Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu: Both are representatives of Taoism, Lao Tzu governs the country with nothingness, and Zhuang Tzu protects his life with uselessness

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There are two famous thinkers in the pre-Qin Taoist school: Laozi and Zhuangzi. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Laozi and Zhuangzi have been collectively referred to as "Lao Zhuang" and are regarded as representatives of Taoism.

So is there any difference between the theories of Laozi and Zhuangzi?

is actually very different in their doctrines, from the root there is a big difference.

Lao Tzu was a government official in the Zhou Dynasty. He felt that the world was in chaos during the Spring and Autumn Period, so he must educate the rulers on how to govern the world.

"Historical Records" records that Lao Tzu is the history of Zhou Shou's collection room. It is generally believed that Lao Tzu manages books and archives for the Zhou royal family, which is equivalent to the director of the National Library of today or the director of the Central Archives, a central cadre. He managed the books and archives for the Zhou royal family, and he could see the archives of previous dynasties and dynasties, and summed up the principles of how to rule the world.

Therefore, the Tao Te Ching written by Lao Tzu was originally a political book for rulers.

Laozi's doctrine is in the final analysis two words: inaction. Therefore, Lao Tzu said:

Tao is always doing nothing but doing nothing. (Chapter 37 of the Tao Te Ching) Husbands do not fight, so the world cannot fight with them. (Chapter 22 of the Tao Te Ching)

Laozi believes that we must let the people:

emptied his heart, solidified his belly, weakened his ambition, and strengthened his bones. It often makes the people ignorant and desireless, and makes the wise man dare not do it. (The third chapter of the Tao Te Ching)

Only in this way can the world be peaceful.

Therefore, Lao Tzu is often criticized as "stupid people". In fact, this is a misunderstanding (please see my article: "The Tao Te Ching" says: "We often make people ignorant and wantless." Is Lao Tzu advocating foolish politics? ). Later, a family of legalists was separated from the theory of Laozi, who advocated the rule of inaction by the ruler by enacting laws. Han Feizi, a representative of the Legalists of the Warring States Period, wrote "Jie Lao" and "Yu Lao", which is the interpretation of "Lao Zi". Later, the Huang Lao Taoism that prevailed in the early Han Dynasty was called Taoist School by today's academic circles, and it belonged to the middle form of Taoist school and Legalist school.

In fact, in the pre-Qin period, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism were not distinct. They were all political schools, and they discussed how to govern the world, so they often overlapped. For example, the legalist Han Feizi was a student of Confucian Xunzi, and he admired the doctrine of Taoist Laozi.

Zhuangzi is a reclusive cultivator. His ideal is written in "Zhuangzi·Xiaoyaoyou": "Take advantage of the righteousness of the heaven and the earth, and defend against the arguments of the six qi, in order to travel infinitely, the other is evil? Therefore, the saying: "To man has no self, God and man have no merit." , The saint has no name."

Zhuangzi's identity is Qiyuan official, what is "Qiyuan"? There are two explanations in academia: some people think that Qiyuan is a place name and Zhuangzi is a small official in this place; others think that Qiyuan is a lacquer tree garden, and Zhuangzi is a small official who manages it. In any case, Zhuangzi is a small official, no different from ordinary people. According to the description in the book "Zhuangzi", Zhuangzi's life is very poor, and sometimes he can't eat. Z5z

Zhuangzi always thinks about how ordinary people can transcend the mundane and enter the realm of carelessness. So what Zhuangzi shows is the image of a "cultivator of immortals", and his ideals are portrayed vividly in the first "Xiaoyaoyou" of "Zhuangzi". Z5z

Zhuangzi believes that the movement of ordinary things needs to rely on external objective conditions, so the spirit cannot be autonomous, and the soul cannot be settled, but the realm of freedom does not need to rely on external conditions, that is, "Waiting". Zhuangzi wanted to be a god-man on the mountain of Miaogushe, "don't eat the grains, suck the wind and drink the dew, ride the clouds, fly the dragon, and swim beyond the world." Of course, Zhuangzi is mainly referring to personal spiritual freedom, to communicate with the spirit of heaven and earth alone. Z5z

Therefore, Zhuangzi advocates "uselessness" and advocates "depart from its virtue." He sees the troubles and filth of the world, so he seeks to live in seclusion, not wanting to be an official. Therefore, Zhuangzi calls on people to be useless people, because although useful people can be prosperous, they can hardly save their lives. There are too many examples in the troubled times of the Warring States: Shang Yang reformed in Qin and Wu Qi reformed in Chu.Although they were glorious for a while, they could not escape the tragic death in the end.

Although Lao Tzu is highly praised in the book "Zhuangzi", Lao Tzu is rarely mentioned in it. On the contrary, Zhuang Tzu often uses Confucius to express his opinions. This also shows that there are no obvious boundaries between the pre-Qin dynasties and Zhuangzi regarded Confucius as a man of Taoism.

"Zhuangzi·Tianxia Pian" evaluates Lao Dan's theory:

regards the essence as the essence, takes the matter as the rough, takes the accumulation as the deficiency, and is alone with the gods.

and Zhuangzi's realm is:

is invisible, invisible, inconstant, and dead? Born with? Heaven and earth together? Gods go with? What is it? Suddenly He Shi? Nothing is enough to return.

This is the difference between Laozi and Zhuangzi in the eyes of Zhuangzi's post-study. Obviously, they think Zhuangzi is more otherworldly and unparalleled.

All effective methods are like a dream and like a dew. I am Monroe, interpreting the classics of Chinese learning for you. Click Follow to read the series of articles.