Fishing and Woodcutter Questions-Song Dynasty-Shao Yong

"Qiao Qiao Dui" uses dialogue between fishermen and woodcutter to resolve heavy topics such as the rise and fall of ancient and modern times. The author is Shao Yong, one of the five Confucian scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty. Shao Yong studied Yili and was familiar with both Confucianism and Taoism. He devoted his life to unifying heaven and man, thereby trying to connect the humanistic nature of Confucianism with the Taoist way of heaven. "Yu Qiao Wen Dui" focuses on discussing the mystery and philosophy of heaven and earth, all things, the transformation of yin and yang, and the morality of life. This book attributes the heaven and earth, all things, human affairs, and society to the Yili and explains it through the methods of questions asked by a woodcutter and answers given by a fisherman. The purpose is to let the woodcutter understand the truth that "the ways of heaven and earth are prepared for people, the ways of all things are prepared for the body, the wonderful ways are prepared for gods, and all the things in the world are completed." The protagonist in "The Fishermen's Questions" is the fisherman, and all the mysteries come from the fisherman's mouth. In the book, the fisherman has become the embodiment of "Tao".