As soon as I had dinner, I received a call from Mr. Liu: "Brother, there is something big!" I'll be waiting for you on the pedestrian street! As soon as they met, he said excitedly, "Today I found a big problem. Your brother must be able to answer, tomorrow I will treat you to beef noodles! If you can't answer, you invite me! ”
"Hook me with this, tell me, what's the problem?" I asked with a smile.
"In the Tao Te Ching, it says, '' and in the Analects, it says, ''
Look at it, man, the two great saints have completely different attitudes towards virtue and resentment. Lao Tzu repaid grievances with virtue, and Confucius repaid grievances with straightforwardness. Which one is right? "Teacher Liu is quick to talk.
"Lao Liu, it's not that I praise you, this question is indeed very profound, your knife is cut on seven inches!" I said.
"Haha, dude, you also have times when you are asked! Ready for a treat, I'll book a room now. "Teacher Liu is very proud.
"Don't be impatient, who invites who is not certain!" I started the explanation.
1. To complain about virtue is to despise resistance
Let's first interpret Lao Tzu's sentence.
None is an innate meaning. To do nothing is to build an innate mission; Nothing is to create an unprecedented; To taste tasteless is to taste something that no one else has ever tasted.
The size is to take the small as the big and the less as the more, that is, to start from the small and start from the details. Retribution means that no matter what others have done to be sorry for themselves, we don't have to change our practices for this reason, and only act in accordance with the laws of heaven.
The whole sentence is translated as follows: "To build a mission, to make a name for yourself, and to be prepared for hardships." Start with small things, add up a lot, even if others don't understand, or do things that hinder us, we must not change our original intentions and do our own things firmly. ”
"Virtue", as we have said, is to act according to the law.
Therefore, the real meaning of "retribution and virtue" is: no matter how others slander and hinder us, we will firmly follow our own path!
"Suddenly bright, man! We generally understand that it is good to be bad, and to convince people with virtue. It seems that the original meaning of 'virtue' has been lost. Teacher Liu nodded frequently.
There is nothing wrong with secular understanding. Lao Tzu's sentence also has a deeper interpretation. I accentuated my tone.
"Huh? And so on! Teacher Liu urged anxiously.
2. How to repay virtue? Why should it be reported!
Everyone's daily interpretation, taking "virtue" as kindness and goodwill, in fact, also makes sense.
The virtue that Lao Tzu talked about is the supreme virtue and the heavenly virtue, which is to see whether it conforms to the way of heaven; And the virtue that Confucius talked about is great virtue and human virtue.
There is a dimensional difference between the two.
In the context of Lao Tzu, it is about the virtues of the heavens and the sages. For the heavens and the sages, they do not think about whether it is good for themselves or not, as long as it conforms to the law and is good for the common people in the world, they will do it—this is the highest virtue. So even if you have a grudge against him, he will not retaliate against you at all, resent you, or care about you, but just do his own thing in a down-to-earth and single-minded manner. So here, "retribution" does not mean to reciprocate, but to treat.
And in the context of Confucius: it is talking about the virtue of ordinary people, and it is human virtue, that is, benevolence. "Repay virtue with virtue and repay grievances with straightforwardness," which means: If you treat me well, I will treat you well; If you slander and hurt me, I will go back. Here, "retribution" means return.
So who's right and who's wrong?
All right! Because two saints are talking about two worlds.
Lao Tzu talks about the laws of nature, and Confucius talks about social humanities!
In the world of virtue and sages, it is to repay grievances with virtue, whether you are a gentleman or a villain, good or evil, Tiande will be evenly applied, rain and dew are evenly distributed. He acted exactly according to his own rules. This is also what Lao Tzu called "ruthless" and "unkind".
And in the mortal world, we should repay virtue with virtue and repay grievances with straightforwardness. Etiquette governs gentlemen, rule of law villains, and whip livestock. If a country or a society does not have organizations such as the army and the police, then bandits will run rampant and good people will hardly survive.
Therefore, Lao Tzu's "virtue" is heavenly virtue, and there is no need to return it at all! And Confucius's "virtue" is human virtue, so it must be reciprocated!
"Completely understood! Lao Tzu is talking about the high-dimensional world, talking about the way of heaven and sages; And Confucius is talking about the low-dimensional world, he is talking about humanity, talking about mortals! Teacher Liu concluded.
Confucius asked Lao Tzu about the meaning of virtue and resentment, and Confucius must have understood. But when he answered the questions of his apprentices, it was based on the perspective of social management, which of course had to be in line with human nature and dimensionality reduction! I said.
"Brother, according to this statement, those people in history who sacrificed their lives for the country and the people and killed themselves to become benevolent have surpassed human virtue and reached the realm of heavenly virtue, right?" Teacher Liu said with great longing.
"That's right! Since ancient times, there have been people who have been working hard! In fact, Confucius himself is in line with what Lao Tzu said about 'heavenly virtue', knowing that he can't do it, and his kindness and merit are spread all over the world and flowing in eternity, without asking for personal returns, which is a typical 'revenge for virtue'! I said.
"Why should Dade report? Why should the great virtue be repaid! Spring and Autumn, what an era that makes people want to travel back! The sages are stacked up, and the stars are shining brightly......"
"Stop, Lao Liu! Hurry up and book a room now, you can order tomorrow's beef noodles! "I laughed!