The fifteenth chapter of the Tao Te Ching is not difficult in its literal meaning, and the internal logical relationships often make people feel incredible, for example"If you are afraid of your neighbors", what does this sentence mean?What exactly is the author trying to express?Today we will briefly talk about this topic.
|Hesitation, fearing his neighbors
Hesitation, fearing his neighborsJud: It was the name of the beast, alert, and here it is used to describe the appearance of alertness and vigilance;Fear of neighbors: Just like fear of neighbors around you。The meaning of this sentence is: Be vigilant, like being afraid of your neighbors. "Tao Te Ching" so understood, the general literal meaning should be undisputed,The question is, what kind of logic is this?What is the specific meaning of "neighbors"?We may wonder: Is a good person a scholar, that is, a saint in Taoist culture, a person who is afraid of his neighbors and is afraid of his hands and feet?This doesn't make sense!So what exactly does the author mean?We have to think about who the Tao Te Ching is for?Who is it talking to?This is the basis for our ability to understand the Tao Te Ching.
|What is the Tao Te Ching?
What is the Tao Te Ching?Who is it talking to?What is the theoretical basis for what it speaks?If we don't seem to understand these questions, how can we understand their connotations thoroughly?First of all, the Tao Te Ching is a management book, which is for the world's managers, and is a sacred text for teaching the world's managers the principle of long-term peace and stability. Its reference is the Tao. What is the Tao?In modern terms, only the word "law" is the closest, which is the basis for our correct understanding of Taoist culture. The "good scholars" mentioned in the "Tao Te Ching" and the "ancient true people" said in the "Zhuangzi" are both the same truth. What should be the state of a sage who walks in the same way?On this basis, thinking about "hesitation, fear of neighbors" can get closer to the author's original intention.
|Who exactly does the "neighborhood" refer to?
Tao Te Ching is a management philosophy and a book that teaches long-term peace and stability to managers all over the world. So ahhhMany words and sentences in the Tao Te Ching should be considered from the perspective of the dimension of the world's managers managing the world, and should be considered from the perspective of the managers and the managed. The monarch and the ministers, the upper and the lower, the management system and the people of the world. Obviously, from this point of view, the "four neighbors" often refer specifically to the people of the world and the masses of the people. "If you are afraid of your neighbors", that is to say, managers should understand that the power of the world comes from the people of the world, the great power of the society is the best in the world, the people's yearning for a better life is inviolable, and the power of the people to change the world cannot be underestimated. Therefore, ah, true saints, deeply understand the power of the people to change the world, and revere the great power of the people. So ah,The sage is in charge of the public instruments of the country, strives to serve the public, governs for the people, is fair and just, is selfless, and sincerely benefits the people of the world, which is the way of long-term peace and stability and the way of peace in the world.
Taking history as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall
The real "fear of neighbors" is not the fear of neighbors in the popular sense, but the power of a deep understanding of the people. Those who follow the will of the people prosper, and those who go against the will of the people die. Why do we read history?It is necessary to take history as a mirror and explore the internal laws of social operation. In the old society, no matter how much the loopholes were patched, why couldn't they jump out of the law of historical cycles?The root cause lies in the private use of public instruments and the injustice of public powerThey only put on their lips slogans such as "the road is for the common good", "benevolence and righteousness", "moral government", "democracy", and "freedom", but they did not bring them to the broadest masses of the people. The feudal dynasty advocated benevolence, righteousness and benevolence, and the real benevolence, righteousness and benevolence were given to the broadest masses of the people?There are frozen bones on the stinky road of Zhumen's wine and meat, and the dignitaries and nobles live a magnificent life, and the ordinary people do not have enough food and clothing. Will the people of the bald era, advocating the Three People's Principles, democracy, civil rights, and people's livelihood be given to the people?At that time, the white terror shrouded the earth, so there was fairness and justice at allEven a word of justice to the people is life-threatening. The universal values of a certain Western empire are a joke, and isn't democracy and freedom a fig leaf for them to endanger the world?Putting the greatest number of people in mind. The Old Society,If we don't take the majority of the people to heart, how can we talk about "fearing our neighbors"?It's contempting your neighbors!
What is the real "fear of neighbors"?
"Fear of neighbors" means to deeply understand the people's power to change the world and not dare to go against the will of the people. The old society is just the opposite, and the people who do not see the great power of society in the world see the paper tiger as a giant of power。Seeing that the people in the world are weak and can be bullied, they frantically suppress the people and speeches of the people in the world, engage in white terror, and create bloody storms, just like the people in Jiang's bald periodBecause they feel that the people can be intimidated;Deep down, they believe that the power of imperialism is greater than the power of the people, and its essence is the power of contempt for the people。Therefore, the "good scholars" in the Tao Te Ching and the "ancient true people" in the "Zhuangzi" are both sages in the Taoist senseA true saint attributes the development of society to the people and the progress of history to the people, and the people are the promoters of historical development. The sage is in charge of the public instruments of the world, Li Zheng is for the public, and the government is for the people, which comes from the bottom of his heart and is a summary of the lessons of history.