In 500 BC, this was a relatively special era. During this time period, which was called the "Axial Age" by later generations, a group of thinkers were born who influenced the world for thousands of years and even became typical examples among civilizations. Representative figures, why do these people appear together? Is all this in the "Axial Age" really just a coincidence? What secrets are hidden behind it?
Axial Age books
Axial Age
Around 500 BC, it was the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period . The Emperor of Zhou became a decoration, and the kings became the real rulers. During the same period, Ancient Greece , ancient India and other countries were also in a period of strife among nations. A large number of literati and scholars have appeared in Eastern and Western countries. Their emergence has promoted the gradual transition of society from the primary stage of culture to the advanced stage.
Among them, Laozi , Confucius , Sakyamuni, Socrates and many other thinkers are represented. There is a magical phenomenon. These ancestors are all located near the 30th parallel of north latitude of the earth. They seem to have come together, and their ideas have become the direction of development thousands of years later. To this day, it still affects the world. This period is the "Axial Age".
Figures of the Axial Age
Confucius
In China’s thousands of years of history, many saints have appeared, but many of them only bear the title of saint, but there is one person who China, and even the whole world, considers a well-deserved "sage" . This person is "Confucius, the founder of Chinese Confucianism", but Confucius does not think so: "I cannot see a saint; I can see a gentleman." That’s right.”
Portrait of Confucius
Perhaps many people will think that Confucius will be a famous figure in the Seven Kingdoms period. The truth is exactly the opposite. When Confucius was alive, he was not as beautiful as described in books, and was even a little miserable. His life, He spent most of his time away from the center of the whirlpool of the times, and was not favored by the powerful people of the society at that time.. But just such a person has become a figure that has influenced thousands of years.
Confucius was born in 551 BC and was a native of Lu. When Confucius was three years old, his father Uncle Liang He died of illness. Uncle Liang He's wife Shi Shi was expelled from the house. Shi Shi took Confucius and his brother alone. , all the way to Qufu Que.
Confucius lived in poverty as a child
Confucius lived in very poverty in his childhood and had a profound understanding of the importance of life. At this time, Confucius had already made the determination to learn and took practical actions. In 533 BC, Confucius He was able to return to his ancestral home to worship his ancestors and married the daughter of the Jiguan family of Song Dynasty as his wife.
Confucius was nearly 20 years old at this time. It was also from this time that Confucius began to think about how to govern the country and showed a particularly high interest in world affairs. In 525 BC, Confucius opened his own private school. Many students have come here because of his reputation, and by the time Confucius was 30 years old, he had already achieved something.
Confucius persisted in "sage impermanent teacher" throughout his life, devoted himself to learning, and learned experience from society. " elegant words " are the common standard words that Confucius summarized from many local dialects. A simple understanding is quite Based on the current "International Language" .
In addition, Confucius was also a great statesman, reformer, and thinker during the Warring States Period. The power of the Qin State was inseparable from the influence of Confucius' thoughts. When Shang Yang went to Duke Mu of Qin, he adopted Confucius' " "The way of benevolence" was transformed into "the way of the emperor" . At this time, after hearing Shang Yang's remarks, Duke Mu of Qin showed disbelief.
Shang Yang transformed Confucius' "benevolence" into "the emperor's way"
He even thought that he was talking nonsense. When he met Qin Mugong for the second time, Shang Yang explained it to him again. At this time, Duke Mu of Qin still did not recognize Shang Yang's thoughts on the "kingly way". It was not until the later "tyrannical" that he completely impressed the king of Qin and laid a solid foundation for the establishment of the Qin Empire. .
"Historical Records·Biographies of Shang Jun" records: Shang Yang was originally a descendant of the monarch of Wei State, so he was also called Wei Yang or Gongsun Yang. He was later named Shang Jun by Qin Xiaogong, so he was called Shang Yang. Shang Yang was "a genius" and "good at the science of punishment". He once served in the Wei Dynasty, but was not reused. Hearing that Qin Xiaogong was thirsty for talents, he came to Qin from Wei and met Qin Xiaogong three times. The first time Shang Yang talked about the "imperial way", Qin Xiaogong was not interested; the second time he talked about the "kingly way", Qin Xiaogong was still not interested; the third time he talked about "hegemony", Qin Xiaogong became more interested and "talked about it for days without getting tired of it." , so he decided to reuse Shang Yang and reform to strengthen himself.
The influence of Confucius' "The Analects" on later generations is abysmal
Although Shang Yang did not implement Confucius's humanitarianism in the end, Confucius's thoughts have still influenced later generations for thousands of years. In particular, the "Analects of Confucius" compiled by his students has become a must-read for contemporary students.
There is such an article in " The Analects of Confucius·Shuer": Ye Gong asked Confucius about Zilu, and Zilu was wrong. Confucius said: "The female (rǔ) Xibu said: As a human being, he is so angry that he forgets to eat, and he is happy and forgets his worries. He doesn't know that he is approaching old age."
Nowadays, Confucius has already been ridiculed by netizens. He has become a well-known Internet celebrity teacher and firmly sits on the throne of "the number one brother in the cultural circle". After more than 2000 years, there are now Confucius Institutes all over the world, and many foreigners are also learning "Confucius said" and "Confucius said".
Well-deserved No. 1 brother in academia
Laozi
There are many rumors about Laozi, the most controversial of which is my age. Some people say that I only lived for a few decades, but some people believe that I have reached the state of immortality. , let us not say for the moment whether this ancestor has become an immortal or is integrated with heaven and earth.
His contribution to Chinese history alone cannot be measured in terms of money. Laozi’s surname was Li Ming’er and his courtesy name was Dan. According to historical records, Laozi was born in 571 BC and died in 471 BC. Laozi is a famous thinker, philosopher, writer and historian in ancient Chinese history, and the founder of the Taoist school.
Laozi is a famous thinker, philosopher, writer and historian in ancient Chinese history, and the founder of the Taoist school.
was directly regarded as the ancestor of the surname Li by the Tang Dynasty emperor. Laozi's "Laozi", "Tao Te Ching" and other works are still read by students today. Even "Confucius", who is called a saint, was also a student of Laozi. There were several dialogues between Laozi and Confucius, which still influence the thinking of medieval people.
Laozi said: "Life between heaven and earth is one with heaven and earth. Heaven and earth are natural things; human life is also a natural thing; people have changes in youth, youth, strength, and old age, just like heaven and earth have spring, summer, and What’s so sad about the transition between autumn and winter?
Confucius explained: "I am worried that the great road will not work, benevolence and righteousness will not be implemented, wars will continue, and the country will not be governed. Therefore, some people lament that life is short and they cannot make any contribution to the world or do anything to the people."
Laozi said: The reason why people are born, why they are born, why they are honored, and why they are disgraced are all based on natural principles and ways.
Laozi pays attention to letting nature take its course.
The meaning of this passage is that Laozi believes that between heaven and earth, whether people or other animals and plants, they are inherently integrated with nature. Nature has spring, summer, autumn and winter, and people have birth, old age, illness and death. As long as you let nature take its course, there will be no Losing your true nature is precisely because you often think about fame and fortune, so you have a lot of troubles.
Taoism
After hearing this, Confucius replied: Now that the country is in chaos, I am worried about the country. I am worried that benevolence and righteousness will not be implemented in the world. As a man, I cannot make contributions to the country and do something for the people. I am filled with emotions.
But Lao Tzu believes that no one can promote nature. Birds and beasts can prosper even without human help. This is all natural and does not require too much worry.
Although this is just a conversation between two sages recorded in history books, without them, perhaps China today would lag behind for many years in the cultural field, and even leave a large blank in history.
Sakyamuni
In 1500 BC, a group of foreigners invaded ancient India. They established a caste system here and divided people into four levels. Under the influence of foreigners, Brahmanism became the ancient religion. Important religion in India. As the incarnation of Tathagata , Sakyamuni is not an immortal god, but a great thinker.
Sakyamuni was born in the period of Confucius, about 563 BC. During that period, India was experiencing constant wars, wars often broke out between countries, and the people's lives were miserable. It was against this background that Sakyamuni Ni was born.
Portrait of Sakyamuni
Sakyamuni was not called "Sakyamuni" at the beginning. His real name was " Gautama Siddhartha " , not only Kapilavastu Kingdom The prince of is the future heir to the throne. Although Sakyamuni was born during the war, he lived a very happy life. But he was such a person, but he suspected that the world in front of him was not real, but false, and just an illusion.
Sakyamuni did not embark on the path of spiritual practice from the beginning. By chance, he met a patient who was seriously ill and very painful. I heard the word disease for the first time and learned that we are mortal.
In order to get rid of this bondage, he chose to run away from home to find the path in his heart.
After he returned home, he fell into deep thought. Even though his wife left him a son, he could not free Sakyamuni from it. In order to get rid of this bondage, even chose to run away from home to find the path in his heart. In this way, Gautama, who was originally a prince, became the practitioner "Sakyamuni".
"Sakyamuni" as the founder of Buddhism, he experienced 81 years in the human world, and the Eighty-one Difficulties in Journey to the West came from this. So why did Sakyamuni have such an idea?
This has to be talked about with his mother. Seven days after gave birth to Sakyamuni, his mother went to After , Sakyamuni grew up under the care of his wet nurse and other concubines. The adoptive mother was not as vicious as shown in the TV series, but took good care of him.
It is said that there was a at that time. After seeing Sakyamuni, the great master Ashita (astrologer) made a prophecy: " This son is extraordinary and can save the world. " Of course, this is all a thing for later.
After seeing Sakyamuni, the master Ashita (astrologer) made a prophecy: "This son is extraordinary and can save the world. ”
Although Sakyamuni’s mother is gone, his father King Suddhodana liked his son very much and built a very magical palace for him. It is said that this palace is spring all year round. Therefore it is also It is called the "Four Seasons Palace". As long as Sakyamuni enters the palace, it will be spring. Therefore, Sakyamuni has never known the spring, summer, autumn and winter outside since he was a child. This is why as we said above, when he When you see birth, old age, illness and death, your heart will be full of emotions, and you may even think that this world is not real.
Under the deliberate protection of his father, Sakyamuni became a scholar who knew nothing about the outside world, and when he was twelve years old, he had become the most knowledgeable "little prodigy" in India at that time.
Sakyamuni was a very emotional person and a saint who sympathized with all living beings.
However, because he lost his mother when he was young, it left a big shadow in his heart. It is said that Sakyamuni had the characteristics of With his strong and keen perception, when he was sitting under a tree to meditate, he reached the first state of Zen very easily and naturally.
Sakyamuni was a very emotional person and a saint who sympathized with all living beings. In fact, according to today's terms, he just ate when he was full. When he saw a bug dug out by farmers, he After being eaten by birds, I felt in my heart that all living beings in the world were killing each other and full of suffering.
When Sakyamuni was seven years old, he began to study religion, military, politics and other aspects
Sakyamuni When he was seven years old, he began to study religion, military, politics and other aspects , and married his wife when he was 16 years old. Sakyamuni was a great winner in life. Under his compassion for all living beings, , abandoned his wife and children, and began the path of spiritual practice.
When Sakyamuni came to the capital of the kingdom of Magadha, Rajagaha, , he began a career of alms and spiritual practice. This is why there were so many monks who would always go there with a bowl. The beginning of alms. When he came to Datianzhu and saw that the local monks had no worries about food and clothing with the support of believers, Sakyamuni decisively shaved off his hair and practiced Buddhism, and after studying with "Aludakalan", he entered the "Wuhan" The Zen state of concentration in all places.
The precious portrait of Sakyamuni
is just like the gatha poem written by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng: The body is a bodhi tree, and the heart is a mirror stand. Sweep diligently in your spare time to avoid stirring up dust. At this time, Sakyamuni stood on the opposite side of Brahman.
When Sakyamuni was in his 81st year on earth, he expressed emotion: I am old and decrepit. My journey is coming to an end and my life is coming to an end. I am already eighty years old. A Nuo is like the renovation of an old vehicle, which still relies on the help of new innovations to keep going. ”
At this time, it happened to be 486 BC. At that time, Sakyamuni lived in lingjiushan outside the city of King Magadha, and this place also became the residence of the Tathagata in the mythical story "lingshan". It is the destination of the four masters and disciples in Journey to the West
Although Sakyamuni pursued Buddhism all his life, Because Buddhism is mysterious, Sakyamuni finally became a Buddha while sitting under the Bodhi tree . As for how many myths and rumors this Buddhahood contains, there are no details in the history books, but about Sakyamuni’s sitting under the Bodhi tree The vows made under the tree are still recorded: If I don't realize the Supreme Bodhi, I would rather break this body and never rise from this seat. And the Buddhism he created is still believed by some people. The difference between the bottom
and the above three is that Socrates although he is also a great thinker, his life is very different. Socrates himself is an ugly person, and the wife he married Also a shrewd woman, Socrates was often scolded by his wife.
There is only one kind of good in the world, and that is knowledge. There is only one kind. Evil is ignorance
There is a very interesting story. Someone once asked Socrates: Why do you want to marry such a fierce woman? Socrates replied: People who are good at equestrian always like to challenge fierce horses. If I can tame the fiercest horse, then other horses will be easy to deal with. So if I can tolerate such a woman, then I can tolerate others. In this way, there will be no difficult people in the world. .
Whether a person can achieve success depends only on whether he has self-esteem and self-confidence.
Although Socrates’ answer to the question of women is not completely convincing, but In terms of thought, he is worth your time. Socrates existed from 469 BC to 399 AD. He was a famous thinker, philosopher, and educator in ancient Greece. Plato was his student battle, and also The founder of Western philosophy.
However, the death of Socrates is puzzling enough. He was sentenced to death for insulting the gods of Athens, introducing new theism, and corrupting the minds of young people in Athens. However, in an era when theism was supreme, Socrates His behavior touched the bottom line of the rulers at that time.
An unexamined life is not worth living.
But even so, Socrates's famous saying is still worth recording:
Secret love is the most beautiful love in the world.
An unexamined life is not worth living.
Can a person do it? Achievement depends only on whether he has self-esteem and self-confidence.
When you are angry, shut your mouth tightly to avoid increasing your anger.
There is only one kind of good in the world, that is knowledge, and there is only one kind of evil. , that is ignorance
Reference materials: "The Analects" and "Tao Te Ching"
