I Survive Thought

To reverse the predicament of existence in the late of Spring and Autumn Period of China, and restructuring of social order and human values, Laozi studied philosophically the question on human being's existence. Laozi established a unique existence thoughts framework, from the social environment of the survival of self-cultivation, consisting of a series of profound views on the originator, basis, values, meaning, wisdom, realm, consummation, approach of human beings'existence.Laozi took Tao as an originator of the existence of human beings and all things, that is, Tao gives birth to human beings and all things and is accumulated and transformed into Teh (virtues) as an essential part of human beings and all things, serving as nature and intrinsic origin of existence of the latter. Human beings and all things'growth depends on Tao and Teh (virtues, Tao's outflowing operation), therefore they nationally honor the Tao and exalt Teh. Just as human beings and all things are representation of their own existence and growth, Tao and Teh are originator and foundation with which the representation could exist, live, grow and mature.When Tao produces all things from simple to complicated, from intangible to tangible, it is also the process that the unwrought material(Tao), when divided and distributed, forms vessels. When all things are endowed with forms and share a part of Tao, there will be also the possibility of too caring about externality and forgetting their origin and abandoning Tao and violating Teh.As the root of existence of all things, all things should abide by Tao and Teh so that they could get the natural life. According to Laozi, the law of the Tao is its being what it is, so on one hand the Tao does nothing (for the sake of doing it), on the other hand there is nothing which it does not do. And Tao with the mysterious qualify produces all things and nourishes them while not to claim them as its own or control them, so all things could hold their own nature. In the opinion of Laozi, human beings'existence should also conform to Tao, embrace the constant excellence, because only doing this his existence condition could be natural and his life be true as itself. Therefore Laozi conceived a perfect society in which human beings could live their natural life, enjoying freedom, affluence and harmony. Laozi also longed for a perfect life through which human beings could achieve simplicity, peace and genuineness of their life by following Heaven and Earth's selflessness and doing-nothing. However such a perfect society and life could be realized only by adopting Tao and Teh as fundamental principle and naturalness as supreme value. The so-called sage should be an ideal governor and apotheosis of personality in complying with Tao and Teh.In Laozi's opinion the non- naturalness of human beings'life was directly rooted in the (excessive) agency of their superiors (in governing them) which disturbed and human beings'inherent nature. However the deep cause derives from the loss of human beings'spiritual value: they are apt to seeking externality and names while neglecting Tao as an originator, indulging in money and benefit while ignoring restoring to origin. So Laozi insisted that the sage manage affairs without doing anything, that is, complying with common people's natural life while not disturbing them, making people enjoy a free and loose social environment where they could have their own lifetime fulfilled. He also insisted that human beings restore to origin, understand Tao, identify with mysterious mystery and restore natural, genuine and simple life so that they could own such an existence wisdom, soul cultivation and spiritual realm that voluntarily comply with the mysterious quality of the Tao. We could find that it is featured with the character of'reversion'in Laozi's existence thought. By reversing the ordinary people's thought and restoring to Tao Laozi criticized and reexamined political and spiritual values of that time to caution the earthling, prompting them to understand Tao as an origin and nature and restore simplicity and genuineness.For the natural extension of human beings'life viz. human beings'natural existence all their life, it is required that his spiritual values, behaviors, mentality and so on accord with Tao. Laozi named this as'the guarding of what is soft', which consists of such virtues with soft character involving interpersonal relation and relation between human being and his ego as'no body','no striving','not being full of themselves','humility','the guarding of female feebleness'. According to Laozi, maintaining gentleness is the best existence way to achieve a natural life. Also he wished the earthling alter living attitude by means of maintaining gentleness, melt social struggle so that thoroughly resolve the social evils of that time. In Laozi's opinion, maintaining gentleness shows Tao's spirit and principle so that it has a strong vigor of life and come to the best result of'full restoration'and'shill fully overcoming'. Laozi's insistence on maintaining gentleness and against struggle, however, does not mean be coward but to reduce his willing appetite and comply with naturalness, the Tao's primary character.Human beings'natural existence depends on the understanding of Tao and Teh. Only by understanding Tao and Teh and safeguarding nature, one could self-consciously abide by Tao and Teh so that make life natural. While the Tao is intangible, nameless and imperceptible, the understanding of Tao and Teh means an intuitional identity between human beings'spiritual life and Tao. The common people, on the country, could not understand Tao due to their limited knowledge or immersion in inconsiderable name and discrimination. The common people are apt to boasting himself, showing off, seeking fame while neglecting nature, indulging in selfish desire for himself while ignoring of Tao and his nature thanks to their superficial knowledge and common sense or immersion in their improper ingenuity and deceit. Laozi believed all above are'big delusion'for human beings. Laozi advocated'understanding the unchanging','self-knowledge', restoration to the'nameless simplicity'and naturalness, the character of Tao.Tao, however, is not transeunt, it itself is human beings'unchanging excellence, human beings'inherent nature. One could understand nature and virtue and incorporate with Tao in virtue of mind's pure sense. Therefore the recognition of Tao by pure perceiving is also the consummation of human beings'mind. The'manifestness in every direction'of the genuine wisdom and Tao is also the indication of mind's emptiness and limpidness. Laozi advocated'no desire','no knowledge'and'no name'and deeply criticized common people's greedy behavior, improperly ingenious thinking and the conception of name and social position. Laozi suggested not pursuing excessive money and benefit, not too caring about externality and name but'guarding your inner', that is, reversing and conserving the status of emptiness, gentleness, genuineness and naturalness of mind. By means of the consummation of mind there could be coherence between human beings'spiritual realm and Tao, which was called Xuantong ('the Mysterious Agreement') by Laozi. When one's spirit recognizes mystery and understands Tao, his life would be as genuine as itself and his existence be natural.The understanding of Tao and contemplation of Tao's mystery are not only the indication of human beings'genuine knowledge and sense but also the highest realm of spiritual consummation. According to Laozi this could be achieved not by seeking for something transeunt but only by constant spiritual consummation viz. introspection of restoration of root and life so that his existence could not deviate Tao (as an origin), on the country, it could restore to the root and origin, simplicity and genuineness, and could make life empty, genuine, simple, pure and intact. Laozi's ideal life is such a status as'restoration to babe-like one'in which human beings'spirit is natural. Laozi also conceived an ideal society,'little state with a small population', where the governance of society complies with natural order. Natural society order means the governance of society comforts with Tao and Teh just as natural life means his life abides by Tao and Teh. We could find that Lao—Tse preferred to introducing human beings into natural valid principle by means of'the enduring and unchanging Tao'and'the Mysterious Quality'(of the Tao). According to Laozi the method of restoration valid principle is restoration with reversion and correction with opposition: restoration the Tao's naturalness by means of the criticism and reexamination of the violation of Tao of that time. Today we must deal with existence crisis of modern society and reexamine modern science and technology, the approach of social governance and human beings'life freedom so that a new existence idea and existence style and a harmonious relation between human being and nature, human being and society, uman being and himself could be established. Laozi's thought on existence will give us some reference and suggestion.