Wang Yangming, a thinker in the Ming Dynasty, also looked at Tao in this way. A student, Liu Guanshi, asked Wang Yangming about Tao: (Liu Guanshi) asked Yu Yangming: "Is Tao visible?" (Wang Yangming) said, "Yes, nothing." Said, "But isn't it visible?" Say: "Nothing, nothing is nothing." Yue: "But why do you see it?" He said, "I have seen it, but I haven't seen it." Guan Shi said, "I am very confused. Did the master ask me to teach me? " Yang yue: "Tao is unspeakable, and it is beneficial for it;" The Tao is invisible, and arrogance is beneficial. It is true that the husband has nothing, but nothing; Nothing is nothing, but really nothing; Seeing without seeing is really seeing. (The Complete Works of Wang Yangming, Volume 4, On Zhai, Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House,1992,65438+February) Wang Yangming's meaning is very clear. The word "Tao" cannot be said, so destroy it. The more we talk, the farther away we are from the true meaning of Tao. When talking about the characteristics of philosophical truth, the French intuitive philosopher Bergson said: "Metaphysics (that is, philosophy) is a science without symbols (that is, concepts)." (Introduction to Metaphysics translated by Liu, Commercial Press, 1963, p. 4) This means that the truth at the philosophical level cannot be expressed in words. Although "Tao" can't be said, "Tao" must exist, and Lao Tzu can never invent something that doesn't exist to deceive the world. But Tao can't be expressed. What should we do? In order to make the world understand Tao, Lao Tzu still wrote the Tao Te Ching, with 5,000 words, and tried his best to make the world understand what he said. How to understand Laozi's Tao? I want to talk about three points:
The way to interpret Tao is what Tao is. Laozi emphasized that it is indescribable, nameless, that is, undefined, but "Tao" can be described and described. Every chapter of Laozi's Tao Te Ching describes what "Tao" looks like from all angles.
Laozi clearly said that "Tao" is not Tao, but he gave it away. What do you mean? Don't say what "Tao" is, just describe what "Tao" looks like. There is such a precedent in history, and some cognitive objects can't be defined at the moment. People can study and develop it while describing what it is. For example, some people think that there is still no proper definition of force. However, Archimedes in ancient Greece, Mohist in China during the Spring and Autumn Period, Newton in modern Britain and Einstein, a contemporary Jewish scientist, all made great achievements in the research and development of power, which made mankind enter the space age today. The branches of disciplines related to force are very thin, and there are many research institutions. But what is force? There is still no universally accepted definition. How to study without definition? People can describe it, describe it and describe what it looks like. The current middle school textbook says: "Force is the interaction between objects". I think this still doesn't say what the output is, but it can only say that it describes the force from the perspective of macro low speed. What is Tao? Laozi emphasized that Tao cannot be nameless, that is, there is no definition, but Tao can be described and described. Every chapter of Laozi's Tao Te Ching describes what "Tao" looks like from all angles. How to describe it? Use metaphors to express.
Iconicity is to inspire people to understand Tao through the description of specific things. In this way, Lao Tzu's "Tao" is the "Tao" of life, and it is impossible to understand without life. Dongguozi asked Zhuangzi, "Is Tao evil?" Zhuangzi said, "Everywhere." Dong said to him, "Let's talk about it later." Zhuangzi said, "It's an ant." He said, "How evil?" Say, "I'm here." He said, "Why is it getting worse?" He said, "In Wolf." He said, "How evil?" Said, "I'm drowning in shit." Although Zhuangzi's description of "Tao" is unfathomable, he also realized that understanding "Tao" should be through contact with humble and trivial things in front of him.
Wang Yangming, deeply influenced by Taoism, said that "Tao" is "conscience", and he asked students to experience "conscience" in concrete things. Wang Yangming's students asked the teacher to analyze the concept of "conscience" in language. Wang Yangming believes that it will become more and more confused if it is analyzed separately from specific things, and it can only be understood if it is involved in things. He said: "Although politics is a drama, it is also a place to learn." ("The Complete Works of Wang Yangming", Volume 4, "Lu Wen Yi An Answer to Xu Chengzhi") "Although the county is complicated, the Republic of China is not practical." (The Complete Works of Wang Yangming, Volume V, Two Answers to Road and Binyang) Even if you are hungry, you need to eat, and tired, you need to sleep, it is also an activity of seeking your conscience.
From Zhuangzi to Zen Buddhism and then to Wang Yangming, although concrete ways were used, Lao Zi was the first to express Tao in concrete ways. Lao Tzu said, "Staff sergeant is diligent; The sergeant heard that living is death; The corporal smiled. Just laughing is not enough. "Taxis who live in high society are pampered all day, don't know the situation at the grassroots level, only know the word' Tao', thinking that simple and rapid implementation can achieve immediate results; Taxis living in the middle class heard about the corridor, because they have little knowledge of the upper and lower classes, and their understanding of Tao is vague and at a loss. The taxis living in the lower level couldn't help laughing when they heard about Tao, because the taxis in the lower level lived at the grassroots level and intervened in the trivial matters of the people. They found that Tao was in frequent contact with them in their daily life, and there was nothing magical about it, so they couldn't help laughing. If you don't laugh, you don't know your daily life. If you don't understand daily life, you can't understand "Tao" and you can't do it. The absolute "Tao" lies in the relative concrete things.
Lao Tzu said, "Forever and ever. If heaven and earth can last for a long time, they can live forever because they are not born. " (Chapter VII) Laozi also quoted the wise words of the ancients (Advice) to give play to this truth: "If Ming Dow is ignorant, if he retreats, if he is ignorant, if he is virtuous, if he is humiliated, if he loses Guangde, if he steals Jiande, his quality is really Chongqing, and he is generous, but he is a late bloomer and an elephant is invisible. Tao is hidden and nameless. " (Chapter 41) The shining "Tao" is reflected in the light alternating between light and dark; The indomitable "Tao" is embodied in the tortuous movement of reincarnation; The flat "Tao" is reflected in the rugged road; The highest state of "virtue" is reflected in the uneven "virtue"; The most widely applicable "virtue" is embodied in every limited "virtue"; The most vigorous "virtue" is embodied in every soothing "virtue"; Innocent quality is embodied in complex materials; Pure white color is reflected in turbid color; The acute angle is reflected in the bald angle; The best artifacts are composed of countless defective artifacts step by step; Loud voices can only be set off by silence; The biggest object is invisible beyond all tangible things; "Tao" is hidden in all things, because the name of the artifact is the name, which is nameless.
Laozi said that "Tao" can't be Tao, but the description of "Tao" in 5,000 words in Tao Te Ching reveals the connotation of "Tao" to the world.
Many people interpret Tao as law, which is all wet. From the description of "Tao", we realize that "Tao" is vitality.
How to understand this vitality?
First, "Tao" cannot be separated, but can only be grasped as a whole. When describing "Tao", Laozi strongly emphasized the chaos of "Tao": "If you don't see it, it is easy; If you don't listen, that's hope; If you can't beat it, it's called micro. These three are hard to blame, so they are mixed. " (Chapter 14) "Not responsible" means that you can't get to the bottom of it, and you don't have to say exactly what "Tao" is, so as to avoid one-sidedness of "Tao". Things are Mixed (Chapter 25) describes Tao as inseparable. "Tao is a thing, but it is just a dream. It's embarrassing, and elephants. Hey, there's something in it. " (Chapter 21) "Call it' Xuan Tong' to defeat its sharpness, solve its disputes, and melt its light and dust." (Chapter 56) Trance and chaos are inseparable, and only when they remain intact can they have vitality. Laozi used the word "Chong" to describe it: "Everything is negative and holds Yang, while rushing and thinking about peace." (Chapter 42) "If profits are overwhelming, they are inexhaustible." (Chapter 45) "Daochong, but use it." (Chapter 4) Scholars often interpret "Chong" as "emptiness", but I think this "emptiness" is not the emptiness of daily life, but the emptiness of the generator, so "Chong" may express the vitality of "Tao" in a certain sense.
Laozi yearns for "a small country with few people": "a small country with few people. Make it a tool instead of using it; Let people die again, and don't migrate far. Although there is a boat, there is nothing to take, although there is a soldier, there is nothing to show for it. Let people use it again. Be willing to eat, wear, live and enjoy. Neighboring countries look at each other, the voices of chickens and dogs are endless, and the people are old and dead. " (Chapter 80) Many people criticize Laozi for driving backwards in the development of social civilization. This criticism is too hasty. Not to mention that "small country and few people" was put forward because of his special background at that time. It should be noted that Laozi cursed the excessive secondary division of society with "small country and few people": "Korea is divided, the fields are chaotic, and the warehouses are empty; Take literary talent and sword, hate eating and drinking, and have more money and goods; It's for stealing and bragging. It' s not the Tao! " (Chapter 53) The imperial court was empty, the fields were uncultivated, the treasury was empty, and the people suffered. However, a few people live a luxurious and corrupt life of "happiness from now on". Such a society has lost its vitality and cannot continue to develop. Therefore, Laozi's "small country with few people" actually expressed his desire for the vitality of social development.
Second, Tao can activate everything. Laozi said, "Tao gives birth to one, two, three and everything." (Chapter 42) "Fate"-activation also. Tao activates the whole ("one"), the whole part ("two"), the part activates the unity of all parts ("three"), and the unity of all parts activates everything. "Everything in the world is born of something, and it is born of nothing." (Chapter 40) Here "nothing" is vitality, "being" is the whole, and "life" is activation. "The sky is high and the clouds are light, the ground is flat, the gods are full, and everything is alive. The marquis thinks that the world is right." (Chapter 39) "One" is a whole. Various astronomical phenomena-the sun, moon and stars, storms and thunder, spring, summer, autumn and winter-form a continuous whole. Recognizing this whole, human beings' understanding and mastery of heaven will be clear; The land is all over the world-mountains and rivers, Yuan Ye, plants, flowers and fruits, lakes and ponds, birds, insects and lice, roads and exotic groups, forming an orderly whole, and everyone will live a quiet life; A wide variety of divination activities are not contradictory, but can inspire people to cope with the immediate difficulties, which will make people feel wonderful; The earth and rock, water, vegetation, insects and animals in the deep valley will be full of vitality if they form a virtuous circle of interdependence; Everything can be full of vitality as long as it has its place, its support, mutual promotion and brilliance. In short, once the whole is formed, each part will be activated. The whole can stimulate the local vitality and provide the local running track. No matter how capable a person is, no matter how excellent a product is, it is impossible to play a role alone and must be incorporated into an overall system. Even some defective parts can play a good role once they enter a good whole.
"Too loyal, I don't know; Second, personal reputation; Second, fear it; Secondly, insult it. I don't believe enough, but I don't believe enough. What you say is expensive. When successful, people say,' I was born'. " (Chapter 17) The best ruler is to let people know his existence and let things happen invisibly; Secondly, working day and night, caring about people and things, and giving favors widely are praised by the people; Secondly, it is strict and meticulous, selfless and daunting; Then it is followed by fatuity, incompetence, morality and unemployment, which makes people despise. The people don't trust the ruler because he lacks credibility. Among the above leaders, Laozi pays the most attention to "unattainable". The leader of "too old gentleman" calmly manages the country without much trouble, and the achievement of political achievements is completed by the people. The people did not get specific instructions and leadership from the rulers, but an invisible vitality activated their consciousness and made them feel that they should do so.
"Good deeds are seamless, and good words are flawless; Good numbers don't need planning; Being good at closing has nothing to do with it, but it can't be opened. Being good at binding a cordless contract has not been resolved. Because saints are always good at saving people, they don't abandon people; Always be good at preserving things, so there is no abandonment. It means attacking Ming. Therefore, a good person is a teacher who is not good at others; People who are bad to others are the capital of good people. It is wonderful not to value the teacher, not to love his capital, to be intelligent and charming. " (Chapter 27) What is depicted here is vitality. People who are good at controlling cars have no track, people who are good at talking are watertight, people who are good at calculating don't need tools, people who are good at locking doors can't open them without bolts, and people who are good at binding can't open them without ropes and buckles. In fact, saints still want tangible things like locks and ropes. It just emphasizes activating these tangible things with invisible vitality. How to activate? "Save people" and "save things". Save them, let them play their talents and make the best use of them, so that there are no abandoned people and things in the world. This is called wisdom. For example, the two kinds of people I mentioned, those who are kind to others are guides for those who are not good to others; People who are kind to others are the means to realize their own value. People who are kind to others will become good people by transforming those who are not good to others; The transformation from a person who is not good with others to a good person reflects the kindness of a person who is good with others. What is good for people and what is bad for people can achieve each other and be indispensable. Tao is hidden in its respective roles. If you ignore any of them, no matter how clever you are, you will be confused. This is the secret of Tao.