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Chapter 321: Laozi, the Founder of Taoism
When talking about Confucius, we have to mention the pre-Qin philosophers.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a hundred schools of thought contended with each other, which set off a storm of great social change in China.

During this period, a new social class came into being, namely the scholars.

They come from all walks of life. Although their status is relatively low, many of them are knowledgeable and talented.

Some are scholars who are well-versed in astronomy, calendar, geography and other fields, and some are outstanding talents in politics and military affairs.

Because the scholars came from different backgrounds, they had different positions.

Therefore, when solving practical problems, the political propositions and demands put forward are also different.

They wrote books and argued endlessly, resulting in a situation of a hundred schools of thought contending with each other.

The most representative scholars among them are Confucius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, Mencius, Xunzi and others.

Compared with Confucius, Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, is no less famous.

Lao Tzu is a famous philosopher in ancient China, the founder of Taoism, and is also regarded as the originator of Taoism.

Lao Tzu's thoughts are mainly concentrated in the book "Tao Te Ching". The core system is Tao, which attempts to use Tao to summarize the unity and essence of all things in the universe.

In terms of his view of nature, Lao Tzu believed that Tao is the origin of all things in the universe, and that all things in heaven and earth are evolved from Tao.

Tao is also the universal basis for the existence of all things. All things are born and accomplished because of Tao.

Tao also has the meaning of objective natural laws. All things in the universe and all human affairs in society are governed by Tao.

In addition, Lao Tzu's philosophy contains rich dialectical ideas, which holds that all things contain two opposing aspects.

Moreover, all things are in motion and change, and the law of their motion is to move and develop in opposite directions, but ultimately they will return to the Tao.

Lao Tzu has his own theories and unique insights on history, life, culture, etc. Later generations of Confucianism, Legalism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc. have absorbed his thoughts to varying degrees.

Especially in Taoism, which regards the "Tao Te Ching" as its main classic, Lao Tzu is deified by Taoism as the Taoist Taishang Laojun.

Lao Tzu's influence is not limited to China, but also has a huge impact worldwide. He was once listed as one of the world's top 100 historical figures.

It can be expected that with the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Lao Tzu's thoughts will have a deeper and wider impact on the world.

"He is the prototype of the Taoist Taishang Laojun, and is a household name."

"He is also a learned oriental sage, famous both at home and abroad."

"He is the founder of the Taoist school, a cornerstone of Chinese culture."

"My surname is Li, my given name is Er, and my courtesy name is Boyang."

"When it comes to Laozi, he is a household name."

"Laozi is one of the most famous philosophers and thinkers in China and the founder of Taoism. He is also known as Laozhuang together with Zhuangzi."

"Later, Taoist thought developed into Taoist thought and gradually became a religious doctrine."

"Laozi was also revered by later generations as the founder of Taoism, Taishang Laojun, and was also recognized as the ancestor of the Li family in the Tang Dynasty."

"When it comes to Laozi's identity, it is an issue with a long and complicated history."

"Regarding his basic information such as his name, place of origin, year of birth and death, scholars and historical materials of all generations have different opinions and disputes."

"The earliest and most authoritative statement comes mainly from the Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Laozi and Han Fei."

"Laozi once served as the historian of the Zhou Dynasty's treasury, which was equivalent to the director of the Zhou Dynasty's national library."

"He was a contemporary of Confucius and was renowned for his erudition."

"Confucius once went to Zhou to ask Laozi about etiquette, which is why Han Yu said in his teacher's words that Confucius was Laozi's student."

"At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the world was in chaos. Laozi resigned from his official position and retired to the west on a green ox."

"When he arrived at Hangu Pass in Lingbao, he wrote the Tao Te Ching at the request of Yin Xi, the commander of the pass."

"The final formation of Laozi's image went through a long evolutionary process."

"In the writings of the pre-Qin philosophers, Laozi is a scholar with extensive knowledge."

"In Taoist texts, Laozi's image began to be deified."

"In the early Han Dynasty, the Huang-Lao philosophy was used to govern the country, and the Fangxian Dao flourished and became a national learning."

"Against this background, Laozi's image began to become legendary and mystified."

"Especially with the events of Zhang Daoling's Revelation and the influence of Buddhism, Laozi finally became the supreme god."

Li Shimin: In order to elevate the status of the royal family, it is necessary to recognize Laozi Li Er as the ancestor of the Li surname.

When the Tang Dynasty was first established, the imperial court had a reserved attitude towards Buddhism, and even took an anti-Buddhist stance.

A minister once wrote seven letters to the emperor, proposing to abolish the number of monks and nuns and reduce the number of pagodas and temples on the grounds that monks exploited people's wealth.

Taking this situation into consideration, Emperor Gaozu originally wanted to issue an edict to abolish Buddhism.

But later the Xuanwu Gate Incident occurred, and this task fell on him.

Although he changed Emperor Gaozu's policy of abolishing Buddhism, he still adopted a suppressive attitude towards Buddhism.

Buddhism and Taoism are the two major religions at present. If you suppress Buddhism, you will naturally emphasize Taoism.

Moreover, their royal family also has the surname Li, which has an inexplicable relationship with Laozi, the founder of Taoism.

Of course, there is another meaning behind his promotion of Taoism.

There were two major political groups within the court, the Guanlong nobles and the Shandong clans.

Although his Li family came from the Guanlong nobles, in terms of family power, they were not as powerful as the Shandong clans.

In order to elevate his family status, he believed it was necessary to recognize Laozi as his ancestor, to regard Taoism as the state religion, and to take measures to promote Taoism and improve the status of Taoists.

He once ordered the collection of Taoist books from the Jin and Wei dynasties to spread the Tao.

At this time, a monk wrote a book called "Debate on the Right Deeds" in order to save the declining status of Buddhism.

He quoted extensively from historical books and Buddhist scriptures, and promoted the superiority of Buddhism over Taoism.

At the same time, the monk also took the right remedy and said negative things about Laozi, hoping to force him to disown this ancestor.

According to the monk, the Li Tang royal family had Xianbei blood, and Laozi was born in poverty.

The monk believed that it was a very unwise move for the Li Tang royal family to abandon their Xianbei bloodline and recognize Laozi, a person of lowly status, as their ancestor.

He was so angry that he wanted to kill the monk and even questioned his own ancestors.

Of course, he was not a tyrannical person. While he worshipped Taoism, he did not completely eliminate Buddhism, which led to the release of the monk.

After the monk was released, he summoned the monk and asked him in detail about the advantages and disadvantages of Buddhism, and the monk gave a relatively reasonable answer.

So he pardoned the monk's crime of slander, and finally ordered the monk to go to Yizhou to become a monk.

In short, recognizing Laozi as the ancestor of the Li family was a decision he made after careful consideration, and he would naturally not allow a monk to stop him.

"During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, as Taoism became more secular, the mysterious aura surrounding Laozi faded to a certain extent."

"Laozi's most pure identity is actually the founder of Taoist thought and a great thinker and philosopher in the pre-Qin period."

“Chinese culture is like a towering tree, and the roots of this towering tree are in Taoism.”

"The Book of Han records that the Taoist school originated from historians. From this we can also know that Taoism originated from historians."

"During the Spring and Autumn Period, the vassal states attacked each other for land and population."

"I felt deeply that the world was in chaos and people's hearts were no longer the same, so I stood up to oppose this social chaos."

"Laozi established the basic ideological propositions for Taoism, which is a valuable ideological treasure he left to future generations."

"The highest category of Laozi's philosophical thought is Tao, which appears 76 times in the book Tao Te Ching."

"Dao begets one, one life two, two begets three, three begets everything."

"Tao is the root of all forms and the root that governs all forms. Simply put, it refers to the origin and general law of operation of all things in the world."

"Insects, animals, humans, these entities are Tao."

“The ebb and flow of the tide, spring, summer, fall and winter, warm summers and cool winters, these natural laws are also Tao.”

"Laozi proposed in the first chapter of the Tao Te Ching that the Tao that can be spoken is not the real Tao, and the name that can be named is not the real name."

"It means that the Tao can only be understood, not expressed in words."

“If it can be expressed in words, it is not the eternal Word.”

“That is, the laws of life can be understood and mastered.”

"But because things are constantly evolving, things now are not what we knew in the past."

"I said, forever and ever."

“The reason why heaven and earth can last forever is that they do not produce themselves, so they can last forever.”

"The universe exists for a long time because it does not deliberately pursue immortality."

"The Tao gives birth to all things, yet it never feels tired."

"All things change with the movement of the Tao, but the Tao itself remains eternal."

Su Shi: Lao Tzu left us the "Tao Te Ching", a cultural treasure that has stood the test of time for thousands of years.

The era in which Lao Tzu lived was a period of major social change. The power of the Zhou Dynasty was declining and it could no longer control the increasingly chaotic situation.

The vassal states competed for supremacy with each other, wars were frequent, and countless families and countries were destroyed.

The war has been going on for a long time, and the people have been displaced and living in dire straits.

Except for a few vassal states where politics were relatively clear, the rest were politically dark.

The turbulent social environment, sharp social contradictions, and various exploitations by those in power have made people's lives miserable.

Lao Tzu, who had served as a historian, could see the current situation of the collapse of rites and music with a more profound vision.

Lao Tzu struggled to find a way to save the world, put forward his own unique ideas, became famous, and was respected as a wise man by people all over the world.

When the Zhou royal family was in civil strife, Prince Meng and Prince Chao fought each other for the throne.

Prince Chao was eventually defeated. Unwilling to accept defeat, he looted a large number of Zhou royal books and fled to the State of Chu.

Laozi was blamed for dereliction of duty and was implicated, so he resigned, which was exactly what he wanted to retire.

So Laozi left Luoyi, rode a green ox, and intended to go west through Hangu Pass.

The society is in turmoil, and there are many people like Laozi who want to retire.

These retired people were insightful scholars of the time who saw the social reality clearly but were powerless to do anything about it.

Unable to change the reality and unwilling to go along with the dark forces, they can only retire. Due to social instability, many people have the idea of ​​retiring, and Yin Xi, the commander of Hangu Pass, is one of them.

One night, suddenly purple clouds gathered in the east and rolled in.

Yin Xi, who understood astronomical phenomena, knew that this indicated that an extraordinary person would come from the east.

Hangu Pass was the only way to go west, so Yin Xi hurried back to Hangu Pass to wait for the arrival of the nobleman.

One evening, as the sun was setting and the sky was filled with red and purple, an old man with white hair and beard came to the front of the pass riding a green ox.

When Yin Xi learned that the old man was the world-famous wise man Lao Tzu, he couldn't help but be delighted.

Seeing that Lao Tzu was about to retire, Yin Xi wanted to preserve Lao Tzu's wisdom.

So, the idea of ​​letting Laozi write a book came up.

But Yin Xi knew that people who retired were people of temperament, and people like Laozi could not be forced.

Yin Xi felt it was difficult and embarrassed to ask Laozi to write a book.

But Yin Xi would not ask Laozi to write a book right away, so he invited Laozi to the government for a talk.

Yin Xi and Laozi were like-minded people with the same interests and they had common topics.

We had common ground, had a very pleasant conversation, and appreciated each other.

Yin Xi only began to plead with Laozi when the conversation reached an appropriate point.

Sir, you are a wise man today. You will not keep your wisdom to yourself quietly. Instead, you must take it as your responsibility to make people of the world wise.

Now that you are going to live in seclusion, it will be difficult to find you when we want to seek your advice. Why don't you write down your brilliant thoughts in a book and leave them for the world?

I know that this request may be too much for you, sir, but please still write the book reluctantly.

Yin Xi's attitude touched Lao Tzu, so he settled down in Hangu Pass and began to write books.

He did not leave Hangu Pass until the manuscript was completed.

Based on his own observations of society and life experiences, Lao Tzu wrote two parts, the upper and lower, taking the rise and fall of dynasties, the success and failure, and the safety and happiness of the people as a mirror.

The first part begins with "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao", so it is called "Tao Te Ching". It mainly talks about how Tao is the foundation of the universe.

The second part begins with "The highest virtue is not virtue, therefore it is virtue", so it is called "The Book of Virtue", which mainly talks about how to follow the Tao to deal with the world.

But it’s a pity that no one knows where Laozi went in the end. There are many different opinions and no consensus.

Fortunately, Lao Tzu left behind his wisdom, allowing future generations to understand the true meaning of Tao through the "Tao Te Ching".

“Nature has its own laws, and society has its own laws.”

“It is because of this invisible truth that society keeps functioning.”

“Relationships between people are becoming increasingly complex, and social contradictions are gradually intensifying.”

"The root cause of these contradictions is that people's desire and greed have destroyed the laws of nature and society."

“For problems that arise, the idea of ​​​​non-action is a good medicine.”

"The life attitude of dying old and doing nothing is implemented in the social and political fields, which manifests itself as a small country with few people."

"That is, the neighboring countries can see each other, the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard, but the people will never interact with each other until they die."

"The meaning here is not the so-called isolation, but should be understood as no mutual influence, no mutual interference, and no cultural export."

"People can maintain their own customs and habits, and live and work in peace and happiness."

"The same principle applies to governing a country and how individuals conduct themselves in society."

"Laozi advocates minimizing disturbances to the people so that the world can achieve peace and stability."

"I do nothing, and the people will be transformed by themselves; I love peace, and the people will be upright by themselves."

"I do nothing, and the people are naturally rich; I have no desires, and the people are naturally simple."

“Once the state has become indifferent to its own interests, it will no longer compete with the people for them.”

"The people will then live and work in peace and contentment, and the country will enjoy long-term stability."

"But a small country with few people is actually a utopian fantasy proposed by Lao Tzu."

"Parents want their children to be successful, so they put pressure on them, which leads to news reports of children doing extreme things."

"For young people, work and marriage are at the center of stress, but they are not understood, and depression and helplessness are increasing."

"Let nature take its course and choose your own life. This is actually an attitude of inaction."

"So, I'm not asking you to be passive and avoid the world, but to be active and work hard."

Zhu Yuanzhang: The "Tao Te Ching" represents the cultural confidence of the Chinese people. By reading the "Tao Te Ching", we can look up at the changes in the universe and look down at the ups and downs of worldly affairs.

He once spent a lot of time concentrating on studying the "Tao Te Ching" and finally achieved enlightenment.

From then on, he felt that his life had reached a whole new level.

In his view, the Tao Te Ching is like an inexhaustible well, full of treasures.

The "Tao Te Ching" has infinite charm that can transcend the barriers of time and space.

Although the entire text of "Tao Te Ching" has only more than 5,000 words, it points out the laws of operation and development of all things in the universe.

It tells people the rules they should follow in their conduct and guides them on how they should face the world, their surroundings and themselves.

From the vast universe to the dust and mud, to self-cultivation, health preservation, dealing with the world, and governing the country, all things are within sight.

The principles contained in the Tao Te Ching are extremely broad, and he was very interested in its contents.

The "Tao Te Ching" talks about the laws of heaven and earth: Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things.

Lao Tzu believed that the only constant in this world is change, and the most certain essence in the world is absolute uncertainty.

The only eternal thing in the universe is evolution. It is the most powerful force that drives everything.

The "Tao Te Ching" talks about how to be a human being: The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention.

Although Lao Tzu's cognition is of a higher-dimensional world, his attitude is extremely humble.

Lao Tzu believed that the best attitude for a person is to be like water.

The characteristic of water is its softness, but it can also benefit all things, and wherever it goes there is life.

What he was most interested in was the health-preserving techniques in the Tao Te Ching, which mentioned that health-preserving means cultivating the Tao, cultivating virtues, and being pure, quiet and inaction.

Health preservation means cultivating the Tao and morals. Without moral cultivation, self-cultivation will lose its root.

Therefore, there is the health-preserving method of man following the earth, the earth following the sky, the sky following the Tao, and the Tao following nature.

Lao Tzu believed that it is best to remain tranquil, be content with what you have, and not chase after fame and fortune, which can keep the spirit within and help maintain health.

“Wuwei does not mean being passive or doing nothing, but rather being able to act through inaction.”

“Try to follow the time, the place, and the heart. Use your strength where you should, and give up where you should.”

"Laozi's thoughts are full of simple dialectical colors, and dialectical thought is a distinctive feature of Laozi's philosophical thought."

"There is a saying in Taoism: 'Misfortune is the root of blessing, and blessing is the root of misfortune'. It talks about this dialectical thought."

"Or just like the old saying goes, 'A blessing in disguise.'"

"Lao Tzu believed that contradictions are universal. Solitary yin cannot produce life, and solitary yang cannot grow."

"Everything has two sides, and learning to transform contradictions into each other is the core of Lao Tzu's dialectics."

“So when we are in good times, we should not get carried away and should be prepared for danger.”

“When we are at our lowest point in life, there is no need to belittle ourselves.”

“Because when people reach the bottom, that’s also the beginning of the upward journey.”

"Moreover, Laozi's thought also contains the principle of using softness to overcome hardness."

"To a large extent, the various ideas proposed by Laozi are aimed at transforming the existing unreasonable society."

"But Laozi's efforts did not receive the due rewards, and his political ideas were of no use to the rulers."

"But in terms of its influence on later generations, Laozi's thoughts have long transcended national boundaries and become the spiritual wealth shared by all mankind."

"German philosopher Hegel, Russian writer Tolstoy and other world-renowned scholars have conducted in-depth research on the Tao Te Ching and published monographs on it, so Lao Tzu is also one of the three great Eastern saints in the eyes of Westerners."

"Lu Xun said that if you don't read Laozi, you don't know Chinese culture."

"Hu Shi praised him even more. He called Laozi the founder of Chinese philosophy and the first true philosopher in the history of Chinese philosophy."

For ordinary people of all dynasties, Lao Tzu and Confucius are both well-known sages.

Lao Tzu is one of the most difficult people to define in history. His life story is just like his thoughts, mysterious, ineffable and full of romanticism.

As the founder of the Taoist school, Lao Tzu became a benchmark for Taoism and even pre-Qin philosophy. In the eyes of everyone, Lao Tzu is a god-like existence.

Ordinary people in different dynasties have different views on the book "Tao Te Ching".

Some people think that this is a book about self-cultivation, while others think that it is a book about governing the world.

There are many different opinions, and no consensus, but the ideas Lao Tzu conveyed have always been talked about.

Lao Tzu explained in his book that Tao is neutral.

Lao Tzu elevated and mystified the Tao, which is both tangible and intangible.

He tried to explain the existence of Tao, the function of Tao, and how people should master the Tao of all things in this world.

Lao Tzu attempted to maintain the old ways, that is, the old system and the old order.

But in the context of the social turmoil at the time, he was bound to be unpopular and everyone would condemn him.

Only a few wise people can understand Lao Tzu's Tao. All things in the heaven and earth follow their own way, but nothing can be separated from nature.

In any case, there are both praises and criticisms of Lao Tzu.

People's understanding of Lao Tzu was different in different periods. In the era of practical application, Lao Tzu's teachings were of little use.

However, Lao Tzu's doctrine can be seen as a method of self-cultivation and one can also find methods for governing a country in it.

If you stand at a different angle, your understanding and comprehension will naturally be different.

Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian" mentioned that Laozi's whereabouts were unknown, which added a sense of mystery to Laozi in their eyes.

No one knows how Laozi left this world. Some people believe that he was buried in his hometown, some believe that he attained enlightenment and became an immortal in Qingyang Palace after leaving Hangu Pass, and some believe that he rode a green bull to India to teach the Hu people.

No matter which legend it is, Lao Tzu is gone, but his thoughts and teachings still influence many people.

(End of this chapter)