From the article "Journey to the North": "Zhong Ni said:' The ancients were externalized but not internalized; People nowadays are internalized but not externalized. "Change here is change, and this change is not a natural change, but a reaction to things, so it is more accurate to call it adaptation"; "Inner", here, refers to the natural nature that people maintain on the level of spiritual freedom; Externality "refers to people's attitude and external behavior towards everything outside their hearts." So internalization and non-internalization discusses how to deal with the relationship between human nature and external things.

"Internalization" means changing the inherent natural nature, such as worshipping powerful people and bowing to committees. "Internalization", on the contrary, is to maintain the inner truth; Adaptation to foreign objects is called externalization, and vice versa. What does Zhuangzi stand for? It is "externalization without internalization", that is, adapting to foreign things and keeping nature. However, our general understanding is that conforming to external things often changes nature. For example, Confucius said that "paying attention to ceremony" means conforming to the social system, but at the same time or on the premise, it is "self-denial", which is undoubtedly harmful to the inner natural nature. Isn't "externalization" and "internalization" contradictory? In fact, it is not contradictory, not only not contradictory, but also the relationship between "externalization" and "internalization" is complementary.

"Internalization" is easy to understand, and the key is to understand "externalization" in order to keep one's natural nature unchanged under any circumstances. As we said, "transformation" is a reaction to things, and it is "adapting to it". So, what caused this change? If you can't understand the knowledge level required by Zhuang Zi, it is impossible to accurately understand "externalization". Let's look at the height or boundary.

You can refer to the statements of "outside world" and "outside things" in The Great Sage. "Outside the world" means being able to transcend social life, that is, not joining the WTO and not following the customs; "External things" means being able to transcend everything and "see things from the Tao". In this way, we can find three levels, and the lowest level is "world". This level is our familiar secular society; The second level is "the outside world", which transcends the secular realm and reaches the realm of "things". At this time, it is "seeing things by things"; The higher it is, the "foreign object" is reached. This time is The Theory of Everything's "everything is together" and "seeing things from the Tao".

So what level does "externalization" mean? We might as well analyze it. Look at the first "world" level. At this time, "externalization" is a reaction to secular society, that is, it is bound by etiquette system and moral norms. Of course, this is an injury to spiritual freedom and belongs to "internalization", which is obviously not advocated by Zhuangzi; Look at the level of "outside the world", that is, "things". At this time, those worldly things can no longer be restrained, but change with everything. But at this time, because it is "looking at things with things, self-esteem and inferiority", there is still "intentional" interference, and this "externalization" may also show paranoia; On the level of "external things", everything is in harmony, so the externalization of form is "following the Tao", which is what Zhuangzi called "externalization". Therefore, "externalization" is the adaptation to "Tao" at the level of "Tao" and the transcendence of the secular and even all things. At this time, compliance has nothing to do with secularity. So what does it have to do with "things"? Because at the height of the Tao, everything becomes the carrier of the Tao, so it can also be said that it is the adaptation to "things" at the level of the Tao.

Having said that, we should understand that the so-called "externalization" is actually an attitude and way of "handling things". Therefore, Journey to the North went on to say: "A saint who cares about things will not hurt things. If you don't hurt things, things can't hurt. " "Externalization" is to conform to things rather than confront them, so people and things will become a harmonious relationship and will not hurt each other. Are you hurt inside? Of course not, because the change of things is the operation of Tao, people and Tao adapt to each other, and the inner truth is maintained, not deliberately maintained. In this sense, externalization is the premise of internalization, and internalization is the result of externalization. Therefore, Zhibei Tour said: "If you are materialized, you will not be transformed." In other words, adapting to the "externalization" of things is "internalization" "Never change" in this sentence means "internalization".

So, why is the adaptation at the "world" level sad? Friends who are familiar with Laozi's philosophy know that Laozi believes that the development law of human society itself must also follow the road. However, due to the "promising" of human beings, the world lost its morality, morality lost, and benevolence lost. One of the problems is "promising", and the more "promising" the more chaotic the world is. In this process, human society has produced many artificial rules, such as legal system, moral norms and even the world. In Zhuangzi's view, all these things are the bondage of human nature, which must be shaken off and surpassed. If you can't surpass it, follow it and adapt to these artificial rules. Once you conform to the secular rules, it will inevitably lead to inner distortion, even at the expense of individual life, freedom and dignity. , it is impossible to maintain the inherent natural nature. Isn't this "internalization"? Therefore, internalization is of great significance. Only by insisting on "internalization" can we resist the secular artificial rules, transcend the level of "world" and reach the level of "Tao" In this sense, internalization is the premise of externalization, and externalization becomes the result of internalization.

This is the complementary relationship between "externalization" and "internalization", which are the premise and result of each other. Even the degree of "externalization" determines the degree of "internalization", and vice versa. Of course, the premise is that Zhuangzi must allow "externalization and internalization" to exist to a certain extent. In fact, "externalization" means "being in the Tao" and "not being in the Tao" means "being in the Tao". If you practice both inside and outside, this person will become the "supreme person" of the Tao.

When we understand "externalization and internalization", we naturally understand "internalization and externalization". Those who violate their hearts and obey secular rules not only fail to "keep the Tao" in their hearts, but also fail to "keep the Tao" in their actions, and their spiritual freedom is completely lost. In Zhuangzi's view, he is a "layman", and in Confucius' view, he is a "villain".

There is a passage in Liu An's Huai Nan Zi Ren Xun, which can help us understand "externalization without internalization": those who get the Tao externalize without internalization, externalize, and then internalize when they enter people, so their whole body is intact. So there is a certain amount of exercise inside, while outside you can stretch, win and shrink, roll and loosen, and follow things, so you are not sleepy. Therefore, those who value saints can achieve Long Bian. Today, the volume is guaranteed for a while, pushing a line. Although destroyed, destroyed, but it is still very easy. This is for the sake of small good, and it is also in the way. "There is a certain movement inside" is "internalization", "External energy can be stretched, won and shrunk, rolling can be relaxed, and moving with things" is "externalization". Liu An said that such an "enlightened person" can "Long Bian", and "Long Bian" is probably what Zhuangzi called "carefree travel". Liu An also said that those who can only "keep a section and push a line" are not completely internalized and externalized, so they just "focus on the small good and block the road". These understandings are relatively accurate.

The theme of Huai Nan Zi tends to Taoism, but after all, it is a mixture of many things, and it is inevitable that there will be some deviations in understanding. For example, Liu An's statement that "internalization is insufficient, so the whole body is also" is very reasonable, but it is biased to say that "externalization is enough". The so-called "WTO accession" means "WTO accession". Liu An's understanding of "externalization" is a reflection of Confucianism, while Zhuangzi's "externalization" must go beyond the secular society, which is not in line with Zhuangzi's thought.

There is also a more superficial understanding of "externalization". Mr. Lu Yongpin's annotation of "externalization" is "external energy changes with things" Because Mr. Lu focuses on literary research and does not discuss the specific meaning of "changing with things", we can't evaluate it well. He took Liu Lanbao's notes as reference material, saying that it was "externalizing its traces and internalizing its truth". This "externalization" is "the change of appearance". Mr. Chen Guying's understanding of "externalization" follows Liu Lanbao's statement and is directly translated as "the appearance changes but the heart is calm". This kind of understanding basically did not enter the meaning of "externalization and internalization" in Zhuangzi's philosophy.

Yu Dan's "I read classics and grow with feelings" is interpreted as "the so-called externalization is a maximum adaptation, to adapt to social rules, to treat people in line with customs, to have their own professional roles, to communicate with people and to assume social responsibilities. The so-called internalization means that a person has a life, a small gift that he will never change, and a belief that he will stick to it with all his spiritual world without regret. In fact, a person with his externalization will have a very efficient life and he can live in harmony with the world; And if a person has internalization, his mind will be strong and there will be a future; Therefore, internalization gives us ideals and externalization gives us reality. "

Externalization without internalization means that the times are changing and need to keep pace with the times. Whether individuals, countries or society should adapt to the development of the times, make some changes and learn to integrate! But internalization is the principle, that is, what everyone insists on. What do young people need to adhere to most in this era? That's a dream! There is one thing in this world that will never be taxed, and that is dreams! There is one thing that others can never steal, and that is also a dream! A person's appearance will change, his personality will change and his figure will change. In short, all external things may change, but his inner persistence and initial dreams will not change! Survival can be happy-go-lucky, but life should be adhered to!

Gentlemen are different. Treating people with ease and courtesy, treating people with gentleness and elegance, being smooth in everything and less controversial are all manifestations of externalization. However, a gentleman has principles. A gentleman can stick to his inner beliefs and won't give in on matters of principle. This is the performance of internalization. Externalization does not internalize, persistence and integration, access and persistence go hand in hand, take and give up, advance and retreat. This is the tension and determination of a gentleman to be a man, so keep an eye on everything.