| 名： | 李耳 | ||||
| 字： | 伯陽 | ||||
閱讀老子 Lao-Tzu在百家争鸣的作品!!! 閱讀老子 Lao-Tzu在诗海的作品!!! | |||||
老子
老子
老子老子的思想主張是"無為"，老子的理想政治境界是“鄰國相望，雞犬之聲相聞，民至老死不相往來”
《老子》以“道”解釋宇宙萬物的演變，以為“道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物”，“道”乃“夫莫之命（命令）而常自然”，因而“人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然”。“道”為客觀自然規律，同時又具有“獨立不改，周行而不殆”的永恆意義。《老子》書中包括大量樸素辯證法觀點，如以為一切事物均具有正反兩面，“反者道之動”，並能由對立而轉化，“正複為奇，善復為妖”，“禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏”。又以為世間事物均為“有”與“無”之統一，“有、無相生”，而“無”為基礎，“天下萬物生於有，有生於無”。“天之道，損有餘而補不足，人之道則不然，損不足以奉有餘”；“民之饑，以其上食稅之多”；“民之輕死，以其上求生之厚”；“民不畏死，奈何以死懼之？”。其學說對中國哲學發展具深刻影響，其內容主要見《老子》這本書。他的哲學思想和由他創立的道傢學派，不但對我國古代思想文化的發展，作出了重要貢獻，而且對我國2000多年來思想文化的發展，産生了深遠的影響。
一說老子即太史儋，或老萊子。《老子》一書是否為老子所作，歷來有爭論。
《史記．老子韓非列傳》:"關令尹喜曰，子將隱矣，強為我著書。於是老子乃著書上下篇，言道德之意五千餘言而去。"漢河上公作《老子章句》，分為八十一章，以前三十七章為《道經》，後四十四章為《德經》，故有《道德經》之名。但1973年長沙馬王堆三號漢墓出土的《老子》抄寫本，《德經》在《道經》之前。道教奉為主要經典之一。
在捲帙浩繁的中國書海當中，有一捲薄而又薄可能在國外擁有最多的譯者和讀者的書，這本書名叫《老子》或《道德經》。《道德經》是解釋道教哲學的主要經文。
這是一本微妙費解的書，文筆極其隱晦，可有許多不同的解釋。“道”這個主要概念通常被譯為“方法”或“道路”。但是這個概念有點兒含糊其辭，因為《道德經》本身一開始就說：“‘道’，說得出的，它就不是永恆不變的‘道’；‘名’，叫得出的，它就不是永恆不變的‘名’。”①但是我們可以說，道的大體意思是 “自然”或“自然法則”。
道教認為，人不應該與道作鬥爭，而應該服從道，按照道來辦事。積極追求得到權力或積極尋求行使權力，與其說是不道德的倒不如說是愚昧無知和徒勞無益的。道是不可消滅的，人們在生活中應力求順道而行。一個道教徒可能會指出水是無限柔軟的，它馴順地流嚮最低點，甚至對最弱的力也不加抵製，但是它卻是不可毀滅的，而最硬的岩石是最終會被磨掉的。
對個人來說，通常應提倡純樸和自然，應避免使用暴力，如同避免一切追名逐利的行為一樣。人們不應該尋求改造世界，而應該尊敬世界。對政府來說，稍有消極的政策通常也是最英明的政策。規章繁冗，通過更多的法律或嚴厲施行舊法律通常會使事情弄得更糟。高稅賦，雄心勃勃的政府計劃和發動戰爭，這一切都是與道教哲學的精神背道而馳的。
按照中國的傳說，《道德經》的作者是一位名叫老子的人。據說他是孔子的同時代人，但比孔子年長。孔子生活在公元前六世紀，從《道德經》的內容和風格上來看，沒有幾個現代學者認為它是這麽早期的作品；有關該書的實際創作日期問題，存在着許多爭論（《道德經》本身未提到一個具體的人物、地點、日期或歷史事件）。但是公元前320年是一個靠得住的估計──與實際日期的誤差在八十年以內──也許比這個誤差範圍還要小得多。
這個問題引起了對有關老子其人的生卒年及甚至對有關其人的真偽的許多爭論。有些權威相信老子生活在公元前六世紀這個傳說，因而斷定他沒有寫《道德經》。其他學者指出他衹不過是傳說中的人物。我個人的觀點僅為少數學者所接受，我認為：（1）老子實有其人，是《道德經》的作者；（2）他生活在公元前四世紀；（3）老子是孔子較年長的同時代人的傳說純屬虛構，是後來的道教哲學家為給老子及其著作塗脂抹粉而編造的。
值得註意的是在早期的中國作傢當中，孔子（前551—479）、墨翟（前5世紀）和孟子（前371—289）既沒有提到老子，也沒有提過《道德經》；但是莊子──一位公元前三世紀譽滿全國的道教哲學家卻反復地提到過老子。
由於甚至對老子的存在都有爭論，我們對他的生平詳情就應該持懷疑的態度。但是下列的說法有很多的出處：老子誕生和生活在中國的北方；他在一個時期裏很可能在國都洛陽當過歷史學家或在朝中任守藏室的史官；老子不是他的原名而是一個尊稱，大體意思是“大師”；他結過婚，有個兒子，叫聰；聰後來成為魏國的將領。
雖然道教開始時基本上是一種非宗教哲學，但是卻最終由此掀起了一場宗教運動。然而雖然作為一種哲學的道教繼續以《道德經》中所表達的思想為基礎，但是道教不久就被蕓蕓衆生的迷信信念和習慣所囊括，這些信念和習慣相對說來同老子的說教沒有什麽關係。
假定老子實際上是《道德經》的作者，那麽他的影響確實很大。這部書雖然很薄（不到六千中文字，因此足以用一張報紙登載），但卻包含着許多精神食糧。整個係列的道教哲學家都用此書來作為他們自己思想的起點。
在西方，《道德經》遠比孔子或任何儒傢的作品流行。事實上，該書至少出版過四十種不同的英文譯本，除了《聖經》之外遠遠多於任何其它書籍的版本。
在中國，儒教大體上是占統治地位的哲學。當老子和孔子的思想之間出現鮮明的對立時，中國人大都遵從後者。但是老子大體上深受儒傢弟子的尊敬。況且在許多情況下，道教思想直接被儒教思想所吸收，因此對數以百萬計的自稱非道教徒的人都有影響。同樣，道教對於佛教哲學，特別是對禪宗佛教的發展有着顯著的影響。雖然今天沒有幾個人自稱是道教徒，但是除了孔子以外，再沒有哪一位中國哲學家對人類思想的影響象老子那樣廣泛和持久。
There are many popular accounts of Laozi's life, though facts and myths are impossible to separate regarding him. He is traditionally regarded as an older contemporary of Confucius, but modern scholarship places him centuries later or questions if he ever existed as an individual. Laozi is regarded as the author of the Dao De Jing, though it has been debated throughout history whether he authored it.
In legends, he was conceived when his mother gazed upon a falling star. It is said that he stayed in the womb and matured for sixty-two years. He was born when his mother leaned against a plum tree. He emerged a grown man with a full grey beard and long earlobes, which are a sign of wisdom and long life.
According to popular biographies, he worked as the Keeper of the Archives for the royal court of Chou. This allowed him broad access to the works of the Yellow Emperor and other classics of the time. Laozi never opened a formal school. Nonetheless, he attracted a large number of students and loyal disciples. There are numerous variations of a story depicting Confucius consulting Laozi about rituals.
Laozi is said to have married and had a son named Tsung, who was a celebrated soldier. A large number of people trace their lineage back to Laozi, as the T'ang Dynasty did. Many, or all, of the lineages may be inaccurate. However, they are a testament to the impact of Laozi on Chinese culture.
Traditional accounts state that Laozi grew weary of the moral decay of the city and noted the kingdom's decline. At the age of 160, he ventured west to live as a hermit in the unsettled frontier. At the western gate of the city, or kingdom, he was recognized by a guard. The sentry asked the old master to produce a record of his wisdom. The resulting book is said to be the Tao Te Ching. In some versions of the tale, the sentry is so touched by the work that he leaves with Laozi to never be seen again. Some legends elaborate further that the "Old Master" was the teacher of the Buddha, or the Buddha himself.
Laozi is an honorific title. Lao means "venerable" or "old". Zi, or tzu, means "master". Zi was used in ancient China like a social prefix, indicating "Master", or "Sir". In popular biogaphies, Laozi's given name was Er, his surname was Li and his courtesy name was Boyang. Dan is a posthumous name given to Laozi.
During the Tang Dynasty, he was honoured as an ancestor of the dynasty after Taoists drew a connection between the dynasty's family name of Li and Laozi's bearing of the same name. He was granted the title Taishang xuanyuan huangdi, meaning Supreme Mysterious and Primordial Emperor. Xuanyuan and Huangdi are also, respectively, the personal and proper names of the Yellow Emperor.
Laozi's work, the Tao Te Ching, is one of the most significant treatises in Chinese philosophy. It is his magnum opus, covering large areas of philosophy from individual spirituality and inter-personal dynamics to political techniques. The Tao Te Ching is said to contain 'hidden' instructions for Taoist adepts (often in the form of metaphors) relating to Taoist meditation and breathing.
Laozi developed the concept of "Tao", often translated as "the Way", and widened its meaning to an inherent order or property of the universe: "The way Nature is". He highlighted the concept of wu wei, or "do nothing". This does not mean that one should hang around and do nothing, but that one should avoid explicit intentions, strong wills or proactive initiatives.
Laozi believed that violence should be avoided as much as possible, and that military victory should be an occasion for mourning rather than triumphant celebration.
Laozi said that the codification of laws and rules created difficulty and complexity in managing and governing.
As with most other ancient Chinese philosophers, Laozi often explains his ideas by way of paradox, analogy, appropriation of ancient sayings, repetition, symmetry, rhyme, and rhythm. The writings attributed to him are often very dense and poetic. They serve as a starting point for cosmological or introspective meditations. Many of the aesthetic theories of Chinese art are widely grounded in his ideas and those of his most famous follower Zhuang Zi.
Potential officials throughout Chinese history drew on the authority of non-Confucian sages, especially Laozi and Zhuangzi, to deny serving any ruler at any time. Zhuangzi, Laozi's most famous follower, had a great deal of influence on Chinese literati and culture. Zhuangzi is a central authority regarding eremitism, a particular variation of monasticism sacrificing social aspects for religious aspects of life. Zhuangzi considered eremitism the highest ideal, if properly understood.
Scholars such as Aat Vervoom have postulated that Zhuangzi advocated a hermit immersed in society. This view of eremitism holds that seclusion is hiding anonymously in society. To a Zhuangzi hermit, being unknown and drifting freely is a state of mind. This reading is based on the "inner chapters" of Zhuangzi.
Scholars such as James Bellamy hold that this could be true and has been interpreted similarly at various points in Chinese history. However, the "outer chapters" of Zhuangzi have historically played a pivotal role in the advocacy of reclusion. While some scholars state that Laozi was the central figure of Han Dynasty eremitism, historical texts do not seem to support that position.
Political theorists influenced by Laozi have advocated humility in leadership and a restrained approach to statecraft, either for ethical and pacifist reasons, or for tactical ends. In a different context, various anti-authoritarian movements have embraced the Laozi teachings on the power of the weak.
The Anarcho-capitalist economist Murray N. Rothbard suggests that Laozi was the first libertarian, likening Laozi's ideas on government to F.A. Hayek's theory of spontaneous order. Similarly, the Cato Institute's David Boaz includes passages from the Tao Te Ching in his 1997 book The Libertarian Reader. Philosopher Roderick Long, however, argues that libertarian themes in Taoist thought are actually borrowed from earlier Confucian writers.