Who is Liezi?

Liezi was named Yu Kou, a native of Putian (now Zhengzhou City, Henan Province) in the Warring States Period. A famous representative of Taoist school, a famous thinker, fable and writer. Liezi (himself and his disciples) wrote Liezi, which has a far-reaching influence on the philosophy, literature, science and technology and religion of future generations. At that time, because people used to add a word "Zi" after the surname of a learned person to show respect, Lieyukou was also called "Liezi". The theories of "celestial movement", "earth motion" and "infinite universe" in Liezi are far earlier than similar theories in the West. In Tianbao period, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty named Liezi as "Chongxu Real Person". Liezi lived in poverty all his life, did not seek fame and fortune, did not enter the officialdom, lived in seclusion in Zheng for 4 years, and devoted himself to writing 2 articles, about 1 thousand words. Liezi is a classic work of the early Huang Laodao family. Liezi Shu was studied in the pre-Qin period, and it was still popular in the Western Han Dynasty. The Western Jin Dynasty was plagued by Yongjia rebellion and was incomplete after crossing the river. Later, it was completed by finishing in Zhan Zhang. There are eight existing articles: Tianrui, Huangdi, Zhou Muwang, Zhong Ni, Tang Wen, Li Ming, Yang Zhu and Shuo Fu. Among them, the fables such as Yu Gong Yi Shan, Worrying about the Worries, Two Children Arguing about the Sun, and Ji Chang Xue She are well-known and widely circulated. Among them, "Two Children Debate on the Day" was included in the first text of the sixth volume of the Primary Chinese People's Education Edition, and the second unit of the seventh volume of junior Chinese was "Reading Appreciation"; "Yugong Yishan" was included in the 22 nd lesson of the first volume of the ninth grade of junior middle school Chinese Education Edition, the 11 th lesson of the sixth unit of Beijing Normal University Edition, and the 9 th lesson of the first volume of the sixth grade of Shanghai Education Edition. Liezi has always kept a low profile, and there is a saying that "Liezi lived in Zhengpu, and he was ignorant for forty years", which shows that he really achieved the realm of "harmony with the dust" that Laozi said, so Liezi's deeds in history are also very few.

Character's life

Lieyukou devoted his life to moral knowledge, and studied under Guan Yinzi, Huqiuzi, Lao Shang, Zhibo Gaozi, etc. He lived in seclusion in Zheng for forty years, seeking no fame and wealth, and quietly practicing Buddhism. Advocating accountability and responsibility, doing nothing. He has written 2 books with more than 1, words. Today, there are eight books such as Tianrui, Zhong Ni, Tang Wen, Yang Zhu, Shuofu, Huangdi, Zhou Muwang and Lifeng, and the rest have been lost. Among them, there are more than 1 fables, such as "The Yellow Emperor Wandering", "Yu Gong Yi Shan" and "Worrying about Heaven", and all of them are interesting to read, and they are all selected from this book, which is meaningful and thought-provoking. Later, it was revered by Taoism as "a real person who rushed to the void."

Liezi is open-minded, rich and poor, and is not surprised by honor or disgrace. Because of poverty at home, I often don't have enough to eat, which makes me pale and emaciated. Someone advised Zi Yang, the ruler of Zheng State, to subsidize Liezi in order to win the name of a good scholar, so Zi Yang sent someone to send him ten carts of grain. He thanked him again and again, but refused to accept the real thing. My wife complained: I heard that people who have a way can live happily with their wives and children, but I often go hungry. The prime minister sent you food but you didn't accept it. I'm really unlucky. Liezi smiled and said to his wife, Ziyang doesn't really know me. He only sent me food after listening to others. I may listen to others and blame me in the future, so I can't accept it. A year later, there was an accident in the state of Zheng, Ziyang was killed, and many of his party members were collectively killed, so that the imperial bandits were safe and sound. Such a legacy is still circulating among Zhengzhou people, and this story is also recorded in the Annals of Zhengzhou in the thirty-second year of Kangxi.

Liezi valued Shogen, and cultivated the art of keeping out the wind. He was able to walk against the wind and often traveled to the Eight Wastes in the spring. In Zhuangzi's "Happy Travel", Liezi described the scene of riding the wind. "Ling Ran is good, and he will return after five days in ten days." Wherever he is popular, he will come back to life. Flying, carefree, relaxed and complacent, enviable. In the first year of Tianbao, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (739), Li Longji named him Chongxu Zhenjing. The learning of Liezi originated from Huangdi and Laozi. According to legend, he once asked Guan Yinzi to worship Huqiuzi as a teacher, and later he successively studied the old Shang family and Zhibo Gaozi, and got their true stories, but Youbo was unconscious. After nine years of monasticism, he can ride against the wind. It is said in "Stories about Different Things" that Liezi often travels to the Eight Wastes by the wind in beginning of spring, and returns to the "wind cave" in beginning of autumn. When the wind comes, everything grows, and when he goes, everything grows. "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" said: "Zi Liezi is expensive." He believes that "if the heart of a person is a mirror, he will not welcome it, but should not hide it, so he can win things without hurting them." Liezi was poor and hungry, but refused the food given by Ziyang, the tyrannical ruler of Zheng State. Yan Hui, his disciple, asked him, "Are all those who know the Tao rich?" Liezi said, "I only despise Tao and value profit and death!" " He believes that we should get rid of the fetters of dignity, fame and fortune in the world, conform to the avenue, be indifferent to fame and fortune, and cultivate quietly.

weak and quiet

Putian people of Zheng State (now Zhengzhou City, Henan Province) in the period of King Weilie of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. In the early Warring States period, he was a famous thinker, fable writer and writer. Famous representative of Taoism. At that time, because people used to add a word "Zi" after the surname of a learned person to show respect, Lieyukou was also called "Liezi". In Tianbao period, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty named Liezi as "Chongxu Real Person".

In the first article of his book, "Wandering around", Zhuangzi mentioned that Liezi could "ride against the wind, and Ling Ran was good", and it seemed that he had accomplished a remarkable feat. Because Zhuangzi's books often make up some imaginary characters, such as "unknown people" and "heavenly roots", some people suspect that Liezi is also a "dummy". However, Liezi is also mentioned in many documents, such as Warring States Policy, Dead Bodies, Lu Chunqiu and so on. These books are all serious books, and they don't like to make up stories like Zhuangzi. So Liezi should be a real person.

Liezi was content with poverty all his life, did not seek fame and fortune, did not enter the officialdom, lived in seclusion in Zheng for 4 years, and devoted himself to writing 2 articles with more than 1, words. There is a book Liezi that has been circulated. Liezi was studied in the pre-Qin period, and it was still popular in the Western Han Dynasty. The Western Jin Dynasty was plagued by Yongjia Rebellion and was incomplete after crossing the river. Later, it was completed by finishing in Zhan Zhang. There are eight existing articles: Tianrui, Emperor, Zhou Muwang, Zhong Ni, Tang Wen, Li Ming, Yang Zhu and Shuo Fu. Among them, the fables such as Yu Gong Yi Shan, Alarming Worries, Two Children Debating on the Sun, Ji Chang Xue She, Tang Wen and so on are well-known and widely circulated. Liezi has always kept a low profile, and there is a saying that "Liezi lived in Zhengpu, and he was ignorant for forty years", which shows that he really achieved the realm of "harmony with the dust" that Laozi said, so Liezi's deeds in history are also very few. It is not too much to explain that some people think that Liezi is a false trust of future generations.

Liezi is not only knowledgeable, but also non-standard, with a clear life standard, and his moral cultivation is even more noble. Once, when a group of Chinese envoys visited Liezi in Zheng, they found that the man who admired himself was often immersed in learning when he was hungry. When Ziyang, the prime minister of Zheng, heard about this, he immediately sent officials to deliver food to Lieyukou. Liezi was unmoved, and thanked him and said, "Nothing gains without success.". The messenger had to take food and return to me. Liezi's wife was puzzled by this, and Liezi explained: Ziyang doesn't understand the greatness of my "Tao", but just wants to pursue fame and reputation. Later, as Liezi expected, it was not long before the people made an insurrection and killed this senior official named Ziyang. If Liezi had accepted the gift and used it, it would certainly have been a disaster.

his theory advocates the value of deficiency. Famous in Liezi, there is a chapter named after it, the main purpose of which is to promote that you should not show off your wisdom outside, but to cultivate your mind, so as to achieve the natural state of "keeping out of the sky" and achieve the realm of "useless use"

Ride the wind to resist deficiency

Liezi was very persistent and earnest in seeking Tao in his youth. At first, he studied under Hu Qiuzi, then he asked Lao Zi to personally pass on his disciple Guan Yinzi, and

once worshipped Shang as a teacher. He inherited Laozi's theory and carried it forward. Legend has it that when he devotes himself to monasticism, he can "walk against the wind." He often "rides the wind to travel to the Eight Wastes" on the day of beginning of spring; Return to the residence "Wind Cave" on the day of beginning of autumn. Although these records are exaggerated, they indirectly reflect the profoundness of Liezi's Taoist knowledge and Liezi's detached Taoist style.

Major Achievements

Works

Liezi is a famous classic in the history of ancient China's ideology and culture, belonging to various schools of thought, and it is a book of wisdom, which can open people's minds, give people inspiration and wisdom.

Liezi is a compilation of Liezi, his disciples and his later works. The book consists of eight articles and 14 chapters, which are composed of philosophical essays, fables, fairy tales and historical stories. Basically, it expresses subtle philosophy in the form of fables. * * * There are 12 myths and fables. For example, there are nineteen Huangdi chapters, eleven Zhou Muwang chapters and thirty Shuofu chapters. These myths, fables and philosophical essays are full of wisdom.

Every word in Liezi, regardless of its length, is self-contained, with its own theme, which reflects wisdom and philosophy. It is easy to understand and interesting. As long as we read it one by one and experience it carefully, we can gain lessons. It can be compared with Aesop's Fables in ancient Greece, but it is far beyond the theory of

thinking

examples in Aesop's Fables in artistic conception. Liu Xiang thinks: "Its learning originated from the Yellow Emperor Laozi, and it is called Taoism. Taoists must stick to the basics, be clear about emptiness and inaction, and treat their bodies and things, and they should respect and not compete, which is in line with the Six Classics. " Xing Bing's Shu in Er Ya Shi Shu quoted corpse Guangze and Lu's Chunqiu Buer, saying: "Zi Liezi is precious." "The Warring States Policy. Han Ce" has: "History is ill to make Chu, and the king of Chu asked,' What should the guest follow?' Yue:' the words of treating Liezi's troubles.' Say,' What's expensive?' Say:' Guizheng'. Zhan Zhang's "Liezi. Preface" holds that: "Its books are generally clear that there are even empty ones, and all kinds of products are tested by the ultimate extinction. God favors to be calm and quiet, and misses to take things as the table, to feel and turn dreams into feelings. The size is not limited to one domain, and there is no false intelligence in poverty. Governing the body is more expensive than being an official, and it is suitable for everything. If you forget, there will be no seclusion, and this is also the purpose. "

Liezi believes that "if the heart of a person is like a mirror, he will not welcome it if he doesn't, but should not hide it, so he can win things without hurting them". He often looks hungry because he is poor, but refuses the food given by Ziyang, the tyrannical ruler of Zheng State. His disciples were very shy and asked, "Are all those who know the Tao rich?" Liezi said, "I despise the Tao and value the benefit to death!" " Liezi also advocated that we should get rid of the fetters of nobility, fame and fortune in the world, conform to the avenue, be indifferent to fame and fortune, and cultivate quietly.

There are many instructive works in pre-Qin fables and myths and legends in Liezi. For example, the three stories of Liezi Xueshe (Liezi Shuofu), Jichang Xueshe (Liezi Tangwen) and Xue Tan Xuefu (Liezi Tangwen) tell us that in learning, we should not only know what it is, but also know why it is; Real skills come from hard study and hard practice; There is no end to knowledge and skills, and you can't be satisfied with just learning a little. Another example, "Inheriting the legacy" ("Liezi Huangdi") tells us that Qu Bei's amazing skill in catching cicadas stems from his diligent study and practice; There is also a more bizarre plot of "The Wife Don't Know the Husband" ("Liezi Tang Wen"), which shows that a person can change his mind.

Philosophical allusions

Tianrui

Tianrui means the spirit of heaven and earth, the symbol of nature, that is, the "person who is not born and not transformed" mentioned in the article. Liezi believes that everything in the world has a beginning and an end, and only "those who are not born or transformed", that is, "Tao", can be cyclical and independent forever. The person who is not born or changed is the origin of the world's emergence and change. It is invisible at first, and it has gone through four stages: Dayi, Taishu, Taishu and Tai Su, forming a "muddy theory", and then it has evolved from the "Yi" of "turning a blind eye, hearing a deaf ear and not following it" to a tangible "One", and finally it has produced all things in the world. Liezi said that every hundred-year-old skeleton, according to this statement, "everything comes from the machine and enters the machine." Everything comes from Tao, but it is not intentional. Everything in the world just changes and operates naturally, earning interest and profits.

From the fables and discussions, the Book of the Yellow Emperor regards death as death, and ends in poverty and happiness in the glorious period; Forests sing songs, not confused by business; Confucius praised death, told the world that he lost his home, and worried about the sky, stealing from his family. All these things, as Zhan Zhang said in Preface to Liezi: "It is roughly clear that the existence of the group is even illusory, and all kinds of things are tested by extinction." Tangible things are born and die, but they are temporary and ultimately nothing. Life is the same-from baby, young, old to death, life is not mine, life and death are just exchanges.

both Lu's Chunqiu Buer and corpse Guangze contain "Liezi is valuable for emptiness", but according to Tianrui, Liezi believes that "emptiness is not valuable". Completely empty, there must be no (empty) all forgotten, melting all the differences, and there is no importance. Everything is natural, the thief is unintentional, and if time goes against the journey, life and death are not as good as love, which is the general idea of Tianrui, that is, the program of Liezi.

Huangdi

This article is all about the ways of keeping fit and smelting things. The full text focuses on the relationship between Tao's mind and external things for many times. Only by being reasonable, forgetting one's form and nourishing one's spirit, can we achieve the state of being comfortable and common, and meeting things without delay. Specifically, cultivate the inner mind. We must "be consistent with one's nature and nurture one's spirit", so that we can forget everything. Liezi has repeatedly proved this with many fables, such as Liezi's guarding against the wind, Bo's fainting in the garden, Shangqiu's honesty, Liang Yang's feeding the tiger, Tianjin people's grasping the boat, Lvliang's saving water, and rickets. At the same time, he also pointed out that in addition to maintaining the inner emptiness and tranquility, people must also "contain their virtues" when dealing with things, so as to keep a low profile and not violate the world. In this paper, Zhao Xiangzi hunting god Wu Jiwei, Liezi Qi, Yang Zhu Pei, and Yang Zhu wrote several chapters in the Song Dynasty, both to clarify their reasons.

It's called Huangdi. In the end, it's to promote the Huang-Lao school's idea of managing the world by "clearing the void and doing nothing". We can find such traces of thought from the nationals of Huajin State, the gods who shot mountains in Legu, to the skills of keeping soft by Kuzi and Lao Dan, as well as the wisdom of the sage's cage ignorance, and even to the preaching of Hui Ang to Song Kangwang at the end of the article. For Liezi, in an ideal country, a monarch who doesn't take credit for doing nothing to protect everything by virtue in heaven, a citizen who is self-governing and self-transforming, and sages such as Confucius and Mohist who help people with benevolence and kindness can really realize the great governance of the world.

Zhou Muwang

This article is all about promoting the idea that life is like a dream, and all gains, losses, sorrows and joys are illusory. Liezi carefully sketched a magnificent and strange picture, which showed us the magical and unpredictable realm of illusion, but made it regret and die, in order to prove that the illusion that the tangible is nothing will eventually die with the change of yin and yang. Only the road of creation, because of "its cleverness and deep merit", can always believe in eternity and be infinite. However, in real life, people are often "confused and confused by interests", attracted by fresh and short-lived passing clouds, thus ignoring the usual permanent real possession. Therefore, through eight fables, the full text uses images such as transformation, illusion, sleep, dream, illness, illness and death to illustrate the falsehood of life. There is another discussion, which talks about the theory of dreaming and has extraordinary opinions. Liezi recounted the human thoughts and dreams, and summarized them into "Eight Signs" and "Six Stages", and then quoted Liezi's phrase "God meets as a dream, and form follows as a thing", inferring that the behavioral response and dream generation during awakening are all due to people's physical and mental contact with the outside world. Only by thoroughly understanding the "person who feels change" can we face the changing external world with an empty and open mind, that is, the so-called "person who is calm wants to dream and disappear".

Liu Zi's Introduction to New Books Catalogue thinks that Zhou Muwang and Tang Wen are "devious and complicated, which is not a gentleman's speech", which is quite debatable. From the point of view of this article, it is precisely because of the novelty of its conception, the absurdity of its fable and the graceful diction that the author of the book has good intentions. He witnessed the funeral of the avenue, and all beings were in a daze and did not wake up, so they talked strangely in their dreams.