During the Spring and Autumn Period, Laozi combined the great wisdom of ancient sages and sages. Summarized the essence of ancient Taoist thought and formed a complete theoretical system of Taoism, which marked the formal formation of Taoist thought. It has a profound influence on China's philosophy, literature, science and technology, art, music and medical care.

Taoism takes "Tao" as the core, thinks that the avenue is inaction, advocates the nature of Tao, and puts forward political, economic, governing the country and military strategies such as Taoism, guarding men and women, and combining rigidity with softness. It has simple dialectical thought, is an extremely important philosophical school in "a hundred schools of thought contend", exists in various cultural fields in China, and has a great influence on the culture of China and even the world.

A large number of Chinese and foreign scholars began to notice and absorb the positive thoughts of Taoism, so scholars said: "Taoist thought can be regarded as the great product of the Chinese nation." It is the center of the national thought, with the spirit of' the benevolent regards it as benevolence, the knower regards it as knowledge, and the people do not know it for daily use'. "

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Taoism, based on the Taoist thoughts of Huang and Lao, inherited the immortal magic of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

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The origin of Taoism can be traced back to Emperor Taigu. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Laozi collected the great wisdom of ancient sages, summed up the essence of ancient Taoist thought, and formed a moral theory of inaction. It marks the formal formation of Taoist thought. Since then, it has become the supreme treasure of governing the country in past dynasties. With Huangdi, Yi Yin, Taigong, Xin Qiji, Xunzi, Laozi, Wen Zi, Liezi, Zhuangzi, Guan Zi and Guo Guan as the main representatives, they advocate "doing nothing, being simple, moving with the times, changing with things" and so on. It is particularly important that although Taoism has classic works, its thoughts are not limited to works.

The formation of Taoist thought takes summing up, developing and writing classics as the main path. Every leap in thought has gone through an extremely long period of accumulation, once again highlighting the vitality of Taoism. Taoist figures can make contributions to the WTO; In the long river of history, whenever a disaster comes, Taoist figures challenge the chaotic source of the disaster with a lofty spirit, punish evil and promote good, and set things right, thus stirring up many legendary chapters.

When Guo Guanzi was educating Pang Xian, he listed the basic practice direction of a Taoist scholar, which he called nine ways, namely, "one is virtue, the other is yin and yang, the third is dharma, the fourth is celestial officials, the fifth is divination, the sixth is geisha, the seventh is human feelings, the eighth is weapons and the ninth is soldiers." Both are indispensable, only more and less, and those who can become Taoists must be all-round talents.

There is no way to deal with Tao, but it is suitable for change. Historian Sima Tan said in Six Books. Taoism "changes with the times, with things", "nothing-oriented, adaptation for use", "inaction, impermanence", "keep pace with the times" and "keep pace with the times". Therefore, Tai Shigong emphasized' change'. This is due to the professional advantages and profound knowledge background of Taoism. Taoism comes from official history. In ancient times, the historian's duties were mainly to observe the stars, make calendars, manage royal classics and collect files, and was in charge of all the precious classics owned by Chinese tribal matriarchal society to paternal society, so he was a scholar who knew the knowledge group like the back of his hand at that time.

The source of thought

On the Six Essentials in Historical Records;

Taoism makes people single-minded, energetic, invisible and supports everything. It is also a skill. Because of the harmony between Yin and Yang, we should adopt the goodness of Confucianism and Mohism, sum up the essence of the law, keep pace with the times, conform to the changes of things, establish customs, and do everything unsuitable. It is easy to operate with reference to the agreement and get twice the result with half the effort.

Taoism is inaction, and it is said that everything is ready. In fact, it is easy to do, and its words are difficult to understand. Its technology is based on nothingness and uses conformity. Nothing is impermanent, so we can study the feelings of everything. Not for things first, not for things later, you can become the master of everything.

Hanshu Yiwenzhi:

Because of historians, the Taoists recorded the way of success, failure, survival, happiness and misfortune in ancient and modern times, and then knew that we should stick to this principle, be self-controlled, be humble and weak, and be self-sustaining. This gentleman is also skilled in the south. Suitable for Yao's hustle and bustle, easy to bang and modest, which is also its strength. If you let go, you will be heartbroken, learn etiquette and abandon righteousness, saying that clearing up deficiency alone can be treated.

Encyclopedia of China's Philosophy:

One of the main schools of ancient philosophy in China, taking Tao as the final origin of the world, was named Taoism. Founder Lao Zi. Its main representatives are Yin, Zhuangzi, Tian Pian and so on. In addition to Laozi and Zhuangzi, there are Huangdi Neijing, Wen Zi, Liezi, Guanzi, Guanzi, Shilu Chunqiu and Huainanzi.

Taoism regards Tao as the origin of the world, takes weakness as the role of Tao and advocates inaction. Because of the different understanding of Tao and inaction, they are divided into different factions, and the ideological centers of each faction are also different, either leaning towards governing the country or governing the body. There are 37 schools with 993 articles, each of which is different and has its own unique style and characteristics.

The Taoist world outlook system of "Tao gives birth to one, destiny gives birth to two, destiny gives birth to three, and destiny gives birth to everything" is similar to "Yi Zhuan", which puts forward that "Yi Tai Chi means two instruments, two instruments give birth to four images, and four images give birth to eight diagrams". Laozi believes that three talents give birth to everything; Confucius believed that the four images of Yin and Yang (old Yin and Lao Yang, less Yin and less Yang) gave birth to everything.

On the contention of a hundred schools of thought in Taoism from Yan Zi;

"In the ancient three generations, learning was in the officer, not in the people, and the people of weeds were not allowed to be elegant. Only Laozi, as a historian, holds the key to the library of knowledge for thousands of years, and he can open and close it. So when I came out, I exhausted the secrets of heaven and earth and collected the merits of ancient and modern times. Scholars are all over the world Taoism became popular among the people. Since there are many Taoists, they go their separate ways. Everyone has his own teacher. The study of the nine schools of agency. The names of these nine streams are Xing Yan. "

Introduction to pre-Qin learning;

"The study of Taoism is actually the program of various schools. All the philosophers used the early period of the Ming Dynasty, while the Taoism was unified, and all the philosophers used it, and the Tao was its body. "

Ethnicity

1. Origin: According to Hanshu Literature and Art, Taoist books include The Four Classics of Huangdi, Huangdi Ming, Huangdi's Monarch and Minister, Huangdi Miscellanies, Limu, Yijing, Taigong, Xinjia and Xunzi. In addition, different from the origin of Confucian culture in Zhou Culture, Taoist scholars mostly come from Song, Chu, Qin, Qi and other countries, suggesting that Taoist thought is closely related to Xia Dynasty and Yin Shang culture.

2. Stereotype: At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, marked by the appearance of Laozi's Tao Te Ching, Taoist thought has been fully formed.

3. Prosperity: After Laozi, during the Warring States Period, Taoism was divided into different factions and there were six famous factions. In addition to Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, Yang Zhu School, Huang Lao School, Tian Dao School, Lao Zi School and other schools all flourished, among which Huang Lao School was the most prosperous. At that time, Huang Lao's thought not only became Tian Ji's thought of governing the country, but also exerted great influence on various schools of thought through a hundred schools of thought contending. Moreover, it also played a certain role in the Qin Dynasty during the Chu and Zhou Dynasties, so that Mr. Meng at the end of the Warring States Period said that "the prosperity of Huang Lao alone overwhelmed a hundred families".

4. Frustration: Before the Qin Dynasty unified China, it organized people to compile Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, focusing on Taoism and synthesizing various theories. Obviously, Lv Buwei wants to regard it as a unified ideology. However, Qin Shihuang, who was in power later, chose Legalism. Soon after the unification of China, he burned books and buried Confucianism, which frustrated hundred schools of thought, including Taoism.

5. Brilliance: After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, due to the destruction of long-term war, on the basis of reflecting on Qin's ruling thought, Taoism was chosen as the concept of governing the country, creating a prosperous era called "the rule of culture and scenery". Kan Ze recorded that Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty "took Lao Zi as the classics and established Tao", and before Emperor Wu respected the Six Classics, Huang Lao's book was upgraded to the classics.

6. Repression: Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion of "worshipping Confucianism", and the development of Taoism was temporarily suppressed.

7. Resurrection: During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, talk about the rise of metaphysics and the revival of Taoist thought. But this time, the focus is not on Huang Lao, but on the reinterpretation of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, which formed a profound metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Since then, Laozi and Zhuangzi have become Taoist orthodoxy, which has continued to this day.

8. Concealment: After Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, although Taoist thought has repeatedly become the first aid kit for governing the country after chaos and the spiritual sustenance of literati after frustration, it can only continue to play a role in philosophy, science and technology. It was not until the Tang and Song Dynasties that Taoism reached its peak, so scholars said that the Buddhist thought in the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist and Confucian thought in the Song Dynasty were in a "big period", but the strength of Taoism overwhelmed the two major religions. In the Yuan Dynasty, Taoism was marginalized. In addition, Taoism was once combined with Buddhism to form a Chinese-style Buddhism-Zen Buddhism, and Taoism played an important role in the formation of Neo-Confucianism and Yangming's Mind.

9. Revival: In the late Qing Dynasty, with the impact of the West, the Confucian ruling order was strongly impacted, and Taoism had many similarities with western liberal democracy, so Taoism revived again. 199 1 year, Mr. Dong Guangbi first refined and put forward the concept of contemporary neo-Taoism, which was warmly responded by Chen Guying and others. Since then, new theories such as Taoism, Taoism, heaven liberalism and self-realization have appeared, among which Taoism and other theories have been applied and popularized in real life.

Is Taoism negative?

Whether Taoism is negative or not has been debated for generations, and now there are three major misunderstandings.

(1) thinks that Taoism seeks vanity, lives in dirt and passively avoids the world.

When you open the books of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, you can see the words of weakness, uselessness and inferiority everywhere. However, Taoism does not mean this. Just as a person looks down on his boss and his subordinates, this is different. Taoism pays more attention to the transcendental realm of success and prosperity, and is not tired of things, rather than using these excuses to ask for help, help and lazy people. In addition, some people often think that Taoism avoids the world, but it is not. "Tao is hidden in time, and it is now in waste." This sentence has always appeared in many Taoist classics, and those who really avoid the world are "Taoist people" who dare not face the reality with Taoism as the shell.

(2) It is believed that Taoism is laissez-faire, and inaction means inaction.

The common word "inaction" in Taoism does not mean doing nothing, but doing things according to the Tao and the law. In fact, inaction is the ultimate goal, which makes people simple and natural, does not do evil, and makes people complacent and rich. It seems that they should have all this, that is, what people call "I am natural". Taoism is not resigned to fate, but is born with nature, not contaminated with physical things and not tired of things.

(3) Taoism is considered too fantastic.

Taoism is not a family of yin and yang. Nowadays, under the guise of Taoism, the so-called yin and yang change and the five elements are born together. Most people sell dog meat by hanging sheep's heads. The original intention was just to make money. And people who really make achievements will not be like this.

Besides, Taoism pursues simplicity, but a better way of life, rather than counting yin and yang, making money and seeking temporary happiness. (To be continued)

Zizheng academy Chinese culture education