Han Yu was the first of the Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and he said in the famous "Original Tao":
"Yao Yi is the Shun of Chuan, Shun is chuan zhi Yu, Yu yi is chuan zhi tang, tang is chuan zhi Wen, Wu, Zhou Gong, Wen, Wu, Zhou Gong of Confucius, Confucius passed on Meng Ke, Ke's death, can not be passed on."
The words are very smooth: the Taoist taoism has been passed down from generation to generation; it has been broken when it reaches Mencius.
Moreover, time is the node of the saint. That is, Mencius famously asserted: "In 500 years there will be saints", that is, there will be about 500 years of separation between saints.
But in fact, if you look closely, there is a very important question: how is the inheritance between these saints realized?
Not only is there a gap of 500 years, but the future Saint King inherits the Holy King of the previous dynasty, but overthrows the former dynasty!
As a thinker, politician, and writer, what is the logic of this passage in "The Original Way"?
Specifically, there are three issues that deserve high attention:
First question:
People know that Yao Chuan Shun, Shun Chuan Yu, and Yao Shun Yu is the same era.
But why is Xia Yu passing on the business soup?
The two are not the same era, and it is Shang Tang who finally destroyed Xia!
Similarly, why did Shang Tang preach to King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou?
They were not the same era, and it was Zhou who eventually destroyed Shang!
Second question:
Yao Chuan Shun, Shun Chuan Yu, and even Shang Tang preached to Wen and Wu, all of which are the inheritance between the Holy King.
When it reached Confucius, it changed——
Why did the Dukes of Wen, Wu, and Zhou pass on to Confucius of the subject class?
And just Confucius of the Lu subject class?
Third question:
Confucius preached to Mencius, and after Mencius died, why couldn't he pass it on?
In Han Yu's eyes, Xunzi was not a true descendant.
The answers to these three questions are not complicated.
In short, the inheritance of culture is different from the change of dynasties.
The Heavenly Dao has its own laws of operation. The inheritance of the Dao vein also has its own laws. The so-called "preaching of the saints to the Word" is called.
Han Wengong stood tall, he stood at the height of Taoism, not from the general historical perspective.
Shang Tang imitating Xia Yu and Shang destroying Xia are two different things.
King Wu of Zhou Wen imitated Shang Tang and Zhou extinguished Shang, which were also two different things.
This is not the change of dynasties, but the inheritance of culture, the inheritance of Taoism.
The Saint King of the Later Dynasty inherited the founding Saint King of the Previous Dynasty, and it is the Later Dynasty that inherits the best cultural heritage of the previous generation, not the cultural dross.
In our words today, it is similar to the meaning of "cultural revival".
Cultural revival is not simply or completely copied —
Two meanings: cultural revival often has its own characteristics of the times and innovations;
Cultural revival may not really surpass its predecessors.
For example, Shang Tang emulated Xia Yu, but it was difficult to surpass Dayu;
For example, Confucius advocated Zhou Li, but watched the Li Le collapse.
As for What Han Wengong said, when the Tao is unified to Mencius, it is "not allowed to be passed on", which is actually a normal state, and the inheritance of the Dao system can be described as intermittent or continuous, which can be described as "the ming dao is ignorant".
As for the transfer of Taoism from the Holy King to Confucius and from the temple to the jianghu, in fact, it is not enough, whether in the temple or in the jianghu, it is natural.
Moreover, Confucius spoke of the way of kings, and Confucius himself was also the "king of su".
That is to say, for the Dao pulse or The Dao system—
Whether it is a temple or a river or a lake, it must be in line with the royal way;
Whether it is a temple or a river or a lake, it must be in line with the hearts of the people.