Chapter 9 The Influence of Li Bai Shilu on Li Bai's Personality

The influence of businessman's family background on Li Bai's character The influence of businessman's family background on Li Bai's character has three very obvious manifestations: 1. The concept of homesickness is weak.Sichuan is so good, it raised Li Bai, but Li Bai never went back after leaving Sichuan at the age of 25.Second, the concept of family is weak.There are so many articles in Li Bai's collection of poems, all of which were written for dignitaries and celebrities.But none was written to parents and siblings.3. I like to wander around. Li Bai's family concept is completely different from the traditional Chinese concept.Chinese people are very tired.Chinese people living under the background of Confucianism have a very heavy burden on them, family and country, and in the end, you have to bear it.Even if it has nothing to do with you, you will naturally take it over.The most famous example is Du Fu.It was not easy for Du Fu to support his family, and even his son starved to death.After the Anshi Rebellion broke out, Du Fu felt that the suffering of the whole country should be borne by him.In fact, he only served as a minor official in the imperial court for three years. Is it his turn to bear this suffering?

Chinese and Western cultures are different. Western culture emphasizes the individual, while traditional Chinese culture emphasizes the individual.Marx said: "Man is the sum of social relations." This sentence is especially suitable for traditional China.From a small family to a big family, you have to be responsible.Under the influence of traditional culture, Chinese intellectuals are very tired.Where is their spirit developing?Du Fu, for example, can only develop in the direction of suffering, heaviness and depth. Chinese traditional culture lacks the free spirit that radiates outward, is tall and flying.There are only a few exceptions, such as Zhuangzi and Li Bai.Chuang Tzu's wife died, and he was very happy, drumming and singing.Li Bai's parents passed away a long time ago, and he has no brothers, so he comes and goes naked without any worries.The burden on him is light, so he has freedom.Of course, it may also be because his cultural values ​​are different from traditional values, and he can reduce the burden by himself.Chinese culture needs to reduce the burden.Li Bai and Zhuangzi are two coincidences in Chinese culture. They are not quite the same as orthodox culture, but they are extremely brilliant and resplendent.

I sometimes think that the reason why Li Bai is so unique is related to his weak family concept. In the traditional Chinese cultural system, in the era of novels and romances, there are two famous symbols: one is Monkey King and the other is Nezha.They have the spirit of Li Bai.In my opinion, Monkey King and Nezha are metaphors for Chinese culture, they represent rebellion and freedom.In the Ming Dynasty, after all, there were some signs of ideological liberation.It was no accident that these two images appeared in the novels at that time. Who is Sun Wukong?Let's look at his background. He has neither father nor mother, and he jumped out of a crack in the rock.I think Sun Wukong represents a kind of hope of the author. He thought: If I have no father and no mother, I also get out of the cracks in the rock, and I can come and go naked without any worries, and my spirit will be absolutely free.Monkey King is a symbol of freedom and liberation in Chinese culture.But once there is a tie, it will be different.Sun Wukong will also repay his favor later.why?The Tathagata Buddha suppressed him under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years.It was Tang Seng who liberated him, and he owed it to Tang Seng.This goes back to the motif of Chinese culture.The traditional motif of Confucian culture is that everyone owes everything to their parents when they are born.Western Christianity talks about original sin, but Confucianism also has these things.Each of us owes a debt that must be paid.After Monkey King met Tang Seng, he was completely different.Avalokitesvara put a magic spell on Sun Wukong, no matter how good you are, if Tang Seng reads a few words to you, you will not be able to do it.We found it very strange when we read it. Before Monkey King became Tang Seng's apprentice, he was so powerful that no one could beat him.After becoming Tang Seng's apprentice, it seems that he is not so powerful. He often fights with monsters and asks for help.Moreover, he was sloppy in doing things, and the fight against the Bone Demon was not enjoyable.why?All the burdens and all the ties come and hold you back.You want to run forward, you want to sprint, but how do you sprint?There are ropes that bind you.In Chinese culture, there are magic spells and ropes that bind immortals.In this sense, it is a great symbolic novel.

In Chinese culture, Confucianism is the mainstream, but there is also a branch—Sun Wukong before conversion, as well as Zhuangzi and Li Bai, are all representatives of this spirit.I absolutely love this tributary.I always lament why I am not Li Bai.Chinese culture is too tiring, and there are eight words in it: "It is better to have no life than to know me like this." ("Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Shaozhi Style") Every time I read it, I am very unhappy about it, even Weep for it.Talking about it now, I always tell the story of romantic events 2,500 years ago, and I always try to tell it as lightly as possible from the perspective of "thinking innocent".But there is also a sense of world-weariness in the novel, and Hu Shi has long seen it.why?A person owes so much at birth. If he catches up with troubled times again, the family is so burdened, and the country is in crisis, then he must bear all the sufferings and grievances, and he must be strong in front of others.But everyone's heart is fragile and untouchable.When facing yourself, you can only say "knowing that I am like this, it is better to have no life."

Besides Monkey King, there is also Nezha.Inside, Nezha has a good relationship with Monkey King.He also appeared under the cultural background of the Ming Dynasty.When I read Nezha's story, what moved me the most was "eviscerate the bones and return the flesh".Because he got into trouble and implicated his father Li Jing.This is the most unforgivable thing in Chinese culture.How can a child bring trouble to his parents?As a last resort, he could only "eviscerate the bones and return the flesh" to appease the Dragon King and not pursue his parents' responsibilities.After he was reborn in the lotus, Nezha became even stronger.After Nezha was reborn, he once hated his father, but in the end the two reconciled.Li Jing is the King of Tota, and his tower was also given by Guanyin, which is specially used to suppress Nezha.As a son, how can you not listen to your father?Zeng Zi said, "If you are facing an abyss, you are walking on thin ice" ("The Analects of Confucius Taber"), you must be an honest person, do things well, and not bring any worries to your parents.There is an old saying in China - "Admonish your parents a few times". If your parents do something wrong, you should be kind and try to persuade them tactfully.If they don't listen and beat you, you can't be resentful, you have to be grateful, and you have to think of other ways to influence them.This is Chinese culture.

Rebellion is rare.Moreover, those who rebel are easily persecuted and end up miserable.Zhuangzi was a man without power; Li Bai was not much better; Kong Rong was even worse, and his head was beheaded.Didn't Kong Rong just say a few words?He said, if my father is a bastard, I would rather give food to beggars on the road than give him.He also said that when a child is born from the mother's womb, isn't something poured out of a container?What father is not a father, isn't he just to vent his sexual desire?Why should you be filial?Kong Rong's words seemed too inhumane at first glance.But I think it is precisely these people who have seen the truth of Chinese culture, seen the other side of Chinese culture, and seen the killing of human nature by Chinese culture.To talk about the pioneers of the liberation of human nature, I think these people are really the ones.Monkey King makes a big disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, and Nezha cuts out the bones and returns the flesh. Behind these two folk culture stories is a great symbol of liberation.

Born in a merchant's family with weak family values, Li Bai was created, and he is the only Li Bai.Du Fu can be repeated, it is within human reach, it is just a difference in degree.But Li Bai cannot be repeated.It is the social and historical background of the Tang Dynasty, the unique geographical features of Sichuan and the family environment of a merchant family that created Li Bai. If one of these three elements is missing, it is impossible to be Li Bai. We say that Li Bai is too indifferent in terms of human feelings, but this just represents another realm.What Du Fu represents is the world and the realm of human relations.Fengliu in the Wei and Jin Dynasties often talk about "within the traveler" and "outside the traveler". Du Fu represents "within the traveler", which is the living rules of ordinary people within the rules.Li Bai is a genius, and the rules of life for geniuses are different.We can't use the rules of life of ordinary people to ask a genius, it is unfair to do so.

The times were too unfair to Li Bai, and Du Fu saw this most clearly.In his later years, although Du Fu took a completely different path from Li Bai, Du Fu was Li Bai's bosom friend.He wrote about Li Bai, saying: "Everyone in the world wants to kill, but I only pity him." ("Not Seeing") Everyone thinks that Li Bai should be killed. Such a ruthless, capricious person, why keep him?But Du Fu is very great, as the backbone of Confucianism, he said: I understand Li Bai, Li Bai is a genius.Is it easy for a genius?It's not just a problem that only occurs once every five hundred years.In China's 5,000-year culture, there are only two geniuses, one Zhuangzi and one Li Bai.Are you going to kill him?

Li Bai represents the realm of the universe, the realm of heaven.He came from Cui Zizhong, the Tibetan Cloud Map Ming who was alone with the spirit of heaven and earth.He doesn't sing praises to his father, doesn't sing praises to his mother, doesn't write about his brothers and sisters, and doesn't seem to have any relationship with his wife.But Li Bai sang about the moon, which is a symbol of brightness and a higher state of the human heart. The status of "son of a merchant" brought Li Bai a unique opportunity.It enables him to step out of the rules of Confucianism and live a possible life.We are in contemporary China, whether we study Li Bai, Confucianism, or Taoism, can it provide us with a possible life, and it is a benign, aesthetic, desirable, and meaningful life? happy life.I think this is a key.Li Bai has done a very good job in this regard, and he has provided us with an example.

For our era today, what is the significance of Li Bai?Li Bai's family concept is indifferent. At first glance, he seems to be a sinner of Chinese culture.But I think Li Bai is the great hero of Chinese culture.With Li Bai and Chuang Tzu, Chinese culture is not truly monotonous, and Chinese culture does not end up in a pool of stagnant water.There are always a few shooting stars in Chinese culture, and occasionally across the long dark night.Zhuangzi and Li Bai are the most beautiful shooting stars in Chinese culture.