Tao De Tianzun and Lao Tzu
China has a long history, the literati and inkers of various periods have also written many popular literary works, which are respected by future generations, and now with the development of science and technology, these works have also been put on the big screen. Myths and legends, as part of metaphysics, are loved by many people.
Whether in the "Journey to the West" or "Fengshen List" there have been taishang laojun characters, his mana seems to be average, do things only promises, but also often bullied by the "monkey" Shangxian, through these film and television works, we know that Taishang Laojun is the embodiment of Laozi. But in fact, this statement is wrong, to be precise, Lao Tzu is the embodiment of Taishang Laojun.
There is a cloud in the Tao Te Ching: "The Tao gives birth to one, one life to two, two to three, three to all things, all things are negative and yang, and the breath is harmonious." "From the nameless avenue to the chaotic yuanqi, from the yuanqi to the yin and yang, the phase of yin and yang is combined, and all things under the world are born." Blind to the name of the Yi, listen to the unknown of the Xi, beat the name of the micro. These three cannot be cross-examined, so they are mixed into one", believing that one becomes three, three are one, "if it is used, it is divided into three, and the original is always one".
Later Taoism thus derived the three noble gods who lived in the Sanqing Shengjing Realm. They are Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, Taiqing Daode Tianzun, and Taiqing Daode Tianzun is what we often call "Lao Tzu". Of course, there are also views that Sanqing is just a different incarnation of Taishang Laojun, but this is the result of The Deification of Taoism.
Taoism and Taoism
It should be pointed out that Taoism and Taoism are related, but Taoism is not Taoism, Lao Tzu founded Taoism rather than Taoism, and many people tend to confuse their relationships or simply confuse Taoism and Taoism, which is wrong.
Lao Tzu was a Chen guo in the Spring and Autumn Period, who founded Taoism, and later Formed "Lao Zhuang" with Zhuangzi, it should be distinguished that the taoist master was Zhuang Zhou, not Lao Tzu. The Confucians of Taoism and Confucius and the Mo family of Mozi are known as the three major philosophical systems of ancient China.
If Confucianism is in the service of the feudal ruling class, then Lao tzu's Taoism pays more attention to the "Dao", which can also be said to be the "Dao dao". From the small human nature to the whole cosmology, Lao Tzu has put forward his own views, and here it is clear to draw a conclusion, that is, in terms of philosophy, Lao Tzu is more powerful than Confucius. Many times, Confucius would ask Lao Tzu for advice, such as Confucius said that the fifty and know the Mandate of Heaven, and Lao Tzu through the interpretation of the ancient book "I Ching", realized the "Heavenly Dao", the relationship between man and society, the universe, Lao Tzu's study of the "Heavenly Dao", has become the concept pursued by many literati in later generations. This is the idea of "simple materialism" in the pre-Qin period.
After talking about Confucianism and Taoism, let's talk about Taoism.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty deposed the Hundred Schools of Confucianism and made Confucianism the first mainstream of Chinese scholarship. Since then, it has completely served the ruling class of the feudal dynasty. Confucianism derived the "imperial examination system" that carried the employment of the feudal dynasty. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling synthesized various academic contents such as Taoist theories, folk alchemy, myths and legends, and founded the incredible "Taoism".
Taoism borrowed a lot from the philosophical ideas of "Taoism", and Zhang Ling's Taoism worshipped Lao Tzu (Taishang Laojun) as the ancestor of Taoism, and himself incarnated as "Zhang Tianshi", which is inseparable from the "metaphysics" of the government and the public since the Qin and Han dynasties. Taoism is the only indigenous sect in China. From this we can see that Lao Tzu's influence is great.
Lao Tzu's "Prophecy of God"
If you look at it from another angle, the reason why Lao Tzu is mythologized as Taishang Laojun. Probably derived from Lao Tzu's correct interpretation of the I Ching, he was able to deeply understand the laws of the operation of all things in the universe of heaven and earth, and was also proficient in the art of Zhou Yi deduction.
The article concludes with a "divine prophecy" about Lao Tzu, which is not a rumor, it is clearly documented.
And the history of Zhou Taishi saw Qin Xiangong: "Qin began with Zhou He, merged and left, five hundred years old when compounded, combined for seventeen years and the overlord came out of the clouds" Yunyun.
Regarding this prophecy, some people say that the State of Qin was enfeoffed as a prince from The Zhou Division, and then unified the world again for the Zhou, and finally after the peasant revolt, the Qin State perished. Overlord is referred to as Chu Bawang Xiangyu. There is also a saying that the world is unified in the Qin state, and the overlord refers to the Qin Shi Huang who completed the hegemony.
Later scholars also believed that Laozi's language was just a coincidence, but most people believed that since Laozi was well versed in the way of the I Ching, and the I Ching could deduce the mysteries of everything in the universe, it was easy for Lao Tzu to predict.
Finally, because Zhou Taishi dan wrote the book "Lao Tzu", some historians directly pointed out that Zhou Taishi Dan was LaoZi. Regardless of whether Lao Tzu is Taishang Laojun or Zhou Taishidan, due to the deep influence of Taoism in the folk, "Tao" has changed from "Heavenly Dao" to a kind of "Metaphysics" in the eyes of many ordinary people, and whenever people mention it, they always think that "attaining the Tao" is to "become immortal".