《太平经钞》Vol. 1

The cosmos has a beginning and an end. The heavens and earth of ancient times were no different from those of today: they began in a state of beauty, then gradually declined, passing through periods of flourishing and decay, with success and failure taking turns. After the calamities of the “Yang Nine and Hundred-Six” cycle, the cosmos suffers a great collapse: heaven and earth fall into chaos and ruin, and humanity and all things perish with them. Only those who have long accumulated good deeds can escape the calamity and become the “seed people”—those who survive afterward and continue the human line. Even among the seed people, wisdom varies in degree, so they still need instruction from an enlightened ruler and teacher. Through teaching and cultivation, they can become sages and attain long life.

The Great Lord of Long Life bears the title “Most High, True One of Great Peace, Subtle Qi, August Heaven, Supreme Pure Golden Palace, Later Sage, Sovereign of the Nine Mysteries.” His surname is Li. He descends from the lineage of the Most High and is an heir of the Jade Emperor’s Void. The scripture records that he was born in Plum Valley on Mount Penglai, in the Heavenly Ridge Spirit Realm of the Northern Mysterious Jade Kingdom. While his mother was pregnant, she dreamed that dark clouds, the sun, and the moon circled around her. The Six Qi stirred her spirit like lightning, and she conceived through the influence of Yang Qi. When the Sovereign was born, three suns appeared in the east; afterward, nine dragons spouted divine water. He therefore took the valley’s name as his surname and the image of sunlight as his given name.

At three, the Sovereign understood the Great Dao. At five, he often gazed up at the sun and moon, observed the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, gathered in his hun and po souls, guarded his original spirit, and stored up Jing and Qi to strengthen his body. At seven, he began to swallow light, consume rosy clouds, and chew the essence of the sun. By fourteen, he had an extraordinary bearing. He turned away from worldly desires and resolved to transform and nurture the people. Later, he received the teachings of the Three Origins, studying the methods of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) and the arts of the Nine Directions. At twenty-one, he cultivated alone, tempering his abilities; at twenty-eight, he mixed with others and blended into the ordinary world; at thirty-five, he spread the subtle Dao and extended his merit far and wide; at forty-two, he received his appointment through a heavenly register and became the Later Sage Sovereign. Because his mandate came in a later age, he is called the “Later Sage.” The Dao practiced by the Former Sage and the Later Sage is one and the same.

The Sovereign dwells in the palace of Highest Clarity and roams the palace of the Supreme Ultimate. He also governs the heavens of the ten directions, commands countless living beings, and oversees the heavens, rivers and seas, earth’s veins, and mountains and forests. He rules the nine tiers of heaven, hence the title “Nine Mysteries.” At seventy, he established the methods of long life and compiled arts for attaining longevity, along with precious scriptures, talisman diagrams, and other ancient mysteries. These were stored in jade caskets and attended by divine officials. The transmission of scripture and methods follows rules, and there are proper times to practice or conceal them. The Sovereign left a model to be passed on to the seed people; those unable to follow these teachings do not count as seed people.

Now that the age of simplicity has grown distant and the Qi of Imperial Peace has withdrawn, calamities occur frequently. Since antiquity, wars, plagues, floods, and fires have struck one after another. They arise because people harbor crooked intentions and act deceitfully, violate the Five Virtues, indulge the Six Passions, and behave with violence and aggression. The proper order between the honored and the humble, the young and the old, and the rich and the poor falls into confusion. As a result, heaven and earth lose their order, the sun, moon, and stars stray from their courses, and portents and disasters multiply, harming spirits, ghosts, and human beings alike. If people still do not awaken and repent, calamities will grow ever more severe.

There are four great calamities: war, disease, flood, and fire. During a Yang Nine period, when Yin Qi is dominant, great floods occur; during a Hundred-Six period, when Yang Qi is dominant, great fires occur. A great flood came in the time of Yao, followed by a fire in the time of Tang. Though smaller floods and fires have occurred in various places since then, they were generally brought on by especially grave offenses, not by the large-scale calamities of the Yang Nine and Hundred-Six cycles. Within periods of great calamity, lesser and greater Jia-Shen years also occur. Jia-Shen marks the appointed time of disaster, when ghosts and spirits confront humanity. The severity of calamity varies according to people’s offenses and blessings, as well as the era and region in which they live. Good deeds can delay its onset, while evil deeds can bring it forward. Even if cultivation is insufficient to attain the Dao, one can still change the timing of calamity through one’s balance of merit and fault.

According to the scripture’s calculations, about forty-six years after a Ding-Hai year in the Tang dynasty, a lesser Jia-Shen year will bring alternating outbreaks of war, disease, and fire, though no great flood. Local floods will nevertheless strike various places. About fifty-five years later, a greater Jia-Shen year will bring three of these calamities at once, along with a great flood. When the lesser and greater Jia-Shen years arrive, wicked people will be weeded out, while the good will survive and become seed people. The wicked, however, will be reduced to “mixed chaff”—a mingled mass of fragments, signifying utter destruction. For fifteen years before and after the calamity period, and up to thirty years in all, disasters will be especially fierce. After the sages and worthies withdraw, divine beings of the Great Dao will send True Immortals and high adepts into the world to transmit scriptures and teach, admonishing those in high positions and guiding the people below. Those who follow the teachings will become seed people; those who refuse will sink into destruction.

Among the seed people, the highest kind of good person will make up less than one in ten. Half of the good people of middling and lower ranks will be eliminated by heavenly disasters; the surviving half will gradually flourish. At that time, a sage ruler, an enlightened teacher, and worthy ministers must descend into the world. After the lesser Jia-Shen year and before the Ren-Shen year, a ruler will appear who is sage, upright, benevolent, and harmless, and who can prolong life. Those who study diligently can attain the Dao and become Immortals. But unless they study the Scripture of Great Peace deeply and follow the Way of Great Peace over a long period, they will enjoy only a brief peace. The spirits who govern people’s lifespans will enter those who follow the right Way into the blue register; those who do not follow it will be entered into the black register. The black register signifies death, while the blue register signifies survival. The registers of life and death are kept in the Bright Hall in heaven. The Way of Heaven favors no one through personal ties; it helps only the good. Good people can bring about Great Peace only by cultivating the Way of Great Peace.

As for the Great Lord of Great Peace, the scripture identifies his surname as Li and says that he will appear on the sixth day of the third month in a Ren-Chen year, riding in a Three-Colored Radiance Chariot, drawn by ten thousand dragons. He will select good people as seed people and appoint those who study and cultivate as Immortal officials. He will establish rules and institutions, reward good deeds and put an end to evil, prevent offenses from multiplying, and urge people to increase their blessings and Virtue. Those who cultivate diligently without slackening can become divine perfected beings and unite their Virtue with the Sovereign’s. Those who grow negligent, turn back, and fall into evil will have their misdeeds recorded day by day and will ultimately be numbered among the mixed chaff. True adepts of the Dao have penetrating wisdom. They should cultivate diligently and commit the Sovereign’s teachings to memory, and they should not forget the Great Divine Lord and his attendants. The sage ruler, worthy ministers, and numinous officials protect the people, enabling them to escape death and remain seed people forever. They may then become officials among the Immortals and Perfected, and ultimately ascend to the rank of the Later Sage.

The Grand Preceptor of the Later Sage, Lord Li, was surnamed Peng. Lord Peng had studied the Dao before Lord Li and held the rank of Left Perfected One of Taiwei, an exalted immortal office in the celestial realm. In the age of the Human Sovereigns, he assisted the Lord of the Imperial Way and was often commanded to confer titles upon others. As Lord Li’s Grand Preceptor, he dwelt at the Radiant Spirit Terrace in the Northern Pond Palace of Taiwei. Every two thousand five hundred years, he changed his name and traveled through the Great Void, traversing the shadowed realms in all eight directions: ascending to the realm above all heights and descending to the realm below all depths. Few Perfected Officials ever saw his face.

The Later Sage, Lord Li, was the chief minister who assisted the Lord of the Azure Lad of Fangzhu Palace.

The Later Sage, Lord Li, traveled through the void, traversing the shadowed realms in all eight directions: ascending to the realm above all heights and descending to the realm below all depths. Few Perfected Officials ever saw his face.

The Later Sage, Lord Li, was the chief minister who assisted the Lord of the Azure Lad of Fangzhu Palace.

The Later Sage, Lord Li, was the chief protector who assisted the Primordial Lord of the Southern Pole in the Great Elixir Palace.

The Later Sage, Lord Li, was the chief tutor who assisted the Perfected Lord of Great Simplicity in White Mountain Palace.

The Later Sage, Lord Li, was the chief steward who assisted the Lord of All Perfected Ones in Western Citadel Palace.

The five people mentioned here are one Master and four assistants. “Assistant” carries the meanings of father and support: one should respect the assistants as one would a father and rely on their help in carrying out one’s work. Together, the four assistants are called the “Four Assistants.”

In detail, the Left Assistant, Right Adviser, Front Counsellor, and Rear Aide each have their own duties. The Rear Aide offers advice, handles affairs, repairs oversights, makes up for deficiencies, delivers judgments, and communicates and proclaims them; this role is equivalent to a chief minister. The Front Counsellor considers unresolved questions and enlightens the ruler, bringing matters into clarity; this role is equivalent to a tutor. The Right Adviser helps the ruler decide when he is hesitant; this role is equivalent to a guardian. The Left Assistant supports the ruler and follows the Master’s guidance, ensuring that affairs on every side are orderly and reasonable; this role is equivalent to a minister. The Four Assistants and the Master together observe and assess signs, examine whether matters are feasible, and help spread the teachings of the Orthodox Way. For this reason, they are collectively called the “Assistants and Master.”

When at leisure, if a question arises before him, the ruler asks the tutor; if he turns back and worries that something has been overlooked, he asks the chief minister; if something on his right is unclear, he asks the adviser; if something on his left remains unresolved, he asks the assistant. Consulting the Four Assistants allows the guardian, tutor, chief minister, and others to fulfil their respective duties. Whether an undertaking succeeds depends on the Master, so the Master is indispensable. The wise emperors set this example for later generations to follow.

When the ruler withdraws to his inner chambers, a guardian assists him in his affairs. The guardian belongs to Yin and occupies the right; this role governs stillness and safeguards the true Way. When the ruler goes out to attend to affairs of state, a Master guides him. The Master belongs to Yang and occupies the left; this role governs action and brings it back to stillness. The principle described here is especially profound. Therefore, the scripture passes over the details of the assistant ministers and focuses on the Master. Looking forward, the tutor is in front, responsible for laying out explanations and discussing matters of principle; looking back, the chief minister is behind, responsible for judging right and wrong.

There are also dukes, ministers, officials in charge of specific duties, immortals, perfected beings, sages, and other ranks of officials, numbering three hundred and sixty-one in all. Beneath them are thirty-six thousand attendants, who command three hundred and sixty thousand people. The people themselves are counted in multiples of ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, and a hundred million. The twenty-four Perfected Ones are constantly instructed to teach, in secret, those who sincerely seek the Dao. All these people are under the authority of the Supreme Minister of Fangzhu, a Daoist divine title. The remaining details cannot all be explained here. Grasp the main outline carefully, then investigate the particulars for yourself.

Well said. Today a question was raised, and instruction was heard in response.

Someone asked, “What did Lord Li practice to become such a high-ranking perfected being, as Daoism calls them? Could you tell me the methods practiced by the Grand Preceptor and the Four Assistants?”

The reply was, “Are you asking again and again because you are ignorant and confused, do not believe in the Dao, study without commitment, and waver in your conduct, leaving yourself mired in lowliness and hardship? I will tell you now.

Since the beginningless past, good deeds have been accumulated over a long time, mixed with both good and evil. There is no end to speaking of them, and speaking of them would be of no benefit. I will speak only of the practices that have recently enabled people to attain high rank: the Numinous Writ in Purple Script is the key.

After purifying himself in stillness, the Great Lord of the Green Youth, Master of the Eastern Florescence’s Jade Protection and High Dawn, practiced in the Yellow Chamber of the Cold Numinous Elixir Hall. Three years later, he journeyed to the Golden Gate of Shangqing. Within the Golden Gate were four Celestial Emperors, with the Lord of the Great Peace standing beside them. They dwelt in the Hall of Dongzhen in the jade terrace of the Great Void, in the Chamber of Level Jade and within the Golden Florescence. There were fifty thousand attendants and many perfected beings. Poisonous dragons, lightning tigers, and fierce beasts such as the Juetian guarded the gates. Giant tadpoles a thousand fathoms long guarded the walls and banks, while strange birds and beasts—including flying dragons, racing sparrows, and the great sea Peng—gathered in the spacious courtyard. The celestial realm was magnificent and awe-inspiring, its radiance shining in every direction. The wind stirred dark banners, and the canopies of plumes circled and danced. Jade trees rang with clear tones, and branches of precious jade sounded on their own. The music rose together as numinous songs began: phoenixes sang, divine consorts joined in chorus, qilin danced, and luan birds took flight. Celestial music echoed in all eight directions; nine kinds of harmony came together, and a hundred instruments played as one.

The Great Lord of the Green Youth crawled forward, asking to receive the Numinous Writ in Purple Script and to be taught its secret instructions orally. The scripture lists twenty-four practices: first, memorize the true instructions and keep them deep within the heart; second, learn the immortals’ prohibitions in detail and never forget them; third, gather flying roots and swallow the essence of the sun; fourth, take the numinous talisman of illumination; fifth, take in the radiance of the moon; sixth, take in the Yin-Born Talisman; seventh, summon and restrain the three Hun souls; eighth, subdue the seven Po souls; ninth, wear the Imperial Image Talisman; tenth, take the Flower Elixir; eleventh, take Yellow Water; twelfth, take Returning Water; thirteenth, eat ringed hard metal; fourteenth, eat phoenix brain; fifteenth, eat pine pears; sixteenth, eat plums and dates; seventeenth, take liquid decoctions; eighteenth, keep watch over silver and purple gold; nineteenth, take cloud-fat; twentieth, refine silver and purple gold; twenty-first, make objects for protection; twenty-second, eat bamboo shoots; twenty-third, eat dried swan meat; and twenty-fourth, wear the Talisman of the Five Spirits.

With these twenty-four practices, one can undergo endless transformations, transcend the Three Realms, and roam through the Six Directions. Calamities cannot harm one, and demons and malign forces dare not intrude; all will submit of their own accord. In the end, one attains the highest rank among the Daoist masters, extending grace to all things and offering protection to both the underworld and the visible world. Those who do not believe, do not understand, or refuse to seek knowledge, and simply remain in their own ignorance, will forever turn away from the Great Dao and fall into danger, suffering, and distress. Even the most compassionate heart can do nothing for them. How lamentable! Those with aspiration should make their plans early and must not let today’s words go to waste.”

The person replied, “Excellent, excellent! Today my doubts have been resolved, and I have heard your teaching.”

By cultivating in accord with the joining of Yin and Yang, and following the Great Dao, one can restore youthful vitality and delay aging. When the Great Dao is about to return, observable and verifiable signs appear in the body. Close your eyes and turn your attention inward: before you, it may seem that a clear, bright scene is unfolding. It is as though dawn is breaking, while your body sits calmly on its mat, as if surrounded by a warm, moist atmosphere. At such a time, the sinews and bones do not wish to move, and there is no desire to speak. Now and then, stretching or bending the body brings greater ease. The heart feels joyful and peaceful; the body feels warm and moist; the breath flows freely through the nose, and a sweet taste arises in the mouth. These are the signs spoken of in cultivation.

Thus, those who follow the movements of Heaven and Earth can govern for a long time; those who follow the changes of the four seasons will see their undertakings flourish. The Great Dao has no strange or obscure teachings: the mutual coordination of Yin and Yang is its guiding principle. Master this principle, and you will prosper and reach through to the spirits; go against it, and disorder will follow, making it difficult to practice the Dao. Carefully grasp its meaning, so that you may bring yourself into accord with the Great Dao.

People should gather in their bodies and minds and steady their thoughts, so they can understand how things work. Heaven brings people into being through the Dao, and everyone receives the same set of principles. Yin and Yang interweave, each occupying half, and work together to make a complete human body. Thus, the upper part symbolizes Yang and the lower part takes its model from Yin; the left side takes its model from Yang and the right from Yin. Yang governs nurture and growth, while Yin governs desolation and death. Yang represents the Dao, while Yin represents punishment. Yang represents goodness, and Yang spirits aid good deeds; Yin represents evil, and Yin spirits encourage wrongdoing. As good deeds accumulate, the blessings bestowed by the Dao become manifest, and a person grows more fortunate day by day.

Yang is above and Yin below. For this reason, a ruler should honor moral conduct and use punishment sparingly; this, too, is how one follows the principle of Yin and Yang. Petty people do the opposite: they slight moral conduct and rely heavily on punishment. They also take their model from Yin and Yang, but follow them in the wrong direction.

The human being is the foundation of the Dao and the vessel to which spirits are attached. Those who understand this and know how to care for themselves can live long. Those who do not care for their bodies will be reproached by the spirits within them. If the spirits leave, how can the body remain well? In doing good, one must not dare to violate the guiding principles or deceive oneself. The spirits know whether one does good or evil. These are not spirits from outside, but the spirits within the human body. A person’s words arise from the heart, yet others can hear them; in the same way, the spirits within the body know a person’s words and deeds.

Therefore, steadying one’s thoughts and settling body and mind are the foundation of self-cultivation and a sign of longevity. The way of Wuwei (non-action)—living in accord with nature and refraining from contrived action—begins here. One should first observe and learn from oneself, discerning good fortune and misfortune in the process. The wise examine themselves rather than constantly scrutinizing others. They reflect deeply on the meaning of the Dao and are thus able to bring about peace and order. A gentleman who receives this teaching can achieve success; a petty person who follows it will meet with ruin.

Cultivating “the One” (single-mindedness and holding fast to the root) can drive away harmful influences. Since the opening of Heaven and Earth, the root has been most precious: it is the beginning of Original Qi (yuanqi). To bring about peace and order, one must never forget the root. Without reflecting on it, one remains deeply confused, finds it hard to accomplish anything, and suffers one calamity after another. This is not a person’s fault, but the result of losing one’s foundation. Abandon the root to pursue the branches, and troubles will be hard to quell; therefore, one should reflect deeply.

“The One” is the source of the Dao, the beginning of Original Qi, the foundation on which life depends, and the sovereign of everyone’s heart and spirit. One must understand where it truly resides: at the center, as the root and the place where life gathers. One should therefore understand it profoundly, turn toward benevolence and wisdom, and put the way of the benevolent and wise into practice.

The root of a person lies within, while the branches and leaves lie without. Hold fast to “the One,” let the outer branches and leaves each settle into their proper place, and quickly tend to the inner root. Trace matters back to their distant source, while also addressing the problems at hand. Hold to “the One,” and the heavenly spirits will help; hold to “the Two,” and the earthly spirits will help; hold to “the Three,” and the spirits of the dead will help; hold to the Four and Five, and the myriad things will lend their aid. Thus, holding to “the One” can extend life; holding to “the Two” brings danger; holding to “the Three” throws governance into disorder; and holding to the Four and Five brings calamities ever closer. To grasp this principle deeply is to understand the Dao.

Each part of the body, too, has its own “One”: in the head, it is the crown; among the seven orifices (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and so on), it is the eyes; in the abdomen, it is the navel; in the meridians, it is Qi (vital energy); among the five viscera, it is the heart; in the limbs, it is the palms and soles; in the bones, it is the spine; and in the muscles, it is the intestines and stomach. Whoever can resolutely hold fast to the root and understand its principle can, through attaining the Dao, become benevolent and generous; losing the Dao leads to greed.

By using music to nourish the body, keep one’s form settled and thoughts flowing freely, and focus the mind to ward off calamity, what role does music play in relation to the Dao? Music can harmonize Yin-Yang and also enable the myriad things to work upon one another in silence. It is the foundation by which people attain the Dao.

Thus, when the original Qi is harmonious, the myriad things flourish greatly; when nature is harmonious, the myriad things grow strong; when Heaven is harmonious, the sun, moon, and stars shine brightly; when Earth is harmonious, the growth of the myriad things remains in its proper course; when the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are harmonious, they do not harm one another; when the four seasons are harmonious, the things they nurture thrive; when the ruler is harmonious, there is no illness throughout the realm; when creatures are harmonious, they do not injure one another, and the myriad things grow strong. When the myriad things are harmonious, they remain in their proper course; when people’s hearts are harmonious, they are free of sorrow and less likely to waver in their convictions; when spirits and deities are harmonious, they bring benefit to the emperor.

Music, then, is formed from the fine, benevolent Qi of Heaven and Earth and can be used to communicate with the spirits. A tranquil heart gives rise to radiance, and this radiance can be used to resonate with the spirits. Those who can communicate with the spirits may take the Dao as their companion, and so may hope to live long and endure.

People often suffer in their pursuit of the Dao because they cannot turn their thoughts around. If customs can now be transformed and people’s hearts guided toward the right course, who would still contend against it? Does the music of Great Peace really originate in the palace?

As long as the state is peaceful and stable, people can settle themselves and enter the Dao. The border tribes will withdraw, auspicious signs will appear, the celestial patterns will return to their normal course, and the baleful spirits will depart.

A person’s Shen (spirit) is originally born within the body, yet it may wander outside. If it does not return at the proper time, it will harm the body. If one can find a way to call it back and make it return, one can tend to oneself and avoid decline. How can it be called back? One should be alone in an empty, quiet room. Draw images according to the colors associated with each of the Five Viscera, corresponding them to the Qi of the four seasons. Hang the images where light from a window falls, and contemplate them with focused attention. Above, depict the visceral forms—the Five Viscera and their spirits; below, depict the ten directions—the four quarters, the four intermediate directions, and above and below. When lying down, imagine drawing close to the hanging images and continue contemplating them. The spirits of the Five Viscera will then be able to report changes in the climate across the twenty-four solar terms, while the spirits of the Five Phases will come to help and bring recovery from all kinds of illness.

Men should contemplate boy attendants and women should contemplate girl attendants, each one chi in height. Change the images with the seasons: in spring, depict ten green attendants; in summer, ten red attendants; in autumn, ten white attendants; in winter, ten black attendants; and at the transition between seasons, twelve yellow attendants.

The twenty-five divine beings and perfected beings together embody the principles of proper conduct in Dao and De: Yang can transform into Yin, and Yin can transform into Yang. When Yin and Yang work together, the Dao can function. Heaven depends on Earth for all things to grow; Earth depends on Heaven for all things to come to completion. Spring and summer need autumn and winter, just as day needs night. A ruler needs ministers, and Yin and Yang likewise need to transform and work together for the Dao to function. A ruler can govern the state with ministers, and ministers can carry out their duties with a ruler. Thus Jia needs Yi, Zi needs Chou, and all things need one another’s cooperation to accomplish the governance of the Dao together. Governance should accord with the Way of Heaven; to fail to accord with it is to go against it.

This is like the Eastern Sea, which lies low and gathers the waters, so that all the rivers flow toward it. In this way, it has obtained the pattern of the waterways. Whales emerge from the sea, and luminous pearls are produced from it: these are the results that appear when one follows this Way.

When practitioners of the Dao gather together, they are sure to obtain wondrous methods for prolonging life and bringing forth great auspicious signs. When many worthy people gather, they can bring political stability and peace to the realm. When many scholars gather, they can quell smaller disturbances. But when many weapons gather, they bring great chaos and defeat. A ruler should uphold the Dao; ministers should uphold De (Virtue/Power). The relationship between Dao and De is like that between the outer and inner layers of a garment: each depends on the other.

Heaven does not confine itself to vastness, and so it can embrace all things. All things have good and bad qualities; each should be allowed to find its place and coexist with the others. The ruler should take Heaven as a model, and the empress and the women of the inner court should likewise emulate its tolerance. This is how loving parents behave: they raise their children, cherishing those who are good and showing compassion even to those who are not, making room for their faults. In this way, the family can live in harmony. The sun symbolizes the ruler, the moon the ministers, and the stars the officials. When many worthy people each shine in their own way, all things can grow in harmony. Thus, clear Qi (vital energy) appears in Heaven, turbid Qi gathers on Earth, and balanced Qi appears among people.

The method for harmonizing the spirits: I wish for all the spirits of the world to live in harmony and affection, no longer acting recklessly or harming people. May Heaven and Earth remain peaceful and joyful for ages, may all the spirits rejoice, and may people suffer no more. When an emperor receives Heaven’s aid, his undertakings are blessed. How could such power be taken lightly? Thus, a sage who upholds the Dao may be called upon and addressed by the gods while eating in the quiet of early morning, just as people today call upon guests. The many gods say they are officials and envoys of Heaven; the assembled essences—the various spirits—say they are officials and envoys of Earth; and the many ghosts say they are envoys of balance. These three groups are all envoys who harmonize Yin-Yang, helping Heaven and Earth govern the myriad things and working together to benefit the emperor.

The method of guarding the One and attaining clarity: “Guarding the One and attaining clarity” is the foundation of longevity. It also gives the myriad gods something to honor and allows them to appear through the gate of light. When the primordial essence of life becomes clear, it is like a fire just beginning to kindle. At that moment, one must quickly guard it, so that Heaven and Earth may be brought into order and together carry out works that benefit the emperor.

Guard the “One Essence”—an inward spirit that is focused and pure—and keep it clear. This is the foundation of longevity and the gateway through which the myriad spirits find their dwelling and radiance appears. When the spirit’s refined brightness emerges, it is like a fire just kindled: guard it at once, so it does not scatter and fade. At first it is a vivid red, then a clear white, and after a long time a pure blue-green. The spirit becomes penetratingly bright and reaches distant places. Then, by returning to guard and nourish this essence and Qi, one finds nothing within that remains unclear. In this way, all illness can be dispelled. As long as one keeps this practice without slackening, it may be called the art of longevity. In the method of guarding the One and illuminating the spirit, the light is said to resemble the radiance of sunrise or the brightness of the sun at noon. This is the finest method, by which one may receive the lifespan granted by Heaven. Dwell quietly in a peaceful place, maintain the practice, and never lose it over time.

The method of guarding the One reveals whether one is practicing the Dao well or poorly. What is the Dao? It is the root of all things, yet no name can describe it precisely. Within the four quarters of Heaven and Earth, without the Dao, nothing can transform. Original Qi follows the Dao in its movement and brings forth all things. Heaven and Earth, in all their vastness and smallness, are born from the Dao. Thus, Original Qi has no form, yet it can generate and govern things that do have form, allowing Qi to unfold and flow. No name can describe it precisely. Without the Dao, all things could neither follow their nature and find their proper place, nor keep what is high from being overturned.

Heaven moves along the Dao without pause, day and night, faster than wind and rain. Even Heaven fears straying from the Dao’s intent—how much more so should a ruler? The sun, moon, and stars follow the Dao without respite; thus they hang high in the sky and shine in every direction. Once they depart from the Dao, their radiance vanishes. The ruler, the officials, all things, and living beings respond to one another and share their existence. The Five Planets observe the ruler’s faults. When the ruler restores De, the Star of Virtue comes to guard him; when he uses force, the Star of Martial Power comes to guard him; when he governs with gentleness, the Star of Gentleness comes to guard him; when he acts with severity, the Star of Strength comes to guard him; and when he upholds trustworthiness, the Star of Trust comes to guard him. Though Heaven and the ruler are far apart, Heaven’s response arrives swiftly. Heaven and humanity are one body—how could one fail to act with care?

Spring should be warm, summer hot, autumn cool, and winter cold. This is how the climate reflects the De of a ruler. The royal qi, which symbolizes the ruler’s fortune, corresponds to the emperor; the qi of ministers corresponds to senior officials; subtle qi corresponds to minor functionaries; flourishing qi corresponds to the imperial harem; declining qi corresponds to the common people; and the qi of punishment and death corresponds to prisoners. Different kinds of qi respond to one another from afar according to their respective categories. That is the principle at work. If royal qi does not arrive, the ruler’s benevolence cannot be put into effect.

The wise and enlightened rulers of antiquity reflected on the Dao of Heaven in this way. They carefully observed the signs of gain and loss and grasped their meaning. When a ruler follows the Dao, Heaven and Earth rejoice; when a ruler strays from it, Heaven and Earth send down calamities and anomalies. A ruler should quietly reflect on De, act in accordance with the Dao, settle himself in it, and seek longevity while nourishing life. He should also bring harmony to the relationship between husband and wife, so that Yin and Yang each find their proper place and Heaven and Earth can be at peace. Heaven is separated from the emperor by tens of thousands of miles, yet it can respond to the Dao. Is this not wondrous?

This scripture is called the Book of Divine Secrets, a book that tells of wondrous principles. Primordial Qi moves naturally and forms the nature of all things between Heaven and Earth. When the four quarters of Heaven and Earth are harmonious, auspicious responses appear; when they are not, baleful responses arise. The form of an event is reflected in the corresponding phenomena, and a sound draws an answering echo. Great Yin, Great Yang, and the Qi of central harmony together sustain the workings of Heaven and Earth, responding to and influencing one another. Human beings dwell among them like a pivot, and so should understand this deeply.

Everyone knows that cherishing life and caring for the body go hand in hand with respecting those above, caring for those below, welcoming life, and loathing death. The Three Qi are thereby brought into harmony and gather as the Qi of Great Harmony, so auspicious signs appear together. One should gather worthy people and devote oneself to seeking the way to longevity; only then can one bring stability to those above and become a precious asset to the state. One who can nurture their own nature can also nurture the people. Heaven does not grant its protection out of favoritism; its protection has signs by which it can be recognized. The spirits do not favor any one person; the conduct of the good is their proof.

How can a person become worthy and respond to the spirits, yet also become unworthy? It is because conduct has gone astray, and the Way of the spirits reveals corresponding signs. Thus, both guarding the One—a method of cultivation that keeps the spirit focused—and nurturing one’s nature must be mastered through learning. Among the people, those who regularly receive auspicious signs are trustworthy and upright; those who receive none may have acted wrongly. Observe the signs and distinguish right from wrong, and the circumstances will become clear. Weigh what is important and what is slight, and human feelings can be understood. Heaven observes the human world as a mirror reflects things. Consider this principle carefully, align your wishes with Heaven, and receive the protection of the true spirits—how could this fail to bring good fortune?

In carrying out affairs, one should be meticulous and precise, without the slightest error, in order to grasp the meaning of central harmony between Heaven and Earth. Only when Heaven and Earth are in harmony can the myriad things be at peace; only when government administers justice fairly can the people live in tranquillity. If only Yang Qi is set in motion, Earth’s Qi cannot fully transform and nurture the myriad things; if only Yin Qi is set in motion, Heaven’s Way cannot fully bring them to life and sustain them. Yin, Yang, and the Qi of central harmony must be brought together and coordinated with one another, so that harmonious Qi can dwell among them. The ancient sages, in governing the world and bringing about peace, always sought the Way of central harmony between Heaven and Earth. When the movement of a single Qi is obstructed, all affairs fall into disorder.

Only by harmonizing the three Qi of Heaven, Earth, and humanity can one establish the principles by which an emperor governs the world. One must understand the principle of balance and harmony between Heaven and Earth, follow the great enterprise, and allow the three Qi to move in harmony, with Yin and Yang working together. Only then can harmonious Qi arise among them. The sages of antiquity, when governing the world and bringing about peace, always sought the heart of balance and harmony between Heaven and Earth. If even one Qi cannot flow freely, all affairs will fall into disorder.

Harmonize the three Qi and establish the way for an emperor to govern: let the principle of balance and harmony between Heaven and Earth flow freely, follow the great enterprise, and allow the three Qi to move in harmony. If a ruler can bring peace and stability to the world, worthy people will appear in succession to help him govern well, and Heaven will rejoice greatly. If he follows Heaven and Earth completely, without the slightest deviation, peace can be achieved swiftly, and auspicious signs will appear together.

Primordial Qi has three names: Greater Yang, Greater Yin, and Central Harmony. Forms fall into three categories: Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Heaven has the Sun, Moon, and stars as its three signs, with the North Pole as its center; Earth has mountains, rivers, and level ground; humanity has father, mother, and child. The governance of the world also has three parts: ruler, ministers, and people. To bring about peace, ruler, ministers, and people must keep one another constantly in mind, work together without the slightest discord, and share concern for the world as one family. In this way they can establish peace, allowing people to live long without anxiety.

Thus the man symbolizes Heaven: his concern for the woman in his heart is a clear manifestation of Heaven within the human body. Ministers symbolize Earth. Earth is always moving upward, seeking to be of one mind with Heaven. All things grow from the Earth and continue growing upward without pause; clouds rise to Heaven and gather into rain. In the same way, loyal ministers are always concerned for their ruler and urgently keep him in mind. This is a clear manifestation of Earth within the human body.

The people symbolize Central Harmony and are responsible for bringing the myriad things into balance. Central Harmony is like an infant: a child is born of its parents, receives its life from its father and belongs to his lineage, yet is carried in its mother’s body. Thus, when wronged, the child thinks of the ruler and of its parents. These three express the relationships between husband and wife, and between father and child. The three parts should communicate with one another, work together wholeheartedly, and share concern for the world. Then the three Qi can come together and form Great Harmony. Great Harmony gives rise to the Qi of peace. If the three Qi are cut off from one another, and any one of them cannot flow freely, Great Harmony will not arrive and peace cannot be achieved. Whether Yin and Yang are in harmony depends on Central Harmony. When the Qi of Central Harmony flows smoothly, the myriad things flourish and grow, the people live in concord, and the ruler’s governance attains peace.

The ruler symbolizes Heaven. If his benevolence does not reach those below, the myriad things cannot grow and the people cannot live long. If the ruler’s intentions cannot reach those below, Heaven’s heart cannot be conveyed, and his wife and children will not receive the teachings of the ruler and father; disorder will then arise within the household. If the Qi of ministers cannot flow freely, the Qi of Earth cannot fulfill its function. How, then, can loyal ministers help an enlightened ruler govern the world? If Earth’s heart is wounded, leaving widows to live alone in constant sorrow, worthy ministers will have no way to gain an audience. If the people’s voices cannot reach those above, how can harmonious Qi arise? The Qi of Central Harmony should bring the ruler and the myriad things into balance, so that all are governed properly. But now the three Qi cannot communicate well with one another. How, then, can peace be achieved?

The way of a ruler’s peace and well-being means that the ruler should use moral instruction to transform all things, so that each finds its proper place. If a ruler cannot transform all things and enable each to find its proper place, that person cannot be called a ruler. It is like a couple who give birth to a child together: only then can they be called parents and form a family. If they cannot have a child, on what grounds can they be called parents? Likewise, those who cannot nurture and transform all things cannot be called the parents of all things.

Fire can change the nature of four substances—wood, metal, earth, and water—and is therefore likened to a ruler. Fire is mild and single-minded by nature, yet when exposed to fire, it disperses into ash. Metal is hard and strong, but softens in fire. Earth is yielding, but hardens in fire and becomes tile. Water is cold, but grows warm when exposed to fire. Fire corresponds to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and can bring about continual change; its nature is active and upward-moving. Yin follows Yang, and ministers follow the ruler. The ruler, in turn, should discern what is reasonable and distinguish right from wrong. This is why fire symbolizes the ruler, while the other substances do not. Earth’s transformation does not happen at once; it becomes apparent only after a long time, which is why it is called “Houtu” (the Earth Deity). Wood, metal, and water assist fire in carrying out its work, symbolizing the duties of ministers.

There is nothing the Dao cannot nurture and transform. Primordial Qi, the original vital energy that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being, follows the Dao in its movement and generates Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth stand without pillars, and all things grow without needing to reproduce from their own kind; only later does the pattern of like giving rise to like gradually take shape. It is like plants growing from the ground: at first, there were no plants of the same kind to serve as seeds. This is how primordial Qi follows the Dao to generate all things. When all things follow their nature and move in accordance with the Dao, each finds its proper place.

When Heaven follows the Dao in its movement, it is called spirit, and its workings are present everywhere. It corresponds above to the ruler and the father, and can govern and nurture all things, truly embodying the meaning of the Dao. When Earth follows the Dao in its movement, the five directions—east, west, south, north, and center—converge at the middle, and all things return to the earth. When the sun, moon, and stars—the “Three Luminaries”—follow the Dao in their movement, they can illuminate and observe all things. Thunder and lightning follow the Dao in their movement, and so can stir the world and travel back and forth by means of Qi. The four seasons and the Five Phases follow the Dao in their movement, enabling all things to change while maintaining an ordered pattern. Yin and Yang, and female and male, follow the Dao in their movement, allowing life to continue from one generation to the next.

Matters great and small should all be carried out in accordance with the Dao; then calamity will not arise. Today, when the Dao is lost, great disorder follows. When Yang Qi is settled, all things grow naturally; when Yin Qi is settled, all things ripen naturally. When Yin and Yang are governed in accordance with the Dao, instruction reaches the ministers, who then put it into practice among the people. Only by receiving Heaven’s mandate and the bodily form bestowed by Earth, and by learning from teachers, can the ruler hear the fundamental principles of the world.

Those who hold fast to the root can become kings; those who hold fast to the branches can become ministers. If one attends only to outward splendor, things may seem well for a time, but disorder will ultimately follow and cannot last. The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the empress is the daughter of Earth; together, they receive the most important divine Qi of Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth always wish them peace and well-being, and do not wish them to suffer worry or hardship; they cherish them in this way. This expresses the intention of Heaven and Earth and shows that the emperor and empress receive the most important Qi. If the ruler suffers worry and hardship, the Qi of the four seasons and Five Phases will fall out of balance, and the processes of life and death will lose their proper measure.

He is a child born of Heaven and Earth, and the first divine Qi between them. Heaven and Earth always wish him happiness, sparing him sorrow and suffering, and cherish him as they would a beloved child. This is the intention of Heaven and Earth, and the Qi they prize most. Thus, when a ruler is sorrowful and suffers, the movement of the four seasons and the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) fall out of balance, and killing and the renewal of life lose their proper measure.

The Method of Returning the Shen by Contemplating Images: Shen arises within the body. In spring, contemplate ten green youths; in summer, ten red youths; in autumn, ten white youths; in winter, ten black youths; and at the turn of each season, twelve yellow youths. These are the Shen concealed within a man’s body; a woman’s body likewise contains the same number of female Shen. Men should contemplate male youths, and women female youths. Make each figure one chi tall, and depict them as beautiful and pleasing to behold. In this way, sorrow can be dispelled and the Hun and Shen swiftly returned.

Since the creation of Heaven and Earth, baleful Qi has never ceased. Even when it subsides, it breaks out again. Why is this? A human lifespan is a treasure cherished by Heaven. Blessings and De cannot be gained through false pretenses. To obtain this precious gift of life, one must ensure that nothing, near or far, in the four directions of Heaven and Earth is wronged or left with resentment, and that all things live in mutual harmony. Only then can life be prolonged. A single thing that causes displeasure may bring injury and death.

Sometimes people strive to do good yet encounter misfortune; sometimes they strive to do evil yet gain benefits. It is wrong, then, to assume oneself wise and worthy. Doing good and meeting with misfortune is the effect of inherited burden: calamities from earlier generations are passed down and accumulate upon a person. Doing evil and gaining benefits does not mean one is wise and worthy either. It is because earlier generations accumulated deep merit, whose blessings have been passed down. If that person performs great deeds of merit, surpassing the achievements of those before, then even calamities left by the ancestors cannot harm them. A person’s actions also affect their descendants, and this continues as inherited burden. Five generations make a small cycle; after ten generations, things return to their starting point. Some people do only a little good and still cannot escape imprisonment. This is because of the wrongs left by their ancestors: the calamity of inherited burden continues into the present, sometimes even wiping out a family and leaving no descendants. This is truly an injustice.

Inherited burden also operates on different levels. The effects of an emperor’s rule can continue for thirty thousand years; those of ministers, for three thousand years; and those of the common people, for three hundred years. These effects pass from one generation to the next, sometimes lying dormant and sometimes appearing, as political order rises and declines. If today we could model governance on the order of Heaven and govern according to the Way of the August Heaven, this calamity could be brought to an end. We should consider this deeply and not forget it.

Human lifespans fall into three grades, corresponding to three kinds of Qi: the life spans of Great Yang, Great Yin, and Harmony. The upper lifespan is one hundred and twenty years, the middle one eighty years, and the lower one sixty years. One hundred and twenty years corresponds to a complete cycle of Heaven, symbolizing one full revolution of Heaven and Earth. Eighty years corresponds to the division of Yin and Yang and the differentiation of the myriad things: the dead depart, while the living remain. Sixty years corresponds to the Qi of Harmony and the “Sixth Month Dun Hexagram,” one of the hexagrams in the Book of Changes, traditionally associated with withdrawal and decline. Dun means to withdraw or disappear, and so it is regarded as the time when life and death meet. Those who keep doing good and live beyond these spans are said to “transcend the world,” surpassing the usual limits of life. Those who keep doing evil and die before reaching any of these spans are considered to have died prematurely. A fetus, or a child who dies before reaching adulthood, is said to be an innocent bearer of the ancestors’ burden.

The scripture also links various illnesses to imbalances in the Qi of Heaven and Earth. Frequent head ailments show that the weather is displeased; frequent foot ailments show that the Earth’s Qi is displeased. Frequent illnesses of the internal organs arise from conflict among the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); frequent ailments of the limbs arise from disharmony among the Qi of the four seasons. A large number of deaf or blind people indicate that the movements of the sun, moon, and stars have lost their proper order. Frequent illnesses of alternating cold and fever arise from conflict between Yin and Yang Qi. Frequent cases of mental confusion show that the myriad things have left their proper places. Many illnesses attributed to ghosts and spirits indicate the anger of the divine powers of Heaven and Earth. Many deaths from epidemic fever occur because Great Yang Qi harms people; many deaths from cold occur because Great Yin Qi brings harm. Frequent sudden deaths arise because the Qi of punishment is too urgent. Frequent abdominal swelling or shortness of breath indicates disharmony in the Eight Seasonal Nodes, the key points at which the seasons change.

Today, the order of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth is thoroughly disrupted, so the myriad things suffer illness and calamity. Imperial governance is out of harmony; floods and droughts occur unpredictably, and thieves and bandits arise again and again. The authorities respond by imposing harsher punishments, making the disorder grow more tangled and unceasing. The people cry out to Heaven for help, while official governance falls into chaos and disorder and the myriad things are harmed. Heaven, too, is affected: the sun, moon, and stars become erratic and changeable, and the stars stray from their proper courses. Only those who follow the highest Dao can find a way to remedy this situation. Once Heaven’s might is roused, it is difficult to restrain; to offend Heaven is to bring premature death upon oneself.

When Heaven and Earth first came into being, each sage understood one aspect of the principles of the Dao. Once they truly understood it, they had no further doubts. Each established a body of work for later generations to follow, but each sage was skilled in only one area and could not fully understand the Way of Heaven. Thus each had a different kind of De. Heaven has its own strengths, Earth has its own strengths, and the Qi of Harmony is responsible for nurturing the myriad things. If even Heaven and Earth cannot attend to everything, how much less can ordinary people?

Hai marks the extreme northwest of Heaven and Earth, while Si marks the extreme southeast. If the cold at the time of Hai is not gathered in at its proper time, its effects will return at the time of Si the following year. Zi marks the northern extreme, and Wu the southern extreme. If, at the time of Zi in winter, one fails to follow the season and gather things in, the corresponding calamity will come at the time of Wu. Chou marks the northeastern extreme, and Wei the southwestern extreme. If things do not sprout at the proper time of Chou, the corresponding punishment will come in the sixth month. Such are the patterns governing the movements of Heaven and Earth.

Though an emperor lives within the palace, if he puts De to use and governs with benevolence, his grace can reach thousands of miles, benefiting the people: fathers are loving, children are filial, every household has enough clothing and food, and people do no evil. Conversely, if an emperor loses De, the people and officials thousands of miles away will fail in their duties. Though the places are far apart, their roots are connected. Learning good words is not as valuable as putting them into practice.

The Perfected asks the Spirit Person, “I do not know what it means to live in constant joy. How can one attain it?”

The Spirit Person replies, “Do you remember that broad-minded Perfected of old? He attained the Dao earlier than others and lived longer than they did because he abandoned deviant ways and devoted himself to pursuing the true Dao. The true Dao can protect a person for a long time; deviant ways, by contrast, fade away. Everyone else suffers and declines, while I alone endure in the world. This is what it means to live in constant joy. If one can clearly and peacefully find contentment in solitude, what is there to resent? And if, in the end, one still cannot attain long life, what is to be done?”

The Spirit Person says, “Through long and steady practice, one draws near to success; by keeping good thoughts in mind, one draws near to long life. The Dao is an inexhaustible body of scriptures and principles. In remote antiquity, when Spirit Persons governed the world, they appointed Perfected Ones as ministers to govern the people. The people did not even know that an emperor ruled above them. They simply followed the natural patterns of the Dao and lived without being managed through forceful intervention.

“One level below this, Perfected Ones ruled and Immortals served as ministers. Although the people did not often see their ruler, they gradually came to know that there was an emperor. They followed his instructions and respected him. A level below that, Immortals ruled and Daoist adepts served as ministers. Governance became more closely regulated, and punishments and laws grew more explicit. The people became unsettled and fearful, and cunning and deceit began to spread.

“Below this came rule by hegemony. Ministers were chosen without due care, and many people suffered injustice; disorder arose as a result. The way of good governance receded further and further, while disorder drew ever closer, until the situation became difficult to put right.

“Thus, if you cherish Spirit Persons in your thoughts, you will attract Spirit Persons; if you cherish Perfected Ones, you will draw near to Perfected Ones; if you cherish Immortals, you will draw near to Immortals; if you cherish the Dao, you will draw near to the Dao; and if you cherish wisdom, you will draw near to wisdom. A sage who devotes their thoughts to worthy people can attune to their spirit and bring them to offer help. But one who gives their whole mind to evil thoughts will attract foolish and wicked ghosts, which will lead them astray. Whatever one holds in mind may elicit a response; what matters is the worth and quality of the object of one’s thoughts.

“Therefore, an upper-level ruler cherishes Spirit Persons and Perfected Ones in their thoughts; a middle-level ruler is clear-minded and wise; a lower-level ruler gives no thought to anything and can only act as fate dictates.”

The True Person asked, “How can one know whether an emperor has good or evil intentions?” The Spirit Person replied, “It is easy to tell. When an emperor is benevolent and kind, auspicious signs appear especially for him, and texts and diagrams foretelling good fortune emerge on his behalf. If the emperor is generous and perceptive, he corresponds to the Qi of Wood and Fire; if he is brave and strategic, he corresponds to the Qi of Metal and Water; if his temperament is gentle, he corresponds to the Qi of Earth. The signs revealed by Heaven cannot be mistaken.

The True Person asked again, “Who could obtain the wondrous texts and diagrams and extraordinary arts that appeared in ancient times?” The Spirit Person replied, “Local officials and common people who obtained them would present them to the emperor. During his reign, the prevailing Qi would become harmonious and favorable, and government would grow clearer and more orderly. Worthy people who understood the Daoist arts would come forward to assist him. In this way, the emperor’s way would flourish ever more; distant foreign peoples would be pacified; and the emperor could govern all under Heaven with his robes hanging loose and his hands folded. Punishments would naturally cease, and the people would no longer suffer the hardships of war. Are these not signs that the emperor has good intentions? Even without seeing the emperor with your own eyes, you can know.”

The True Person asked, “How does the Spirit Person know these things?” The Spirit Person replied, “Because the signs of an emperor’s good intentions are so clear, one can know even without seeing him with one’s own eyes.”

The Perfected One asked, “How can a Spirit Person know these principles?” The Spirit Person replied, “They are attained through silence. When a ruler’s heart inclines toward benevolence and cherishes life, he follows the Way of Heaven. When a minister is willing to be humble and yielding, and skilled at nurturing, he follows the Way of Earth. In this way, a favorable response will appear.

“Heaven and Earth do not speak, yet endure for a long time. The way they govern the myriad things is wondrous and unfathomable. The spirits do not speak, yet attain long life and become immortals. This is because they are inwardly clear-sighted and outwardly still; thus they become the root of the myriad ways.

“The spirits come and go, entering and departing without fixed gates or dwelling places. They are quiet and still. When a person lies peacefully at rest, the light of Shen (spirit) will naturally appear. How could this fail to bring good fortune and peace? Too much speaking depletes Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); too much exertion wears out the body; excessive displays of force harm oneself. These are all causes of misfortune.

“Keep my words firmly in mind, and do not let your thoughts run wild. Good thoughts may lead to De (Virtue), while evil thoughts turn back and harm you. The change between safety and danger is extremely subtle and may come in an instant. So be cautious, and do not let scattered thoughts disturb you.

“When a person loses the Dao (the Way), life is cut short; when one truly understands the Dao’s intent, life may be preserved. Strive to nurture your Jing and Qi, and do not let them be wasted. Take a clear-sighted master as your teacher and study earnestly, and calamities will be less likely to arise.”

The Perfected One did not dare forget the Spirit Person’s words.

The Spirit Person continued, “Those who seek learning and cultivate the Dao do so to cultivate themselves, not for the sake of others. Therefore, each person should cherish themselves and draw close to their own nature. By practicing the Dao for a long time, one can become a divine perfected being, markedly different from ordinary people. This is why those who cultivate the Dao are less likely to suffer calamity.”

The Perfected One did not dare forget the Spirit Person’s words.

The Realized Person asked, “How can one know the efficacy of the Great Dao?” The Divine Person replied, “Seek guidance from a clear-sighted master, then put the teachings into practice within yourself. As your body and mind change, you will be able to commune with the divine Dao and draw closer to the Realized Ones, as though you shared a doorway with the Divine Person. The proof lies within you—why can you not see it? It is because you have lost the original purpose of seeking the Dao and instead search in every direction. In the end, you find nothing, growing old and worn down. Thus you leave the root and say there is no Dao under Heaven, often suffering alone in sorrow. To leave the root is a great calamity.

“When a great person loses the Dao, they can no longer govern well. When a person of middling ability loses the Dao, they disrupt the ruler’s governance. When a person of humaneness loses the Dao, they cannot fulfill their Virtue. When a petty person loses the Dao, they put themselves in danger. What the sages of antiquity practiced is no different from what people practice today; the reasons petty people fell into hardship in the past are also the same today. These clear examples show that when a person of humaneness loses the Dao, they cannot become worthy, and when a petty person loses the Dao, they endanger themselves.”

The Realized Person asked, “How can one know whether someone is about to prosper or decline?” The Divine Person said, “When a great figure is about to rise, unusual writings appear, and worthy people assist them in governing the realm. When an ordinary household is about to prosper, those who seek a livelihood can find what they need. One can also discern signs by seeing whether their children are kind.”

The Realized Person asked, “How can one attract worthy people?” The Divine Person said, “It all depends on keeping them in mind. Think with full attention and persist without giving up; what you seek will gradually come to you. How wondrous is the governance of the Great Dao! How could one fail to make every effort to put it into practice?”

The Divine Person continued, “The Three Bonds and Six Relationships—the ethical norms that sustain ties such as those between ruler and subject, parent and child, and husband and wife—bring lasting good fortune because people uphold the Dao and do not abandon its order; thus they can often attain good fortune. The lifespan Heaven grants people does not go against their wishes. Wood corresponds to humaneness. Longing for humaneness brings a response from the East, for the East governs humaneness. The same principle applies to all Five Directions. Things throughout the realm respond according to their kind. Thus, if an emperor sets their heart on bringing peace, their governance will also tend toward calm. This is the principle of like calling to like.

“Those who studied in antiquity put the teachings into practice within themselves. Students today, by contrast, take other people as their models. The ancients studied to steady themselves; people today pursue showy words. They do not build up Jing and Qi within themselves, but devote their efforts to literary flourishes. This is to misunderstand the root.”

The Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing) advocates stillness and purity, holding that things of the same kind respond to and attract one another. In ancient times, those who studied the Dao applied the principles in the scripture to cultivate themselves. Today, those who study the Dao do the opposite, using them to demand things of others. The ancients studied and cultivated themselves in order to find stability; people today pursue only ornate writing, devoting no effort to self-cultivation and instead wearing themselves out polishing their prose. This shows that they do not understand the root.

End of Volume Two, Section B of the Collected Extracts from the Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing Chao).

Volume Three, Section C of the Collected Extracts from the Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing Chao).

A ruler should distinguish between abundance and poverty, and govern the state accordingly. In this way, he can establish a favorable political order. He must not obstruct the earth’s power to nurture the myriad things. Men and women should be able to have descendants, and rule by the Way should be restored to balance and justice.

What does it mean for the world to be rich or poor? Having many things is called wealth; having few is called poverty. There is some truth in this, but it is not entirely correct. Can people who practice wickedness and deceit, theft and robbery really be called rich? And since the people are numerous while emperors are few, does that mean the world is poor?

The character “wealth” means that all kinds of things are complete and plentiful. When Heaven allows all things to grow, that is true abundance. In the age of the High Sovereigns, primordial Qi—the fundamental energy through which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things—was flourishing, and twelve thousand kinds of things each grew and developed. This was called abundance. In the age of the Middle Sovereigns, there were fewer things, and the twelve thousand kinds were no longer all present; this was called slight poverty. In the age of the Low Sovereigns, there were fewer things still than under the Middle Sovereigns; this was called great poverty. When no auspicious signs appear and nothing good or beautiful grows, poverty has reached its extreme. When all things can grow and the earth can nurture them without harm, the land is abundant. When the earth cannot nurture the myriad things, poverty has reached its extreme.

Heaven is the father and Earth the mother. When these parents, Heaven and Earth, become exceedingly impoverished, their children grow poorer day by day. The ancient emperors who ruled the world through the Way could bring flourishing to twelve thousand kinds of things; they were called rulers of the highest wealth. When good and beautiful things amounted to less than two-thirds of the full number, the ruler was called moderately wealthy; when they reached one-third, he was called minimally wealthy. When rare and beautiful things ceased to grow, the ruler was impoverished and weak.

The ancient rulers who possessed the Way could dwell in quiet, secluded palaces and contemplate the Way and Virtue, while the myriad things naturally flourished. Is this not a joy? When an emperor follows the Way, the heavenly spirits help him transform and teach the people. When he practices governance through Virtue, the earthly spirits help him administer the state. When he upholds harmony and balance and reflects on the Way and Virtue, spirits and humans together assist in governing. If civil governance becomes mere show and deceit, it will open the way to concealment and deception. Deceit will bring the aid of malign spirits, turn governance against Heaven’s intent, and harm the good.

Ruling the world by force, and compelling people to submit through punishments and killings, also brings the harm of punishment and death upon both bandits and ordinary people. When an emperor establishes laws, he should base them on the principles of each matter and respond in an appropriate way. Heaven delights in giving life to the myriad things, so it is called the ruler and father. Earth is tranquil and settled, and delights in nurturing the myriad things, so it is called the mother. Treating all things with benevolence is called humaneness. Heaven and Earth are both good, and are therefore also called teachers.

If an emperor follows Heaven and Earth and harmonizes Yin-Yang, so that men and women no longer bear enmity toward one another, he can bring timely rain, harmonize the two Qi, and enable the earth to produce the myriad things. When an emperor governs through the Way, peace can swiftly prevail throughout the world.

A chaste man—a man who preserves his chastity and does not have intercourse with women—does not release his essence. A chaste woman—a woman who preserves her chastity and does not have intercourse with men—does not conceive. If Yin and Yang do not unite, humanity will become extinct. People like this effectively bring an end together to the laws by which Heaven and Earth sustain the continuance of life. They seek only a false reputation, yet have no descendants; they lose the substance of life’s propagation. This is a great harm to all under Heaven. If Heaven were to keep withholding rain, the rain would never fall. If Earth were to keep withholding its power to give birth, the myriad things could not grow. The harm caused by withholding and refusing to give birth is great.

When Heaven is about to send rain, wind and clouds appear first, so that people can take notice. This gives them time to put their belongings away. Now the Qi of peace and order—the auspicious force of a stable world and enlightened government—is about to arrive. Heaven fears that people may still not cease their wrongdoing, so it first provides signs. Rulers should take Heaven and Earth as their model, first observing and then carrying out the good principles of governance.

On the essentials of understanding inherited consequences. Since Heaven and Earth were first formed, there have been inherited consequences among rulers, ministers, and the people: faults and their effects pass down to later generations. This is why these teachings were given. When a ruler, minister, or ordinary person commits a wrong, its effects reach later generations because that person has failed to cultivate themselves properly and has abandoned the principles they ought to uphold. This is the source of the responsibility for inherited consequences. For example, if parents disregard morality and commit wrongs in their village, their descendants may later be harmed by the villagers. This is evidence of inherited consequences. In ancient times, rulers, ministers, and ordinary people each understood how to cultivate themselves. How, then, could inherited consequences have arisen?

Heaven does not deceive people: sow millet and you reap millet; sow wheat and you reap wheat. The quality of the harvest depends on how much effort is put into cultivating the fields.

To resolve for Heaven the resentments brought about by “inherited burdens,” to remove from Earth the disasters they cause, to free rulers from the calamities they bring, to cleanse the people of the faults accumulated through them, and to release all things in the world from the responsibilities they bear through these inherited burdens: there is no better way to resolve these obligations than to hold fast to the One. Hold fast to the One for a long time, and Heaven will take pity on humanity. The One is Heaven’s guiding principle and the root of all things. Keep the root in mind and grasp it, and its influence will extend to the branches.

When the sages of antiquity set out to establish their work, they looked up to observe the celestial patterns and down to examine the geography. They discerned the roots and branches of things and observed the signs that revealed themselves. Here, “holding fast to the One” means devoting oneself to preserving the One spoken of in Daoism, and taking it as the foundation for cultivation and for establishing one’s life and destiny.

Everyone in the world faces four hardships. What are these four hardships? A child depends on their parents from birth and cannot be without them in youth: this is the first hardship. When grown, a woman wishes to marry and a man wishes to take a wife. Unable to restrain their desires, they love one another and cannot bear to part: this is the second hardship. After marrying and loving one another, they have children. As the couple grows old, their appearance is no longer attractive; their children are young and endearing, yet need to be raised: this is the third hardship. When the children grow up and no longer need their parents to raise them, the parents themselves grow old and gradually find it difficult to move about: this is the fourth hardship.

After experiencing these four hardships, if one can meet a wise master—someone who understands the Great Dao and can guide people in cultivating it—and carefully reflect on and uphold the Great Dao, one may hope to improve one’s circumstances. Those of exceptional natural endowment, blessed by Heaven’s mandate, may perhaps transcend life and death. Those of the next rank may perhaps prolong their lives, and those below them may at least bring themselves temporary peace and comfort. After death, a person’s hun and po souls dwell underground; they too may thereby find peace again.

Why do I say this? Underground, the souls of those who have recently died gather, and each is questioned about what they did and experienced in life. Their deeds are then entered into the Bright Register, a record of good and evil, merit and fault, and they are punished according to what they have done. Thus, people must take precautions against calamity in advance and put themselves in order.

A ruler should consider how to bring peace to the world and accord with Heaven’s intent. Then the souls and spirits can continually unite with Qi, the vital energy of life as understood in Daoism. If the ruler cannot bring good order to affairs of state, this means going against Heaven’s heart and failing to gain Heaven’s favor; it also means having no merit before Heaven. In the end, the souls and spirits will be left alone underground to face punishment and will unite with baleful Qi. The sage rulers of antiquity understood this well and therefore strove to do good. The foolish give no thought to the distant future, and so they incur Heaven’s condemnation while alive and condemnation underground after death. How could this fail to inspire fear and caution?

My book should be spread quickly, so that people throughout the world can act according to its teachings, bring themselves into harmony together, gather their spirits, align their thoughts with the Great Dao, and recognize the sources of their own faults. In this way, the burden of inherited responsibility—the punishment borne by descendants for the accumulated wrongs of their ancestors or predecessors—can be removed. Heaven and Earth will rejoice greatly, and the world will return to the ways of high antiquity, flourishing even more than it did then.

Heaven is only one, yet it reverses course and occupies the second position, that of Earth. What does this mean? Earth now occupies the second position, yet in turn governs the third position, that of humanity. What does this mean? Earth is Heaven’s messenger, and humanity is Earth’s messenger. Heaven and Earth will rejoice greatly, and the world will return to the ways of high antiquity, flourishing even more than it did then.

Why does “Heaven’s One”—since Heaven’s fundamental number is one—reverse its course and move to Earth’s Two? And why does Earth’s Two now reverse its course and move to humanity’s Three? Earth is governed by Heaven, and humanity is governed by Earth. Thus, when Heaven’s intent is joyful, all things on Earth are made joyful. Although the Earth nurtures all things, when it is settled and benevolent, the people can live in a peaceful and benevolent environment. This is clear proof that things act upon and influence one another.

Good governance and disorder often have many causes. If one cannot grasp Heaven’s intent, one should return to the root. Too many words from people can also invite disorder. So long as one returns to the root, what is there to worry about?

When something can be expressed in a single sentence, the root has been kept. A second sentence turns it into a passage; a third begins to explain its difficulties. This is because the original meaning has already been left behind, and explanation has become necessary. A fourth sentence turns it into ornate prose; a fifth can easily become falsehood; a sixth leads toward failure; a seventh toward ruin; an eighth toward scattering and departure from the right Way; a ninth brings great disorder; and a tenth leads to destruction. Once things reach ten, they change in turn and pass from one to another, ultimately bringing decay. Therefore, whenever something has been ruined, one should return to the root and turn back to holding fast to One, making it the foundation. Counting begins with one and ends with ten: this is the pattern of change between order and disorder in the natural course of things.

When the sages of antiquity consulted about a matter, the auspicious or inauspicious result of the first divination was true. Keeping to the root was like the heavenly spirits coming down to give their answer. The second divination was like the earthly spirits emerging to give their answer; the third was like the human spirits emerging to give theirs. Further divinations were deceptive and could no longer be relied upon, so the hexagram images would no longer be accurate. In human affairs, words are best kept few.

Heaven’s numbers begin with one and end with ten. Why? “Heaven’s One” joins with “Earth’s Two”; Yin and Yang are complete, and all things are born together from them. As all things first begin to sprout, primordial Qi—the fundamental energy that generates all things—arises at the Zi position, turns toward the northeast, and lays its foundation at the Horn position. It then turns east, where growth unfolds; southeast, where branches and leaves gradually fill out; and south, where plants flourish. In the west, all things mature; in the northwest, they come to an end. Once all things have ended, they must begin again, and so return to Hai. Two people holding One together symbolize the beginning of the era of the Three Sovereigns, the three sage kings of ancient legend.

Hai carries the meaning of “kernel”: here all things begin to congeal into kernels, so water starts to freeze in the tenth month. Ren means “to sustain and bear”: through it, all things receive the impulse of life and grow day by day. Zi means “to grow and multiply.” By the third stage, Yin and Yang and the Qi of harmony are all complete. Once things mature, they return to their original starting point, and the cycle is therefore called Jiazi anew. The Way of Heaven gives life to and nurtures all things; for them to come to fruition, the Qi of the four seasons and Five Phases must circulate fully. Their root lies between Heaven and Earth, while their movement extends through the eight directions; thus, the count ultimately returns to ten.

Question: How should emperors and feudal lords govern their states best? Answer: The best way to govern is to act like Heaven in its course: to hold a vast compassion without losing restraint. There is no better guide to governing than the Dao of Heaven, though it should be followed in the proper order. Why? The workings of Heaven and Earth extend in all directions, and so the count ends when it reaches ten.

Question: How should emperors and feudal lords govern their states best? Answer: The best way to govern is to act like Heaven in its course: to hold a vast compassion without losing restraint. Governance should follow the Dao of Heaven, but proceed step by step. The best practice is to cherish life and urgently wish for everyone to live, as desperately as someone who is thirsty seeks water. Next, take joy in helping others bring their goodness to fulfillment, regarding their gains as your own. After that, take joy in giving aid: when you see others in poverty and need, understand their sorrow as though you yourself were hungry and cold.

Next, establish laws and regulations. Even if these serve only to inspire awe and thereby restrain people, they have their use. When governing those who have committed grave crimes, do your utmost to avoid driving them into even greater wrongdoing. If someone has broken the law and truly cannot be pardoned, do your utmost to avoid implicating their family, neighbors, and fellow members of their community. Even when liability extends to neighbors and fellow community members, determine carefully who is truly guilty and handle the matter with caution; do not cut off the family line.

Human beings are part of the whole governed by the divine powers of Heaven and Earth. To harm or destroy human life is like injuring the wholeness of Heaven and Earth, and the resulting misfortune is profound. Do not let descendants bear the calamities left by their forebears. “Inherited burden” refers to the burden that later generations bear because of what earlier generations did. Keep peace constantly in mind, and in this way ease the conflicts brought about by punishments and prohibitions.

I set out these principles for Heaven and Earth, and write these words for rulers of great De (Virtue/Power), in the hope of dispelling the calamities of inherited burden accumulated since Heaven and Earth began. If, when we deliberate together, we do not dare to speak these words, we will surely incur the resentment of august Heaven and sustaining Earth, and cause worthy rulers who possess De and understand the Dao to bear an inherited burden. Such guilt is profound.

Gather Daoist books from remote antiquity, the middle ages, and later antiquity, and invite worthy people to read them together and examine Daoist writings from past and present. As each volume is read, whenever a beneficial method or useful secret worth putting into practice is found, record it at once. Record one item from one volume, ten from ten volumes, and continue in the same way through hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of millions of volumes. Then bring the records before the gathered worthies for discussion, remove repeated material, and arrange the important passages so as to investigate their meaning. In this way, one may gain deep insight into the subtle principles governing Heaven and Earth, humanity, and the myriad things throughout the ages, and explain concisely the intentions of nine kinds of people. Who, then, could remain wronged and unheard?

A ruler succeeds in governing and rejoices because he has undone the “inherited burden” left by emperors of earlier generations—the calamities that accumulate from the faults of those who came before and are borne by later generations.

Human beings are the most important of all things. The Formless Spirit-Person, whose body gathers from Qi, is charged with governing primordial Qi. The Great Spirit-Person governs Heaven; the Perfected Person governs Earth; the Immortal governs the four seasons; the Great Daoist governs the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); the Sage governs Yin-Yang; the Worthy governs documents and affairs of state; ordinary people tend plants and the five grains; and servants manage possessions. Heaven assigns each its role without contravening its nature, allowing each kind to fulfill its own duty without error. To go against this arrangement brings great harm. Therefore, all those appointed by Heaven to govern the people should follow these roles. The sages of antiquity understood this well. They did not defy Heaven’s intent and were able to win Heaven’s heart.

The scripture says that when these nine kinds of people each fulfill their duties, they win Heaven’s heart and bring the nine kinds of Qi into harmony, thereby realizing Great Peace. These nine affairs promote and depend on one another. If even one kind of Qi is out of harmony, the corresponding person will not appear: if primordial Qi is out of harmony, the Formless Spirit-Person will not come; if Heaven’s Qi is out of harmony, the Great Spirit-Person will not come; if Earth’s Qi is out of harmony, the Perfected Person will not come; if the seasons are out of harmony, the Immortal will not come; if the Five Phases are out of harmony, the Great Daoist will not come; and if Yin-Yang is out of harmony, the Sage will not come. When all things fall out of harmony, the people become disorderly, possessions diminish, and servants flee. When the proper governance of any affair is lost, these harms follow.

If these nine kinds of people can each take their proper place, the calamities inherited from emperors of past generations can be dispelled. From the highest, the Formless Spirit-Person, to the lowest, servants, each brings one kind of Qi into harmony. A superior adept who cultivates the Dao should first “feed on Qi”—cultivating through regulated breathing and the absorption of Qi—in order to unite with primordial Qi. He should live in a thatched hut and observe purification, avoid looking upon evil things, cultivate his body in daily practice, refrain from suppressing his rightful desires, and move about without impediment. In this way, he assists the Immortals and Perfected Ones, primordial Qi, and the Dao of Heaven in their governance. Such a person is called a Spirit Adept, an official of Heaven. If he does not cut himself off from practice or obstruct his cultivation, and truly succeeds in this, he is called a Celestial Adept. Heaven selects the good and rejoices greatly in them, sending them back into the human world to bring blessings.

Those who attain the Dao and leave the world cannot immediately exert their influence before our eyes, yet they can harmonize the Qi of Yin-Yang and benefit all things. The emperors of antiquity performed sacrifices to the gods of Heaven because these people served as divine officials. Ordinary people and sages each have their own place: at the highest level is the Formless Spirit-Person, and at the lowest are servants. Spirit-Persons ride upon Qi and travel; therefore, where a person has Qi, there is spirit, and when Qi is cut off, spirit perishes. This is the clear teaching revealed by Heaven, intended to admonish rulers in governing the world and to show the consequences of good or poor governance.

Punishment and De are patterns that can be seen among Heaven, spirits, people, and even servants. Spirits and humans act by means of Qi (vital energy), the breath that makes life and movement possible. Thus, when a person has Qi, there is Shen (spirit); when Qi is cut off, Shen also perishes. This is the clear message Heaven uses to demonstrate and warn rulers about governing the state, and a standard for measuring the success or failure of their rule.

Punishment and De are the effects revealed by the movement of Yin-Yang between Heaven and Earth and by the governance of the spirits. They are also the rules that all things and the people should follow. The text explains this by drawing on the changes of the twelve months: De and punishment each have their appointed positions, illustrated by the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang and by the emergence and concealment of all things.

In the eleventh month, De occupies the initial nine, beneath the ground. Its Qi is inside the room, so vitality fills the inner space and all things turn toward it. Punishment appears in the upper six, out in the fields; vitality is lost outside, all things disperse, the people depart, and the ruler’s De sinks beneath the earth. In the twelfth month, De occupies the second nine, at the Ox position, within the soil and not yet visible. Its Qi is in the Hall of Light, the symbolic center of government and teaching. All things grow upward with De’s Qi, but do not yet dare to appear, for punishment’s Qi remains above. In the first month, De occupies the third nine, at the Tiger position. All things grow in accordance with its abundant virtue, joyfully breaking through the soil; De’s Qi is in the courtyard. In the second month, De occupies the fourth nine, at the Rabbit position. It has left the ground but has not yet risen to Heaven, standing at the boundary between Heaven and Earth. De’s Qi is at the gate, and all things eagerly peer out. In the third month, abundant De occupies the fifth nine, at the Dragon position, rising to the center of Heaven. De’s Qi is along the roads and lanes; all things mature and appear in the open. In the fourth month, De occupies the upper nine, at the Snake position, extending to distant places and all eight directions. The good Qi and Yang Qi of every place respond to one another; all things flourish, leaving their shadowed dwellings and coming into the open. At this time, punishment’s Qi is at the roots of all things, inside the room. The interior is empty while the outside flourishes, and all things gladly follow De’s governance. This is clear proof of the evident effectiveness of ruling the world through De.

The scripture says: having seen the effects of rule through De but not yet seen the effects of punishment, what results does punishment bring? In the fifth month, punishment occupies the initial six, at the Horse position, beneath the ground. The earth below lacks vitality, while all things are outside. In the sixth month, punishment occupies the second six, at the Goat position, within the soil and not yet visible. Punishment’s Qi enters the Hall of Light, while De’s Qi is outside. All things gladly show themselves and turn toward abundant De. In the seventh month, punishment occupies the third six, at the Monkey position. Its Qi comes into the courtyard, and all things dare not enter, preferring to remain outside. In the eighth month, punishment occupies the fourth six, at the Rooster position, but has not yet reached Heaven. De’s Qi is at the gate; all things peer in from outside, hoping to enter and return with De. In the ninth month, punishment occupies the fifth six, at the Dog position. Its Qi comes to the roads and lanes, and all things wither and die. They follow De’s Qi into hiding, so the inside gradually fills while the outside empties. In the tenth month, punishment occupies the upper six, at the Pig position, extending to distant places, all eight directions, and the fields. All things flee into hiding, following De’s Qi into the Hall of Light. Insects and other creatures also shelter indoors, and the fields are empty of people.

Does this not show that those who favor punishment see only outward obedience? If a ruler thinks only of governing the people through punishment, their numbers will dwindle day by day. A measure of punitive intent in the fifth month drives one group away; two measures in the sixth month drive two groups away. The pattern continues, until in the tenth month, six measures of punitive intent drive the people away in all six directions. The outside is then empty, and everyone has fled indoors. This is clear evidence of what punishment does when used to govern the world: people appear respectful and cautious, but inwardly they have turned away, and their numbers steadily decline.

By contrast, a measure of De in the heart in the eleventh month brings back one group; two measures in the twelfth month bring back two groups; three in the first month, and four in the second. In the third month, five measures of De at the height of Yang bring back worthy people and the populace. By the fourth month, when six measures of De are complete, all things appear together, and inside and outside alike turn toward De. These are the effects revealed by the Way of Heaven through the symbol of the Hall of Light.

In the second and eighth months, the forces of De and punishment are equal, so half of all things suffer harm from the cold. Punishment brings injury and death, making people afraid, but it cannot win their strength and support. The sages of antiquity transformed and won people’s hearts through morality; they did not rely on physical force or punishment. They observed the signs of Heaven and established principles, setting out teachings for emperors as standards for governing. When the kingly Way was about to flourish, it appeared in signs of De; when it was about to decline, it appeared in signs of punishment. When emperors establish laws and institutions, they must first understand Heaven’s intent and the principles governing the movement of Yin-Yang. Only then will peace and order arrive.

The Celestial Master and the August Heaven and Empress Earth—the deified titles of Heaven and Earth—often devote themselves to discerning the intentions of Heaven and Earth. Their hearts are deeply attuned to them, fitting together as precisely as a compass and a carpenter’s square, without the slightest discrepancy. They know what Heaven and Earth ordinarily worry about and can foresee what they most abhor. But who is capable of this?

The spirits of Heaven and Earth feel deep anguish and loathe people’s disobedience and lack of filial respect. Why is this so? The three harmonizing Qi between Heaven and Earth—the three kinds of vital energy through which Heaven and Earth operate and bring forth the myriad things—join together like members of one family to nourish all things. Heaven governs life, like a father; Earth nourishes the myriad things, like a mother; and human beings are responsible for governing them, like children. Since children receive their lives from their father and are nurtured by their mother’s kindness, they should honor their father and care for their mother.

A father teaches his children according to established rules and seasons. In the same way, Heaven’s four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—set the growth of the myriad things in motion. When people act against Heaven’s intentions, Heaven’s transformations of Qi and its governing commands fall out of order. It is like a family in which father and son are at odds: Yin Qi overpowers Yang Qi, those below oppress those above, and ministers fail in their duties. Then ghosts and spirits arise. The order of Heaven and Earth is like the distinct places of men and women, and the likes and dislikes of Heaven and Earth are connected to those of human beings. Heaven sustains human life; Earth nourishes the body. Yet people now harm both parents: to go against the Qi of the seasons is to harm the father; to rely on Earth for clothing, food, and nourishment without caring for it, and instead to injure it, is to harm the mother.

People disregard what is right, building on a grand scale and digging into the land. The deepest excavations reach the Yellow Springs; even shallow ones go down several zhang. Only Mother Earth bears the distress. When children are so unfilial, their mother is often filled with resentment, yet has nowhere to voice it. The sages of antiquity did not, for a time, understand the intentions of Heaven and Earth; ordinary people were ignorant too. They did not realize that Earth was being wounded or understand that such harm could resonate with Heaven. So Heaven’s disasters came again, and Earth Mother also grew angry and ceased to nourish the myriad things. When both parents are angry, how could the children escape calamity?

Heaven and Earth are inherently compassionate, but they will not forgive extreme unfilial conduct that goes against the Dao. How could this not serve as a warning? Large-scale earthworks bring great calamities; small-scale earthworks can also bring lesser ones. This is Earth’s anger, with spirits bringing down disaster. If digging causes no calamity, perhaps the ground disturbed is relatively benevolent. If it does bring disaster, the digging may have violated an ill-omened place. Sometimes calamities harm people far away. It is like a good person who, even when wronged, can endure for a while but does not forget it in their heart; an evil person cannot bear it, and the calamity soon becomes visible.

Someone might ask: Earth is so vast, and human beings so insignificant by comparison. How could digging into the land cause it harm? The scripture compares this to insects and ants damaging teeth. A person ten chi tall and ten arm spans around may have tiny worms between their teeth, seemingly insignificant, yet the worms can gnaw at the teeth, causing pain and cries of distress, and may even make the teeth fall out. The difference between humans and Heaven and Earth is like that between tiny worms and a person. No matter how hard the teeth, worms can injure them; no matter how strong a person is, they can hardly stop swarms of ants, lice, and parasitic creatures from invading. When these gather, they can cause pain and distress, leave a person bedridden, and even kill them. Humans harm Heaven and Earth in just the same way that these tiny creatures harm people.

Finding a spring while digging is like seeing Earth’s blood; reaching stone is like injuring Earth’s bones; soil is like Earth’s flesh. Drawing out water, breaking through layers of stone, turning over soil, and burying tiles, stones, and hard timber underground is like making wounds in Earth’s body. Earth is the mother of all things. How could it be at peace after suffering such harm?

People live upon Mother Earth, and the depth of an excavation affects different things. Digging one chi reaches the surface Qi exposed to sunlight, which corresponds to Heaven. Digging two chi enters the realm where the myriad things grow, which corresponds to harmonizing Qi. Digging three chi reaches Earth’s Yin body. Digging any deeper damages Earth’s form.

Governing the state and bringing peace to all under Heaven requires fairness in Dao and De, fitting rewards and punishments, and the ability to help even the ignorant understand the principles involved. Suppose someone granted you a thousand jin of gold to present to the state. Could that win the favor of Heaven and Earth, harmonize Yin-Yang, dispel calamities and portents, prolong the emperor’s life, and bring peace to all under Heaven?

Even if you presented the state with the world’s finest and most varied jades to keep as treasures, they would still be no more than precious objects. Could this make the great harmony of the four quarters appear in full, bring every auspicious sign to pass, and drive the Yi and Di peoples back so they no longer caused trouble from beyond ten thousand li?

I have explained all these principles to you. Only by understanding them can one preserve the favor of Heaven and Earth for the emperor, gladden all the gods under Heaven, and bring joy to every tiny insect and living creature. Then the Yi and Di will submit, auspicious signs will appear, calamities will be entirely removed, the state’s fortunes will endure, and the people will live long lives. If you truly cherish the good Dao, follow my book, and reflect on its essential meaning, nothing will fail to come to pass. It will fit as precisely as a compass and a carpenter’s square, without the slightest error.

A single crucial principle offered to the state is worth more than a thousand jin of gold: it can bring peace, remove calamities, and settle the realm. The emperors of antiquity never worried that they lacked material wealth. They worried instead that they lacked worthy people: that great sages would not come, that the people would not gather, and that everyone would want to seek refuge elsewhere, leaving the population smaller day by day. Such a state of affairs would go against Heaven’s will.

Even if gold, jade, and other treasures were piled up for a thousand li and rose as high as the sky, they still could not summon great worthies, sages, and immortals to help the emperor govern the realm. The principles taught in my book are accompanied and watched over by divine officials of the Three Luminaries, associated with the sun, moon, and stars.

The conduct of ministers and ordinary people should always reflect their concern for the ruler and their hope that he remains healthy and free from illness. They are glad to see the emperor govern well without toil, seated with his robes hanging loosely. The subjects, in turn, follow his example, showing filial devotion and kindness to one another. In this way, the ruler follows Heaven’s will, and the people live in peace and contentment. The hearts of all under Heaven become reverent and upright, free of grievances and entanglements. Even the smallest creatures are transformed; all things find their proper place, and Heaven and Earth are harmonious and joyful. The ruler’s life is thereby prolonged, and people of every age, from the elderly to children, cease to bring harm to the world. They also feel compassion for the ruler and worry that he will grow old. Heaven and Earth will surely send a divine being bearing a miraculous elixir to present to the emperor. Once he takes it, he will enjoy boundless longevity.

What makes someone the finest minister and child? A child of the highest filial devotion constantly thinks of the day when their parents will grow frail. They withdraw to a quiet place and reflect on how to find the art of long life so they can serve their parents. They hold material wealth lightly and value the Daoist teachings, seeking only their parents’ well-being. They also think of using song and music to delight their parents, and of guiding them through instruction into the Dao. They hope to remain with their parents forever, sparing them the feeling of growing old. They often travel far and wide in search of wondrous methods from distant lands, seeking until their sincerity moves Heaven and their strength is exhausted. They ask only for enough food and clothing to sustain themselves, and do not store up treasures for their descendants, lest their parents instead grow anxious and weary from guarding their possessions. Such is a child of the highest filial devotion.

When superior disciples of goodness receive their master’s moral teachings, they keep thinking of his kindness: they were born through their parents, then became adults and cultivated De (Virtue) through their master’s guidance. From then on, they can remain for a long time in the company of worthy and gentle people, and keep to their rightful place. Some gain fame and status, which they use to repay their parents; others deeply grasp the meaning of the Great Dao and learn how to preserve their own lives.

People are born and raised by their parents, brought to moral fulfillment by their master, and honored through their ruler. Someone living alone may think of how the ruler, master, and parents are all growing old, yet not know how to repay them. They may often seek unusual methods and uncommon learning for their master, to repay his kindness. Others go further, learning from the worthy and asking them to convey their master’s teachings in turn. Still others bring able and worthy ministers to serve the state and help the emperor govern it. Such people are the good disciples spoken of in antiquity.

The supreme sages of old, like the Three Sovereigns, surpassed ordinary people by governing through the Utmost Dao and De. They did not use force, harsh punishments, schemes, or deceit to subdue others. Those who prevail through such means and punishments belong to the class of bandits. If bandits rely entirely on these methods to make people submit, then by what means do gentlemen distinguish themselves from them and show that they are different? Therefore, a ruler who speaks of De should regard force, deceit, and scheming as the conduct of bandits.

The Celestial Master’s documents often say, “The qi of the Great Peace of the Highest Sovereign is about to arrive.” What does this mean? Sages establish rules by taking their model from the intent of the Dao of Heaven; they hold fast to the One—a Daoist practice of single-mindedly abiding by the Dao—and delight in seeking guidance from above. “Divination” means asking. Should people always delight in seeking the Dao from above? Therefore, a ruler who speaks of De should regard force, deceit, and scheming as the conduct of bandits.

Celestial Master (Tianshi) documents often say, “The Qi of the Supreme Emperor’s Great Peace is about to arrive.” What does this mean? When sages established rules, they modeled them on the principles inherent in things. “Guarding the One” means holding the mind and spirit in focused attention, while taking delight in seeking guidance from above through divination. Here, “divination” means asking. People should always be glad to strive upward and continually ask questions and seek instruction. This is the highest path.

Thus, the vertical stroke in the character “up” points upward, while the character for “divination” resembles someone asking questions below. Together, they express the act of inquiry. People should always reflect and seek answers. Those who go downward will reach a point beyond which they cannot descend; if they take delight in sinking ever lower, they will never be able to rise again.

The character “Emperor” can be explained as a combination of “one,” “sun,” and “king.” “One” represents the number of Heaven. When “one” is joined by the radiance of the sun, there is light and magnificence, and it becomes a king. “One,” the sun, and the king together form the character “Emperor.” “One” represents Heaven, and Heaven is also like a sovereign; the sun symbolizes the sovereign’s Virtue; and “king” also refers to a ruler. Together, the three form “Emperor,” signifying Virtue that shines with great splendor, supreme in all the world, with nothing higher.

“Supreme” means great: it describes Virtue accumulated until it is as vast as Heaven, for nothing is greater than Heaven. “Peace” means governing with complete fairness and evenness, handling every matter properly so that nothing is unjust. It is like the earth below, bearing all things and allowing each to find its place. It is also like people planting crops: sow good causes and reap good results; sow bad causes and reap bad results. The harvest, too, corresponds to the effort put into cultivation.

Heaven’s Qi moves downward, while Earth’s Qi rises upward. The two mingle to form a harmonious, balanced Qi. They nourish one another and together nurture all things, so that harm no longer arises. This is why it is called “Great Peace.” Heaven and Earth unite in harmony and together bring forth and nourish all things. When men and women unite in heart, they have children. When parents and child unite in heart, they make a family. When ruler, ministers, and people work together, they make a state.

Emperors are Heaven’s honored children. As children receive their father’s teaching, they should follow Heaven’s will in carrying out instruction, dispelling the troubles between Heaven and Earth and thereby gaining Heaven’s protection. Emperors should therefore reflect on these principles often and strive to put them into practice.

If signs corresponding to Heaven’s patterns do not appear, it is because times alternate between order and disorder; the workings of Heaven do not occur without cause. Emperors of antiquity could foresee later changes from subtle signs. They adapted their measures to the times, followed Heaven’s Qi, and thereby gained Heaven’s favor, so that their plans remained auspicious for a long time. If they went against Heaven’s will, rainfall and drought would fall out of balance, the seasons and climate would become disordered, and calamities would follow.

When celestial signs fail to come true, it is because times differ between order and disorder, and the Dao does not appear without cause. The rulers of antiquity could discern from subtle signs the course events were about to take. They fulfilled their duties and followed the Qi of Heaven and Earth, thereby accorded with Heaven’s will and keeping their minds as settled as in a time of lasting good fortune. If they went against the Dao of Heaven, floods and droughts would fall out of balance, the climate would become chaotic, calamities would pile up one after another, and strange occurrences would be hard to quell. This is called “calamities and anomalies”—disasters foretold by abnormal celestial signs or unusual events.

Many worthy people are perplexed because they do not understand the principles of following or opposing the Dao of Heaven. Once they understand, they can govern with composure in peaceful times; in moderately stable times, they should do their utmost to put good governance into practice; and in turbulent times, they should support themselves with moral principles and prepare in advance. This is like preparing to escape the heat as the summer solstice approaches, or to guard against the cold as the winter solstice nears. The Dao of Heaven follows fixed patterns: follow them, and good fortune and prosperity will come; oppose them, and danger and decline will follow.

The workings of Heaven and Earth can also fall into conflict and discord, harming people’s fortunes. When the Sun and Moon move out of their proper courses, the stars too will fall into disarray. Those capable of appointing worthy and able people should do so to the fullest, without leaving talent unused. They should ensure that those above and below each occupy their proper place, so that the people may live in peace.

Acupuncture works by regulating the body and stabilizing its 360 channels, allowing Yin-Yang Qi (vital energy) to flow freely and thereby dispelling illness and harm. The 360 channels correspond to the 360 days of the year, with one channel governing each day. They respond to the changing seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), circulate within the body and throughout it, reaching up to the crown of the head and inward to the internal organs. Each channel moves in step with the seasons. When illness occurs, its movement departs from the normal course: circulation becomes irregular, perhaps congested or damaged, or flowing smoothly or in a contrary direction. It should therefore be treated.

Moxibustion uses fire to draw on the light and impartiality of the Sun’s essence to detect pathogenic influences and remove what is harmful. Acupuncture belongs to the essence of Shaoyin, whose substance is like the star Tai Bai; it draws on its firm, upright force to cut away pathogenic influences. A pulse divination text that hits the mark in all ten treatments accords with the Dao of Heaven. If it truly matches the pulse signs, it is as though a spirit is guiding the treatment. If nine out of ten treatments are effective, it accords with the channels, and Jing and Qi (essence and vital energy) seem to guide the treatment. If eight out of ten are effective, it belongs among human medical texts, relying chiefly on human judgment for guidance. Anything less effective is unsuitable for treating illness and may instead cause harm.

Treating channel Yi when channel Jia is diseased is called “confusion.” It shows that the location of the diseased channel is not understood and may damage the affected channel. To find out whether a medical art accords with the Dao of Heaven and is truly effective, one can examine a patient as the basis for discerning the pulse signs and have a group observe the illness. Different people may be skilled at recognizing pulse signs in different parts of the body. For the 360 channels, they should record their respective strengths in observation and treatment. A method is effective only if it hits the mark in all ten cases; if it does not, it is not correct. By gathering people’s practical experience and compiling methods that cure illness into a Jing (classic), practitioners can use it to distinguish the condition and determine the treatment.

My Dao (here referring to the methods transmitted in the scripture) is arranged according to the sequence of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, such as Jiazi, Yichou, and so on: the Six Jia cycles follow one another, the Five Phases take turns in their courses, and the four seasons repeat in an endless cycle. Though the scriptures are numerous, each has key points that can be recorded and grasped, just as the parts of the human body—the head and the feet—work together, each with its own function.

The words and sentences in the scriptures are linked one after another: one sentence leads into the next, wise teachings follow and support one another. Yin and Yang combine to form words, and the inner and outer correspond, like a carpenter’s square and compass fitting together. At first, reciting them may seem tedious, but with long and steady practice, their effects will become apparent. Calamities will leave you, and your spirit will gather itself anew. If people act with care and kindness and do no evil, they can avoid punishment and bring the Dao’s transformation to a state of goodness.

Clearly following my scriptures can remove faults and ward off misfortune, allowing calamities to subside on their own and the people to live long lives. To investigate the root, one must consider more than just the beginning or the end.

The scriptures also use numbers to distinguish different kinds of writings. When the numbers correspond as ten and ten, it is a Sun text; when they correspond as nineteen, it is a Moon text; eighteen denotes a text of Harmony; seventeen, a text that disrupts order; sixteen, a text that goes beyond the mean; and fifteen, a text of ignorance. These writings may be said to bring equal measures of good and ill fortune. Fourteen denotes a perverse text; thirteen, a text of great disorder; twelve, an abandoned text; and eleven, a text lost in confusion. Texts below the level of seventeen are not to be used; they are writings that lead people astray. The harm caused by acting according to these writings will ultimately return to the person in equal measure. If one uses writings that do not accord with the Dao for a long time without stopping, one will sever one’s descendants and bring one’s lineage to an end. This is what is called the Ten-Ten text.

To understand the truth of the matter, one need only examine the words of the sages of high antiquity, middle antiquity, and later antiquity, and compare what they said with what they did. Then one can understand.

To understand the true principles of things, one need only examine the words of the sages of high antiquity, middle antiquity, and later antiquity, consider those words together, and then look at what they actually did. One can also examine the Daoist books from these three eras and compare their shared teachings to confirm what is true.

All written works express Heaven’s intent and are also connected to the governance of their time. When words are correct, governance can be orderly; when words are improper and unclear, society falls into disorder. Upright and detailed speech will surely bring good results, while harsh speech will surely invite resentment. To bring about good results, one must set the foundations straight. When the foundations are upright, they accord with celestial patterns and with the sages’ words. Next, they accord with the principles of Heaven; third, they are put into practice through human institutions and instruction; only then are they extended to all things. Pursuing empty display alone leads to disorder and ruin.

When Heaven’s intent is about to become manifest, it examines the origins and beginnings of things, removes what is mistaken, and preserves what is true. To understand the principles set out in written works is to understand the Dao of Heaven. Those who speak rightly accord with Heaven’s intent. Crooked and perverse speech summons evil Qi, throws Heaven and Earth out of harmony, causes the myriad things to lose their proper places, and brings worry to rulers, plunging the world once more into disorder. Such speech must therefore be examined and corrected without delay.

From ancient times to the present, the many books have been complete. The punishments of the deities cannot be escaped simply by fleeing to a distant place. One should understand the deities’ intent, so as to relieve the world’s troubles, bring stability to the ruler, and allow the myriad things to each find their proper place.

I hold fast to the Three Truths, and the Qi of Great Peace will arrive. Evil and falsehood will recede, and deceitful schemes will come to an end.

The Perfected One asked, “Which matters in the world are of the greatest urgency, which are of lesser urgency, and which bring calamity without being essential?”

The Spirit-like Man replied, “First still your mind, then explain these matters carefully.” The Perfected One said, “In general, useful things in the world are urgent, and useless things are not.” The Spirit-like Man replied, “That sounds reasonable, but it is not. What is truly most urgent are the things that cannot be abandoned for long. If they are abandoned, life in the world will be cut off, with no descendants to follow. They concern the foundations of life, yet are difficult to sum up in a single name.”

There are two matters of greatest urgency in the world, one of lesser urgency, and all the rest are nonurgent. Yet nonurgent matters can confuse people’s eyes and ears and bring calamity, even ruining families and bringing kingdoms to ruin. Some people become so occupied with nonurgent matters that they leave no descendants and invite disaster. This is precisely how it happens.

When people first receive life, they are originally connected with Heaven and Earth and endowed with the natural original Qi—the fundamental energy between Heaven and Earth. They can live by breathing the Yin-Yang Qi without relying on food or drink, and they know neither hunger nor thirst. But over time, people grow ever more distant from the way of the spirits and gradually lose their roots. Later generations no longer understand the true Dao and increasingly fall into delusion. They then become hungry and thirsty, and will die if they do not eat and drink. Food and drink thus become matters of great urgency. Heaven and Earth took pity on humanity and together brought forth things that could serve as food.

Since people need food and drink, they must also follow the laws by which Heaven and Earth transmit life through Yin and Yang. To carry on the lineage of Heaven and Earth, people should model themselves on them: one Yin and one Yang—that is, one man and one woman—are needed before descendants can be born. When Yin reaches its extreme, it gives rise to Yang; when Yang reaches its extreme, it gives rise to Yin. Their alternation is like the turning of cold and heat: this is the natural order. In this way, generations continue, and the lineage of Heaven and Earth is not cut off. If this lineage were severed, where would there be husbands and wives, fathers and sons, rulers and ministers, or teachers and disciples? People also depend on rulers to govern the world and instruct the people. Thus, food and drink, and the propagation of life between men and women, are the two matters of greatest urgency.

Clothing serves to cover the body. Wearing clothes helps people live in safety and stability; without them, they are liable to fall into hardship. Clothes protect against harm, so the wise emperors of antiquity did not concern themselves with whether garments were dark or yellow; they cared only that they warded off cold and heat. Food and drink, the propagation of life through Yin and Yang, and clothing are the three things that cannot be dispensed with. By holding to these, people can enjoy a full lifespan, continue their descendants, and let life turn in an unbroken cycle. The sages of antiquity took these as the foundations of good governance. Many other things are not urgent and instead bring misfortune.

Men symbolize Heaven and women symbolize Earth; food and clothing bring balance to human life. Much that goes beyond these three is unnecessary. It cannot truly sustain life and instead can invite calamity and treachery, throw governance out of balance, prevent harmony from gathering, and disrupt the Way of Heaven, causing the noble person distress. Each of the six human emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, and aversion—has its own objects of desire, and they are difficult to suppress. If these desires are indulged, calamity follows: the noble lose their ability to govern, the base begin to scheme to plunder, and in the end families perish and kingdoms collapse. These outcomes are often brought about by nonurgent things.

The people of the world are poor and distressed, disasters and upheavals recur, and those above and below deceive one another. People increasingly chase after empty splendor, and so they find no peace and cannot enjoy the full span of their lives. Their descendants, in turn, are forced to toil without end. The resources of mountains and rivers are gradually exhausted; original Qi is cut off and the Earth’s Qi grows weak. The myriad things can no longer grow as they should, calamities in Heaven shift and multiply, the population gradually declines, and deceit and falsehood continue to spread. The harm caused by nonurgent things is so profound, yet people remain absorbed in pleasures that delight the ear and eye, unable to grasp the immense calamity they bring.

The True Person asked the Spirit Person, “After their parents have died, should dutiful children continue to serve them as they did when their parents were alive, or should they do so differently? Should they devote themselves even more fully than before, or less? People are born of their parents. When they have grown up, they witness their parents’ passing and know they will never return. They can no longer receive their guidance or go in and out with them as they once did, repaying their care. They often think of and imagine their parents, unable to stop. Would it perhaps be acceptable to serve them even more devotedly than when they were alive?”

The Spirit Person said, “What you describe is merely the filial devotion of ordinary people, not the meaning of the Great Dao. While alive, a person takes Heaven as their model and belongs to Heaven; after death, they take Earth as their model and belong to Earth. Heaven is the father; Earth is the mother. One must not serve the mother more than the father. Life belongs to Yang, and death to Yin; one must not serve Yin more than Yang. Yang represents the way of the ruler, and Yin the way of the subject; one must not serve subjects more than the ruler.

“When Yin is served more than Yang, the Qi of Yin and Yang is thrown into disorder, bringing disaster. When the lesser surpasses the greater, order is reversed and grave calamity follows. When Yin Qi overpowers Yang Qi and those below oppress those above, ghosts, spirits, and malevolent beings appear in great numbers, even moving among people by day. Disease and pestilence spread without end, Yang Qi cannot circulate, the ruler’s way declines, and the subjects’ way grows strong. Thus, whenever this has happened since ancient times, it has brought great disaster.

“The sage rulers of antiquity regarded strengthening Yang Qi and suppressing Yin Qi as their foremost concern. The sun belongs to Yang, and night to Yin: as the day grows longer, the night grows shorter; as the night grows longer, the day grows shorter. When daylight flourishes, people flourish; when night flourishes, ghosts and spirits flourish. People move with the sun, while ghosts move with the stars. The sun belongs to Yang, and the stars to Yin. So when the sun appears, the stars vanish; when the stars appear, the sun sets. Therefore, when Yin Qi overpowers Yang Qi, ghosts and spirits bring harm. Such, in broad terms, are the calamities Yin Qi brings.”

In high antiquity, people arranged funerals with sincerity as their only aim. The cost of burial did not exceed what had been spent on a person in life. In those days, people were simple and honest, and illness was rare. By middle antiquity, the old customs and rules had gradually fallen into disuse. People began to pursue extravagance, exhausting their family wealth on funerals, while sacrificial rites grew ever more lavish. The grander the sacrifices became, the more attention people paid to ghosts and spirits. The people consequently suffered more illness and epidemics, and the mischief of demons and ghosts became harder to suppress.

By late antiquity, the practice of sacrificing to other ghosts and spirits had grown even more intense, and Yin energy flourished along with it. Serving ghosts and spirits came to harm the people’s lives. Ministers seized the ruler’s authority, women monopolized power, wars erupted, treacherous people formed factions, and flattery and sycophancy spread. Government orders fell increasingly into disuse, and the ruler’s way could no longer be put into practice. These were all results of Yin energy overwhelming Yang energy, which Heaven’s Way abhors. Hence disaster followed. How could one fail to be cautious?

The Master’s Tally Text (a tally text transmitted by a master) says: “The character for ‘I’ has eleven strokes [the character ming, ‘bright,’ has eleven strokes; here, ming marks the endpoint]. The Bingwu and Dingsi years are the beginning. Four ‘mouths’ are used to govern affairs, so that each thing finds its proper order. Add the cloth radical to the character zi, then use a horn shape to bring its right side to life. The hidden dragon must not be stirred rashly; take the Kan trigram as the guiding rule. Whoever can see it may live long, dwelling safely between Heaven and Earth. Govern a million people, and becoming an immortal may be within reach. Those skilled in treating illness must not deceive or slight the sick. May people enjoy the peace and ease of Chang’an, live as long as the Queen Mother of the West, and renew themselves in cycles like the four seasons. Pass this tally text of ninety characters on to the practitioners of the arts.”

The Perfected One asked the Spirit Being for guidance: “The Life-Planning Text you bestowed earlier contains ninety words. I still do not understand its intent or the principles it ultimately points to. I hope you will explain it word by word, so that people in later generations can remember it and bring these teachings together.”

The Spirit Being said, “I will explain it to you word by word.”

“The word ‘shi’ is made up of ‘eleven’ and the ‘zhi’ indicated by ‘ming.’ ‘Shi’ refers to the teacher of spirit beings sent by the August Heaven. ‘Yue’ means to speak. By Heaven’s command, I have come in person to the human world to convey Heaven’s will to rulers and common people, and to explain the punishments caused across generations by inherited burdens: calamities formed when the wrongs accumulated by earlier generations are passed down to their descendants. I am the spirit being Heaven has urgently dispatched. Now the calamities of inherited burdens have spread in every direction, with causes and consequences extending through time. People have therefore lost the way of governing; disasters cannot be brought to an end, and people harm one another, causing grievous calamity. This is what most concerns Heaven.

“‘Zi’ refers to the characters of the heavenly text now set forth, gathered into chapters. ‘Ten’ signifies that the scripture and the Way of Heaven are sincere and true, corresponding to one another, complete in every respect, without error or deceit. After receiving this text, the worthy should reflect deeply: their ancestors may all have left inherited burdens behind. If the calamities of inherited burdens can be stopped from continuing, disasters both great and small can all be dispelled.

“‘One’ is the essential principle of the Dao; cultivation of the Dao should begin with holding to Oneness. If one holds to Oneness without ceasing, the mind grows clearer day by day, and confusion about the Way of Heaven dissolves. In ‘ming wei zhi,’ ‘zhi’ means contentment and completeness. Those who cultivate this Dao make progress each day, gradually gaining understanding and leaving behind ignorance and darkness. ‘Eleven’ together forms ‘shi.’ ‘Ming wei zhi’ also refers to the color red: red Qi will once again flourish and shine. ‘Zhi’ is also the foundation of all things. When things first begin to sprout, they put down roots and grow by relying on their foundation. Cultivating this Dao allows one to return to the original primordial Qi and comprehend the heart of Heaven and Earth. This is the finest Dao, called the Dao of the Supreme Sovereign.

“Bingwu belongs to Fire and the color red, and represents pure Yang; dingsi also belongs to Fire and the color red, and represents pure Yin. When Yin and Yang are harmonized and Yang Qi comes together again, the world can be at peace. ‘Wei’ means seeking benefit for rulers and common people, and dispelling the harm caused by darkness, evil, and malign forces. ‘Zu’ means ancestors and symbolizes the virtue of the Three Sovereigns; ‘shi’ means returning to the beginning. Putting this Dao into practice can restore the teachings of the age of the Three Sovereigns.

“In ‘four mouths govern affairs and order all things,’ ‘four’ combined with ‘mouth’ refers to ‘words.’ By studying this text each day, people can obtain the characters of the Heavenly Orthodox Scripture, understand its intent, and bring their hearts into accord with Heaven’s heart. Then all things can each find their proper place and no longer fall into disorder; hence all things are said to be governed. ‘The child’s cloth uses the horn to govern its right’ refers to reciting the text. Persist in reciting it, and affairs will ultimately be set right. When one accords with Heaven’s heart, Heaven rejoices, and humanity and the Dao no longer diverge.

“In ‘the hidden dragon must not be used; Kan is the guiding principle,’ the ‘hidden dragon’ refers to Heaven’s Yang Qi returning to the position of the first of the nine Yang lines. The winter solstice in the Jiazi year is the moment when Heaven and Earth begin anew. ‘Dragon’ is the essence of the young Yang of the East, associated with Wood. The Way of Heaven rises through Wood and brings forth the virtue of Fire. Before all things can flourish, the gates of access must first be opened. When the time is right, the Perfected One should make this text public and place it somewhere open and accessible. ‘Open’ means to clear a path and make it accessible. Opening the South allows Yang Qi to flow freely and dispels the calamities of inherited burdens. ‘Hidden’ means concealed: after things have run their course to a certain point, they turn back toward concealment. ‘Must not be used’ means that for the time being people still dare not use it and have not yet put it into practice. Those who see the scripture but do not yet know how to put it into practice cannot be said to have truly made use of it.

“‘Use’ means to govern and put into practice. Heaven now intends to use this text to dispel disasters. In the year of Xuanjia, calamities should have been removed; yet the ruler of that time had not understood the text’s meaning deeply enough or truly put it into practice. Hence the words ‘must not be used’: people still dare not fully trust Heaven’s will, and have not yet tested or followed the Dao set out in the text. If they believe and put it into practice, the results will appear like an echo answering a sound, becoming clear proof in accord with the Way of Heaven.

“‘Kan is the guiding principle’: ‘Kan’ refers to the water of the North. ‘Jia’ is Heaven’s governing principle and belongs to Yang; ‘Kan’ belongs to Water and Yin, and also symbolizes the governing order. The Yin and Yang principles of Heaven and Earth are always meant to work together. This text appeared in the time of Xuanjiazi to provide a guiding order for virtuous rulers to govern the world. Hence the words ‘Kan is the guiding principle.’ This heavenly text of the Supreme Sovereign appeared for virtuous rulers. Through the words of the True Scripture, it distinguishes right from wrong. With Xuanjia at its head and zi as its foundation, it was transmitted according to the Jiazi cycle. Those who receive and understand it can live long.

“Here, ‘people’ chiefly means rulers and emperors. The virtuous are quick to awaken and know to cultivate the Dao in accordance with the text; when they see auspicious signs, they do not doubt the Way of Heaven. By grasping the text’s meaning deeply, they can enjoy the lifespan bestowed on them by Heaven. ‘Long’ means lasting without end; ‘lasting’ means continuing to exist. To live for a long time between Heaven and Earth, one should study the true Dao. Ornate writing cannot bring lasting benefit.

“The calamities caused by all kinds of inherited burdens arise from the lack of a reliable and authentic method of the Dao. Heaven now intends to end these calamities. The principle of governing a state of a million people and giving them hope of becoming immortals is sound. Through this text, Heaven sets the hearts of the worthy straight, so that each person can treat their own illnesses, preserve what is true, and abandon what is evil. ‘Immortality may be hoped for’ means that when people throughout the world hear the true Dao, if they can unite to dispel evil, assist a virtuous ruler, and follow the righteous path of saving and benefiting people, then becoming immortals is within reach.

“Those skilled at treating illness should neither deceive people nor act recklessly. Ordinary people are often ignorant and do not know how to care for body and mind. Instead, they believe false and flashy words, needlessly bring danger upon themselves, and may even receive heavier punishment from Heaven, deepening the burdens of inherited guilt. Therefore Heaven commands people to abandon ornate writing, hold to what is true, and do their utmost to put it into practice. If they persist over time, they will benefit and will no longer deceive themselves or bring danger upon themselves.

“In ‘joy in the long-lived city,’ ‘joy’ means that what is most worthy of rejoicing is the arrival of the Supreme Sovereign’s peace-bringing Qi. ‘Call’ is an exclamation praising virtue as vast and unequalled. ‘Long’ means that after this Dao is put into practice, virtue continues without end; ‘peace’ means that peril and ruin have ceased. Those who cultivate this Dao can dispel the calamities of inherited burdens between Heaven and Earth. From then on, they will live in lasting peace, with open and untroubled minds. ‘Market’ is where people gather. When the Dao described in this text is put into practice, the state and its people will prosper, flourishing like crowds gathered in a city.

“In ‘make the lifespan like that of the Queen Mother of the West,’ ‘make’ means to enable rulers to become people of great virtue who delight in following the righteous path. ‘Like’ means to comply: if one follows the Way of Heaven described in this text, there will be great good fortune and no calamity. ‘West’ means that everyone keeps the true Dao alive within their heart. ‘King’ means that emperors put the Way of Heaven into practice and their states prosper. ‘Mother’ is a measure by which longevity is discerned, and also symbolizes the enduring presence of the divine.

“‘Like the four seasons completing their cycle and returning to the beginning’ means that, as the seasons turn, they generate and support one another. They no longer harm one another, and there are neither punishments nor disasters.

“In ‘the ninety-word plan is transmitted to the masters of the arts of the Dao,’ ‘nine’ means ultimate completion. Putting this Dao into practice allows one’s virtue to accord with Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and the heart of all things. ‘Ten’ means corresponding everywhere, without embellishment. ‘Words’ refers to the writing of the Way of Heaven as it flows above and below, complete and all-encompassing. ‘Transmit’ means to pass something on faithfully. Therefore it should be written down and handed down as trustworthy proof. ‘Fang’ means upright and expansive. Those who hold to this Dao should promptly pass it to virtuous rulers, so that the calamities of inherited burdens may be dispelled and the world returned to the right way. ‘Shi’ refers to people firmly devoted to a single purpose. Such people are upright in heart and can be entrusted with teaching and affairs. If they can spread this Dao, the principles set out in Heaven’s plan will become known.”

The Correct Classic of Heaven’s Admonitions says: When Heaven offers admonition, a mild warning appears as a change in the sky’s color, while a grave warning takes the form of upheaval and rupture in the celestial patterns. If the warning is ignored, the end is destruction.

The sun, moon, and stars, together called the Three Lights, give mild warnings through small anomalies, such as stars changing color. In grave warnings, their courses become irregular and their light grows dim. If the admonition is still ignored, destruction follows.

When the earth gives a mild warning, it shakes; when the warning is grave, mountains collapse and the ground splits. If people still refuse to heed it, destruction follows.

When the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—give mild warnings, calamities appear. Grave warnings bring different kinds of disaster: Wood brings insect plagues that harm people; Fire brings poisonous harm; Metal brings attacks by tigers and wolves; Water brings harmful creatures in the water; and Earth appears as officials and common people treating one another harshly and causing one another harm. If the admonition is still ignored, destruction follows.

When the four seasons give mild warnings, cold and heat fall out of balance. In grave warnings, cold and heat are reversed, and the seasons no longer follow their proper order.