Laozi's Story
I. Records of Laozi
Lao Tzu himself is extremely legendary. It is said that he lived in the first 600 years or so - about 470 years ago, which was in the Spring and Autumn Period. Li Name Er, the word Boyang, Ji Yuezhang, from Qurenli, Lixiang, Kuxian County, Chu State (now East Taiqing Palace Town, Luyi County, Henan Province).
The biography of Lao Tzu and Qurenli (Luyidong, Henan Province) of Lixiang, Chuku County are also included in History Volume 63. Li surname, name ear, word Boyang, Ji Yuezhang (the outer ear is flat and rolling day by day); also stick to the history of Tibet. Or Lao Tzu, or not, the world does not know whether it is. Laozi, a reclusive gentleman."
"Lao Tzu Xishenghua Hu Jing Preface No. 1": "I think that saints have Lao Tzu, so the name is Lao Tzu". It means that when Lao Tzu was born, he had white eyebrows and beard, and looked very similar to the old people, so he was later called Lao Tzu.
No matter what the legendary Lao Tzu is, he is indeed one of the most important figures in the history of ancient Chinese philosophy. During the Spring and Autumn Period, thinkers, philosophers, founders of Taoism, Taoism is regarded as the master or ancestor of Taoism, and one of the three Qing Dynasties revered by "moral heaven".
Lao Tzu once served as "the history of Zhou Zang's roommates". He knew well the books and books of Zhou Dynasty and was knowledgeable. He saw the decline of the Zhou royal family and abandoned his official post to the west. In his later years, he lived in the State of Chen, then went out to Qin to lecture, and met Yin Xi of Guan Ling at Hangu Pass. Yin Xi asked him to write a book, "So Lao Tzu wrote the first and second chapters of the book, saying moral meaning, more than 5,000 words, that is,"Lao Tzu"(also known as"Lao Tzu Tao Jing","Tao Tzu 5000 Wen","Tao Tzu Jing"), and so on), and finally became a hermit,"without knowing where to end".
Lao Tzu wrote Tao Te Ching, the ancestor of Taoist school. His theory was developed by Zhuangzhou. (There is also a saying that Lao Tzu summed up Zhuangzhou's theory and concluded it into a Book Lao Tzu. However, according to the textual research, Laozi's theory originated from the three ancient god books Xia Lianshan, Yin Guizang and Zhou Yi. There is only one book of Zhouyi in the world. The first two ancient gods are lost, whining and crying. It can be inferred that this is indeed the doctrine of Zhuangzhou's development of Laozi.
The descendants of Taoism regard Lao Tzu as their master. Compared with Confucius of Confucianism, Confucius learned from Lao Tzu in history. In Taoism, Lao Tzu is a major god, known as Lao Tzu, who is respected as the Taoist ancestor.
From "Le Xian Zhuan", Lao Tzu was listed as a god. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Fu, a Chengdu native, wrote the Monument to the Virgin Mother of Lao Tzu, which combines Lao Tzu with Tao and regards Lao Tzu as the God of heaven and earth. It became the rudiment of Taoist creation theory. When Emperor Hanhuan was emperor, Emperor Hanhuan offered sacrifices to Lao Tzu personally and regarded Lao Tzu as the ancestor of fairy way.
2. Legends about Laozi
1. Birth
In the summer and June of 576 B.C., the King of the Song Dynasty passed away, and Hua Yuan, the right teacher, took charge of the state. The Huan clan, headed by Yushi, Zuoshi, had a long-standing desire to seek government, but the public was in power and could not help it. Now that Gonggong has died, he wants to take the opportunity to start. Because of the secret plots and leaks of information, the Dai clan headed by Huayuan was expelled from the Song Dynasty. From then on, Xiangrong was appointed Zuo Shi, Lao Zuo was Sima, Le descendant was Sikou, and Song Pinggong was the new emperor.
More than 200 people of Huan clan fled to the State of Chu and lived in the State of Chu for three years. In the summer and June of 573 B.C., the State of Chu attacked the Song Dynasty and conquered Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province) of the Song Dynasty. The city was guarded by fish stones and fish palaces, and 300 chariots were left to assist in the defense.
For this reason, King Song Ping summoned his courtiers to discuss and asked, "The enemy is strong and I am weak. The Chu soldiers invaded Pengcheng, which is my heart and soul!" If you sit back and ignore it, you will suffer endlessly. Who will pull out this fortress for me?" As soon as the voice fell, a man came out of the class and said, "The foolish minister wishes to go!" When King Ping looked at him, he saw that he was tall, with big eyebrows and eyes, broad cheeks and broad shoulders, and was formerly Sima Laozuo. Huayuan expressed his concern and said to King Ping, "Fish and stone are cunning and fish mansion is cruel. Pengcheng has three hundred chariots and three thousand guards of the State of Chu. Although Sima is brave and brave, he is afraid that he will win. Lao Sao reasonably said: "Fish stone, book worm; fish house, dog bound chicken also. What are you afraid of? Old Sao would like to surround Pengcheng with his family and his family, and the city would not be able to turn its back! _________ King Ping promised. Send Lao Zuo as a general and lead 20,000 horses to recover Pengcheng.
The Song State surrounded Pengcheng and attacked it day and night. Laozuo was brave and powerful, and he was the first soldier, which boosted the morale of the Song army. Within half a month, the Pengcheng garrison was in danger. One day, when Yushi and Yufu supervised the battle in the city, they saw that there were many soldiers in the Song Dynasty like ants, all of them were brave enough to mount the city on ladders, and all of them were competing for the first place. They also saw a general galloping on the battlefield with silver armor and golden white horses, dispatching troops and generals. Yi Chu will ask, "Who will this Song be?" Fish Shi answered, "It's the new Sima, Veteran General of the siege army." Chu generals said in succession, "How can we not inspire morale when the main generals of the siege do not watch the enemy behind the army, but surpass the front of the army and gallop right and left?" So Pengcheng is too dangerous!" But Yu Shi was a man of great plan. He said to his subordinates, "Everything will succeed or fail. Everything will fail. There are many examples in history. How can we know that our army will succeed?" Laozuo was brave and brave, and he was the first to succeed, but he was stubborn and self-serving and had no one in his eyes, which was the root of his failure. How do you know that his army will win? Chu General asked, "Teacher Zuo seems to be in the breast. What's a good plan?" Fish Stone answered, "The two armies are opposite, and the handsome are in the front or in the back, so they should act as they see fit. Now the soldiers of the Song Dynasty are attacking the city. The master will stand out in front and gallop with arrows and arrows. This is the great taboo of the soldiers. I have a trick. If we act according to plan, it will be hard to say whether Song Jun succeeds or fails.
The original fish stone is to let the Ministry down the arrow, shooting Laozuo, Laozuo is in front of the army, suddenly an arrow, into the chest five inches. Unfortunately, the horse fell and died. The Song Army had no leader, failed and fled in all directions.
Lao Zuo's family members were in the military tents of Song Ying, with maids, dozens of generals and dozens of guards. Suddenly heard that Laozuo was killed in battle, and saw the rush of defeated troops. All the families would drive in a hurry and the old lady fled. And fight and flee. By evening, although the pursuers had disappeared, there were only two maids and a driver beside the old lady. Home will not dare to stop for a moment, wear stars and wear the moon, go ahead in the dark, panic, run along the southwest direction. The next day, at dawn, I came to a remote village and asked the villagers about the way to the Song capital. They all shook their heads and said they didn't know. Families will only know that they should travel westward, but they are already south. A group of four people took a seven-day journey around the trail, but still did not see the capital of Song Dynasty. Instead, they came to Xiangyi of Chen State (now Luyidong, Henan Province). At the right time, the old lady suddenly felt pain in her abdomen. The old lady was pregnant in July. Laozuo fulfilled his promise before the emperor and went out with his family in the heart of victory. At this time, the old lady had the sadness of losing her husband, destroying other countries, anxiety in her heart, fatigue in her body, and even fetal movement in her abdomen. The maid panicked, and the house would stop by the roadside and rush to the village to find an old woman. But for a few moments, I only heard "wow" crying inside the caravan. A premature boy was born. This is Laozuo's son, Laozi. Lao Tzu was born, weak and big head, broad eyebrows and broad ears, clear eyes like the abyss, nose with two beams in the same way. Because his ears grew up, he was named "Gu". Because he was born in the year of Geng Yin Tiger (571 BC), his relatives called him "Little Beaver", which means "Little Tiger". Because between the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, people call "cat" as "beaver", which sounds like "Li Er". Over time, Lao Chang's nickname "beaver" became the name "Li Er" from generation to generation.
When the midwives saw the pity of their mothers and sons, they let five of them live in their own homes. Lao Zhang lives by opening a pharmacy. His surname is Chen. He is called Lao Da Chen. Therefore, they all call the old woman Mama Chen. Mother Chen, who had no children and no children, was kind and enthusiastic. She gave up three Western Chambers and left the old lady's family to live in. The old lady is grateful to meet this kind person in time of danger. Although she was displaced in the war, after all, because of a large family, she still has enough soft things to carry with her. In addition, the family will often help old father Chen to make a living, two maids to do housework, five old and young, life is also moist. From then on, Lao Zuo's wife and children lived in Chen Guo.
2. Learning
Lao Yi was wise and eager to learn from his childhood. He often pestered his family to listen to the rise and fall of the country, the success or failure of the war, the sacrifice of divination, and the observation of stars and phenomena. The old lady is looking forward to Jackie Chan. Please invite a professor who is proficient in the rites and music of Shang Dynasty. Shang Rongtong's astronomical geography, ancient and modern etiquette, is deeply respected by the Laodang family.
One day, Professor Shang Rong said, "Between heaven and earth, man is precious, among all the people, the king is the foundation." Lao Duan asked, "What is heaven?" The gentleman said, "Heaven, in the Qing Dynasty of Shangzhi." Lao Duan asked again, "What is the Qing Dynasty?" The gentleman said, "Clean man, space is also." "What's above space?" The gentleman said, "On the top of space, those who are clean are also clean." "What is above it?" "Those who are clearer than those who are clearer are clearer." Lao Duan asked again. "What is the exhaustion of the pure?" The gentleman said, "The sages have not been handed down, the ancient books have not been published, and the foolish teachers dare not speak in vain." In the evening, Lao Yi asked his mother with doubts, but her mother could not answer them. So he looked up at the sun, the moon and the stars, and looked down at what the sky was like, and could not sleep all night.
Another day, Professor Shang Lao said, "In the six-in-one, there are people in the world. Heaven has its own way, earth has its own geography, people have human relations, matter has its own nature and nature, so the sun, moon and stars are feasible; there is geography, so mountains, rivers and seas can become; there are human relations, so the superiority and inferiority can be separated. There are physical properties, so the length of the brittle can not be distinguished. Lao Duan asked, "Who will push the sun, moon and stars? Where are mountains, rivers and seas made by man? Who decides on the superiority or inferiority of the elder or the younger? The length is brittle. Who will draw it differently? The gentleman said, "All gods do what they do." Lao Duan asked. "Why can God do it?" The gentleman said, "God has the power to change. The work of creation can be done. Lao Duan asked, "Where can God come from?" When will God's work be ready? Mr. Wang said, "The first teacher has not been handed down, and the ancient books have not been published. The foolish teacher dares not speak in vain." At night, Lao Yi asked his mother with doubts, but her mother could not answer them. Ask the general, the family will not be able to speak. So think about things, touch things and kind, three days do not know the taste of food.
Another day, Professor Shang said, "The monarch is the one who takes the heaven for the world; the people, the monarch's ruler is also the one who takes the heaven for the world." If you don't do what God wants, you will be abolished. If the people don't obey you, they will be guilty. This is the way to govern the country. Lao Duan asked, "The people's livelihood is not for the king, and it is reasonable to disobey the king and pasture. Junsheng is the meaning of heaven. What is the reason why you betray heaven? The gentleman said, "God sent the emperor for heaven and reason. If a gentleman lives outside, his life will not be accepted. When you were born, God did not accept it." Lao Duan asked, "God has the power of change and the power of creation. Why don't you create a ruler who obeys orders?" The gentleman said, "The saints have not been preached before, and the ancient books have not been published. The foolish teacher dares not speak in vain." In the evening, Lao Yi asked his mother with doubts, but her mother could not answer them. So the people of Xiangyi who seek advice traveled all over the land of Xiangyi. They did not know wetness in the rain and blowing in the wind.
One day, Professor Shang Lao said, "Harmony is the most precious thing in the world. Loss of harmony leads to military confrontation, while confrontation leads to mutilation, mutilation leads to two injuries, and two injuries are harmful and unhelpful. For this reason, it is self-interest to benefit others and self-harm to others. Lao Duan asked, "Why don't you govern when the world loses harmony and the people do great harm?" The gentleman said, "The people's struggle is the loss of small harmony; the loss of small harmony is the result of small misfortune, but the monarch can govern it." National disputes mean the loss of great harmony, and the loss of Great Harmony leads to great calamities. If great calamities occur, how can the monarch govern himself? Lao Duan asked, "You can't be autonomous. Why doesn't God rule?" The gentleman said, "The wise man has not been handed down, the ancient books have not been published, and the foolish teacher dares not speak in vain." In the evening, Lao Yi asked his mother with doubts, but her mother could not answer them. So, visiting people of Xiangyi, reading books of Xiangyi, not knowing summer in summer, not knowing cold in winter.
Professor Shang Lao, who has been teaching for three years, came to the old lady to say goodbye: "The old man knows little, and he thinks smartly, and he teaches for three years. To leave now is neither the old man's endless nor the old man's diligence in his studies." It is true that the old man has learned a lot. Isn't it hard for a child to have an endless supply? Zhanger is a boy with ambition and great ambition; Xiangyi is a remote and isolated place. If you want to get rid of the pulp and become a jade, you need to go to Zhou Du for further study. Zhou Du, the classics are like the sea, the wise men are like clouds, and the holy place under heaven is also difficult to become a great instrument without entering it. When the old lady heard this, she was in a dilemma in her heart: first, when she was thirteen years old, Song Dynasty was still hard to return. Why not go to Zhou Dynasty for nine days? Second, Lao Shi only keeps this root. How can he rest assured that he will walk alone?
He hesitated to answer, but he guessed his dilemma and said, "Tell the truth, the old man and his brother are Dr. Taixue Zhou. They are knowledgeable, broad-minded, loving and respecting the talents, making a living by cultivating the talents, enjoying helping the talents, and recommending the talents." Numbers of household prodigies are selected by the people. Don't provide food and clothing, treat it like your own children. Doctor heard the old saying that knowledgeable children are good at learning and thinking, super-intelligent, long-term wish to see. Recently, a number of household servants passed by this place, specially writing to the old man, intending to take his son to Zhou. This is a golden opportunity in a thousand years. We should cherish it! _____________ When the old lady heard this, she couldn't help feeling sad and happy. Mr. Xie's recommendation made Duan's son have a chance to enter Zhou and have a way to climb Longmen. When can we see the sad mother and son separately? Think of this, as if the child has been thousands of miles away, unconsciously sad, tears. Lao Duan threw himself into his mother's arms and sobbed, "Mother need not be sad. He will never live up to the teacher's expectations. When I succeed in my career, I will surely come to pick up my mother as soon as possible!" Say, mother and son embrace and weep.
After crying for a long time, mother and son turned to be happy. Thank you for your recommendation. Three days later, the whole family and Mr. Shang sent Lao Gu to five miles away. Lao Yi knelt down one by one and went west with the doctor's servant. The old lady looked at the shadow of Duer far away before she got depressed in the car and returned sullenly.
Lao Gu entered Zhou, visited his doctor, entered Taixue, astronomy, geography, human relations and studied everything. He read poems, books of change, calendars, rituals and music all over the world. He learned cultural relics, regulations and historical books all over the world, and made great progress in three years. The doctor also recommended him to be an official in the storage room. Collection room is the collection place of classics of Zhou Dynasty. It collects the articles of the world and books of the world. It is full of sweats and cows. Lao Yi is among them, such as Jiaolong swimming into the sea, the vast sea leaps by the dragon; such as the eagle spreading its wings in the blue sky, the sky is high enough for birds to fly. Lao Wan was hungry and thirsty. He enjoyed a wide range of expositions. He was getting better and better. He was the source of rituals and music. He was clear about moral principles. Three years later, he moved to the Tibetan History. He was well-known and was widely heard in the world.
Lao Gu has lived for a long time on Sunday, and has gained more and more fame. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the learned person was called "Zi" to show respect. Therefore, people all called Lao Duan "Lao Zi".
3. Confucius'Inquiry of Rites
One day in 538 B.C., Confucius said to disciple Nangong Jingshu, "Zhou Zhishou is a master of Tibetan history, knows the origin of rites and music, and understands the essentials of morality. Now I want to go to Zhou for advice. Would you like to go with me? Nangong Jingshu readily agreed, and immediately reported to Lu Jun. Lu Jun is on his way. One car, two horses, one child and one imperial court were sent to Confucius by Jing Shu of Nangong. Laozi was very happy to see Confucius coming all the way. After the professor, he led Confucius to visit his doctor, Qian Hong. Qian Hongshan is good at music and teaches Confucius music rules and principles, introduces Confucius'sacrificial rites to gods, examines the place of propaganda and inspects the rituals of temple fairs, which makes Confucius sigh and benefit a lot. Stay for a few days. Confucius said goodbye to Laozi. Lao Duan sent it to the library and said, "I hear that the rich and the rich give money to others, and the benevolent and the righteous give words to others. I am not rich or noble, I have no money to give you; I would like to give you a few words. In today's world, those who are wise and deep-sighted may die as a result of their deaths, not only because they are ridiculous, but also because they are eloquent and knowledgeable. As a son of man, do not regard yourself as superior; as a minister, do not regard yourself as superior, hope you remember. Confucius said, "The disciples must keep in mind!"
Traveling to the shore of the Yellow River, we can see that the river is surging, the turbid waves are rolling, its momentum is like ten thousand horses galloping, and its voice is like the roar of tigers and thunder. Confucius stood on the shore and said without sighing, "Dead people like Shifu, do not give up day and night!" The water of the Yellow River keeps running, people's life goes on, the river doesn't know where to go, and life doesn't know where to go? When I heard Confucius'words, Lao Tzu said, "Between the heavens and the earth in life, the heaven and the earth are one." Heaven and earth are also natural things; life is also natural things; people have young, young, strong, old changes, like the alternation of spring, summer, autumn and winter, what is the sadness? Born in nature, died in nature, let it be, nature is not chaotic; run between benevolence and righteousness, nature is fettered. If merit and fame are kept in mind, anxiety will arise; if profit is kept in mind, worry will increase." Confucius explained: "I am worried about the road is not good, benevolence and righteousness are not applied, war is not over, national chaos is not governed, so there is a short life, can not contribute to the world, can not do for the people sigh!"
Lao Tzu said, "No one pushes the heavens and the earth, no one burns the sun and the moon, no one ranks the stars, and no animals are created by themselves. This is natural. Why bother people? The reason why people live, so there is no, so honor, so humiliation, all have the reason of nature, the way of nature. To follow nature's principles, to follow the way of nature, to be autonomous in the country, and to be self-righteous in the people, why should we advocate benevolence and righteousness with great reliance on rites and pleasures? It is far from human nature to advocate benevolence and righteousness with courtesy and pleasure. Like a man who seeks to run away by beating a drum, the louder he strikes, the farther he runs away!! ___________
After a short pause, Laozi pointed to the vast Yellow River and said to Confucius, "Why don't you learn the great virtue of water?" Confucius said, "What virtue does water have?" Lao Tzu said, "It is a virtue of humility to be good as water: water is good for all things without contention, and to be evil by all; therefore, the river and the sea can be king of grain, and the king of grain can be king of grain with its good. The world is not weaker than water, and those who attack the strong are not able to win, which is also a gentle virtue; therefore, the gentle wins the hard, the weak wins the strong. Because of its nonexistence, it can enter the infinite, from which we can know the benefit of teaching without words and doing nothing. When Confucius heard the words, he suddenly realized, "Sir, this remark made me feel better: everybody is on the top, water is alone; everybody is easy, water is dangerous; everybody is clean, water is dirty. Who argues with the man who does everything he does? That's why it's good." Lao Tzu nodded and said, "You can teach! You may remember that no one in the world can fight against the world, which is to follow the example of Shui De. Water is more than Tao: Tao is omnipresent, water is omnipotent, avoiding heights and tending downwards, without any reversal, good places; empty places are quiet and unpredictable. Good is a source; good is a source; good is a benevolent thing without exhaustion; good is a benevolent thing; good is a turning point, a turning point, a turning point, a turning point, a settling point, and a flow of good faith; clean up the masses, level the sublime, and good governance of things; carry the floating, learn from the clear, attack is a strong enemy, good use of energy; do not give up the day and night, make progress behind the branch, and treat the time well. Therefore, saints should act at any time, sages should act at all times; wise men should govern by doing nothing, and wise men by nature. After you leave, you should be arrogant in your words, except for your desire for appearance. Otherwise, the voice has been heard, the body has not arrived and the wind has moved, publicizing, such as tigers walking in the street, who dares to use you? Confucius said, "The words of the gentleman come from the heart and the spleen of the disciples. They benefit a lot and are unforgettable all their lives. The disciples will not neglect to obey and thank Mr. Xie for his kindness." After saying goodbye to Lao Tzu, he got on the bus with Uncle Jing of Nangong and drove reluctantly to the State of Lu.
Returning to the State of Lu, the disciples asked, "Can you see Mr. Lao Tzu's visit?" Confucius said, "See it!" The disciple asked, "What about Lao Tzu?" Confucius said, "Bird, I know it can fly; fish, I know it can swim; beast, I know it can walk. Walkers can use nets to bind them, tourists can use hooks to catch them, and flyers can use arrows to take them. As for dragons, I don't know why? Dragon rides on the wind and clouds for nine days! What I see about Lao Tzu is still a dragon? Knowledge is profound and unpredictable, but interest is high and difficult to know; such as snakes flexing and stretching at any time, such as dragons changing at the same time. Lao Yi, my teacher! "
4. Mother's funeral
In other words, Lao Guren Zhou kept the history of the Tibetan Chamber, returned home several times to his parents and tried to persuade his mother to go with him to Zhou. His mother lived in Xiangyi, Chen Guo for a long time, and was familiar with people, so she was reluctant to move far. The sun and the moon are like shuttles, and the time is running fast. It has been more than thirty years in a twinkling of an eye. One day, Lao Gu suddenly got home news. His mother was critically ill, so he reported to the Son of Heaven and went home for inspection. By the time she got home, her mother had passed away. Faced with a heap of loess on the vast land, the soul of the mother under the Nine Springs of Thought recalls her kindness and grace of nurturing. Lao Yi is grieved and desperate, sleeping and eating are useless, sitting on the floor, meditating, suddenly blunt; reasonable retrospect, suddenly enlightened, such as relieving the burden, melancholy, sudden sense of hunger and fatigue. So he had a good meal and fell asleep.
Home generals and waitresses are surprised to wake up and ask why. Lao Chang answered, "Life is born with sentiment and wisdom. Affection is the harmony of human relations and warmth of each other; wisdom is the reason to be reasonable and reasonable while the governing body is not chaotic. Love is attached to wisdom; wisdom is the master of love. If we use sentiment and wisdom, we will be fatuous and upside down; if we use wisdom to govern sentiment, we will be wise and appropriate. Mother's birth is like a mountain of grace. Today's mother left, the feeling is hard to break. It's hard to tell the truth. Difficulty without wisdom leads to disorder, so sorrow does not desire life. Now I sit up and meditate. Suddenly, I come to my senses and control my feelings with them. Therefore, I can control my situation and adjust my affairs. Feelings can be controlled, things can be rationalized, so the stomach hungry and hungry, body tired and sleepy.
The family general asked, "Why does wisdom govern sentiment?"
"Every man's life is from nothing to nothing; from nothing to nothing, it must be from something to nothing. When there is no mother and son, there is no mother and son; when there is mother and son, there is mother and son; when the mother goes to stay, the mother is ruthless and the child has only love; when there is no mother, there is also no love. Is there no difference between a time when there is no human relationship and a time when there is no human relationship? Wouldn't it be foolish to indulge in love and grief without desire for life? Therefore, it is difficult to break the feeling of flesh and blood, which is true of all people, and it is also true of nature if it is difficult to break without restraint. It's foolish to go against nature. So long as I think about it, I can sleep because of my loss of appetite. Everyone knows it, and their hearts are open-minded.
5. Laozi Jiaoyang Ziju
One day, Lao Du rode his cattle to the outskirts of Liang (Kaifeng, Henan Province today) and was watching with his eyes closed. He heard someone shouting "Sir". Old Gu heard the voice, opened his eyes and found that it was disciple Yangziju.
Yang Ziju, a native of Wei Dynasty, went to Taixue of Zhou Dynasty. He heard of Lao Tzu's profound knowledge and once worshipped Lao Tzu as a teacher. Unexpectedly, when Liang Hui met Lao Tzu, Yang Tzu rushed down from his tall horse, lifted up his golden green robe and knelt down in front of Lao Tzu's cattle. Lao Duan came down and helped Yang Ziju walk with him.
Lao Gu asked, "What have the disciples been busy with lately?"
Yangziju Shili said, "Come here to visit ancestors'houses, buy real estate, decorate beams, recruit servants and rectify family rules."
Lao Duan said, "It's enough to have a place to lie down and a place to eat. Why should we publicize it so much?"
"Mr. Yang Ziju said:" Mr. self-cultivation, quiet sitting, relaxed line, plain drinking, quiet sleeping, not a deep house alone, why can this be? How can we sustain a single household in a deep house without employing servants or spare equipment? Recruitment of servants, equipment, no family rules, how can it be cured?
Lao Duan laughed and said, "The road is natural, so you should not be strong and quiet. We can relax ourselves without asking for anything, drink without luxury and clear ourselves, and rest without desire and quiet ourselves. Why do you need a deep house for self-cultivation? Eat with hunger, breathe with fatigue, make with sunrise, and sleep with sunset. Why do we need public service at home? If you follow nature and do nothing, you will be in good health; if you camp on the back of nature, you will be in disorder and physically damaged."
Yang Zi's bosom friend was shallow and ashamed. "Disciples are vulgar. Thank you for your advice."
Lao Duan asked, "Where can I live in peace?"
Yang Yu Judao: "Pei (now Peixian, Jiangsu)."
Lao Duan said, "It's just the same company." Yangziju is very happy. Glad to go eastward with the teacher. When the water was difficult, they crossed by boat. Lao Duan leads the cattle first, and Yang Zi leads the horse later. Lao Chang is kind and smiling. Talk and laugh with fellow passengers; Yangzi holds his head high and his chest high, and the guests take their seats when they see it, and the boat owners offer tea towels when they see it. After a difficult time, they rode on. Lao Duan sighed, "Just look at your attitude, hold your head high, look at others arrogantly, be self-respectful, arrogant, can not teach it." Yang Zi, with a shame on his face, said earnestly, "Disciples are used to nature and must change it!" Lao Duan said, "If a gentleman lives with others, if the ice is released in water and he works with others, he is like a child serving humbly; if he is pure and flawless, he seems to be dirty and dirty; if he is rich in virtue, he seems to be vulgar and ordinary." When Yang Zi listened, he changed his original arrogance, his appearance was disgraceful and disrespectful, and his words were neither arrogant nor flattering. Lao Tzu praised him and said, "The boy has made a little progress! Man, born of his parents, stands between heaven and earth, as well as natural things. Valuable people and cheap things are against nature, noble people and cheap people are against nature, and so on, things and me as one, go with the tide, stop by the tide, words and deeds are not natural, it is in line with the Tao!"
6. Laozi taught Nanrong
In other words, Lao Yi lived in seclusion in the abundant land of the Song Dynasty, farming and eating by himself, weaving and clothing by himself. Knowing its name, it is not enough to be self-sufficient. Those who admire its name come one after another, asking for the prescription of Taoism, academic purpose and the essentials of life, so their disciples are all over the world.
There was a disciple named Geng Sang Chu, who was well versed in Lao Tzu's way and lived in the northern Mount of Fei Lei. Living for three years, the people's customs in the land of fear of Fortress changed greatly: men farm and have corn to eat, women weave and have clothes to wear, do their best, children and elders are not deceived, the people are harmonious, the world is peaceful. People want to make Geng Sang Chu the monarch. Geng Sang Chu smelled it and felt unhappy and wanted to move. The disciple was puzzled, Geng Sang Chu said, "A great beast can swallow a car when it opens its mouth, but it is strong enough to walk alone outside the mountains and forests. A giant fish can swallow a boat when it opens its mouth. Its strength is great, but when it leaps over the beach, the ants can eat it." So birds don't tire of sky, animals don't tire of forest, fish don't tire of sea depth, rabbits don't tire of holes. When the sky is high, birds can fly; when the forest is dense, animals can hide; when the sea is deep, fish can hide; when there are many holes, rabbits can escape. They all live to protect themselves. People who keep themselves alive should conceal their shape and hide their shadow, so they are not tired of being humble and mediocre.
One of Gengsang Chu's disciples, Nam Rong, is over 30 years old. Today, he heard about Gengsang Chu's theory of health preservation and wanted to seek the way of health preservation. Gengsang Chu said, "The ancients said that the bees could not hatch the worms, the chickens could not hatch the oriole, each had its own abilities, each had its own abilities. Sangchu's talent is limited, not enough to transform you. Why don't you go south to Song Guopei to seek advice from Mr. Lao Gu? Nanrong heard the words and said goodbye to Gengsang Chu. He went to Laoyang's house seven days and seven nights in the wind and snow.
Nanrong visited Lao Gu and said, "Disciple Nanrong, who is dull and ineffective in qualifications, has been here for seven days and seven nights to seek advice from saints." Lao Duan said, "What do you ask for?" "The way to keep fit." Lao Duan said, "The way to keep in good health is to keep calm and clear in mind. Those who are calm and clear will wash away the dirt in their hearts. The dirt in the heart is one of material desire and one of knowledge. To seek is to be calm in heart; to be calm in heart is to be dynamic and quiet. Motion and quiet are natural, then there is nothing in mind. So when you lie down, when you rise, when you act, when you stop, foreign things can not disturb your heart. Therefore, the road of learning Tao should be divided into internal and external ones, and those who acquire Tao should forget both internal and external ones. The inner is the heart; the outer is the thing. In addition to both inside and outside the desire, outside the lure of things; inside and outside the two forget the desire, outside the lure of things. From excepting to forgetting, the integration of inside and outside belongs to nature, so it reaches the main road. Nowadays, it is also desire that you never forget to learn Tao in your mind. Despite the desire to seek Tao, the mind is quiet; if the mind is quiet, the road can be built?" When Nanrong heard the words, his intention of seeking Tao painstakingly disappeared. If relieved of the burden, the body and mind have become cool and refreshing, open-minded, calm and indifferent. So he thanked Lao Duan and said, "My husband's words are ten years better than mine. Nowadays, Rong does not consult the Avenue, but wishes to receive the experience of health preservation.
Lao Duan said, "The way to keep fit is to be natural. Moving without knowing where to go, not knowing what to do, curling with things, flowing with waves, moving with the same virtue of Yang, quiet with the same wave of Yang. Its movement is like water, its silence is like mirror, and its response is like sound. This is the way to keep healthy. Nanrong asked, "Is this the perfect state?" Lao Duan said, "No. This is to melt one's heart and enter the beginning of nature. If you enter the perfect realm, you will live with animals and animals on the ground without feeling inferior, and enjoy heaven with immortals instead of being expensive; do not make new ideas, do not think of new ideas, do not worry, do not worry; come and go without knowing what you want, but do not know what you want." Nanrong asked, "Is this what it is like?" Lao Duan said, "No. Standing between the heaven and the earth is like a dead tree; the heart is in the form, like a burnt leaf dead ash. In this way, the sun is hot without feeling hot, the ice and snow are shining without knowing the cold, the halberd can not be injured, the tiger leopard can not be injured. So neither evil nor good will come. No misfortune, no pain, no joy."
7. Confucius worshiped Lao Tzu again
In other words, Confucius was different from Lao Yi. In a twinkling of an eye, he was seventeen or eighteen years old and had not yet learned the main road until he was fifty-one years old. Wen Laoguan returned to live in seclusion in Peipei, Song Dynasty, and visited Laozi with his disciples.
When Lao Tzu saw Confucius coming, he gave way to the main room and asked, "Don't go for more than ten years, I heard that you have become a great talent in the north. What's your advice on this visit? Confucius worshipped, "Although disciples are not talented, they have been traveling empty for more than ten years without entering the gate of the main road. So I came here to ask for advice. Lao Tzu said, "If you want to see the main road, you must first go to the beginning of things. Inside the world, outside the world. The characters of heaven and earth, sun and moon, mountains and rivers, have different shapes. The same people are born and died according to nature, and they all go with nature. Knowing their differences is to see their surface; knowing their similarities is to know their origins. If you look at the same thing from different perspectives, you can move your mind to the beginning of things. At the beginning of things, they are merged into one, invisible and asexual. Confucius asked, "What's the pleasure of seeing the same thing?" Lao Tzu said, "If you look at the same thing, everything will be alike." I have everything, right and wrong. Therefore, life and death can be regarded as day and night, with good fortune, good fortune and bad fortune, without value or shame, without honor or disgrace, with an ancient well in mind, where is it that you do your own thing and enjoy yourself?
According to Confucius, we can see that our bodies are useless, and we can see that our names are similar to dung. What shape is there before you think of your next life? What's your honor? What skin do you have after your death? What is the value? So the heart of seeking benevolence and righteousness and imparting etiquette disappeared, relieved, carefree and leisurely. Laozi went on to say, "The Tao is deep like the sea, tall like the mountains, and everywhere around the world, with endless flow of things, which can not be obtained, which can not be reached!" Taoists are those who give birth to heaven and earth without decay, who give aid to all things without deficiency; those who get high from heaven and thick from earth, who get by day and month, and those who get by time and in order from time to time, and those who get by everything. Confucius heard of it, such as Tengyun, such as the bottom of the sea, such as into the mountains, such as Qin objects, the integration of heaven and me, all things, all things are their own, relaxed and happy, can not help but admire: "Broad enough!" Broad enough! Boundless! I've been alive for 51 years and only know about benevolence, righteousness and etiquette. Do you know that the world is so vast? Happy life, let's talk again! What more?" Lao Tzu saw that Confucius had entered the gate of the main road and said with a joke: "Sages live in the world, do not turn back when things happen, do not abide by things, follow the logistics, do everything naturally. He who harmonizes and conforms to the situation is a man of virtue, and he who conforms to the situation is a man of Tao." Confucius heard that if clouds float, they will follow the wind; if water flows, they will move. Happy Way: "Yo-yo! Leisure! Drifting in the sea by boat and driving on land. Why should we use our own efforts to replace boats? Gentleman's character is neither different nor good or false. Wonderful! Wonderful! Speak again! What more?" Lao Tzu said, "From the original view of the universe, everything is gasified, gasified and extinguished. People's life is also the gathering of Qi; people's death is also the dispersal of Qi. Life is born between heaven and earth, like a foal crossing a gap, and suddenly it is over. The life of all things is vigorous and vigorous, and there is no one who can not but have it; all kinds of people multiply and change in a thousand ways, and they can not start without it and return to nothing. The life of things is from nothing to nothing; the death of things is from something to nothing. Yes, gas gathers and can be seen; no, gas scatters and can not be seen. Yes, it is Qi. Nothing is Qi, and everything is Qi, so life and death are also Qi. Isn't it strange that there are no deceased among the living, but people are happy when they see life and sad when they see death? The death of a man is like dismantling the bondage of his body, getting rid of the bondage of his temperament, and returning from the temporary world to the original situation. Man is far away from the original, like a wanderer who is far away from his native land; death is a return to the original, like a wanderer who returns to his native land, so that his life does not feel happy and his death does not feel sad. Those who get the Tao regard life and death as one, life as happiness and death as rest; they regard right and wrong as the same, neither right nor wrong; they regard nobility and lowness as one, neither cheap nor cheap, noble or noble; they regard honor and disgrace as equal, neither honor nor honor nor disgrace. Why? Standing on the avenue, viewing things fundamentally, life and death, right and wrong, nobility and humility, honor and disgrace, are human values, but also the state of instantaneous change. In essence, it is the same but not the same. Knowing this avenue, it will follow its changes without lingering in mind, alternating between the sun and the moon, natural earthquake, wind roar, tsunami, thunder and electric shock and calmly place it at ease.
Confucius heard that he was a magpie, flying in the branches; he was a fish, swimming in the rivers and lakes: he was a bee, gathering nectar flowers; he was a man, seeking Tao in Laoyang. Can not help but open-minded, said: "I stand at thirty, forty and not confused, now fifty-one knows what is created into it!" To make me a magpie is to follow the nature of the magpie, to make me a fish is to follow the nature of the fish, to make me a bee is to follow the nature of the bee, and to make me a man is to follow the humanity. Magpies, fish, bees and people are different, but the changes in nature are the same; the changes in nature, that is to say, along the way; standing in different places, wandering in Datong, it is also in the road. I seek the Tao day by day, I don't know it's in me!" Say goodbye, get up and say goodbye.
8. Lao Tzu's Exit from Customs
Laozi finally saw that the Zhou Dynasty was getting weaker and weaker. He decided to go away and fly away. This is about Lao Tzu's departure from customs.
Laozi wants to go to the Qin State and the Western Regions, which has to go through Hangu Pass. Another way of saying is that big customs clearance. Hangu Pass was originally in Lingbao County of Henan Province today, but later it moved to Xin'an County of Henan Province today. There are two mountains confronting each other, and there is a path in the middle. Because the road is deep and dangerous in the valley, it seems to be in a letter, so it is named Hangu Pass.
The chief guard is Yin Xi, who is called Guan Ling Yin Xi. This day he was standing in the city closing and looking, only to see a purple air drifting from the East in Guangu. Guan Ling Yinxi is a man of great accomplishment and knowledge. When he saw this kind of weather, his heart was beaten. This is the coming of a saint! Only saints can have such clouds. Today, saints must pass through my city gates. I don't know who they are. In a few moments, I saw a man with extraordinary and immortal character, riding a green cattle slowly to the crossing. It's Lao Tzu! Guan Ling Yinxi knew that he was going to go far and fly high, so he must let the most famous contemporary thinker leave his wisdom behind. He was entangled with him and asked him to write some works as a condition for his release from the customs.
Lao Tzu is certainly reluctant, but he won't let Yin Xi pass the customs unless he promises to pass the customs. He won't give you a passport visa. Laozi couldn't help it, so he had to agree to the terms. In addition, Lao Tzu promised him another reason. According to the materials in the Collection of Historical Records, Guan Ling Yinxi "studied the stars in Shannei", so he could see the sky, the stars, the clouds and the purple air, and he knew that the sage was coming. We just can't understand this purple air. It is said that Guan Ling Yinxi has his own work, named Guan Lingzi. Laozi also admires the great master of "the essence of clothes, the hidden virtues and the benevolence". "It is also known that it is strange", so there is a feeling of having a bosom friend.
At that time, Lao Tzu meditated and wrote his wisdom word by word on the slips. First, he wrote the first article and then the next one, which was said to have been written for several days. After writing a number, there are more than 5,000 words, named "Tao Te Jing", "Tao Jing" in the first part, and "De Jing" in the second part, which are divided into 81 chapters. So a great earth-shaking work of "5000 words" was born! It is said that Guan Ling Yinxi was deeply intoxicated and attracted by such wonderful works. He said to Lao Tzu, "After reading your works, I don't want to be a border officer anymore. I'm going to run away with you." Lao Tzu smiled and agreed. It is said that Guan Ling Yin Xizhen left with Lao Tzu. Later, some people saw them together in the quicksand of the Western Regions, and they both lived for a long time.
Lao Tzu's exit from customs has always been legendary and deduced by people. Mr. Lu Xun also took an interest in it. He also created a new story, Lao Tzu's Exit from Customs, and fought a little ink battle with others. In addition, Lao Tzu's "purple air coming east" has become a gene in Chinese culture. The Imperial House regards "purple air" as auspicious and auspicious. If you have a child full of purple air, the ancients think that the child must have great potential. People's homes also regard "purple air" as a symbol of auspiciousness, so they write the words "purple air coming east" on the door and so on. The ancestors also believed that where there were treasures, there would be purple air in the sky.
Interestingly, Laozi's "Qingniu" has also become a famous image in Taoist culture, and Qingniu has become a mount of immortals and Taoists. Later, "Qingniu" became the pronoun of Laozi, Laozi was also known as "Qingniu Master" and "Qingniu Weng". The Qingniu was also regarded as a divine cow by the people in Laozi's hometown. It was said that Laozi flew by the Qingniu when he left the customs, and there was a wonderful legend.
Today, in the northeast corner of Laozi's hometown, Luyi County, Henan Province, there is a platform about 13 meters high, called "Laojuntai", also known as "Shengxiantai", on which there is a Laozi Temple. In front of the temple, there is an iron pillar with a thick bowl mouth, which is called "driving the whip". Legend has it that Lao Tzu taught here in his 50s. There are many roads from his home. Every time he came and went, he would pass a mountain called "Yinyang Mountain". The mountain is very high, shading the sun, the north can not see the sun, ice and snow, barren grass. In the south of the mountain, the sun was shining, the crops died and the people suffered. Lao Tzu witnessed all this, although he wanted to save the people, but he had more heart than enough strength. Now riding the green cattle flew over Hangu Pass, knowing that they had become immortals, and that the green cattle could speak, so they flew home to manage the mountain together. When I arrived at my hometown, Laozi whipped the mountain, cut off the top of the mountain, and flew to Shandong to become Mount Tai. Another whip, hit the mountainside to Henan, became Pingdingshan. Then the whip broke and the whip flew to Shanxi. Lao Tzu saw that there was only one rod left in his whip, and then he put it in the ground. This is the origin of the iron whip. Lao Tzu flew away again on a green bull, and the whip rod remained there forever. The people thanked Lao Tzu for coming to drive away the mountains, because from then on, Lao Tzu's hometown had a good day with good weather. When Laozi was whipping away from the hill, the people called the earth platform "Shengxiantai" and the iron pillars on the ground "driving the mountain whip". Tang Gaozu Li Yuan respected Lao Tzu as "Lao Shang Lao Jun" and called this stage "Lao Jun Tai". He also built temples and offered sacrifices. —— What a magnificent imagination the common people have! Reading this legend of Lao Tzu's hometown, I feel that Lao Tzu is living among the people with flesh and blood. Lao Tzu's culture has accumulated bit by bit. China's profound and broad culture has been derived bit by bit and accumulated layer by layer.