In chapters such as Becoming a Monk, Words Not Beautiful, Dare to Kill, Heaven, Harmony of Great Complaints, and Raising Benefits, Tao appears as heaven or heaven. This is enough for us to draw a preliminary conclusion: "Tao" in Laozi refers to "Heaven" to some extent. Even if we can't draw an absolute conclusion from the current evidence, it at least points us in a direction. Whether the absolute conclusion can be established depends on whether there will be contradictions when this conclusion is put into other discourses on Tao. It is worth noting that in the two chapters "Unbelievable Words" and "Heaven", Heaven and Humanity are opposites, while in the other chapters listed above, the chapter "Stay at home" is about people's understanding of "Heaven", "Dare to kill", "Harmony but great resentment" and "Raising and benefiting". All these typically reflect the thinking mode of the Huang family in the pre-Qin period that "the road to tomorrow is like a metaphor for people". In particular, the contrast between "the way of heaven" and "the way of man" is required by the Taoist thought of Huang Lao in the pre-Qin period. By observing and understanding the "heaven", that is, the law that everything in the world breeds everything, the "human way", that is, how to serve the people, is clearly explained.
Therefore, through these chapters, I think "Tao" in Laozi refers to "Heaven". It is not a universal law, but the law that everything is born in heaven and earth (this is reflected in other chapters). The purpose of Laozi's "Heaven" is to provide theoretical principles and objects for "humanity", that is, "a gentleman's skill in the south".
In addition, this paper also needs to examine the relationship between Tao and other concepts.
In other chapters, "Virtue without virtue", "There is a way in the world", "Every day is a scholar", "The Tao is born", "The nature of governing people", "If governing a big country is prosperous but small", "If you are for the Tao, you will pay attention to everything", "If you are for the Tao, you will abandon it", "If you are for the Tao, you will support the people" and "Be nameless and simple and small" Therefore, I think that in Laozi, "Tao" is a concept closely related to the political life of the country. From this, we can draw a preliminary conclusion: in other words, "Tao" is a metaphysical concrete concept that directly goes deep into the political life of the country; In other words, "Tao" is a metaphysical abstract concept, which is used to guide the political life of a country. Both the former and the latter are consistent with our previous conclusions. Furthermore, through the analysis of the specific contents in the above chapters, we can strongly feel that the "Tao" in Laozi commands and guides other related concepts. Therefore, as far as the relationship between Tao and other political concepts is concerned, in Laozi, Tao is a metaphysical original concept used to guide the political life of the country.
After investigating the use of the concept of "Tao" and its relationship with related concepts, we need to examine what role the concept of "Tao" can play as an actor in Laozi. In other words, what is the function of Tao, and what can Tao itself do?
First of all, it can be seen from the chapters of Tao gives birth to one, Tao gives birth to all kinds of animals, Tao gives birth to all kinds of animals, and Tao gives birth to no name, that the most fundamental role of Tao lies in its role in the life of all things.
Moreover, from "the Tao is nameless", "governing a big country can cook small things" and "the Tao is everything." We can see that in Laozi, the function of "heaven" to nourish everything is finally realized in "humanity". On the basis of adhering to the most fundamental function of "heaven", "humanity" is finally embodied as "left and right", that is, assisting and helping, and "constant harmony", that is, helping, supporting and being close to the people all the time. That is, "Heaven is beneficial but not harmful." Finally, I realized that "the way of man is to fight for it." From this point of view.
Therefore, in Laozi's view, the fundamental and primitive function of Tao is to nurture all things, and when analogy is made to personnel, that is, analogy is made to "the skill of southern people", the requirement of following heaven, or "law", is to nurture people, that is, to help and support people.
Then, let's examine some characteristics of Tao.
In Laozi's view, an important feature of Tao is "opposition", and the so-called "opposition is also the movement of Tao." .
Laozi said: "Ming Dow is like a fee, but he is like a retreat, and he is like a class." These are all expounding the "anti" characteristics of Tao.
However, what exactly is "anti"?
Many people think that the "opposition" of "Tao" mentioned by Laozi is the opposite of normality, and it seems that this is the essence of "Tao" revealed by Laozi. So, are the normal things in life consistent with Tao or contrary?
To understand the "anti-"characteristics of Tao in Laozi, we must limit it to the category of "the skill of junnan". In Laozi, there is a content that clearly embodies the essence of "opposition", that is, "Heaven has more damage than it can do; People's ways are different, and there are more than enough losses. " . It is clearly stated here that if the governors want to follow the Heaven, they must correctly realize that Heaven is contrary to the principles followed by most non-Taoists, or specifically, the characteristics of Heaven, such as benefiting without harming, accumulating while being born, retiring from work, and striving for success from weakness, are contrary to the political ideas followed by most princes. Therefore, the opposition of Tao in Laozi is contrary to people's usual habitual understanding, more precisely, it is contrary to people's usual habitual understanding of monarchs and rulers. Contrary to people's common understanding, for monarchs and rulers, they are of course in a dominant and powerful position. In this way, it is not difficult for us to understand why Laozi has repeatedly emphasized "Tao is not born" and "not relying on", and why he said that "the weak are also used by Tao". All these reflect Tao's "anti-"characteristics.
Another characteristic of Tao is namelessness.
Obviously, the public's understanding of "nameless" is a bit funny. Is it a controversial proposition to have a name? After we know what "Tao" means, are we still worried about its name? As we know about wild animals, do we still need to worry about the name Zhai Ling? I have always insisted that "namelessness" is actually "inanimate", expressing Lao Tzu's profound understanding of the role of Tao. "Immortality" means that it works by potential means, not by command or imposition. From "being born blessed, depending on it for a long time." "Daochong" and "When I retire, Heaven also". "Watch, name. Listen and smell, it's called hope. If you get it, you get it, which is called Yi. " "Nothing, nothing, it means longing." , "Tao, just look at it. Oh! Look! There are elephants in it! Look! Oh! There's something in here! Hmm! Ghosts! Please welcome! The invitation is true and there is a letter. " In other chapters and sentences, it is strongly expressed that Tao is playing a potential role in an unknown and invisible state. Even if its function achieves its purpose and produces results, after its success, Tao will still not appear, but will "attack and retreat".
At the same time, the potential characteristics of "namelessness" of "Tao" are consistent with its role in "assisting nature and daring to act" for all things.
Finally, let's look at Tao-related behaviors. That is, man, or more precisely, as the subject of behavior, can make a difference to Tao.
In Virtue Without Virtue, Being a Knowledgeable Staff Sergeant, Being a Monk, Learning Day by Day, Making Me Learned, Governing a Great Country If Prosperous and Fresh, So what I say cannot be realized by the people, realized by the Tao, and realized by the ancient good. From these words, we can draw the following conclusions:
1. Through "smell" and "knowledge", we can know that "Tao" in Laozi is something we can perceive, understand and teach.
2. Through "doing", "doing" and "using", we can know that the Tao in Laozi can be mastered and used;
3. Through "persistence", "preservation" and "observance", we can know that "Tao" in Laozi requires us to unswervingly maintain and adhere to it to guide our actions;
We can know that the Tao in Laozi is applicable to the process of people governing the world.
5. Through "law", we can know that in the process of governing the world, what people take from law is "Tao";
6. Through the "loss", we can know that the "Tao" in Laozi will be lost by the master. When the master can't follow the principle of "the law of heaven and earth" and follow the law of heaven to raise everything, the master will lose his way.
Finally, I would like to add that the ultimate goal of all these things mentioned by Laozi, whether it is the cognition or application of "Tao", is to implement "ruling the present", that is, to implement the process of man ruling the world.
To sum up, I think the "Tao" in Laozi refers to:
Although it seems that we can endow the "Tao" or "Heaven" in Laozi with the philosophical concept of origin, this feature also serves the political concept of "humanity". The concept without service object is an empty concept, and the theory without application field is an empty theory. Although some people are addicted to the metaphysics of castles in the air, although some people are addicted to the so-called philosophical level of aiming high, please remember that the eagle flies high not to command soaring, but to dive in the air. The reason why Laozi took pains to describe Tao is not to regard Tao as a black hole for us to meditate, but to regard Tao as a star to guide us. This is also the theoretical model of "the way of tomorrow is a metaphor of personnel" put forward by Huang in the pre-Qin period. Therefore, even though "Tao" itself may not be a pure political concept, in Laozi's view, "Tao" is definitely a concept with a political orientation of helping the people in the process of governing the people.
"Heaven", its function is embodied in the "birth, storage, growth, perfection, pavilion, poison, education and cover" of all things. In the whole process of the growth of all things. In this process, "Tao" is "born with it, long and lean on it, long and kill it." It is "assisting the nature of all things, dare to do things." Or simply put, the "advocating virtue" of "Heaven", the most fundamental and primitive charity of "Heaven" and the virtue of all things are all "auxiliary", that is, auxiliary "the nature of all things".
Furthermore, through the understanding of "Heaven", Laozi put forward the standard of "Human Way". The "human way" here refers to the way of governing for the people, which is what Sima Qian said. On the basis of the principle that "the way of man" is beneficial and harmless to all things, the most basic principle that "the way of heaven" should follow is "fighting for it". The topic is a bit far-fetched We can draw such a conclusion from the principle of "inaction" in The Right Way on Earth: First of all, I let "do", otherwise, I won't say "do without doing", but will say "do without doing", and my "inaction" is not reckless, but obedient to "heaven"; Secondly, Lao Tzu's "indisputable" does not apply to everyone, only to the monarch, the people and the public. Is to achieve "saints have no popular support." This is beyond dispute.
After clarifying the meaning of Tao in Laozi, it is not difficult for us to understand why Tao in Laozi has two characteristics: opposition, weakness and namelessness. It is precisely because Heaven is contrary to the principles pursued by most monarchs who don't follow Heaven, so "being weak"-a monarch, a monarch puts himself in a position weaker than the people and not above the people, is in line with the requirements of Heaven's "assistance". It is precisely because of this that "Tao" plays a potential role through "namelessness", that is, in an unknown and invisible state.
Finally, "Tao" is not a vague thing for us. Can be perceived, understood and taught; Can master the use; It applies to the process of people governing the world and requires us to firmly grasp it to guide our actions; In the process of governing the world, what people take from law is "Tao".