The East is white
Whoever does something that is legal or not illegal, and is still scolded by everyone, is unreasonable, and at this time he is still righteous and arrogant, that is, a shameless person. What should we do in the face of such shameless people? Confucianism put forward a good supplementary solution in the Book of Rites and Zhongyong: "Eager to learn is almost knowledgeable, practice is almost benevolent, and shame is almost courageous."
What is the Confucian saying: "Shame is almost courageous"? This means that only when a person understands shame can he introspect himself and strive to be strong. People with shame can bravely face their mistakes and overcome themselves, which is a manifestation of "courage". Always have a shameful heart, not only can you straighten your body, cultivate the spirit of grandeur, but also know the enterprising, into a thousand autumn great deeds, Guy "know shame is almost courageous" also! Therefore, they advocate a little higher on the basis of all legality, that is, all humane daily use is a manifestation of spiritual rationality, such as etiquette, ceremonial instruments, courtesy, etiquette, which make people more human-like.
"Knowing shame" means knowing one's own faults, and if one does not know one's faults, one is equal to one's own shamelessness; even if one is at fault oneself, one knows that one has committed another crime, which is shameless. Shame is close to bravery, a person does not say that he can fight with others, winning others is called bravery, not; true bravery is to be able to fight with his own bad habits, to be able to win his own bad habits, to control his habits, to reform himself, this is the real bravery.
Smell and finally salute, shame and courage
For example, on the basis of the law of the Law, Confucianism put forward the concept of villains and gentlemen, the theory of heaven and conscience, and exhorted people to have the self-discipline of "self-denial and retribution" and the sense of responsibility for the public in the world. Therefore, when Chinese encounter places where the legal power is inexhaustible, they will think or require everyone to do things according to the "conscience of heaven and earth", otherwise they will be "intolerable to heaven", do their best and the greatest goodwill, and use Confucian moral constraints to admonish and inspire people to "know shame and then be brave".
Specifically, how to "know shame and then be brave"? The answer is "self-denial and retribution", only those who know etiquette can know shame, only those who know shame can return to benevolence in the world, and those who return to benevolence can be invincible, and those who are brave are fearless. For example, Confucius's "self-denial and retribution" is for the ultimate "return of the world to benevolence", and when answering Yan Yuan's question about "benevolence", he directly expressed his chest: "Self-denial and retribution is benevolence." One day of self-denial, the world returns to benevolence. For the sake of benevolence, but by others? ”。
For example, Confucius and Confucianism constructed a complete system of "virtue" in terms of moral thought: advocating the virtue and virtue of "benevolence, righteousness, and etiquette" at the individual level. The core content of the political thought of Confucius and Confucianism is "benevolence", "righteousness" and "etiquette", and in the strategy of governing the country, he advocates "virtue for the government", and using morality and etiquette to govern the country is the noblest way to govern the country.
However, in Lao Tzu's view, these are all categories of "lower morality", which are composed of Shangren, Shangyi and Shangli, which require people to actually implement and promote, with obvious "promising" characteristics, and pay attention to artificial behavior norms. It can be seen from here that in the eyes of Lao Tzu, the benevolent and rational faith promoted by Confucius was only the result of artificial enlightenment, and did not achieve the realm of "upper virtue" that was truly inactive and transcendent, so it was degraded to "lower virtue".
Good and evil in human nature are yin and yang, and the yin and yang are called diseases
Because from the perspective of the higher level of Heavenly Dao, human nature has no good or evil, that is, it can be good or evil, and all its actions are natural manifestations of its naturalness. "The good and evil of human nature are all yin and yang, and the yin and yang are called diseases", so whether it is the law of the law with the yin of human nature, other laws and regulations with "human nature inherently evil" as the starting point, or the self-discipline ethics of Confucianism that stimulates human nature and takes "human nature is inherently good" as the starting point, all contain human factors in it, which need to be actually implemented and promoted by people, with obvious "promising" characteristics, paying attention to human behavior norms, and artificial results will vary from person to person.
Cangmiao is honest and knows etiquette, and has enough food and clothing to know honor and disgrace
Only by solving the basic problems of human existence within the framework of the rule of law can we really have the opportunity to gradually advance to the level of Confucian self-discipline and responsible moral governance. Otherwise, in a world of great chaos, when everyone ignores the rules and morality is degraded, Confucians and lawyers based on the rule of man (the other laws of the Law and the self-discipline of Confucianism) will not be able to completely solve the deep-seated problems encountered by the basic survival of mankind and the development of society to a higher level.
The reason for this is as the "Xunzi Wang Ba" said: "If the farmer is simple and weak, he will not lose the time of heaven and the earth, and he will not lose the land, and he will gain the people in the middle and not waste everything." This means that in the road to success, "heaven, time, place, and people" are indispensable, they cover all the elements of the road to success, Daoying Heaven and Earth, Confucianism, Law Strain, the three are of the same origin, one is indispensable, an excellent Chinese, the reason why he is excellent is that he can be in harmony with heaven, extremely human, and through power change.
So Lao Tzu said, "Shangren did not think for it; Shangyi thought for it." If the courtesy is not reciprocated, it will be thrown away with an arm. Therefore, after losing morality, after losing morality, after losing morality, after losing benevolence, after righteousness, after losing righteousness. The one who is polite, the one who is faithful, and the one who is in turmoil. The former knower, the glory of the Word, and the beginning of foolishness. It is the great husband who is thick and does not dwell in his thinness; in fact, he does not dwell in his glory. So go and take this. Only the "Lower Virtues", which consisted of "Shangren", "Shangyi", and "Shangli", were included, and there was little mention of the law as an instrument of statecraft.
Because there are very few people who have "epiphanies", most people in the world are accustomed to the way of "gradual cultivation", first using the rules and regulations of "Law and Other Laws" to forcibly restrict people's daily behavior, and then gradually form the moral norms and living habits of "Confucian self-discipline", and finally achieve the "Taoist self-nature" of following the trend and ruling by doing nothing, that is, the "Fa Confucian Taoist hierarchical management" model that Chinese literati and scholars have worked hard to pursue.
Diagram of the hierarchical management model of the Fa Confucian Dao
Can the Taoists, who are based on the naturalness of going with the flow and ruling by doing nothing, finally solve the ultimate problem of chaos in the world? The answer is yes. In the next section, we will talk about the problem of "Taoist self-nature being at the top level.".
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Author | The East is both white
Introduction: Ten years of learning, one dynasty enlightenment, the original "easy to solve the old, to solve the old hundred" Chinese studies and philosophical research new system.
He is the pioneer of the system architecture system of the I Ching and the Tao Te Ching