The original text and translation of the original Tao are as follows:
Original text: Universal love is called benevolence, doing it appropriately is called righteousness, and following it from what is called the Tao, it is enough to have no need for others. Externally it is called virtue. Benevolence and righteousness are the defining names, while Tao and virtue are empty positions. Therefore, there are gentlemen and villains in Tao, and there are bad and good virtues. Lao Tzu's small benevolence and righteousness are not to be destroyed, but those who see them are small. He who sits in a well and looks at the sky and says that the sky is small is not the sky. He regards warmth as benevolence and solitude as righteousness, and it is appropriate to be small. What it calls the Tao is what it means, and it is not what I call the Tao. What is called virtue is virtue, and it is not what I call virtue. What I call morality means that it combines benevolence and righteousness, and is the public statement of the world. Lao Tzu's so-called morality refers to one's private words, excluding benevolence and righteousness.
Translation: Fraternity is called "benevolence". Properly realizing "benevolence" is "righteousness". Advancing along the road of "benevolence and righteousness" is "Tao", so that you have perfect cultivation without To rely on external forces is "virtue". Benevolence and righteousness are nouns with definite meanings, while Tao and De are nouns with uncertain meanings. Therefore, Tao has the way of a gentleman and the way of a villain, while virtue has good virtues and evil virtues. Lao Tzu despises benevolence and righteousness, not because he denigrates benevolence and righteousness, but because of his narrow concept. It is like a person sitting in a well looking at the sky, saying that the sky is very small, but in fact it is not. Lao Tzu regards small favors as benevolence and caution as righteousness. It is natural that he despises benevolence and righteousness. The Tao that Lao Tzu refers to is the Tao in his concept, not the Tao that I call Tao. The virtue he talks about is the virtue in his concept, not the virtue I call. All the morals I talk about are combined with benevolence and righteousness, and are the public opinion of the world. The morality mentioned by Lao Tzu puts aside the theory of benevolence and righteousness, and is just his own opinion.
Original text: Zhou Dao declined, Confucius died, Huo came to Qin, Huang Lao came to Han, and Buddha came between Jin, Wei, Liang and Sui. He said that those who are moral, benevolent and righteous will return to Mo if they are not attached to Yang; if they are not attached to Lao, they will return to Buddha. Entering there must come out of this. Those who enter dominate it, those who come out are slaves to it; those who enter attach it, and those who come out defile it. Alas! Later generations want to hear about benevolence, righteousness and morality, but who will listen to it? The old man said: "Confucius, he is a disciple of my master." The Buddhist said: "Confucius, he is a disciple of my master." Those who are Confucius are used to hearing his teachings and enjoy his birth since they were young. They also say, "My master is also a disciple." "Try the master's teachings." Not only did he mention it with his mouth, but he also wrote it in his book. Alas! Although people in later generations want to hear about benevolence, righteousness and morality, who can pursue it?
Translation: Since the decline of Zhou Dao and the death of Confucius, Qin Shihuang burned poems and books. Huang-Lao theory became popular in the Han Dynasty, and Buddhism became popular in the Jin, Wei, Liang, and Sui Dynasties. At that time, those who talked about morality, benevolence and righteousness were not classified into the Yang Zhu school, but were classified into the Mo Zhai school; if they were not classified into Taoism, they were classified into Buddhism. If you belong to one family, you will certainly despise the other family. If you respect the school you belong to, you will belittle the school you oppose; if you attach yourself to the school you belong to, you will slander the school you oppose. well! People in later generations would like to know who should they follow when it comes to the doctrine of benevolence, righteousness and morality? Taoists say: "Confucius is the student of our teacher." Buddhism also says: "Confucius is the student of our teacher." People who study Confucius are used to hearing their words, and are willing to accept their absurd remarks and despise themselves. They also say Phrases like “our teachers learned from them.” Not only say it verbally, but also write it down in books. well! Even if people in later generations want to know the doctrine of benevolence, righteousness and morality, who should they ask for advice?
Original text: It’s true that people like weird things. They don’t seek their origins or get to the bottom of them, but they just want to hear about the weird things. In ancient times, there were four people who were the people, but today there are six people who were the people. The ancient teachers were at the first level, and the current teachers are at the third level. One is a farmer's family, and six is ??a millet-eating family. The home of work is one, and the home of utensils is six. Jia's family is one, and Ziyan's family is six. How can the people not only be poor but also be robbed?
Translation: People like to listen to weird remarks so much! They do not explore the origin of things, do not examine the results of things, and only like to listen to bizarre remarks. In ancient times there were only four categories of people, but today there are six categories of people. In ancient times, those who had the task of educating the people only accounted for one of the four categories, but today there are three categories. A farming family must provide food for six families; a working family must provide utensils for six families; a business family must provide six families with services. How can we prevent people from stealing because of poverty?
Original text: In ancient times, people did a lot of harm. If there are saints, establish them and then teach them the way to live and support each other. Be your king and your teacher. Drive away the insects, snakes, birds and beasts, and stay in the middle of the earth. When it is cold, it is clothed; when it is hungry, it is fed. The wood is bumpy, the earth is sick, and then it becomes a palace. Do work for them to support their utensils, do business for them to understand their presence or absence, do them medicine to help them die young, bury and offer sacrifices to them to increase their love, do them rituals to prioritize them, do them joy to announce their oblivion If he is depressed, he should be punished by hoeing out his strong stems. To deceive each other, make talisman, seal, douhu, and weigh it to trust it. If they seize each other, they will defend the city with armored soldiers. Prepare for harm when it comes, and take precautions against trouble. Now he said: "If the saint does not die, the thieves will not stop. Fighting will destroy the balance, but the people will not fight." Woohoo! He just doesn't think about it. As in ancient times, there were no saints, and the human race would have been extinct for a long time. Why? It has no feathers and scales to keep out the cold and heat, and no claws and teeth to compete for food.
Translation: In ancient times, people suffered many disasters. Only when a saint comes out can he teach the people a way of life that supports each other and becomes their king or teacher. Drive away those snakes, insects, and beasts, and settle people in the Central Plains. When it's cold, teach them how to make clothes; when they're hungry, teach them how to grow crops. Living in trees is easy to fall off, and living in caves is easy to get sick, so they were taught to build houses.
He also taught them to be craftsmen and provide people with daily utensils; taught them to run commerce and adjust the availability of goods; invented medicine to save those who died short-lived; and formulated a burial and sacrificial system to enhance the love and affection between people. Make etiquette to distinguish the order of superiority and inferiority; make music to vent people's depression; make political decrees to supervise those who are lazy and lazy; make punishments to eradicate those who are violent. Because some people cheated, they made talismans, seals, douhu, and scales as proof of trust. Because there was competition and robbery, cities, armor, and weapons were set up to defend the country. In short, when disaster comes, try to prepare for it; when disaster is about to happen, take precautions as soon as possible. Now the Taoists say: "If the saint does not die, the thieves will not stop. As long as the dendrobium trees are smashed and the scales are broken, the people will not fight for it." Alas! These are all words without thinking. If there were no saints in ancient times, mankind would have perished long ago. Why? Because people do not have feathers and scales to adapt to the severe cold and heat, and they do not have tough claws to snatch food.
Original text: Therefore, the king is the one who issues orders; the ministers are the ones who carry out the king’s orders and deliver them to the people; the people are the ones who produce corn, linen and silk, make utensils, and use money to serve them. The one who is above is also. If the king fails to issue orders, he will lose the reason why he is a king; if the ministers do not obey the king's orders, the people will lose the reason why they are ministers; if the people do not produce corn, linen, and silk to make utensils and use money to do things for them, they will be punished. Now the law says that the king and his ministers must be abandoned, the father and the son must be abandoned, and the way of mutual growth and mutual support must be abandoned, in order to pursue what is called purity and annihilation. Alas! Fortunately, he came from three generations later and was not deposed by Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Zhou Gong and Confucius. It is also unfortunate that it did not come from three dynasties before, and it was not as good as Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Zhou Gong and Confucius.
Translation: Therefore, the king issues orders; the ministers carry out the king's orders and implement them on the people; the people produce food, silk and linen, make utensils, exchange goods, and offer sacrifices. of those who rule above. If the king does not issue orders, he loses his power as a king; if his ministers do not carry out the king's orders and implement them on the people, they lose their responsibilities as ministers; if the people do not produce food, silk and linen, make utensils, and exchange goods to supply the emperor Those who rule should be punished. Nowadays, Buddhists say that you must abandon your relationship as king and minister, eliminate your relationship as father and son, and prohibit your methods of supporting each other in order to pursue those so-called realms of purity and annihilation. Alas! Fortunately, they were born three generations later and were not denounced by Xia Yu, Shang Tang, Zhou Wen, Zhou Wu, Zhou Gong and Confucius. Unfortunately, they were not born three generations ago and were not taught by Xia Yu, Shang Tang, Zhou Wen, Zhou Wu, Zhou Gong and Confucius.
Original text: Although the names of emperor and king are different, they are the same. There are gerbera in summer and fur in winter, thirst for drink and hunger for food. Although these things are different, the reason why they are the same is wisdom. Now he says: "Isn't it just a matter of ancient times?" "He also blamed Dong Zhiqiu and said, "Isn't He Yi the change of Ge Zhiqiu? The one who scolded the hungry eater said, "Isn't it easy to drink?" "The biography said: "In ancient times, if you want to bring clear virtue to the world, you must first govern your country; if you want to govern your country, you must first regulate your family; if you want to regulate your family, you must first cultivate your body; if you want to cultivate your body, you must first rectify it. Heart; if you want to correct your heart, you must first be sincere in your intentions. "However, as the ancient saying goes, those who are sincere and sincere will do something good. Today, if we want to govern our hearts, we will destroy the world and the country, and destroy the order of heaven. If a son does not follow his father, a minister does not rule his king, the people will not rule. Yan does nothing about it. According to Confucius's Spring and Autumn Annals, the feudal lords use barbarian rituals to control the barbarians, and when they advance into China, it says: "It is better for the barbarians and the Di to have their rulers than to destroy the Xia. "The Book of Songs" says: Rong and Di are cheats, Jing and Shu are punishments. Now, if we use the methods of the barbarians and the Di, and add them to the teachings of the previous kings, how can they be barbarians because of their lack of support?
Translation: Although the names of the Five Emperors and the Three Kings are different, the reason why they became saints is the same. Wearing Ge clothes in summer and leather clothes in winter, drinking water when thirsty and eating when hungry, although these things are different, they are also human wisdom. Nowadays, Taoists say: "Why not practice the ancient method of governing by doing nothing?" This is like blaming people for wearing leather clothes in winter: "Why don't you wear simple Ge clothes?" Or blaming people for eating when they are hungry: "Why don't you just drink Water, isn’t it much simpler?” “The Book of Rites” said: “In ancient times, those who wanted to carry forward his glorious morality in the world must first govern his country; to govern his country well, he must first To put his family in order; to put his family in order, he must first cultivate himself; to cultivate himself, he must first correct his own thoughts; to correct his own thoughts, he must first make himself sincere." This shows what the ancients called righteousness. Heart and sincerity are all about making a difference. Nowadays, those who cultivate their mind and nature want to abandon the world and the country and destroy their nature. A son does not regard his father as his father, a minister does not regard his king as a king, and a common people does not do what they should do. things to do. Confucius wrote "Spring and Autumn", and the princes who adopted the Yi and Di customs were classified as Yi Di; for the princes who adopted the Central Plains etiquette and customs, they were recognized as Chinese. "The Analects of Confucius" said: "Although the Yi and Di have monarchs, it is worse than the Chinese without monarchs." The "Book of Songs" says: "The Yi and Di should attack, and Jing Shu should punish." Nowadays, they respect the law of Yi and raise it to the level of the ancient kings. Above politics and religion, then aren’t we all going to become barbarians?
Original text: What do you mean by the teachings of the previous kings? Universal love is called benevolence, and acting appropriately is called righteousness. What follows from this is called Tao. Being content with oneself and not waiting for others is called virtue.
Its articles: "Poems", "Books", "Yi", and "Spring and Autumn"; its laws: etiquette, music, punishment, and politics; its people: scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants; its positions: monarch and ministers, father and son, teachers and friends , guest and host, Kundi, couple; their clothing: linen, silk; their residence: palace, room; their food: corn, fruits, vegetables, fish. The way is easy to understand, and the teaching is easy to practice. Therefore, if you treat it as oneself, you will be smooth and auspicious; if you treat it as a human being, you will be loving and fair; if you treat it as your heart, you will be harmonious and peaceful; if you treat it as the world and country, it will be inappropriate everywhere. Therefore, when you are alive, you can enjoy your feelings, and when you die, you can fulfill your normal life. If the effect is not good, the gods will be fake, if the temple is not good, then people and ghosts will be feasting. He said: "This is the way. What way is it?" He said: "What I call the way is not the so-called way of the old and the Buddha. Yao passed it down to Shun, Shun passed it down to Yu, and Yu passed it down like this. Tang, Tang Yizhi passed down Wen, Wu, and Zhou Gong, Wen, Wu, and Zhou Gong passed down Confucius, and Confucius passed down Meng Ke. After Ke's death, it was impossible to pass it on. Unknown. From the Duke of Zhou up, he is the king, so he acts from the Duke down, and from the bottom he is the minister, so how can he say: "No blockage, no flow, no flow?" . People are like people, fire is like books, and houses are like houses. The ancient kings of the Ming Dynasty followed the way, and those who were widowed, widowed, lonely, disabled, and sick were nourished. It’s so common that it’s okay! ”
Translation: What do I call the political religion of the former kings? It is fraternity, which is called benevolence, and behavior that conforms to benevolence is called righteousness. Moving forward from benevolence and righteousness is the Tao. It has its own self and does not depend on it. The outside world is called virtue. The books that talk about benevolence and righteousness include the Book of Songs, the Book of Changes, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. The laws that embody benevolence and righteousness are etiquette, music, criminal law, and government orders. The people they educate are scholars and peasants. , industry, and commerce, their ethical order is monarch and minister, father and son, master and friend, guest and host, brothers, and couple. Their clothes are linen and silk, their residence is houses, and their food is grain, fruits, vegetables, and fish. As theories, they are easy to understand, and as education, they are easy to implement. Therefore, if you use them to educate yourself, you will be harmonious and auspicious; use them to treat others, and you will be fraternal and just; use them to cultivate your heart. There will be peace and tranquility; there is nothing inappropriate in using them to govern the world. Therefore, people can feel the friendship between people while they are alive, and when they die, they end the normal state of nature. When worshiping ancestors, the souls of ancestors will enjoy it. Someone asked: "What is your Tao?" "I said: "This is the Tao I am talking about, not the Taoist and Buddhist Tao just mentioned. This Tao was passed from Yao to Shun, Shun to Yu, Yu to Tang, Tang to King Wen, King Wu, and Duke Zhou. King Wen, King Wu, and Duke Zhou passed it to Confucius. Confucius passed it to Meng Ke. After Meng Ke died, there was no successor. people. Only Xunqing and Yang Xiong selected some from them but not carefully, and discussed some but not comprehensively. From the Duke of Zhou and above, those who inherit are all kings above, so Confucianism and Taoism can be practiced; from the Duke of Zhou below, those who inherit are ministers below, so their doctrines can be spread. So, what can we do to put Confucianism and Taoism into practice? I believe that if we do not block the teachings of Buddha and Lao Lao, Confucianism and Taoism cannot be spread; if we do not prohibit the teaching of Buddhism and Lao Tao, Confucianism and Taoism cannot be promoted. Monks and Taoist priests must be returned to secular life, Buddhist scriptures and Taoist books must be burned, and Buddhist temples and Taoist temples must be turned into civilian residences. Carrying forward the way of the ancestors as the standard for governing the world, so that the widowed, lonely, disabled, and those who have been sick for a long time can be taken care of. This is probably enough!
Introduction to Yuandao:
"Yuandao" is an ancient essay written by Han Yu, a litterateur in the Tang Dynasty. It is a representative work of Korean retro worshiping Confucianism and rejecting Buddhism and Laoism.
The views in the article are clear, both contradictory and established. It cites the present and the past, analyzes it layer by layer from the aspects of historical development, social life, etc., refutes the wrongdoings of the Buddha and the Elders, and discusses what Confucianism is, which boils down to restoring ancient ways and respecting Confucianism. The purpose is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese prose in the Tang Dynasty.
"Original Tao" means exploring the foundation of Tao. Han Yu believed that the origin of Taoism was the "morality of benevolence and righteousness" of Confucianism. He took it as his own duty to inherit Taoism and restore Confucianism. He rejected "Buddhas and Elders", criticized the separatist rule of feudal towns, and demanded the strengthening of monarchical centralization to alleviate the deepening social conflicts.