After Chen Cai ran out of food, Confucius was taken to the territory of Chu by the state of Chu. On the way, Confucius and his entourage met Chu Mania, a madman of Chu who claimed to be a Taoist. What he advocates is freedom, freedom from any constraints. He is different from those false Taoists who live in seclusion in the mountains and cultivate, but run around the world, and are called crazy or arrogant people by the world.

This day! Chu madness took the song and Confucius said: "Feng Xi Feng Xi! The Decline of Ho De? The past cannot be admonished, but the coming can still be chased. That's it! Today's politicians are gone! "Your Majesty, I want to talk to you. Tend to dispel it, and do not speak with it.

Afterward! Confucius met him again. This! Chu Mad did not refuse, nor did he pretend to be profound, and the two of them discussed.

This time, Chu Mad's reception was very embarrassing, and it was no longer the scene he saw last time. I don't know who he offended, and he was hunted down. So! Makeup. If it weren't for the last time he was deeply impressed by Confucius, it would have been difficult for Confucius to recognize him.

"Are we truly free in this world?" Confucius got straight to the point and asked.

"Nope! But we need to go for it! The madman of the Chu State said.

"Since we need to fight for it, why not be more proactive, participate in society, and manage society? Wouldn't that be better? Isn't it? Confucius guided.

"It's different!" The madman of the Chu State replied: "I encountered some small trouble today, and I haven't easily avoided it?" Isn't it? And once you participate in the society and manage the society, you will be tricked by others, and you will not be able to get out of it.

For example! If you become an official, you can't resign. Of course! Yes, you can resign. I mean! Once you become an official, you have to perform the duties of an official, and it will be difficult for you to drop the chain halfway through if you want to resign, isn't it?

Let alone! What is an official in today's society? Officials are the tools used by kings and hereditary nobles, you don't have your own freedom and opinions, you can only obey the kings and hereditary nobles, not as you imagined, how to behave in a proper manner.

In today's world, Zhou etiquette and Zhou system are all tools used to restrain others, but they are above all this. Isn't it? So! It doesn't matter if this official is not appropriate. ”

Confucius guided: "It is precisely because some kings and hereditary nobles do not abide by the Zhou etiquette and the Zhou system, and the etiquette collapses and is bad, that it is what it is today. So! It is all the more important for us to stand up and stop this kind of behavior. ”

"Do you want to rebel?" The madman of the Chu State looked at Confucius and asked.

"How is this a rebellion?" Confucius explained: "It is not without kings and hereditary nobility that this is the case, but there are still many wise kings and hereditary nobles who are not like this. They, like I, are trying to change. ”

"That's a minority, after all! And most people are not like that, they have accepted the situation as it is, they have accepted the reality. They are the same, for their own sake, they do not care about others, let alone the people of the world. In today's world, more people are trying to protect themselves and keep themselves alive. Let your children and grandchildren inherit the title and continue to enjoy the glory and wealth. So! The few people you mentioned, they're in the minority, just like you. Like you, you can't set off a big storm! ”

"The current situation is serious, but as long as we work hard, we can still succeed."

The madman of the Chu State interrupted: "How hard do you work? Do you want to rebel? ”

"Rebellion?" Confucius was about to explain, but was interrupted by the madman of Chu State.

"You say? What can you do? For example! When you were in Luguo, what was the result of your series of measures? Isn't it? Fallen Sandu, did you succeed? You have no intention of rebelling, but for the hereditary aristocracy, how are you different from rebellion? Isn't your weakening of their power tantamount to rebellion? ”

"They should not violate the rules of the Zhou system, the walls are too high, and there are too many soldiers, it is against the etiquette system......

"You say they have violated etiquette, but who will uphold justice and uphold etiquette? Emperor? King? Or who? You? If you think it's you, you're rebelling. The Son of Heaven and the king can't control it, it's already in chaos The current situation, you still take care of it, you take care of one of your subordinates, aren't you rebelling? ”

"But it's still the Zhou Dynasty now? Does the Zhou Dynasty still exist? And the Son of Heaven? And the kings down there, huh? As a courtier, I should do my duty as a courtier and bring this matter up......"

"The result?" The madman of the Chu State interrupted. "The result is that you end up in failure, in the end! Your life is in jeopardy! And then! Luckily survived, thus exchanging his 'small life is not guaranteed' for the name of a sage! You said? If you die, what is the use of asking for the name of this sage? If you don't say your name, what's the practical point of you doing this? The effect is small, and I almost lost my life, didn't it? You said? ”

"I didn't think it through!" Confucius admitted: "I did not take into account the international situation, and foreign forces would affect domestic reforms. ”

"Actually! You're not thinking about it too much. You should not preach your set of doctrines and theories, and the consequences of what you do will not save the world but harm others! ”

"What do you think? I think Kongqiu thinks that you don't fully understand Lao Tzu's Taoism either! ”

When Confucius saw that the madman of Chu State said that his set of theories was "harmful", he immediately became a little breathless.

Those who live in seclusion in the mountains and farm and feed themselves, they say they are Taoists, but in fact they are false Taoists, and they do not really understand the Taoism of Lao Tzu. And the madman of Chu State on the opposite side received public opinion, saying that his doctrine and ideas are harmful, then! He also did not fully understand Lao Tzu's Taoism.

The false Taoists of agriculture do not understand that Taoism lives in seclusion in the mountains, and they do not affect others, which can only be regarded as selfishness. And the madman of Chu State received public opinion, saying that his doctrine and ideas are harmful, then this person is also "harming people".

Confucius believed that the madman of Chu State accepted public opinion to understand his doctrine and thought in this way, and it was also a complete and correct understanding of Lao Tzu's Taoism. Opposite! Still greatly misunderstood. The consequences of misunderstanding are also harmful. not only harms the world, but also guides Lao Tzu's Taoism to the extreme.

When he said this, Fang Jishi looked at Zeng Shen and asked, "Did your husband explain it to you?" Why? The madman of Chu State understands it like that, but he also does not correctly understand Taoist doctrine, so he thinks that your husband's doctrine and ideas and practices are wrong? ”

Zeng Shen thought for a while and said, "When my husband explained it to me, I was too young to understand. Right now! I think: it should be! This society always needs rules! Without rules, there is no circle, and without the constraints of law, human society will only become more chaotic. Freely! It is built on the basis of not affecting others, not overflowing. So! There is nothing wrong with Mr. advocating benevolence, righteousness, and courtesy. And to abandon is to be wrong. The so-called freedom of the madmen of the Chu State is an irresponsible flood of freedom. Though! He did not influence others, but! Advocating for freedom too much. ”

"Good! You can say that again! Fang Jishi praised again.

It's not Fang Jishi's deliberate praise, Zeng Shen's comprehension ability is really admirable. After all! His age was there, a man in his twenties.

(End of chapter)