《太上老君说常清静经注(杜光庭)》

“Taishang Laojun” is an honorific title for Laojun: “Tai” means great, and “Shang” means exalted; “Lao” refers to longevity, and “Jun” is a title of honor. The commentator holds that Laojun is the ancestor of all the sages and the source of the true deities, and that the myriad things are all under his governance.

The Chang Qingjing Jing (Scripture of Constant Clarity and Stillness) speaks of constantly following the principle of clarity and stillness. “Chang” carries the sense of a norm and of adhering to it; “Qing” refers to the primordial, and “Jing” (stillness) refers to Qi (vital energy). The Jing (scripture/classic) is the standard of cultivation, and also the path leading toward the realm of the sage and the ladder by which one ascends to the realm of the immortals. Only by cultivating in accordance with the scriptural text and the precepts can those who study the Dao (the Way) attain sagehood and true perfection. The commentator further points out that cultivating the Dao cannot be separated from the scriptures and precepts, nor from primordial Qi.

This chapter is divided into three sections: it first discusses the formless Dao, then the principle of its operation, and finally the nameless method. The opening first explains that the Great Dao is without form, yet is able to generate Heaven and Earth and to separate the clear from the turbid.

Laojun says: “The Great Dao has no bodily form, yet it generates and nurtures Heaven and Earth.”

“Dao” (the Way) is, in the first place, a name expressed in language, and it also refers to the Qi (vital energy) of emptiness and non-being—the formless origin of the Dao. It is the root of chaos before any division, and the ancestor of Heaven and Earth. It can manifest as being and can also return to non-being, embracing all things in Heaven and Earth. The Dao originally has no bodily form and cannot be accurately designated by any name. The form that appears amid formlessness is called the “true form,” and the image that appears amid imagelessness is called the “true image.” It precedes Heaven and Earth, yet is not on that account reckoned ancient; it comes into being after Heaven and Earth, yet does not on that account grow old. Though without form, it naturally becomes manifest; though without image, it naturally takes its stand. It transforms of itself without relying on human effort, and so it is called the “Great Dao.”

The scripture says, “Look at it, yet one does not see it,” and therefore it is said to be formless. It is deep, remote, and obscure, yet within it there lies a subtle essence. When chaos is still undivided, it differentiates into Yin-Yang and goes on to form Heaven and Earth. Here “nurture” means rearing and nourishing: the Great Dao generates and nurtures Yin and Yang, and this is therefore called birth and nurture. Yang Qi, clear and light, rises upward to become Heaven; Yin Qi, heavy and turbid, condenses downward to become Earth. Heaven and Earth are born of the Great Dao. The passage above shows that although the Great Dao has no feelings or intentions, it sets the myriad things in motion, and within this the working of Yin-Yang is displayed.

The sun and moon are the condensation of the Jing (essence) and Qi of Yin-Yang.

The Great Dao has no feelings or intentions, yet it causes the sun and moon to move.

All things arise from a state without form and without name, and through creative transformation take on concrete form. If Heaven lacked Jing and Qi (essence and vital energy), it could not make the sun and moon shine; if Earth lacked Jing and Qi, it could not keep the mountains firm; if human beings lacked Jing and Qi, the body could not endure. Thus the sun and moon move by following the Qi of Yin-Yang. From this we know that the great Dao (the Way) has no fixed intent or feeling, yet accords with the timely moment and transforms so as to generate the myriad things.

The ancients said: “When has Heaven ever said anything? The four seasons still run their course. When has Earth ever said anything? The myriad things still grow.” The Jing (scripture/classic) says that the working of the great Dao never comes to an end: without feeling, and through Wuwei (non-action), it nonetheless causes the sun and moon to move. The movement of the sun and moon is how the great Dao’s working appears. This passage shows that the great Dao has no name, yet the myriad things grow of themselves, and that the great Dao nurtures the myriad things without claiming the merit.

The great Dao has no fixed name, yet it nurtures the myriad things.

Yuanqi (the primordial Qi that constitutes Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things) has neither form nor shape, and therefore cannot be accurately captured by any name. The scripture says: “The Dao is hidden and without a name.” From this the great Dao transforms and gives birth to Heaven and Earth. What is meant by “The Dao gives birth to the One, the One gives birth to the Two, the Two give birth to the Three, and the Three give birth to the myriad things” is that the myriad things are brought forth from the Dao stage by stage. The myriad things are like the offspring of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity) are the root of the myriad things; and the Dao is the ancestral source of the Three Powers.

Yuanqi is pure, still, and formless, and it likewise cannot be designated by any fixed name. Those who study the Dao should look into the root and observe its operation; if they can make mind and understanding open and unobstructed, they may advance along the Dao and go beyond what ordinary people are able to comprehend. The text above explains that the great Dao is without form and without name, yet can set the sun and moon in motion; these two sentences, by contrast, are Taishang Laojun (the Most High Lord Lao) speaking in his own person: the great Dao is originally without a name, and one can only provisionally call it the “Dao.”

I do not know what it was originally called; I can only provisionally call it the “Dao.”

Here, wu (吾) means “I.” The Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) is explaining that he does not know the original name of the Dao (the Way) and can only provisionally call it “Dao.” This also shows that the highest De (Virtue/Power) does not regard itself as possessing De, and for that very reason it is truly possessed of De.

Through transformation, Lord Lao formed heaven and earth and opened Qian and Kun, setting the myriad things in change, yet he does not say, “This is my doing.” Because the Dao models itself on what is natural, it cannot be designated by any fixed name. At times it passes from being into non-being; at times it emerges from non-being and appears as being. Its concealment and manifestation follow no fixed measure, and its existence or passing away is free and unhindered—how could it have a constant, unchanging name? Thus the scripture says, “I do not know whose descendant the Dao is; it precedes the form of the Lord of Heaven.” It also says, “I do not know its name; I only call it ‘Dao.’”

The first two sentences explain how the Most High Lord Lao refers to himself, the reason being that the Dao originally has no name. The following nine sentences set out the graded order within the Great Dao—the noble and the base, the clear and the turbid, and the like—and take as analogies the clarity and stillness of primordial Qi (vital energy; the original qi that constitutes heaven, earth, and the myriad things), together with heaven and earth and male and female. This chapter falls into three parts: the first uses the clear and the turbid, and movement and stillness, to explain the distinctions of the Dao; the second explains the mechanism by which heaven and earth, and male and female, change through movement and stillness; the third explains the origin of the root and the branches of the myriad things.

What is called the “Dao” has both the clear and the turbid, and also both movement and stillness.

The clear is Heaven: the Qi (vital energy) of pure Yang rises upward and forms Heaven. The turbid is Earth: the Qi of pure Yin condenses downward and forms Earth. “Fu” is an introductory particle at the head of the sentence. The Dao (the Way) can make things clear and can also make them turbid; it can set things in motion and can also bring them to rest. The Great Dao is profound and hard to fathom; what are called clarity and turbidity, movement and stillness, are all the workings of the Great Dao.

If those who study the Dao can understand the principle of the Qi of movement and stillness, and let the myriad things each rest in their proper place, the ultimate Dao will return of itself. When movement and stillness each attain what is fitting, that is the state that accords with the correct Way. These sentences, together with the preceding text, explain the principles of clarity and turbidity and of movement and stillness; joined with what follows, they form a single chapter that clarifies the arrangement of higher and lower positions within the ultimate Dao, and the origin of the root and the branches of things. Of these, the second section explains the workings of clarity and turbidity between male and female, and the crux of the transformations of movement and stillness.

Heaven is clear and Earth is turbid; Heaven moves and Earth is still. The male is clear and the female is turbid; the male moves and the female is still.

The Liezi (Liezi) says that Heaven is formed from the accumulation of qi (Qi), and Earth from the accumulation of clods of soil. Heaven and Earth are joined to one another and have never been separated. Everything above the ground is Heaven. Heaven and Earth each have many layers, and each layer has its own name. In the four directions there are eight heavens, and above them are thirty-two further heavens with thirty-two Heavenly Emperors, all of them composed of clear qi. Below are nine layers of earth, and beneath the nine earths lies what is called "wind and water" (fengshui); beneath that it is dim, deep, and impossible to fathom. From the nine earths upward to all the heavens, everything is made manifest by the "Diagram of Primordial Chaos" (hunyuan zhi tu, a diagram symbolizing the source from which Heaven and Earth arise).

The Shangqing Jing (Shangqing Scripture) says that each direction has 555,550 heavens stacked in layers, and that the earth has just as many layers. These statements serve to show the dignity of the "Ultimate Dao" (Dao): the Great Dao is so vast that nothing lies beyond its embrace, and so subtle that nothing is too minute for it to contain.

Man belongs to Yang (Yin-Yang) and woman to Yin. When a person is conceived in the mother's womb, they receive the qi of Heaven and Earth, of Yin and Yang, and with it the body takes form. The commentary holds that a fetus that receives the pure Yang qi of Heaven and Earth becomes male, and for the ten months stays beneath the mother's left armpit; a fetus that receives the pure Yin qi of Heaven and Earth becomes female, and for the ten months stays beneath the mother's right armpit. Woman belongs to water and holds the utmost Yin qi, and so she is still; man belongs to fire and holds the utmost Yang qi, and so he is moving. What moves rises and soars, answering to Heaven; what is still is turbid and heavy, sinking down to answer to Earth. Hence it is said that Heaven is exalted and Earth lowly, and by this Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) are fixed; man is honored and woman humble, and by this Yin and Yang are made distinct. This is why it is said, "Man moves, woman is still."

The commentary points out that these two sentences explain the reason why the roots and branches of the myriad things come into being; together with the seven sentences before them they form one chapter, whose meaning falls into three levels.

Flowing from the root out to the tips of the branches, the myriad things are thereby born.

The root is the Origin, and the Origin is the Dao (the Way). The Dao takes primordial Qi (vital energy)—the innate, original energy—as its foundation. Primordial Qi differentiates into the two modes of Yin-Yang; these two modes further differentiate into the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity); and the Three Powers in turn differentiate into the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The Five Phases transform and give birth to the myriad things. The myriad things are the “branches,” while the Dao and primordial Qi are the “root.” If a person can embrace and preserve primordial Qi, concentrate the mind with single focus, return to the ultimate Dao, and go back to the root, that person will not chase after external things. The branches arise through transformation, whereas the root is the source of life. For a person to return to the root is the principle of nourishing and restoring nature and life. The Nanhua Zhenjing (the Zhuangzi) says that life is the gathering of Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit), while death is the transformation of bodily form. If a person can return to original, true spirit, this is returning to the root and reverting to the source, no longer drawn along by external things. These lines explain the source of clarity and turbidity and the basis of movement and stillness; if a person can attain the Dao, the myriad things naturally return to the Dao.

Clarity is the source of turbidity, and movement is the basis of stillness. If a person can constantly preserve clarity and stillness, Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things will all turn toward that person.

Clarity is the Qi of Heaven; turbidity is the Qi of Earth. The Qi of clarity and turbidity together transform and generate the myriad things. If people of the world wish to seek the way of long life—refining Yin into Yang, and refining the ordinary into the sacred—they likewise cannot do without the mutual generation of clarity and turbidity, or without movement and stillness serving as each other’s foundation. Clarity and turbidity are also different names for the Dao. If one who studies immortality can hold firmly to the ultimate Dao, the myriad things will naturally turn toward that person. Thus the Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension) says that rivers, lakes, and seas do not intentionally summon fish, turtles, flood-dragons, and dragons, yet fish, turtles, flood-dragons, and dragons return of themselves. If a person can maintain clarity and emptiness, lessen desire, and follow the natural course, that person does not deliberately seek the ultimate Dao, yet the ultimate Dao naturally returns to the body. So long as one preserves the primordial Qi of Great Harmony—the peaceful, pure, and unitary original energy—embodies union with the Dao, and returns to the True, the myriad things will all naturally turn toward that person. These lines explain that a person’s mind and spirit are originally clear and still, and are only constantly drawn along by worldly desires.

A person’s Shen originally delights in clarity and stillness, yet is disturbed by the thoughts of the mind; a person’s mind originally delights in quiet, yet is drawn along by desire.

Shen (spirit) is subtle and cannot be fathomed. The mind is Shen, and Shen is the mind. Once the mind is disturbed, Shen begins to waver; when Shen wavers, the mind grows restless; when the mind is restless, thoughts of desire arise, and those desires throw the mind into still greater confusion. People by nature prefer clarity and stillness, yet they are often drawn along by desire.

If one can tame the inner mind, settle Shen within, and cast off external desires, mind and spirit will naturally become clear and still. This shows that cultivation must begin by removing desire and purifying the inner mind.

“Qian” means to remove. If one can set aside passion and desire and hold fast to the inner Yuanhe (the innate qi of peace and harmony; Qi, vital energy), mind and spirit will naturally be at peace. Once the mind is quiet, worldly desires can hardly arise. What the Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension; Jing, scripture or classic) calls cultivating the Dao (the Way) is in fact cultivating the mind, and cultivating the mind is cultivating the Dao. One should lessen the pursuit of private gain, cultivate the true and nurture one’s nature, and thereby preserve mind and spirit so that the spirit may rest in ease and joy. The sage says that by cultivating the true and nurturing one’s nature, and by supporting life, one can leave suffering and attain joy, let blessings continue without end, and at last realize the true Dao. These two lines show that after one cultivates the true and nourishes Shen, the six desires (the needs of the three kinds of senses and of passion) and the three poisons (greed, hatred, and delusion) will naturally subside.

The “six desires” refer to the mind of craving and attachment that arises from the six roots. Here the six roots are the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, mind, and intention; “desire” is the defilement and emotional attachment produced when one is drawn by external conditions. When the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind and intention become aware. If a person can cut off emotional clinging and desire, so that the inner mind is clear and no longer worried and Shen (spirit) is settled, the six desires naturally subside. When inner Shen does not chase outward, and the six kinds of perception are not disturbed by external conditions, the six roots become pure and still, and deluded thoughts no longer arise.

The “three poisons” are the source of three kinds of evil conduct, and also the source leading to the three evil paths. They refer to the karma created by body, mind, and mouth: the body moves in delusion, the mind thinks in delusion, and the mouth utters deluded words. Another explanation takes the three poisons to be the three corpses (the spirits within the body spoken of in Daoism): Peng Ju, Peng Zhi, and Peng Jiao. The upper corpse craves splendid adornment, the middle corpse clings to fine flavors, and the lower corpse indulges in sexual desire. If one can abandon splendid adornment, stay far from greedy taste, and cut off sexual desire, this is to eliminate the three poisons. Once the three poisons are eliminated, Shen is peaceful, the breath flows freely, Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are stable, the three origins are at ease, the three kinds of evil karma no longer occur, and body and mind are naturally pure and still.

The “three origins” refer to the upper origin, the middle origin, and the lower origin, and they also correspond to the three Dantian (energy centers) of the human body, the sites in Daoist internal cultivation where Jing, Qi, and Shen are gathered and refined. The upper origin lies in the Niwan Palace of the brain and is the upper Dantian; the middle origin lies in the Scarlet Palace of the heart and is the middle Dantian; the lower origin lies in the Sea of Qi of the kidneys and is the lower Dantian. The three origins respectively govern Shen, Qi, and Jing, and they concern a person’s nature and life. If one can cut off the evil karma of body, mind, and mouth, guard these three Dantian, and harmonize the Qi of the four seasons so that essential vitality circulates unceasingly within the body, the three Dantian become stable, and every aspect of body and mind grows harmonious.

If the state of mind is empty and luminous like the Great Void, and both inside and outside are pure and undefiled, this comes from the destruction of the three corpses and from abandoning the false while preserving the true; this is the Dao (the Way) of purity and stillness. The preceding text says that once the cultivation of the true has brought Shen to stability, the six desires and the three poisons are naturally eliminated; here it is explained that if delusion and defilement have not yet been cut off, one cannot fully experience the wondrous functioning of the Dao of purity and stillness.

The reason one cannot attain clarity and stillness is that the mind within has not yet grown pure and clear, and desires have not been cast out.

If a person can eliminate the three karmas mentioned earlier—the deeds produced by body, speech, and mind—the Three Corpses, spirits which Daoism holds damage a person’s Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) and obstruct cultivation, will perish. When the Three Corpses perish, one can guard the three Dantians (energy centers), the sites within the body regarded as storing and nourishing Jing, Qi, and Shen (spirit). When the three Dantians are firm and full, Qi—the vital energy of life as Daoism understands it—can course freely and circulate without cease. In this way, worldly desires do not stir the mind. This is the Dao (the Way) of clarity and stillness.

If one cannot cultivate with concentrated diligence, steady one’s resolve, purify the mind within, and cut off stray thoughts, the mind cannot turn inward to cultivate the supreme Dao, nor can one readily discern the subtle principles within it, and one will be unable to restrain a mind as restless and unsettled as an ape. A person’s spirit is thereby gradually worn away. Once the spirit is depleted, the six roots—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—move recklessly, and worldly desires entangle one without end. This is to say that a person cannot undo the rope of birth and death that binds them, nor readily escape the net of cyclic rebirth.

The previous chapter discusses whether one is able to cultivate; this chapter is devoted to the point that, even if one is able to cultivate, one must not cling to what cultivation yields. One should break through attachment, and only then can the true realm be realized. The nine sentences that follow the main text may be divided by their meaning into three parts, which together form a single passage.

One who can dispel delusive thoughts turns inward to contemplate their own mind, and discovers that the so-called mind has no fixed, substantial self-nature.

If a person can sever emotional attachments and cast off greed and desire, they will not incur the offenses of the three karmas of body, speech, and mind. In cultivation, one should concentrate on practicing the inner work, guard the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the place where heart and spirit reside), and contemplate one’s own heart from within.

The heart belongs to fire. According to the Neiguan Jing (Scripture of Inner Observation), the heart is the Jing (essence) of the southern sun and belongs to fire; in the heavens it corresponds to the planet Yinghuo (Mars), and in the human body it corresponds to the heart. The heart is also called the Crimson Palace, the dwelling place of the numinous spirit. The wondrous functioning of Shen (spirit) is hard to fathom, and its transformations follow no fixed pattern; the numinous spirit depends upon the heart, and the form of the heart resembles three lotus leaves. The scripture further says: when the heart is held in check, it is upright; when it is indulged and left unchecked, it grows wild and disordered; in purity and stillness it can flourish, while in turbidity and agitation it declines and perishes. When the heart is bright, it can illuminate and survey the four directions; when it is dim, one becomes lost even in a single place.

Therefore, one who cultivates the Dao (the Way) should contemplate one’s own heart. The heart lies within the body, and the body cannot be used to observe the heart. If one observes the heart by means of the physical form, one treats form and heart as two things separate from each other. The physical form is like a dwelling and the heart like its master; a dwelling cannot observe its master, so one cannot observe the heart by means of the physical form. One may observe the heart by means of Shen: Shen is the child of Qi (vital energy—the qi that constitutes the life activity of the human body), and Qi is the mother of Shen. If one merely guides Qi by the intent of the mind, preserves and nourishes the numinous spirit, and contemplates it, a response will naturally arise. Ancient cultivators said that Qi and Shen, Shen and the heart, and Qi and the Dao are all linked to one another and never far apart.

Thus the sages established methods of cultivation to instruct the world. To cultivate the Dao is to cultivate the heart, and to cultivate the heart is likewise to cultivate the Dao. When there is no clinging in the heart, there is no fixed “heart” that can be contemplated; and since there is no heart to contemplate, one need not deliberately apply or cultivate anything, and one can rest at ease in union with the Dao. Only when the heart no longer clings to the heart is this the way of purity and stillness.

Contemplating one’s own physical form outwardly, one finds that the form, too, has no fixed and unchanging form.

The mind is the master of the form, and the form is the place where the mind dwells. Without a master, the form cannot be settled; without a place to dwell, the mind cannot be established. The mind lies within the body, while the form appears outwardly. Inner and outer depend on each other and cannot be separated. Both mind and form are at work, yet one should not cling to them. Let the mind and Shen (spirit) grow concentrated and fuse together, as if there were no form—yet it is not truly the case that nothing exists at all. If the mind did not exist, how could one forget the form? It is precisely because the mind forgets the form that this is called “no-mind.” The original Jing (scripture) says: “I have a great affliction because I have a body; when I no longer have a body, what affliction remains?” Whether mind and form are active or still, they are neither stained by external things nor attached to anything. This is what is meant by the form being present, yet not being bound by the form.

Contemplating external things from afar, one finds that they are not fixed, unchanging entities.

All that is brought forth through the operation and transformative generation of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)—the five basic elements that constitute the transformations of the myriad things—is called a “thing.” It is also said that what condenses into a mass and possesses form is called “form.” Whatever has form and substance is called a “thing.” To say that “a thing is not a thing” means that its true nature is empty, that is, true emptiness. The original scripture says: “Within the vague and elusive, there is nevertheless a thing.” The “thing” here refers to the subtle function of the Dao (the Way), not to the things ordinarily spoken of in the world.

Once mind, form, and thing—these three—have all been comprehended, what one sees is only emptiness.

Here the “three” refer to mind, form, and thing. Whether inwardly, outwardly, or between the two, one clings to nothing at all; this is called Wuwei (non-action). To enter Wuwei is called the method of emptiness. Emptiness is the function of the Dao. If there is function and yet one clings to it, it cannot be called the Dao. The previous passage discusses the three matters of mind, form, and thing separately; this passage speaks specifically of empty stillness. Although it is called the principle of empty stillness, the crucial point is to cling to nothing whatsoever—only this is the true Dao. The six sentences of this chapter together form a single passage.

In contemplating “emptiness,” one must also understand that “emptiness” itself is equally empty. Since everything is empty, there is no fixed “emptiness” to which one may cling.

What is meant here by “emptiness” is true emptiness. Emptiness has two meanings. One is “great emptiness,” the principle of Wuwei (non-action) that yet leaves nothing undone. The other is “small emptiness,” which breaks attachment to things that have form and returns to non-being, yet treats “non-being” as absolute void. The former concerns the natural working of the great Dao (the Way); the latter merely takes “being” as illusory and “non-being” as the final end, and is therefore called “small emptiness.”

Only when both of these notions of emptiness are also set aside can one return to a nature that is spontaneous and free of defilement, and thereby realize the true Dao. Emptiness originally has neither great nor small, nor coming nor going: when there is attachment, it appears; when there is no attachment, it remains hidden and does not show itself.

The working of emptiness appears along with the traces of things. To say that nothing is seen and that nothing exists is to fall into the view of annihilation. The principle of the great Dao endures, reflecting the myriad things as water and a mirror do. It dwells within a person’s body and mind and presides over that person’s nature and life. All things that have form and substance take shape by relying on the Dao, and beings of every kind are born from the Dao. The great Dao is level and spontaneous, ever present among the myriad things; it is not a realm of annihilation in which nothing exists.

When all that was to be emptied away no longer remains, and even “non-being” is no longer clung to, then “non-being” itself is transcended as well.

“Emptiness” does not mean that it is large or small. It is like the nature of the Dao (the Way): originally it has neither length nor shortness, and no dust or defilement. When it is realized, it is called “true emptiness”; when it is not realized, what is seen is only a false appearance, and is not yet the true ultimate Dao. The Shangqing Jing (Scripture of Highest Clarity) says that appearances of emptiness and of the false ultimately still become false appearances, yet one cannot simply say that they are false.

The Dao accords with ziran (the self-so). Originally it has neither great nor small, nor length, shortness, or defilement. When the nature of the Dao is realized, it is called true emptiness; when it is not realized, what one sees is only appearance, not the ultimate Dao. The Shangqing Jing further says that these appearances of emptiness and of the false will in the end show themselves as false appearances, yet one cannot fix them as “false.” The Dao originally transcends both emptiness and the false. Only out of compassion does the Celestial Worthy borrow such expressions as “emptiness” and “the false,” teaching according to circumstances and responding with flexible adaptation, so as to guide human beings and the beings of the heavens back to the ultimate Dao.

The so-called “appearance of emptiness” is not a fixed appearance of emptiness either. The appearance of emptiness is the wondrous function of the Dao: when one accords with the Dao’s functioning, it manifests; when that functioning is not displayed, it withdraws. One can say neither that it is wholly nonexistent nor that it substantially exists. This realm is hard to name, and is called the “Dao.” The Dao originally has no bodily form, yet it can manifest bodily form; this may be regarded as the designation “true.” De (Virtue/Power) originally has no image, yet it can manifest images; this is the “true image.” Within the profound and dim obscurity there is still something subtle and fine; the subtlety within it is genuine and not empty, and so it is not a matter of doing nothing at all.

To regard all dharmas as entirely nonexistent is called “empty nonbeing”; yet the Dao of empty nonbeing is not the same as ziran. Going further and breaking attachment to empty nonbeing, one returns to “nonbeing.”

“Non-nonbeing” means the absence of attachment. Even if one no longer clings to any view, this is only a return to the dharma of stillness. The dharma of stillness likewise cannot be grasped, and therefore one cannot fix it as stillness, emptiness, or nonbeing. The “nonbeing” spoken of here is also not a matter of taking “emptiness” as nonbeing.

When even “non-nonbeing” no longer holds, the mind becomes clear and quiet, constantly still.

“Wuwu” means having no clinging at all. Even when one no longer clings to a particular view, one still returns to the dharma of stillness; yet the dharma of stillness itself cannot be grasped, so it is neither stillness, nor emptiness, nor nonbeing. To call “emptiness” a state that is not empty is termed “true emptiness”; to call “nonbeing” a state that is not nonbeing—this is the “dharma within nonbeing.” When “dharma” too is let go along with the rest, one returns to true stillness; yet true stillness likewise cannot be grasped. This is not to say that there are no dharmas at all. It falls neither into being and nonbeing, nor into emptiness and things that have form.

The scripture borrows the name “view” to explain the principle and teach living beings. All discriminative judgments may become views of clinging; when clinging is eliminated, this is called ziran (spontaneity). Clarity and stillness are not a state of empty stillness; even empty stillness cannot be grasped. The Dao (the Way) remains limpid and at ease, constantly present, reaching through without obstruction—this is the Dao of true constancy. The first six lines explain the principle of empty stillness; the next four lines of this passage explain that emptiness and stillness likewise cannot be grasped, and that, naturally without desire, one can realize the true Dao.

“Stillness in which there is nothing to be still—how could desire arise?” means that stillness itself has nothing that can be grasped; how then could desire arise?

This explains that the characteristics of all dharmas ultimately return to quiescent extinction, while the true Dao naturally endures and does not disappear. Clinging to nothing and having no desire, one naturally attains the Dao.

When desire does not arise, that is true clarity and stillness.

“True stillness” is to be naturally without desire. Where there is desire, affliction arises; where there is no desire, the Dao appears. The Daodejing (Classic [Jing] of the Dao and De [Virtue/Power]) says: “I have a great affliction, namely that I have a body. If I have no body, what affliction do I have?” This means that, once there is a body, there are many afflictions; if one no longer clings to this body, what affliction remains? What is here called “having no body” means the absence of desire and clinging. Being without desire is called the “true body,” and the true body is the body of the Dao. The previous four lines explain that where there is clinging there is affliction, and that being without desire one can accord with the Dao; these four lines explain being without desire while not clinging to stillness. The Dao of true nature can adapt to different circumstances and respond to the myriad things, maintaining clarity and stillness of itself.

The Dao of true constancy responds to the myriad things…

“The True” means that the fundamental substance neither increases nor decreases, and for this reason it is called “the True.” “The Constant” is the principle. To be able constantly to follow the principle is the method of true constancy. The principle of true constancy responds according to the differences among things, teaching and transforming living beings, and there is nothing among the myriad things to which it cannot respond. This is the aspect in which the Dao (the Way) acts upon the myriad things. “The Constant” is the principle of the Dao, and “response” is the function of the Dao. Principle and function originally have no fixed form, and therefore both belong to the constant Dao. Within the constant Dao there is of itself a genuine and abiding way of responding to things. Thus it is said that responding to the myriad things truly and constantly is the wondrous function of the Dao.

To obtain true nature, one must cultivate constant nature. Obtaining the nature of the Dao through cultivation of the Dao is an inner activation; to activate the nature of the Dao that one originally possesses is called obtaining nature.

Once the nature of the Dao is clear and still, it can constantly respond to the myriad things and also constantly remain quiet. This is called constant clarity and stillness. Those who cultivate the Dao originally seek clarity and stillness, yet they also naturally respond to the affairs of the world, functioning in the world without contamination or attachment, unsullied by filth and worldly dust, and able to teach living beings in accordance with circumstances. This is just as the Jing (scripture) says: “The highest good is like water,” for water is good at nourishing the myriad things; and again: “Soften its light and merge with its dust; so deep and clear, it seems as if it exists.” What is called “exists” refers to the Dao. The Dao is originally clear and still, and yet constantly responds to things, with nothing to which it does not respond. Wherever one may be, one can maintain clarity and stillness, and so this is called “constant clarity and stillness.”

The six sentences of this passage explain the clear and still nature spoken of above: only when the nature of the Dao is clear and still can true nature be obtained; after true nature has been obtained, one returns again to the principle that nothing is obtained.

Such clarity and stillness gradually reaches the point where there is nowhere that is not still, and therefore it is called “constant clarity and stillness.” This passage is still explaining the clear and still nature: only when the nature of the Dao is clear and still can true nature be obtained; after true nature has been obtained, one returns again to the principle that nothing is obtained.

This clear and still nature is the true Dao. The scripture does not explicitly say that a person must become true by cultivating their nature and advancing step by step. Here “the True” means that which can endure for a long time, neither increasing nor decreasing, and sharing the longevity of heaven and earth, and therefore it is called the true Dao.

After one enters the true Dao, this is called obtaining the Dao.

Having already entered the true realm of the Dao (the Way), one is said to have realized and to be cultivating the true Dao. Through cultivation, the mundane is transformed into the real, and from the real one further attains the wondrous and subtle realm. What is called the wondrous and the real is, in the end, simply the Dao. The Dao therefore shares the longevity of heaven and earth and the radiance of the sun and moon, and can also transform and bring forth the myriad things; for this reason it is called “attaining the Dao.”

Although it is called “attaining the Dao,” in reality there is nothing that can be obtained.

The Dao has nothing gained and nothing lost, and it has no fixed form. The Chang Qingjing Jing (Scripture of Constant Clarity and Stillness) says: “The Dao originally has no form and cannot be designated by a name.” Thus, although one speaks of “attaining the Dao,” in truth nothing is attained. The Great Dao exists throughout, and there is no place from which it departs or at which it remains. The scripture further says: “A person of superior De (Virtue/Power) does not regard himself as possessing De, and therefore truly possesses De.” The foregoing shows that the Dao of true nature returns to a state that can neither be obtained nor named. Here it is shown that the great sages, in order to teach living beings, take a name that was originally nameless and provisionally call it the “Dao,” thereby instructing beings in heaven and in the human world and responding to their various different needs. Although the Dao has no fixed form, those who realize it can still accord with the Dao.

It is called “attaining the Dao” only for the sake of teaching living beings.

What is called “transformation” (hua) means returning to original authenticity and holding fast to true nature. “Transformation” also carries the sense of shifting and changing, of manifesting different forms as circumstances require. Change may take every kind of appearance, and the bearing that is shown differs from case to case; it is hard to tell whether, in the end, anything is there or not, and by this means the people of the time are guided. What is called “inducement and transformation” (youhua) means using concrete things as analogies and constantly urging people to awaken and to study the methods of the Dao (the Way). This is done so that later students will abandon evil deeds and turn to doing good, cherish their own persons, and preserve their nature and life. People ought therefore to turn toward the sacred teaching.

For example, the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) once traveled west to the region of the Flowing Sands (Liusha) and taught and transformed eighty-one kingdoms. This, too, was a matter of displaying form according to differing circumstances: sometimes he appeared as a giant a thousand zhang in height, sometimes as a man one zhang and eight chi tall. His transformations followed no fixed pattern, and he would change both his bodily form and his titles. At times he was called the Golden Immortal (Jinxian), at times the Brahma Immortal (Fanxian). He carried out his teaching according to the place; his fundamental being remained the same, while his names differed. He taught people to cultivate the Dao, to cast off delusive thoughts and bring true nature to fulfillment, and he established the teaching of purity and stillness (qingjing). All of these belong to “transformation.”

Lord Lao also, by responsive transformation, descended and was born at Great Clarity (Taiqing), to the right of the Guo River and to the left of Zhenyuan. The nine wells of that place still remain, and the two juniper trees are still there as well. He manifested the image of the Dao in order to teach both the human world and the heavens. The Shengji Jing (Scripture of the Sacred Annals) says that, from the time in high antiquity when primordial chaos first divided and heaven and earth had not yet separated, Lord Lao opened heaven and earth, set the sun, moon, and stars in their places, apportioned the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and brought forth the myriad things, continuing generation after generation without ever ceasing. He once served as teacher to the Celestial Kings, though the people of that time were unable to recognize him. Such teaching did not occur only in the kingdoms of the West.

The root of the Dao is spontaneous and self-so (ziran), and it is present everywhere. The heavens of the ten directions—the celestial realms of every quarter—all propagate the supreme Dao. The whole of heaven and earth is the sphere within which the Dao nurtures and transforms the myriad things. Every being that has life possesses the nature of the Dao (daoxing). One who can understand this may be called a person who has attained the Dao.

Those who are able to comprehend it may then transmit the sacred Dao.

“Wu” means awakening, and it also means thorough understanding; thorough understanding is the ability to grasp the principles of things. All who study and cultivate the Dao (the Way) of attaining immortality, if they can awaken to the truth, will not regard India in the West and the Central Lands in the East as utterly different, nor will they falsely divide one from another among heaven, earth, and the four directions. For the transformative teaching of the Dao pervades heaven and earth and is originally one whole. Those who truly understand will neither honor only the supreme Dao while rejecting the teaching by images—the method of transmitting the Way through forms and rituals—nor regard Confucian learning as something other than the Dao. Although what the sages of the Three Teachings expound differs in each case, the principles communicate with one another. This scripture says, “They emerge from the same source yet differ in name.” It also says, “The Dao gives birth to the One; the One gives birth to the Two; the Two give birth to the Three; the Three give birth to the myriad things.”

To awaken to one’s original nature is not something gained through discrimination and attachment. One need only let the mind draw near to emptiness and nothingness, so that the supreme Dao constantly abides within oneself. Cultivating clarity and stillness inwardly, one’s actions then accord with the principle of Heaven and follow the correct Way, and can also harmonize with human affairs, thereby relieving hardship and reversing decline. Cultivated in this manner, one naturally attains clarity and stillness.

“Chuan” means transmission and conferral—transmitting the methods of the Dao and guiding practitioners to deliverance. If a person can be clear and still, the supreme Dao comes of itself; it is obtained without deliberate seeking and accomplished without deliberate study. This scripture says, “The Way of Heaven has no favorites; it is constantly with the good.” When one is clear, still, and spontaneous, the holy Dao returns to oneself; therefore it is said that the holy Dao can be transmitted.

Earlier in this passage, non-contention and the absence of De (Virtue/Power) are especially set forth. Later students of the Dao often cling to one-sided views and let deluded feelings arise, and so they lose the great Dao and stray from the source. Lord Lao (Laojun) therefore further clarifies the foregoing meaning: because persons of higher and lower capacity differ, the attachments of each must be broken.

Lord Lao says, “The superior person does not contend; the inferior person delights in contention.”

The “contention” spoken of here is undertaken in order to seek quiet within the mind. The so-called superior adept—among practitioners of the Dao (the Way), one whose innate capacity is relatively high—can remain at ease even amid turmoil, keeping original nature clear and still. Here “contention” may also mean clinging to things that have form. The superior adept does not cling to the view of “having,” and so is not given to rivalry or the wish to prevail. The inferior adept—one whose capacity is relatively low—wishes to penetrate original nature and therefore deliberately seeks stillness, yet still clings to his own views; thus this pursuit of stillness also carries the sense of “contention.”

One who truly realizes the great Dao and accords with the true Dao is not bound by the attachments that come through the ear, the eye, the nose, the mouth, the body, and the mind, nor does such a person cling to flavors such as salty, bitter, pungent, and sweet, or to sounds such as gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu (the five-tone scale of ancient China). None of these attachments is one’s original nature. The inferior adept is fond of contention precisely because the mind clings to all manner of views. If, in the face of every circumstance, no clinging arises, how could there be any contention? When a person is without dispute, the mind within can be clear and still.

Superior De (Virtue/Power)—a person of profound virtue—does not treat De as something that may be clung to or boasted of; inferior De, by contrast, clings to De.

De (Virtue/Power) means what is honored and praised by others. “Superior De” refers to the rulers of high antiquity. They originally had no fixed titles and needed no praise, and so they are said to be “without De.” When the scripture says that “superior De is Wuwei (non-action),” it points to the state exalted by the Dao (the Way) and by De; it also says, “to have is as if not to have, and to be full is as if empty.” To cling to “having” and pursue a reputation is no longer superior De.

The Dao belongs originally neither to “being” nor to “non-being”; it is neither empty nor substantial. It appears as “being” according to its functioning, and when that functioning grows subtle it seems like “non-being.” Hence it is said: “One who knows does not speak; one who speaks does not know.” Those who understand the Dao do not insist on speaking of it; those who insist on speaking do not necessarily truly understand. To know and yet not speak is to keep one’s understanding hidden within. One may also take “knowing” as “not knowing”: to know that there is something one does not know is true insight; not to know, yet to suppose that one knows, is on the contrary a fault. True understanding, therefore, can hardly be exhausted in words.

Superior De does not cling to De, whereas inferior De clings to De. Those who cling to De leave behind a name, deeds, and achievements, and by these gain praise and make themselves prominent. Wherever the mind holds a fixed view, discrimination arises. The scripture also says: “Meeting it, one does not see its head; following it, one does not see its rear.” The Dao has neither head nor tail; this being so, on what basis can there be discrimination? The moment discrimination arises, one is clinging to De.

Only when attachment to two opposing notions is removed can this be called a view of the natural, and only then does one draw near the natural Dao. The “two things” here are the notions of purposeful action and of Wuwei: some take Wuwei to be right and censure purposeful action as wrong; others take purposeful action to be right and reject Wuwei. Both are discriminating attachments. The supreme Dao accords with what is so of itself. It is confined neither to purposeful action nor to Wuwei. Profound and still, pure and undefiled, it can harmonize with the myriad things without becoming the same as them—neither being nor non-being.

Those who cultivate immortality and study the Dao should not cling to right and wrong. Letting go of fixed views and grasping, one can penetrate the true Dao, pass beyond the Three Vehicles—in Buddhism, the three grades of practice of the śrāvaka, the pratyekabuddha, and the bodhisattva—and return to the One Vehicle, the single fundamental Way. The Dao is not diminished by choosing or rejecting; therefore one who clings to De cannot be called one who has truly attained the Dao.

One who clings and will not let go cannot be said to have realized Dao and De.

As noted above, clinging to De (Virtue/Power) amounts only to what is called “lower De.” Thus, to cling to all manner of outward appearances and to let one’s conduct fall into youwei (contrived action) cannot be called true Dao (the Way) and De. What is meant by Dao and De is the capacity to move freely through change without fixed limitation, so that arising and passing away are both at ease and unobstructed. When a function is called for, it manifests of itself; one can be honored and can also be humble. All of this comes about spontaneously, and it is not something that those who cling to fixed views are able to do. How could one who clings to views ever understand such things? This passage explains why sentient beings cannot attain the true Dao, and it comes down to the principle of “constant purity and stillness” (chang qingjing).

Sentient beings cannot attain the true Dao because there are delusive thoughts in the mind.

“Delusion” means the false stirring of mental activity. When the emotions fluctuate and the intention is unsettled, delusive thoughts arise in the mind. Once a thought moves, deliberation follows, and delusive thought becomes the source of confusion. Sentient beings fail to attain the true Dao because their emotions are pulled by external things and their intentions waver, so that they deliberate without warrant. Deliberation gives rise to responsive resonance; resonance in turn stirs the emotions, causing the intention to move falsely, until at last delusive thoughts arise from the mind. If a person does not give rise to delusive thoughts, purity and stillness come of themselves. Another explanation holds that “false stirring” means “loss”: one thereby loses one’s own Dao-nature, pursues external conditions, and is pulled about by emotion, so that the mind stirs falsely and the true Dao is not attained.

Once delusive thoughts arise in the mind, Shen (spirit) is startled and disturbed.

“Startling” is a state of extreme inner unrest; it does not refer only to being frightened in the mind. Here “startling” is explained in two ways. One is that, while inwardly cultivating purity and stillness, one forgets the body, yet Shen is instead startled and disturbed. The other is that, turning outward to engage in all kinds of affairs, one wearies mind and spirit and disturbs the body. When the body is disturbed from without and the mind is further seduced within, Shen becomes unsettled. If mind and Shen can be settled in purity and stillness, external desires will not arise; when desires do not arise, purity and stillness come of themselves.

After Shen has been startled and disturbed, one clings to the myriad things.

If a person’s Shen is unsettled, attachment arises toward external objects and conditions, and inwardly the upright Shen is also lost. If mind and Shen can be settled in purity and stillness, external desires will not arise; when desires do not arise, purity and stillness come of themselves.

If ordinary people allow the mind and Shen (spirit) to be startled and disturbed, they cling outwardly to all manner of things and inwardly lose their original true nature. “The myriad things” is a general name for the multitude of things. In cultivating the Dao (the Way), what is valued is guarding the One; one must not cling to the myriad things and thereby agitate the mind and Shen.

When a person comes into the world, they receive the four basic elements that constitute life—earth, water, fire, and wind—are born through the harmonizing of original Qi (vital energy), and are further nourished by the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Human life is therefore especially precious and hard to obtain. If one can remain calmly unmoved and preserve the original peace within, thought will not fall into confusion, and clarity and stillness will arise of themselves.

Once one clings to the myriad things, craving arises.

“Craving” is the manner of loving attachment, and it is of two kinds. One is craving for worldly affairs: pursuing splendid adornment outwardly and indulging desire. This is a fault of deviant Yin and does not accord with the orthodox Way of bright Yang (Yin-Yang). Once it falls under deviant Yin, clarity and stillness become impossible, and the mind and Shen grow turbid and obstructed.

The other is craving for progress in cultivation: inquiring deeply into the true teaching and insisting on attaining the ultimate Dao. This is called “inner craving.” Although it too is called craving, if its principle accords with the orthodox Way of bright Yang, it belongs to what is light, clear, and upright; if it falls under deviant Yin, it becomes turbid and obstructed and turns toward a deviant path. If one can realize the Great Dao and accord with the true Dao, one naturally reaches a state of ease, lightness, clarity, and stillness.

Once craving arises, affliction follows with it.

Craving for external affairs should be gradually cut off, while the pursuit of inner cultivation calls for diligence and vigorous effort. Yet even when one seeks the supreme Dao (the Way) within, one must not cling to it and refuse to let go; otherwise afflictions will arise all the same.

Afflictions are of two kinds, light and heavy. Light afflictions are craving the supreme Dao and clinging to what is gained through cultivation; heavy afflictions are pursuing worldly things outwardly. The light belong to Yang and are called “pure” (qing); the heavy belong to Yin and are called “turbid” (zhuo). But whether light or heavy, neither should be clung to. Clinging is craving and sticky attachment; once greedy attachment takes hold, delusion arises.

One should cast off the heavier afflictions and also set down the lighter ones, guarding within the mind the “yuanhe” (the primordial and harmonious nature), quiet and lucid, unmoved by external things. This is “embracing the Dao and holding De (Virtue/Power)”—keeping the great Way and virtue in the heart—so that one naturally returns to simplicity and purity. The way of long life lies entirely in nourishing Shen (spirit). If yuanhe is held and not lost, Shen can dwell securely in the body. When Shen dwells securely, the mind is calm and joyful, naturally pure and still—how then could afflictions arise?

Afflictions and delusive thoughts bring sorrow and pain to body and mind, subjecting one to turbidity, disorder, and humiliation, drifting and circulating through birth and death, often trapped in the sea of suffering, and in the end losing the true Dao for a long time.

When a person’s body and mind become absorbed in external things, sorrow and suffering arise from within. “Turbidity” means being stained and defiled; “disgrace” means suffering contamination and harm. Once body and mind are defiled, one falls into the cycle of transmigration and repeatedly undergoes birth and death. “Wandering” means circulating back and forth; to revolve without cease through the round of birth and death is like drifting in a sea of suffering. The so-called “sea of suffering” is a vast realm filled with sorrow and pain, in which a person can hardly avoid its many kinds of distress.

This is not because the great Dao (the Way) lacks compassion, but because people themselves produce delusive thoughts and thereby bring on the cycle of birth and death. Those who study the Dao need only guard themselves inwardly and cast off distracting thoughts outwardly. “The One” refers to the body. The sages often speak of “preserving the three and guarding the One,” in which the “three” refer to Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). To guard oneself is to enable Jing, Qi, and Shen to be preserved and maintained. The Scripture of Western Ascension says: “Guard the body without losing it, and one endures forever.” If one concentrates on guarding the One and does not give rise to delusive thoughts, one will not sink into the sea of suffering, and sorrow will no longer entangle body and mind. In this way one naturally attains liberation and accords with the Way of clarity and stillness.

Therefore the sages left behind scriptures (Jing), clarifying the correct Way, raising for people a bridge toward the great Dao and opening a path of cultivation, teaching those not yet awakened so that they may enter the gate of the mysterious and subtle. This shows that people have themselves lost their original, authentic primordial Qi; it is not that the great Dao lacks compassion.

As for the Way of true constancy, those who awaken naturally come into accord with clarity and stillness. Those who truly realize the great Dao are able constantly to guard clarity and stillness.

The true Dao (the Way) exists eternally, without distinction between past and present, neither arising nor perishing. It embraces heaven and earth and also penetrates the most subtle places, becoming the principle that the myriad things follow and continually taking effect in the world. If a person can comprehend it, that person can experience the Dao for himself; this is not for the sake of instructing others.

The Dao of which the Most High Lord Lao speaks is such that, when a person awakens to it, he awakens to his own original nature, and this is called attaining the Dao. The Dao is neither difficult to seek nor easy to obtain. The Scripture of Constant Clarity and Stillness Spoken by the Most High Lord Lao says: “The Dao of Heaven shows no partiality of near or far; it constantly protects and aids the good.” It also says: “The Dao originally has no form and cannot be explained by any name.” One who comprehends the Dao understands it only within his own mind. If good people constantly preserve clarity and stillness, they may all be called people who have embodied the true Dao.

This chapter is recorded in the book as a single passage: it first tells how the Immortal Elder recited and upheld this method, and then how he transmitted it to the Imperial Lord; the immortal perfected beings in the celestial palaces and grotto abodes likewise all follow the true Dao. This method is kept secret and not proclaimed; it is not something that may be treated lightly or casually.

The immortal Ge Xuan said: “I have obtained the true Dao, and I once recited this scripture ten thousand times.”

The immortal Ge Xuan bore the personal name Xuan and the courtesy name Xiaoxian. When he first began to study the Dao (the Way), he often recited this Jing (scripture). Later he attained the way of the immortals, and he now holds the rank of Left Immortal Elder (Zuo Xianweng). The grandson of the Left Immortal Elder was named Ge Hong, courtesy name Zhichuan, and the world called him Baopuzi. Grandfather and grandson of the Ge family sought immortality through the generations, and both became Perfected Ones (Zhenren).

When the Left Immortal Elder first entered the Dao, he lived on Mount Changbai, and at times also on the Eastern Peak (Dongyue). Later he traveled through the famous mountains of every region, diligently seeking the Dao. After attaining the Dao, he concealed his traces and hid his bodily form, leaving the scriptural teaching in the human world to exhort and inspire those who would later study the Dao.

What the scripture calls “reciting the Jing ten thousand times” means that the ten thousand kinds of cultivation have all been brought to full and complete fulfillment. The Lingbao Jing further says “the ten thousand models are opened and spread,” meaning that the Brahma-Qi of the various heavens—the pure and harmonious Qi (vital energy) of the celestial realm—is vast and pervasive, reaching everywhere. “Model” means method. The ten thousand methods are originally interconnected, and the inner and the outer correspond to one another: dispersed, they appear as the forms of the ten thousand things; gathered, they become the very substance of the ten thousand Shen (spirits). This is what is meant by fulfillment.

The scripture also says that after ten thousand recitations one’s practice of the Dao is complete, and one can ascend in flight into the Great Void, the ten thousand Shen being fully present as well. When the ten thousand recitations are fulfilled, one ultimately achieves the Dao of clarity and stillness. The “ten thousand times” spoken of here is not merely the repeated recitation of the scripture; why should one only toil strenuously upon the body and exhaust the spirit?

This Jing is cultivated by celestial beings and is not transmitted to those of shallow capacity.

A “celestial being” is an immortal in whom Yang Qi (vital energy) has reached its fullest abundance. A celestial immortal can fly through the Biluo, the blue heavens, and move in complete freedom; feathers grow beneath both arms, and so such a being is also called a “feathered guest.” Celestial immortals and feathered guests dwell above the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the three exalted deities venerated in Daoism, together with their realms—constantly cultivating the methods of the scriptures (Jing), and they do not readily transmit those scriptural methods to persons whose aptitude is insufficient. If people of the world cultivate the practice of the celestial being, they may be called “people of the heavens.”

Why should anyone who wishes to cultivate the Dao (the Way) and to learn not recite and study this scripture? If one makes progress every day and does not give rise to a mind of slackness or retreat, one is a practitioner who advances and does not fall back. The scriptural methods likewise should not be lightly transmitted to those of insufficient aptitude. The sage says that the scriptural methods circulate in the world; if a student of the Dao is fortunate enough to encounter them, one ought to treasure them and must not divulge them at will. When one meets a worthy and enlightened person, so long as that person has a mind that seeks the Dao, the methods may be transmitted; if the person possesses roots of goodness, they may also be passed on. This is done so that the scriptural methods may be handed down and living beings saved and delivered; what matters is that the recipient of the scripture be able to comprehend it. The scriptural methods ought to be transmitted to suitable persons, and whether they spread widely depends, in the end, upon people.

In the past I received this scripture from the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence.

Here “I” is the Immortal Elder referring to himself. As for “Eastern Florescence,” the Shangqing Jing says: in the east there is a place called the World of Drifting Clouds, and within it the Realm of Azure Mist. The Azure Dragon Palace in the City of Kingfisher Feathers is a palace formed of the precious pearls of dragons and phoenixes; five-colored azure clouds cover the palace above, and so it is called the “Azure Dragon Palace.” The Young Lord of Eastern Florescence dwells there. What is meant here is that the Immortal Elder recounts how he once met the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence and received this scripture from him; this also shows that the scripture is not casually transmitted to those of insufficient aptitude.

The Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence received this scripture from the Sovereign Lord of the Golden Portal.

“Jinque” (Golden Palace) refers to the Kingdom of Qiongyao in the western world of langgan. There stands a Liuli Palace, and all the towers and pavilions within it are built of langgan, precious jewels, and liuli, which is why it is called the “Liuli Palace.” A sovereign lord treasures this Jing (scripture) in the palace and is also known as the Jinque Dijun. The titles recorded in different classics vary; he may be a differentiated manifestation of Taishang Laojun, assuming different designations according to different places.

The Shangqing Jing states that the “Latter Sage, Jinque Xuanyuan Huangdi Laojun” is none other than Taishang. The Yinshi Xuanzhong Ji says that Taishang Laojun ordinarily resides in the Ziwei Palace and is sometimes called Tianhuang Dadi, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, or Jinque Shengjun. From this it can be seen that Taishang manifests in accordance with different places, and that his titles likewise undergo many changes. The Former Sage Jinque Dijun spoken of here is the ruler of the western Kingdom of Qiongyao. Even these supreme sage sovereigns treasure and secretly preserve this scripture; how much more, then, should later students of the Dao (the Way) who receive, cultivate, and recite it revere and cherish it, and practice it with earnest care.

The Jinque Dijun received this scripture from the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu, a venerated deity in Daoist legend who dwells on Kunlun).

The Queen Mother of the West is called the mother of the divine kings of the various heavens and of the imperial lords, and she resides on Kunlun. The Tiandi Lun records that the Queen Mother dwells on the western side of Kunlun, that is, at the source of the Yellow River; it also says that the Queen Mother is the mother of heaven and earth, who commands the Lord of Heaven, the Mother of Earth, and the host of perfected spirits, holding overall authority over the Three Realms, and is the most exalted and noble mother deity between heaven and earth. When the Jinque Dijun obtained this scripture from the Queen Mother of the West, the scripture was likewise not transmitted casually to practitioners of humble station.

In the past, the Queen Mother of the West transmitted this scripture only orally, from mouth to ear, without setting it down in writing. Now I have written and recorded it so that it may circulate in the world.

In ancient times, when sages transmitted the Jing (scripture) and its methods, they kept the text secretly stored within the heart and innermost being, passing it on by word of mouth from one person to another, and then spreading it through teaching so as to instruct beings in the human world and the celestial realms. They did not commit it to writing, and so its form differs from what is seen today. Only beginning with the Immortal Elder was this scripture written down and handed on to later generations, so that it might circulate widely and serve to guide and deliver those who study afterward.

What has just been set forth concerns how the ancient sages transmitted the Jing and its methods; what follows concerns the higher and lower standing of later students. If one can awaken to and truly understand the Dao (the Way), one will obtain a corresponding rank of attainment according to the merit of one’s own cultivation.

Those of superior capacity who awaken to this Dao can ascend to become celestial officials.

Superior cultivators of the Dao (the Way) regulate and refine the body outwardly and nurture Shen (spirit) inwardly. Outwardly they accord with the secular world without losing their original authenticity; inwardly they cultivate their practice so as to preserve the root-origin. The “origin” spoken of here is primordial Qi (vital energy), the innate and fundamental Qi, which is the source of Shen. If a person can keep primordial Qi ever present—guarding below the Dantian (energy center), the abdominal site of cultivation; securing above the Niwan, the upper Dantian in the head; and protecting in the middle the Crimson Palace, the site of cultivation at the heart—and cherish and preserve these three places, this is nourishing Shen through inner cultivation.

Shen arises from Qi, and the bodily form is the dwelling in which Shen resides. Shen is the master of the body. When the body loses its master, it cannot be at peace; without Shen, the bodily form cannot be sustained.

Adepts of higher attainment constantly preserve and nourish the solar Jing (essence) in order to guard the lower Dantian, and they also draw in the lunar radiance to nourish the Naohu, the “brain door.” The Naohu is the Niwan, that is, the upper Dantian. It belongs to Yang, and so it is nourished with the Jing-Qi of Taiyin, the Great Yin—essence and Qi of yin nature. The lower Dantian, also called the Kidney Palace and the Sea of Qi, belongs to Yin, and so it is nourished with the Jing-Qi of Taiyang, the Great Yang—essence and Qi of yang nature. The Yijing says: “One Yin and one Yang is what is called the Dao.” Cultivators of the Dao rely on these two kinds of Jing-Qi, of the sun and of the moon, to support and nourish the bodily form. Practicing in this way, they can ascend to become celestial officials.

“Five clouds and five Qi” refers to the proper Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When a cultivator’s five viscera are pure and genuine, the Qi of the five viscera arises of itself. The true Qi of the Five Phases condenses into clouds of five colors, which bear up the bodily form so that it may travel upward through the Three Realms and downward through the Ten Directions. The Three Realms are the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm; the Ten Directions are the four cardinal directions, the four intermediate directions, and above and below. If one can come and go through the Three Realms and the Ten Directions without obstruction, one may in the end ascend into the Shangqing, the higher celestial realms spoken of in Daoism, and obtain the rank of a celestial official.

Cultivators of the middle grade, if they can comprehend these principles, may be ranked among the immortals of the Southern Palace.

“Gold” refers to the lungs, and “jade” refers to the bones. One who studies the Dao (the Way) must first train the bones so that they become firm as precious jade, and must also nourish the lungs and preserve the bodily fluids so that the Qi (vital energy) of the lungs is like precious gold. Here “stone” refers to the kidneys, and “dan” refers to the heart. By settling the heart and Shen (spirit), regulating the breath and nourishing Qi, and caring for the kidneys, one can prolong life. The gold, stone, and precious jade spoken of here are not the gold, silver, and gems of the ordinary world, but the inner cultivation that preserves life. Tunanzi said, “How can external treasures compare with preserving the treasures within?” This is precisely the principle he meant.

If one can inwardly preserve the root of nature and life, and then contemplate upward the sacred texts of Shangqing (the scriptures of the Shangqing tradition), one can penetrate mysterious and wondrous principles. “Sacred texts” refers to the esoteric classics secretly preserved by Shangqing; “reaching downward to the mysterious and subtle” means beginning from the lower origin—here referring to the kidneys—and thereby comprehending principles that are profound, hidden, and fine.

The Shangqing Jing (scripture) says that in the south there is the Heaven of Cinnabar Numinosity, within which is the Palace of Medicinal Pearls, and in that palace there is a Perfected Lord titled the Lord of the Numinous Heaven. The scripture further says that there is the Palace of Vermilion Yang, also called the Palace of the Vermilion Mound; in that heaven there is the Refining Pool of Blazing Fire, and beside the pool stand palaces of the seven treasures, also known as the Palace of Purple Yang. If a lower adept can comprehend this Dao and succeed in cultivation, the Perfected Lord Siming (the deity who governs human lifespan and the registers of fate) will record his name, report it to the Southern Palace, and bestow on him the title of an immortal official. The saying here, “the lower adept is titled the Palace of Purple Yang,” means that after a lower adept completes cultivation, he may receive a title or immortal office associated with the Palace of Purple Yang.

When lower adepts obtain these methods of cultivation, they too can enjoy long life in the human world. The so-called lower adepts are those who have not yet completely cut off the pursuit of worldly gain and who are still seeking the Dao of nourishing the body and prolonging life. Some ingest numinous medicines, and some take cinnabar; some resign rank and title, and some live in plain tranquility, settling the heart and Shen; some dwell beside mountain forests and springs, and some, though situated amid court and marketplace, conceal their traces and inwardly cultivate the great Dao. Whether in seclusion or in manifestation, they all act according to the Dao and accord with the true Dao. If only they persist without retreat, they can still extend their years; how much more those of lofty conduct and outstanding talent and virtue, who live hidden in mountain valleys and practice the immortals’ arts of nurturing elixirs—they may even ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

Why, then, can people of later ages not devote themselves single-mindedly to cultivation? Today on the Western Marchmount, Mount Hua, there are two recluses, Ding and Chen, who prolong their years while dwelling in the world, and whose names have already been entered in the registers of the immortals. Since this is so, why cannot later people follow their example? These examples are given to show that the great Dao is without partiality: so long as one seeks the Dao with a sincere heart, one can achieve something. Thus the scripture says, “The Dao of Heaven has no favorites; it is constantly with the good.” Finally, “and further, bringing all into accord and returning to the One” means that one must also awaken to the principle that the myriad methods return to the One.

Roaming through the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Realm of Formlessness), one ascends into the Golden Gate.

The Lingbao Jing (Numinous Treasure scripture) says that each of the thirty-two heavens has a celestial emperor. The sixth heaven is called Shangming Qiyao Moyi Heaven, and its celestial emperor is named Tiankuaiyan; this belongs to the Realm of Desire. Although the scripture speaks in this way, a practitioner of the Way need only cast off desire to be called a Zhenren (Perfected). The Realm of Form lies within the twenty-four heavens. Wuji Tanshi Heaven belongs to the Realm of Form, and its imperial lord is named Piaonu Qionglong. Taisu Xiule Jinshang Heaven belongs to the Realm of Formlessness, and its imperial lord is named Longluo Juechang. These statements summarize the Three Realms from the standpoint of heaven and earth; they are an external account.

If the human body is taken as a comparison, the Three Realms are the Three Dantians (energy centers), the three sites in the body where Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) are refined and nourished. The Lower Dantian corresponds to the Realm of Desire, the Middle Dantian to the Realm of Form, and the Upper Dantian to the Realm of Formlessness. If a person guards the Three Dantians well, so that Jing, Qi, and Shen rest securely in the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantians, the Zhenren can roam through the Three Realms. If the Shen and Qi within the Three Dantians are all abundant, one will naturally ascend to heaven. Thus, when the scripture says, “Form and spirit are both wondrous, uniting with the Dao (the Way) in the True,” this is precisely what is meant.

The Shangqing Jing (Highest Clarity) says that Daluo Heaven lies above the thirty-two heavens. The Lingbao Jing further says that above the Three Realms is the remote and boundless realm of Daluo, where there are only the palace towers of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the many supreme sages and exalted worthies all roam within them. The scripture also says that Daluo Heaven comprises five hundred million, fifty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty layers of heaven, which are not recorded one by one here. Yue Penggui, a worthy of the Tang dynasty, said that the lifespan of the eighty-one heavens is roughly half the lifespan of the Taishang (Most High). All of these are general, summary statements.

If a practitioner of the Way first cultivates inner practice, guarding and consolidating the three primordial spirits (the primordial Shen within the Three Dantians), then once the three primordial spirits are complete, one will naturally be able to ascend to heaven, roam the realm of the Three Pure Ones, pass in and out before the Golden Towers, pay homage to the Taishang, and become a Zhenren. Thus the scripture says, “ascend into the Golden Gate.”

The annotations recorded earlier by the Immortal Elder mark the order of higher and lower stages in studying the Way. What is explained here, the method taught by the Zhenren, is meant to guide all living beings, broadly urging people to recite and uphold the true scripture, so that benevolent spirits protect them and they gradually enter the ranks of the immortals and the perfected.

The Zuo Xuan Zhenren (Perfected One of the Left Mystery) said:

“Zuo” (Left) represents Yang, and “Xuan” (Mystery) represents “the One.” This statement shows that what follows is spoken by the Zhenren, in order to guide all beings, so that everyone may recite and uphold this true Jing (scripture), receive the protection of good spirits, and gradually set out on the path of cultivating immortality and realizing the true.

The Zuo Xuan Zhenren said:

“Zuo” represents Yang, and “Xuan” represents “the One.” The Lord of the Dao (the Way) takes “Attaining the One” as his title. The Zhenren stands in attendance at the Lord of the Dao’s left and right; Yin-Yang return to a single unity, and for this reason he is called the Zuo Xuan Zhenren. The Zuo Xuan Zhenren is also known as Fajie. Compassionate and benevolent, he is often consulted about causes and conditions. He descends into the evil world of the Five Turbidities to save all beings, and afterward returns to the Three Realms (Sanjing), where he serves the noble and compassionate Lord of the Dao and receives the protection of the Taishang (Most High).

Anyone who studies immortality, so long as they can preserve and guard “the One” and grasp the two Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang, may hope to become a Zhenren. What is meant by “guarding the One”? “The One” is the inherent nature of the Dao, and it also carries such meanings as vastness and the body. For this reason the text here cites the Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension): “Loving others is not as good as cherishing oneself; in cherishing oneself, the key lies in guarding the One.” The scripture further says: “Loving others is not as good as loving the body; loving the body is not as good as loving the Shen (spirit); loving the Shen is not as good as relinquishing the Shen; relinquishing the Shen is not as good as guarding the body. Only by guarding the body can one endure for long and thereby abide forever.”

If a cultivator of the Dao has not yet comprehended the mysterious principle, one may first protect the bodily form and cherish primordial Qi, regard external things lightly and remain indifferent to fame, and not let thought and worry fall into confusion. In this way Qi and blood can be brought into harmony, which also helps one preserve and guard “the One.” The working of the two Qi of Yin-Yang is the Qi of water and fire symbolized by the two trigrams Kan and Li; this likewise forms the basis of the Zhenren’s cultivation of body and mind. Once cultivation is complete, one may have audience with the Taishang and become a minister of the Daoist tradition: above, one may take part in the affairs of the Three Realms; below, one may travel the ten directions, guiding all beings and instructing those not yet awakened, and leading all beings to attain the Dao. This is the work of the Zhenren.

Those who study the Dao ought to uphold and recite this scripture:

“Upholding and reciting” means that chanting while following the written text is called “reading,” while chanting without looking at the text is called “reciting.” If those who study the Dao can set the inner mind aright and keep their aspiration for the Dao from retreating, cultivate according to the scriptural text, and show the same reverence as if facing the Taishang, remaining single-minded and undisturbed throughout walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—this is called upholding and reciting.

Such a person can then receive the protection of the good spirits of the Ten Heavens.

This passage of the scripture says that if those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) constantly keep the Dao in mind and recite the true scriptures—reverently chanting the Daoist classics—they will receive the protection of benevolent spirits. The so-called “ten heavens” may refer to the eight directions together with above and below. The Yinyuan Jing (Scripture of Causes and Conditions) further states that each month has ten days of purification, on each of which benevolent spirits take turns in protective attendance. Here, “ten heavens” is likewise used to explain how benevolent spirits protect those who cultivate the Dao.

Through the activities of body, speech, and mind, people give rise to the ten evils: lust, killing living beings, theft, jealousy, hatred, anger, speaking malicious words, sowing discord, lying, and using flowery, artful speech. In contrast, the ten virtues consist in setting body and mind aright, not doing what is improper, and not stirring recklessly or giving rise to deluded thoughts; the ears do not listen to deviant sounds, the mouth does not speak exaggerated or baseless words, the eyes do not look upon deviant appearances, the nose does not crave foul Qi (vital energy), the tongue does not greedily savor deviant flavors, and the mind-consciousness does not move wildly out of fear. When the ten virtues arise, the ten evils recede, and one thereby receives the protection of the true sages. When all ten practices are fully carried out, purity and stillness come of themselves; when afflictions are eliminated, the true Dao can be realized.

Once this realm is reached, jade talismans and precious spirits offer their protection, and the golden liquid refines the form—in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), “golden liquid” symbolizes the process of refining body and mind—so that both bodily form and spirit attain the mysterious and subtle, and one ultimately becomes one with the Dao.

The “Jade Talisman” refers to the talismanic mandate issued by the Jade Emperor. When a practitioner’s merit and practice are complete and he wishes to ascend into the realm of the immortals, he must first receive the Jade Emperor’s talismanic mandate. Considered from the standpoint of one’s own cultivation, the Jade Talisman may also be used to explain the matter of the “Middle Prime” (Zhongyuan). The Middle Prime refers to the human heart-mind. If one who studies the Dao (the Way) can keep the heart-mind settled, clear, and still, he will naturally remain undisturbed by the dust of the world and thus be able to preserve both bodily form and spirit (Shen).

Practitioners of the highest rank comprehend and cultivate the Way of the Golden Liquid, and by this means consolidate the bodily form. Practitioners of the middle rank have not yet comprehended it, and so seek medicinal substances from outside the body, blending and refining them in order to nourish nature and life. Speaking from the principle of the going forth and return of form and spirit, one should likewise first consolidate the form and only then nurture the spirit. Although the form may be thin and weary, the spirit is its ruling master; when the master is settled, the outer form can stand firm. It is like a house in which no one dwells: such a house is hard to preserve. The relationship between the inner and the outer is just the same.

For this reason the Scripture of Western Ascension (Xisheng Jing) is quoted: “My body is the spirit’s carriage, the spirit’s dwelling, and also the spirit’s master. When the master is quiet, the spirit abides within; when the master is restless, the spirit departs.” The scripture further says: “Spirit brings form into being, and form brings spirit to completion. Without spirit, form cannot survive on its own; without form, spirit has no way to accomplish itself. When form and spirit join, they generate one another and bring one another to completion.” This shows that inner spirit and outer form respond to one another.

The scripture also says: “Spirit constantly cares for human beings, yet human beings do not care for spirit.” Spirit cares for people in the hope that they may live; people fail to care for spirit because the heart-mind is subject to every kind of disturbance. The heart-mind itself is also spirit, and is called the “Numinous Child.” It can do evil and can do good; it can be benighted and can discern clearly; it can rejoice and can grow angry; it can be upright and can be deviant. Thoughts race like a galloping horse, and the mind is as hard to settle as a monkey; every sort of clever scheme and cunning shift arises from this.

The Scripture of Inner Observation (Neiguan Jing) says: “The heart-mind is spirit. It has no fixed color, size, length, straightness or curvature, softness or hardness, thickness or thinness, squareness or roundness. Its transformations are hard to fathom, and it accords with Yin-Yang. At its greatest it can contain heaven and earth; at its smallest it can enter within a fine hair. Restrain it, and it comes to rest; give it free rein, and it runs wild. When the heart-mind is clear and still, spirit is born; when the heart-mind is turbid and agitated, spirit declines and perishes.”

If a person can maintain clarity and stillness, cultivate the Great Dao inwardly, and subdue his own heart-mind, then once the heart-mind is settled, spirit can be preserved and nourished. When spirit is preserved and nourished, the form grows firm, and the firmness of the form in turn assists the completion of spirit. Spirit relies on form in order to be completed; form relies on spirit in order to live. The two depend upon each other. By cultivating in quiet, making the form solid and the spirit whole, one can reach a state in which both form and spirit are subtle and refined and the inner corresponds to the outer, naturally uniting in truth with the Great Dao.

What came before discussed the efficacy of reciting and upholding the scriptures, together with the methods of cultivation that lead to realization. What is explained here is the preciousness of the Dao and De (Virtue/Power) recorded in the true scriptures. If people of the world can comprehend the mystery within, they can transcend the Three Realms.

The Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Zhenren—the Perfected One venerated by the Zhengyi school, referring to the Han-dynasty Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Daoling—said:

“Zheng” means the genuine, and “yi” means vastness; it also refers to the heart. The heart symbolizes the sun of the south, yet it originates in the north. Why is the heart symbolized by the sun found in the north? Because in the two trigrams Kan and Li, one line from each joins together to form a yang line, and this is therefore called “the one yang”; this is the heart. “One” occupies the position of yang within yin, and “two” occupies the position of yin within yang. This speaks of the principle by which the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) circulate back and forth, and of the workings of Yin-Yang transformation. This is Zhengyi.

The Zhengyi Zhenren is the Han-dynasty Celestial Master Zhang Daoling. He was later honored as Great Ritual Master of the Three Heavens, ranked as the Zhengyi Zhenren, and also served as Deliverance Master of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Zhenren now dwells in the station of the holy perfected. He once cultivated the Five Phases and accumulated merit and virtue in order to benefit the state, supporting the weak, relieving suffering, eliminating calamities, bringing the myriad things to flourish, and saving the people. When his merit was complete and his cultivation fulfilled, he transcended the mundane world and became a sage, taking his place on high as the exalted Zhengyi Zhenren.

If a person can cultivate their own heart, body and mind naturally become steady and free-flowing, Shen (spirit) grows harmonious, and Qi (vital energy) moves with ease. All of these are results brought about by practicing the methods of the Zhengyi Dao (the Way). The methods transmitted by the Celestial Master are many, including Zhengyi slaying of evil, the art of the Three-Five flying steps, copper talismans and iron covenants, the precious scriptures of the Golden Elixir (Jindan), secret instructions and numinous chapters, and the registers of the twenty-four grades; they are not recorded one by one here.

If this Jing (scripture/classic) is kept in the home and the reader can awaken to and understand the principles within it, disasters and obstacles will not intrude, and all the holy perfected will guard the household gate. The “home” spoken of here may also refer to a person’s body, and the “scripture” may be compared to a person’s heart. Understood in its outward sense, “home” is the family dwelling.

Here, the word “household” may be likened to the human body, and “Jing” (scripture/classic) to the human heart-mind. Understood with reference to an outward family, the Perfected Person—one who has attained the Dao (the Way)—says: if this scripture is kept in the household, and if one can comprehend its mysteries, render body and mind pure and still, cultivate the Dao and keep the Dao in mind, and continue to recite and uphold it without slackening, one will obtain the protection of the host of sages and divine persons. Divine persons guard the gate of the house, so that calamities do not disturb the household and malevolent demons do not invade the dwelling. This is because the householder’s body and mind are pure and still, and therefore receive the protection of the divinities.

Understood with reference to inner cultivation, the household is like the body and the scripture is like the heart-mind. If a person can maintain purity and stillness and bring the workings of the heart-mind into accord with the supreme Dao, one may say that this scripture is present in the heart-mind. “Wu” means to perceive, “da” means to understand, and “tong” means to comprehend clearly; to perceive, to understand, and to grasp clearly the principles within is to have the scripture in the heart-mind. If the scripture is not in the heart-mind, one has not yet awakened to it, and calamities and afflictions arise from this; if the heart-mind is lucid and fully penetrating, afflictions disperse. When afflictions disappear, body and mind of themselves become pure and still, and calamities have no way to arise.

What is called “the host of sages guarding the gate” refers to the thirty-six thousand spirits within the human body, including the three hun-souls on the left and the seven po-souls on the right. The body also has twelve thousand forms and shadows, twenty-four thousand radiances of Jing (essence), and twenty-four spirits dwelling respectively in the five viscera and six bowels, the ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and other places. Each place has a palace in which spirits reside. If a person is pure and still, the multitude of spirits return to the body and each keeps its own station; hence it is said that “the host of sages guard the gate.” It is further said that the thirty-six thousand spirits each dwell in jasper palaces—abodes of the spirits—and from this one can know that what Master Yanluo said is not empty talk.

The spirits ascend to the celestial realm and pay homage before the supreme divinity.

Shen (spirit) is the mind. Daoist scriptures say: “To be intelligent and upright is called Shen; the unfathomable transformations of Yin-Yang are called sagehood.” Thus, when the mind is luminous, clear, and pure, the Dao (the Way) descends; when the Dao descends, Shen becomes spiritually luminous; and when Shen is spiritually luminous, one reaches the realm of the sage. Once this spiritual luminosity attains the sagely realm, one can ascend. What is called “ascent” means rising to the upper realm—the Great Luo Heaven (Daluo Tian) of the realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), above the Three Realms.

If a practitioner of the Dao can preserve and nourish Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen, keep primordial Qi (yuanqi) harmonious and abundant, and let Jing and Qi replenish the brain, and if, through further cultivation, one refines and nurtures “divine water” (a technical term in Daoist internal cultivation) so as to transform the spirit, then Shen and Qi can be made complete. One may then ascend above the Three Realms and pay court to the Most High Exalted Worthy.

What cultivators of immortality call “paying court to the Primordials” has two explanations: one concerns heaven and earth, and the other the human body. The Three Primordials of heaven and earth correspond to the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers) of the body, that is, the three sites of internal cultivation.

The Upper Primordial corresponds to the realm of Jade Clarity. Formed from Initial Qi (shiqi), it is called the Lord of Heavenly Treasure. It presides over the Qingwei Heaven of the Holy Realm of Jade Clarity, commands the twelve divisions of scriptures of sagely practice, and is the teaching lord of Dongzhen within the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen). In the human body it corresponds to the upper Dantian, the palace of the brain, also called the Imperial Lord of the Niwan Palace (Mud-pill Palace), and it governs Qi.

The Middle Primordial corresponds to the realm of Supreme Clarity. Formed from primordial Qi, it is called the Lord of Numinous Treasure. It presides over the Yuyu Heaven of the realm of Supreme Clarity, commands the twelve divisions of scriptures of perfected practice, and is the teaching lord of Dongxuan. In the human body it corresponds to the middle Dantian, the mansion of the heart, also called the Imperial Lord of the Crimson Palace, and it governs Shen.

The Lower Primordial corresponds to the realm of Grand Clarity. Formed from Mysterious Qi (xuanqi), it is called the Lord of Divine Treasure. It presides over the Great Scarlet Heaven of the Immortal Realm of Grand Clarity, commands the twelve divisions of scriptures of immortal practice, and is the teaching lord of Dongshen. In the human body it corresponds to the lower Dantian, the Sea of Qi, also called the Imperial Lord of the Kidney Palace, and it governs life.

Heaven and earth can take form only when they possess these Three Primordials, Three Palaces, and Three Treasures, and they fall into ruin if they lose them; the human body can live only when it possesses them, and it dies if it loses them. Hence the Huangting Jing (Scripture of the Yellow Court) says: “The Jing and Shen of the whole body must never be lost.” One should therefore treasure and preserve Jing and Shen. The scripture further says: “Immortals and Daoist adepts are not born with extraordinary powers; they accumulate Jing and Qi and gradually cultivate themselves into Perfected Persons.”

If a practitioner of the Dao can employ refined essence, preserve and visualize Shen and Qi—contemplating and regulating the Shen and Qi within the body by means of intention—pay court to the Three Primordials, and persevere in cultivation without turning back, then through long practice one will naturally attain the true Dao. Hence the sage says: “The mind can command Qi and Shen; one who knows how to guide the circulation of Qi with the mind is a person who has attained the Dao and become an immortal.” This shows that the methods of visualization and cultivation must all be guided by the mind.

When those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) bring merit and virtue to completion, they come into resonance with the Dijun (imperial lords, revered deities of Daoism). By reciting and upholding the Jing (scriptures) and persisting in practice without regression, they can ascend riding purple clouds.

This speaks of obtaining the fruit of cultivating the Dao. “Merit complete at eight hundred, deeds complete at three thousand” means that merit, virtue, and good conduct have been accumulated to fullness. The “merit and practice” mentioned in the commentary is the merit and the practical work accumulated through cultivation. If students of the Dao can train in taixi (embryonic breathing—a method of regulating the breath so that it becomes fine, subtle, and prolonged) and apply themselves diligently each day, they can accumulate merit and practice, resonate with the fruit of the Dao, and naturally be raised aloft. Ancient cultivators said that those whose merit is complete and whose practice is perfected may become officials of the Jinque (Golden Portal—the celestial palaces of Daoist legend) and walk at ease above the Yujing (Jade Capital—the celestial capital of immortals in Daoist legend).

If students of the Dao devote themselves to guarding the Sangong (Three Palaces—three sites in the body connected with cultivation) and pay homage to the Zhenyuan (True Origin—the source Qi [vital energy]), the joints and Qi channels throughout the body will flow freely, and the Shen (spirit) and Qi within will also be brought into harmony. “Resonance with the Dijun” means that after one upholds the Sanyuan (Three Origins—the upper, middle, and lower origins spoken of in Daoism), one can enter into resonance with the imperial lord corresponding to each origin. To recite the scriptures and hold them in mind without turning back means that one’s thoughts remain constantly directed toward the correct Dao.

“The body soaring on purple clouds” describes the state attained through the practice of inner contemplation. The five viscera correspond to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); cultivating the Five Phases so that true Qi nourishes the five viscera is called “filling the belly.” When the true Qi of the five viscera is abundant, one may reach the realm of shijie (corpse liberation—Daoism’s term for leaving the ordinary body and departing by transformation), passing in and out of being and non-being and transforming freely, so that the survival or perishing of the bodily form seems hazy and hard to fathom. This is one realm of attaining the Dao. Purple clouds are explained as the true Qi of the Five Phases condensed together, and also as the visible aura in which Heaven’s mandate is expressed. Legend has it that those who attain the Dao depart riding purple clouds, ascend to the Sanjing (Three Realms—the levels of the Daoist heavens), and pay homage to the Taishang Gaozun (Most High Exalted Worthy), thereby showing the honored standing that follows their attainment of the Dao.