Lao Tzu, whose surname is Li Ming'er, whose given name is Dan, whose first name is Boyang, or whose posthumous name is Boyang, was born in the late Spring and Autumn Period. His birth and death dates are unknown, and his place of birth is also controversial. "Historical Records"

Laozi: an ancient Chinese thinker, philosopher, writer and historian

Laozi, whose surname is Li Ming'er, whose given name is Dan, whose first name is Boyang, or whose posthumous title is Boyang, was born in the late Spring and Autumn Period. An ancient Chinese thinker, philosopher, litterateur and historian, the founder and main representative of the Taoist school, he is also known as "Lao and Zhuang" together with Zhuangzi. Later, he was revered as the ancestor by Taoist Taoists and was called "Tai Shang Lao Jun". In the Tang Dynasty, he was posthumously regarded as the ancestor of the surname Li. He was once listed as a world cultural celebrity and one of the world's 100 historical celebrities.

Laozi once served as the history of the Zhou Dynasty and was famous for his erudition. Confucius once visited the Zhou Dynasty to ask him for gifts. At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the world was in chaos. I wanted to abandon my official position and go into seclusion, so I rode a green ox to the west. When he arrived at the Hangu Pass in Lingbao, Yin Xizhi, the order of the pass, asked him to write the Tao Te Ching.

Laozi's thought has a profound influence on the development of Chinese philosophy, and the core of his thought is simple dialectics. In politics, it advocates governing by doing nothing and teaching without speaking. In terms of power, we should pay attention to the principle that things must be reversed when they reach their extreme. In terms of self-cultivation, it pays attention to the practice of being humble and not competing with others. It is the ancestor of Taoist dual cultivation of life and life.

Laozi's handed down work "Tao Te Ching" (also known as "Laozi") is one of the most widely published works in the world.

A famous saying passed down from generation to generation:

The greatest good is like water, water is good for all things without dispute.

The heaven and the earth are unkind and regard all things as stupid dogs; the saints are unkind and regard the common people as stupid dogs.

Representative works:

"Laozi" ("Tao Te Ching")

Main achievements:

founded the Taoist school of thought and spread Taoist thought theory

Anecdotes and allusions:

Laozi was born

Laozi’s father Lao Zuo was Sima of the Song Dynasty . Chu Kingdom attacked the Song Dynasty. While guarding Pengcheng to supervise the battle, Lao Zuo was shot by a secret arrow from the Chu army fish stone , which penetrated five inches into the chest. Unfortunately, he fell off his horse and died. The Song army was leaderless, defeated, and fled in all directions. Lao Zuo's family members are in the Song camp's military tent. There are several maids, dozens of generals, and dozens of guards. Suddenly, they heard that Lao Zuo had been killed in battle, and saw enemy troops coming like a tide. All the generals hurriedly drove to protect Lao Zuo and his wife, fighting and fleeing. By evening, although the pursuers had disappeared, only two maids and a driver were left beside the old lady. The general did not dare to stop for a moment, so he walked forward in the dark under the stars and the moon, panicking and running in the southwest direction. At dawn the next day, the old lady and her family's maid came to a remote village and asked the villagers the way to the capital of Song Dynasty. They all shook their heads and said they didn't know. The general only knew that he should go west, but he didn't know that he had already turned south. A group of four people took a detour and traveled for seven days. They still did not see the capital of Song Dynasty, but came to Chen Guoxiang. While walking, the old lady suddenly felt pain in her abdomen. It turned out that she was already seven months pregnant. In order to fulfill the promise made by the emperor, Lao Zuo set out with his family to fight with determination to win. At this time, the army was defeated, and the old lady felt the sorrow of losing her husband and fled to another country. Her heart was anxious, her body was tired, and her belly was moving and the pain was unbearable. The maid was panic-stricken, and the family hurriedly parked the car on the side of the road and ran to the village to find an old woman. In just a few moments, a "wow wah" cry was heard inside the caravan, and a premature baby boy was born. This was Lao Zuo's son──I.

I was born with a weak body but a big head, broad eyebrows and wide ears, eyes as clear as pearls in the abyss, and a nose with double beams like a rut. Because his ears grew bigger, he was named "Dan"; because he was born in the Gengyin year of the Tiger, his neighbors also called him Xiao Li'er, which means "little tiger". Because people in the Jianghuai area call "cat" "li'er", the pronunciation is the same as " Li'er ". Over time, old Dan 's nickname "Li Er" became the famous name "Li Er" and was passed down from generation to generation.

Mr. Shang, who has been studying in Zhou Dynasty for three years, came to bid farewell to the old lady and said: "I have little knowledge, but Dan'er is very smart. I am here to say goodbye because it is not because my teaching will never end, nor because Dan'er is not diligent in learning. In fact, I have learned all my knowledge."Dan'er's desire is endless, but if everything is exhausted, the supply is endless. Isn't it also difficult? Dan'er is a boy with great ambitions; Xiangyi is a remote and isolated place. If you want to carve out raw materials and turn them into jade, you need to go to the Zhou capital for further study. The capital of Zhou is a sea of ​​classics and a cloud of wise men. It is also the holy place in the world. Without entering it, it is difficult to achieve great things. "When the old lady heard this, she was troubled: First, Dan'er was only thirteen years old, and it was difficult to return to the capital of Song Dynasty. Why not go to the capital of Zhou for nine days? Second, the old man only had this root left, so how could he rest assured that he would go alone? He was hesitating and didn't know what to do. Answer, Unexpectedly, the teacher had guessed the difficulty and hurriedly said: "To tell you the truth, my senior brother is a doctor of Zhou Taixue. He is knowledgeable and broad-minded. He loves talents and respects the virtuous. He makes a living by cultivating people. He enjoys helping virtuous people and recommends virtuous people as his responsibility. The number of domestic prodigies are all selected by the public. Don't provide food and clothing, treat them as your own children. The doctor heard what the old man said and knew that Dan'er was eager to learn, good at thinking, and extremely intelligent. He had long wished to meet her. Several servants passed by this place and wrote to the old man specifically, intending to take Dan'er to Zhou. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, please cherish it! "After hearing this, the old lady couldn't help but feel a mixture of sadness and joy. Mr. Xi's recommendation made it possible for Dan'er to enter the Zhou Dynasty and have a way to climb the Dragon Gate. She was sad that mother and son were separated. When can we see each other again? Thinking about this, it seems that Dan'er is already thousands of miles away. , I couldn't help feeling sad, and burst into tears. Old Dan threw himself into his mother's arms and cried: "Mom, don't be sad. Dan'er will never live up to the teacher's high expectations. When I succeed in my career, I will definitely come to pick up my mother as soon as possible!" "After that, the mother and son hugged each other and cried. After crying for a long time, the mother and son turned to joy and thanked the gentleman for the recommendation.

Three days later, the whole family and Mr. Shang sent Lao Dan to five miles away. Lao Dan knelt down one by one, mounted his horse and followed the doctor's servant to the west. The old lady watched Dan'er's figure go away in the distance, and then got into the car in depression, and returned gloomily.

Lao Dan entered the Zhou Dynasty, met with doctors, and entered Taixue. He learned everything from astronomy, geography, and human relations. He had a comprehensive view of "Poetry", "Books", "Yi", "Calendar", "Li" and "Music", and cultural relics. He was familiar with all kinds of books, canons, and history books, and made great progress in three years. The doctor recommended him to be an official in the Shou Tibetan Room. Yes. When Lao Dan was in it, he was like a dragon swimming into the sea, and the sea was vast with the dragon leaping; like an eagle spreading its wings into the blue sky, the sky was high enough for birds to fly. Lao Dan was hungry and thirsty, he read extensively, gradually reached a better state, understood the source of rituals and music, and understood the purpose of morality. Three years later, he moved to the post of guardian of the Tibetan History Department, and his reputation spread far and wide throughout the country.

Confucius asked for gifts

Lao Dan lived in Zhouzhou for a long time, and his knowledge and reputation became more and more profound. In the Spring and Autumn Period, people who were knowledgeable were called "Zi" to show respect. Therefore, people called Lao Dan "Laozi".

"Confucius' Family Sayings·Observing Zhou" records that Confucius said to his disciple Nangong Jingshu: "Old Dan, the keeper of the Tibetan Chamber in Zhou Dynasty, is knowledgeable about the past and the present, knows the origin of rituals and music, and understands the essentials of morality. Now I want to go to Zhou to seek advice. Would you like to go with me? "Nangong Jingshu readily agreed and immediately reported to Lord Lu. Lord Lu was sure to go. He sent a chariot, two horses, a boy, and a chariot, and Uncle Nangong accompanied Confucius there. Confucius asked Lao Dan for etiquette, and also asked Chang Hong for music lessons. Confucius inspected the suburban society, Mingtang, and temple dynasty system of Zhou's family. He was filled with emotion and praised, "I am the sage of Zhou Gong, who is now known to be the king of Zhou. "When Confucius left Zhou, Laozi said goodbye and said: "I heard that the rich and noble people give money to others, and the benevolent and righteous people give words to others. I am neither rich nor noble, and I have no treasure to give you, but I would like to give it to you with a few words. In today's world, those who are smart and insightful are often in trouble and almost die because they like to ridicule other people's faults; those who are good at eloquence and understanding are the reason why they bring disaster and often end up in trouble because they like to promote others' evil. As a son of others, do not put yourself above others; as a minister of others, do not consider yourself as supreme. Confucius said: "You must keep it in mind!" "

"Historical Records·The Biography of Laozi and Han Fei" records that Confucius returned to the state of Lu. The disciples asked: "Sir, can you see me when you visit Laozi?" Confucius said: "See it!" "The disciple asked. "How is I doing? Confucius said: "Birds, I know they can fly; fish, I know they can swim; beasts, I know they can walk." Those who walk can use a net to tie it, those who swim can use hooks to catch it, those who fly can use arrows to catch it. As for the dragon, I don't know what it is? The dragon rides on the wind and clouds and ascends to the nine heavens! When I see Lao Tzu, does he look like a dragon? "