Taiping Jing has a wide range of contents, involving heaven and earth, yin and yang, five elements, ten branches, disasters and immortals. There are different opinions on the ecological ethics in Taiping Jing. The following is a modern interpretation of the ecological ethics of Taiping Jing collected by me, hoping to help you!
Paper Keywords: Modern Enlightenment of Taoist Ecological Ethics in Taiping Jing
Abstract: Taiping Jing holds that "Tao" gives birth to all things, all beings are equal, and all things in the world benefit. Although everything is classified, it has its own meaning and value, and everything is sacred. People's attitude towards other natural objects should take "attaching importance to life" as the standard and "* * * living * * glory" as the basic principle. The poetic living state of rich everything and emotional blending is the ideal state between man and nature; Therefore, people should restrain their greed and preserve the endless vitality of all things in nature. "Heaven does nothing, let nature take its course", and people should "God helps the living and the earth helps the shaping" and live in harmony with nature poetically.
The Book of Rites says: the sacrifice of heaven and earth, the things of ancestral temples, the way of father and son, the righteousness of monarch and minister, and ethics. Since ancient times, China's ethical issues have not only discussed the problems between people, but also discussed the relationship between people and ghosts and gods. China people's ethical concept covers a wide range, which has been related to faith since ancient times, and faith, heaven and earth, and personnel are integrated. The ecological ethics of China people strongly embodies this feature.
Taiping Jing, formerly known as Taiping Ching Ling Shu, is an important Taoist classic in early China. The book was written at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and its contents are complicated. Its basic ideas come from the Huang family, including theology and various alchemy ideas. Ecological ethics is an important part of this book. As an important part of China's traditional cultural resources, its basic views on environmental issues have extremely important implications for us today. Volume 35 Divide the Rich and the Poor, Volume 36 Keep the Three Treasures Method, Volume 45 Three Urgent and Three Blessings Method, Volume 45 Digging for Books, Volume 50 Vegetation Strategy, Volume 71 Sexual Strategy, Volume 98 Breathing in the Air, Volume 98 Breathing in the Air Strategy. The four strange commandments that insult Taoism, 1 18, 154- 170, the tactics of burning grass in the fields, and the law of harmony between yin and yang have all made concrete discussions on ecological problems. In addition, there are some scattered in other chapters. This book's exposition of ecological problems is combined with other ideas and has the same philosophical basis. The discussion of ecological problems only appears as a whole link, which is inseparable from Taoism's cognition of human society and its enlightenment to human nature.
First, the main content of ecological ethics in Taiping Jing
1. Heaven and man are one family, and everything is rich.
In Taiping Jing, it seems that heaven and earth are the mother of all things, and between man and nature, man is in the position of manager, representing heaven and earth to rule all things. People's attitude towards heaven and earth should follow the social and ethical norms of loving father and filial piety; The attitude towards other species should be based on the principle that * * * is born with * * *.
The forty-fifth volume of Taiping Jing, The Sixty-first Tactic of Writing Books from the Earth, says: "The husband, the soil and the three qi are in harmony, and the internal phase is * * *, which is opposite to * * to rule life and * * to support everything. ..... With the earth as our mother, we have to feed ourselves, and we don't love or benefit from it. People are ungrateful, unreasonable, and have made great achievements on the earth. The only mother is worried about the filial piety of all children ... so the father's disaster has resumed, and the mother is angry and supports nothing. Parents angry, son Ann? ……"。 The first question explained by this passage is the core position of heaven, earth and man in the universe. Heaven and earth are the foundation of globalization, and everything is born from heaven and earth and nurtured by them. Secondly, the importance of human status, heaven and earth nurture everything, and people are the most concentrated representatives. Man not only obtains life from heaven and earth, but also represents everything in heaven and earth and fulfills his obligations and responsibilities to heaven and earth. Man is the ruler or manager of all things in the world. After determining the basic orientation of human beings, what standards should people follow in their attitude and behavior towards heaven and earth? According to Taiping Jing, since there is a father and son between them, they should take the path of father and son. Therefore, people should treat the world that breeds everything as if they were serving their parents. According to Taiping Jing, one principle that people should abide by when treating other species is to pay attention to the preservation and prosperity of species. "This day is rich in everything ... 22,000 things hurt the poor in vain. This is heaven as the father and earth as the mother. Parents are extremely poor, and children will be poor. Corresponding to Wang Zhi. Therefore, the ancient sages ruled the king, and they could rule 22,000 things, and they were also rich kings. Less than two-thirds of the good things are Zhongfu. Less than a third of the people are rich. Everything is a half injury and a failure. Knowing the injury is a poor person. "
Taiping Jing believes that the real prosperity in the world is the preservation and prosperity of species. The reproduction and preservation of species not only reflects people's attitude towards other creatures, but also is the symbol of heaven and earth, and is an important standard to measure the rule of man. Being rich and expensive is an ideal of life in the world. The wealth here is nothing more than people's pursuit of money and wealth. The average person's understanding of wealth is limited to the world, and it is rarely explained from the perspective of foreign objects. At this point, Taiping Jing puts forward a forward-looking view. It believes that the so-called richness should be measured by the number of species, with many species being rich and few species being poor. His wealth view is transcendent, which broadens people's perspective on everything in the world and builds people's wealth view on the relationship between man and nature. This is undoubtedly of great enlightenment significance to modern human beings whose economic rationality is full of everything.
Everything is the same as me, and all beings are equal.
Taiping Jing holds that all things in the world are influenced by the unity of Yin and Yang and born in the spirit of heaven and earth, and they are equal in survival needs and have "three exigencies". Volume 36 "Three Urgent Good and Bad Luck Laws 45": "Of course! Different lines are born of the unity of heaven and earth, yin and yang, and there are also two urgent ears. What is this? ... but those with feathers are always cute, cold-resistant and heat-resistant; People with scale will always resist harm; It doesn't have to be born, so it's a little urgent. For the rest, I have learned about this place. ……"; "What can we do if we don't drink, eat or wear?" ? ... everything must be born of rain, even its diet. ... can't meet yin and yang day and night, and accomplish nothing. If there is nothing in the world, great evil is the second most urgent. Sparse pages are also solid, and several pages are also solid; It doesn't take a few pages. It's a little urgent. Reality is its core. ..... "Taiping Jing" holds that animals and plants have three necessary conditions for survival: animals need both sexes and food and clothing as well as people; The survival of plants also needs three basic things, namely, the cycle of day and night, the moisture of rain and its roots and leaves. Although the specific content of the demand is different, they all insist on the unity of heaven and earth and yin and yang, and they all have the fundamental need for survival. As the manager of the creatures in the world, man should "help all beings from heaven and help their shapes from the earth", follow the basic principles of the universe to raise all things, respect other life and provide them with living space, which just embodies the basic idea of Taoist metaplasia, and all things have the same root and are equal in the origin of life.
3. Heaven has a sense of things, and things are divine.
Taiping Jing holds that everything in the world is not only equal in origin, but also some creatures have important functions that people can't, and some animals and plants can cure people one day because of their induction. "The vegetation is virtuous, and those with official positions can drive it. It's called vegetation, and this is God's vegetation. ... 19 corresponds to minister grass; Eighteen corresponding, human grass also; Those who pass this and go down cannot get it. This is a mistake. ..... "Not only some plants are like this, but also some animals." Creatures are fine, "flying beasts are different and can cure diseases. ..... Make nine healers, the god of princes; Eighteen healers and hundreds of ministers clothed the God of Chu Shi. Each has its own characteristics, so we can wait ... "Animals and plants in Taiping Jing are gods, and because of this, they can cure diseases and save lives, and their role in diseases is directly proportional to the virtue of patients. Although this statement is theological, it can also be seen that it is a kind of value to animals and plants, that is, animals and plants are also feeling the essence of heaven and earth, and they have their own significance and reasons for existence. The gift of heaven and earth to all things is not limited to people, which is also a denial of people's blind egoism values.
4. Stick to the "three treasures" and resist "glitz"
In fact, ecological problems are ultimately human nature problems. The expansion of human greed has led to the formation of a series of thoughts of quick success and instant benefit, which has caused some irreparable consequences to ecological problems. "Taiping Jing" discusses this issue, "... today, the ground is open, the spring breeze is a little far away, the emperor is flat and the gas is cloudy, and disasters are different." After he became emperor, from the 3rd Five-Year Plan, the soldiers were incompatible with each other, and even more afraid of each other. It's all the actions of trillions of evil gods, destroying five virtues, fighting for six emotions, being violent and violent, being more aggressive, being inferior and divorced from the nobles. The second instrument is out of order, the seven unique skills are far away, and the three talents are mutated. Ghosts and gods are injured, characters are withered, and they are recommended to disaster without regret. There are countless sins. ..... ",the disaster happened because the evil factors in human nature were out of control, greed was extremely inflated, which led to moral corruption, people's hearts were not ancient, and things turned out to be the opposite. Therefore, if we want to build a peaceful world, we must curb people's greed. So how to curb people's greed? Article 44 of the Law of Keeping Three Treasures in Volume 36 of Taiping Economic and Social School says that people's three treasures are urgent and must not be abolished, but on the contrary they are flashy things. If they are chased too much, traitors will get up. " What is it? These three points should be achieved. Men are heaven, women are land, and clothes are relied on. Heaven and earth parents are so dependent on their foster parents. After these three things, the rest of the strange fake things don't have to live, and they are passed down from generation to generation. Knowing it will be flashy. Because you are still worried about yourself, you may not be doing your best. There are many things to come, but they are not urgent and even fierce, so it is often inevitable ... "The disasters in the world are caused by the greed of the people, that is, the excessive pursuit of things that are not urgent. This phenomenon not only exists in the present society, but has existed since ancient times.
As a rational person, we should curb the temptation of these flashy things from the bottom of our hearts and let emotions and rationality fill our hearts. Only in this way can I feel the poetry brought by the cool breeze and bright moon, which is the ideal of life that Taoism has been practicing. Therefore, the Taiping Jing advocates abstinence, that is, "getting rid of glitz", that is, controlling the pursuit of things that are not in a hurry. Its profound understanding, thought-provoking, shining with the ancient wisdom of Chinese civilization, is more worthy of appreciation by people living today.
5. Take advantage of the trend and consume moderately
Taking advantage of the trend and moderate consumption are the main behavioral norms of ecological protection advocated by Taiping Jing. Taoism believes that "Heaven does nothing, let nature take its course", and people should conform to Heaven, do not interfere with the objective process of nature at will, but follow the trend.
"Lady's life lies in heaven and earth. Those who want to be safe, first secure their heaven and earth, and then gain Chang 'an. "To' secure heaven and earth', we must know and master the laws of nature and act according to them. In addition, "Yin Fu Jing" begins by saying: "The way to view the sky is tiring. "The way to view the sky is to know the laws of nature, and the trip to heaven is to master and apply the laws of nature. This is the ability of human beings, so "it is exhausted." "If you don't understand the laws of nature and blindly act according to your own subjective will, as the Tao Te Ching says, you are' ignorant' and will inevitably be' reckless and fierce'. According to Taoism, "Everything is tangible and contains Tao" and "Heaven does nothing, and everything is natural". Everything has the right to develop naturally according to the nature endowed by Tao, and human beings should not kill them at will to prevent them from realizing their own value. " The virtue of heaven and earth means life. People should "harmonize with the virtue of heaven and earth" and "benefit without harming" everything, and assist the growth of everything, instead of killing the vitality of the universe by destroying all kinds of natural things.
In order to correctly implement the principle of moderate consumption in all kinds of behaviors towards natural objects, Taoism advocates "Tao" to view things and opposes "I" to view things. Viewing things from the "Tao" is actually looking at everything from the perspective of the universe as a whole, not from the perspective of human interests, which leads to interference with nature. However, human intervention in nature often leads to a chain reaction, sometimes in unexpected forms, thus destroying the balance of the ecological environment.
Second, the basic characteristics of ecological ethics in Taiping Jing
The basic content of ecological ethics in Taiping Jing is rich. As a local religious culture in China, it not only embodies the meaning of traditional culture but also has the characteristics of religious culture, which is embodied in the following aspects:
1. Care about the moral cognition of things
An important feature of ecological ethics in Taiping Jing is to be kind to all beings, or to all things. This is first manifested in its basic attitude towards everything is to respect life. It talks about the preservation of species, the equality of life, the divinity of things and so on. Between the lines, there is a love for everything. "Taiping Economic Cooperative Studies" Volume 30 "Tree Grass Formula 70": "Those who have virtue, virtue and official positions can drive them away, which is called the tree grass formula, which is called the sacred tree grass. Those who cure diseases and save lives are also the gods of heaven. Born underground. Make the year older, be the fairy in the sky, be the plant in the sky, and those who live underground are born for the earth. " "Biological Formula 71": "The essence of biology is that flying animals are different from animals and can cure diseases immediately. Birds, medicine is in the body, angels go round. God is in the body of the healed, and angels walk in a circle; 19 healer, the demon prescription is in his body; Eighteen people were cured, and the essence of man and god enjoyed it. These three, for heaven and earth, for yin and yang, are called healers. ... the husband is good at killing, the genus of peristalsis is well known, and it is useless to kill lightly. Therefore, everything has life, rooted in the ground, and those who use it for security are in people; Those who get God's will live long, and those who lose God's will die. Everything is in harmony with heaven and earth, and people are kings and their elders. You must not judge and group. "In the Taiping Jing, it seems that animals and plants are part of the virtue of the reincarnation of heaven and are sacred. All of them are "life is exhausted, rooted in the ground" and "users are in people", that is to say, the power to kill is superior to the birth of all natural things, not in people but in heaven. People not only have no right to dispose of all natural things at will, but also should be kind to all natural things, because being kind to all beings is not only an act of God, but also an important way for people to accumulate virtue. Only people with profound virtue can finally achieve positive results and achieve immortality. Therefore, people should be kind to things.
2. Moral feelings of Xiandao Guisheng
Ideas about your life appeared in China during the Qin and Han Dynasties or even earlier. The discussion of the significance of individual existence in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals embodies the value concept that the individual is superior to the society. It says that although the world is very important, it cannot be used to endanger the survival of individuals. "The merits of emperors and the leisure of saints are not the only way to maintain health all your life." As a great fusion of ideas, the idea of rebirth in Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals seems to originate from Yang Zhu, who is extremely individualistic, but in fact it is not just an individualistic attitude towards life, but a principle of attaching importance to personal life, the natural comfort of lifestyle and the way of health preservation that runs through the universe, such as "discarding the old with the new, striking the principle, continuing the essence, eliminating evil and its age".
Taoism has established the cosmological view that "Tao" transforms everything, emphasizing that everything in heaven and earth is the same as people, and on this basis, it puts forward that "everything has a Tao", thus constructing the concept of life equality and its life-oriented thought as the basis of Taoist ecological ethics. "Heaven does nothing and does everything", and attaching importance to life is an important ideological concept of Taoism and the core content of Taoist culture. The ecological ethics in Taiping Jing strongly embodies the idea of attaching importance to life. Taoism refers to all living things, because the "avenue" has turned everything into life, and heaven has the virtue of good life. Therefore, respect and love for life is an important criterion for people to walk. Taiping Jing actively emphasizes the preservation of species, people's treasure of natural resources, abstinence, persuading people to take the right path and caring for things. All these well reflect its thought of attaching importance to life. Taiping Jing emphasizes people's love for all things in nature, such as: animals and plants have the same "three exigencies" as people; People only use everything in nature, but they have no power to live and die, and their love for life is revealed between the lines. In fact, a noble life is not only a code of conduct advocated in Taoism, but also a symbol of virtue, because only those who do good deeds can live forever, and this longevity is God's reward for good deeds.
3. Religious practice methods of persuading good to become immortal and rewarding and punishing gods.
As a religious classic, the practice plan of Taiping Jing has a strong religious color. God will reward those who can do good according to God's will. Instead, they will be punished. If they are not in this life, they are not in themselves, and they will be reflected in future generations. This is the "responsibility theory". Volumes 18 to 34 of Taiping Economic Cooperation School explain "the decision to accept negation": "... When a mortal travels, he is either forced to be good, perverted to be evil, or forced to be evil to be good, because it is wrong to say that he is virtuous. People who want to do good and get evil are also responsible for the mistakes of their ancestors. His accumulation before and after the disaster has harmed this person. ... the escaped escape, so the Lord will die and live. If you don't stop doing good, you will live this life. If you do evil, you will die before you are three years old. When the fetus dies and the adult dies, it is also called innocence to bear the fault of the ancestors. ..... "Everything in the world is suffering from fertility, and the greatest embodiment of human virtue and goodness is to be in harmony with heaven. The key to harmony with the heavenly spirit is to conform to heaven, which shows that all natural things, as the products of harmony between heaven and earth, should be in harmony with this law, and this is also the fundamental way to avoid the disaster of fertility. " ... if you want to solve the responsibility of childbearing, you might as well keep one. It has been raised for a long time, and heaven is pitiful. One is the rule of heaven, the foundation of all things. Think about it. Flow and its end. "
The theory of "taking responsibility" is another important content of Taiping Jing and an important way to do good and persuade good. Doing good will be treated well by God and benefit future generations, and vice versa. Taoist attitude towards human nature is biased towards the theory of evil nature. Because human nature is evil, I don't have much hope for people to do good on their own initiative, and I advocate that people can do good with external forces.
In the consciousness of China people, the understanding of the eternity of life develops according to two clues: one is to find the eternal value of individual life in the existence of groups; The other is to return the entity of life to the noumenon of heaven and earth from the point of view of nature of heaven and earth and all natural things, in an attempt to find out the way for life to last forever, that is, "people are inseparable from God, people are inseparable from people, and people are inseparable from things". In the environmental view of Taiping Jing, life is the goal, peace is the goal, and the doctrine of the mean is the basic code of conduct. The way of thinking about ecological problems in Taiping Jing is a typical Chinese way of thinking, which focuses on sensibility. Although it attributed the final solution of the problem to the mysterious power of religion, its thinking on the problem itself is worthy of recognition, especially when things have divine thoughts. As a China person who has been influenced by atheism for many years. Respect for other creatures. It's gone. Today, when human beings are destroying other species, some ideas in ancient books may change our mental outlook. How to make this ancient culture glow with new vitality and make it contribute to the solution of current environmental problems is the purpose of my writing.
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