Does Lao Tzu talk about the unity of knowledge and action? How do the upper, middle and lower three scholars unite knowledge and action?

Now when we talk about the "unity of knowledge and action", it seems that this is Wang Yangming's invention. In fact, the "patent right" should first of all be Lao Tzu, Lao Tzu's "Tao and Virtue" is just another set of literary expressions of "the unity of knowledge and action", and the 41st chapter of the "Tao Te Ching" is about how to "combine knowledge and action". Today, through the analysis of chapter 41, we will explain how to "unite knowledge and action".

The traditional interpretation of this chapter can be described as "fragmented", after reading for a long time, I don't know what Lao Tzu is talking about, and most of the interpreters have not found the connotation of "the unity of knowledge and action" in this chapter

In fact, the theme of this chapter is very clear, that is, it is about the "unity of knowledge and action". As mentioned above, "morality" is just another expression of "the unity of knowledge and action": human beings have formed many "extraordinary ways" through "Tao can be Tao", how to put "extraordinary Tao" into practice, that is, to immediately and immediately practice "virtue", if not "virtue", what is the use of "Tao"?

As we have analyzed in our previous articles, Chapter 1 of the Tao Te Ching is the general introduction, Chapters 2 to 39 are about "Tao can be Tao, not Tao", Chapter 40 is the transition chapter between "Tao" and "Virtue", and Chapters 41 to 80 are about "name can be named, not Tao name", that is, the implementation of cognitive practice, in other words, it is the practice of "virtue". Then chapter 41 bears the brunt, talking about the general principle of "virtue", that is, "the unity of knowledge and action", which is the logical positioning of chapter 41 in the "Tao Te Ching".

Therefore, the "Tao" that appears in this chapter is the "acquired way" and the "way of practice", and the interpreter of "one to the end" can easily interpret this chapter as fragmented and ignorant, because the "Tao" in this chapter is understood as the "innate way".

Regarding the "innate way" and "acquired way", I have talked about it many times in previous articles, in order to take care of the readers and friends who read my article for the first time, I would like to say a few more words here: "the innate way" is the first "way" of "the way of the way, the way of the extraordinary", the way of the natural operation of the universe, and the way of objective existence that is not subject to people's subjective will; Cognitive logic, such as principles, is the product of subjective initiative, so it is an "acquired way".

Although the "innate way" is the origin of cognition, it is unusable for human beings, because it is "simple", equivalent to a log, and if you want to use it, you must "use it as a tool" to form the "acquired way", that is, after the "Tao can be the way", the "extraordinary way" formed - a variety of cognitive logic. This principle is easy to understand, we can't use a log, we can only use it if we make it into various utensils.

And the so-called "knowledge and action" of "knowledge" are all kinds of "truths", not others. For example: study hard, make progress every day, work hard to get rich, honest people do not suffer, and losses lie in dishonesty...... If anyone disagrees with this idea, they have to insist that this chapter is talking about the "innate way", and I suggest that you take out a usable "innate way" for us to see!

The level of unity of knowledge and action: the sergeant hears the Tao and acts diligently, the sergeant hears the Tao, if he survives or dies, the corporal hears the Tao and laughs at it, and not laughing is not enough for the Tao

All kinds of "extraordinary Tao" are placed there, our ancestors have already made it "Tao", we just need to do it, know and do it - Tao and then virtue, it seems simple, but in different cognitive subjects, there are three attitudes towards it:

The first is "when the sergeant hears the Tao, he acts diligently": some people hear that a certain truth is very reasonable, and they immediately put it into practice, which is called "the unity of knowledge and action".

The second is "if the sergeant hears the truth, if he survives", someone hears that a certain truth seems to be very reasonable, and they also put it into practice, but the practice may not be immediately effective, so they will no longer be enthusiastic, so the effect will not be very good.

The third is "when the corporal hears the truth, he laughs at it, and not laughing is not enough to be the way": Some people laugh when they hear a certain truth, why do they laugh? I think that not believing it may be only one of them, but more because I feel that this truth is not like the truth -- the truth left to us by our ancestors is basically not very complicated, there is nothing particularly incomprehensible, most of them are very simple, and my words are very easy to know and easy to do. For example, "study hard" is like a truth? Everyone understands it. A few days ago, a reader who commented on my "Tao Te Ching" talks about "objective thinking and subjective thinking", and he thinks that my understanding is too simple, and he despises me. I told him that 99.9% of people can't do the "objective thinking" rule, and this is the characteristic of the "Great Truth". For example, if a master tells you not to be greedy and fearful in stock trading, it is estimated that you will also "laugh": the master is so cognitive?

Therefore, the sergeant, sergeant, and corporal are actually "knowing and doing", and the sergeant is "the unity of knowledge and action", and when he hears the "truth", he immediately puts it into practice; the sergeant is "knowing and then acting", and when he hears the "truth", he will doubt it, and practice the truth of the faith, and those who do not believe it will not put it into practice; while the corporal is "completely ignorant of it" and does not know how to do it? It is inevitable to "hit the wall", and after touching the wall a few times, he may also understand some truth in the end, so it is called "knowing after doing it", and in Lao Tzu's view, this is called "not good".

This is a different attitude towards the "unity of knowledge and action". Lao Tzu affirmed that he was a "sergeant," that is, if he knew it, he would put it into practice, so how should he count "knowing" and how would he count it as "practice"?

The knowledge of knowledge is "knowing impermanence": if the way is clear, if the way is unknown, if the way is retreating, if the road is like a road

This sentence is a correct attitude towards what he "knows" from the perspective of a "sergeant," rather than a puzzling remark such as "the bright avenue seems to be dark, and the road ahead seems to be backward......".

Enlightened: This sentence is not easy to talk about theoretically, let's use stock speculation as an example. A person who can speculate in stocks, a person who can make money, a master in the stock market, if you ask him what his "Tao" is, he will definitely not understand, this is called "clear Tao". And on the Internet, people who talk boastfully and have a head on the road, one is counted as one, and they are all money-losers. True knowledge is ignorance, and this is called "knowing the way". You don't expect to have a unified standard of "Dao", if you use a fixed "Dao" to guide practice, you will definitely fail, this is the true meaning of "extraordinary (constant) Dao", there is no secret of martial arts in practice.

The higher the level of stock speculation, the more like a novice will be every time he enters the market, and the more cautious he is, giving people the illusion of retreat. "Advance but retreat" reveals that in the process of pursuing progress, people who truly understand the truth may pay more attention to the difficulties and challenges encountered, making the pace of progress seem slow or even regressive. If he doesn't understand, if he doesn't seem to understand, he may be full of self-confidence and don't know how high the sky is. Therefore, the only way to grow and progress is to be patient and persistent.

In the stock market, the higher the level, the more difficult it is to judge the market. You see that he is very decisive in placing an order, and it is easy to make money, but in fact, how much effort has he put in behind his back, how much homework has he done, how many tests he has encountered, and how many difficulties he has overcome?

The knowledge of the line is "uncertain": if the valley is up, if the virtue is insufficient, if the virtue is insufficient, if the virtue is stolen

In the previous sentence, Mingdao, Jindao, and Yidao focused on "knowing", while Shangde, Guangde, and Jiande focused on "doing". This sentence is still talking about the "unity of knowledge and action" of the "sergeant", not about anything else. Shangderuo Valley: broad-minded, modest and cautious, just like a deep valley, can accommodate all things; Guangderuo is insufficient: it seems to be lacking, but in fact it is rich in connotation and unassuming; Jianderuo steals: "stealing" here does not mean stealing, but refers to having an impact in the subtle way.

The pursuit of knowledge is "fruitless": the quality is true, the white is humiliating, the generous is unobtrusive, the big instrument is late, the big voice is loud, and the elephant is invisible

Is this sentence talking about dialectics? Is it talking about natural phenomena? This sentence is a metaphor for the realm of "unity of knowledge and action" through natural objects, and it is still talking about what the "sergeant" knows and does, and it is still talking about the "extraordinary (constant) path", that is, there is no fixed standard for the unity of knowledge and action, and if there is a fixed standard, it is not called "the unity of knowledge and action."

We also use stock speculation as an analogy, the stock market master has his own operating system, trading logic, and way of making money, are these things fixed? No, if they are fixed, they cannot be called quality, truth, generosity, instrument, sound, and elephant, and it is not "Tao" but "art." And the real "unity of knowledge and action", knowing is ignorance, retreat, and arrogance, and what is done is if the valley, if insufficient, if stealing, the state of manifestation is if you are silent, if you are humiliated, if you have no corner, late bloomer (it is okay to avoid success), hopeful, and invisible.

The understanding of this sentence should not be fixed in words and imagery, but to see what the author wants to express, the author is nothing more than to say: we do things according to reason, nothing more than to do things well and make great achievements. And what is a big achievement? That is, a result that never has a fixed goal is a big achievement, do not set limits for yourself, set limits is set sets, and the space for progress will be blocked.

The Tao is nameless, the husband is the only way, and the loan is good

The Tao is anonymous: the "Tao" here is the "way of practice" - knowledge is impermanent, action is uncertain, and there is no result, and the process of practice is a process of silent cultivation, which is hidden and indescribable. In other words: there is no fixed routine for the way of being a person and doing things. The "Tao" here is still the way of practice - if you understand the truth, and insist on practicing it, and practice the true knowledge, you can achieve your life. The word "loan" here can be understood as giving or helping, and "cheng" means achievement or perfection. This quote emphasizes the importance of practice. In other words, action is more important than knowledge.

In short, understanding this chapter from the perspective of "the unity of knowledge and action" is clear at a glance, very simple, and very meaningful. To grasp the words "to be diligent and to do it" is to grasp the theme of this chapter.

So again, the "way" in this chapter is the way of practice, not the way of nature. "One to the end" kills people. If it is understood as the way in which all things work in nature, then the "way" is God. If it is understood as the "extraordinary way" of acquired practice, then the "way" is the driving force for exerting subjective initiative.

Addendum: How do the upper, middle and lower sergeants unite knowledge and action?

The sergeant's unity of knowledge and action:

Knowing: After hearing the Tao (that is, the ordinary truth of life, that is, "knowing", the same below), the sergeant can deeply understand and gain insight into the deep meaning. They have deep roots in the wisdom of seeing the essence through phenomena and insight into the past, present and future.

Walk: After the sergeant has comprehended the Tao, he will immediately put it into practice and practice it diligently. They are able to apply what they have learned, closely integrate what they have learned with action, and achieve the unity of knowledge and action.

Sergeant's unity of knowledge and action:

Knowledge: After hearing the sermon, the sergeant often has a skeptical attitude. They don't understand the Tao well enough to fully grasp its essence.

OK: Due to the sergeants' half-belief in the Tao, they tend to show hesitation and vacillation in their actions. This attitude leads to the inability of them to fully achieve the unity of knowledge and action in practice, and there is a certain disconnect between action and knowledge.

The corporal's unity of knowledge and action:

Knowledge: When the corporal hears the sermon, he often laughs at it, ignores it or even ridicules it. They have a closed and exclusive attitude towards new things and ideas, and are unable to accept and understand the deep meaning of the Tao.

OK: Due to the corporal's incomprehension and rejection of the Tao, there will hardly be any change in their actions. Their knowledge and action are completely disconnected, and they cannot achieve the unity of knowledge and action.