Spring And Autumn Period Chu Taoism Study

Since the end of 1980s, the study on Taoism has emerged an increasing trend, and an upsurge of studying Taoism is also formed in 1990s. With the deep development of the Confucianism study, people gradually find that only limited on Confucianism study does it seem to be difficult to really unscramble the era subject — the relation between Chinese traditional culture and modernization. Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the important part of Chinese traditional culture, so to study the Taoism is also crucial. The article focuses on the regional thought & culture study. It attempts to integrate the data of literatures handed down from ancient times, excavated writs and excavated apparatuses, so as to fix a relatively clearer historic development clue of propagating, reconstructing and transforming the Taoism in Kingdom Chu in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Period of Warring States.Based on the aforementioned subject, the article discusses some aspects as follows:1. To understand the thought & culture background of propagating and reconstructing the Taoism in Kingdom Chu on the basis of thought & culture traditions in Kingdom Chu. The famous saying that "Taoism school maybe originates from the viewpoints of the historians" in Hanshu ·Yiwen Zhi (A Study of the Record of Literature in the History of the Former Han Dynasty) written by Ban Gu becomes the important foundation of the official historian school of Taoism source and course. However, Kingdom Chu has in fact excellent "official historian school" background and breeds the cultural details of Taoism wisdom. The Yu Xiong, Yi Xiang and Guan Shefu, the representatives in the early official historian school in Kingdom Chu, have exerted a big influence on propagating and reconstructing the Taoism thoughts in Kingdom Chu. The Taoism thoughts are closely connected with anchorite life. The anchorite groups are also formed in Kingdom Chu. Apart from Lao Tzu. there are other famous anchorites in Kingdom Chu, such as, Jie Yu, Lao Laizi, Fan Li, etc. The propagation and reconstruction of Taoism in Kingdom Chu is closely linked with the influence of the thought & culture traditions in Kingdom Chu.2. To fix a clearer historic development clue of propagating, reconstructing and transforming the Taoism in Kingdom Chu in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Period of Warring States on the basis of studying the main representatives of Taoists school working in kingdom Chu and their main thoughts. Lao Tzu created the Taoism thoughts in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), which had been propagated by his follower Guan Yin in Kingdom Chu. The main thought of Guan Yin is the theory striving for a reclusive and quiet life, which has conducted a reconstruction to Lao Tzu's thoughts of "paying little attention to fortune accumulation" and striving for peaceful coexistence. Geng Sangchu and Wen Zi, the followers of Lao Tzu, carried on and developed the thoughts in the turn of the the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Period of Warring States (475-221 B.C.). Geng Sangchu carried on the theory of Lao Tzu to the maximum extent, and the thoughts of Wen Zi however became the important turning point from traditional Taoism to Huang-Lao school. By taking in the advantagesof Confucianism, he enriched and developed Lao Tzu's theory of governing society, and inspired the Mohism and Legalism. Zhuang Zi, the important learned representative of Taoism in the Period of Warring States completely carried on and developed the Taoism theory in Kingdom Chu. He proposed a calm & do-nothing, compliant and free thought on the basis of traditional Taoism. The nature of his proposition is to reconsider the philosophy for life, which is represented in interpreting and reconstructing the regimen and do-nothing thoughts in the Taoism. In the medium term of the period of waning states, the Taoism turned into Huang-Lao Taoist theory, which is a representation of internal politic disintegration of ruling class on the philosophy in the forming period of feudality. A large number of symbolic Huang-Lao works have been produced in Kingdom Chu from the end of the Spring and Autumn period to the Period of Warring States, such as Emperor Silk Writings, Shi Zi, He Guanzi and so on. The main thoughts include "Heng Xian Tai Xu" and "Ming Shi Xiang Ying" thoughts in the Emperor Silk Writings, " Zheng Ming Ming Fen" and "Wu Si Gong Xin" thoughts in the Shi Zi, and vigor theory and thought of integrating Taoism with Legalism in the He Guanzi.3. To reveal the characteristics of Taoism in Kingdom Chu by studying the influence of Kingdom Chu's exploring tradition for Dao of Heaven, forming characteristic of southern states and culture ideals along Yangtze River Valley on the Taoism thoughts in Kingdom Chu in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Period of Warring States. The Chu's exploration for Dao of Heaven may be traced back to Yin and Zhou Dynasty about considering the theory of human nature, which has experienced the thought transformation from the idea of God's will, the manifestation of God's will to Taoism of God. The production of natural view in Taoism thoughts in Kingdom Chu is inseparable to its exploration tradition for Dao of Heaven. The natural view mainly represents the do-nothing idea of the order of nature, and the. others include the naturally dialectical view and the naturally harmony view of unanimity of heaven and human, and so on. The forming course of southern states is a big ethical amalgamation, big development of culture, and big change of society. Based on the Taoism thoughts, the evolution course of formation and development of southern states, especially the Kingdom Chu is mainly represented as some social ideas such as moderation of state scale, non-fighting for social attitude, melting of social order and do-nothing of social governance. As the multi-layer and multi-dimension cultural compound of time and space, the cultures along the Yangtze River valley have gradually formed the cultural particularity of innovative, enterprising and opening spirits in its long developing history. Based on the social background of people living along the Yangtze River valley, we can have an insight into the deep mode of cultural idea of Yangtze River valley, which basically reflects to the social reality the distrustful, negative and critical value selections expressed by the cultures of Yangtze River valley. They are disclosed and interpreted completely, systematically and deeply in the philosophic idea of Taoism in Kingdom Chu, a big country along the Yangtze River valley. The critical spirit of Taoism of Kingdom Chu mainly represents as the criticism to virtue and morality, intelligent governance of a country, lawful punishment, the power politics, and so on.4.To discuss the influence of Taoism thoughts in Kingdom Chu on Confusianism, Mohism and other schools by studying the integration trend of various schools in the period that hundred school of thoughts contend. By contending the hundred school of thoughts from the end of the Spring and Autumn Period to the medium term of the Period of Warring States, the academic thoughts of various schools break through the restriction of their own school thoughts and are all embraced, which causes a new trend of schools' mixture together in the late period of warring states. Confucianism and Mohism, two dominant schools in the late period of warring states, survived and developed in Kingdom Chu. Xun Zi, the advocator of Confucianism school, summarized the Confucianism thoughts by synthesizing other schools in Kingdom Chu. And however, the Mohism School finally ends to Kingdom Chu. The Confucianism school, Mohism School, Za School, etc. have been influenced by the Taoism thoughts to different extent, or we may say that they have absorbed and reconstructed some idea achievements of Taoism school, thereby improving their own ideologies, which embody a strong radiation and influence of Taoism thoughts in Kingdom Chu. The influence of Taoism thoughts on the Confucianism school is mainly embodied in absorbing and reconstructing the natural idea of heaven, do-nothing and calm thoughts of Taoism school. The influence on Mohism school is in absorbing and enriching the Fa Tian Fa Dao, pacifism and regimen thoughts of Taoism school. The influence on the Master Lii's Spring and Autumn Annals is in carrying on and bringing into play the ontology, philosophy of God's way, and letting things take their own course(a Taoist concept of human conduct).5. To further analyze the reasons why the Taoism in Kingdom Chu does not become the main ideology of Kingdom Chu and conversely become the idea of governors to rule the whole country in the early Han Dynasty. The Taoism is enriched and colorful after propagation, reconstruction and transformation. Although it has not been fully embodied in politic practice in Kingdom Chu, it has not yet been terminated and extinguished. On the contrary, it becomes a cultural idea, which exerts an important influence in the politic practices in the late Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. It has been applied continuously. It has a relatively higher status in person minds in the late Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. And they exalt the Taoism thoughts.