Since then, Taoism has been developing and advancing in changes for thousands of years, and many academic works and classic theories have been handed down.
So today's Taoist culture will summarize for you, which sentence is the most classic among the wisdom handed down by Taoism.
First, "Tao often does nothing, but does nothing."
Tao is doing nothing to conform to nature, and doing everything to conform to nature.
Appreciation: Nothing is impossible without acting rashly, regardless of the consequences, conforming to the objective situation and respecting the laws of nature.
Second, "people are everywhere, the land is with the sky, the sky is with the Tao, and the Tao is natural."
Man operates according to the law of the earth, the earth operates according to the law of heaven, the heaven operates according to the law of Tao, and the Tao operates according to the law of nature.
Appreciation: Laozi explained the truth that "Tao is nature" to people by recursive method. Commenting on Laozi, Wang Bi said: "Tao does not go against nature, but it is natural. Natural people are in the square, the law is in the circle, and the law is in the circle, which does not violate nature. " In other words, only by obeying the laws of nature and living naturally can heaven, earth and people operate according to their own natural laws and live in peace.
Third, "goodness is like water. Water is good for all things without dispute, and evil for all, so it is a few words. Living in a good place, kind-hearted, kind-hearted, good at words, good at politics, good at doing things, good at dealing with people. Husband is not noisy, and there is nothing special. "
The highest virtue is like water. Water is good for everything without fighting with it. It is in a humble place that one doesn't like, so close to the Tao. Be good at living modestly, keeping a deep heart, making friends and loving each other, keeping promises, governing, exerting talents, waiting and being moved. Just because there is no dispute with everything like water, there is no trouble.
Appreciation: Taoism believes that the best kindness is like water, which nourishes everything but never competes with everything, and always acts according to the laws of nature. People who have the means always choose the most appropriate time to act, because they don't violate the laws of nature, so they won't get involved. People should obey God's will and let nature take its course.
Fourth, "The world is the softest and the strongest. Nothing enters the infinite, and I know nothing. "
The softest thing in the world can ride the hardest thing in the world. Invisible forces can penetrate things seamlessly. So I know the benefits of inaction.
Appreciation: "Combining rigidity with softness" is one of the basic concepts in Tao Te Ching. Laozi believes that "softness" is the expression of the vitality of all things and the basic expression and function of "Tao". In fact, it is not limited to the narrow sense relative to "force", but has become a philosophical concept that Taoist thought summarizes all subordinate and secondary aspects. "Extreme softness" is a symbol of real strength here. What I want to emphasize in this sentence is the inevitability of the transformation of things.
5. "Heaven and earth are ruthless, and everything is a grass dog; Saints are ruthless and treat people like pigs. "
Heaven and earth are indifferent and treat equally, while saints are indifferent and treat equally.
Appreciation: Taoism believes that in the face of nature, all things are equal, and each lives, evolves and develops according to its own laws. Everything in the world, let it be, without intervention. Seemingly indifferent, it is actually the best attitude.
These sentences from Taoist classics are still popular after thousands of years of changes. But the most classic should not be "the world is ruthless, taking everything as a dog; Sages are ruthless, and people are pigs. This sentence often appears in novels and film and television works. I think you often listen to and quote, but it is this sentence that exposes the most common mistakes we make in Chinese studies.
Many people literally understand this famous saying of Laozi and think that "ruthlessness" means "ruthlessness and cruelty", which reflects the anarchism thought of Laozi, the founder of Taoism. But in fact, "ruthlessness" means no feelings, and the whole sentence does not express the oppression and discrimination suffered by the rulers. On the contrary, it refers to a fair truth, that is, all people and beings are in the eyes of heaven and earth.
This sentence expresses Lao Tzu's ideological tendency of atheism He believes that heaven and earth exist naturally, without reason and emotion, and its existence will not have any influence on everything in nature, because everything changes and develops between heaven and earth according to its own natural laws. As the ideal ruler of a saint, he should follow the laws of nature, take inaction, let the people take care of themselves, reproduce and survive, and will not take intervention attitudes and measures, which negates the idea of personifying heaven and earth that existed in the ideological circle at that time.
Conclusion: Taoist thought is profound and unpredictable, always shrouded in a mysterious metaphysical color, which has aroused people's various attempts and explanations since ancient times. Nowadays, Taoist thought has returned to people's field of vision. When we understand and learn Taoist classics, we can't take it for granted, otherwise it will be difficult to feel the charm of Taoist thought.