Who is Lao Laizi 老莱子?

Lao Laizi (approximately 599 BC - approximately 479 BC) is a figure of some uncertainty, and he may be another name for Laozi in history. He was a thinker in the late Spring and Autumn Period and a figure of Taoism. He was from the State of Chu (Jingmen, Hubei Province), born during the reign of King Kang of Chu and died during the reign of King Hui of Chu. He wrote books, established his theories, taught disciples, and propagated Taoist ideas. Living in the same era as Laozi and Confucius, Lao Laizi played an important role in the formation of Taoism. Since his living era was the same as that of Lao Dan, and he might be the same person as Lao Dan, his influence was far-reaching, and he could be regarded as an outstanding thinker of a generation.

In the sixth year of the reign of Duke Ai of Lu (489 BC), Confucius was trapped between the States of Chen and Cai, and King Zhao of Chu invited Confucius to come to the State of Chu. When Confucius was out, he met Lao Laizi's disciples. The disciples went back home and told Lao Laizi, "There is a person over there. He is tall on the upper part and stoops a bit when walking, his shoulders are hunched and his ears are set back. He looks like he has the ambition to govern the whole world. I don't know whose son he is." Lao Laizi said, "That must be Qiu (Confucius). Call him here." When Confucius met Lao Laizi, he asked Lao Laizi for advice on how to assist the monarch. [3] Instead of praising Emperor Yao of the Tang Dynasty and criticizing Jie of the Xia Dynasty, it would be better if both Yao and Jie were forgotten. Putting aside those praises and criticisms, going against nature will surely cause damage, and restlessness and unease will surely give rise to evil. When dealing with people and affairs, one should be calm and adapt to things, so one can often succeed. What's the matter with you? You think you are capable and virtuous!" He wanted Confucius to change his attitude of being ambitious to govern the whole world and being conceited about his own ability and virtue. At the same time, it also revealed the ideological proposition of getting rid of arrogance, being indifferent to fame and fortune, forgetting likes and dislikes, and conforming to nature. He also used the metaphor of "teeth and tongue" to teach Confucius the way to serve the monarch. These words were often quoted by famous scholars and strategists from various states.

Lao Laizi did not want to "accept official positions and salaries and be controlled by others", so he lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests. In the 50th year of the reign of King Hui of Chu (479 BC), the "Rebellion of Bai Gong Sheng" occurred, and then the State of Chen invaded from the south. To avoid the chaos of the troubled times, he fled with his wife to the south of Meng Mountain, more than a hundred li north of the city of Jinan. "He lived in a house with reed walls and thatched roof, slept on a wooden bed with a mat made of yarrow, wore simple clothes and ate wild plants, and cultivated the mountains and sowed seeds." The Xuanmo School originated from when Lao Laizi lived in seclusion in Meng Mountain. It is said that a scholar asked Lao Laizi for advice on the Book of Changes and received guidance from Lao Laizi. Later, he entered the Taoist school. Because the great Tao of heaven and earth is extremely mysterious, the scholar made friends with Mo (a certain person or a symbol related to ink), so he called himself the Xuanmo Taoist. King Hui of Chu drove his carriage in person to invite Lao Laizi to Yingdu to take an official position and assist in governing the country. He declined, saying, "I am a person from the wild mountains and am not worthy of holding a government post." In order to decline the invitation of the King of Chu to enter the court, he moved to a more remote place in the south. Later, most people did not know where he lived in seclusion and where he was buried. Later, Emperors Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and Taizu of the Ming Dynasty all issued decrees to search for Lao Laizi's former residence and tomb. Until the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Changsha Prefecture discovered a stone stele in Liangdu Duan, present-day Zhuzhou. After being identified by those who could recognize seal characters, it was known that this was Lao Laizi's tombstone, which also proved that Lao Laizi spent his last years in this place. In the 46th year of the Qianlong reign, Bai Gui, the magistrate of Xiangtan County, bought back Lao Laizi's garden from a Ling family commoner, repaired Lao Laizi's tomb, and erected a stone stele with the inscription "Tomb of the Ancient Filial Son Lao Laizi". About 1 kilometer away from the tomb, a "Laizi Shrine" was built, and the couplet on the gate reads, "Spirit concentrated in the State of Chu, career continued from Meng Mountain." On the left side of the shrine, there is an embedded stele "Laizi Donation Stele" erected in the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, which records the situation of the people donating money to repair the tomb throughout the dynasties.