Chapter 15 3. The way of governing the country

Some people are interested in what Laozi talks about politics.Sima Qian wrote "Historical Records" and listed Lao Tzu in the "Biography of Lao Tzu and Han Fei". You can tell from the title that Lao Tzu has something to do with politics.Because Han Feizi was the representative of the Legalists, the Legalists paid special attention to politics.Han Feizi wrote "Jie Lao" and "Yu Lao" to interpret Laozi's thoughts.Sima Qian said to Han Fei: "I like the study of punishment and magic, but it belongs to Huang Lao." "Huang" is the Yellow Emperor.The Huang-Lao School of the Warring States Period and the early Han Dynasty was a branch of Taoism. It advocated both Taoism and law, and also advocated purity and inaction. It had many opinions on the techniques of governance (that is, how to keep the people safe and the emperor's rule stable, etc.).Is there any problem with Laozi explained by Han Feizi?Big problem. "Historical Records" said that Han Fei: "Using rope and ink, cutting things, telling right from wrong, it is extremely tragic and less kind. It all comes from the meaning of morality, and Laozi is far-reaching." That is to criticize Han Feizi for being too harsh, cruel and ruthless. Although the theory originated from the theory of "morality", Lao Tzu's original thinking was much more profound than his.

The book "Lao Tzu" talks about some ruling techniques, because the sage he said is the ruler who understands "Tao".The opposite of the saint is the common people.Lao Tzu's observations are very sharp. He divides the rulers into four levels: those who are too high, those who are below know; Secondly, praise and praise; Secondly, fear it; Second, insult it. There is not enough faith, there is no faith. You Xi's precious words! After success and success, the people all said: I am natural. ("Laozi Seventeen Chapters") The best ruler, the people only know that he exists; the second-class, the people are close to him and praise him; the third-class people are afraid of him;If the ruler's integrity is insufficient, the people will not trust him.The best rulers are so laid back that they seldom call the shots.When everything is done and everything goes well, the common people think: We are what we are.

Lao Tzu said that the first-class ruler is the common people who know his existence, but they don’t know that he has issued orders. To the common people, it seems like nothing, as if the problem has been solved without doing anything. rule".For example, the Queen of England is a spiritual symbol. When major events happen in the country, her words will have an effect.This is probably the most brilliant politics, and such a ruler is admirable.The second-class ruler practices benevolent government, and the common people get close to him and praise him.The political leaders of the present age can only do so much.As a national leader, you always hope to be affirmed by the people.If the poll exceeds 60 or 70%, you feel very satisfied and happy.Why do people from the central government to provinces and counties like to conduct public opinion surveys?Just to see how many people support it.The third-class rulers use decrees and punishments, and the people will fear him.This obviously refers to relatively autocratic, totalitarian, and backward social rulers.I watched a movie "The Last King of Scotland" a while ago. It was about President Amin, the military dictator of Uganda. During his rule, he killed 300,000 compatriots. Everyone was afraid of him to death.The last class of rulers behaves indiscriminately and without rules, and the people want to insult him, look down on him at all, and are not even worthy of being afraid of him.Because in a democratic era, no matter how bad the ruler is, there is a limit. Can white terror still be practiced?no.So the common people ended up insulting him, and everyone scolded him when he mentioned his name.It is not uncommon for a person to be a leader and receive a lot of support at the beginning, but later on, everyone scolds him and has no dignity at all.As an ordinary person, you should not be scolded casually by others. If you are a political leader, you should be scolded casually. If this happens, the world may be in chaos.

Lao Tzu believes that if the ruler lacks integrity, the people will not trust him.This is the same view as Confucius.Zi Gong asked Confucius about the practice of politics. Confucius said: "If there is enough food and enough soldiers, the people will trust."Zi Gong asked: "If you have to get rid of one item, which of these three should get rid of first?" Confucius said, get rid of armaments first.Because the common people must eat first, and you can't get enough to eat, so why prepare so many weapons? Ask again, what if one item needs to be removed?Confucius said that if food is removed, "everyone has died since ancient times, and the people cannot stand without trust." Since ancient times, people will inevitably die, but if the people cannot trust the government, the country cannot be established. At that time, you are more sad than death, and you become a subjugated slave up.

Lao Tzu's last sentence was very wonderful. After everything is done and everything is on track, what will the people say?The people all say: I am natural.When I read this sentence, I was really moved.The best ruler is one who lets the people know that he exists, but does not feel ruled by him. "Expensive words" means rarely giving orders, and rarely giving orders is not silent, but the fact that there is still rule.Some scholars think of this as "I work at sunrise and rest at sunset, so what is the power of the emperor to me?" The power of the emperor has nothing to do with me. Manipulation, so that the people do not feel that someone is ruling, it is completely out of his instinct, and he will follow the policies you have formulated spontaneously. When he succeeds in the end, he will say, look, this is what we have become.

"Zhuangzi·Heaven and Earth" said: "The great sage governs the world, shakes the hearts of the people, makes them into religions and customs, destroys their thieves' hearts and enters into their own will, if the nature is self-acting, the people don't know what to do." When the great sage ruled the world, he used the method of laissez-faire people, so that they can achieve enlightenment, change customs, eliminate their thoughts of harming others, and promote their self-satisfied aspirations, as if their nature automatically wants to do this, and they don't know why. in this way.This is of course the most brilliant rule, so that the people naturally feel that everything is on track, and they don't know why.Here too, the best government makes its presence known to the people, but does nothing.I think that regardless of any society, the highest political goal is what Lao Tzu said, so that every ordinary person can live and work in peace and contentment, and feel that as a human being, you don’t have to think about other issues, you just need to work hard to learn and understand life wisdom.

"Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish" I often mention it because it is related to my personal experience.When I was studying in the United States in 1983, then President Reagan quoted this sentence in his State of the Union address on New Year's Day.The President of the United States mentioned to Americans what a Chinese philosopher said more than 2,000 years ago, which impressed me as an international student and was very moved.Reading the newspaper the next day, the English translation of "Lao Tzu" sold tens of thousands of copies. Governing a big country is like cooking small fish.

Use the Tao to reach the world, its ghosts are not gods; It's not that the ghosts are not gods, the gods don't hurt people; It's not that gods don't hurt people, and saints don't hurt people either. Husband and wife do not hurt each other, so virtue returns to Yan. ("Laozi Sixty Chapters") Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish.If "Tao" is used to lead the people in the world, ghosts will lose their magical functions; not only will ghosts lose their magical functions, but gods will not interfere with people; not only will gods not interfere with people, but saints will not interfere with people either.Gods and saints do not interfere with people, and all endowments are preserved.

"If you cook small fish", He Shanggong's commentary is "When cooking small fish, don't remove the intestines, don't remove the scales, don't dare to scratch, for fear that it will be minced." If the intestines and scales are removed, the small fish will rot easily. "Don't dare to scratch" means don't stir it at will.People who have fried fish know that as long as the oil reaches a certain temperature, the fish will be cooked soon after putting it in, and there is no need to do anything; eat.Laozi used this metaphor to remind us that the best way to govern a country is to do nothing, and the less the government manages, the better.When I was studying in the United States, I talked to many professors about American politics, and they all expressed their appreciation for anarchism.I was startled when I heard this, and thought to engage in anarchism, isn't society in chaos?In fact, anarchism is a little bit closer to Lao Tzu's ideas. The government only needs to make good policies, use taxes in proper places, and let the people choose their own way of life without too much interference.Because Lao Tzu believes that the ruler should use the "Tao" to lead the world, so that everyone can live a more natural and comfortable life and try to do nothing.Because when you act, you will think about how to be "beneficial", but even if the goal is achieved, it may bring other sequelae.Modern people often say a word called "butterfly effect".If I had known that today's result would not be good, I should have done this or that, or said a few more words and less words, to avoid this consequence.The American movie "The Butterfly Effect" played out this assumption, and gave you the opportunity to adjust some of the past practices or sayings. What is the result?The consequences of the adjustments are definitely more terrifying than what you see now.Explain what?Don't imagine that I can do anything like this or that in the past, no matter how much people think about it, they can't think of the laws of nature.Rather than doing this, it is better to rule by doing nothing and let nature take its course. At this time, ghosts, gods, and saints will not interfere.

What is a ghost? "Ghosts, return also", people return to their original appearance after death and become ghosts.Gods exist in the natural world as relatively powerful forces, like mountain gods, sea gods, and river gods.In addition, there are some special great men in the human world who are also conferred as gods.As the saying goes, suspicion breeds dark ghosts.Ghosts are often born out of fear.When it comes to gods, everyone will think of praying to gods and worshiping Buddha.Therefore, if you have fear, you will think of ghosts, and if you have desires, you will think of gods. Ghosts and gods are related to people's psychological state and needs.For example, the economic situation is not good this year, and the unemployment rate is very high. Many people go to fortune-telling and pray to God.Why?Because he has something to fear and something to ask for.If a society can prevent the common people from feeling fearful, feeling that there will be danger at any time, and feeling that many wishes cannot be fulfilled, then ghosts and gods will not show all kinds of strange functions.So I think a prosperous society is not necessarily a good thing. It shows that people lack a kind of confidence in themselves and always hope that there is some external force to help me fulfill my desires. life.

Zhuangzi said: "With one mind, you can rule the world, and you will not worship ghosts." As long as you have a peaceful mind, even ghosts and gods will not cause trouble.It also mentioned that "yin and yang are in harmony, and ghosts and gods do not disturb". "Yin and Yang" refers to the qi of nature. Yin and yang can be peaceful and quiet, and ghosts and gods will not interfere with you.People have their responsibilities, and ghosts and gods have their roles. If you fulfill your human responsibilities well, you can keep a distance from ghosts and gods.This is similar to Confucius' proposition: "Respect ghosts and gods and keep them at a distance." But there are four words before this sentence: "Serving the people's righteousness."It means to concentrate on doing what the people think should be done.On the contrary, it seems extremely ignorant to "don't ask the common people, ask the ghosts and gods, but worship in temples".It is a pity that many politicians did not understand Lao Tzu's words. It can be seen from this that "Tao" is the most important thing. Lao Tzu believes that as long as "Tao" comes to the world, what can ghosts and gods do?Not only that, the sage will not interfere with others.God is the dominant force in the spiritual world, and saints are the dominant force in the human world.A sage is wise because he has realized the "Tao", and knows that everything will be on track by itself, without human effort, and doing too much will cause greater troubles. Therefore, a sage will only "do nothing" and will not interfere with others. When ghosts, gods, and saints will not interfere with people, everything can return to the natural state, and finally "virtue will return." "De" refers to nature and endowment, which can be understood as the "get" obtained.Lao Tzu believes that as long as everything can exist, it is supported by "Tao", and what "Tao" supports is your nature and endowment.It is Lao Tzu's ideal to keep one's nature and endowment in a primitive, pure and perfect state throughout one's life.If a person harms his own nature and endowment because of pursuing some external purpose, he violates the "Tao".Therefore, when a person is pursuing something, he should always ask himself, is the price I paid too high?To the point of being unhappy, forgetting who you are, feeling at a loss, and even falling into a state of melancholy, it is obviously a mistake in the direction of life.Therefore, "Governing a big country is like cooking small fish" is not only Lao Tzu's views on politics, but also can be used to govern our personal lives, that is, to govern by doing nothing, and let everything take its course. "Small country with few people" is the ideal society in Lao Tzu's mind.What is this society like? A small country with few people makes it useless if there are many weapons; it makes the people die hard and not move far away.Although there are boats, there is nothing to take advantage of, and even though there are armored soldiers, there is nothing to display.Let the people tie the rope and use it.Enjoy the food, enjoy the clothes, live comfortably, and enjoy the customs.Neighboring countries look at each other, hear the sounds of chickens and dogs, and the people do not communicate with each other until they grow old and die. ("Laozi Eighty Chapters") The country should be small and the population should be small.Even if there are various utensils, do not use them; make the people cherish life and not go far away.Although there are ships and vehicles, there is no need to ride them; although there are weapons and equipment, there is no opportunity to display them.Make the people go back to the ancient way of keeping track of events.The food is delicious, the clothes are fine, the residence is comfortable, and the customs are happy.Neighboring countries look at each other, and the crowing of chickens and dogs can be heard from each other, but the people live to old age and die without communicating with each other. "The land should be small and the population should be small", that was the ancient society. Today's era is full of land and people, and we can't go back to the past. "Don't use all kinds of utensils" shows that in the era when Lao Tzu lived, common people already knew how to use various utensils and machines to replace manpower to make life more convenient, but Lao Tzu suggested that they should be used as much as possible. Why?There is a story in the book, Zigong, a student of Confucius, was going to the state of Chu. He passed by the south bank of the Han River and saw an old man carrying an urn to water the vegetable garden.Zigong suggested to him, you are too tired like this, you should use a kind of straw, which is equal to the method of pumping water, which will be more convenient.This old man obviously belonged to the Taoist school, and he was very upset when he heard Zigong say that.He said that my teacher said that people who use machines must have intentions. "If the intention is hidden in the chest, it will be nothing." He often thinks about how to be better and how to be more effective, so his mind is often turbulent. , In this way, it is impossible to realize the "Tao".The Taoist understanding of "Tao" is to calm one's heart, to be able to see all things like the surface of water, and to realize the truth.If you spend all your time thinking about how to use utensils and how to make them more beneficial, it will destroy the purity of your mind and affect your enlightenment.Therefore, Taoism believes that these "shibo" utensils should be discarded. Next, although there are cars and boats, people are unwilling to take them, and they are unwilling to travel far away.The ancients usually left their hometowns for reasons of life, or to study or become officials.Many people immigrate in modern times, some for their children's education, some for a sense of security, but in the end they may feel that "it's better to go back".Many things have been worked hard for a lifetime, and it is found that the gain is not worth the loss, and what is lost is more than what is gained, or what is lost is more cherished.Many people go abroad, but instead eat sesame seed fried dough sticks and drink soy milk every day, and the nostalgia for their hometown is even more profound.Leaving your hometown is actually very painful. Then, "Although there are armored soldiers, there is nothing to display", even if there are weapons and equipment, they will not be displayed, because there are no wars and contradictions, and people's lives are peaceful. "Make the people tie ropes and use them", the ancients tied ropes to record things, because there was no written language.Once writing is invented, books can be written, and if there are too many writings, troubles will arise.Some people study for a lifetime and are completely divorced from reality.Zhuangzi told a story, Duke Huan of Qi was reading in the hall, and a worker who made wheels asked him what book he was reading.Duke Huan of Qi said, the book of a sage.Ask again, is the saint alive?Answer: It is dead.The worker said that if it is dead, the book will be called dross, useless garbage.In other words, the thoughts of a true sage cannot be imparted by knowledge, but by you to awaken.Lao Tzu believes that if you use knotted ropes to keep track of things, you don't need so much knowledge of words, and it will be easier for people to enter the real situation of life. Everyone likes the following four sentences: enjoy the food, enjoy the clothes, live in peace, and enjoy the customs.It means that everyone is content with their own life and should not compare themselves with others.Do you think your diet is sweet?If you compare it with other people's delicacies from mountains and seas, it's too far behind.Do you think your clothes are beautiful?If you compare with those world famous brands, your clothes are too simple.Also, do you feel comfortable living here and happy customs?Sometimes you see other people running the bull festival, throwing tomatoes, or carnivals, and you envy others.Lao Tzu thinks that these are unnecessary, people's happiness lies in the present moment, and there is no need to envy other people or other places.It is impossible for people to live in the world to be completely settled and comfortable. You must get rid of the mind of comparison, be content with your current life, and accept everything about yourself, in order to live a happier life. In the end, Lao Tzu said that neighboring countries look at each other, and the crowing of chickens and dogs can be heard from each other, but the people live to old age and die without communicating with each other.What kind of realm is this?Because people have no need to communicate.Today, modern people don't hear chickens and dogs barking, but only the sound of the TV next door.Sometimes when you interact with your neighbors, you will compare, how much do you earn a month?Which school does your child go to?There is no need to compare and compare, to be happy when you are worse than others, and to be depressed if you are not as good as others.So Lao Tzu said, just live to the end of old age and die without any contact with each other.Is this against social communication?no.You can communicate, but you don't let those external things enter your heart and affect your heart, this is the point.Zhuangzi said, how can a person have no emotions, human emotions always have various ups and downs, but don't let emotions affect your inner peace.It is said in the book: "Gentlemen make friends with literature, and help benevolent people with friends." What they talk about is the crystallization of spiritual wisdom. Everyone encourages each other and inspires themselves. This is a beneficial exchange.Once you leave this range and return to the trivial events of daily life, there may be a lot of right and wrong and gossip in the interaction between people. Lao Tzu's ideal society is a "small country with few people", with no migration, no armed war; although there are civilization products, they can be ignored and useless; people live in their own places, live a simple and happy life, and do not interact much with each other.Such ideals are no longer possible today.The times move forward all the way, and history cannot go backwards.Civilization is changing with each passing day, and the complexity and distress of life tend to be unsolvable.But we still have to remember Lao Tzu’s ideals, know how to restrain all kinds of desires, know what is the public domain and what is the private domain, get along with others, and communicate politely, don’t envy others too much, and don’t think that you are better than others. Everyone is content with their own life, realizes the joy of living in the moment, and keeps their life in a state of sweetness and peace. Many schools of thought speak of anti-war thinking.Taking Confucianism as an example, Confucius especially admired Guan Zhong. One of the reasons was that Guan Zhong helped Duke Huan of Qi avoid war by diplomatic means in the early Spring and Autumn Period, thus saving the common people from catastrophe.Because when the war came, the world was in chaos, and it was innocent people who suffered heavy casualties.Mencius put it more directly, "Those who are good at fighting shall be punished", and those who are good at fighting shall receive the heaviest punishment. Why?Killing is too heavy. Lao Tzu is also anti-war, but his ideas are different from the Confucian ideal of benevolent government.Lao Tzu views war in this way: a soldier is an ominous weapon.Things may be evil, so those who have the Tao will not be there. When a gentleman lives, the left is more expensive, and when he uses soldiers, the right is more expensive. Therefore, a soldier's weapon is an ominous weapon, not a gentleman's weapon.Use it as a last resort, and calmness is the best. Victory is not beauty, but beauty is the joy of killing people.Those who kill people in Fule will not be able to aspire to the world. Good things go to the left, bad things go to the right.The partial general is on the left, the top general is on the right, and it is said that it will be treated as a funeral. Those who kill people weep with sorrow, and those who win are punished with funeral rites. ("Laozi Thirty-one Chapters") Force is an unlucky thing, and people hate it, so enlightened people do not accept it.A gentleman usually values ​​the left side, but when using force he values ​​the right side.Force is an unlucky thing, and it is not a tool of a gentleman. If you have to use it as a last resort, it is best to deal with it indifferently.Don't be proud of victory, if you are proud, you like to kill people.Those who like to kill people cannot succeed in the world.For auspicious things, the left side is the top priority, and for mourning things, the right side is the top priority.The deputy general stands on the left and the general on the right.This means that war should be handled with funerals.If there are many murders, it should be treated with sorrow, and if it is defeated, it should be treated with a funeral. "Soldier" means force, an ominous weapon.Lao Tzu said, "Where the teacher is, thorns will grow. After the army, there will be a bad year." Where the army passes, it will be covered with thorns; after the war, there will be a famine year.Because the ancient times were an agricultural society, once there was a war, the farming would not work and the harvest would be impossible, which would pose a great threat to the lives of the people.There are many examples in ancient times. After wars, various diseases appeared. In many places, people could not be buried after death, and then various infectious diseases and plagues appeared one after another. In the end, the people suffered. Then he said that a gentleman usually "values ​​the left" and "values ​​the right" when using force.The distinction between left and right here is probably derived from the ancient concept of "left yang and right yin".The left side represents yang, which means that life can grow and is responsible for life; the right side represents yin, which means life ends and is responsible for killing.For example, in the four seasons of the year, spring and summer represent life, and all things grow; autumn and winter represent killing, and all things wither.There is a saying in ancient times that "accounts are settled after autumn", and death row prisoners will be executed in autumn.All things slowly shrink in autumn, leaves begin to fall, and life begins to wither, all in accordance with the seasons, so as to illustrate the so-called life and death.Later, it is said that "good things are on the left, and bad things are on the right", and "the partial general is on the left, and the top general is on the right".War is a fatal event, so the general who presides over the war is on the right, because the right kills. Then I said three "last resorts" in a row.There are always unavoidable things in life, and sometimes wars are also out of necessity.When someone invades you, you must defend yourself.But at this time, we must deal with it indifferently, and we must not be elated. We must know that fighting is a last resort, and if there is another way, we will definitely not do it.After winning, don't be complacent.For example, there is a famous building in France, the Arc de Triomphe, which was built after a war was won, so that everyone in the world would know that they had won the war.But in the Second World War, France lost miserably at the beginning. Of course, it was invaded, and China was also invaded. After the victory, everyone rejoiced.But what we have to ask is, why let the war happen?Why not stop it in the first place? In Lao Tzu's opinion, if you are proud of winning a war, it means you like to kill people. People who like to kill people can't get the support of the world.Therefore, those who come from the military should not touch politics. The practice of leading troops to fight in wars does not work in the civil service system.Then Lao Tzu mentioned twice that "dealing with funerals" means that war is a funeral, even if a battle is won, it is still treated as a funeral, because too many people died, and because there is no real winner in war.This statement is entirely anti-war.However, this anti-war thinking is by no means capitulationism, but Lao Tzu's very specific attitude towards things.The "last resort" mentioned here usually refers to a defensive war, which must be fought, and the purpose is to maintain the security of the country and the happiness of the people.But even if such a war is won it is a funeral, because so many lives are lost, which is the most tragic thing. Zhuangzi also made many criticisms of war, and one of the stories is impressive.There is a monarch who wants to dominate the world. Zhuangzi suggested that he get a contract signed by all countries. Whichever monarch gets the contract can command the world. It is like the dragon sword in Jin Yong's novel. No one dares not to command the world, but there is one condition , If you get this contract with your left hand, your right hand will be cut off; if you get this contract with your right hand, your left hand will be cut off.In other words, if you have both hands, whichever hand you take, the other hand will be cut off.As a result, no one wanted to take it in the end.Why?I gain the world and lose my hands. Think about it, forget it, my hands are still more important. Washing, bathing, holding things, and writing articles every day, how close they are.The world gave it to me, but it made me lose one of my hands, so it was not worth it.Zhuangzi is very naughty, he used this method to make the monarch reflect, is war necessary?What's the point of gaining more land and subjects and dominating the world?Taoism reminds us in various ways that human life is the most precious, and it is too late for you to live, let alone go to war and destroy the lives of many people?There is no need at all.But Taoists also say the three words "last resort", but where is the bottom line of last resort?This is the question that tests us. "The people are not afraid of death, so why are they afraid of death?" Lao Tzu's words have reminded rulers for thousands of years not to push the people too far.The common people were driven into poverty, unable to survive, not even afraid of death, thinking that since life is so hard and exhausting, it is almost the same as death, and it is better to rebel, as the so-called "officials force the people to rebel".Not only in ancient China, but also in ancient Western times.When the people are driven to a dead end, they will rise up for revolution, and the ruler who has driven the people to this point will inevitably end in misery himself. The people are not afraid of death, so why are they afraid of death?If the people are always afraid of death, and it is strange, I will be obsessed with it and kill it, who would dare?Xiangshi people are often afraid of death, and there are often killers who kill them.Husband Daisi Killer kills, it is Dai Dajiang Jin, Husband Dai Dajiang Jin, I hope it will not hurt his hands. ("Laozi Seventy-Four Chapters") How can the people be frightened by death when they are not afraid of death?If the people are really afraid of death, I can catch and kill those who make troubles, so who would dare to make troubles again?There is always an executioner who executes the murder, and he who kills in the place of the executioner is like chopping wood for the carpenter.It is rare for a carpenter to chop wood without cutting his own hand. Everyone is afraid of death, it's a biological instinct.Some people's biggest threat is: "Be careful, if you talk too much, I will kill you." The last resort of intimidation is to kill someone, but if this person is not afraid of death, how can he intimidate him? "The people are not afraid of death" is the voice of the people in troubled times.Tyranny is the greatest death threat, as the story of "tyranny is fiercer than tiger": Confucius led his disciples through a bamboo forest, and heard a woman crying, so he asked her why she was crying, and she said that her father-in-law, husband, and son were all killed. The tiger killed it.Confucius asked her why she didn't move to the city, and she replied, no, because the tyranny in the city is worse than a tiger.Living in the woods is only threatened by tigers, and death is a big deal; if living in the city, it is even more difficult to be abused and bullied by corrupt officials. Therefore, the background of "the people are not afraid of death" is that the people do not want to live, and even life is worse than death. At this time, the common people have nothing to fear.If the rulers don’t think about this background, don’t rush to implement benevolent government, and instead threaten the people to “kill if they don’t obey”, in the end, the people may risk their lives and rebel.Because "stopping chaos by killing" is just trying to make ends meet.Lao Tzu said: People are hungry because of the amount of taxes on them. The people are difficult to govern, because they are capable of doing things, they are difficult to govern. The people's despise of death is based on their desire to survive, so they despise death. ("Laozi Seventy-Five Chapters") The people starve because the ruler eats too much tax, so they starve. The people are difficult to govern because the ruler likes to do something, so it is difficult to govern. The people go to death easily because the ruler's life is generous, so they go to death easily. People's hunger, intractability, and light death are more serious at each level, and the phenomena at each level are caused by the rulers at the top.First, the ruler taxed too much, and the people were poor and hungry.Western advanced countries often charge 30% to 40% of taxes, but their social welfare is doing well, and the people are willing to cooperate if they figure it out.The most fearful thing is that after the violent expropriation, they don't care about the life and death of the people.And this is the real situation in Lao Tzu's time.Secondly, the ruler has done something, and the people can't bear to be disturbed. From passive resistance to active resistance, the result is intractable.What is making a difference?Build the Great Wall, build canals, and build palaces.It consumes a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, and the people are overwhelmed. Of course, it is difficult to govern.In the end, the ruler lived extravagantly, clothed in rich clothes and fine food, and scraped away all the fat and anointing of the people. There was not much left for the people, so why are they still alive? Since ancient times, many literati poems have described "hurting the farmer's family" and feeling sorry for the common people.They have worked hard all their lives, but still do not have enough food and clothing, because the top collects taxes and the rulers domineering.The "Ming Yi Dai Fang Lu" written by Huang Zongxi, a philosopher in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, clearly pointed out that a major pest in the entire Chinese history was the imperial system. Unfortunately, few people realized the importance of this idea at the time. "Mingyi" is the thirty-sixth hexagram "Earth Fire Mingyi". The earth is above and the fire is below, which means that the sky is dark, the light is suppressed, and the world is in chaos; "waiting for visits" is waiting for people to understand. Huang Zongxi's observation is correct, the biggest problem in Chinese history lies in the emperor.In the beginning, no one was willing to be the Son of Heaven, like Yao, Shun, and Yu, all abdicated.Dayu was away for eight years, and he went through the house three times without entering. "He has no legs, no hair on the shins", no flesh on the thighs, and no hair on the calves.Why?Serving the people, water control is too hard.Later, as the development progressed slowly, the emperors were more pampered and pampered, and it was impossible to think about the people like Yao, Shun, and Yu. All they thought about was how to "benefit my country" and how to control power.Like Mencius went to see King Hui of Liang, King Hui of Liang said, the old man came from a long distance, "will benefit my country too", what good will you do to our country of Liang?Mencius said: "Why should the king talk about benefits? There is also benevolence and righteousness." It means that you, my lord, why talk about benefits with me, we only need to rely on benevolence and righteousness.Because if everyone only thinks about "profit" and "competes for profit", the world will definitely be in chaos.On the contrary, everyone should talk about benevolence and righteousness, especially the monarch should talk about benevolence and righteousness, and he must behave properly and lead by example, so that the world can be harmonious.It's a pity that Confucianism's "benevolent government" has been an ideal that has been shelved for thousands of years. Yang Confucianism and Yin Law, External Confucianism and Internal Law, since the emergence of Legalism, they have grasped the weakness of human nature and advocated respecting the monarch and humble ministers.It is impossible to make everyone happy, but it is very easy to make one person happy. That is to say, the common people in the world pay money and effort to let the emperor enjoy it alone and let him hold the power alone. Baiguan, after being exploited layer by layer, is like a cow with several layers of skin peeled off. Although scholars have been familiar with the classics of sages and sages since childhood, they passed the examination and entered the court as officials, but found that following the way of sages to educate the people has no future, and they must follow the same trend to have a future. They had to accept the rules of the game and gradually became corrupt.Some honest officials, such as Hai Rui, who served the people honestly, ended up being dismissed instead.As a result, for thousands of years, most of the people were suffering, and finally had to seek spiritual comfort through Buddhism.The society after the Han Dynasty in China relied on the power of Buddhism to let the people learn to accept and accept their fate.The situation in India is the same. Their caste system divides people into four classes at birth, and they cannot turn over in their lifetime. They have to find the power to transcend life, death and troubles from religion. Laozi's ideal is a "sage ruler". Because the ruler understands the "Tao" and governs the people according to the "Tao", there will be no problems.However, this idea is like Plato's so-called "philosopher-king"-the ruler is both a philosopher and a king. I am afraid that it is difficult to realize both in the real world, so there will be "the people are not afraid of death" and "the lightness of the people". The phenomenon of "death" is all related to the actions of the rulers at that time.Finally, Lao Tzu said that human life and death are determined by the laws of nature, just like a natural executioner; everyone has a natural life span, and they can live as long as they should live. This is called "the killer always kills". The "killer" is a force of nature.And if the ruler wants to use an excuse to kill the people on behalf of the sky—the so-called "killing on behalf of the ruler", it is equivalent to chopping wood instead of a carpenter, and it will hurt his own hands instead.why?Because he violated the laws of nature, he could only seek his own death.Therefore, as a ruler, don't think that you have great power and can decide the life and death of the people, so don't just kill people casually.Because the people are not afraid of death, so why are they afraid of death?