On "Essence" And "God" In "Huang Lao Silk Book"

The evolution of connotation of Jing and Shen are in a transitional stage in The silk book of Huang-Lao,which retains the early meanings of the two,such as Jing as pure and Shen as ghosts and gods;there are new philosophical developments,such as Jing Ming Shen Ming and Jing Ze Shen and so on.Both Jing and Shen are related to the monarch and the Da Dao,which paved the way for the appearance of the compound word Jingshen in the late Warring States period.The paper is mainly divided into three parts:The first part analyzes the Jing in The silk book of Huang-Lao,starting from two aspects.The first Jing is as essence of the Da Dao,“Tian Di Zhi Jing”and “Jing Wei Zhi Suo Bu Neng Zhi”.The second Jing is as cultivation effort and realm of monarch,including “Jing Gong Wu Si” “Zhi Su Zhi Jing” “Jing Ming and De Dao” and “Fu Ci Dao Zhe,Shi Wei Neng Jing”.There are two dimensions of Jing Ming,the Jing of Dao and the brightness of man.After the emperor attains Jing Ming,he makes the way of governing the body and the way of governing the country perfectly unified.This is a kind of governance of Dao and Gongfu Theory that human and Dao are unified which conveyed by The silk book of Huang-Lao.The second part discusses the Shen in The silk book of Huang-Lao,also elaborating from two aspects.One is the Shen realted with God,“Bu Zun Tian,Ze Shi Qi Shen” “Shun Yu Min,Xiang Yu Gui Shen” and “Yu Min Tong Shi,Yu Shen Tong Dao”.Another Shen with extended and philosophical significancein,referring to the concrete manifestation of metaphysical Shen,includes “Shang Guo Zhi Shen,Shang Guo Zhi Zhi” “Shu Zhi Qi Shen,Shu Zhi Qi Ji” “Wu Suo Tao Qi Shen” and Shen Ming.There are also two dimensions of Shen Ming,the "Divinity" of the Creator God and the "Humanity" of monarch who in a Ti Dao state.Divinity is external and related to Dao;human nature is internal and related spiritual wisdom.Divinity and humanity have the difference and connection between objective law and subjectivity,at the same time,there is a tendency to turn the dichotomy of subject and object in the general philosophical sense into one.This point coincides with the ideology of the harmony of man and nature in traditional Chinese philosophy.It is also a kind of epistemology and spiritual cultivation of the sage of realizing Dao to understand human affairs and understanding the realm of Shen Ming conveyed by the The silk book of Huang-Lao.The third part expounds the relevance between Jing and Shen in The silk book of Huang-Lao,also elaborating from two aspects.One is “Shen Wei Zhou Ying,Jing Jing Bu Xi”,It illustrates the state that Jing and Shen are the same as Dao Ti.The second is “Jing Ze Shen,Zhi Shen Zhi Ji”,It shows that Shen is a higher level of cultivation than Jing.And Jing Ze Shen discusses the monarch through step-by-step improving the inner realm,they finally reach the realm of Shen Ming.Only the saints who understand the Dao can understand the true meaning of the subtle Dao,and the sage masters who grasp the Dao can accomplish the cause of the ancient emperor.Jing Ze Shen highlighting the status of Shen in inner cultivation and emphasizing the importance of the spiritual realm of the monarch in governing the country.Finally,The philosophical approach of Jing and Shen is the result of the awakening of human inner wisdom,which conforms to human's cognitive logic.The highest level of the monarch's cultivation is to Ti Dao?De Dao and He Dao.As characteristics of Dao,Jing and Shen will also be reflected in the Daoist monarch.The close connection of Jing and Shen shows that this is a stage before the compound word Jingshen appears.