Pursue a harmonious realm of "the unity of heaven and man"

Pursue a harmonious realm of "the unity of heaven and man"

Text/Wu Xiaojun

In traditional Chinese philosophical thought, the concept of "the unity of heaven and man" dominates. Man is born of heaven and earth, man and nature must live in harmony, and the universal laws of nature and the highest principles of human morality complement each other. These ideas and concepts have had a long-term and extensive impact on Chinese culture and its development.

After a long period of observation and understanding, by the time of the I Ching and Hong Fan, the Chinese nation has already formed the cosmic concept of "heaven, earth, and man" forming a harmonious whole. In terms of ideological propositions, Chinese Confucianism and Taoism have different interests, but their basic tendencies are to affirm nature.

Although Confucianism emphasizes "joining the world" and advocates the unity of the family, the rule of the country, and the peace of the world, Mencius also said that "the husband and the gentleman have passed through, and the gods who exist are the same as the heavens and the earth." Think of man and heaven and earth as a whole system.

Lao Zhuang's philosophy renders the law of life of "human law, earth law and heaven, heaven law tao, and Dao law nature", and believes that man's natural character is obtained from the creation of heaven and earth. Strongly advocate a leisurely, idyllic, open and transcendent state of mind, and pursue an ideal life of leisure and pleasure, leisurely and comfortable, and intimate with nature.

The Buddha picked the flowers and the gaya smiled. One flower and one world, one leaf and one dry, flowers and leaves are natural objects with wild fragrances, and they are also symbols of understanding philosophy and reason. A moving and poetic painting full of interest in life vividly interprets the Buddhist concept of Sanskrit unity. The reality that "there are many famous mountain monks in the world" also shows the relationship between Buddhism and nature.

It can be seen from this that no philosophical trend of thought, no culture, can be separated from the basic relationship between man and nature. From the perspective of survival, there is no survival separated from the relationship between man and nature; from a cultural point of view, there is no culture that is divorced from the relationship between man and nature.

Merging with the qi of heaven and earth, forming a harmonious and unified whole, imitating the strong and healthy days of heaven and the earth's virtuous carriers, it has also created the Chinese nation's national spirit of being dedicated and sincere, containing a broad and broad nature, and a national spirit of self-improvement.

The German philosopher Heidegger emphasized that life always has to appear, and the life that wants to appear is nature; and pretending to be high and profound to avoid the world is the non-nature against nature. This is very consistent with the Confucian idea of joining the WTO, which has also triggered frequent topics: small hidden in the mountains, large hidden in the city dynasty.

Indeed, it is impossible to completely escape the attraction of the real world, because the desire of reality is itself natural. But real life is not flat, the so-called sea of suffering is boundless. Therefore, on the one hand, it is necessary to emphasize the wandering of the individual mental spirit, on the other hand, we must pay attention to the realistic pursuit of life, and realize the organic unity of man and nature, individual and society, and entry into the world and the hidden world. In this way, a new realm of life is created.

It is precisely because of the fusion of traditional Chinese culture, Confucianism, And Taoism, that this unique concept of life of Chinese has been formed. "Joining the WTO" pursues meritorious fame and goes out, and "debuts" returns to the mountains and forests and sends affection to the landscape and water. It can be described as "clear water out of hibiscus, natural to carve ornaments". Lead is bland, carving is natural, such a personality is often based on nature as a reference.

This concept of life of "inner saint and outer king" coordinates the transcendence of the inner spirit with the pursuit of external merit, and combines the Taoist thought (inner saint) that emphasizes individual spiritual cultivation with the Confucian doctrine (outer king) that emphasizes the norms of social order, and truly realizes the harmonious realm of "the unity of heaven and man".

Wildflowers on the wilderness, round and crystal dewdrops between the trees, pure long winds in the air, everything about nature is pure white and simple. Facing the lush scenery of the four o'clock, or the spring rain of apricot blossoms, or the warblers flying grass long, or the light smoke and willows, or the fishing song singing, how not to be moving.

In the return to nature, a natural personality with elegant bones, frank temperament and ethereal charm has been formed. This kind of clear personality has the rich wild fragrance of nature.

When the high-paced modern life and increasingly fierce competition make people feel powerless; when they are troubled by the noisy environment in the downtown, the rushing traffic, the bustling crowds, and the cold buildings; when people attach great importance to healthy life, and at the same time have to bear the air and environment pollution, how much they will long for relaxation in vision, hearing and thinking, and how much they will long for a fresh, quiet and elegant environment!

Then go to nature. After a period of hard work, I often went to nature. The beauty of the landscape dilutes the helplessness and sadness of the world, and the mountains of nature, the fish and birds, the wind, flowers, and snow, make people intoxicated and make people happy. Landscapes are naturally close to people, and people can appreciate the fun of being with heaven and earth in their feelings and appreciation. Under the banner of the "Inner Saint and Outer King", the inner meditation and the outer tour were unified, nature and the famous religion were harmonized, and the contradictions and confrontations between the individual and the society disappeared.

Nature is a personality, a force, and an art. Mingling with nature and certainly living and endless flow of life will reach the supreme state of "heaven and earth are born together with me, and all things are one with me".

Written in Qingdao on April 4, 2006

One point no. Laoshan corner