Mencius said, "Andy took it from me and pulled out a dime to benefit the world, not for his own sake." (The History of the Three Kingdoms) Lu Chunqiu (3rd century BC) said: "Yang begets oneself." (Textual Research) Everything is done by Han Feizi (3rd century BC) said: "Today, some people are here, but they are born again, not belonging to Cheng Wei, not to the army, not taking advantage of the world." Huai Nanzi (2nd century BC) said, "All talents are faithful and things are never tired: the foundation of Andy." ("general training")
Among the above quotations, Yang Sheng mentioned in Lv Chunqiu was recently proved by scholars to be Yang Zhu. Everything goes wrong "said" don't take advantage of the world ",it must be Yang Zhu or his disciples, because no one else had this idea at that time. Synthesizing these materials, we can get two basic concepts of Yang Zhu: "for me" and "light things for rebirth". These ideas are obviously opposed to Mozi who advocates universal love. Doing everything wrong and saying that Yang Zhu is not easy to benefit the world is somewhat different from Mencius' saying that one hair of Yang Zhu is not good for the world. But these two statements are consistent with Yang Zhu's basic thinking. The latter is consistent with "for me", and the former is consistent with "light things and rebirth". The two can be said to be two sides of the same theory.
Examples of Yang Zhu's Basic Thought
The above two aspects of Yang Zhu Thought can be exemplified in Taoist literature. There is a story in "Zhuangzi Xiaoyao Tour" that says: "Yao lets the world take charge. ..... Xu You said: Zi governs the world, the world has been governed, and I am still a son. Will I be named? Celebrities are real guests. Will I be a guest? Wren nest in the depths of the forest, but only one; The mouse drank the water from the river, but the river was full. Return to Hugh or Jun? Children are useless, and the world is everything. " The hermit gave him the world, even if he gave it away for nothing, he didn't want it. Of course, he doesn't take advantage of the world. This is an example mentioned in Yang Zhu Thought.
As mentioned earlier, in Liezi's Yang Zhu, there is a story that says; The bird asked Yang Zhu, "What do you think of pulling out a hair from your daughter to save the whole life?" Andy said: The world is not a drop in the ocean. The bird said: False aid, why? Andy responded. The bird said Yang. Meng Sunyang said, Your son doesn't like your master's wishes. Please speak up. If someone violated his skin and got a million dollars, what if he did? Say: for it. Meng Sunyang said: Take a break and get a country. Where's the son? There was silence among the birds. Meng Sunyang said: A hair is slightly smaller than the skin, and the skin is slightly smaller than a section, saving time. However, a hair accumulates to form a skin, and the skin accumulates to form a knot. A hair is one in ten thousand, but how can it be light? "This is another example of Yang Zhu's theory." Liezi Yang Zhu also said: "The ancients lost a dime to benefit the world, and they were harmonious but different; Knowing that the world is full of clothes, I won't take them. Everyone loses nothing, and everyone is not good for the world: the world is ruled. " This sentence well summarizes two aspects of Yang Zhu's theory and early Taoist political philosophy.
Yang Zhu Thought in Zhuangzi and Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals
Yang Zhu's philosophical thoughts are generally derived from Laozi (for example, Chapter 13 of Laozi says, "If it is a country, it can be made in the world. Love is the world, if you can trust it. " Chapter 80 of Laozi: "I am willing to eat, dress beautifully, live in peace and enjoy customs." )。 Yang Zhu's basic thoughts are reflected in Zhuangzi and Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals. "Lu Chunqiu" said: "I was born today, which is what I own and what I like. On dignity, it is not enough to compare with being the son of heaven. As far as its weight is concerned, it is not easy to be rich in the world. As far as its security is concerned, once it is lost, it will be lost for life. These three are also cautious about those who have the means. " This passage (Meng values himself) explains why things should be reborn lightly. Even if you lose the world, you may get it back one day, but once you die, you can't live anymore. Some words in Laozi also contain the same idea. For example, "you are the world, if you can send it to the world;" Love is the world, if you can trust it. " (Chapter 13) That is to say, in dealing with people, a person who values his body more than the world can give him the world; He who loves himself more than the world can entrust the world to him. Another example is "name and body: who is close?" Physical goods: how much? "(Chapter 44) all show the concept of belittling things and rebirth. Zhuangzi's "Health Master" said; Good has no near name, and evil has no near punishment. The Governor thinks that you can protect yourself, spend your life peacefully, support your relatives and spend your old age peacefully. "This is also the route of Yang Zhu Thought, which the pre-Qin Taoists thought was the best way to protect themselves from the world. If a person's behavior is very bad and punished by society, it is obviously not a complete way of life. But if a person's behavior is too good and gets a good reputation, this is not the way to live. Another article in "Zhuangzi" said: "The mountain wood decays from itself. The paste is fried by itself. Edible in Guangxi, cut. Cut the paint if you have it. "A person who enjoys a talented and useful reputation will have the same fate as laurel and sumac.
So there are some words in Zhuangzi that praise is useless. In the article "The World on Earth", it is said that big oak trees are useless and craftsmen don't cut them down. The oak tree said to the craftsman in a dream; "Nothing is available for a long time. Some died, but now, it is of great use. Giving is also useful. Do you have to be so evil? " The article finally said; "Everyone knows what is useful, but they don't know what is useless." Useless is the law of life. People who are good all their lives should not do more evil, but they should not do more good. He must live between good and evil. He tried to be useless, but in the end being useless was of great use to him.
Development of Taoism
After Laozi, Taoist thought developed in two directions: a group of people of Xia Ji School focused on social politics and wanted to link Laozi's thought with Guan Zi's, so that Taoism changed from metaphysical pursuit to metaphysical operation and formed a set of ways to govern the country; The latter, represented by Andy, Liezi and Zhuang Zhou, pays attention to self, freedom and authenticity. Belongs to the pursuit of inner spiritual life.
The starting point of Taoist philosophy is to avoid harm for life. In order to avoid injury all his life, Yang Zhu's method is "avoidance". How to avoid injury? "Seven Signs of Yun Qi" points out: "Avoid harm first. who is it? Far suspicion, far villain, far profit, far line; Watch your mouth, your tongue, your troubles, your strength. Always think about mistakes and change them to good ones. I can also understand astronomy, geography, personnel, ghosts and gods, fortune and numbers. If so, work with the holy spirit, just like the sky. "
But even so, there is still no absolute guarantee. There are always some unexpected factors in the changes of nature, society and things. Be careful. There is still the possibility of being victimized. Lao Tzu said bluntly, "I have a big patient, because I have a body, and I have no body." What's wrong with me! " (Chapter 13 of Laozi) This profound statement is played in many places in Zhuangzi, resulting in the concept of life and death and the theory of one thing and one thing. It means to look at life and death from a higher angle, look at me. Seeing things from this higher perspective can transcend the real world. This is also a form of "avoidance"; However, not from society to mountains, but from this world to another world. There is a story in Zhuangzi's Mountain Tree, which shows all these developments. The story says, "Zhuangzi walked on the mountain and saw Ye Sheng Mao, a big branch of wood. The woodcutter stopped by and asked him why. Say: Nothing is available. Zhuangzi said, "This wood is not made of wood.
"Master mountain, he is in an old friend's house. The old friend was happy and ordered the upright man to kill the goose and cook it. Lizi, please say: its
One can sing and the other can't: Please kill? The master said; Kill the mute. Tomorrow, the disciple asked Zhuangzi: "Yesterday's tree in the mountains ended without material;" Today's master's goose, dead without material: where will Mr.
Zhuangzi said with a smile: Week will be between material and immaterial. Between material and immaterial, it is similar, not too, but too tired to let go. If the husband rides morally, it is not. No fame, no pride, one dragon and one snake, keep pace with the times, no one wants to do it; Up and down, with harmony as the quantity, floating in the ancestor of all things; Things and things are not things, then Hu can get and hate! "
The first part of this story shows Yang Zhu's life theory, and the second part is Zhuangzi's theory. The "material" mentioned here is equivalent to the "doing good" mentioned by the "health master" quoted earlier. "Incompetence" is equivalent to "doing evil". Between Materiality and Non-materiality is equivalent to The Fate of Rulers Thinking about Classics. But if a person can't see the problem from a higher angle, then none of these methods can absolutely guarantee that he won't be hurt. However, looking at things from a higher perspective means canceling yourself. We can say that Taoism in the pre-Qin period was used by me. It's just that later development led me to the opposite side and canceled myself.