What are the stories about Laozi? Why did Lao Tzu ride a green cow out of Hangu Pass?

Laozi was the founder of Taoism and a very famous thinker in ancient China, but later generations left many legends about him. Among them, Laozi rode a green cow out of Hanguguan and told a legend.

According to legend, at that time, Laozi could do nothing about the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, and if necessary, he was ready to leave his hometown and travel around. When he got to Hangu Pass, Yin, the company commander of Hangu Pass, stopped him, because when he saw the purple gas coming from the east, Lao Tzu just appeared on a green cow, so he thought Lao Tzu was a noble man.

But I have made up my mind. Yin wanted to keep him, so he thought of a way to embarrass me and let me leave an article of his own. If I can't write it, I will stay. But what he didn't expect was that Lao Tzu wrote him an article in a very short time, so he easily walked out of Hangu Pass. The article he left behind was the later world-famous Tao Te Ching.

After I left Hanguguan, I went to Lintao after many twists and turns and stayed here until I finally disappeared and died. And his death is a flying fairy in the eyes of the world, and he has become an old gentleman. Therefore, the green ox he rode became a very famous symbol in Taoist culture, and it was also the mount of immortal Taoist priests.

Laozi rode a green ox to Hanguguan, actually expressing his dissatisfaction with the Zhou Dynasty, because he advocated inaction. At that time, the chaotic war years were far from his thoughts, so another purpose of his travel was probably to find a quiet place for himself to enjoy inaction, and Lintao, which he finally chose, was indeed a beautiful place, far from the secular world.

What are the stories about Laozi?

There are many stories about Laozi that have spread around the world. Let me talk about one of them first. In Sima Qian's Historical Records, it is recorded that Confucius asked Laozi for advice.

Once Confucius took his disciples to visit Laozi in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Lao Tzu likes to be quiet, and he is a little at a loss in the face of a group of "distant guests", but he has not neglected. He went out at once and asked the group, "What can I do for you, ladies and gentlemen?"

Confucius, standing in the front row, saw that the old man in front of the door was refined and refined, and knew that this old man was Laozi, so he respectfully asked for advice.

Laozi was most annoyed by red tape, so he smiled and said to Confucius, "Sir, I have nothing to teach you. However, if you don't feel humble in the shed, you can chat and entertain yourself. "

Confucius has always been more formal. Seeing Laozi's free and easy, I yearned for it very much, but I still held back my thoughts and treated him with courtesy. Although Laozi's attitude was modest, Confucius acted according to etiquette and did not dare to go beyond the rules, so he was very restrained. After talking in the house for a while, Lao Tzu thought Confucius was too serious and tasteless, so he asked Confucius, "You came all the way to ask me about the so-called ceremony, didn't you?" Then let me ask you, what is the basis of your' ceremony'? "

Confucius paused for a moment and immediately replied, "It's probably Zhou's sacred ceremony and music system."

After that, they talked about some opinions. I really can't agree with the stereotype of Confucius, and the conversation between them was quite embarrassing, and they didn't continue to talk later.

Life story of Laozi, the ancestor of Taoism

Laozi, whose real name is Li Er. Born in 57 1 year BC, died in 47 1 year BC, and lived in the Zhou Dynasty in 770 BC. He is a famous thinker, educator and philosopher in China. Laozi is regarded as the founder of Taoist thought because he is in the position of Confucian classics and has formed a unique Taoist thought on the basis of studying philosophical thoughts of past dynasties.

According to legend, Laozi was born with white eyebrows and white beard, so he was called Laozi. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Laozi was a national librarian in Luoyang, Henan. Laozi is knowledgeable and has learned a lot. When Confucius was playing, he went to the place where Laozi was, asking him for gifts and studying. According to legend, in his later years, Lao Tzu traveled west by Qingniu and wrote a letter to Guangu. Now Lingbao, Henan Province has written more than 5,000 words of Tao Te Ching. The main content of this book is to explain the evolution of everything in the universe with "Tao", thinking that the world is a blur. Then heaven and earth separated from it, and then all living things appeared. There are many materialistic views in Laozi. Laozi believes that everything in the world has two different aspects, which are not only antagonistic, but also mutually convertible.

Later, after the appearance of Taoism, Laozi began to be regarded as a fairy and called Laozi an old gentleman. Since the Han Dynasty, every generation of emperors will go to the temple where Laozi is located to worship Laozi. It can be seen that when I was alive, I had great prestige. Otherwise, every generation of emperors would not have gone to worship since the Han Dynasty. Because, the ancient emperor, representing the dragon, the dragon is generally high above, unless he meets someone who can make him respect and worship, and Lao Tzu is that person.

What did Confucius ask Lao Zi?

Confucius didn't know about some aspects of etiquette, so he went to Luoyang, the capital of Zhou Dynasty, and went to ask Laozi for advice.

I was very happy to see Confucius coming from thousands of miles away, so I first asked Confucius for his understanding and views on etiquette. Laozi listened to Confucius and warned him that what he said about Zhou Li had collapsed, the remains of Zhou Li were still there, and the words pursued by Zhou Li were still there. Just like a gentleman, if you meet a good gentleman, you will be born, but if you don't meet a good gentleman, you will join the WTO. Just like a tortoise, it knows how to protect itself with its shell when it is in danger. Know how to hide yourself and know how to be stupid. Confucius listened carefully to Laozi, so Laozi said that he never left.

Seeing Confucius like this, I knew he didn't understand. So I opened my mouth and asked him, is my tooth still there? Confucius' respectful answer is gone. Lao Tzu asked him again, is my tongue still there? Confucius said, the tongue is always there. Lao Tzu said with a smile, so the last thing is not necessarily hard. The tongue is the softest, but it is reserved for the last. Therefore, we should know how to combine rigidity with softness. Confucius suddenly realized and bowed his head to Laozi.

Confucius asked Laozi for advice, which made people understand that everything is not one-sided, and the development of things has its own contradictions. There is nothing absolutely pure in this world.

Laozi's explanation of the ceremony also benefited Confucius so much that Confucius told his disciples after returning home that Laozi was like a dragon roaming in the air, which was incomprehensible. And Lao Tzu's knowledge is as profound as the dragon in the air, and ordinary people can't reach his realm.

What's the difference between Lao Zi and ordinary people's lives?

When people talk about Laozi, they all think of his Taoist thoughts, his widowhood and his inaction. However, what kind of person is Lao Tzu? How did Lao Tzu think of studying the origin of the universe? Are he and Confucius friends or teachers and students? What is his family like? On what principle does he make friends?

We see people who practice Tai Chi and often say that steel is soft. When we see someone playing go, we often say, know white and keep black; When we see someone writing calligraphy, they will also say that they know white and keep black. We often hear people say that we should understand the overall situation from one corner and have a global concept. This is the wisdom of Laozi, which can be seen in life. Our thoughts and actions often practice Laozi's thoughts. He taught people not only to pursue fame and fortune, but also to learn to be enterprising, not insatiable. He taught us more to have an indifferent heart to fame and fortune. People can't be controlled by life and can't be carried away by failure. Learn to treat life freely, have a healthy heart, and maintain a healthy personality and mentality.

Laozi teaches a life attitude, which will not be disturbed by life and will not lose character because of suffering. Try to treat the joys and sorrows in life with a normal heart. We can't be saints, but we can learn from saints and their spirits.

If you want to know more about Laozi, you can look at Laozi's life and see how Laozi is different from us.

Laozi, who inherited thousands of years of culture, opened the next ten thousand years and told us the right and wrong in the world with his wise eyes.