What is the Way of Heaven? It is the law of natural change. The laws of heaven work, and all things are prosperous.
What is Deneb Emperor? It is the method of imperial governance. The emperor's method works, and the world is the heart.
What is the Holy Way? It is the doctrine of the saints and the people. Saintism works, and society is stable.
I saw the laws of nature clearly and mastered the doctrine of the saints. If you can understand astronomy, you can know geography, you are familiar with the situation in all directions, and you can understand the farming of the four seasons, and he is the emperor with high morality. An emperor with high morality always restrains himself to be silent and quiet, and never moves rashly. For the emperor, keeping quiet is beneficial to the country, the people and himself.
The saint is quiet, not because it is good to be quiet. For the saints, nothing external is enough to stir the heart, so they do not keep it and are quiet. The water is quiet, and the eyebrows are clearly illuminated, and they are used as mirrors. Still water, in the form of a standard plane, is used as a level, and is used by architects. When the water is still, it can become clear, not to mention the human spirit. The saint is quiet, his heart, the first spiritual mirror between heaven and earth, clearly illuminates the truth of all things!
Emptiness, stillness, tranquility, loneliness, inaction. This is a complete spiritual system, the most spiritual level between heaven and earth, and the highest standard of cultivation and virtue. This standard requires the emperor to take a break from government affairs and the saint to take a break from mundane concerns. The important thing is this word of rest. Resting on the word, people lean on trees, enjoy the shade, and relax physically and mentally.
When the emperor takes a leave of absence, he is empty. Void, you can be quiet. Stay quiet, and you will be able to move. Activities, get success, virtue will be established.
When the saint rests with his thoughts, he is empty. Emptiness, it can be filled. Fulfillment, go along the way, and the way will be ready.
If the emperor is quiet, he will do nothing. If he does nothing himself, the minister can take responsibility and let go of his work. If the work is on the right track, the world will be able to do nothing and be autonomous.
If a saint is quiet, he will do nothing. Those who do nothing can be happy. A happy person who is not afflicted physically and mentally will be able to prolong his life.
Emptiness, stillness, tranquility, loneliness, inaction. All things looking for their roots will return to this system, sitting in the north and facing south, and there is Yao Ye who occupies the throne and converts to this system; Standing in the south and facing the north, there is Shun Ye who succumbs to the position of a vassal and converts to this system. At the top of the peak, this system is the virtue of the yellow-robed emperor or the illustrious son of heaven; At the lower level, this system is the way of the king of cloth or the nameless saint. Hermits who resigned from their official positions and traveled in the mountains and forests, intending to practice this system, wrote books and lectures, and were well-known among the people; The great man who was engaged in politics to save the people and was determined to promote this system, put things in order, and cover the world. This system calms down and becomes a saint; This system moved and became an emperor. This system is the most noble, although it does nothing; This system is the most beautiful, albeit simple.
Emptiness, stillness, tranquility, loneliness, inaction. This system is the spirit of the universe. All existence in the world, tracing its roots, is in the spirit of the universe, and if a person cultivates virtue and takes refuge in the spirit of the universe, he is in harmony with nature. If he serves the community, he will be able to eliminate antagonism, resolve disputes, cooperate with others, and be welcomed by others. If he can be in harmony with everyone, he will be happy. If he can be in harmony with nature, he is the joy of heaven.
Some students said: "Where is Tianlele, it's not easy to understand." ”
So I recited a poem:
Great Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster,
You are the most violent and unreasonable in the world,
Turning all things into powder, killing life is like killing lice,
You never mind what is righteous or unrighteous.
Great Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster,
You are the warmest in the world, the most charitable and affectionate,
Nourish all things into prosperity, care for life like caressing a young baby,
What benevolence and unkindness, you never admit.
Great Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster,
You are the first old man in the world, the most stubborn and long-lived,
Become twin friends with time, enjoy the age like the world,
Youth will always stay, and you will never decay.
Great Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster,
You are the world's first craftsman, the most intelligent and strong,
Turning nothingness into everything, creating the universe like a god building a house,
The credit is completely hidden, and you never show up.
The student said, "The Great Master is not a person, he is a Tao. ”
I said, "When you learn the Tao and realize the joy of the Tao, you will be the joy of heavenly happiness." As I said before, those who understand the joy of heaven are born and follow the development of nature; Death, involved in material changes; Quiet, yin-like condensation; Moving, yang-like fluctuations. It can be seen from this that if a person understands the happiness of heaven, he will not attract the resentment of God, he will not be rejected by others, he will not be dragged down by foreign objects, he will not hear the scolding of wild ghosts, and he will be chic in body and mind, and enjoy it. As I have said before, his automaticity is not mindful, just as the heavens rotate; His self-stillness is not intentional, just as the ground is self-assured. With firm faith, the king sat north and faced south. The ghosts do not dare to make trouble, and the spirit is tireless. He has full confidence that the people will be good and obedient. What this means is to extend one's own void stillness to the whole world, so that all things are as empty as oneself, and to be still is heavenly happiness. At a higher level, Tianle is the heart of a saint, the heart of the Tao, which aims to educate the people, and is never tired of it. ”
Emperor Yao reigned, and Shun served as prime minister. Leisure. The two of them watched the sky.
Shun asked, "As the king of heaven, what should you do?"
Yao said, "If the recalcitrant people are disobedient, I will tolerate them and never insult them." The poor have no livelihood, I want relief, and I will never abandon them. Have mercy on the dead. For children, be protected. Be sympathetic to women. That's what I'm focused on. ”
Shun said: "Okay, it's good enough." It would be better if it was bigger as the king of heaven. ”
Yao asked, "How can it be bigger?"
Shun said: "The king of heaven is virtuous, the doctor is peaceful, the sun and the moon are bright, the four seasons are orderly, and the normal operation is like the unintentional cycle of day and night, just like the clouds gather and the rain falls unintentionally." ”
Yao said, "Let's stir [扌妥] [扌妥] (pronounced rua2) and become one, right?" You are in harmony with nature, and I am in harmony with all people, and together you are better. ”
Since ancient times, from the Yellow Emperor to Yao Shun, who does not praise the greatness of heaven and earth. Ancient emperors ruled the world, how did they succeed? It's very simple, bigger and bigger, learn from heaven and earth, don't catch trivial things every day. That's it, that's it.
The political situation in Lu is shaken, and a civil war may break out.
Confucius packed up six kinds of the most valuable books, the so-called six classics, that is, "poems", "books", "Yi", "rites", "music", "spring and autumn", each of which has a number of volumes, rolled up one by one, bandaged into bundles, and ox carts are transported west to Luoyang, Henan. Luoyang is the capital of the world and the central government of the Zhou Dynasty. Officials at the Central Archives said the storeroom was full and refused to hold the truckload. Confucius pleaded again and again, but the officials were iron-faced. Mr. Zhong Zilu, an attaché and bodyguard who was an early student of Confucius, advised: "The students have heard that the former director of the Central Library, Lao Dan, has now resigned and gone home to live in seclusion. The teacher begged him to write a letter of introduction and leave the book to the Central Library. ”
Confucius said, "Great!" Instructed Zilu to stay in Luoyang to take care of the books, and he went to the countryside of Ku County in Chu State to visit Lao Dan.
The old man said, "No." ”
Confucius elaborated on the contents of the Six Classics, trying to make the master of Wuwei understand that these books are truly cultural treasures, and that they are more important than everything else.
The old man was absent-minded, listened impatiently, and waved his hand to interrupt Confucius's statement, saying, "Tai Luo instigated." Tell me a brief. ”
Confucius said, "To put it simply, it is benevolence and righteousness." ”
Lao Dan said, "Excuse me, is benevolence and righteousness the nature of human beings?"
Confucius said, "Of course it is." The gentleman has left benevolence, how to behave in society; If a gentleman puts aside righteousness, what is the point of living? Benevolence and righteousness are not only the nature of a gentleman, but also the nature of a true person who cultivates morality. What do you mean by asking such a question?"
Lao Dan said, "I also want to ask, what is the content of benevolence and righteousness?"
Confucius said: "Honest mind, kind attitude, fraternity to all, selflessness." As far as the subject is concerned, these are the contents of benevolence and righteousness. ”
The old man said, "Alas! What I just said is worrying. The hearts of the people in the world are so bad, and he still wants to be fratern, isn't it pedantic and ridiculous, but it is too unrealistic. Declaring that he is selfless and letting everyone say that he is good, this is selfishness. Sir advocates righteousness and shepherding all things, doesn't he? However, the sky is abnormal, has it collapsed? No. The earth is abnormal, is it hidden? No. Is Sun Moon blind? No. Did the stars cross the line? No. Are the beasts lost? No. Has the tree fallen? No. Who wants you to worry about it! It is very good for Mr. to imitate Tiande and follow the way of heaven to do things. Why do you want to hold high the banner of benevolence and righteousness and sell everywhere, just like losing a child and playing drums along the street to find it, which makes people laugh. Alas! Don't mess with other people's nature!"
Confucius returned to the country of Lu and hid this cart of books in the wall of his homeland, which was at ease.
Folk knight, surnamed Mingqi, sackcloth straw sandals, waist hanging short knife, strode into Lao Dan's residence. Instead of going to the main hall, I went to the corner of the garden wall to look for a rat hole, drew a knife and looked at it, and went to the kitchen to check the pantry. The chivalrous Cheng Qi walked out of the kitchen, with an angry face, and went to the main hall to see Lao Dan.
Lao Dan put down the pen in his hand and invited the guests to sit down.
The chivalrous Cheng Qi reported his name, and his voice was like a bell. He said in a tone of inquiry: "I have heard the great name for a long time, and they all say that you are a saint today, so I have come thousands of miles to see you. All the way, I stayed overnight and walked for 100 days. The feet grind into blisters, the blisters grind into blood bubbles, layer upon layer of skin, and they don't rest for a day, running to worship the saint as if they were running for their lives. Now I've finally seen you through, you're not a saint. You're not! In the rat hole there is leftovers that you have dumped, and there is no raw food. Violent creatures, this is your unkindness! The food cabinet has all the flavors of cold salad and fried vegetables, which are so delicious. If you can't finish eating, you still hoard, this is your injustice!"
Lao Dan reacted coldly and had no intention of justifying. The chivalrous Cheng Qi couldn't help but be disappointed, bored with himself, and turned back.
The next day, it came again. He said in an apologetic tone: "Yesterday the language collided, offending you old, I was too narrow-minded. Today I corrected it, and I don't know why I corrected it. ”
Lao Dan said: "I am not a layman who shows off his wit, nor am I a great man who has become a saint. I dare say that I have completed these two journeys of life. When we met yesterday, you said I was a horse, so call me a horse; If you say I'm a cow, call me a cow. If I'm really a horse or a cow, and you give me the name of a horse cow and I refuse, then I'm going to get in trouble. It's a horse or a cow, and mistakes have already been made. Rejecting the name of the horse cow is a double mistake, so it will cause trouble. What about me now, the cow hat and horse hat, the vulgar hat and the hat, what to wear, wear it orally, consistently, instinctively, and naturally, not to realize that I should serve it. ”
The chivalrous Cheng Qi was exhausted, followed Lao Dan out of the main hall, and walked through the garden. Don't dare to block the sun, don't dare to trample on the footprints, carefully follow the old man, and walk slowly. He asked in a tame tone, "How should I cultivate myself?"
The old man said, "Your face is arrogant. Your gaze burns. Your cheeks are high, and you are alert. Your mouth is wide and you bite hard. Your demeanor is like a dangerous peak to provoke in all directions. Your soul is like a wild horse trying to break free from the tether. You are stubborn and stubborn. You shoot, pull the trigger, and you're on the verge of fire. You observe, into the wood three points, frightening. You are attentive, clever and skillful, and tactful. In short, you have lost your innocence, and you are left with a false and a fake. What kind of body, let me tell you: someone is from the border, and his surname is stealing!"
The chivalrous Cheng Qi blushed with shame and hurriedly retired. Lao Dan still reacted coldly, and walked back to the main hall to continue writing.
Our patriarch Lao Dan said, "The Tao encompasses all things, no matter how big or small, and all of them are complete. The road is vast and there is no edge to be seen. The Tao is deep and unsearchable. Punishment, morality, benevolence, and righteousness are like trees with roots, and their roots are in the spiritual system. Therefore, the promulgation of criminal laws, the popularization of moral education, and the standardization of benevolence and righteousness must be handled by the hands of the people. To rule the country, although the burden is heavy, he can let it go and can afford it. He does not participate in the struggle for power and profit, even if the officialdom is filthy and smoky. If he doesn't take refuge in anyone, he won't move left or right with others. He sees through the truth of the world and takes refuge in the spirit of the universe, so he can be independent of heaven and earth, put aside everything, and keep his soul from getting tired. To get through the avenue, in line with the great virtue, to talk less about benevolence and righteousness, without etiquette and music, this is the goal pursued by the people. ”
The world believes in the book of the Tao, so read the book and learn the Tao. Since the Tao is valued, so is the book. Books are just written into words, and it is better to pay attention to books than to pay attention to language. The reason why language is valued is all because of the meaning it contains. If it's not interesting, who listens. It can be seen that what should be valued is the meaning, and only the meaning. Behind the meaning, there are subtle things that are difficult to express, which cannot be explained clearly by words, and which cannot be understood by words, but it is the most important thing. Usually the wonderful thing is to refer to this kind of thing.
The world attaches great importance to language, so it is taught to the father, the son, the teacher and the teacher, and it has been passed down for a long time.
Those plays, they value them, I still don't pay attention to them. I think the ones they value are just not the ones they should value; What should be taken seriously, they despise it. We use our visual organs to see the world, but we only see shapes and colors. Use your auditory organs to know the world, but only hear names and sounds. As far as the eye can see, it is all skin. Sadly, the world mistakenly takes the skin for the truth, saying that they already know the world and all things. They are confused by all kinds of fame, stay on the surface of perceptual understanding, cannot penetrate into rational understanding and spiritual understanding, and can never see through the truth of the world and the truth of all things. The truth, the truth, the insiders understand, but they can't understand; The layman doesn't understand it, and he talks endlessly. That's what happened, and the world didn't know it!
Qi Huangong, the head of the five hegemons in the Spring and Autumn Period, was warlike and studious, and studied in the hall in his spare time. One day, the royal wheel craftsman named Bian, a veteran of cutting wheels, was called to repair the wheels under the hall. Wheel Bian's right hand hammer and left hand steel chisel hit the hole, bang pound pound, knock all over the hall with a bang. Looking up, I saw that Qi Huan Gong was very attentive to reading, and he shook his head and recited. Shandong people, the nasal voice is heavy, the urn sound is very ugly. Lun Bian felt that the workmanship was disturbed by others, distracted his mind, and affected his craft, so he threw down the hammer and chisel, stepped into the high hall, and shouted loudly: "Dare to ask the master, I don't understand, what kind of things do you say in that book?"
Huan Gong said, "What the saint said." ”
Lun Bian said, "Is the saint still alive?"
Huan Gong said: "It's stupid! It's been many years since he passed away. ”
Lun Bian said: "In this way, what the master reads is just the dross left over from the brewing of the ancients!"
Huan Gong said: "The widow reads, and the wheelsmith comes to criticize, is this still like words!" You talk about it. Say it and walk away. I can't make sense, I want your life!"
Lunbian said: "Since I was a child, I only know how to choose sandalwood, operate axes, and listen to wheels, so I will talk about the truth of cutting wheels for the master's reference." The rim should be pierced and the spokes should be teased. The eyes are a little bigger, and the spokes are knocked into the inside, which is temporarily firm, and will fall off after a long time of loosening. The eye is a millimeter smaller, the spokes can't be inserted, forced to penetrate, and the rim cracks. It will break over time. It has to be exactly the right size. To do this, you have to work hard, not only by your craft. The most critical skill is to understand it in your heart, but you can't say it clearly in your words. I can't teach it to my son, and my son can't learn it. So I'm 70 years old and still cutting the wheels here, and I can't find a successor. When the ancients died, what could not be taught followed him into the coffin. The book left to future generations, the bundle of bamboo slips you are reading, according to my experience, is just the dregs of the ancients!"