《太上洞玄灵宝法烛经》

“Fa” is a general term for rules and standards; it means regulating things according to fixed criteria. The compass draws the circle and the square draws the square; only when the myriad things follow due measure can each attain its proper correctness. “Zhu” is something that can give light. It helps the moon succeed the sun, brightens what is dim, and lets people see clearly the things before them.

If a person is biased and crooked yet has no standard, there is no way to correct oneself; if one has a standard but lacks clear discernment, one still cannot perceive gain and loss. Therefore, one who wishes to set oneself right cannot do without a standard, and in applying a standard one likewise cannot lack clear discernment. One who wishes to settle body and mind must observe purification and fasting; and during such purification one should also study this scripture (Jing).

This scripture is like the lamp among standards. By upholding it and cultivating the methods of the Dao in accordance with it, one can obtain the true fruit of the Dao.

The Dao (the Way)—the name given in Daoist scriptures to the fundamental law of the cosmos—says: Among all things, the human being is the most honored; and for a human being, life is what is most precious. Life is sustained by Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy). Shen and Qi dwell in the body and bear upon the life of the four limbs and the hundred bones. A person cannot be without Qi for even a moment, nor allow Shen to lose its hold. When Shen loses its hold, the five viscera decline; when Qi is cut off, one collapses and dies. Qi and Shen always accompany one another, and Shen takes Qi as its root, growing strong by means of Qi. When Shen departs, Qi disperses; when Qi is severed, the body can no longer live.

Everyone fears death and cherishes life, yet does not know that the key to sustaining life lies in Shen and Qi. People often let their thoughts run toward danger and injure their own Qi, repeatedly disturbing Shen and wearing away the lifespan. They will not treasure clarity and stillness, nor do they know how to guard their original authenticity, and so they bring harm and early death upon themselves. How can one fail to cherish Jing (essence) and Qi, and to keep and nourish primordial Qi, in order to prolong one’s years? If one can harmonize body and mind and care for all things, it is like branches and leaves growing luxuriant, and blessings follow.

The sages saw the people chasing after the five desires—sound, color, and the rest (the five cravings that lead people into obsession)—and unable to find peace, so they established the method of zhai (the regulations of fasting and of practicing the Way): they used the conduct of affairs to still disturbance, prohibitions to block wayward thoughts within, and solemn bearing to guard against intrusion from without. Performing the rites and reciting scripture, Jing (scripture/classic), give the body and the tongue a restraint, so that through action one returns to quiet; contemplation of the deities (focused visualization of the spirits) gives thought a place to rest, so that one masters the tangle of ordinary affairs and returns to emptiness and stillness. One who can be quiet and empty of heart can accord with the Dao. It is like checking a bolting steed, setting the carriage in order, and returning to the proper road.

Yan Zun said, “Only when the mind is made empty and still can one inquire into the Dao and De (Virtue/Power); only when Qi is settled can one hope for a response from the spirits.” This is precisely the principle in question.

Yet some later practitioners valued form and slighted substance. Blessing lies in stillness, yet they insist on rushing outward to seek it; the root of one’s lot lies in oneself, yet they abandon themselves and chase external things. Although such people delight in cultivating the fast, they may not understand the method of zhai; even if they understand the method, they may not grasp the inner content of the zhai rites; even if they grasp that content, they may not penetrate the aim of fasting and abstinence; even if they penetrate the aim, they may not apprehend its true intent. Confused and indiscriminate, they take up everything, yet little by little they stray from the root, and never know it. This is like turning one’s back on a driving wind and drifting away with the torrent, not knowing how to turn against the current and seek the source, until at last one sinks for a long time in the sea of suffering. How can this fail to move one to grief?

The scriptural text is therefore divided into ten chapters, to be expounded during the fast: one chapter at the invocation before the fast, six chapters for practicing the Way at the six times, and three chapters for the three contemplations of the spirits. The ritual master should master these clearly and, in accordance with the ritual procedure of the zhai altar, preside over the zhai rites, while all who take part should, with empty minds, swear a covenant and receive the teaching. Only thus can what is seen and heard become clear, in the hope of thereby glimpsing the gate of the great Dao.

“Dao” (the Way) is the name of the supreme principle; “De” (Virtue/Power) is acting in accord with that principle; and “Jing” (scripture/classic) is the path that leads to the Great Dao. The Dao may be compared to a road, while De is good conduct and moral virtue. If one wishes to see the gate of the Great Dao, one must walk along this road.

Those who cultivate the Dao should study the classics according to proper norms, do good, and accumulate virtue; only then can they gradually reach the Dao. If one does not accumulate merit and virtue, but merely clings to a single thought and remains unchanged from beginning to end, one will ultimately be unable to attain the Dao. This is like a person sitting at home and refusing to take a step—how could such a person ever reach the destination?

Only when Dao, De, and the human being come together can the Dao be realized. If any one of the three is lacking, the matter is hard to accomplish. The “three” spoken of here refer to the Dao, the person, and the person’s merit and virtue: the person is the first; cultivating the practice and accumulating merit and virtue is the second; and merit and virtue being complete and in accord with the Dao is the third. Only when the three are joined can one attain the Dao. If one merely practices merit and virtue yet does not understand the Dao, one still cannot attain the Dao; if one merely understands the Dao yet lacks merit and virtue, one likewise cannot attain the Dao. Even if the Dao and its methods are present, should no one cultivate and put them into practice, the supreme principle will remain obscured and can never be realized.

This is like sowing seed: if the seed is placed in the soil but there is no water to nourish it, how can it grow? If there is a ruler and there are ministers, yet there are no common people, how can governance even be spoken of? If there are Heaven and Earth, yet there are no myriad things, how can Heaven and Earth nurture anything? Therefore it is said that only when the three come together can the myriad things be brought forth and nourished.

The Dao (the Way) says: If you wish to govern others, you should first cultivate yourself; if you wish to set others right, you should first set yourself right. In cultivating the self and rectifying the mind, nothing is more important than observing the fast and upholding uprightness. “Zhai” means order, bringing a person’s conduct into proper discipline; “zhi” means uprightness, bringing the mind that turns toward the Dao into rectitude. When thoughts are pure and the spirit (Shen) is settled, that is the meaning of the fast.

Living in the world, people are burdened by four great concerns. When hungry, they worry about food; when cold, they worry about clothing. Once food and clothing are sufficient, they worry about laying up stores. The poor long for wealth, and those of low station long for rank and honor. Thus fine flavors, sights and sounds, and every kind of desire arise one after another. Before these are gained, one fears not gaining them; once they are gained, one fears losing them. The will cannot rest for even a moment, and so one spends a whole life in anxiety and toil.

People busy themselves with rivalry and competition, their affairs tangled and confused. They are vexed by right and wrong, gain and loss, sorrow and joy, anger and delight; thoughts wind about them, the body grows weary, and the spirit suffers. In this way the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao withdraws far from them, and the hun and po souls seem to leave the body, so that the body is like an empty city. Baleful and deviant Qi draws nearer day by day, illnesses follow one upon another, and one may die early—or, condemned for one’s offenses, fall into the Three Paths (the three destinations of suffering spoken of in Daoism), with calamity extending to later generations.

Therefore the sages established rites of pure and quiet fasting, to set aside the toils of the dusty world, gather in the hun and po, and let the spirit rest. In practicing the fast one should be utterly sincere and reverent, solemn and composed, ceasing idle talk and debate, and not laughing or jesting; nor should one scold and rebuke, or let disordered thoughts disturb the mind. The eyes do not covet sights and sensual pleasures, nor become caught up in disputes of right and wrong; the ears do not listen to mixed noises, nor pry into matters of good or ill fortune. Take detachment as the mind, emptiness and non-being as one’s intent, centered harmony as what one holds to, and eating little as the foundation; in the heart, keep the Dao in mind and preserve and nourish the spirit. In this way Heaven and human beings can respond to one another, disaster is removed, blessings descend, and a person’s nature and life are preserved. Hence it is said: “Purity and stillness are the standard of the world.”

The scripture says: When one performs purification and abstinence, so long as one cultivates with uprightness, rendering heaven and earth clear and still, cutting off stray thoughts so that nothing weighs upon the mind, one can, by a single thought, unite with the Dao (the Way). The Qi (vital energy) of the Dao thereupon circulates and enters the person’s body. The generals and attendant officers whom the person has received—divine commanders appointed in Daoist ritual to protect and stand ready for service—will then safeguard him and obey his direction, so that wishes of every kind may be realized.

If one cannot maintain clarity and stillness, but instead the mind and spirit grow restless and deliberations multiply, going against the way of harmony and compliance and offending the precepts of the unseen realm, and if one performs no good deeds and does not reform the evil thoughts in the heart, then these attendant officers will depart and no longer heed commands. What one seeks will be difficult to obtain, and peril and calamity will follow in succession. Therefore the scripture says: “In governing the world, one must constantly rely on Wuwei (non-action) and freedom from affairs.”

The Dao teaches that what is called “Zhai” (purification) may be described as setting every kind of conduct in order and establishing a multitude of good deeds. One who cultivates Zhai should accomplish ten things: to endure humiliation, to treat others with gentleness and humility, to harbor compassion, to delight in giving, to do good in secret without seeking renown, to be loyal and filial, to be sincere and without falsity, to be careful and trustworthy, to remain vigilant and on guard, and to be solemn and reverent.

Only with these ten qualities may one cultivate Zhai, quiet the mind in reflection, draw in the hearing and sight that scatter outward, and turn back to contemplate oneself. Words are not uttered at random, and the body does not act rashly. In this way one can see formless appearances, hear soundless sounds, taste the flavor of what has no taste, and apprehend responses that use no words. The spirits therefore descend, and blessings follow; the mind is transformed and one’s state tends toward numinous clarity. One may also dream of auspicious visions, perceive the signs of events before they occur, and see what one wishes come to pass—all of these are regarded as signs that the cultivation of Zhai has succeeded.

If outwardly one does not observe ritual norms, and inwardly one does not keep the precepts; if one’s conduct has nothing worthy of praise and merit has no way of becoming manifest; if sincerity is not firm enough and the heart harbors doubt and hesitation; if the inner and the outer fail to accord, and what the mouth says does not match what the heart intends; if one’s temperament is hasty and perverse, one’s speech inconsistent and given to stirring up trouble; if one secretly curses others and envies them; if the will is not upright and the spirit is dissipated in sensual indulgence; and if one covets wealth and is fond of sensual pleasure, unable to restrain body and mind—then even a lifetime of cultivating Zhai will bring no blessed reward. Why is this so? Because the mind does not rest securely within, and the hun and po are instead worn out by being drawn along by external things; the harmonious Qi (vital energy) therefore disperses, and one cannot commune with the spirits.

Therefore the Jing (scripture) says: “When there is no desire, the mind is naturally still, and all under Heaven naturally returns to peace.”

When cultivating the methods of the Dao (the Way) and performing purification fasts, one should observe the precepts and broadly deliver all beings. The precepts are subtle and refined: they can restrain and gather in the thoughts of the mind, subdue the inner heart and render it pure, and cause calamity and defilement to disappear. The practitioner relies on wisdom to escape the suffering of birth and death, cuts off every kind of delusive thought, and moves toward the realm of Wuwei (non-action). One looks deeply into how thoughts arise and how they subside, discerns the illness of the mind, and then uses wisdom as a healing medicine to regulate and treat it.

On seeing beautiful forms and gains that can draw one into craving, one uses the precepts to remind oneself to close the eyes and collect the mind. On hearing words of resentment and venom, one reminds oneself not to listen. Faced with sweet and rich flavors, one restrains oneself and is moderate in food and drink. When the heart covets treasure and indulges desire, one uses the precepts to press down that craving. When one wishes to do what is improper and to walk toward evil conduct, one uses the precepts to stop oneself from going forward. Once these essentials are mastered, the body does not transgress the precepts; one transcends the turmoil of the dusty world and is not dragged along by worldly affairs.

Even while dwelling where the multitude is lost in craving, the mind still abides in the treasury of the Dao and the precepts. Even amid sorrow and distress, the mind still abides in the place of good deeds that rescue beings. Even in a dim and darkened room, the mind still faces the gateway that cuts off delusion. Even while depending on a house that is not secure, the mind still abides at the gate of skillful means. Even while sitting where snakes and insects come and go, the mind still thinks of the path that abandons danger and stays far from calamity. Even in a jungle where tigers and leopards gather, the mind still abides in the place of merit and virtue. Even while riding a perilous floating boat, the mind still walks firmly on the path of saving oneself. Even when drawing near a grove ablaze with fierce fire, the mind thinks only of the means to quench the blaze. Even while standing in a garden thick with thorns, the mind still possesses a protection like armor and a shielding screen.

This is my method of upholding the precepts and employing wisdom. Hence it is said: “Draw in the sharp edge, and dissolve disorder.”

(In the original text there are several passages where the wording is repeated and the connections are awkward; the above has been interpreted according to the context and slightly smoothed.)

The way of living as a human being rests on the “three foundations” and the “five governors.” What are the three foundations? The first is Shen (spirit), the second is Qi (vital energy), and the third is bodily form. Shen can be established and endure only by relying on Qi, while Qi moves in response to the working of Shen. The bodily form is sustained by Shen, and Shen is lodged within the bodily form. When Shen departs, Qi disperses; when Qi disperses, the bodily form perishes. The sage therefore nourishes Shen first, Qi next, and bodily form after that. Only when Shen, Qi, and form are brought into harmony with one another can long life be attained.

What are the five governors? The first is Jing (essence), which presides over seeing the various colors; the second is Shen, which presides over hearing the various sounds; the third is the hun (ethereal soul), which presides over distinguishing good from evil; the fourth is the po (corporeal soul), which presides over discerning the clear from the turbid; and the fifth is Qi, which presides over sensing pain and itch. The bodily form is thus the house in which Shen and the hun dwell; the five viscera are the chambers in which Jing and the hun dwell; and the nine orifices—the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and the other openings of the body—are the gates through which Shen and Qi pass in and out. That a person can see with the eyes, hear with the ears, breathe through the nose, speak with the mouth, and feel pain and itch in the body is entirely the result of the working of Jing and Shen, the hun and the po, and Qi.

If one of these functions is lost, a person becomes dull; if two are lost, one grows clouded and confused; if three are lost, one declines and is depleted; if four are lost, every kind of illness breaks out; and if all five are lost, the person dies. The dead cannot see, hear, breathe, or speak, nor can they feel pain or itch. This is not because they lack eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, and a body, but because Jing and Shen, together with the hun and the po, have already scattered and parted.

Joy and anger cause Jing to scatter so that it is hard to gather and store; sorrow blocks Shen so that it cannot circulate as it should; fright and terror leave the hun and po unsettled; and too much food, or food taken improperly, congests the body and obstructs the movement of Qi. The sage therefore holds that if Shen loses its charge, a person dies young; if Jing loses its charge, a person becomes mad and disordered; if the hun loses its charge, a person weeps in grief; if the po loses its charge, the complexion becomes abnormal; if the will (zhi) loses its charge, mind and Shen fall into confusion; and if intention (yi) loses its charge, Qi and strength grow weak.

One should therefore keep the inner mind clear and still, set desire aside, draw in one’s sharp edges, and dissolve turmoil. Do not injure Jing by craving beautiful things to excess; do not injure Shen through anxious thought and through love and hatred; do not injure the hun by giving free rein to delight; do not injure the po through violent anger; do not injure the body through immoderate eating and drinking; and do not injure Qi through excessive grief and through pouring out one’s feelings to the utmost.

One ought to dwell quietly, so that the Qi of Heaven and Earth unites with oneself and Qi remains in the body. One should follow the changes of the four seasons, adapt to cold and heat, regulate Yin and Yang, calm joy and anger, moderate food and drink, ease worry and suffering, avoid fog and dew, and take shelter from wind and rain; treasure Qi, replenish Jing, and nourish the hun through clarity, stillness, emptiness, and solitude. In cultivation, gaze inward as if blind, and turn the hearing back inward as if deaf. Remain empty, still, and plain, unpulled by external things. Observe the five viscera from within, and discern the changes in their form and color.

Meditative visualization (cunsi) of the inner mind can increase Jing; visualizing the liver can strengthen sight; visualizing the lungs can give the body a luster; visualizing the spleen can make the body light and vigorous; and visualizing the kidneys can make the breath long and continuous. When Shen and Qi are kept within the body, from where could illness arise? Hence it is said, “The Valley Spirit never dies.”

The Dao (the Way) says: Human beings have five viscera, endowed with the Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). Outwardly this appears as bodily form; inwardly it appears as temperament and disposition. The bones correspond to Wood, and so the body is light and vigorous; by preserving and nourishing the Qi of the kidneys, one can make the breath long and unbroken. When Shen (spirit) and Qi are kept within the body, from where could illness come? Hence it is said: “The valley spirit does not die.”

The Dao says: Human beings have five viscera, endowed with the Qi of the Five Phases. Outwardly this appears as bodily form; inwardly it appears as temperament and disposition. The bones belong to Wood, the blood to Water, the muscles to Earth, the teeth to Metal, and the warm breath to Fire. The liver corresponds to benevolence, the lungs to righteousness, the heart to propriety, the kidneys to trustworthiness, and the spleen to wisdom. The nature of Wood is firm, strong, and upright; the nature of Fire is fierce and intense; the nature of Earth is kind, generous, and gentle; the nature of Metal is stern and hard; the nature of Water is humble and yielding.

When people first receive their endowment of Qi, the Qi that each obtains differs in clarity and turbidity, and in firmness and softness. Those endowed with clear and bright Qi are intelligent and perceptive; those endowed with gentle Qi are warm, kind, and charitable, plain and loyal; those endowed with firm and strong Qi are noble and strict, brave and fiercely resolute; those endowed with turbid Qi are ignorant and vicious. A person’s temperament and disposition take form according to the Five Phases to which they belong and the Qi with which they are endowed.

Temperament and disposition bear upon a person’s destiny. Foolish people indulge their own temperament and thereby shorten their lifespan; wise people can discern and restrain their own nature, set right their minds and their conduct, reverently hold to and uphold the supreme Dao (the fundamental principle revered in Daoism), examine and illuminate their original mind, and bring every action into accord with the Dao. If anything in them does not accord with the Dao, they use the statutes and laws of the celestial realm to restrain and control their nature, change their habits, draw in and settle the mind, follow the regulations of their teacher’s lineage, entrust their lives to their teachers and the patriarchs of the Dao, and dare not grow lax.

In this way, the deities of Heaven will esteem them, the earth spirits (deities of the earth) will protect them, vicious and rebellious beings will fear them, their teachers and the patriarchs of the Dao will bless them, and Siming (the deity who governs human lifespan and the registers of fate) will enable them to pass through calamity. Their names will be written on the left tally (a token symbolizing recognition by the gods); the Southern Dipper will enter them in the register of life, and the Northern Dipper will remove them from the register of death, so that in the end they may become Zhenren (Perfected Persons, those who have succeeded in cultivation). Restraining one’s nature and bearing the mandate of Heaven—this is precisely what is meant. Hence it is said: “To return to one’s allotted life is the constant Dao; one who does not understand the constant Dao and acts recklessly will bring on misfortune.”

When practicing the guarding of the Dao (the Way) and the quieting of the mind in contemplative visualization, one should first sit upright with the body properly aligned, close the door, withdraw the ears and eyes, and gather the light of the spirit (Shen) back into the Crimson Palace (the place where, in Daoism, the heart-spirit is said to reside). One should cast aside every distracting thought, neither forcing oneself to look at anything nor deliberately chasing after vague images. After a considerable time, the breath gradually becomes faint; if one continues further, one naturally ceases to feel one’s own breathing. When one no longer perceives the breath, one also ceases to be aware of the body’s existence. To be able to forget the self is to enter the state of meditative absorption, and this may be regarded as stepping onto the path of seeking the Dao.

At this point, spirit-consciousness seems to dwell in the empty void of heaven; looking to the left or to the right, one sees nothing at all. The scripture (Jing) takes this as verification that such a state has been reached. Hence it is said: “Block the apertures of the senses, shut the gates of the senses, employ the inner light, and cause it to return to its original brightness.”

The Dao (the Way) says: Within the human body there are the “Three Ones,” namely Shen (spirit), the hun (ethereal soul), and the po (corporeal soul). What dwells in the center is Shen, a being condensed from harmonious Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); the nature of its Qi is upright. What dwells on the left is the hun, the Jing of pure Yang; the nature of its Qi is clear and bright. What dwells on the right is the po, the Jing of pure Yin; the nature of its Qi is turbid. Shen is one’s own spirit and also a descendant of the Dao. The hun and the po dwell separately on the left and the right, assisting Shen; because they differ in clarity and turbidity, their actions likewise differ as good and evil.

Day by day the hun urges me to do good, so that merit increases and the true Dao is at last attained; day by day the po tempts me to do evil, leading me into evil circumstances, deepening evil thoughts, until one finally sinks into wickedness. If a person who cultivates the Dao wishes to understand Shen, the hun, and the po, to perceive good and evil and distinguish the upright from the deviant, that person should quiet body and mind, earnestly recite the Jing (scriptures), and reflect and examine. Wisdom then arises of itself, and one can restrain the five desires (the desires of the five senses), wash clean the six emotions (the six kinds of feeling), cultivate goodness and accumulate De (Virtue/Power), and bring merit to fulfillment. In this way the evil spirits and demons represented by the po are all subdued and cannot encroach upon one. By concentrating and firmly holding to right mindfulness, one can attain spiritual resonance.

If one does not know how to distinguish the upright from the deviant, and has neither good deeds nor merit, but only forcibly closes the eyes and blocks the ears, cultivating the Dao by inwardly visualizing divine spirits, then all kinds of deviant thoughts will seize the chance to intrude. No sooner does one thought vanish than another arises; they follow upon and entangle one another, and one cannot break free. A person is then confused and disturbed, and for a long time cannot find peace. Therefore the scripture says: “Carry the vital soul and embrace the One; cleanse away the mysterious vision.” This means guarding body and mind and holding fast with single-minded concentration, and washing the inner heart so that inner contemplation becomes clear and bright.

The Dao further says: Human beings possess Jing, Shen, the hun, and the po, and the endowed quality of body and mind differs from that of ordinary living beings. What is noble in them is that they share the Dao with Heaven and Earth and unite in De with divine spirits, and that their clear discernment and penetrating understanding are like the sun and moon. In cultivating the Dao one should guard the One and cleanse the inner heart, so that profound and subtle contemplation becomes clear and bright.

The scripture says: Human beings possess Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit), together with the hun and po souls; the constitution of body and mind differs from that of ordinary things. The nobility of human beings lies in the ability to realize the Dao (the Way) of Heaven and Earth, to unite with the divine spirits, and to discern the principles of affairs as clearly as the sun and the moon. If one can settle the body and calm the mind, observe fasting and purification with a sincere heart, diligently and reverently uphold the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing [scripture/classic], and the Master venerated in Daoism), and gain a thorough understanding of the duties and positions of the officials and spirit-troops of the celestial realm, and if one then draws back the mind and Shen that have scattered outward and returns within, observes the “palaces” inside the body (the name in Daoist cultivation for the dwellings of the spirits within the body), concentrates on the places where the divine spirits reside, constantly seeks truth in emptiness and stillness, and realizes the substantial within the formless, one will be able, as it were, to illumine what lies above the Nine Heavens and to see what lies below the Nine Earths, and also to resonate with the mysterious and subtle Jing and Qi (vital energy) and to receive the Qi of the Primordial Beginning.

The Most High and Supremely Venerable (the supreme deity) manifests because of a person’s utmost sincerity; the Dao of life (the way of longevity) is exceedingly precious and likewise responds to utmost sincerity. Therefore, the pursuit of the Dao of longevity must begin from within oneself: one realizes the forms of Heaven and Earth within a single body. The body is like a vessel that holds the vast Heaven and Earth and contains the Four Seas and the Five Sacred Peaks; clouds of Qi rise and rain falls as if born of a person’s exhalation and inhalation; water-Qi gathers and moistening nourishment circulates as if taking place within the span of a breath. In this way, the practitioner can realize the body of Heaven and Earth within the self. Though remaining in one place, the mind and Shen can reach the far distance, as if everything were close before the eyes.

Cultivating in quiet sitting, one applies effort within the chest and the heart, yet blessings can extend beyond the eight directions. Shen and Qi harmonize and gather like mist; the key lies in body and mind remaining unmoved and in preserving purity and stillness. In a short time, calamities can be dispelled and one’s lifespan increased; the Dao of longevity likewise lies within oneself.

Therefore it is said: “Without peering outward through the window, one can still understand the Dao of Heaven; without stepping out the door, one can still know all under Heaven.”