and saints value essence. If they have nothing to do with anything and do not lose their spirit, they can be pure and simple, and they are called true people." ("Deliberate" ).
In the article "Repairing Nature", Zhuangzi further elaborated on the relationship between morality, benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, trust, ritual and music: "De, harmony (Chunhe); Dao, Li (coherence). Virtue is all-inclusive ( All-encompassing) is benevolence; Tao is all-inclusive (nothing is wrong), which is righteousness. Faith means; making articles based on emotion (understanding the sentiments of the people and formulating rules and regulations) means etiquette; following appearance and embellishing rules (according to appearance and decorating the rhythm) means music. If etiquette and music are widespread, the world will be in chaos."
Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" says, "Virtue comes after losing the Tao, benevolence comes after losing virtue, righteousness comes after losing morality, etiquette comes after losing righteousness." The world has reached a time when it is necessary to use rituals and music to restrain people's behavior. It’s time for chaos. What should we do if someone doesn’t observe etiquette? It is necessary to use the law to punish. The most complete collection of Dharma was Han Feizi, who was born after Zhuangzi, so there is almost no discussion of Dharma in Zhuangzi.
Taoism emphasizes morality, Confucianism emphasizes benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom, and trust, while Legalism uses laws and regulations to restrict people's behavior toward Taoism and Confucianism. It is said in the chapter "Zhibeiyou" that "the ancient people transformed externally but did not transform internally (the appearance changed but the inner heart remained unchanged); the people of today transformed internally but did not transform externally" (Yu Dan said when interpreting this passage, " Life should be persevered, and survival can be at ease with the situation.") The hearts of modern people have long been polluted by worldly fame and fortune, and they are no longer simple, and the so-called morality, benevolence and righteousness have long been forgotten.
"Nobility, wealth, exaggeration, dignity (dignity), fame, and profit, the six are ambitions; appearance, movement (behavior), color, reason, qi, and intention (emotion) , the six are wrong mind; evil, desire, joy, anger, sorrow, joy, the six are tiring virtues; the six are to go, go, take, and, know, and be able, the six are to block the way" ("Geng Sangchu")
Modern people are not clear about the four and six aspects, which leads to mental disorder and moral decay. How can we find saintly people among all living beings? An article in "Lie Yu Kou" teaches you a method: "If you send someone from afar, watch their loyalty; if you send them close, watch their respect; if you send them annoyance, watch their ability; if you ask (suddenly) when they are dead, watch their wisdom; if they are anxious, watch their wisdom. When given time, observe its trust; when entrusted with wealth, observe its benevolence; when informed of danger, observe its integrity; when drunk with wine, observe its side (law); when it is mixed, observe its appearance."
There is a very scolding saying in old Beijing called "Buzhu Siliu", which means "I don't know the sky above, I don't know the earth below, I don't know my parents as a man, I don't know the words as a student, I don't know who Laozi and Confucius are, and I don't know how to get along with husband and wife." "The way is to act recklessly and not understand the good and bad luck." It is said that it is based on the four six strokes of heaven and earth, parents, characters, Confucius, husband and wife, and bad luck, but I don't know if it has anything to do with the four six mentioned by Zhuangzi.
Two important figures are mentioned in the book "Zhuangzi", one is called Geng Sangchu and the other is Yang Ziju. They are both disciples of Laozi. Regarding Geng Sangchu, there is a special article named after him in the miscellaneous chapters. So Yang Ziju is actually Yang Zhu. He is mentioned in "Ying Diwang", "Mountain Trees", "Fables" and other chapters. .
Yang Zhu advocated "for me" and "nourishing yourself". Mencius said that "if the world's words do not belong to Yang, they will belong to Mohism." However, his idea of ??"not pulling out a dime" conflicts with Mohism and Confucianism. Even the Taoist Lao Tzu did not recognize this disciple. In the "Fables" chapter, Lao Tzu sighed, "I thought you were teachable at first, but now you are not." ?
Excerpts from the famous aphorisms of "Zhuangzi"
"The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, and the friendship between villains is as sweet as fine wine" "Mountain Wood"
"There is no greater sorrow than death of heart" "Tian Zifang"
"The beauty of heaven and earth is not mentioned, the laws of the four seasons are clear but not discussed, and the rationality of all things is not explained" "Zhibeiyou"
"A scholar should learn what he cannot learn; a practitioner should do what he cannot do; a debater should argue what he cannot argue" "Gengsangchu"
"The most benevolent, the most righteous "Nothing (there is no thing or self), no distinction between you and me, no distinction between you and me, no distinction between you and me, no knowledge, no strategy, no trust" "Gengsangchu"
"A dog does not thrive by being good at barking. People do not consider good words to be virtuous." "Xu Wugui"
"Those who cultivate ambition forget their form, those who cultivate their form forget their profit, those who cultivate the way forget their heart" "Rang Wang"
"Ping For blessings, excess can cause harm, everything is like this, and the one who has the most wealth is the one with the most wealth." "The Robber's Foot"
"It is rude to be disrespectful when meeting an elder; it is unkind to disrespect the virtuous." "The Fisherman"
“It’s easy to know, don’t say it’s difficult.
Knowing but not speaking is the way of heaven (the way of heaven); knowing and speaking is the way of man (humanity)." "Lieyu Kou"