Water is the necessary material basis for human survival and development and the source of life. It has given birth to 5,000 years of human civilization and occupies a very important position in the history of human civilization. Since ancient times, living on weeds has been an important feature of human development and evolution. Since the appearance of human beings, all civilizations created by human beings can not be separated from the moisture of boiling water. Huainanzi said: "Water, the sky is rain and dew, and the earth is moist. Nothing can live, and Pepsi will succeed. " It is precisely because of the incomparable properties of water that people have started to think deeply about water since ancient times. The origin of the world is an unavoidable problem for any philosophy, and taking water as the origin of the world is a very important philosophical thought in the early days. According to textual research, the earliest view of water as the origin of the world is in the article Pipe Land and Water. "Water is the source of all things." "What is water, the source of all things, the imperial clan of all beings, beauty, evil and virtue, are not all products of being less than a gentleman." It believes that the element that constitutes the world is water, and who is the fundamental substance that constitutes everything. In Guodian bamboo slips unearthed in 1993, the discussion on water is slightly later than that in Guanzi Shuidi, and the application and evolution of the universe are systematically and completely discussed. It believes that water plays a vital role in the evolution of the universe. Laozi believes that Tao is the origin of the world. Tao gives birth to the universe, Mr. Tao becomes water, and water helps Tai's whole life. Then heaven and earth follow the example of water, helping Tai to become heaven and earth. Taiyi was born in the water and also hid in the water. Take timely action to help Taiyi. The water is not outside the Taiyi, but hidden in the water, which is mixed with the Taiyi. This idea of respecting water is not uncommon in ancient culture; A very popular view is that in ancient China, it was generally believed that the five elements of "golden wood, fire, water and earth" were the origin of the world; Thales, an early western philosopher, believed that water was the origin of the world. On the one hand, water is an element in nature, on the other hand, it is not just a natural element. It represents the origin as the beginning and master of all things, so as to biochemical all things and always maintain their own identity, with universality and fluidity. Finally, Thales' water has the principle of life.
Second, the virtue of water.
Water is a colorless and odorless inanimate substance, but it is closely related to human life. Usually elevated to the philosophical level, symbolizing a spiritual quality. From a deeper perspective, Laozi's Tao Te Ching is the expansion and deepening of the virtue of water, and the whole Tao Te Ching is centered on water. His Tao was actually raised from the water. The virtue of water is the most perfect and highest virtue in Laozi. Chapter 17 of Tao Te Ching "Good is like water, and everything in water conservancy is indisputable, which makes people all evil, so it is a few things in the Tao." The highest virtue, such as water, is good at nourishing all things, but it does not compete with all things for profit and stays in places that people hate, so water is closest to the Tao. Wang Fuzhi said: "The body of the five elements has the smallest water. Those who are good at living in the Tao are small; After the crowd, and Changde is the first. " Confucius believes that the virtues of water are virtue, justice, courage and integrity. Zi Gong asked Confucius: What is the truth that a gentleman must look at water when he sees it? Confucius said, "Being rich in water, being partial to others and doing nothing, is like virtue." . Its flow is also declining, and detention must follow its principles and be just. Its Tao Tao is unyielding, like a pottery. If there is a decision to be made, it should be quietly, and it will go forward to the valley without fear. The principal quantity must be flat, similar to the law, and the profit is not approximate, but seems positive. As for micro-touch, it seems to be observed. Go out and enter, be fresh and clean, like goodness. Its 10,000-fold will also be eastward, like ambition. Therefore, a gentleman must look at water when he sees it. Xunzi said that "the water is light and clear, and it is good to sprinkle people's evil, and it is also benevolent." It can be seen that in ancient China, the virtue of water was highly respected. Water is weak, but great. Water is the weakest thing in the world, but it can overcome the strongest thing in the world. This combination of rigidity and softness has always been respected by Taoists. Laozi said: "The world is not weaker than water, and strong is invincible."
It is indisputable that water nourishes all things, follows the direction, is flexible, broad and selfless, and has been praised by successive dynasties for its spirit of combining rigidity with softness.
Third, water worship.
Totem worship is common in world history. He not only represents a kind of admiration and awe, but also represents a kind of spiritual belief. Among the complicated totem worship, water worship is a representative way. Water worship is a natural religion rooted in agricultural social life. Its connotation is to believe in the mysterious power of water and the concept of water god, which is manifested in praying for rain to stop Yu He's reproductive ceremony. With the development of society, the phenomenon of water worship is less and less, but it is still very popular in some ethnic minority areas, such as the worship of water dragons by the Dai people and the Bai people in the water splashing festival, and the position of Naxi people in life in the flood. The thought he expressed gradually changed from the mysterious fear of water to the desire for harmony between man and nature.
People have always regarded water as a spiritual thing, and water inspires people with its noble virtues. I think the reasons for worshipping water can be roughly thought from two aspects. First, we can think about the origin of the world. The origin of the world is not only a question that philosophers will think about, but also a question that everyone will think about. In the special geographical and historical environment, due to the underdeveloped productive forces, some phenomena in reality, such as floods and droughts, can not be well explained, forming a fear of water. Secondly, because of the virtue of water. Just like Lao Tzu thinks that water is the closest thing to the Tao and the supreme good. The virtue of water has become the object of people's pursuit, and its perfect quality constantly inspires people. The third is historical and cultural traditions. Today, with the rapid development of science and technology, there are few religions that exist simply because they fear nature. They are more of a belief, a cultural tradition precipitated by history, and also manifested in the will and determination to live in harmony with nature.
The historical influence of water worship can be summarized as three points: various rich and peculiar legends about water enrich our traditional culture; Various ceremonies, festivals and activities left over from water worship have left us precious intangible cultural wealth; The connotation of harmony between man and nature, respect for natural laws and harmony between man and nature embodied in water worship provides a good reference for our current economic and cultural construction.
Fourth, the relationship between man and nature.
In the relationship between man and nature, the relationship between man and nature is particularly prominent. Throughout human history, there are countless natural disasters caused by water. With the development of productive forces, human activities to transform nature have become more and more frequent, and their impact on nature has become more and more profound. Since the industrial revolution, because human beings have not handled the relationship between man and nature well, the development mode of "developing first and managing later" has made human beings suffer a lot, such as global warming, melting glaciers, rising sea level, increasing damage caused by tsunami and typhoon, and continuous floods and droughts.
It is very important to deal with the relationship between man and nature. China has a legend of Dayu controlling water since ancient times. Dujiangyan built by Li Bing and his son still plays an important role. The word "water conservancy" was first used by China in Lv Chunqiu? Filial piety? Sima Qian wrote in Historical Records of Hequ Book: "What a pity, water is also beneficial" and "natural users argue about water conservancy". Sima Qian pointed out the relationship between water and human existence, analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of water, and gave the word "water conservancy" a complete concept for the first time in the history of China. The principle to be followed is to correctly handle the relationship between man and water. Water is good for human beings and harmful to human beings. Only by properly handling the relationship between these two aspects can we promote water conservancy and eliminate water disasters.
Although the level of human transformation of nature has been greatly improved, people's worship and belief in water has gradually faded, but the worship of water and the virtue of water have great enlightenment for us to deal with the relationship between man and nature: adhere to harmonious coexistence between man and nature, adhere to overall development, and flexibly handle the relationship between man and water. When dealing with the relationship between man and nature, we insist on traditional Chinese medicine.
Water is a profound knowledge, and more efforts are needed to understand the relationship between good people and water.