Taoism originally refers to one of the hundreds of schools of thought in the pre-Qin period. Broadly speaking, it is a school in the ancient Chinese social ideological and cultural system that takes Tao as its core concept and emphasizes that the way of nature is natural and inactive, and that humanity conforms to the way of heaven. In history, all those who advocated the teachings of Lao, Zhuang, Huang and Lao can be called Taoists.
According to "Hanshu Yiwenzhi", Taoism originated from ancient historians. The so-called historian is actually the person in the royal family who is responsible for recording the success, failure, survival, misfortune, blessings of the past and present. Ancient studies in the government, ideological, cultural and educational matters were monopolized by the royal family, and ordinary people had no access to this. It can be said that historians were among the seven most learned people at that time. Laozi, who is known as the founder of Taoism, served as a historian in the Zhou royal family, and was responsible for the library management of the Zhou royal family. As for Taoism as an ideological and cultural school, it was formed under the specific social and historical background of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In the early Spring and Autumn Period, the Zhou Dynasty began to decline, and the society was in unrest. Following this, people who were engaged in cultural and educational undertakings previously monopolized by the government fled to the private sector, and the phenomenon of private learning emerged, thus forming hundreds of schools of thought. , Taoism formed by Laozi and his ideological followers is one of them. They formed their own views on the real social politics of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, thereby laying the ideological foundation of the Taoist school.
The core of Taoist thought is "Tao", which is the highest category of the Taoist ideological and cultural system and is respected by all Taoist scholars. It can be said that no matter how big the ideological and cultural differences among Taoist scholars are, they all focus on the core category of "Tao", and being in harmony with Tao is the ultimate goal pursued by all Taoists. So what exactly does "Tao" mean? From a philological sense, Tao is what we call the road. Xu Shen, a philologist of the Eastern Han Dynasty, said in his famous book "Shuowen Jiezi": "Tao refers to the path that people walk." It refers to the path that people walk. As an ideological and cultural school of Taoism, its core category "Tao" is obviously not something that can be explained by this philological meaning. Generally speaking, the Taoist "Tao" has the following meanings: ① Tao is the origin of all things in the world. ②Tao is natural and inactive. ③Tao is invisible but exists. ④ Universal, omnipresent, and present at all times.
The Taoist school, which takes Tao as its core and regards harmony with Tao as its ultimate goal, actually has great ideological differences within it. Taoism is a dynamic school of thought that unfolds from different levels and different directions. However, the reason why the dynamic school of thought that unfolds from different levels and different directions is called Taoism obviously embodies certain basic issues that need to be addressed among them. , that is to say, they have never left the most basic things that are called Taoism. As an ideological and cultural school, Taoism's basic characteristics are: 1. Advocating the teachings of Lao, Zhuang, and Huang. ② Take Tao as the ideological core and highest category of this school. ③Develop your own ideological system within the framework of the relationship between heaven and man, in which nature is inactive and humanity takes its course. ④ Use profound and subtle words and care about the world with the mentality of a reclusive person. Compared with other families, their observation and understanding of society are calmer, more sober, and more profound. ⑤Have a unique spiritual temperament of being pure and pure, transcending vulgarity, abandoning benevolence without courtesy, and pursuing returning to simplicity. Taoism has shown rich diversity in different periods of history, highlighting their individual differences, but as long as they are a member of the Taoist family, they must possess some of the above basic characteristics. Taoism is a distinctive school of thought and culture in the history of Chinese culture.
Taoist doctrines and teachings
From the beginning of Taoism, Taoism has taken Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" as its fundamental classic, and "Tao" and "De" in it as its basic beliefs . Taoism believes that "Tao" is the origin and master of all things in the universe, omnipresent and all-encompassing, and that all things evolve from "Tao". "De" is the embodiment of "Tao". Sanqingzunshen is the initial personified manifestation of "Tao", and also represents the three important processes of the creation of the universe (Tao produces one, one life produces two, two produces three, and three produces all things - Tao Te Ching). The Three Pure Spirits give birth to heaven and earth. The gods of the universe and nature, these are called the innate gods (Tianzun), are the evolution of Tao. Since the innate is integrated with the Tao body, and the Tao law is far-reaching and fills the infinite universe, so Taoists often say "Infinite Tianzun" in their blessing words. "Human beings can achieve the state of unity with Tao through certain methods. These people are called acquired gods, and those with the highest level of cultivation can also reach the level of deity."
Taoism takes Taishang Laojun (the moral deity) as its leader, which is also Laozi. In addition, there are other versions of the supreme god of Taoism in Taoist scriptures of different sects in history. One is that Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun is the highest god, the other is that Qinglingbao Tianzun is the highest god, and the third is Taiqing Daode Tianzun is the highest god. , and finally evolved into the theological theory of the Trinity.
Taoism advocates rebirth, hates death, pursues immortality, and believes that people can make their own decisions about their own lives instead of having to obey the orders of God. It is believed that as long as people are good at practicing Taoism and maintaining good health, they can live forever and become immortals. Therefore, many cultivation methods have been produced: refining alchemy, taking food, breathing in and out, fetal breath, massage, guidance, room, bigu, thinking, taking talismans and chanting sutras.
Taoist theology can be said to be a religious doctrine that is a mystification of Taoist thought. It may not be completely consistent, but the similarities and differences are worth pondering. However, Taoism has its ancestors named Lao and Zhuang, and respects many Taoist classics such as the Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu) and the Nan Hua Jing (Zhuang Tzu). After all, it has absorbed and inherited a large amount of Taoist thought.
In addition, it is also influenced by the "Book of Changes" as well as Yin-Yang school, Confucianism, Buddhism and ancient Fangxian Taoism.
Taoist outlook on life
We know that the so-called outlook on life is the view on life, that is, the view on the value and significance of human existence. The outlook on life is determined by the world outlook (universe outlook). Different people have different outlooks on life.
The Taoist outlook on life is determined by the Taoist belief content (including the cosmology). What is the Taoist outlook on life?
The value and significance of human existence, that is, the value of life, has many meanings; the first is the value of life; the second is the value of human beings; the third is the value of personality; the fourth is the value of ideals. These four aspects are the basic issues and basic aspects of life values.
Taoist views on the value of life
Regarding the value of human life, two questions must be answered, namely: Is human life real or empty? Does human life have any practical meaning?
Taoism believes that Tao is the origin of the universe and gives rise to all things. Immortals and humans are born from different "qi". It is composed of Yin, Yang, Five Elements, Essence, Qi and Spirit and has body and life. Human nature is real, not illusory. Thinking that it is a pleasure to live in this world - life is rare; thinking that death is the most terrifying and painful thing. Therefore, in theory, Taoism emphasizes that "immortal life is precious, and there is no measure of human beings." In terms of ideology, it does not believe that "fate is determined by heaven" but believes that "my destiny is mine, not heaven and earth." The survival of human life and the length of life span, Determined by oneself, not by fate. Encourage people not to succumb to destiny, but to cultivate their lives according to the Tao, strive for immortality, and become one with the Tao. To this end, Taoism has proposed a series of Taoist exercises and techniques, such as taking food, moving Qi, breathing in and out, Daoyin, Shouyi, Waidan, Neidan, Zhaijiao, Fuzhuan, Shougengshen, etc. Therefore, Taoism regards the enjoyment of life, the pursuit of immortality as its fundamental teachings. This is also the most fundamental outlook on life in Taoism. This outlook on life reflects the Taoist emphasis on life and death and the high importance attached to the value of life. It can be seen from this that Taoism is a religion that attaches great importance to the value of life.
Er Taoism’s views on the value of human beings
What is the status of human beings in the universe, and is it valuable? Regarding the view of man's position in the universe, Taishang Laozi emphasized that man has an outstanding status. He said: "Therefore, the Tao is big, the sky is big, the earth is big, and people are also big. There are four big things in the domain, and humans live in one of them." He believes that human beings are one of the four big things in the universe, and are nurtured above all things. Taoism also shows man's position in the universe through the cosmic life system of gods, humans, and ghosts. Taoism believes that the universe consists of heaven, fairyland, human world and underworld. God occupies the supreme position, above the human world. The underworld where ghosts live below the human world. Humans are the intermediary between gods and ghosts. They can be promoted to gods at the top and transformed into ghosts at the bottom. Therefore, Taoism urges people to do good deeds and advocates "doing whatever is convenient at any time with your heart and doing various Yin skills." He exhorts people to "do no evil and do good deeds". At the same time, he also advocates cultivating the path to immortality, doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, believing that if the merits are fulfilled and the fruits are fulfilled, gods and immortals can be expected. Taoism also clearly emphasizes that "among all things, human beings are the most precious." It is believed that humans are the soul of all things, and through practicing Taoism, they can grow and become immortals. In short, humans have a certain status in the universe and life is valuable.
Three Taoist views on personality value
On the issue of personality value, Taoism starts from the group and advocates great harmony, human equality, and peaceful coexistence. The Taoist ideal of Duhui is a world of peace, non-controversy, equality, freedom, no oppression, no exploitation, where everyone works, there is relief in times of difficulty, and happiness is shared, where everyone can live and work in peace and contentment to the end of their days. A Datong society with great fairness and great peace. It is clearly stated in the early Taoist classic "The Taiping Jing". The sutra is named after "Taiping" because its purpose is to realize an ideal "Taiping" world. It is of great positive significance for the Taoist ideals of human equality and peace to apply to people in society without distinction of blood, race and low status. This Taoist outlook on life is undoubtedly great.
The ideal interpersonal relationship in Taoism is "people of the same mind and love, marriage of different bones". "Equal kindness" means equal kindness to things and myself, "things and I are compatible". Taoism believes that the universe, heaven and earth, humans and all things are transformed by Tao. Therefore, Taoism advocates not killing. "Different-bone marriage" means that people who are not related by blood are treated as blood relatives. In order to achieve "marriage between different bones", Taoism requires people to have good intentions, not to kill or harm, not to envy or jealousy, not to commit adultery or stealing, not to be greedy or lustful, not to hate or lust, and to have no frivolous words or evil words. In this way, "the country will be safe and the people prosperous" and "happy and peaceful" will be achieved. Therefore, Taoism regards "compassion" among the Three Treasures of Taishang (Laozi) (compassion, frugality, and not being the first in the world) as the basic principle for dealing with interpersonal relationships.
In short, regarding the value of individuals in society, Taoism advocates the equality of all living beings and promotes love and kindness.
The Four Taoist views on the value of ideals
Ideals are the goals to strive for. Ideal value refers to the highest value of the goal. Taoism, like other religions, also has its own ideal realm and pursuit. The ideal state advocated and pursued by Taoism is twofold. The first is to establish a peaceful, non-controversial, equal and free Taiping Duhui in the secular and realistic world in accordance with Taoist teachings. This ideal social outlook is described in many places in the early Taoist classic "Mu Ping Jing".
When later generations of Taoists practiced this "great peace" teaching, they showed it in their actions in the world by helping the world and saving people. Therefore, "helping the world and saving people" has become the goal of Taoists in joining the world. Another ideal state pursued by Taoism is the "fairyland". There, "no fighting, no fighting", "no arrogance, no jealousy", "no matchmaking, no hiring", "no plowing, no marrying", "no weaving, no clothing", "no illness, no death", singing together all day long, free and easy, Very happy. After people practice cultivation and become immortals, they can go to the fairyland and live the life of an immortal. Therefore, "obtaining the Tao and becoming an immortal" has become the goal of Taoists in joining the world. -To achieve this goal, we must practice Taoism and Taoism, cultivate both life and life, and calm the mind and solidify the body. There are many Taoist techniques practiced by Taoism, such as Cun Si, Fetal Breathing, External Alchemy, Inner Alchemy, Breathing and Inhalation, Fengqi, Bigu, Zhaijiao, etc. Among them, Inner Alchemy is the most ideal cultivation method among the Taoist techniques practiced.
Throughout the ages, people have longed for and pursued health, longevity and attainment of immortality. In this sense, no matter how its form changes, Taoism’s essence—health preservation—will accompany mankind forever and will exist forever. Always benefit mankind.
Taoist cosmology
We know that Taoist religious doctrine is the inheritance and development of Taoist thought and theory. In other words, Lao-Zhuang Thought is an important ideological and theoretical source of Taoism. Therefore, Taoism is not only a religion, but its teachings are also a philosophy.
Taoism, like other religions, as a theological system of thought, must clearly answer a series of questions such as the origin of the universe, the true meaning of life, the existence of the other world and the way to reach the other world. answer.
Taoism believes that the universe was formed by the evolution of "Tao". The Taoist "Eternal Peace Sutra" says: "The Great Tao is invisible and gives birth to the heaven and the earth; the Great Tao is ruthless and moves the sun and the moon; the Great Tao is nameless and nourishes all things." This is the most concise summary of the Taoist theory of cosmogenesis.
The "Tao" in Taoism is the chaotic Wuji before Yin and Yang are judged. Taoists use the Wuji diagram to represent "Tao". It is formless, colorless and soundless, omnipresent and omnipresent. It fills the universe and pervades the ten directions. It neither increases nor decreases, and exists forever. It is "the foundation of life and the root of transformation", the ancestor of life and the earth, the parent of all living things, and the root of all things. It is intangible and nameless, but it does exist. Therefore, according to Taoism: it is reluctantly called "Tao". In short, "Tao" is the origin and ruler of the universe that is born from heaven and earth. It is the beginning of everything in the universe and the evolution of all things.
The Taoist interpretation of "Tao", in addition to being the origin of "giving birth to heaven and earth", also explains that "Tao" is the Supreme Lord who "disperses into Qi and gathers into shape". "Tao" refers to the innate vitality; the vitality exists in the natural movement and transformation. There is essence in the vitality. The essence is spiritual, and the essence is spiritual. "Tao" is a "miraculous thing" that is "spiritual and possessing nature", that is, gods. It is believed that "Dao Xuanji" is omnipresent, exists all the time, and is all-encompassing. It is the "body of nothingness, the root of creation, the foundation of gods", and is the origin and ruler of all things in the universe. This tells us that the "Tao" of Taoism is the "Tai Shang Lao Jun", the god, and the creator. The three highest gods believed in by Taoism (the Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, the Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, and the Taiqing Daode Tianzun) are all transformed by "Tao Qi", and their roots are all "Tao". And "Tao" means "Tai Shang Lao Jun", so there is a saying in Taoism that "Tai Shang Lao Jun transforms the three pure states into one qi".
Taoist principles of life
⑴Natural inaction
l. Nature. "Laozi" puts forward the concept of "nature" to explain "Tao" and "De". The Tao is natural, and people should act according to the "Tao" and regard "nature" as their attitude and basic principle towards social life. Chapter 25 of "Laozi" says: "Man follows the earth, the earth follows the sky, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature." This means that all things arising from Tao and the activities of heaven, earth and humans should be based on "natural inaction". The so-called "natural" means that it is like this, naturally. "Laozi" 51 also said: "The respect of Tao, the nobility of virtue, and the destiny of Fu Mo are always natural." He believes that everything in the universe is natural, and people should follow the original nature and not act intentionally.
We often hear "go with nature" or "go with the flow". "Go with nature" is the thought derived from "Laozi". Taoists follow the teachings of Laozi, the Taoist ancestor, and follow the teachings of nature, and use this as a guideline for conducting life.
2. Inaction. Chapter 37 of the "Tao Te Ching" says: "The Tao is always inactive." It is believed that "Tao" is the ontology that produces all things in the universe. From the perspective of the production process, it is natural without any external force, so it is said "Tao" means "doing nothing"; but from the results of its production of all things, everything is born of "Tao", so it can be said that "Tao" means "doing nothing".
Taoism regards "inaction" as the attitude and basic principle of life. He believes that the way of heaven is naturally inactive, and humans should also follow the way of heaven. They should not act rashly, be quiet and have few desires, have no fight with the world, and be careful to avoid disaster. Inaction does not mean doing nothing, doing nothing.
The saint is the ideal personality form that Laozi focuses on describing. One of the key points of his personality is that the saint does nothing. In addition, the saint does not fight, the saint treats others with charity, and the saint focuses on tranquility and abandons impetuousness. The most basic characteristics of the sage's personality are repeatedly expounded in the "Tao Te Ching": "The sage does nothing, teaches without saying anything, does all things without hesitation, does things without saying anything, does things without persisting, and achieves without saying anything. Residence.
"The sage said: If I do nothing, the people will be harmonious; if I like to be quiet, the people will be peaceful; if I do nothing, the people will be rich; if I have no desires, the people will be simple." "A sage does not rely on others, and does not show up after his achievements. He does not want to see the virtuous." "These words all show that the characteristics of "the Tao follows its own laws" and "the Tao is always inaction" are clearly reflected in the personality of the saint.
It is worth pointing out that the "inaction" of the saint is only a means. The purpose is still "doing something". The unity of the two is reflected in "doing nothing but doing nothing". If the saint only has "doing nothing", it will lose its meaning.
In short, "doing nothing" requires individuals to do everything. "Tao" is the law, follow nature, and do not act arbitrarily. ⑵Be weak and do not fight. 1. "Being weak" is the attitude towards life advocated by Taishang Laozi. , a careful person once made statistics: in addition to the word "soft" being used together in five places in three chapters, the word "soft" also appeared six times in six chapters, and the word "weak" also appeared in five places. *** appears five times in this chapter. Therefore, there is a saying that "Lao Dan is noble and soft"; "Hanshu Yiwenzhi Zhuzilue" also believes that Laozi's outlook on life is "purity and emptiness are used to maintain self-preservation, and humility is used to protect oneself." Self-sustained. "
Laozi believes that in nature, new things are always weak, and weak new things are full of vitality and vitality, so "weakness" is the natural law of "birth". Laozi teaches Some people think that it is a sign of cowardice to be soft when one is weak, but this is not the case because Lao Tzu advocates being soft when one is weak and not being soft for the sake of being weak. , but to use "weakness" to defeat "strongness". Taishang Laozi used water as an example to prove the principle of "weakness defeats strongness", saying, "There is nothing weaker than water in the world, and nothing can defeat the strong." "Easy" (Chapter 78). If people understand this principle, they will not do the stupid thing of "beating an egg against a stone", but will be able to "use retreat to advance, and use softness to overcome hardness." "
Taoism attaches great importance to "softness". In "The Twenty-Seven Precepts of Laojun", "Do nothing, do things softly, and do not act first"; "The Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds of Taoism" are the top three lines. In "Laojun Advocates Hundreds of Medicines", "bearing one's nature and tolerating evil" is one of the ten virtues; on the contrary, in Taoism, "being strong" is one of the precepts. "It says, "Don't be strong, you should be able to bend yourself. The strong will be destroyed first, and the strong will be the first to bend. ""Lao Jun Talks About Hundreds of Diseases" believes that "conquering people with force" and "conquering people with words" are all diseases.
In short, "weakness" is a Taoist attitude towards life. It is also A valuable outlook on life.
2. "No struggle", like "inaction", is also an element of the saint's personality described by Laozi. "Laozi" mentions "non-contention" in many places. Chapter 7 says: “The sage follows his body and comes first, and his body and body exist outside. "Chapter 20 says: "The sage holds one as the standard of the world. He does not see himself, so he is enlightened. "Chapter 66 says: "The sage is above and the people do not take him seriously; he is in front and the people do not harm him. "Chapter 72 says: "The sage knows himself but does not see himself, loves himself but does not value himself. "It is precisely because the saint has such a virtue of not fighting that he can achieve the effect that "no one in the world can compete with him." The saint's non-fighting also includes not fighting for material enjoyment. Therefore, "Laozi" says: "The saint eliminates excess, luxury, and "Tai", "The sage has desires but does not want them, and does not blame the hard-to-find goods", "The sage does not accumulate".
Since the birth of Taoism, Taoism has regarded "not fighting" as one of the precepts. "I want to "Er's Notes" says: "Sages do not compete with laity. If they do, they avoid them and pass away. How can laity quarrel with them?" "Later, Taoism also linked non-struggle with Taoism, emphasizing that only by "not fighting with the world" can one achieve Taoism and live forever.
It is worth pointing out that what Taoism emphasizes, "non-struggle" does not mean to just sit back and do nothing. Do nothing, but do not compete with the world for worldly fame, wealth, glory, etc., and do your best to do things that are in line with the natural laws of heaven to demonstrate the "natural principles". For example: Taoism believes that through cultivation (cultivation), not only can you The spirit can be sublimated, and the physical life can last forever, so it breaks the laws, changes the rules, overcomes difficulties, and fights against the ruthless fate. For this reason, it puts forward the slogan "My destiny is mine, not that of heaven and earth." This is the "struggle" in Taoism, and it is also the biggest "struggle" in Taoism. In addition, it is to "fight" to make merit.
In short, Laozi teaches people to "not fight" and requires people to behave in a submissive manner. "Non-struggle" is a Taoist attitude towards life and a lofty outlook on life.
In addition, it also includes being open-minded, selfless, and doing nothing. < /p>
The Taoist outlook on life covers a wide range of areas, is broad and profound, and here is only an introduction to the main content. Through the Taoist outlook on life, we can see that Taoism is a people who love life, love life, love peace, and love life. The religion of all living beings.
The idea of ??pursuing harmony according to nature
Laozi said: "Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows the natural. " In this famous quote, he not only raised important questions about the relationship between "man", "earth", "heaven", "Tao" and "nature", but also gave an incisive answer. The answer is that people must "learn from the law" "Earth", earth must "follow heaven", heaven must "follow Tao", and Tao must "follow nature". "Tao follows nature" is the final answer.
What is this "Tao"? Compared with "Heaven", "Earth", "Human" and other all things, "Tao" is believed by Laozi to be "originating from heaven and earth", "being the mother of the world", "the secret of all things" and "similar to the origin of all things" many metaphysical ontological characteristics. Why does "Tao", which is the origin of all things, have to "follow nature"?
The so-called "nature" means what is, naturally, not "nature". Just as the ancients explained: "If you follow nature, you will follow the square when it is square, and you will follow the circle when it is round. There is nothing against nature." "Furu" allows all things to "naturally" arise and develop naturally. It can be seen that "nature" is the nature or essence of "Tao" itself, not another entity external to "Tao". Precisely because "Tao" "does not exist", the Tao to all things always "does not go away". This means that "heaven", "earth", "man", and other things, in the entire process of their formation and destruction, cannot deviate from the "natural" nature or essence of "Tao" for even a moment.
"Harmony" is one of the important characteristics of China's traditional thought, culture and philosophy. The Western Zhou Dynasty put forward the famous philosophical conclusion that "harmful living things will not continue if they are the same". The so-called "harmony" refers to the harmony and unity of different things; the so-called "tong" refers to the repeated addition or simple identity of the same things. Only when different things are in "harmony" and interact with each other can new things be produced. This is how all things are formed. On the contrary, adding the same things together cannot produce anything new, let alone form all things. "Harmony" is actually the basis and opportunity for the generation, existence and evolution of all things. This concept of "harmony, difference, but sameness" is very exquisite and dialectical, so it has had an extremely profound and wide influence on the development history of our country's thought, culture, philosophy, and science and technology.
Taoism fully agrees with the traditional concept of "harmony" in ancient my country, and is full of its own characteristics. Laozi fully affirmed the key role of "harmony" and "harmony" when discussing the process of the creation of all things in the universe. He said: "Tao gives birth to one, gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives rise to all things. All things bear yin and hold yang, and the energy is in harmony." This means that "Tao" is unique and uncoupled. It itself contains the two qi of yin and yang. The two qi of yin and yang constantly collide and stir up with each other to form a new harmonious unity.
Man lives between heaven and earth, so human activities should imitate heaven and earth. This is the concept of "the three talents of heaven, earth and man", or the concept of "the unity of heaven and man". This is a traditional concept that existed earlier than Lao Tzu. The "Book of Changes" clearly states that "the way of humanity" should follow the example of "the way of heaven" and "the way of earth": "The way of heaven is strong, and a gentleman should strive for self-improvement." Taoism inherited this idea from the "Book of Changes" and developed it, introducing "Tao" and "Tao follows nature"; that is, "people", "earth" and "heaven" should all imitate "Tao" , and "Tao" should also imitate "nature". This conclusion not only emphasizes the differences between "man", "earth", "heaven" and "Tao", but also pays attention to the connection between each other in the differences. Furthermore, this connection also expounds the concept of "harmony"; especially today, when human beings are faced with the imbalance between man and nature, the disharmony between man and society and others, and the imbalance between man's own body and mind. When dealing with extremely serious problems, the importance of this harmonious relationship becomes even more important.
Because, in Laozi, in addition to representing the person himself, "person" also includes "person" and "others", "person" and "society", as well as person's own "body" and "person". "Heart"; "Heaven" and "Earth" represent the natural world. "Human", "Earth", "Heaven", "Human" and "Human", human's "Body" and "Heart", plus "Tao" as the origin and origin of them and other things, are originally all are different things. There are differences, oppositions, and even contradictions between things that exist independently. However, the survival and development of all things are inseparable from the state of "harmony" and "unity" that they should have among themselves. Lao Tzu clearly told everyone: "Knowing harmony is called constant, knowing constant is called clarity." In other words, whoever truly understands "harmony" can always stay "understanding", clear-headed, and rational, and will no longer be confused.
The so-called "law of nature", in today's terms, requires that people's thoughts, speeches and actions must be based on reality, seek truth from facts, respect objectivity, act in accordance with "original nature", and follow laws To do it, we must guard against blind and rash actions by subjectivism. It should be said that the increasingly serious ecological crisis in the world today is caused by human beings destroying the "harmony" of man, earth, heaven and Tao, failing to act in accordance with the rules of nature, and excessively plundering natural resources and the natural environment for the sake of human development. caused by failure to take appropriate protective measures. To resolve this contradictory state between man and nature, maintain ecological balance, and solve the increasingly serious survival crisis of mankind, of course we must rely on today's advanced means, but at the same time we must also see that Chinese traditional culture has its own uniqueness in this aspect value. Taoist culture's ideas about "following nature" and "seeking harmony" have very important practical significance.
The idea of ??doing nothing without doing anything
Governing by doing nothing is the basic idea of ??Taoism and the basic method of its practice. The thought method of governing by doing nothing was first proposed by Laozi. Laozi believes that all things in the world are transformed by Tao, and the movement and changes of all things in the world also follow the laws of Tao.
The law of Tao is the aforementioned "Tao follows nature." Since Tao is based on nature, we should treat things naturally, let things develop freely according to their own inevitability, and keep them in a natural state consistent with Tao. Interfering indiscriminately and not using subjective will to influence the natural process of things is "ruling by inaction". Only in this way can things exist normally and develop healthily. Therefore, in the Taoist view, when dealing with others and cultivating one's mind and nature, one should avoid doing anything wrong. Laozi said: "This is why the sage does things without doing anything, and teaches without saying anything." "The superior virtue is inaction, but there is no thought; the inferior virtue is in action, but there is thought." "The more you learn, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the more you lose." According to the Taoist point of view, in the state of natural inaction, things can develop smoothly according to their own laws, and the same is true for human beings and society. If there is too much human interference and the natural state of people and society is disturbed and changed according to certain subjective wishes, the result will only be counterproductive and counterproductive. Therefore, only under the natural conditions of inaction can people live healthily and society develop normally. The so-called "doing nothing but doing nothing".
For modern people, the biggest problem in life is the troubles and pain caused by various temptations of interests and stimulation of desires. Under the modern and developed transportation and communication conditions, everyone is always tempted by money, power, and beauty, and is also stimulated by sensory enjoyment all the time. This will inevitably lead to people's yearning and pursuit of them, and thus make the mind Restless, acting rashly, trying to achieve the happiness and happiness in life that they hope for through promising methods. But obviously, doing so will not have any other results besides damaging energy, consuming energy, and wasting energy and effort. This is just as Lao Tzu pointed out: "The five colors make one blind; the five tones make one deaf; the five tastes make one's mouth refreshed; galloping in the fields and hunting makes one's heart go crazy; rare goods make one's movement hinder." And the harder you work to achieve such a goal, the more you The more distant you feel that this goal is, the greater the pain your efforts will bring you, so that you can't extricate yourself from the pain and troubles. The only way to prevent this situation from happening is to transcend this kind of pursuit, clear your mind, calm your mind, consolidate your roots, get rid of the temptation of various material needs and desires, and face life with inaction , deal with all kinds of problems calmly, let everything take its course, and finally do nothing but do everything, so as to maintain physical and mental health, achieve a true state of harmony with the Tao, and make life enter the highest realm of emptiness.