Laozi created the Tao Te Ching with his lifelong knowledge and wisdom. Although this book is only 5 162 words and 8 1 chapters, it is definitely a concise and profound world masterpiece. The core idea of the book is "Tao is nature", and the essence of the complementary and harmonious coexistence of all things in the universe is expounded by dialectics.
Laozi regards "Tao" as the origin of creation of all things in the universe, the criterion for maintaining the normal operation of all things and the basis for controlling the life and death of all things.
In Lao Tzu's eyes, everything in the world has Tao, which is invisible but contains infinite energy, transcending all the experiences of secular life, lasting forever between heaven and earth and approaching the laws of nature. Only by doing things and living according to the principle of "Tao" and returning to nature can we become a wise man in life.
There is a passage in Chapter 28 of Tao Te Ching: Knowing your man and guarding your woman is the world's trend. For the world stream, Changde never gives up and returns to the baby. Knowing its white and keeping its black is the world wind. For the world, Changde is not special and returns to infinity. Knowing its glory and keeping its shame is Amagai. For Amagai, Changde is enough, returning to the park. Park scattered for the device, saints use it, is an official, so the big system is not cut.
How to understand the meaning of this passage? According to my own feelings, I will talk about my simple cognition.
The core idea of this passage has actually been condensed into three idioms, namely: knowing men and keeping women, knowing white and keeping black, knowing honor and keeping shame.
If you understand the meaning of these three idioms, you will basically understand this passage.
First, it is a world trend to know his male and keep his female. The corresponding idiom is "Knowing men and guarding women".
Literal meaning: I know the powerful state like the back of my hand, but I am willing to keep a feminine state and be a valley stream that does not compete with the world.
If we know something about Lao Tzu's saying that "goodness is like water", this sentence will be easier to understand.
Water is the smartest substance in the world. It is colorless, tasteless and intangible, but it has very strong endurance and affinity. If water is good, it can exist quietly in any container. Just like a person as smart as a fool, he can show great adaptability to many environments and rules.
But seemingly feminine water, if ignored, can be completely soft with rigidity, showing invincible momentum.
The highest state of human life is to treat all things equally, like water, to nourish all things in the world in a way of "moistening things silently", without asking for anything in return, let alone competing for fame and profit with all things. This character is closest to the greatness of Tao.
The extension of "knowing men and keeping women" means that if a person wants to maintain vigorous vitality and deeply understand the connotation of the prosperous state of things, he must keep his initial heart like a baby, so that he can advance and retreat freely and be invincible.
Second, it is the world wind to know its white and keep its black. The corresponding idiom is "Know white and keep black".
Literally: I know what is right and wrong, but I am willing to keep the situation dark and chaotic. If I have nothing to see, I would like to be a model of the world.
This sentence is actually teaching people how to behave better in the face of a complex secular society. First of all, you should understand the right and wrong of one thing, the right and wrong of good and evil. Thirdly, it is necessary to show the realm of "great wisdom is like a fool", with a plain appearance and a clear heart, and with a clear eye for the truth, he is not surprised or impatient about what happened. Finally, we should stick to our beliefs, don't go with the flow, and always be independent and keep a peaceful mind like a master who is "hidden in the city".
Many people often misunderstand the meaning of "knowing white and hiding black" and think that this is a negative attitude towards life, but it is not. It teaches people that although they are in darkness and rapids, they should have their own opinions and light in their hearts, firmly believe that the light will eventually come, and people should be optimistic in desperation before they can be faithful wives.
Promote "knowing white and keeping black" to the whole world. There are people outside the world. People with real strength and depth are always hidden, confident, never unconventional or obvious. Everything is under control, and they will succeed if they proceed step by step.
Third, know its glory and keep its shame, for Amagai. The corresponding idiom is "knowing honor and shame".
Literal meaning: Although I know how to get glory, I am willing to remain humble and humiliating, like a valley.
This sentence teaches people that no matter what they do, they should be simple and prudent. Only with a simple and pure heart can they tolerate all the ups and downs of honor and disgrace. If you want to gain glory for a long time, you must firmly hold the foundation on which glory depends. Just like a valley, it is by constantly embracing everything that you gradually pile yourself up into a mountain to look up at.
"Honor and disgrace" is extended to mean that constant virtue can accommodate everything, and simplicity is the cornerstone of tolerance.
These three sentences of Laozi are applied to real life and also have a very good warning function. Many people, after making some achievements, tend to be conceited, arrogant and arbitrary. It's easy for them to indulge in the glitz of their own career and can't extricate themselves. They don't want to analyze the essence behind these phenomena, put themselves in the wrong position and can't see their real strength clearly.
If you understand these three sentences thoroughly, you can thoroughly know yourself and yourself, and you can handle people with ease.