What does Confucius mean when he said, If you hear the Tao, you can die at night ?

The meaning of this sentence is: It is okay to know the truth in the morning and die that night.

These are the words of the Analects, which show his quest for the Tao (truth).

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was written in the Analects of Liren: "Zi said: 'When you hear the Tao, you can die at night.'" So this sentence came from the hand of Confucius, the founder of Confucianism.

We know that Confucianism has a very great influence on China and even the world, and Confucius's remarks, including thoughts, are very connotative and philosophical. Therefore, to understand this sentence, we should not only understand the superficial meaning, but also understand the meaning behind it more deeply.

Literally, it roughly means: if you understand a certain truth in the morning, even if you die in the evening, you will have no regrets. This is also a common perception of many people.

But this is a philosophical verse, if understood in this way, it will become boring, and it is actually a bit counterintuitive to study it in detail, how can people die for the sake of ordinary truths? Therefore, we should further explore the connotation of this sentence.

In our time, "Dao" generally means truth or truth, but we should look at it from a historical perspective and understand it in a specific historical and linguistic environment, and the Confucian way of life is "the way of benevolence and righteousness".

Therefore, the sentence "Hearing the Tao in the morning, dying at night" can be literally translated as "I understand the way of benevolence and righteousness in the morning, even if I fight for it at night, I will die without regrets, and I will understand "I can die at night" with the relationship between "knowledge" and "action", unify the two, and this Tao cannot be understood too biasedly.

In our time, if we look at this sentence from the perspective of development, then it can be understood that even if we know some meaning of life or some truths and beliefs very late, and understand that they are more precious than life, then even if we need to sacrifice ourselves for them, there is nothing to regret!

What Confucius meant was that if you could learn the truth in the morning, you would have no regrets even if you died that night. This is an expression of the determination to pursue the truth and the persistent pursuit of the attitude.

The "Tao" here refers to the truth, which is the correct understanding and guidance of the universe, life, and society, and is the highest wisdom that people seek. Confucius emphasized the importance of "hearing the Tao", and that only through continuous study, reflection and practice can one gain true wisdom and truth, and thus become a true human being.

At the same time, Confucius also expressed the cherishing of life and the persistent pursuit of life. He believes that life is short, and we should cherish time, constantly pursue truth and wisdom, and realize the value of life as much as possible.

This sentence also expresses a positive attitude towards life, that is, no matter what difficulties and challenges we face, we should unswervingly pursue truth and wisdom, and never give up the value and meaning of life.

Chaowen said, the meaning of dying at night refers to all the laws and principles in the universe. That is, "the Tao is very Tao".

It is not the literal understanding of "hearing (or understanding) a truth (or truth) in the morning, and it is okay (or doing) to die at night." ”

From: Confucius, Warring States "Analects": Zi said: When you hear the Tao, you can die at night.

"Benevolence" is the core of Confucianism, the moral ideal of Confucius, and the highest moral code. The "Tao" of "Hearing the Tao and Dying at Night" is not an ordinary "truth" or "matter", but specifically refers to the "way of benevolence and righteousness" of Confucianism. Once we understand the principle of benevolence and righteousness, we should put it into practice with our own lives, sometimes even sacrificing our own lives in order to defend it.

This is the moral value of Confucius, and this is the profound connotation contained in the sentence "If you hear the Tao, you can die at night". This connotation can be confirmed from the life of Confucius and from the ideological essence of the book "Analects".

Explanation: 1) Now that you know that there is a reason, then let the things that you did wrong in the past pass, and from now on, follow the "Tao". (2) Smell the Tao in the morning and die in the evening.

The form of dust shouts the urgency of the pursuit of truth or some kind of faith. (3) If you understand the meaning of life in the morning, then it is worth it even if you die at night. (4) If you smell it in the morning (you know harmony), then you may be in danger of dying at night.

Generally, it is interpreted according to the first one.

The first can be known as "Hearing the Tao, you can die at night." It means: if in a country, a person can achieve the ideal that he has always adhered to.

If he implements his own political ideas (Renzheng), then it will be worth it even if he dies at night. However, here we must not simply regard the word "Wendao" as an idle "understanding the truth", which will inevitably be a thousand miles away. The second is to interpret the Tao as 'the implementation of one's own political ideas (benevolence),' which is not an interpretation, which means that if a person knows the meaning of the Tao in the morning, it is worth dying at night.

The Tao here is not the implementation of one's own political proposition (benevolence), but something that has been persistently pursued, and suddenly it is not so important, it is not for people to get it, but for people to let go. The "Tao" here is the absence of desire.

Through explanation, we can understand the pursuit of the noble ideological realm of the ancients. It also educates people that learning is endless, and the pursuit of learning should be endless, and it is not that people can give up learning and thinking when they are old. It is also an affirmation and persistence of the ideals that I have been pursuing.

own understanding).