The Taoism Origin Of Thought On Li Ao’s Returning Of Human Nature

The thought of returning of human nature proposed by Li Ao can be traced back to the Qin, Han, Wei and Jin to Sui Dynasties’representative thinkers of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism who had rich and profound thinking on it. Li Ao explains the ancient books by the way of heart to heart test. Taoist concept---to keep quiet should be an important background for the book of returning of human nature which advocates peaceful mind and whose ideas is close to the idea of keeping quiet by Taoism.Temperament theory,as the main part of the book, is most similar to some of the factors from Taoism, particularly to its theory of extinguishing sentiment and opposing desire in the Tang Dynasty.Taoists call the personal experience of Taoism as "practice of Tao" or "be Taoist ". In the theoretical system of Taoism, the "Tao" represents the highest cosmic entity,"nature" refers to the original spirit of the human being. Taoists believe that Tao is the germinal eternal cycle from generation, operation and waning. The natural, perfect, accessible, highly fit spirit between the subject and Tao is called "nature". Taoism summarizes people activities of practice of Tao by returning to nature."Taoist Nature" is the core content of the theoretical system of nature of mind, which is used as guidance for practice of Tao and also used as the preferred method for spreading Taoist teachings. Both mind training and Taoist practice proposes the harmony between Tao and heart, which is the ultimate pursuit of the human in the practice of Tao. Taoist theory has been no deviation from the people, emphasizing the syncretism between human being and Taoism as well as human being and mind. Such syncretism of nature and human being not only highly sublimates the theoretical value of nature of mind but also highlights the transitional meaning and connotation of internal practical doctrine of Taoism.Early8th century9th century, Taoism has a prominent position in society in the Tang Dynasty and rebuild its own discourse system in that era by mining, integrating all kinds of good ideas including Taoism doctrines, and is so important that all the thinkers must know it. Li Ao’s thought of returning of human nature learns a lot from Taoism and its associated scholars. He not only inherited but also made innovation. Li Ao pointed returning of human nature rely on human nature and "the reason why man can be saint lies in man’s nature". Every human nature is pure, such pure nature is endowed on birth, naturally legitimate and reasonable, the so-called "all man is naturally kind." The reason why people would deviate from nature lies in they are affected by outside society and has sentiments such as joy, anger, sadness, fear, love, hate and desires. Those emotions throw shadows to hide the man’s nature, so it is important to help man to return their nature.Li Ao believes that keeping peaceful mind by fasting can reach the pure state of mind without thinking without worry and achieve a state of sincerity from both static and dynamic, thus avoiding erotic entanglement and returning to human nature. It is on the base of nature of human being that Tao has a universal significance of the truth so that it can care people’s state of mind and moral order of society.