As mentioned earlier, the last article of Zhuangzi's inner chapter, "Emperor Ying", is indeed written about "the rule of the emperor".

But! It is not only about the rule of the emperor, but also about the people's autonomy.

Combining the two parts of the rule of the emperor and the people's autonomy, it becomes the "rule of the world." This is also the main purpose of Zhuangzi's "Emperor Ying": the rule of the world is the great rule.

How does an emperor govern the country?

It should be said! How do Taoists think emperors govern the country?

After reading a lot of interpretations, most of the interpreters' results are: inaction is the rule.

Not really! Taoism, or Zhuangzi, is not just about doing nothing. It is believed that the rule of inaction is because the interpreter did not understand the Tao of Taoism and the Tao of Zhuangzi. I don't know much about it, and I don't know what I know.

The rule of inaction is only what the interpreter thinks based on the expression of the text, but does not understand the meaning behind the expression.

Just as Liezi's master said in the chapter "Emperor Ying": "I and you are both in writing, but not in fact." And the solid way with? There are no females but no males, and they are ridiculous! ”。 I taught you, but you didn't understand. It's like "all females but no males, and they ridicule the eggs". There are females and no males, no matter how much I (female) teach you that you (no male) but you (no male) do not understand, no matter how many females there are, it is useless, where are the "eggs"!

Again, if you don't understand the Tao of Taoism and the Tao of Zhuangzi, you can't understand Lao Zhuang.

In the chapter of "Emperor Ying", Zhuangzi still talks about it in a circular and gradual way, step by step. It may be that some people with poor comprehension skills, and those who are too prejudiced, take the trouble to repeat it.

In the first story of "Emperor Ying", Zhuangzi gives two examples for us to understand.

"Youyu's is not as good as Tai's", why do you say that?

Youyu refers to Shun, and Tai refers to Fuxi. Both of them were ancient emperors, why couldn't Shun compare to Fuxi?

Attention! This interpretation has been interpreted many times before. But! In order to make it easier for everyone to understand, Zhuangzi will repeat it again.

Why can't Shun compare to Fuxi?

Because! The realms of the two are different, one is to look at and deal with the affairs of the world from the perspective of the category and height of people and society. Although it can also be managed very well, after all, it is a headache and a pain in the foot, and it cannot be completely cured.

If we want to solve the problems of human society, we must cure them once and for all, and we must find the crux of the problems of human society.

How can it be cured?

Then we must adopt the method of the Fuxi clan and govern the society from the height of the Tao.

Shun stands on the category and height of people and society, while Fu Xi stands on the height of the Tao, and the gap between the two realms is large.

Standing on the category and height of people and society, the realm of people is low, and we can only see the relationship between people and society.

Standing on the level of the Tao, man is not only a relationship with society and others, but also a member of heaven and earth. Man, like all things, comes from the Tao. Man and all things are brothers and sisters, and heaven and earth are our parents.

From the perspective of the relationship between people and society, our realm is low, and we will strive for fame and fortune, for survival, for everything, and we can't let go of anything, and the result is a confused life. It's not just a confused life, it's also a mess in society.

And when we look at things from the height of the Tao, our realm is higher. We will be indifferent to fame and fortune, and no longer pursue anything outside the body. Because! Man and all things come from heaven and earth, man and all things are brothers and sisters, and heaven and earth are our parents. Life is just a life process, and we will live it very sensibly and not toss.

To put it bluntly, people are going to die, what's the use of you fighting so much? Life does not bring, death does not bring, the white horse passes through the gap, and life passes by.

If you don't understand it, let's put it this way! How many people have been remembered in human history? How many people have been here in human history? How many people have been remembered? You say you? What are you fighting for? It won't be more than five generations, and your descendants will forget you completely.

If you still don't understand? Let's put it this way! You may not know where the ancestral graves of more than five generations of your family are, let alone what kindness they have ever done to you. You said? What are you fighting for? Your descendants will forget you, let alone others. Someone else may have completely forgotten you ten years after you died. Even! When you were still alive, you never remembered that there was such a number one person as you.

Therefore! The Taoist "rule of the emperor" came out.

So! How does the Taoist "rule of the emperor" govern the world?

In fact! Needless to say, it has already been spoken. But! It's that some people have poor comprehension skills, and some people have too deep prejudices, so you have to say it more bluntly.

The "rule of the emperor" of Taoism is to teach the world to look at life, society, the relationship between people, the relationship between people, the relationship between people and society, and the relationship between people and heaven and earth from the height of Taoism.

That is, to let the world re-establish the outlook on life, the world, and the universe.

If the outlook on life is wrong and the realm is low, we will only indulge in the relationship between people and society, unable to extricate ourselves and unable to free ourselves.

The second story in "Emperor Ying" is also about the "rule of the emperor".

Theoretically, society needs to be governed. But! The key is how to treat it?

The second story is also misunderstood by many readers, and the second story is used as evidence to prove that Zhuangzi's philosophical thought is "rule by non-action".

In fact! Zhuangzi is talking about how society is governed. Instead of letting it go and leaving it alone.

As far as the second story is concerned, it is not unreasonable. Does this society need laws to regulate the behavior of the world?

In the second story, it says: "And the bird flies high to avoid the harm of the mole, and the mole burrows deep under the god mound to avoid the danger of chisel, and the ignorance of the two insects? ”

This passage is translated into the vernacular:

Birds still know how to fly high to avoid the damage of their bows and arrows, and rats know how to hide in their burrows under the altar in order to escape the scourge of smoke and earth.

Is it true that people in the world are inferior to these two small animals? I don't know how to avoid disaster, and I want you to set a law for them and regulate their behavior?

The point is that your method is not right, not that you don't need to govern, this society needs an emperor to govern, but! It has to be done in a correct way. "The rule of the husband and the saint, the extraterritorial? Just do it, and then do it, and it's just the one who can do it. ”

Setting up laws to regulate social behavior is a superficial cure, not a radical cure. Governing human society needs to be cured, not a headache and a sore foot. So! The enactment of laws cannot cure the problems of human society.

Next, the third story is written "Please ask for the world".

How do you govern the world?

asked again, and the unknown said: "You are indifferent, you are indifferent, you are natural and have no room for selfishness, and the world is governed." ”

This sentence is inherited from the above story, not to dogma the meaning of this sentence itself. The ancients cherished ink like gold, or the style of writing is like this, you must undertake the above topics and understand them coherently.

In the first story above, it is said that it is necessary for the world to establish a correct outlook on life, the world, and the universe. If the three views are correct, there is basically no need for a major rule in society. Because! The world is better than those two little animals. Those two little animals know how to avoid disaster, do the world still want us to teach them how to avoid disaster?

So! There are no major events in the world, and it is much easier to be an emperor, and you can travel freely. As an emperor, the people are self-governing, you only need to control the outline, you have formulated the outline of the constitution, and the specific implementation rules will be carried out by the people's autonomy.

If you think that the law is as perfect as possible, you are wrong. Because! In order to survive and live a superior life to others, people in the world will do everything possible to transcend the shackles of the law. Outcome! An honest man is constrained by the law, and he is constrained everywhere, and it is difficult for him to move an inch. If this goes on for a long time, is it strange that society is not chaotic?

And then! A circular pattern is formed, and managers are constantly refining and refining the law. And in order to live freely, the world is constantly looking for loopholes in the law. Outcome! An honest man is constrained by the law, and he is constrained everywhere, and it is difficult for him to move an inch. If this goes on for a long time, is it strange that society is not chaotic?

In fact! The root cause of social problems is not here, but the wrong outlook on life of the world. Governing society is not so complicated, you just brainwash the world. Correct their erroneous outlook on life, and then! Society is not governed. This kind of governance is the real rule of inaction.

The fourth story is also about the "rule of the emperor".

Lao Dan said: "The rule of the Ming King: the merit covers the world without seeming to be himself, and the people are relieved by lending all things." There is no name, so that things are complacent. Unpredictable, and swim in the non-existent. ”

On the surface, this passage seems to be talking about "rule by inaction". Not really! This "rule by inaction" is based on the fact that you have another outlook on life. If you have not changed your past concepts and preconceptions, and you are still stuck in the level and category of "the relationship between people and society", you will think that it is "rule by inaction".

If you look at life, society, the relationship between people, the relationship between people and society, and the relationship between people and heaven and earth from the height of the Tao, you will not think that this is "rule by inaction", but a radical cure!

If you stand on the perspective and scope of the relationship between people and society, you will only indulge in personnel forever and cannot extricate yourself. Your realm is low, and you will always only see trivial things and be troubled by small things.

The realm is small, and a person's belly is absolutely small. If the realm is large, a person's belly will be large. That's it!

You have to stand on the level of the Tao, think that people are the same as all things, come from the Tao, and return to the Tao after death, and life is just a life process, and you will be indifferent to life and many things.

It's like that, people are going to die, and life is just a few decades, so why not make yourself easier and happier? Isn't it? What do you say you are fighting for? Does human history remember you, and your descendants will not remember you, will it? Why do you want to be attached to yourself and suffer yourself?