What is Zhuangzi's theory of gasification and how to understand it?

Classification: social livelihood >> religion

Problem description:

Can you talk about your own views?

Analysis:

Zhuangzi's gasification theory (report 1)

I. Introduction

Between the changes of the four seasons and the cycle of the vast world, people and everything have the appeal of returning to the origin in this endless cycle. For example, after a lifetime of wandering, salmon will eventually travel long distances and return to the place where they were born. People also want to die of natural causes, not in another country. "Many things, each to its own. After all, it means to be quiet and call me back. (Chapter 16 of Laozi) The natural phenomenon of falling leaves is not a beneficial creation by human beings, but an inherent characteristic endowed by the creator. Maybe this is putting it in all kinds of messy measures, but it still has a pillar to settle down.

It seems that as long as the level of self-cultivation is higher, the idea of returning to nature is more obvious. Facing the purpose of existence, the problem of life and death and the root of everything, not every living thing will find its own source of peace. Many people are afraid and at a loss when they face this level again. There is no natural self-destination. In addition to philosophical thinking, religious belief or self-cultivation, a kind of guidance is realized, and people's hearts naturally push to a kind of "unity" harmony. It was after he "observed the restoration" and "listened to it with qi" that Zhuangzi used the paradox theory to describe the harmony in his mind.

Two. introduce

In the process of understanding the objective world, people restore what is not transferred by matter to real nature, thus gradually forming the concept of "Qi".

The theory of "Qi" occupies an important position in the history of China's philosophical thought. From the pre-Qin dynasty to the late Qing dynasty, the debate about "Qi" continued. Until modern times, the word "qi" still remains in daily language and Chinese medicine.

Although the development process of "Qi Theory" was biased towards cosmology in the early and early days, it was applied to Buddhist practice in Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the concept of Qi appeared in the thoughts of Confucianism such as Wang Tong, Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan at that time. According to the classification of philosophy history, we often talk about "Buddhism in Sui and Tang Dynasties" or "Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties", so it is easy to forget the close relationship between "Tang and Song Dynasties". In a word, the relationship between "Qi Theory" and "Human Nature Theory" is undeniable.

In the history of China's philosophy, there are not many concepts such as "Qi" which have been praised and criticized differently. Interestingly, although the evaluation of "Qi" is high and low, the discussion on it has never stopped. In the history of China's philosophy, there are fewer philosophers who don't mention "Qi", especially in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Because "Qi" has become the main topic of philosophy, the key to explaining the universe and life, and the pillar used by philosophers to establish their own philosophy department, we have to talk about it.

Third, this theory.

(a), Zhuangzi's position in the theory of qi.

Zhuangzi's concept of "Qi" followed the same path. Even though Laozi talked about the so-called concept of "Qi", it is not important in the whole philosophical system. After Zhuangzi. The concept of "Qi" began to be completely transformed and became a relatively complete philosophical concept. We can be sure that Laozi began to understand the origin of the concept of "Qi", but the real birth of the concept of "Qi" was due to Zhuangzi's philosophy.

Zhuangzi has a pioneering position in the theory of Qi. The debate about "Qi" is the most extensive among Neo-Confucians in Song and Ming Dynasties. No matter how the theory of nature is interpreted as everything, it involves "qi", but they all pretend to be Confucian orthodoxy, so they all avoid talking about the origin of "qi theory" Confucianism in Qing Dynasty paid more attention to the concept of "Qi" than their predecessors. But as Confucianism, they dare not openly discuss the source of the concept of "Qi". As we know, during the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, most of the Taoists went in and out of Buddhism, and some of them also annotated the Da Jia Jing. It is not difficult for us to find evidence of the connection between Confucian intellectuals and their families at that time. Some of them are likely to repay Taoist people. The popularity of "three religions in one" in the Ming Dynasty cannot be said to have nothing to do with him.

(2) Qi theory and traditional Chinese medicine

Discussions about qi can be divided into the following categories:

Taking "Qi" as the fundamental entity of metaphysics is a primitive and primitive problem.

Taking "Qi" as the material of the external material world, in other words, what flows in this world is not solid or liquid, but a dispersible material.

Take "qi" as the breath. This "qi" is occasionally related to the soul and is a phenomenon related to breathing in the human body.

"Qi" is used to explain the relationship between human body and personnel, human behavior values and people.

This crude distinction is, of course, interrelated, just convenient to say. Simply put, four categories represent four different aspects of Qi theory: ontology, cosmology, human body theory and temperament theory.

As we all know, many people are concerned about the problem of "qi" now, mainly focusing on the health care function brought by "qi theory"; With the demand of modern people for health, Chinese and western medicine are widely needed, so "preventive medicine" led by Chinese medicine is more and more developed, such as enriching blood and invigorating qi, but more importantly, the medical theory of "qi" adhered to by medicine.

Qi explained by "body theory" and "temperament theory" can be said to be a key word of TCM, that is to say, the concept of "qi" is the theoretical basis of TCM. (Note 1)

Many people think that Zhuangzi's so-called health preservation equals health preservation, but this is obviously wrong. Zhuangzi emphasized the "way to recuperate" ("deliberately"), and he clearly responded to an alchemist as practicing gas, so the cloud:

Blow the dog's breath, spit out the old and accept the new, and the public will pass the bird, just for longevity; People who are guided in this way, people who are in shape, are also Peng Zushou's favorite. (thoughtful)

Zhuangzi's theory basically opposes any intentional and artificial behavior, so it is uncertain whether it is to prolong life or not to get old easily. Of course, in the later period of Taoism, the situation changed greatly, and "Taoism" with the goal of pursuing longevity came into being.

So is the relationship between China's science and Qi Theory. In the history of China's science, Qi and the theory of five elements have always maintained a very close relationship. Most Europeans and modern scientists believe that the five elements theory is a superstition. The focus is on the development speed and process of the five elements theory. According to J.Needham, the five elements should still be a very progressive view in 1 1 century, which is ok in12nd century, and even not too ugly in18th century. The problem was the Renaissance in Europe and the subsequent religious revolution, and then the economy changed greatly, but nothing happened in China. (Note 2)

(3) The forerunner of qi theory: the qi of Laozi.

The word "qi" has only appeared three times in the book "Lao Zi" and has three meanings:

1. Explain the source of human life with Qi;

Holding one on your back in the camp, can you go?

Committed to softness, can you be a baby?

Can you get rid of the mystery and be perfect?

Tianmen is open and closed. Can it be a woman?

Understand Starr, can you be ignorant?

2. Explain the principle of "generation" of everything in the universe with Qi;

Tao gives birth to one, two, three and everything.

Everything is negative and positive, and I rashly think it is peace. (Chapter 42)

Explain the basis for people and everything to be "preserved" by qi;

Virtue is transformed into purity.

Poisonous insects don't sting, wild animals don't catch, and birds don't fight.

The bones are weak and the tendons are soft.

The combination of the unknown and the unknown is perfect.

Throughout the day, the numbers are not abrupt, but also harmonious.

Know what you say, and know what you say. Yisheng is more detailed. Heart makes qi stronger.

When things are strong, they are old, which means that they don't understand anything and have long been ignorant. (Chapter 55)

Lao Tzu's qi, like a baby, contains fresh vitality and is the source of life. In modern terms, "Qi" is a kind of power, which is the * * * state of all forces and energy. Just because qi is energetic energy, the maintenance of life depends on qi, and preserving qi is equivalent to maintaining life.

Furthermore, Lao Tzu's Qi is used to explain the creation principle of everything in the universe. Tao gives birth to everything, and everything comes from Tao, but how can everything be born in a harmonious and perfect world? He put forward a pair of abstract concepts to explain the education of all things, and its principle is yin and yang. (Note 3) However, only Yin He did not use positive principles to explain the formation of everything, but used dynamic vitality to explain why everything was so. So Lao Tzu has probably considered the rainy sun and everything that needs to be interrelated, that is, qi. If the relationship with Yang is passive, then the momentum is positive and dynamic, so that everything can get a natural order. At this time, the idea that "everything is negative, and everything in the universe is' generated' is realized.

Although I don't understand the position of Qi in the universe and the world, we can't ignore the concept that I have better Qi than Zhuangzi. The core of Laozi's concept of qi is harmony, that is, harmony with qi. The purpose of the so-called exclusive qi and impulsive qi lies in harmony, and the reason of "heart makes qi stronger day by day" lies in disharmony. "Harmony" means the unity of opposites of Yin and Yang.

(4), gasification ontology-one breath theory

The theory of "gasification" explains what Zhuangzi thought was "noumenon"-"nature", which has naturally symbolized the original state of everything in the world-"gasification".

Zhuangzi regards Qi as the fundamental subject of the world, and entity is the most fundamental and primitive thing of everything on paper. "Beginning" is the key in the universe, because the beginning is not necessarily physical, but sometimes spiritual. For the origin of everything in the universe, the answer is sometimes matter, sometimes abstract infinity, sometimes endless gas like Zhuangzi, and sometimes atoms moving in a vacuum.

In the story of Confucius asking Zi Gong and Hu Sang, life and death are only the subsidiary nature of occasionally facing anger changes. More importantly, the main ideal is to flow and rotate with the creator. Zhuangzi's so-called "creator" identity makes everything the fundamental source of everything. Everything in the universe is the result of natural change in one breath, and natural change in one breath forms everything in the universe. The change of natural gas, or the change of natural gas, is the gasification process

The usage of "Qi" in "Zhuangzi" can best explain people and people's situation, and Qi has become a philosophical concept that includes the entity "Qi". Qi is a special concept in Zhuangzi language, and its main usage focuses on people's own problems.

On the view of life and death, Zhuangzi has always advocated the concept of "life and death are the same", and further emphasized that heaven and earth are the unity of the world. Because according to Zhuangzi's point of view, life and death is just a breath change, Zhuang Ziyun:

Those who are sick and sick, the beginning of death, are familiar with their discipline! When people are born, they gather together. If you gather, you will live, but if you disperse, you will die. If I die and live as a disciple, what will I suffer! Therefore, the beauty of all things is magical, and evil is decadent; Rotten into magic, and magic reverts to rot. So "it is omnipotent." Saints are so precious. ("Know the North Tour")

The above contents can be divided into two propositions: 1. Life and death cycle, because human life and death is the accumulation and dispersion of qi, so there is no disease; 2. Everything is the same thing, because magic and stink are transformed into each other, so it is the same all over the world. It is obvious from the article that Zhuangzi regards life and death as the gathering and dispersion of qi. Besides, life and death itself are not particularly worthy of attention, as long as life and death are regarded as mutual transformation.

From the root of all things, there is no life; And there is no body at all; Not only that, there is no gas preservation at all; Suddenly it becomes something that can hold its breath, and then it has form and life. When Zhuangzi realized that life and death are like the running of four seasons, he stopped crying to his wife and began to sing.

Zhuangzi also talked about the abundant gas, so the cloud:

Is the shape of heaven and earth; Life is not yours, it is the commission of heaven and earth; Life is not yours, it is entrusted by heaven and earth; Children and grandchildren are not yours, but entrusted by heaven and earth. So I don't know where it is, and Chu doesn't know its prosperity; I don't know what to eat. The strength of heaven and earth is also evil! ("Know the North Tour")

Life, life and children are entrusted with the harmony, obedience and abandonment of heaven and earth. People are endowed with form, that is, with spirit. Strong yang is a kind of movement (Guo Xiang's Note) (Note 4), which is the driving force to harmonize, adapt and degenerate heaven and earth. We don't know why walking, eating and eating exist, hold and taste, because these are the adaptation of heaven and earth, especially the "strong yang of heaven and earth" is "qi", so the main thing is the movement of qi.

Zhuangzi, like Laozi, is related to the action force of Qi. The action force of everything in the universe comes from the strong Yang of heaven and earth, and the main body of its movement is Qi.

Regarding the law of Qi movement, Zhuangzi often uses four seasons as a symbolic metaphor. For example, when his wife died, Zhuangzi regarded death as the change of four seasons, just like: "Today's change of death is the same as the four seasons in summer" and "happiness", but Zhuangzi did not give a clear answer.

Zhuangzi's ideal personality associates with the Creator, plays with his mind, and melts it into "light desert", conforming to nature and allowing no personal gain.

(5), gasification cosmology-Yin-Yang theory

Cosmology in Zhuangzi's thought can be said to be an extension of ontology, which looks at the birth, extinction and change of everything in the universe from the perspective of "gasification ontology".

In Zhuangzi's cosmology, "Qi Mother" symbolizes the role of Qi in the growth of all things in the universe. Qi is the mother of all things in the universe. What this mother did was the birth and growth of everything in the universe. Therefore, Zhuangzi and Qi Mother represent the greatest feature of Qi-the subject of the creation and change of all things in the universe.

The concept of "Yin and Yang" plays a very important role in the theory of Qi. There is "Yin and Yang Qi" in Zhuangzi (Grand Master: the rash of Yin and Yang Qi on human body). Let's discuss it according to Zhuangzi's general statement, just like "weather" and "atmosphere".

1. Yin and Yang as qi:

The number of things today is not limited to 10 thousand, but those who look forward to everything in the future should read it by the number of things, and those who have an accident in heaven and earth are big! The Tao is public. Because of its size, it is possible to read it, but it is already there, but it will be better than it. If things change, like dogs or horses, the time is not far away. (Zeyang)

The above Taigong tune answers the little knowledge that heaven and earth form the most representative phenomenon world in things, and Yin and Yang use qi to explain the most symbolic existence structure in the phenomenon world. It can include both, which is a general term for everything. Everything is described by abundance, and Tao is described by greatness. Yin and Yang are the largest structure that Qi can manifest, just as heaven and earth are the largest space that Form can become. Yin and Yang are the greatest expression of Qi and become the largest category of Qi.

2. Yin and Yang are the foundation of all things;

And there is no one who has never thought that this is self-enrichment. Since it is shaped by the contrast between heaven and earth, it suffers from yin and yang. I am between heaven and earth, and Xiao Mu is in the mountains, so that he can save a few shells and laugh at himself! (autumn water)

As an integral part of all things, form and qi are based on heaven and earth and yin and yang respectively, and heaven and earth and yin and yang become the foundation of all things. Rough analysis, then heaven and earth is the external existence foundation of everything:

3. Yin and Yang are the conditions for the universe to function:

I am now, so I see dragons! Dragons, combined into adults, scattered into chapters and clouds, nourish yin and yang. What are the rules for Lao Dan? (Tian Yun)

Zhuangzi's reference to clouds and gas is mostly associated with his ideal personality. We can see that the clouds in Zhuangzi are not just clouds, but have deep symbolic significance.

Zhuangzi uses "self" to illustrate the theory of biological occurrence and circulation. Qi said very clearly an example, can be said to be Geng's annotation:

Between heaven and earth, there is only yin and yang. Raise, be happy, how can you be happy! Let it go. It speaks for itself. ("South China Zhen Jing Auxiliary Ink") (Note 5)

This passage by Zhuangzi is closely related to the theory of Qi, which is a concrete manifestation process for several reasons. Several are the roots and cycles of gasification theory. Because Zhuangzi's cosmology is actually based on "gasification cosmology", only a few theories can be completely established. Zhuangzi said that "everything is born by machine, and everything enters the machine" belongs to the generalized theory of cosmic gasification. As Lu Changgeng said, everything in the universe is only willing to spontaneously in a gasified world.

Zhuangzi's so-called six qi is the connotation of qi contained in the universe. Zhuang Ziyun:

It is evil for a husband to resist the debate of six qi with the meaning of heaven and earth and swim endlessly. ("Xiaoyao Tour")

Generally speaking, we divide the six qi into two types. One is to use the five elements to release the six qi, just like rain is wood, yang is gold, fire is fire, cold is water, wind is earth, and five qi can be used to be harmonious. The other is to release six kinds of emotions, such as the mood in the north is good, the mood in the east is angry, the mood in the south is evil, the mood in the west is happy, the mood above is happy, and the mood below is sad. (Hanshu)

In Zhuangzi, the six qi is basically the qi covered by heaven and earth and the four seasons, which is equal to the substantive connotation of the qi of heaven and earth. In other words, the four seasons of heaven and earth are the manifestation of qi. Six Qi is the content of the four seasons of heaven and earth.

In a word, Zhuangzi regarded this phenomenal world as full of vitality, and represented everything in the universe with six qi. Gasification is only the end and change of six qi (Zeyang). The so-called "debate of six qi": debate is the process of gasification.

(6) theory of qi movement-theory of accumulation and dispersion

Compared with other Taoists, Zhuangzi paid more attention to the value of life. Our life is the aggregation of qi, and death is only the dispersion of qi, that is, the existence and non-existence of human beings are only the dispersion of qi, so life is not enough to rejoice and death is not enough to cherish.

Zhuangzi often regards the joy of life and death as Yin and Yang, and the theory of life as the theory of Yin and Yang. There is a very famous saying in Zhuangzi, which shows Zhuangzi's outlook on life. This is Zhuangzi's attitude when Zhuangzi's wife died:

Otherwise it's the beginning and the end, and I can't be alone! There is no life in the beginning, no life in the disciples, no life in the disciples and no life in the disciples. Mixed between awn and fluorene, it became angry, tangible and alive, and now it is dead, spring, summer, autumn and winter are the same. People were lying in the giant room, but I cried with them, thinking that I couldn't live any longer, so I stopped. (Gameloft)

Zhuangzi is a human being, how can he not be sad? He came up with a truth and finally understood that the origin of this world is "Qi". His theory of qi and his outlook on life are mutually causal.

Qi is widely used in human body. At this time, qi represents a state, and there is almost no value judgment in its sense. However, when qi becomes a part of people's psychological state, the situation changes. Qi, as a different state of human body, is considered as a psychological state. The former tries to express the universal state of the whole mankind with qi, while the latter expresses a psychological part of friends with qi.

In the structure and application of theory, "ambition" is certainly not as good as the so-called temperament or temperament of Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties. When Zhuangzi was talking about qi, he had already talked about the adverse effects of qi. In other words, ambition is a function of satisfying inner desires, and its meaning is not so certain.

When dealing with Zhuangzi's conceptual problems, focusing on qi can be divided into several categories, for example, the problems of mind, nature, emotion and qi; The problems of spirit, form, spirit and qi; Soul, spirit, qi and other issues.

If we understand the inclusiveness, context and interchangeability of the concept of Qi, and the difference between modern and classical Qi, Zhuangzi's so-called arrogant spirit is undeniable.

In a word, Zhuangzi's view of life and death is only the gathering and dispersion of qi, so the sadness of death is only the repetition of life. Zhuangzi's view of life and death does not put life first, but death first, just like the view of Yin and Yang with Yin as the head. Nevertheless, Zhuangzi's view of life and death does not represent the philosophy of death, but the philosophy of "life and death are like death", because it takes a long time for the pen of death to survive. However, from the perspective of gasification theory, life and death are just the process of gasification.

Four. conclusion

As we all know, Zhuangzi is not a neurotic little guy, but a great philosopher with a big world and no worries. Therefore, when I read Zhuangzi, I felt a kind of freedom and liberation that was suddenly enlightened and pervasive.

Of course, we demand the accuracy and consistency of the concept, but we should not lose our spirit because of Zhuangzi, nor should we stifle Zhuangzi because of ourselves. Therefore, the concepts of inevitability and nature are not only objective but also belong to us.

From the point of view of gasification theory, "the unity of things and me" is not only an ideal, but a natural conclusion derived from the concept of the change and movement of qi. Because of this entity, we can communicate at the source, so there can be no eternal gap between subject and object.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) notes

The first sentence is "yin and yang, the way of heaven and earth is also", Chen Jiuru's Modern Translation of the Emperor's Internal Classic.

Joseph Needham, Science and Citizenship in China, Volume II, translated by Li Xihao, etc. Although this "numerology" (Needham's so-called numerology) is not the most harmful influence, Needham believes that it has made no contribution to China's science.

The two concepts of Yin and Yang only appeared once in Laozi, and they were not combined, so Yin and Yang should not be combined.

Guo Xiang's note: "Strong yang is still active." See Guo Qingfan's Zhuangzi Jishi.

Lu Changgeng entered the village as a Buddha. See the bibliography of Liezi Zhuangzi by Yan Lingfeng.