From the "Tao Te Ching", "Tao can be Tao, but it is not Tao. Names can be named, but they are not famous." : 'Tao', if it can be spoken, is not the eternal 'Tao'; 'name', if it can be called, is not the eternal 'name'. But we can say that Tao generally means "nature" or "natural law".
"Tao Te Ching"
Written by Laozi
The most famous one was in the fourth century BC
In the vast sea of ??Chinese books Among them, there is a thin volume that may have the most translators and readers abroad. This book is called "Laozi" or "Tao Te Ching". The Tao Te Ching is the main text explaining Taoist philosophy.
This is a subtle and puzzling book, written in extremely cryptic terms and open to many different interpretations. The main concept of "Tao" is usually translated as "method" or "way". But this concept is a bit vague, because the "Tao Te Ching" itself says at the beginning: "'Tao' can be named, but it is not the eternal 'Tao'; 'name' can be called, It is not an eternal 'name'." ① But we can say that Tao generally means "nature" or "natural law."
Taoism believes that people should not fight against Tao, but should obey Tao and act according to Tao. Actively pursuing power or actively seeking to exercise it is not so much immoral as it is ignorant and futile. The Tao cannot be eliminated, and people should strive to follow the Tao in their lives. A Taoist might point out that water is infinitely soft, flows docilely to its lowest point, and resists even the weakest force, but it is indestructible; while the hardest rocks will eventually be worn away. .
For individuals, simplicity and naturalness should generally be promoted; violence should be avoided, as should all pursuit of fame and fortune. People should not seek to transform the world, but rather respect it. For governments, slightly negative policies are often the wisest policies. Regulations are cumbersome, and passing more laws or harshly enforcing old laws often makes things worse. High taxes, ambitious government programs and waging wars were all contrary to the spirit of Taoist philosophy.
According to Chinese legend, the author of the Tao Te Ching is a man named Laozi. It is said that he was a contemporary of Confucius, but older than Confucius. Confucius lived in the sixth century B.C. Judging from the content and style of the Tao Te Ching, few modern scholars consider it to be such an early work; there is much debate about the actual date of the book's creation (the Tao Te Ching " itself does not mention a specific person, place, date or historical event). But 320 B.C. is a reliable estimate—within eighty years of the actual date—perhaps much smaller than that.
This issue has caused many debates about Lao Tzu's birth and death dates and even about his authenticity. Some authorities believe the legend that Lao Tzu lived in the sixth century B.C. and conclude that he did not write the Tao Te Ching. Other scholars point out that he was nothing more than a legendary figure. My personal opinion is only accepted by a few scholars. I think: (1) Lao Tzu is a real person and the author of the Tao Te Ching; (2) He lived in the fourth century BC; (3) Lao Tzu is a younger brother of Confucius. The legends of Chang's contemporaries are purely fictitious, made up by later Taoist philosophers to glorify Laozi and his works.
It is worth noting that among the early Chinese writers, Confucius (551-479 BC), Mo Zhai (5th century BC) and Mencius (371-289 BC) neither mentioned Laozi nor Laozi. He has read the Tao Te Ching; but Zhuangzi, a man who was famous throughout the country in the third century BC. Taoist philosophers have repeatedly mentioned Laozi.
Since even Lao Tzu's existence is controversial, we should be skeptical about the details of his life. However, the following statements have many origins: Lao Tzu was born and lived in northern China; he probably worked as a historian in Luoyang, the capital of the country, or as a historian in the imperial court; Lao Tzu was not his original name but a The honorific title roughly means "master"; he was married and had a son named Cong; Cong later became a general in the state of Wei.
Although Taoism began as a largely non-religious philosophy, it eventually became a religious movement.
However, although Taoism as a philosophy continued to be based on the ideas expressed in the Tao Te Ching, Taoism soon became subsumed by the superstitious beliefs and habits of all living beings, beliefs and habits that had relatively little to do with the teachings of Lao Tzu .
Assuming that Laozi is actually the author of the Tao Te Ching, then his influence is indeed great. Although this book is very thin (less than 6,000 Chinese characters, so it can be published in a newspaper), it contains a lot of spiritual food. A whole series of Taoist philosophers used this book as a starting point for their own thinking.
In the West, the Tao Te Ching is far more popular than Confucius or any other Confucian work. In fact, the book has been published in at least forty different English translations, far more than any other book except the Bible.
In China, Confucianism is generally the dominant philosophy. When there is a clear opposition between the thoughts of Laozi and Confucius, the Chinese people mostly follow the latter. But Lao Tzu is generally deeply respected by Confucian disciples. Moreover, in many cases, Taoist ideas were directly absorbed into Confucian ideas and thus had an influence on millions of people who claimed to be non-Taoists. Likewise, Taoism had a significant influence on the development of Buddhist philosophy, especially Zen Buddhism. Although few people today claim to be Taoists, apart from Confucius, no other Chinese philosopher has had as extensive and lasting an influence on human thought as Laozi.
The above content is excerpted from the book "The 100 Most Influential People in History" (written by Michael Hart)