《道德经》中的君子文化

Gentleman Culture in Tao Te Ching

中国传统文化中的君子文化以君子人格来体现,其人格可用温、良、恭、俭、让五字概括。将其五字来衡量《道德经》,发现其中同样充满着浓郁的君子文化。其君子文化尽管不是体现在“君子”一词使用的频率和含义上,但是《道德经》中一系列主张和思想内容恰好契合了温、良、恭、俭、让的君子人格,包括:反对暴烈,主张温和、虚、静、柔弱;主张上善若水及对善与不善的辩证肯定;主张自然无为、道法自然,反对乱作为、粗暴干预;主张俭朴,反对奢靡;主张谦虚、忍让、不争、低调、涵容,反对显摆、张扬和高调等。同时对《易经》中坤卦系列多所继承且受谦卦影响较大,也深化了《道德经》中的君子文化内涵。此外,《道德经》中“光而不耀”一词,暗合君子的品德,形象而深刻,可以媲美儒家形容君子的“温润如玉”一词。

The gentleman culture in traditional Chinese culture is embodied by the personality of a gentleman,whose personality can be summed up in five characters:gentleness,kindness,courtesy,frugality and conciliation.When measuring Tao Te Ching,we find that it is also full of strong gentleman culture.Although it is not reflected in the frequency and meaning of the word“junzi”,a series of propositions and ideological contents in Tao Te Ching coincide with the style of gentleness,kindness,respect,frugality and conciliation of the“junzi”,including the aspects of opposing violence and advocating mildness,emptiness,quietness,and weakness;holding that the good is like water and the dialectical affirmation of good and bad;arguing inaction of nature and the naturalness of Taoism and opposing chaotic behavior and rough intervention;advocating frugality and opposing extravagance;asserting modesty,forbearance,noncontention,low-keyed behaviour and tolerance while opposing showing off,publicity and high-profile.At the same time,it inherits the series of kun hexagrams in the Book of Changes and is greatly influenced by qian Hexagrams,which also strengthens the cultural connotation of gentleman in The Book of Changes.In addition,the Chinese phrase of“guang er bu yao”(bright but not dazzling)in Tao Te Ching is suggestive to the moral character of a gentleman,vivid and profound,which is comparable to the Confucian word“gentle as jade”used to describe a gentleman.