Laozi was born in the late Spring and Autumn Period in China, and he was the pioneer of Taoism. Zhuangzi was from the Warring States period. He inherited the essence of Laozi's thought and developed it. Laozi and Zhuangzi are the two most important figures in Taoism, and they are also called "Laozi and Zhuangzi". Here is a brief introduction to how Zhuangzi inherited and developed Laozi's thought.

First, Zhuangzi inherited the basic idea of Laozi, that is, the idea of "being flexible without dispute".

Zhuangzi

Laozi's basic thought can be summarized as "to the letter, combining rigidity with softness", that is, not striving for fame and fortune, but controlling rigidity with softness. This basic idea runs through Laozi's thoughts of self-cultivation, health preservation, handling affairs, running the army and governing the country.

Zhuangzi inherited this idea of Laozi. There is a story about an expert who knows cows in the article "Master Zhuangzi". When my master divides cattle with a knife, my master's knife is dedicated to the gap between bones and tendons, and never uses a knife to cut hard things such as bones and tendons. Ordinary chefs often cut bones and tendons with knives, so the knives have been rolling for a year. My knife has been used for 19 years, and it is still as good as new, without any damage.

This soft way of doing things without confrontation with the outside world is the concrete elaboration and development of Laozi's thought of "uncompromising, combining rigidity with flexibility"

Second, Zhuangzi inherited and developed Laozi's "Tao" thought.

Laozi believes that "Tao" is the primitive substance of the universe. It is shapeless and invisible, and it gradually evolves into everything in the universe.

Zhuangzi inherited and developed this idea, thinking that heaven is not high without Tao, the earth is not wide without Tao, the sun and the moon are not running without Tao, and things are not prosperous without Tao. Everything depends on Tao, which operates independently and does not depend on the outside world. Moreover, "Tao" takes itself as its origin and exists forever.

Thirdly, Zhuangzi inherited and developed Laozi's virtue thought.

Laozi said that people who inherit the spirit of "Tao" are virtuous.

Laozi believes that Tao is the original intangible substance of the universe, which has evolved and nourished all things. But it has been working in obscurity and has not been shown, so that many people don't know its existence. Those who have inherited Tao's obscure work and failed to show their spirit of contribution are all virtuous people.

Laozi

Zhuangzi said in "Happy Travel": "Man has no self-nature, God and man are useless, and saints are nameless". In other words, a truly intelligent person is an unknown ordinary person who does not pursue personal interests, has no credit and no reputation. This is a concrete description and development of Laozi's view of gentleman.

Fourthly, Zhuangzi's thought of pursuing freedom is the inheritance and development of Laozi's thought of "being good as water".

Laozi thinks that water nourishes everything, but it doesn't live in high places, but in low places. This spirit of making a contribution but not asking for anything in return and being willing to live in an ordinary place is the first-class goodness.

Zhuangzi is the kindest person. He is knowledgeable and often gathers people to give lectures and accept disciples, but he does not seek fame and fortune. When Chu Weiwang invited him to be prime minister, he refused. He is willing to live a poor life in the countryside, just in line with the spirit of "being as good as water" as Lao Tzu said.

There is a story in the article "Zhuangzi Qiushui". A big bird flew from the South China Sea to the North Sea, and it didn't stop all the way. Don't practice, don't eat, and don't drink spring water. There is an owl eating a rotten mouse on the ground. The owl thought that the big bird was going to rob its rotten mouse, so it roared and threatened the big bird. But the big bird had no interest in the rotten mouse and flew away directly.

Zhuangzi compared himself to a big bird, and fame and fortune were equal to rotten mice, which showed that Zhuangzi was not interested in fame and fortune.

There is another story in the article "Zhuangzi Autumn Water". In ancient times, the king of Chu killed a turtle and put it in a beautiful box as a national mascot.

limpid eyes

Zhuangzi said, I'd rather be a live turtle crawling in the mud than be killed and sacrificed with honor. It shows that he would rather be a free poor man at home than be an official in North Korea.

These two stories are equivalent to Zhuangzi's concrete elaboration and development of the spirit of "water has merits, but only wants to live in the ordinary place", that is, "goodness is like water".