Laozi Laozi (date of birth and death unknown) was a great thinker in the Spring and Autumn Period and a pioneer of the Taoist school. His surname was Li, his given name was Er, and his posthumous title was Dan. He was a native of Ku County, Chu State (today's Luyi, Henan Province) and wrote the Tao Te Ching, a concise and rhymed theoretical essay of five thousand words. It advocates abandoning sage and wisdom, forgetting emotions and few desires, and governing by doing nothing. Political thought is a utopia of "a small country with few people" and "no communication until old age and death". He realized that all things have opposite and contradictory sides, and they will transform into each other. "Things may be damaged and benefited, or they may be benefited and damaged." "Misfortune depends on blessings, and blessings rely on disasters." This is simple dialectics. point of view. He also recognized that "the people are hungry because of the high food taxes", so he denounced the cruel exploiters; he also recognized people's strength and sacrifice spirit in the heroic struggle, saying, "The people are not afraid of death, but how can they be afraid of death?" ".

1. Everyone in the world knows that what is beautiful is beautiful, but it is evil; everyone knows that what is good is good, but it is not good. Therefore, existence and non-existence arise from each other, difficulty and ease complement each other, long and short complement each other, high and low complement each other (2), sounds harmonize with each other, and front and rear follow each other and are constant. ("Chapter 2")

Notes (1) Ying: enrichment

Interpretation

People think that "beautiful things" are beautiful and ugly. Then it came into being; everyone knows that good is good, and the concept of evil also came into being. Therefore, existence and non-being transform each other, difficulty and ease form each other, long and short appear each other, high and low enrich each other, sounds and harmonies harmonize each other, front and back follow each other - this is eternal.

2. If you do not respect the virtuous, the people will not fight; if you do not value rare goods, the people will not steal; if you do not see the desirable, the people will not be confused. Therefore, the rule of the sage makes his heart weak, his belly strong, his ambition weak, and his bones strong. This often makes the people ignorant and desireless, and makes those who know do not dare to do anything. If you do nothing, everything will be cured. ("Chapter 3")

Interpretation

Do not praise the social status of wise men and women, so that people will not have disputes; do not promote those rare property as precious, so that people will not Arouse the desire to steal; do not emphasize those things that can arouse people's desires, so that the people's hearts will not be confused.

So, the way wise people govern the world is to: let people's hearts be empty and tranquil, and enrich their inner strength; weaken people's excessive plans, and increase the strength of their muscles and bones; The people keep less plans and desires, so that those who are resourceful do not dare to do anything random. Act with sincerity and sincerity instead of using fancy superficial articles to confuse the people, so there is no reason for poor governance.

This idea of ??governing by doing nothing is the main political thought of Taoism. It seems backward today, but it once played an important role in a certain historical period.

3. The best is like water. Water is good, benefits all things and has tranquility. It is disliked by everyone (1), so it is close to Tao. ("Chapter 8")

Notes (1) Dislike (wù): A place that is disgusted.

Interpretation

The most brilliant wise man is like water. Water has many virtues. It nourishes all things and is conducive to their formation without competing with all things to maintain balance. It is always in a lower position that people do not like, so its perfection is close to the spirit of heaven and earth.

4. He who knows others is wise, and he who knows himself is wise. He who conquers others is powerful, and he who conquers himself is strong. Those who are content are rich, those who are forced (1) are ambitious. He who does not lose his place will live long, and he who dies but does not die will live long. ("Chapter 33")

Notes (1) Force: persist in doing your best and never flinch.

Interpretation

People who can understand others are smart people, and people who can know their true needs are understanding people. Those who can defeat others are capable; those who can defeat selfishness are those who strive for self-improvement. A person who knows how to be satisfied in his heart is a truly wealthy person; a person who never shrinks from action is a person who has great ambitions. Those who do not deviate from objective conditions are those who can endure for a long time; those who do not forget the Tao in the face of life and death are immortals.

It is important to know other people's guts, but it is even more important to understand one's own needs; it is important to improve one's own strength, but it is even more important to selflessly coordinate the overall situation. With contentment and constant happiness as the foundation, we also need to have a long-term pursuit of the Great Way; we should not make unfounded delusions that go against reality, but never doubt the Great Way when faced with challenges. Only in this way can we truly be in harmony with the Great Dao, and this is true immortality.

5. If you want to pick it up, you must open it. If the desire is weak, it must be strong. If you want to get rid of it, you must follow it. If you want to take it away, you must give it to you. It's called twilight. Tenderness prevails over hardness, weakness overpowers strength. Fish cannot escape from the abyss. The sharp weapon of the country cannot be shown to others.

("Chapter 36")

Interpretation

To shrink it, you must expand it deliberately. To weaken it, it must be deliberately strengthened. To get rid of it, you must deliberately befriend it. To take it, it must be given deliberately. This is called subtle strategy. Therefore, softness will prevail over hardness, and weakness will prevail over strength. Fish cannot leave the water of the abyss, and rulers cannot use their power to show off and intimidate the people.

6. Knowing what is content will not lead to humiliation, knowing how to stop will not lead to danger ("Chapter 44")

Interpretation

Knowing that contentment will not lead to humiliation, knowing If enough is enough, you won't be in danger.

7. If a great achievement is lacking, its usefulness will not be exhausted. If there is a big surplus, it will be of endless use. Great straightness is like bending, great skill is like clumsiness, great distinction is like indifference. Agitation defeats cold, tranquility defeats heat, tranquility is the right of the world. ("Chapter 45")

Interpretation

The achievements of the highest realm may seem to have many flaws, but they are actually functioning quietly and have no long-term disadvantages; Full, seemingly empty, is actually functioning silently, forever and endlessly. The highest level of integrity seems to be succumbing to evil; the highest level of dexterity looks like clumsiness; the highest level of rebuttal seems to be at a loss for words. Silence can restrain impetuosity, indifference can restrain hustle and bustle, and only by being calm in one's heart can society be rectified invisibly.

8. The sage has an impermanent heart and takes the hearts of the people as his heart. I will be good to those who are good, and I will be good to those who are not good. Virtue is good. I believe in those who believe, I also believe in those who don’t believe, and I believe in virtue. ("Chapter 49")

Interpretation

The saint does not have his own eternal thoughts, but takes the thoughts of the people as his own thoughts. I treat kind people with kindness, and I treat unkind people with kindness, and as a result, they will become kind. An honest person, I believe in him, a dishonest person, I also believe in him, and as a result, he will also become honest.

Lao Tzu tells us here to think more about others and treat others with sincerity. This can influence others and guide them to be good, which is also a virtue.

9. Those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know. ("Chapter 56 Holy")

Interpretation

People with great wisdom will not lie casually; those who lie do so because they lack wisdom.

10. Misfortunes lie on the back of blessings, and blessings lie on the backs of misfortunes. ("Chapter Fifty-Eight")

Interpretation

Disaster is the prerequisite for blessing, and blessing also contains factors of disaster. In other words, good things and bad things can be transformed into each other. Under certain conditions, blessings can turn into disasters, and misfortunes can also turn into blessings. This famous saying by Lao Tzu is very reasonable.

11. The tree that hugs each other is born from the smallest millimeter; the nine-story platform starts from the soil; the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ("Chapter 64")

Interpretation

The big tree that hugs each other grows from buds, the nine-story high platform is made from piles of soil, and the journey of a thousand miles begins at your feet .

12. The sky net is vast, sparse but not missing. ("Chapter 73")

Interpretation

The scope of nature is vast and boundless, although it is sparse but not missing.

13. People are not afraid of death, so why should they be afraid of death? ("Chapter 74")

Interpretation

People are not afraid of death, so why use death to scare them?

This chapter talks about Laozi’s political views. He believed that the rulers at that time implemented harsh governance and torture, killed people indiscriminately, and suppressed the people. The result was that once the people could no longer endure it, they would not be afraid of death.

14. The way of heaven is like a bow? Those who are high will suppress it, those who are low will lift it up, those who have more will lose it, and those who are deficient will make up for it. The way of heaven damages more than it can and makes up for what is deficient. The way of man is not like that, if the loss is not enough, there will be more than enough. ("Chapter 77")

Interpretation

Isn’t the law of nature very similar to shooting an arrow with a bow? If the string is pulled high, lower it a little; if it is low, raise it a little higher; if it is over-stretched, relax it some; if it is under-stretched, add some more. The law of nature is to reduce excess supply to insufficient supply. But the laws of society are not like this. We should reduce what is insufficient and give it to those who have surplus.

The text in this chapter reveals a hazy and vague idea of ??equality and balance. This is his social thought. He compared the "Way of Heaven" with the "Way of Man" and advocated that the "Way of Man" should imitate the "Way of Heaven".

Lao Tzu attributes the phenomenon of maintaining ecological balance in nature to "more than enough loss and more than enough to make up for the deficiency". Therefore, he requires that human society should also change the unreasonable and unequal phenomenon of "the loss is not enough but the excess is left behind".

15. There is no one in the world who is soft and weak as water, and no one who attacks the strong can win, because it cannot be easily defeated. The weak overcomes the strong, the soft overcomes the strong, no one in the world knows it, and no one can do it. (Lao Tzu's "Chapter 78")

Interpretation

There is nothing in the world that is softer and weaker than water, but nothing can beat water in overcoming difficulties. Weakness is better than strong, softness is better than hardness. Everyone in the world knows this, but no one can practice it.

This chapter uses water as an example to illustrate the principle that weakness can overcome strength and softness can overcome hardness.

16. A small country with few people. It makes the people's weapons more powerful but not used; it makes the people die again and not move far away. Although there are boats and carriages, there is nothing to ride on them; although there are armor and soldiers, there is nothing to display them. Let the people re-knot the rope and use it. Enjoy your food, enjoy your clothes, live comfortably, and be happy with your customs. Neighboring countries look at each other, hear the sound of cocks and dogs, and the people do not interact with each other until they grow old and die. (Laozi's "Chapter 80")

Interpretation

Makes the country smaller and the people fewer. Even though there are various utensils, they are not used; people pay attention to death and do not migrate to distant places; although there are ships and vehicles, there is no need to ride on them every time; although there are weapons and equipment, there is no place to set up battle formations; Let the people return to the natural state of ancient knotting ropes to record events. The country is governed very well, so that the people eat well, are well-dressed, live comfortably, and live happily. Countries can see each other, and the crows of chickens and dogs can be heard, but the people do not interact with each other from birth to death.

This is a beautiful blueprint of Lao Tzu's ideal "country", and it is also a picture of rural joy full of pastoral flavor. Laozi used ideal pen and ink to depict the rural social life of "a small country with few people" and express his social and political ideals. This "country" is very small. Neighboring countries look at each other and hear the sounds of chickens and dogs. It is about the size of a village today. There is no evil deeds or cunning. The people are simple and honest, and life is stable and peaceful. People use knotted ropes to remember things. , there is no need to risk your life to make a living in a distant place because you don't know how to fight with your heart and wits. This vision of Lao Tzu is of course a fantasy and cannot be realized.

17. Trust words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not believed. A good person does not argue, and a person who debates is not good. A person who knows is not knowledgeable, and a person who is knowledgeable does not know. ("Chapter 81")

Interpretation

True and credible words are not beautiful, and beautiful words are not true. A kind person speaks unkindly, and a person who speaks artfully is not kind. People who are truly knowledgeable do not show off, and people who show off how much they know are not truly knowledgeable.