Lao Tzu believes that the Tao can be divided into ordinary and extraordinary ways. If you want to understand Lao Tzu's ordinary way, you must first understand Lao Tzu's extraordinary way. The so-called extraordinary Tao refers to those Taos that we are usually accustomed to, such as the strong things will be old, the extremes of things will be opposed, the water will overflow, the moon will be full and the loss will be lost, and so on. Relatively unusual, Lao Tzu put forward his common way, which is the Tao revealed in the Tao Te Ching. What is the common way?According to the Tao Te Ching, it is the Tao that can keep people eternal. Chang, in the Tao Te Ching, is long, permanent, eternal meaning, Chang Tao is to maintain a long way. The ordinary meaning is not explained here, so the ordinary way and the extraordinary way cannot be interpreted as the ordinary way and the non-ordinary way, otherwise the meaning of Lao Tzu will be completely misunderstood. It is extraordinary that this common way was put forward in Lao Tzu's time, even in modern society. Therefore, this common way of the Tao Te Ching is an extraordinary way, which requires us to pursue eternal strength, which is what Taoism says, the pursuit of immortality.
In order to accurately analyze this common way of the Tao Te Ching, we should not interpret it as a long-term way, but as a long-term way. Why add a "keep"?Because no matter whether it is the ordinary way or the extraordinary way, the way is eternal. For example, the Tao of life and old age, birth, old age, sickness and death, which is universal and eternal in our universe, how can it be said that it is not an eternal Tao?This Tao acts eternally on all things in the universe, so it is also an eternal Tao, and it is universal. Lao Tzu's common sense focuses on revealing how people and society can remain long-term and strong. In other words, by following this common way of Lao Tzu, human beings can last forever and remain youthful and energetic. According to this understanding, the first sentence of the Tao Te Ching, "Tao Ke Dao, Extraordinary Dao, Famous Word, Extraordinary Name" can be translated like this: those Tao that can be said in words are not long-lasting Taos, and those names of Taos that can be named by words are not the names of Taos that last for a long time.
Why is it that a word that can be spoken and named is not a word that lasts for a long time?Because according to the following part of this chapter, and the meaning of the entire Tao Te Ching, this common way is the initial stage of heaven and earth, the total source of all things, and this initial stage and the total source cannot be known, so it cannot be said or named. But in order to reveal it, it had to be reluctantly spoken and named. This shows two meanings, one means that this Tao has not been said and written before, and it is the first time that Lao Tzu has explained it, so it is more difficult to explain. The other meaning is Lao Tzu's humble attitude, which means that he is also reluctant to make it clear. Therefore, this common way has not been expounded before, and it has similarities and essential differences compared to those that have been expounded. The essential difference is that this common way can keep people and society eternal, and this point, those who have said the extraordinary way can not do, in the original words of the "Tao Te Ching" is: things are strong and old, and they are not Tao, and they are not Tao.
At this point, some people may ask, what exactly does this common way look like?We might as well summarize it as follows: it is selfless, weak, unfilled, subservient, lowly, and inactive. By extension, as long as we maintain inaction, remain weak, keep yielding, remain humble, do not pursue fullness, and do not pursue material extremes, we can maintain eternal strength. And Lao Tzu believes that all things in heaven and earth originate from this common way and are dominated by this common way. Therefore, in the Tao Te Ching, the most representative of this common way is the operation of heaven and earth. In this universe, heaven and earth are the things that exist for the longest time, and it is called "eternity". Why does heaven and earth last for a long time?Lao Tzu said: Because it does not generate itself, it can live forever;With its selflessness, it can become its selfishness. Translated into modern Chinese, it is that because they do not plan for themselves, they are not confined to themselves, and only operate for the growth of all things, so they can live endlesslyThey don't plan for themselves, so they can fulfill themselves. This illustrates the selflessness of heaven and earth. Specifically, it is also manifested as: all things are born and begin, born without being, for the sake of not worrying, and accomplished and dwelling (let all things rise without planning for them, nurture them without taking them for themselves, help them without relying on their own abilities, and no longer be in that position after the merit is completed). This illustrates the modesty and concession of heaven and earth. In addition, the Tao Te Ching also uses water to benefit all things without fighting, which is a metaphor for the humility of the Tao, as well as the wisdom and greatness of the low. Use plants and trees to be born from weakness and die from strength to illustrate the use of the weak way, weakness is better than strength, etc. Therefore, this common way of Lao Tzu is the master of the laws of the universe. It is the main birth, the main long, and the main strong. These, when introduced into politics, are the ideas of doing nothing and ruling by doing nothing. The idea of non-action is the most important feature of this common path, and it is also the greatest achievement.
So is it really inaction to do nothing and rule by inaction?Is heaven and earth really silent?In modern terms, nature is actually doing what it says and what it does. Its wind and clouds, thunder and lightning, rain and dew, its cold and summer, are not all its words and commands?In this way, is Lao Tzu's idea of non-action wrong?Is his inaction outdated?Neither is it. Because we can understand it this way, inaction is not inaction, but a higher act. Just like heaven and earth, in order to achieve its purpose, various conditions are predetermined in advance, such as wind, rain, cold and heat changes, as long as these conditions are met, its purpose can be achieved. It's like before we do something, we plan well, set up the venue, create a good atmosphere, and then let things develop on their own without too much interference. We might as well call this inaction. To use the most vivid metaphor of the Tao Te Ching, it is like a baby, whose mouth is opened when he eats, and his clothes are stretched out, so that the people around him revolve around him. The reason why he can do this is that he has set conditions, such as flesh and blood affection, weakness and cuteness, etc., and then relies on these conditions to sit back and enjoy the success, and do nothing. Therefore, inaction is not about not doing anything, but about doing something, just like yin and yang, there is yang in yin, there is yin in yang, there is no such thing as solitary yin and yang, and there is no way of doing things that only has nothing to do.
At this point, the eternal mystery about the Tao Te Ching has suddenly been revealed. This is the first time since the implementation of the vernacular text that the essence of the common and extraordinary ways of the Tao Te Ching has been clarified, and it is also the first time since the birth of the Tao Te Ching that it is scientifically proven to be feasible to rule by inaction.