《太平经钞》Vol. 3

Thus, Yang may be called noble. Yin is considered low because it receives its mandate from a place of emptiness and has neither surplus nor substance; for this reason, it is said to be humble. The Dao of Heaven values the root and protects the beginning. People, too, should return to the root and preserve their original nature, set the scriptures straight, and follow them to dispel confusion. Only then can Heaven and Earth endure, the state be secure, and the people live in peace. This is because Yang is full and delights in giving. Yang represents Heaven and the ruler; Yin represents Earth and the minister. Therefore, one should honor Yang’s giving and follow its example to nurture all things.

Someone asked a divine immortal who had attained the Dao: “How many states are there in all under Heaven?” The immortal replied: “In the central region there are eighty-one domains, and beyond them lies another encircling region. Under Heaven there are ten thousand states. Farther still are regions arrayed beyond the boundaries of the grotto-heavens and the void. Together, these three regions comprise twelve thousand states, all of which receive the teachings of Great Peace.”

In the first year of the age of Great Peace, people rejoice, are happy, and follow the good way. In the second year, joy prevails throughout the land. In the third year, benevolence reaches all under Heaven. In the fourth year, the prevailing influences move in harmony. In the fifth year, the spirits of the Way cease their battles, and demons, evil forces, and wicked deeds are brought to an end. In the sixth year, all guiding principles and laws are made fully clear. In the seventh year, the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—shine more brightly. In the eighth year, benevolence reaches in every direction. In the ninth year, Yin and Yang are both harmonious and joyful. In the tenth year, all things find their proper place. This marks the end of a small cycle. After all things pass through three such cycles, Heaven, Earth, and humanity are complete together; therefore, Great Peace is reached only after thirty years.

Now the Qi of the August Sovereigns—the pure, upright Qi received by the emperors of antiquity—has appeared, and the true Dao has descended. If people govern according to the true Dao for ten years, there will be a small measure of Great Peace; if they diligently put the true Dao into practice for twenty years, they can achieve a middle measure of Great Peace. This means that everyone from the emperor down to the people, whatever their rank, should follow the true Dao and cast out what is false and deviant.

The divine immortal said to the perfected adept who had achieved success in cultivation: “When people of ancient times first studied the Dao, their spirit wandered freely while they held to softness. In this way, they preserved themselves. By continually accumulating De, the Dao could enable them to attain immortality. Once immortal, they traveled upon clouds…”

The Divine Person said to the Perfected Person: “When people of ancient times first began to learn the Dao, their minds and spirits wandered freely, and they preserved gentleness to protect themselves. By continually accumulating De, the Dao enabled them to become immortals. They rode on clouds and dragons, entering and leaving the Gate of Heaven, and followed the movements and changes of the Way of Heaven in an endless cycle.

“The Perfected Person who devotes himself entirely to keeping to the Dao can live a long life, with a lifespan joined to Heaven. By single-mindedly accumulating the Yang Way—the path of Yang cultivation—day after day without interruption, one can reach a state of complete purity and sincerity. All this is brought about by faith and cultivation.

“Without contending for glory or reputation, one may nonetheless hold high office. By honoring one’s parents and serving one’s teachers, the Dao will naturally arrive. The spirits recognize good conduct through these actions, and may also speak with people. A teacher awakens the unenlightened; this is the beginning of entering the Dao. The ruler, father, and teacher are the foundations on which people everywhere stand and act. If one serves these three with respect, the Dao will shine forth greatly. To fail to honor them is like shutting the door of a house: blessings and De will depart, and calamity will follow. You should reflect carefully on this principle and not go against what the scriptures say. Your parents gave birth to you and raised you; your teacher taught you how to conduct yourself in the world. You must be careful in serving your elders and in taking up official duties.

“Those in the world who truly possess the Dao will resign from office and seek immortality. The Way of the Immortals has no end, and their lifespan is joined to Heaven. Local officials govern the people, while immortal officials serve the heavenly court and command the myriad spirits; their duties are different. Every matter in the world has someone responsible for it. You should strive to think of what is good, so that you may preserve yourself. In this way, leaving to seek immortality does not mean failing your ancestors.

“I have finished all that I have drawn and recorded; there is nothing more to add. You must study diligently and examine these writings carefully. As the Divine Person is about to depart, he warns the Perfected Person: be sure to act with caution, and do not pass this on carelessly. If you do not find a suitable person, never reveal it. These teachings should be hidden in a deep and secluded place. The Dao must not be treated lightly.” As he took leave, the Divine Person warned the Perfected Person once more: “Be sure to act with caution, and do not teach this recklessly. If you cannot find a suitable person, do not pass it on. Keep the scripture hidden deep away. The Dao does not drink blood, nor does it lightly disclose its essential secret texts. What must be said, both within and without, has already been said; there is nothing more to add.

“Here is a painting of a Divine Person in feathered robes, ascending to Heaven in a carriage drawn by nine dragons. Luan birds, immortal cranes, and young immortals attend him on either side. Colorful clouds gather before him, depicting the Divine Person taking leave of that man.”

The images on the western wall depict divine beings and perfected humans of high antiquity. They warn later generations: do not commit evil or act treacherously to harm others. Do not go against what is right, compete to outdo everyone in every matter, and then give rise to jealousy. Such conduct invites calamity and may even bring death. The Way of Heaven does not permit forced seizure. Persist in it, and you will bring on the disasters of war, lose your authority, and in the end see your family destroyed and your life lost. Those who steal divine books are bound to fail. Hoping to profit from them, they instead bring harm upon themselves. This is the pattern by which Heaven and Earth operate; the corresponding consequences follow of their own accord. Act with care and remain at peace, and you can live a long life. Be sure to proceed cautiously.

Do not take pleasure in harming others. Those who do good naturally meet with good outcomes; those who do evil ultimately bring about their own ruin. Look at these two kinds of conduct and consider their benefits and harms. Everything under Heaven has its own kind, and the links between cause and consequence are as fine as a hair, without the slightest error. Yet people refuse to examine themselves closely and assume they know nothing of their wrongdoing. Once guilt has been established, nothing can undo it. If you fail to hold fast to what is fundamental, your wrongdoing will remain even after your death.

Evil thoughts arise within the heart, and Jing and Qi then draw corresponding things from outside. Calamity and imprisonment lie ahead; evil ghosts gather behind, struggling and entangling themselves with you. By the time you wish to repent, it is too late, and you may even lose your life. These images were therefore drawn and left for wise people of later generations to see, so they might treat them as important warnings. The foolish do not believe in principle and continue to act carelessly. In truth, careful judgment leaves no room for the slightest error.

Those who remain yielding and humble can live long; those who love to fight bring about their own destruction. Things each return to their own kind. Deeds, once done, cannot be taken back, and regret is of no use; evil ghosts will cling to you in their wake. If you wake up in time after seeing these warnings, return to the right path at once. You have not yet suffered harm, so there is still time to become a good person. Good deeds raise people up; evil deeds bring them down. The Way of Heaven shows no favoritism, and naturally gives each person the reward their conduct deserves.

By opening roads and preventing information from being blocked, one accords with the intentions of Heaven and the wishes of Earth, reverses calamities between Heaven and Earth, and allows words and news to circulate freely. The people can each remain in their proper place, and the myriad things suffer no harm. For this reason, Heaven issued documents enabling people to travel thousands of miles and convey messages: to commend the good, distinguish the wicked, and resolve tangled grievances and enmities. In this way, even when an emperor resides deep within the palace precincts, he can remain secure for a long time and clearly discern what is happening in distant places.

Since the Middle Antiquity of the Most High, people have mostly gone against the Way of Heaven and Earth and joined in deceiving those above them. Calamities therefore grew ever more frequent, and the dead became too numerous to count. Emperors worried for a long time, yet could not restrain their subordinates from wrongdoing and deceit. Heaven then sent down three documents. These documents enabled the Qi above and below to communicate, encouraged people to understand gains and losses, and brought harmony between those above and below. Opinions and remonstrances could reach all four quarters, and even people of low status could speak out, leaving no grievances unresolved. This was to accord with the intentions of August Heaven, dispel calamities, and prevent further offense against Heaven.

Since the age after remote antiquity, people’s conduct and hearts have become perverse and benighted, unlike the simple, single-minded people of the Three Sovereigns in high antiquity. In that time, everyone was willing to follow Heaven’s will, remain loyal and trustworthy, and not deceive those above them, so documents were unnecessary. Later people, obscured by ignorance, made up false words and deceived Heaven and Earth while misleading the emperor. Heaven and Earth therefore often grew wrathful and sent down calamities.

When calamities from Heaven and Earth are dispelled, the emperor can live securely and long, the people can dwell in peace, and the myriad things can enjoy their allotted years without resentment. Yin and Yang then move smoothly, and all the assembled spirits rejoice. This is a matter of great importance.

If a son is not filial, he cannot devote himself fully to caring for his parents. If a disciple is not obedient, he cannot do his utmost to follow and clarify the Daoist teachings of an enlightened master. If a minister is not loyal, he cannot serve his ruler with wholehearted respect. Those who fail in these three kinds of conduct cannot escape blame. Heaven detests them, ghosts and spirits bring them harm, and people everywhere join in despising them. Even after death, they must still bear the guilt that remains below. They are called “sons who lack goodness in the three forms of conduct”—that is, people who have done no good in filiality, loyalty, or obedience.

The scripture says that at dawn on the final day of each month, such people are often summoned to the heavenly court for judgment, where spirits who oversee the order of Yin-Yang decide their fate. The souls of spirit officials at every rank, high and low, suffer distress because of this, until the accused are destroyed.

The Dao of Heaven sets fifteen days as a short period of review, so once the month passes its midpoint, it begins to turn back. A month is a middle period, and a year is a long one. The spirits and essences throughout Heaven and Earth should all assist Heaven in nurturing and bringing forth the twelve thousand kinds of things; for this, they all receive stipends and provisions. It is like worthy ministers assisting an emperor in governing, so that the people and all things are cared for and sustained.

Thus the Dao of Heaven establishes its rules: the spirits undergo a short review every fifteen days, a middle review each month, and a major review each year. Those with great merit are promoted and advanced; those without merit are removed and demoted, and may sometimes be punished. The ones who disrupt the order of governance are spirits who act solely in evil ways.

If, while alive, people honor their parents, remain loyal to their ruler, obey their enlightened master, and uphold these qualities throughout their lives, then after death their souls and spirit essences will not be summoned for judgment.

Those of the second level can read my Daoist books, compare their teachings with theories from ancient and present times, group similar ideas together, and grasp their essential meaning. The highest and wisest people will agree with one another and gladly accept them; nothing can stop them from doing good. They even dare to enter a thatched hut and quiet chamber, firmly maintain their cultivation without losing their resolve, and in the end are certain to transcend the ordinary world and depart from it. Their intentions fully accord and communicate with the spirits, and from then on they no longer concern themselves with worldly affairs. Their good deeds reach throughout Heaven and Earth. The spirits therefore assist Heaven and Earth, and further aid the sovereign in transforming evil conduct. Their beneficence extends down to minute things such as plants and trees; nothing fails to receive their moral influence. Thus, when wise people of antiquity found a true teacher and helped the sovereign bring about peace, it was because they had found people of this kind.

The middling worthy make every effort to study my Daoist books together, comparing them with Daoist books from ancient and present times and grouping similar ideas together. They work hard at their studies, and that is as far as they go. If they have worthy talent, they can become able assistants to the sovereign and good officials, helping a virtuous ruler transform evil conduct and extending beneficence down to small things such as plants and trees. Yin-Yang harmonizes, and wars cease. The sovereign enjoys a long period of ease and freedom from trouble; ministers and people teach and guide one another by example, striving to do good. No one fails to follow the good way or to be loyal and trustworthy. Society can be well governed without relying on punishment, and evil conduct then has little chance to arise. The people study my Daoist books together, connecting what lies above and below, deliberating and working in concert, and planning as one; they no longer know what it is to do evil. They examine Daoist books from ancient and present times, compare and connect them by category, and make them a body of learning handed down from generation to generation, from father to son. If the highest and middling worthy, down to the common people, all practice these teachings together and use them to verify their effects, then the evil Qi between Heaven and Earth will vanish completely, and there will be no more calamities of inherited burden—the disasters brought on by bearing the consequences of one’s forebears’ sins. The good way will thereby accord with Yin-Yang; the seasons will be harmonious, and auspicious signs will appear on Earth. When these signs appear in the sovereign’s capital, they show that August Heaven and the Empress Earth—Heaven and Earth—are in harmony and delight. Therefore, readers of my books should examine them with care.

Those of the third level cultivate the Dao and attain it; they are certain to see spirits and can be guided by them. The highest and wisest can manage affairs well in all ten cases out of ten. They can serve as the sovereign’s envoys and become ministers who drive away evil and eliminate wrongdoing. Some, after a long period of cultivation, are finally able to enter a quiet chamber to cultivate and transcend the ordinary world, from then on no longer esteeming worldly affairs. First one must guard the One—keeping the mind and spirit focused—so as to recognize fully where goodness, evil, and faults lie. Only after recognizing them can one guard the Dao. One must enter a quiet chamber and devote oneself to reflective cultivation in order to preserve the spirit; this is why this is called the third level. The worthy examine spirit books from ancient and present times and verify them against one another.

The middling worthy guard the One and enter the Dao, recognize where faults lie, then guard the Dao, enter a quiet chamber for focused cultivation, and preserve the spirit. They, too, belong to the third level. They examine spirit books from ancient and present times and verify them against one another. Some among them, after guarding the One and entering the Dao, can see spirits with their own eyes and manage nine cases out of ten well. They can serve as ministers to kings and lords, working together to drive out evil, and after a long period of cultivation hope eventually to enter a quiet chamber to practice. Worthies of more modest capacity guard the One and enter the Dao, and study books; sometimes they, too, can see spirits. They can manage eight cases out of ten well and join the people in driving out evil. They all examine Daoist books from ancient and present times and verify them against one another, enabling those who were originally ignorant to understand and believe in the Dao.

If the highest and middling worthy and the common people all guard the way of the spirits together and practice accordingly, then the spirits of Heaven and Earth and of the four seasons will all come to their aid, and evil will naturally disappear. The spirits throughout the world above and below, in the four directions, and among the six relations and six kin—all kinds of relatives and associated people—will be pleased. Heaven, too, will bring forth good deeds and help people, bringing them good fortune.

I use the Dao to govern Heaven and Earth and to bring stability to the emperor, while also enabling the myriad beings cherished and nurtured by Heaven and Earth to live in peace. Therefore, people should cherish the true Dao and De. Heaven is the true embodiment of the Dao: its guiding principle and warrant, and the source from which the Dao operates. Earth, in turn, is the foundation and standard of De, the place on which De rests and through which it brings stability. Thus Earth nurtures all things for a long time and is their mother; it continually endures humiliation and occupies a lowly position, without proclaiming its own toil.

As a ruler of De, I educate the ignorant by taking these two qualities of Heaven and Earth as my foundation. I therefore always follow the laws of Heaven and Earth and never lose the gateways through which they operate. My writings record Heaven’s words and Earth’s speech, and resonate inwardly with the spirits, as though their inner and outer aspects were joined.

All things under Heaven have their own names and affiliations. They follow one another according to their kinds, so their allotted destinies and affiliations can be known. Among the Qi of the Five Phases—the five basic forces that constitute all things: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—those who contain more Yang Qi embody Yang and are benevolent in disposition; those who contain more Yin Qi embody Yin and are acquisitive. Those who receive more of the Qi bestowed by Yang become men; those who receive more of that bestowed by Yin become women. Those who receive more of the Qi of kingship and ministers hold high status and wield authority exclusively; those who receive more of the Qi of decline and confinement are often sickly, die young, or fall into extreme poverty.

A person’s birth depends on the Five Phases Qi that they embody; their allotted destiny is determined by the Six Jia and the Five Calendars, systems for calculating dates and destinies. Tracing things according to their kinds leaves nothing uncertain. The sages of antiquity probed deeply into all things and came to understand human nature by relying on these principles. Does the perfected person understand this? Look upward to observe Heaven and act in accordance with its Dao; by following Heaven, one can accomplish things. Look downward to observe Earth and act in accordance with its De; emulate Earth and the transformations of the Qi of the Five Phases.

When I consider that Heaven and Earth enabled my parents to give birth to and raise me, I should not indulge myself in wrongdoing. I should also examine my heart before acting. The heart is where the spirits are deeply hidden, and it is a place of honor. The spirit within the heart is pure Yang and belongs to Fire. Fire moves upward and shines with Heaven’s brightness. Thus the sun is sovereign among fires and the standard for all under Heaven, illuminating everything. When a person is utterly sincere, their heart is upright and earnest, and the spirit within it reports to the sun and moon, then ascends to Heaven. With utter sincerity within, the spirits respond. How, then, could one fail to be cautious?

Heaven takes the highest Dao as its guiding principle, and Earth takes the highest De as its guiding principle. The highest De is like the head of a household: it nurtures all things, conceals nothing, and claims nothing as its own. The sages of antiquity modeled themselves on Heaven and Earth. They taught the ignorant through the utmost Dao and virtuous conduct, making them cautious and kind so they could be governed with ease.

But now the world is full of barriers and divisions. The ignorant have become cunning together, acting against the Dao of Heaven without knowing where they have gone wrong. They do not practice the right way or cultivate goodness, so people often suffer Heaven’s punishment. Even those whose death sentences should rightly be commuted cannot obtain a pardon.

Today the Celestial Master opens wide the path to the Dao of Heaven and gathers and examines the words of ancient Daoist books, treating them as the important, secret transmission of the true Dao. The true Dao contains many meanings of goodness, and its words can lead into the realm of the spirits and gods. In this way, practitioners can see the spirits and gods and govern affairs together with them. If one can bring the spirits and gods into oneself and communicate with them, this is the true Dao.

Those who cultivate the Dao often achieve results in a quiet, secluded room. Some receive instruction there and then leave; some come and go for a time but are not yet able to depart; and others, though they see the spirits and gods, never leave. Those who practice the filial way of a child and gain high office through their learning should also remain steadfast in their resolve.

Anyone who devotes themselves to learning should apply their attention wholeheartedly from the day they enter the school of learning. They should always cherish a wish to benefit and care for others, and never speak falsely. If they begin learning when young and continue into old age, they should not give up even if they still have not fully understood the Jing and the Dao. They should take no pleasure in holding office, but devote themselves to study, strive to understand the Jing and the Dao, and continue accumulating good deeds.

If they persist in this way, their good deeds and reputation will be established, their cultivation of the Jing and the Dao will come to fruition, and they will gain deep understanding of the causes of calamities and upheavals, past and present. When a person’s conduct and learning benefit those above and those below, and their good deeds and reputation continue to grow, they cannot be concealed; their name will spread in every direction. A wise ruler will value such a person, summon them, and ask about the causes of calamities and upheavals, past and present. After hearing them, everyone will praise them, saying, “Well said. This is truly the kind of person they are.” Those around them, too, will feel joy and satisfaction. Such a person has risen above the world through good deeds and learning.

Later, he explained further to his disciples: Those who cannot truly be guided toward salvation think only of entering the gate of the classics today, yet are unwilling to devote themselves to seeking the true Dao and teachings that bring benefit. They want only to broaden their knowledge, believing that this alone will bring them to the state of a sage. They refuse to do good deeds and instead delight in flashy writing, which they use to deceive others.

Some have encountered the classics and the Dao, yet their minds are not single-minded. They often want to speak falsehoods and show off their skill in argument, treating harm to others as an accomplishment. They neither respect those above them nor care for those below them. Their understanding of the classics and the Dao is empty and shallow: they are unfit to serve an emperor as worthy ministers, yet take up positions of leadership. Relying on others to assist them with money and possessions, they dream of becoming high officials and winning fame. They then steal property, use public office for private gain, act against the interests of their superiors, and favor their subordinates. Such people disrupt government and ruin the true Way. They are calamities to Heaven and Earth, thieves of the state, tigers and wolves among the people, and unfilial children to their parents. Heaven and Earth detest them, and the ghosts and spirits reject them. Therefore, emperors should punish them, in accord with Heaven’s will, to remove a great harm to the people. This refers to those who gain office through fraud and scheming.

Some people are not single-minded or honest. Their hearts are empty, and they lack genuine integrity, yet they are always plotting to become officials. Official rank is like the offices of the stars in Heaven: it is meant to be bestowed on the virtuous and to reward those who have rendered service. It should not be handed out casually to people without merit. Heaven and Earth disregard those without merit, and the spirits do not favor them. The foolish cannot deeply recognize their own faults. Instead, they recklessly hope to obtain heavenly office, a position granted by Heaven, and persist in their delusion. Evil ghosts then take the opportunity to enter their hearts, making them speak nonsense and spread demonic words, with no ability to restrain themselves. That is why people in the world sometimes die as a result of evil speech. Calamity does not come only from seeking the Dao but failing to grasp its essentials; perfected people, too, must strive to master the means of saving themselves.

The sages of ancient times saw clearly the laws of the Way of Heaven, and so were able to follow the Dao and uphold De. Heaven moves with constancy, day and night without rest and without speaking, and so enjoys lasting good fortune. Earth moves day and night without speaking; it cherishes and nurtures the myriad things, and so alone preserves its good fortune. The four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—move day and night without stopping, and so remain prosperous for a long time. The sun, moon, and stars simply follow the true Way of Heaven as they move, without speaking, and so are always bright as they turn with the celestial bodies. The Five Phases—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—each follow their true patterns without speaking, and so endure alongside Heaven and Earth. All things under Heaven that follow the Dao can be understood from these examples; they cannot all be listed one by one. If you constantly hold a heart that cares for and benefits others, and do not speak carelessly, the Dao can be attained. If you treat these words lightly and go against my admonition, you will suffer harm from the Dao.

I speak on Heaven’s behalf, to admonish rulers of noble De. A worthy ruler whose destiny from Heaven is about to flourish will surely delight in the Dao. The people will follow the ruler’s example, so all should take these words as a warning. The laws revealed by Heaven honor the supreme Dao: it humbles itself and does not claim a high position. It is vast without limit, yet so subtle that it has no bounds. It embraces and nurtures the myriad things, benefiting and protecting them all, whether good or evil, great or small. Through primordial Qi, the fundamental energy from which the myriad things arise, it brings them into being and never harms them. Thus Heaven is most rightly called wondrous, and is also called the ruler of Heaven.

Now the Qi of the Supreme Sovereign, a sign of the Way of Heaven in a clear and well-ordered age, is about to arrive. A virtuous ruler who governs the world should take this as a model. The Dao I speak of is sometimes high and sometimes low, sometimes sunken and sometimes floating; I hope all the worthy will reflect on it together. In the southeast, at the Earth Gate—the place where the Qi of Earth and water enter and leave—are the waters of Heaven and Earth. They reject no small stream; good and evil, great and small alike all flow toward them. Do perfected people understand this principle?

Though there are millions upon millions of documents, only those that truly prolong life and strengthen it are genuine texts; the rest do not count. Though documents fill entire rooms, only those that accord with Heaven’s will and bring peace and stability to the world are genuine texts; the rest do not count. Though the court has many ministers, only those who put the ruler at ease and bring him joy, and help him bring peace to the realm, are truly loyal and worthy officials; the rest are merely performing their assigned duties. When someone has children, only those who bring their parents lasting joy and spare them the hardships of hunger and cold can be called worthy and filial; the rest are children in name only. Though prescriptions are stored by the cartload and chestful, only those that truly prolong life are genuinely effective; the rest do not count. There are many examples like these in the world, too many to list one by one. A True Person—a person who has attained the Dao—should ponder their meaning deeply.

The principle I explain is to infer all things from a single case, and it suffices to illuminate the principles of the world. That is why I have the True Person transmit the Dao to a virtuous ruler, and examine and correct the contents of various documents that contradict the words of sages and worthies. The sound principles should be clearly presented to the wise, so that all may awaken and be freed from confusion. Once the documents have been corrected, calamities will subside. The same principle applies to crooked writings and teachings: from one case, all things may be inferred. The True Person should transmit the Dao to a virtuous ruler, examine and correct documents that contradict the words of sages and worthies, and present the truth clearly to the wise, so that people may awaken and be freed from confusion. Once the documents have been corrected, calamities will subside.

Crooked writings and teachings are the roots of treachery and calamity; upright writings and teachings are officials who root out evil. Use proper documents to set the literary climate aright, and upright officials to suppress treachery. Once falsehood has been cut off at its roots, it will have nowhere to hide. Heretical teachings are a refuge for treachery, just as thieves have a den in which to hide. When the den’s master dies, the thieves have nowhere left to stay.

The way to put the Dao of Heaven into practice is to use one example to explain all things. It is impossible to write down everything; too many words only confuse people. It is better to set out a guiding principle first, allowing the details to unfold naturally. Thus, a multitude in turmoil is better governed by one emperor; the countless stars are outshone by the brightness of the sun; a crowd of people offering their own opinions is better served by one worthy and capable person in the state. The Dao of Heaven is vast and boundless, yet it is better to grasp the primordial Qi—the fundamental energy from which Heaven, Earth, and all things are formed—which upholds the guiding principle of their movement.

If a virtuous ruler understands my words, he will naturally enjoy a long life. When later generations reflect together on these words, they can bring about affection between fathers and filial devotion from children; this way of life will spread ever farther and become ever clearer. People of every rank will strive to do good, and in time there will be no violence. People will no longer be misled by perverse teachings, and treacherous officials will have nowhere to hide in the state. Calamities and strange transformations will be dispelled, and the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—will shine brightly. By following the laws of nature, the Celestial Master, who transmits the arts of the Dao of Heaven, and the people will together return to purity and correctness. In this way, the practice of the Dao will spread goodness ever farther and make it shine ever more brightly.

What harm can come from acting according to these principles? To take them as one’s standard is to follow the Dao of Heaven. These words are recorded so that the spirits of Heaven and Earth may examine and verify them. The principles recorded in the scripture accord with Heaven and Earth; they are a token of trust that accords with Heaven. A wise ruler should deliberate together with others and put these words into practice. Then the state will grow ever more prosperous, and the ruler will govern according to the times and in harmony with the wishes of Heaven and Earth, thereby receiving good fortune.

As a Virtuous Ruler who advocates the Way of Great Peace, I established these laws for everyone, not just for one person. When the Qi of Great Peace arrives, if anyone harbors a grievance and cannot obtain what they seek, then the Great Peace Qi of the August Sovereign cannot descend along with it. For this reason, Heaven instructed me to open many paths, so that people may freely choose a way of life suited to them.

Those of talent and virtue, who are wise and wish to cultivate the Dao and seek long life, may study my writings and reflect on their principles. By entering a chamber to cultivate, they may hope to attain the Dao and live long. Those of worthy virtue and gentle disposition who wish to assist the emperor in governing the world may put my writings into practice, and perhaps help bring about Great Peace. Those who wish to live quietly at home, make a living, or do business and build up wealth may also reflect on my writings, so that they can enjoy their allotted years in peace, each obtaining what they desire without suffering great injustice.

Thus, when a Virtuous Ruler governs the world through virtue, the Qi of Great Peace arrives. This is because people throughout the world no longer harbor grievances, and each can obtain a way of life suited to their wishes. If a ruler of superior virtue is wise, he will not take from the people what they desire, and so he is certain to win the hearts of all. By following Heaven’s will, the people throughout the world will then rally to him.

The workings of Heaven do not deprive people of what they desire, and neither do the workings of Earth. A wise ruler models himself on Heaven and Earth, and is therefore able to bring about Great Peace. Heaven and Earth are supremely wondrous, yet they do not take away what people desire. How much more should this be true of human beings?

The ancient divine person instructed his disciples and later generations: Keep good deeds in your heart and help others quietly, so that they may continually receive good fortune. The merit accumulated in this way will be doubled. When you do good openly, others may respond and repay you at once; when you do good in secret, the spirits of Heaven and Earth will know as well, so your merit is doubled.

Accumulate De (Virtue/Power), and even the wealthy will cherish and draw close to those who have virtue; good connections will come of their own accord. What people approve of, the spirits approve of too, and they will protect you for it. Those who love the Great Dao (the Way) can attain long life because they can observe the changes of Yin-Yang, follow the workings of the spirits and the nature of Heaven and Earth, and understand their principles. Thus they receive Heaven’s protection. To act against these principles is to disrupt the Dao of Heaven; those who do not love goodness will also lose their way.

There is nothing strange about seeking good and attaining good. To gain something through benevolence is the first step in seeking the Dao; to gain something through virtue is to reach the stage of balance and harmony in seeking the Dao; to gain something through the Dao is the highest attainment.

I had learned little to begin with, yet I never stopped studying. I turned these principles over in my mind again and again, often moved to tears. Through such long accumulation, and by the great kindness of the August Heaven, I have today been fortunate enough to meet the gods of Heaven and the Perfected in the wilderness. When one first begins to study, any shortcomings often lead the mind toward trivial details and outward display. I had originally hoped to obtain the method of guarding the One and nurturing one’s nature—that is, concentrating on preserving the primordial spirit and cultivating one’s nature—in three hundred chapters. Later, when I read the Celestial Master’s teachings, I found their principles inexhaustible. So I venture to ask: Can the human body be kept at peace and endure for a long time?

You have come here to Heaven to study. Do you doubt that I was sent by Heaven to teach you? You wish to hear the essence of these instructions and learn how they can be verified.

When a virtuous ruler receives my book, understands its principles, puts them into practice, and discusses them with worthy people so that they may teach and transform the people, the results will soon be confirmed. This is clear proof. My Dao is accomplished through precepts; I will not deceive anyone with false words or deeds. The secret teachings have now been made clear.

I have kept these teachings in my heart for a long time, but until now I have had no one with whom I could discuss them. Heaven’s grievances have grown ever more profound, and illness and calamities have followed one another without pause. This is because sorrow and anger have become pent up, and communication between above and below has broken down. Why does the Celestial Master not go in person and teach them the Dao? The reply was: “Because the offices do not correspond. I hold office in Heaven; the Perfected Ones—those who cultivate the Dao and bear responsibility for transmitting it—hold office on Earth. Earth receives and nurtures all things brought forth and transformed by Heaven. What Heaven brings forth must therefore be nurtured by Earth. That is why I transmit the Dao to the Perfected Ones. Earth gives birth to rulers, the people, and the twelve thousand kinds of things. They all receive the transformative influence of Yang energy and emerge from Yin energy, so you may transmit the Dao to people.”

Do you think my words are untrue? Heaven brings things forth and transforms them, yet does not speak directly to people. It is the same here. My book receives Heaven’s instructions, and its contents are clear and plain, like vermilion and blue pigments—an image for writing that is vivid and unmistakable.

The celestial count begins with “one.” Thus, before Heaven and Earth were separated, the vital energies of all things gathered into one. Then they divided into Yin and Yang, like husband and wife. Heaven sends Qi down to Earth, and Earth, in its deep and mysterious depths, brings forth all things. This beginning is called “Jiazi,” the first combination in the cycle of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches used to mark time.

The foundations of all things spread from the northeast, through the positions of Chou and Yin. They begin to appear at Mao, then gradually grow during Chen and Si in the southeast. Their branches extend southward and receive nourishment at Wu. During Wei and Shen in the southwest, they begin to decline. They ripen in the west at You, when the sun sets. At Xu and Hai in the northwest, all things draw inward and lie hidden.

Thus the count begins with one and ends with ten. This is “the beginning of the five thousand and the root of the Five Phases.” Multiply one by ten and the result is one hundred, completing the count. Heaven gives birth to all things within itself, and all things ultimately return to their endpoint. Therefore, when the handle of the Northern Dipper points to Chen, it is called “Establishing”; when it points to Xu, it is called “Breaking.” “Establishing” means setting things in motion: at this time, all things turn toward growth. “Breaking” means decline and ruin: at Xu, all things move toward death. The ten numbers encompass the movements of Heaven and Earth in the eight directions. Yin and Yang alternate in cycles of “Establishing” and “Breaking,” returning all things to their original state. To judge the seasons and affairs by the direction in which the Northern Dipper’s handle points is to take celestial patterns as the guide for action. I wrote this book to dispel harmful Qi; that is why I say one should model oneself on the heavens.

End of juan six, “Section Ji,” of the Taiping Jingchao.

Taiping Jingchao, juan seven, “Section Geng”

Emptiness and nonbeing are spontaneous and natural; by following the Great Dao, one is sure to succeed. Admonitions.

“Emptiness” does not mean being hollow and vacant. It means being inwardly full and outwardly still, seeming to act through Wuwei (non-action) while inwardly holding what is real. Practitioners should return to the simple, unspoiled state of being in the womb and become one with the Dao (the Way). By holding steadfastly to the original heart, they can keep their thoughts clear. The heart then becomes the “spirit chamber,” where Shen (spirit) is safely stored, allowing the Dao to gather within stillness and emptiness. Let yourself move in accord only with primordial Qi (vital energy), and cast aside all other distracting thoughts. With the heart as your guide, you are less likely to stray onto an improper path. Reflect carefully on these principles, and do not forget the true scriptures. Those who grasp them can rise above hardship and live securely in the world for a long time. Why fail to devote yourself to cultivating the Dao, and instead keep company with the ignorant? When calamity strikes, great disaster will follow. Abandon purity and simplicity, and in the end you will become dust. The wise, on reading these warnings, should take them to heart.

Wuwei does not mean doing nothing at all. It means following the Dao, so that nothing is left undone. One should join with the Dao, return to an infant’s simple and unspoiled state, and then enter a realm without obstruction. From there, reach the Great Beginning—the original state before Heaven and Earth divided—and return to the source. The Great Beginning is where Heaven and Earth first arose and Yin-Yang originated. By cultivating the art of Wuwei, one can preserve both body and life. Abandoning the root to pursue the branches is a danger for those who cultivate the Dao; leaving the source in the Great Beginning makes it difficult to preserve oneself. In this way, one gradually moves away from life and toward death. Becoming absorbed in worldly learning harms the hun and shen souls; clinging to two opposing sides and forgetting the original unity causes things to lose their natural harmony. Are these not matters to be wary of? The Dao is the source of all things. Devotion to the Dao is the foundation of benevolence, virtue, and wisdom. The Way of Heaven moves through unity, and so remains whole; the Way of Earth moves through duality, and thus draws near to the realm of spirits. To understand and practice Wuwei is the cultivation that most fully accords with the Dao.

Reflect carefully on these principles. The perfected person walks ahead. Guard the body’s “Golden Gate”—the opening that protects Jing (essence) and Qi—and do not let them dissipate outward. Only by keeping body and mind quiet and still can Shen grow stronger. When both Shen and Qi return to Wuwei, one steps onto the path of immortality. The Great Dao is simple by nature; there is no need for elaborate methods. The Way of Heaven favors no one in particular; it turns only toward the benevolent and wise.

The laws governing the natural course of things accord with the Dao (the Way). Follow them and you will find good fortune; go against them and calamity will follow. Each thing grows to its full extent, like a tree trunk sending out many branches, each containing a subtle and wondrous principle. Reflect carefully, and you will understand that the Dao manifests of itself: all things arise together from the undifferentiated chaos and enter the mysterious gate. Nothing is added or taken away; one need only preserve one’s natural nature.

All things are born with their own spirit, and the 1,800 kinds of Qi (vital energy) in human beings are the most precious. That is why people can live long, attain immortality, and become transcendent. A life cut short has lost its natural nature. Even birds and beasts can enjoy their allotted years—how much more so can people? The foolish look down on the Dao and sink as though into the earth; the virtuous and wise cherish it and can suddenly ascend to the heavenly gate. The divine Way can endure forever without death, while ghosts and spirits ultimately perish.

If you wish to cultivate this Way, you should circulate without end, like a ring. Act with care and do not become attached to tangible things, lest you bring calamity upon yourself. Nor should you recklessly abandon this world and thereby cause people to lose their lives. Of the nature of Heaven and Earth, nothing is more precious than the natural course of things. Each thing follows its own proper course, and none dares to oppose it. The Dao takes Wuwei (non-action), emptiness, and naturalness as its foundation. The accomplished delight in this Way, while the shallow-minded dismiss it.

Study diligently and understand the importance of honoring your teacher; do not treat the teacher’s transmitted words as taboo. Guidance from a teacher enables you to understand the Dao; without a teacher, it is difficult to pass on. If students do not follow the oral instructions transmitted by their teacher, a gentleman will not speak readily of the practice. Acting arbitrarily throws cultivation into confusion, while deliberately manipulating the body invites danger. The teachings of this Way are already complete; follow them, and you will accord with nature.

The methods of practice described in the third section may be taught openly and need not be concealed: guidance from a teacher enables you to understand the Dao; without a teacher, it is difficult to pass on. If students do not follow the oral instructions transmitted by their teacher, a gentleman will not speak readily of the practice. Acting arbitrarily throws cultivation into confusion, while deliberately manipulating the body invites danger. The teachings of this Way are already complete; follow them, and you will accord with nature.

All three kinds of “practice texts” must be established through collective deliberation, which serves as proof of Heaven’s approval. If they are put into effect accordingly, a response will come quickly and results will be seen.

To determine whether a righteous spirit is efficacious, one should judge by the shared understanding of the wider community; this serves as proof of Heaven’s approval. To correct a document, one should rely on the results of collation and verification. To know whether my book is trustworthy, one can see whether it produces results quickly: act as it instructs, and one will accord with Heaven. Good deeds will flourish day by day, while evil deeds gradually fade away; this is proof of Heaven’s approval.

To choose worthy people for office, one should hear the opinions of nine people. To know whether someone has entered a room, one should rely on clear observation: if no trace is concealed, that serves as proof. To know whether self-cultivation can lead to the Dao and long life, one should see whether one has become a spirit and transcended the mundane world; this is the proof.

To understand the meaning of my book fully, read it from beginning to end, then reflect and examine yourself. Your mind will suddenly become clear, and all doubt will fall away. Once you grasp its essential meaning, you will not abandon it. This also serves as proof of whether one can cultivate oneself into a spirit and transcend the mundane world.

To test whether my book is genuine or false, and whether it can bring governance to peace and order, observe its practical effects by following its methods. To know whether one can attain longevity, wait until peace has been established throughout the realm before making a judgment. If peace has not yet arrived and disaster strikes first, it will be difficult to verify longevity; this too serves as proof.

To know when peace will come to the realm, use “You Duan Jin” as the criterion. To suppress and eliminate treacherous ministers and rebels through water and fire, one should also make judgments according to “You Duan Jin” and “Shuai Shi Jiu.” To obtain the method for greatly advancing the Way of Heaven, compare many documents and check them against what ordinary people say. To obtain effective medicine, collate the various written prescriptions and test them in practice. To bring peace as soon as possible, disclose all the genuine documents and abolish the false and corrupt ones.

To enable people to live in harmony and stop killing or harming women, let everyone live securely in their proper place, and provide food and clothing according to their abilities. Do not let parents fall once more into grief and hardship, so that family relationships turn hostile.

To eliminate illness and open the Great Way widely, one may use the method of swallowing written characters from a cinnabar text. To understand how documents are to be put into practice collectively, follow their instructions by repeating the solemn admonitions and maintaining proper discipline. If this is practiced for one day, a hundred kinds of calamity can be dispelled and people’s minds brought to rest. Once the prevailing ethos has been set right, this serves as proof of Heaven’s approval.

May I ask what “auspicious sign” means? Why are you so confused? I beg you, Celestial Master (Tianshi), do not dismiss me; please guide me in a single sentence.

An “auspicious sign” means purity, stillness, uprightness, and single-mindedness: the heart accords with Heaven and Earth and does not go against the seasons. May I ask how one can tell whether someone is pure, upright, and single-minded?

A good question. The patterns of Heaven and Earth have been the same from ancient times to the present: good deeds bring good results, and evil deeds bring evil results; upright conduct receives a positive response, while a crooked heart brings an evil outcome. This is the natural order, nothing strange. Thus, when a person’s heart is upright and pure, and their sincere devotion resonates with Heaven and Earth without ill intent, they receive auspicious responses and good things, and so can bring forth signs of good fortune. A crooked heart, hypocrisy, and deceit will never receive a good response. These are clear and visible signs from Heaven and Earth. Do you understand? Good and evil each bring their corresponding results; disharmonious conduct brings disharmonious results. This is the manifest proof of the Dao of Heaven. Well said.

I have another question. When a person does good, a corresponding response follows. A crooked heart, hypocrisy, and deceit will never receive a good response. These are clear and visible signs from Heaven and Earth. Do you understand? Good and evil each bring their corresponding results; disharmonious conduct brings disharmonious results. This is the manifest proof of the Dao of Heaven. Well said.

May I ask what those who do good—whether filial sons, loyal ministers, or respectful disciples—should present to their rulers, parents, and teachers? They should offer unusual and precious things or insights, seldom encountered. Only then can their offerings be considered genuine. Loyal ministers, filial sons, and obedient disciples are already expected to serve with all their hearts. Why offer what everyone knows, instead of something rare? Common things are already at hand; why offer them again? I do not understand the reasoning.

Let me explain it clearly. When precious goods are sent from across the realm, if they have never been seen before and are truly rare, offering them to the ruler is what makes one a loyal minister. Offering one’s parents a delicacy they have never tasted is what makes one a filial son. Offering one’s teacher an idea they have never heard is what makes one a good disciple. Do you understand?

I would still like to know why people do things that are the same as what has already been done. If those above already possess something, why present it again? Wouldn’t that bring blame upon the giver? Why repeat the offering? Perhaps you still do not understand: things people encounter every day often grow tiresome through familiarity. Why offer them again? Since ancient times, sages have handled affairs by setting aside what is the same and choosing what is different, so that they may grasp the intent of Heaven and Earth. That is the point.

Heaven has two hands, by which it can accomplish all manner of things. If one hand is impaired and afflicted by evil Qi, its work cannot be done. The enlightened way of Heaven is to set aside what is the same and choose what is different when handling affairs, so as to grasp the intent of Heaven and Earth. That is the point.

Heaven has two hands, by means of which all kinds of things can be accomplished. If one hand goes wrong and turns toward evil, things cannot be accomplished. Heaven deeply resents this, and Earth likewise regards it as taboo. Thus the world falls into disorder and nothing succeeds. The cause is that one hand has gone wrong, so the two cannot work together. When things cannot be properly managed and the four quarters and six directions are not at peace, it is likewise because these two hands are impaired and do not work together. Changes in good and ill fortune, safety and danger, are all connected with these two hands. Can perfected persons—people who have attained the Dao—truly understand this principle? If the Celestial Master does not reveal its essential point, people have no way of knowing it; even after a long passage of time, they can only remain in ignorance and confusion. The teacher is the foundation for instructing and transforming all things between Heaven and Earth. Though this principle is difficult to explain clearly and securely, how could it go unspoken? Perfected persons are skilled at asking about the principles behind things. In brief, the key is no more than □□. Please sit at ease, and I will explain its meaning in detail to you perfected persons. If people throughout the world act in accordance with this, danger and disorder will no longer arise. The gods in Heaven have issued a proclamation: the “two hands” strategy is to be taken as an important rule. If a state puts it into practice, it can endure; if ordinary people do so, they can enjoy lasting prosperity and peace.

The important principle is about to become clear. In fact, it is found in ordinary life. I will now explain it to you perfected persons one point at a time. Heaven and Earth are the two hands that create all things. The four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—are the two hands that convey and nurture the myriad things. Men and women, as husband and wife, are the two hands that continue Heaven and Earth’s Yin-Yang. Teachers and disciples are the two hands that transmit instruction and transformation, enabling documents and virtue to circulate in all kinds of affairs. Rulers and ministers are the two hands that govern the people and the myriad things. These six categories merely outline the main points and indicate the beginning; there are far too many similar examples to write down one by one. All relationships in which two parties depend on each other and accomplish things together are like two hands. In Heaven, this mutual coordination is called “overlapping compass and square”—their measures align and they respond to one another. If either side is crooked or unrighteous, things cannot succeed. In Heaven, this is called “governance in great disorder”; throughout the six directions and the distant reaches, people are left isolated and without descendants, and decline day by day. The failure of all things to succeed is precisely because these two hands cannot work together in unity.

Why is heaven said to have “two hands”? The two hands mean that the two sides are orderly and in accord, working together without yielding to one another; only then can a task be accomplished. If the two hands cannot exert their strength together, the task cannot succeed.

In all matters, each side should find the right people, then work together with one mind, like two hands. Only then can stability be achieved, and the qi of Great Peace—the condition that symbolizes peace and order throughout the realm—will arrive. If this principle of cooperation between two hands is not followed, the qi of Great Peace in the era of the August Sovereign will remain out of reach, even after billions of years. The qi of Great Peace naturally seeks to emerge at all times, just as the Dao of Heaven continually operates. But if the two sides remain out of accord, they will block it and keep it from flowing. The resulting stagnation and obstruction are beyond words. The fault lies in the two sides’ failure to harmonize. When they are in accord, the qi of Great Peace will appear, arriving in turn, with neither side needing to wait for the other.

If Heaven and Earth do not work together, the myriad things cannot come into being. If the four seasons are not in harmony, the myriad things cannot grow. If the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) do not work together, the myriad things cannot reach completion. If ruler and minister are not of one mind, government cannot be well ordered. If husband and wife do not work together, their children cannot thrive and the family cannot be established. If master and disciple do not make a joint effort, they cannot resolve difficulties, cultivate virtue, dispel ignorance, or spread instruction in all directions. Thus, all sides should cooperate and work in harmony like two hands, so that matters may proceed smoothly.

Failing to follow the principle of cooperation between two hands invites calamity. Even attempts to remedy the situation will be of no avail: the task will remain difficult to accomplish, and one will only endure prolonged anxiety as the danger grows day by day. Therefore, whenever a task requires two sides to work together, the people chosen and appointed must be suitable. If no suitable people can be found, the spirits of Heaven will regard the undertaking as equivalent to being “half dead.” How could one hand working alone ever succeed? When faced with a difficult decision, consider this principle carefully.

You must preserve a sincere and steadfast heart. The heart belongs to Fire, and the thoughts that arise within it are like flames. Therefore, entrust this intention to Fire and make it your guiding principle in governing and in action. In this way, you can prolong your life and add years to your lifespan, with no chance of failure. I would never deceive you.

Explain these principles to virtuous rulers and ordinary people. Let the wise each grasp their meaning, and no one will dare to transgress them. To follow them is to treat and care for yourself well; to ignore them is to bring yourself sorrow and suffering. How wondrous! The Dao I transmit conveys the will of Heaven.

This Dao can only be followed forward; it must not be opposed. One can only comply with it, never go against it. Follow it, and you will accord fully with Heaven’s will; oppose it, and affairs will fall into disorder and calamity will follow. When a person’s intentions turn west while Heaven’s will turns east, this is called being out of accord with Heaven. Those who are ready to understand can discern the meaning from this.

When ordinary people select talented individuals, recommend them to the ruler, and leave the state to appoint them, how much good fortune can the right choice bring, and how much calamity can the wrong choice cause? What can the right people accomplish, and what might the wrong people bring to ruin? Worthy Ones, each of you, please answer with all your heart. Choosing the right talent brings four kinds of good fortune; choosing the wrong talent brings four kinds of disaster. With the right choice, Heaven and Earth, the four directions, and places near and far are all at peace. With the wrong choice, none of these places can be at peace. Please explain the main points.

When talent is recommended wisely, those in high positions can govern in accord with the Dao, bring their work to completion, and keep the state stable for a long time. The recommendation benefits them day after day: this is the first good fortune. The recommended person proves capable in the role and grows into someone of real use: this is the second. Once that person has matured, they can make the Dao taught by their teacher shine forth, bringing honor and benefit to the teacher: this is the third. The person’s work is trustworthy and produces clear results, enabling those in high positions to trust and appoint them: this is the fourth.

When everyone works together, their efforts advance each day, become more evident each month, and flourish further each year. Heaven and Earth are pleased, auspicious signs appear, and harmful things retreat into hiding. When Heaven and Earth are pleased, the spirits rejoice as well. If this state is maintained without loss, those in high positions will trust and appoint these people. When talent is wisely recommended and everyone works with one purpose, success grows day by day, becomes more evident month by month, and flourishes year after year. Heaven and Earth rejoice, and the spirits celebrate. In this way, one may transcend the world above, govern and bring stability in the middle, or preserve oneself below, enjoying a long life. Such are the good results of choosing talent wisely. Heaven witnesses this and regards it as a heavenly mandate for extending one’s lifespan, a sign that brings blessing.

Why is the proper selection of talent called a “talisman for prolonging life”—a sign that life and well-being will be preserved?

When the right people are chosen, danger can be turned into safety, disorder into good governance, decline into prosperity, misfortune into good fortune, and the verge of ruin into renewed vitality. In this way, one may rise above the ordinary world, govern the state and bring peace, or live out one’s years in comfort and preserve one’s health.

If the people chosen are unsuitable and offer no help to the ruler or the state, governance will fall into disorder and the ruler will suffer. Heaven and Earth will be displeased; bandits will rise up and disasters will follow. This is the first great calamity. Those recommended may be unable to perform their duties, yet day after day deceive their superiors with crooked and deceitful words and conduct. In time, they will have no secure place to live and will be unable to reach the end of their natural years. They may bring down the wrath of Heaven, Earth, and the spirits, or be killed by other people. Their parents will be disgraced, and their ill name will pass down to their wives, children, and descendants. This is the second great calamity.

Such people are morally corrupt, and the skills they have learned will be rejected by the world. They will stain the work of their former teachers and the sages, and may even bring calamity upon their teachers. This is the third great calamity. If those who recommend candidates are dishonest, deceive their superiors, and put forward unsuitable people, they disrupt the order of the Dao and defile the constellations. Heaven will condemn them, Earth will resent them, the ruler will despise them, and the sages will denounce them. Such people are called the world’s great deceivers and liars. Even if Heaven, Earth, and the spirits do not punish them, they will be harmed by other people, disgrace their ancestors, and bring calamity upon their wives and children. This is the fourth great calamity.

Committing these four great wrongs by recommending unsuitable people will cause the ruler distress. Once the Qi of calamity arises, it is difficult to stop. Government affairs fall out of order, one disaster follows another, Heaven and Earth grow furious, ministers fight among themselves, and the four quarters fall into unrest. Near and far alike lose their order, and for a long time there can be no good governance. In Heaven, this consequence is called a “talisman of reduced years and shortened life”—a sign that one’s years will be cut short.

Why is it called a “talisman of shortened life”? Because governance that should have endured is cut short, and people who should have lived long have their years taken from them. Their undertakings repeatedly meet with danger and bring them no benefit. Heaven and Earth are displeased, so their allotted years are reduced. That is why Heaven calls it a “talisman of shortened life.”

This heavenly admonition is meant to warn virtuous rulers, as well as worthy people and the common folk. Those in high positions who seek talent must do so with care; those below who recommend talent must act with loyalty. Later generations should recite this text and keep it firmly in mind. If they do not promptly select people according to its principles, Heaven and Earth will no longer be pleased. Those who know this yet deliberately act against it will face severe punishment. They must take great care.

Heaven’s documents explain the six directions—the four quarters, Heaven, and Earth—and are gathered in Heaven. Each year in the eighth month, the books and registers are checked and revised, following the patterns by which Heaven and Earth operate, in order to dispel calamities. The Way of high antiquity was to cultivate oneself and correct one’s conduct, never daring to violate what the spirits had forbidden. Only then would one dare to ask the Celestial Lord for the gift of life. People did not dare indulge themselves, for fear that they would thereby fail to preserve their lives. Every day, people should reflect on the documents gathered in Heaven, the books revised in the eighth month, and the emulation of Heaven and Earth’s patterns to dispel calamities. They should also reflect on the ancient principles of cultivating oneself and putting oneself in order.

People should always hold the intention of nurturing life, communicate with the spirits, and make clear what kind they belong to. If they wish to speak frankly and wholeheartedly, they should first distinguish right from wrong with the spirits who govern their respective regions. Only then should they trust their understanding of what is reasonable and where right and wrong lie; they should not forget this even for a moment. In Heaven there are observers who can know right and wrong in full detail. What, then, can people hide, and why should they refuse to believe? People should therefore examine themselves, remember their roots, and allow not even the slightest unkind thought.

People should cherish the fact that they were born human. It is by relying on primordial Qi—the fundamental energy that forms all things in Heaven and Earth and sustains life—that they survive like other living creatures and avoid certain calamities. But when people break their vows, they lose trust in one another, and their hearts become unsettled. The harmonious Qi between Heaven and Earth has its own pattern of trust above and below, though people may not understand its essential principles. People receive the Qi of the Five Constant Virtues, which corresponds to the Five Phases and sustains the growth and nourishment of all things; everyone depends on it and receives it. If they abandon goodness and follow evil, they cannot preserve their lifespan. Why should this happen to them in particular?

Thus the Celestial Lord says that good and evil are always found in the world, and so there must be someone responsible for distinguishing and judging them. The purpose of distinguishing good from evil is to explain the principles governing Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, and the Five Phases; to teach people that nurturing life is of the greatest importance; to extend human lifespans; to help people understand how life is generated; and to have them observe prohibitions without daring to slacken. In these terms, Heaven regards foolish people as shallow: since good and evil exist in the world, someone must uphold justice. If evil is mistaken for good, the principles of Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, and the Five Phases are violated. When people violate the laws put into effect by Heaven, they too will bring upon themselves the corresponding consequences.

The sages understand the principles of Yin-Yang convergence. The worthy bring right and wrong, and what is straight and crooked, into order; they explain what people have not yet understood, so that each person knows their own responsibilities and people no longer resent one another. Those who do good naturally live long; those who do evil naturally have short lives. What is there to doubt or complain about?

Good people leave traces of goodness. They do not violate laws, common principles, or what is fitting: this is Highest Virtue. Highest Virtue can accomplish and complete everything. It does not go against the clear principles and actual conditions of things, the laws by which Yin and Yang generate the myriad things, the movement of the vital energies that govern growth in the four seasons, or the laws by which the Five Phases generate all things. Nor does it go against the movements of the sun, moon, and stars; the seasons of good and ill fortune; the changes that bring calamities; the patterns of floods and droughts; or the relation between the length of a person’s life and the abundance or scarcity of the stellar Qi they receive. These are all matters that Highest Virtue must follow. Thus, people of Virtue can see into the nature of all things. They do not miss the signs of changes that bring calamities, or the patterns of floods and droughts, and they understand that each person receives a different lifespan. The harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth, above and below, operates in each place according to what is fitting. The myriad things each receive a name according to their Virtue: this is called following the constant Way.

The Way of long life makes all things flourish: plants break through the soil and sprout, then put forth branches and leaves that can cover the body. Mist, dew, snow, frost, and timely rain can provide food and drink. All things grow to maturity, flower, and bear fruit for people to use. This nourishing beneficence bestowed on all things is called the “water mother”; the common people call it “melon.” In the height of summer, melons can serve as a drink. All under Heaven depend on them, and people everywhere eat them.

People of Virtue receive Heaven’s guiding principles and bring its transformations into form. They rely on Earth to provide food for the people and seek ways to bestow kindness so that everyone may be fed. This is Heaven’s grace. The life-giving beneficence bestowed by Heaven is immense. To refuse to follow Heaven’s mandate and claim that everything simply happens by nature is to defy Heaven’s will. Thus, people of Virtue understand Heaven’s will and teach the people to establish laws and conduct themselves without going against Heaven’s heart. They nurture and care for the myriad things so that they may grow. As a result, people are able to be human, understand how things work, cultivate Virtue, and ultimately rise to become Heavenly Adepts. The duties of Heaven are divided according to the merit of each.

People of Virtue are responsible for governing affairs on Earth and arranging for the people to have something to rely on. They receive and bestow kindness, yet cannot immediately receive anything in return. They act on Heaven’s behalf to move the Qi, giving Heaven and Earth, above, below, and in the center, each its proper place. If people instead treat Heaven’s work with contempt, they violate the right Way. Heaven’s anger will not cease, the spirits will no longer care for humanity, and people’s lifespans will be shortened. Yet people then turn around and blame Heaven. For this reason, Heaven sends down spirit texts to warn the people not to violate the prohibitions.

When people receive great kindness and generosity, even a small return will make them want to do all they can to act benevolently. If they remain caught in doubt and fear for a long time—especially fear of suffering dire consequences or anxiety about death—they wear themselves down, trembling day and night and not knowing what to do.

Heaven enables people to distinguish good from evil. When someone truly acts benevolently, Heaven does not wish that person to bear a bad name. So although people cling to life and fear death, they still dare not violate prohibitions or do things that bring harm upon themselves. Through signs revealed by Heaven, people speak with those who understand the Dao. They discuss their conduct and dealings, and their innermost feelings. When they recognize something unworthy in themselves, they withdraw and reproach themselves, afraid it will damage their reputation.

When people sincerely intend to help others, they truly dare not refuse them to their face or hide behind evasions. They can only accept others’ judgment of their actions. They must make every effort to reflect on the merits they have accumulated since birth, and also dispel the “inherited burden” (chengfu) left by their ancestors—the burden of ancestral wrongs passed down to later generations. Once this burden is dispelled and their faults cleared away, they may hope to advance. To do good while also doing evil is to gamble with one’s own life.

The scripture also says that those who do good should endure grievances for a time. Even if they feel some pain in the moment, they must remain wholehearted and steadfast. They should not blame others for the inherited burden left by their ancestors. Once that burden is dispelled and their faults cleared away, they will eventually advance. To do good while also doing evil is to gamble with one’s fate.

If people are born into a time of calamity, or have received a command, they should return to a quiet place, consider their faults, and reproach themselves. Heaven and the spirits know the reflection that arises in the heart, so they must never grow lax.

When the Celestial Lord, the ruler of the heavens, is about to act, those who can understand in advance what he intends are people of the highest virtue. They may stand at his left side. Though they have earned merit and the Celestial Lord wishes to reward them, they remain humble and dare not accept more rewards. They continue to devote themselves wholeheartedly to their duties, carrying them out with care and thoroughness. For this reason, the Celestial Lord personally instructs and guides them again and again. This is the good fortune they enjoy in this life.

A person may be responsible for many affairs, but it is enough to handle them fairly. He says he dares not hope for anything else; he only wishes to stand at the Celestial Lord’s left side, and would be content simply to remain alive. He thinks only of serving loyally and honoring his parents, acting in accordance with reason and fulfilling his duties. He dares not accept generous rewards, and worries only that he has earned no merit. When he hears that someone has done wrong, he helps that person repent and change. He examines and restrains his own words and actions, preventing himself from breaking prohibitions, and keeps the will of Heaven in his thoughts. When he recognizes what is good, he does it. When he understands honesty, loyalty, acting in accordance with reason, and filial respect, he puts them into practice and allows no more evil to occur.

Heaven knows every transgression, great or small. It keeps registers of good and evil, reviewing a person’s conduct across the years, months, and days. If he persists in wrongdoing, his allotted years will be reduced, and he may even come to the gate of the ghosts. Earth spirits summon him for questioning, compare his deeds with his account of them, and examine the circumstances repeatedly until he admits his guilt. His name is then reported to the appropriate divine bureau. If his offenses have exhausted his allotted years, calamity will befall him, and his evil name will be passed down to later generations. These are the consequences of wrongdoing.

Everyone wants to receive benefits from others, but not everyone is willing to benefit others in return. Good fortune gained through good deeds can last; benefits gained through evil deeds cannot. People ought to live under the protection of Heaven and Earth. If they instead commit evil and incur the hatred and punishment of ghosts and spirits, how can they blame them? The purpose of this book is to urge people to do good and stop doing evil. This is a teaching handed down from ancient times to the present.

A person’s fate rests with that person. Why not examine yourself, rather than strike your breast and cry out to Heaven? If you cannot make yourself upright, whom can you expect to set you right? If you cannot cherish yourself, whom can you expect to cherish you? If you cannot bring yourself to fulfillment, remind yourself, and hold yourself to account, whom can you rely on? Turn these words over in your mind again and again; do not blame ghosts and spirits. Those who do evil must answer for their own actions; they cannot make someone else bear the burden for them. Follow these principles and keep them in your heart. If you violate them, you will bring ruin upon yourself, and it will be hard to undo. You may even end up among the ghosts. How could you then expect to live long?

People are able to live because of the kindness of Heaven and Earth. How can they forget that kindness? If you hope to receive Heaven’s favor in return, you should sincerely hold yourself to account and repent with all your heart. Reflect in this way: “Through the grace of Heaven and Earth, I was able to be born as a human being. Unlike other things, I can speak and distinguish good from bad; I know good and evil, right and wrong. Since this is so, I should be all the more careful. If my words and actions go against Heaven’s will and I refuse to follow it, I am acting in defiance of the Way. How could Heaven protect me for long?”

If you have received Heaven’s instructions but have not yet understood them, withdraw in quiet and examine yourself. Review the faults you have committed and offer repentance to Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, the Five Phases, and the spirits in their various offices. The Celestial Lord will hear and observe, and have you reflect for yourself.

People in ancient times were wise. They dared not violate prohibitions, but disciplined and corrected themselves, always concerned that they might go wrong. If their conduct failed to accord with Heaven’s decrees, their allotted years might be reduced, so they did not dare be negligent. Even minor offenses brought punishment. For this reason, they often reflected on their actions, cherished their lives, and respected prohibitions, never daring to go against Heaven’s will. They also feared being called to account, keeping reverence and caution in their hearts. Even a slight impropriety in speech would be examined and verified. People should cherish their good name and follow the order of Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, and the Five Phases, daring not to deviate in the slightest. If you sincerely seek the Dao and long to live, hope that the Great Spirit will understand and show you mercy, allowing you to perceive how the four seasons and the Five Phases give rise to all things. The kindness of the sun and moon is impossible to repay; one can only hope not to be abandoned by Heaven and Earth.

Those who truly devote themselves to cultivating the Dao dare not stray from the right path. The sages of ancient times cultivated the Dao by following nature. They understood the principles of Heaven and knew in advance how its will would be carried out. By sensing subtle sounds, they could understand the forms of things; their minds were clear, and their intentions flowed naturally. They knew which matters called for aid and understood where good or ill fortune would appear. They rejoiced in their hearts, knowing that they had received Heaven’s blessing, and took the events before them as warnings.

The cultivator knows that he has received favor, and the Great Spirit therefore instructs and admonishes him constantly, keeping him from danger. He hopes to see far in all directions and comprehend what lies above and below. His heart is joyful, his life is extended, and he may even learn things from the past that he had never heard before. All this is the result of the Celestial Lord and the Great Spirit showing him kindness.

The Great Spirit says that all the spirits know this: those whose lives are extended each have a destiny register, with their details accurately recorded in the heavenly ledgers. Before such a person is born, his name, year, month, day, and hour are entered in the Bureau of Longevity, the divine office that administers registers of long life. As his allotted years gradually increase, his name is reported onward and placed under the authority of the Perfected One of the Northern Pole. Through cultivation, a Dao practitioner can transform his bones and body, making himself light and supple. At the appointed time, he takes medicine and refines its essence. Wherever he may be, he can transform freely; he can enter and leave the hidden and wondrous realms, with no place beyond his reach.

Those who attained the Dao in ancient times also followed the prescribed laws. Before they were born, their names had already been recorded in the registers of longevity. When the appointed year, month, and day for their advancement arrived, their registers were transferred to the Central Pole, the heavenly realm also known as Kunlun. The divine officials in charge would go there to verify and record their names, ensuring that none were omitted.

During cultivation, spirits would have a person exercise his limbs, bending, stretching, and turning, instructing him repeatedly. He would learn from a teacher how to bend and stretch his body, and the spirits would also give him medicine to strengthen his joints and bones. Even when no immediate results were apparent, the spirits would observe him over a long period, judging whether he could persevere in cultivation and testing the firmness of his resolve. The cultivator yearns for life and fears death, wishing to learn the heavenly methods of the Dao. The spirits therefore examine his allotted years and his conduct again and again, help him understand the rules and prohibitions of practice, and transmit these teachings to those who study the Dao.

A cultivator need not rely solely on mysterious writings to seek the Dao. He carries the scriptures with him and studies for a period of time; only then do the spirits come to meet and speak with him. After he has practiced for a total of 1,320 days, the spirits take him to pay his respects to the Great Spirit, to commune with primordial Qi, and to put the Way of nature into practice. The Celestial Lord records everything in ledgers and issues secret commands. When conducting inspections, officials must not show favoritism or change their methods because their personal feelings waver. Their work must be free of error.

The Great Spirit says that the spirits’ borrowed and received goods and accounts are regularly recorded and checked on the last day of the eighth lunar month. The accounts of movements through mountains and seas, around hills and ponds, along rivers and bridges, and at the Huai, Ji, Yangtze, and lakes must all be examined one by one. The Celestial Lord also has arrangements and records for rewarding merit. Those concerned must carry out the instructions diligently, day and night, and the divine officials responsible must omit none of the matters under review. Anyone entered on a list for advancement must be reported one hundred days in advance, with no omissions. If documents do not match, the officials in charge of the accounting bureau are also held responsible if they have failed to report the discrepancy.

The Celestial Lord once ordered the spirits to release and take into safekeeping the burdens of inherited karma—the guilt and misfortune passed down from ancestors or former lives and borne by their descendants—that were attached to a certain person. Anything not yet taken into safekeeping was also to be gathered up for him. The Great Spirit says that this person had long been poor and destitute, barely able to protect himself. The Celestial Lord therefore took him under his personal protection and ordered the spirits to arrange for his burdens to be taken into safekeeping. The person should give thanks and show gratitude. Even if the appointed time has not yet arrived, the spirits must let him know a month in advance.

The Celestial Lord also ordered his generals and troops to complete the safekeeping at the proper time, record the person’s name, and have the local spirits guard him carefully. In this way, the spirits can come and go to protect and support him. If what he asks for accords with the right path, his wishes may also be granted. From then on, he should turn away from evil, move toward goodness, and avoid breaking prohibitions. Then he will perceive the teachings of the Way of Heaven and receive its guidance. Those who hold authority among humans should also help and guide him so that he can bring his undertakings to fulfillment.

Those who have blessings, good fortune, and an allotted lifespan can often receive guidance in advance. Through their cultivation and instruction, their lives may also be extended, and Heaven will naturally cherish them. Good spirits will protect them wherever they go, keeping sudden calamity from befalling them. They will guide them toward good deeds and prevent evil thoughts from taking control. Heaven values good conduct and enables people to fulfill rightful wishes without being harmed or robbed. If they remain content in their proper place, Heaven will even add to their allotted years in return for their great kindness. Repaying Heaven’s kindness does not require precious goods. One need only sincerely turn toward the right path, keep faith in practice, and honor one’s promises. This is how to repay that kindness.

By refraining from harming others and from competing to prove one’s superiority, and by living in peace with others, one can lengthen one’s life. This is precisely how one receives Heaven’s great favor. To repay this kindness, there is no need to offer precious possessions. One need only sincerely turn toward the Heavenly Dao, hold true faith within, and not go back on one’s word.

Heaven observes good deeds and records them, leaving nothing out; from this come both good fortune and misfortune. Only those of profound sacred virtue can receive the Original Qi—the fundamental energy through which Heaven and Earth bring forth all things—and respond to the subtle radiance of nature, becoming great spirits. Such people know what they ought to do. Their actions accord with Heaven’s will and do not go against the intent of the Original Qi.

Those who regularly assist the great spirits in Heaven are like the ministers and high officials who help a ruler govern a state. They understand how the calendars and documents under the great spirits’ charge are conveyed. When memorials are submitted, each person is recommended for a particular role, and only someone suited to the position is appointed to handle the relevant duties, transmitting and carrying out affairs. The Celestial Lord, ruler of the heavenly realm, acts on this basis, so documents are conveyed clearly and issued on time, with no missed deadlines. People thereby receive the favor of the heavenly court. Those of sacred virtue should understand: how could the Celestial Lord’s undertakings go wrong? People in the world do not understand these matters, and imagine that the Celestial Lord is like an earthly official. How, they wonder, could he know how heavenly documents should be conveyed? Yet in Heaven, even across a thousand miles, voices can reach one another. How, then, could anything be concealed?

All of this is governed by the natural order, in which things watch over one another. Thus the Celestial Lord can know in advance, day and night, the hidden affairs of every scale in Heaven, on Earth, and in the realm between them. How could the spirits act as they please? For this reason, the beginnings and ends of good and evil deeds are recorded and entered into the registers of the spirits. The Celestial Lord follows the monthly cycle and conveys and administers affairs according to the course of the Dipper’s guiding handle, never straying from the constant way. The spirits accordingly correct their conduct and dare not violate Heaven’s rules. This is what is called “Heaven’s dispatch.”

The human spirit resides in the belly, yet can communicate inwardly with distant Heaven; voices, too, can be heard by both sides. How, then, could Heaven fail to know the good and evil deeds of the people? The Celestial Lord says, “Recommend those who do good and can be trusted; punish those who do no good.” Heaven needs people who are good and trustworthy, and so do the realm between Heaven and Earth and the underworld.

People do not know what will happen in the future, so they must have firm and lasting resolve. With enduring resolve, one can walk the same path as the great spirits. Such a person is close to Heaven, like a loyal minister or worthy official who is always near the ruler. But if a person does not trust Heaven, how could Heaven trust that they have no divided loyalties?

Those who wish to ascend to Heaven in broad daylight and seek a place in the registers of the deathless must first be entered in the inner register of the Northern Pole Celestial Lord, the heavenly register that governs names. By what means could someone without firm resolve enter the register? Only those who establish their resolve early will eventually have the chance to harness the vital energies and serve Heaven.

All living beings between Heaven and Earth depend on Heaven’s favor to survive, yet many people do not believe in Heaven. This is a grave offense. How could they expect the gods in Heaven to hear their wishes? If people in the world sincerely repent and persevere for many years, day and night, they can be forgiven, and someone may plead their case before the Celestial Lord. When a person reproaches themselves and repents, the god who oversees the register of life can transfer their name to the Bureau of Longevity, the heavenly register that governs the span of life, extending it to one hundred and twenty years and allowing them to continue living. Even those who are poor can have descendants.

Heaven causes a person’s line to die out because they persist in wrongdoing and continually harm all living things. Only then does Heaven decree that they have no descendants. Only people of the highest virtue, each understanding these principles, can deeply recognize that before calamity or fortune becomes visible, one must cultivate virtue early, carry good fortune forward, and extend its benefits to one’s descendants—to say nothing of the benefit one receives oneself.

In ancient times, people of goodness could see in advance what lay both inside and outside things, move between Yin and Yang, and understand the principles and laws governing them. Thoughts arose within them, but they did not cling to the reasoning behind those thoughts. They acted in accordance with the Way of Heaven and did not dare to doubt it, and so they were able to achieve things. They received and carried out Heaven’s abundant blessings, constantly examined themselves, and acted without fault or failing. Even if their natural endowment was limited, they followed their nature. If people did not believe in Heaven or sincerely devote themselves to its Way, Heaven would bring down punishment. If they knew to repent, Heaven would then instruct them.

How could people in ancient times who attained the Dao, became immortals, and transcended worldly life have begun with evil thoughts? They studied, understood principle, fulfilled their duties with loyalty and filial devotion, honored their parents, and lived in harmony with their siblings. They were consistent inside and out, united from top to bottom, and lived in harmony without violating Heaven’s great prohibitions. The Heavenly Ruler, the spirit who governs the celestial realm and administers the Way of Heaven, held authority over its governance; each appointment had a fixed term. How could people do whatever they pleased? Loyalty and filial devotion did not go against the will of Heaven and Earth, and could also help sustain the Four Seasons and the Five Phases—the cycles of the seasons and of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. People dared not destroy anything that was meant to grow.

Those of the utmost benevolence and goodness continually accumulated good deeds. Heaven heard and observed them, and placed its trust in them, allowing them to assist the Eastern Emperor in arranging the growth of all things: flowers blossomed and bore fruit for the people to eat, and people were kept warm and well fed. In this way, people grew to adulthood and nourished one another across generations. Yin and Yang joined; men and women brought forth descendants. The old and young followed one another, and every life received its allotment from Heaven. The Twenty-Eight Mansions, the twenty-eight star groups surrounding the celestial regions, revolved without cease. The sun and moon watched over the world, and nothing could escape their notice. The stars took turns in their cycles of generation, and this too never stopped.

People simply did not know that lifespans could be long or short, or that spring, summer, autumn, and winter took turns, while life and death changed unpredictably. Thus, the forces that govern lifespans took over from one another, increasing or reducing the allotted years and passing responsibility along in turn. The Four Seasons, Five Phases, sun, moon, and stars all governed people’s destinies: good deeds increased one’s allotted years, while wrongdoing reduced them. Every fault, great or small, was subject to its corresponding rule and measure. Heaven and Earth supported one another, like the correspondence between a thing’s exterior and interior. They also established the gods, who took turns conveying commands and carrying out their duties. Thus the Heavenly Ruler issued orders to the various celestial offices, each of which performed its own work and took its turn on duty. Those serving as talismanic officials—divine functionaries charged with carrying out celestial tasks—showed no favoritism. Since ancient times, everything above and below has operated in this way. How, then, could anyone escape?

The highest kind of good person can discern and understand what ought to occur in the workings of Heaven and Earth. All things have their arrangements and take turns succeeding one another, like officials rotating through the post of Duty Tally, a Daoist office responsible for keeping watch and conveying divine commands. They must not allow personal interests to intrude. From ancient times to the present, what happening between Heaven above and Earth below could escape their scrutiny?

The highest kind of good person understands the patterns governing Heaven and Earth: every kind of thing has its own charge and its own order. Each tends to its affairs, brings its divine merit to completion, establishes achievements, fulfills its duties, and governs what falls within its domain. They put the good that ought to be done into practice among people and guide them forward. They grasp the deeper intent of Heaven and Earth and do not violate the patterns of growth and change in the seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Such people embody the way of the good person described by the Most High. Heaven trusts them and Earth protects them. They also understand the foundations of the Five Phases’ movements and avoid the various taboos. They are always thinking of helping others succeed, encouraging people to take pleasure in doing good, and helping them understand the intentions of Heaven, Earth, and the spirits. They let outward conduct reach into the heart, cultivate good results within themselves, and earn a place in the registers of long life and enduring vitality, joining in the work of the great gods of Heaven and Earth.

Such people are loyal to Heaven and follow and uphold the workings by which Heaven and Earth nurture and transform the myriad things. Therefore, Heaven does not thwart human hopes, and Earth does not take away people’s peace. Day and night they reflect on their faults and consider the karmic consequences of good and evil borne by their ancestors and themselves, a process known as inherited burden (chengfu). They worry that their conduct may not accord with the will of the Heavenly Sovereign. Given this, how could they fail to fulfill their duties with loyalty and filial devotion, thereby repaying Heaven?

Those who are supremely wise can know in advance what is happening in Heaven and understand which matters ought to be carried out and which have not yet been carried out. These matters emerge according to natural patterns, and also depend on what people do. Thus they understand the outward and inward aspects of good and evil, and their advances, retreats, and transformations; what they undertake often comes to fruition. They revere and cultivate the virtue of the spirits, establishing achievements and making their De (Virtue/Power) manifest. In this way they can communicate with the great gods and convey their intentions, put the Dao (the Way) into practice, and continually broaden their understanding.

Only those who revere the Supreme High One (Taishang), the Daoist title for the highest divine being, understand their own duties. They know which Dao to follow, what to do, which commands to obey, what to strive toward, what to report to those above, what to say, where to go, and what actions to take. They gather their thoughts inward and constantly seek to fulfill their loyalty and filial duty, sincerely establishing merit for the Way of Heaven. For many years they accumulate good deeds without slackening or forgetting the kindness they have received. They hope to receive the Supreme High One’s precepts and thereby preserve their lives. How could they dare forget to communicate in all directions and reach every place?

They receive what Heaven knows and foresee events before they occur. With their minds focused on the Great Gods, they dare not decide matters they raise or report solely according to their own thoughts. Instead, they often consult with the gods to determine whether a proposal may be accepted and put into practice. They are always concerned that they might fail to accord with divine intent. In this way, Heaven flourishes, and the state can identify and quell rebellion. The Former Masters, sages, and benevolent spirits between Heaven and Earth come forth to help people, grant them long life, and drive back foreign peoples in the four directions.

In ancient times, the formless spirit beings cultivated and studied the way to long life. They therefore made a solemn vow in accord with the “Qi of Confluence” (the primal Qi circulating between Heaven and Earth), and carefully resolved never to go against its intent. Their radiance shone in all directions. Though their voices were faint and hard to hear, they reached from above to below, and their comings and goings followed proper forms. The vital essences of the gods came of their own accord, respectfully following their expressions and intentions. The gods feared going against their wishes, each carefully observing their duties with reverence. Their clothing and bearing gradually came to accord with their wishes; they bestowed kindness and spread blessings widely, so that their De reached those above and below, extended in all directions, to the Six Extremes and beyond the Eight Horizons, and even reached the worthy of earlier ages. The people received this great protection, respectfully accepted and carried out the commands, and moved the spirits.

They moved between Heaven and Earth, observing the sun, moon, and stars and drawing illumination from what lay before them. The twenty-eight lunar mansions (the ancient divisions of the heavens into twenty-eight groups of stars) successively conveyed the celestial signs. They observed the sexagenary calendar used by the people, in which signs of good and ill fortune appeared. Yet few people understood these principles and instead considered themselves wise. Conduct and actions that do not benefit the Way of Heaven bring calamity and punishment, and may even extinguish the ancestral rites of one’s descendants. When the Three Qi (the transformative forces associated with Heaven, Earth, and humanity) are out of harmony, those who heed admonition can avoid disaster. Those who refuse to listen will meet calamity at its appointed time; it will affect their descendants and ultimately bring them down to the underworld. Since this is decreed by Heaven, how could anyone escape it?

Heaven has four corners, and Earth has four corners as well. Thus the sun and moon move in cycles, displacing one another in turn. The stars each follow their own courses, and they illuminate right and wrong in the world. A person’s rank, lifespan, and allotted years are likewise determined by the Six Jia—the system of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches used to mark years and calculate one’s fate. People are born at different times; good and evil each meet their due, without the slightest error.

People do not understand these principles and instead suppose that the world has no real order. Only one who harmonizes the spirits can be called a true person, and can bring the heart and inner organs into communication with the spirits. Heaven’s spirits recommend those who accord with Heaven; Earth’s spirits nurture those who accord with Earth; and people and ghosts protect those who accord with the Way of balance. Good deeds receive a good response, while evil deeds draw evil in their wake. All this has its roots and extends throughout Heaven and Earth, from above to below.

If one wishes to find people of good character who do not stray from the right way to govern the people, the spirits of Earth, too, hope to find good people. Heaven and Earth each have their prohibitions: whoever does evil and violates them brings ruin upon themselves. Officials, whether high or low, and ordinary people alike each have their own circumstances. All should understand these principles and not become a source of harm to the people.

Above all, cherish morality, benevolence, and kindness; accord with Heaven’s principles, follow Earth’s way, and respond to the Way of balance, keeping good intentions in one’s heart to reach the spirits. Everyone should keep their word and not deceive the ignorant. Do not violate Heaven’s prohibitions or incur Earth’s punishments. Follow the four seasons, and do not earn a reputation for taking life. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) give rise to all things, and each should keep to its proper place.

Those who long to live receive Heaven’s protection; those who long to be nurtured receive Earth’s support; those who long for benevolence are loved by the people. Heaven abhors those who do evil. When Heaven knows of someone’s evil deeds, it sends baleful spirits and ghosts into that person’s body, where they spread through the limbs and head, and into the abdomen, back, chest, and flanks. The body’s abnormal signs may also appear in seventy-two different colors. These are all signs that death is near. Heaven cherishes human life, Earth cherishes the care that sustains it, and people cherish what others give. If one continues to do evil, disaster can no longer be averted. Therefore, the Heavenly Book is used to admonish the people.

The words of the sages of antiquity all accorded with the guiding principles and laws. People must not casually violate taboos. The ancients attained peace because they followed Heaven’s laws and avoided transgression, and so became subjects of an age of peace. Heaven has inexhaustible stores of food and clothing; those who render service can also receive rewards and stipends.

In high antiquity, the sages understood in advance what was about to happen and assisted Heaven in governing the myriad things. They arranged affairs across the four directions, above and below, and the center, assigning each its role and ensuring that all worked together. Without harsh supervision, matters were still accomplished, and everyone did good. Fearing that their actions might go against Heaven’s will, they followed Heaven’s instructions and went about their work, carrying registers to record their affairs. Each person kept to their responsibilities, and order prevailed. Even when questioned, they acted according to the rules and fulfilled their respective duties.

In spring, they bestowed the energy of renewal; in summer, they enabled all things to grow; in autumn, they gathered the harvest so the people would have offerings for sacrifice; in winter, they stored grain so that the surplus could sustain them in turn. The four seasons proceeded without slackening. The blessings bestowed by the spirits reached all things, even reptiles and plants, sheltering each and allowing all to find their proper place. Therefore, those with wealth should lend to the poor, so that old grain could carry people through until new grain arrived, enabling them to live and raise families. The resulting blessings would pass to their descendants, and the spirits would protect them. This is no taboo.

The divine officials of Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) govern people’s lifespans and allotted fortunes. People should honor them and remember to repay their kindness. This text should be delivered promptly to a virtuous ruler, so that he may understand that Heaven cherishes people, while people, in turn, fail to cherish one another. This scripture is called the Taiping (“Great Peace”); it is a classic of profound insight. Those who put it into practice will receive blessings; those who do not should reflect carefully. A person’s words and deeds will in time bring corresponding consequences; nothing goes unanswered. If someone persists in failing to do good and instead inflicts harm on others, retribution will eventually follow.

People, whether noble or lowly, are all born of Heaven. They should be cherished, treated with care, and kept constantly in mind. Never harm another without cause. Those who injure or oppress others receive no recompense from Heaven and are not nurtured by the Earth. Malign spirits will follow them, making it difficult for them to survive for long. The spirits honored in prayers and sacrifices will also become more angered by this. When you see good conduct, encourage it; when you see wrongdoing, urge it to stop. Do so without hesitation. Everyone should do their utmost and not be led astray by talk of spirits. If the place where you live is unsettled, leave your old dwelling and move to a new one; then the spirits can return anew.

Heaven and Earth were formed from the original source, and from them spirit came into being. They follow the natural course, bringing the growth and transformation of the myriad things and enabling them to flourish. Heaven and Earth make their arrangements: the sun and moon, and the stars, each perform their appointed roles; the Five Planets each report their positions and follow their courses; clouds and rain, too, are bestowed at the proper times. When the people turn their minds to farming, primordial Qi gathers and settles, nourishing all things. Plants and trees, crawling and wriggling creatures, birds and beasts, and creatures of the waters all contain primordial Qi. These living beings may be offered in sacrifice by the people or used as food. If the people do not take them, they are left for birds and beasts to eat.

Today, some people act cruelly and kill living beings at will. Animals carrying young, about to give birth, are killed, their lives cut short to satisfy human appetites. As they are killed, they are filled with terror. Heaven’s true heart pities them, and so it established prohibitions; those who break them will be punished. Even domestic animals are cherished, and people cannot bear to harm them. Yet some people do not treasure life, but instead become transgressors, killing many kinds of creatures. Even if punishment does not come at once, guilt accumulates over time. If the killing continues, it may bring ruin, even reaching a person’s descendants; unborn children may find it difficult to encounter good fortune. Spirits and gods, too, cherish life and watch over these transgressions from above. How could anyone escape?

So remember the grave consequences that follow good and evil. The Perfected One, a practitioner who has attained the Dao, wrote this text to instruct everyone. Fearing its principles might be lost, he set them out clearly in common written language and urged people to put them into practice. Only then can one win the trust of Heaven, Earth, the harmonizing Qi between them, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), the five powers that compose and govern all things. These are all signs by which Heaven reveals retribution; not the slightest detail is mistaken. Do you understand? This is the teaching that arises naturally from primordial Qi.

The Three Platforms and the Seven Stars, names of constellations, assist Heaven’s authority. The sun and moon observe right and wrong, and each person receives the natural consequences of their actions. Heaven also instructs the gods who oversee each place to investigate matters fully. Those who are punished should not complain; this is what it means.

Documents recording calamities reveal their principles again after three cycles of sixty years, called sexagenary cycles in the ancient calendar. Better to explain the ten admonitions clearly, so people can learn them in time. One should also seek to preserve life and attain understanding; only then is there a chance to follow the worthy and the sages. A sage should raise up the worthy. Next best is to seek long life without doing evil. Beyond that, clues to the registers of immortals lie in the region of the North Pole and are linked to Kunlun. The Perfected Ones of Kunlun’s heights come and go according to an ordered system. Those who keep the registers record names and assign ranks: people of high conduct are placed in the highest rank, those of middling conduct in the middle, and those of lower conduct in the lowest.

A teacher is a teacher; one should honor him as a ruler and regard him as a father. Therefore, the distinctions between teacher, ruler, and father must be understood. A subject must be loyal, and a disciple must be obedient, respecting and following those above. Heaven does not forget a teacher’s kindness; Earth does not forget the nourishment a teacher provides; people do not forget what a teacher has given them. Heaven shines upon people and Earth with the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, never ceasing.

A country without Virtue is shrouded by Yin, which obscures the sun and dims its light, causing the people to live in fear. Grain harvests dwindle, floods and droughts strike unpredictably, and the people are driven from their homes to seek places where food is available. Heaven truly pities the people, and so enables them to settle where they have a chance to survive. With a wise and worthy ruler, the country can prosper. Exiles are able to return and cultivate abandoned land anew; the grain grows and ripens, the people once again have food, and they can again make offerings to their ancestors and bring peace to the spirits and gods.

Among them, those who are wise and enlightened seek the registers and records of immortals. If their names are entered in the registers, they may once again become officials in Heaven, inspecting the human world, balancing wind and rain, and bringing stability to government. This book leaves the same teaching for people of later generations. Therefore, one should do good, for good deeds benefit Heaven. From now on, this text may be used to instruct one’s descendants. As for extending one’s life, that may not be within everyone’s reach.

This book repeats its admonitions because Heaven deeply loves humankind and hopes that all people will live out the full span of their lives. Heaven entrusted these words to the spirits: those who do good will be recorded and reported above, while the names of those who do evil will be erased. Do not go against the teachings of this book; keep them firmly in mind. In Heaven there are documents that record the essentials of preserving life. This is what people hope for, and so Heaven has deliberately revealed this text. Those who have committed wrongs should repent and act according to its teachings. The spirits watch over you before and behind, never ceasing.

When the Qi of Great Peace arrives, people should visit and enjoy themselves together each day, and keep musical instruments ready to play. Through music, people bring one another into harmony and influence one another for the better. This benefits the state, harmonizes the seasons, and allows the people of the world to be transformed by the teaching of De, sparing them from disaster. Harmony and discord can serve as measures of effective governance. When people understand the intentions of Heaven and Earth, Heaven and Earth become harmonious; when people follow this harmony, they too rejoice. As Heaven, Earth, and humanity delight in one another, the myriad things suffer no illness, and ruler and ministers are often joyful. These are signs that the Qi of Great Peace has arrived and that music has brought joy.

Music can therefore bring joy and achieve great harmony, serving as proof of good results. Understand the intentions of Heaven and Earth, and they become harmonious; people follow them and rejoice. As Heaven, Earth, and humanity delight in one another, the myriad things are free of illness, and ruler and ministers are often joyful. This is a sign that the Qi of Great Peace has arrived.

When music plays the notes of Great Jue or Upper Jue—Jue being one of the Five Tones, associated with Wood and the East—the Green Emperor, the deity who governs the East, is greatly pleased. The way of benevolence and the power of De then become manifest, and the myriad things flourish in growth. The Qi of the liver is balanced and free of illness, and the liver spirit appears in the East. All evil is dispelled, while the forces of goodness come forward to support instruction and transformation. A Jade Maiden dressed in green brings people wondrous prescriptions. These are clear signs. When the middle Jue note is played, the transformative power of Water is harmonized within; when the lower Jue note is played, its power is carried out below.

When the southern Zhi note—one of the Five Tones, associated with Fire and the South—is played high, low, or in the middle register, all the tones are brought into harmony, and the myriad things grow in abundance. The moral power of the South rejoices throughout; evil retreats and goodness appears. The Red Qi, the Qi of the South, rejoices with it, and the Red Emperor, the deity who governs the South, comes to roam. The heart is then peaceful and free of illness, and its spirit appears. People welcome a Jade Maiden dressed in red, who comes to bestow wondrous prescriptions. This is the sign.

When the Gong note, associated with Yellow Qi, is in harmony—the Gong being one of the Five Tones, associated with Earth and the Center—the forces of goodness within it all arrive, while the forces of evil disperse. When the Shang note is in harmony, the forces of goodness within it arrive and evil disperses; when the Yu note is in harmony, the forces of goodness within it arrive and evil disperses. The Perfected should reflect carefully on these principles. This is the way to bring about Great Peace.

The scripture does not spell out everything about the five directions because superior practitioners of the Dao, having read this far, can infer the myriad principles from a single one. If everything were stated in full, they might become excessively delighted. If shallow people learned it, they might spread it recklessly, so not everything is revealed; readers are left to understand the rest for themselves. Superior practitioners can grasp the whole through a single principle. Those of middling ability can gradually understand some of it. Those of lesser ability may receive these teachings only to make unfounded claims. For this reason, only the main points are sketched here, so that ordinary people can consider their meaning and that people at every level may understand without going astray.

Superior practitioners govern through music by using it to practice Wuwei (non-action) and transcend the worldly realm. Practitioners of middling ability use music to harmonize people in society and bring stability to the community. Those of lesser ability use music merely to please others and obtain food. Each follows their own understanding, while grasping the principle that the Qi of Great Peace arrives. One should allow people to play instruments such as the qin and se, and take care not to forbid them. If music is forbidden, the Qi of joyful harmony cannot circulate, and governance will be difficult to settle. When society cannot be settled, the atmosphere becomes contentious and chaotic, and punishments increase.

Music brings joy; punishment brings punishment—just as an echo answers a sound and a shadow follows a body, without the slightest deviation. Music can quell anger, while anger can suppress joy; the two wax and wane in turn. When music and joy are present, anger subsides; when anger rises, joy recedes. Anger gives rise to punishment and is the root of contention, while joy is the gateway to De. One should therefore welcome joy and let the roots of De grow, rather than suppressing it. Suppressing joy instead opens the gate to punishment and disaster. These are the sources from which good and ill fortune arise, and safety and danger shift.

Music belongs to Yang, while punishment belongs to Yin. Yin and Yang oppose and generate one another: when Yang Qi weakens, Yin Qi flourishes; when Yin Qi flourishes, Yang Qi weakens. Yang represents the ruler and Yin represents the ministers. When the ruler is strong, the ministers obey and the people are easier to govern. When the ministers are strong, the ruler’s authority is treated lightly and disrupted. This is the natural order. One should therefore follow the ruler’s joy, allowing the people and ministers to be influenced by it and reducing their tendency to anger. Since antiquity, people have failed to understand the deeper meaning and have instead often forbidden joy. As a result, Yin Qi flourishes and Yang Qi weakens. The scripture teaches that the strength or weakness of Yang Qi affects whether thieves and criminals increase, and whether the myriad things can grow. People are harmed by Yin Qi in many ways; this is the root of calamity.

When the ruler’s Qi is strong, it can prolong people’s lives. When the ruler rejoices, the moral power of the five directions becomes manifest; when the ruler is angry, the evil forces of the five directions appear. Great joy therefore brings signs of goodness, while the absence of joy brings signs of evil. This is the natural order and deserves profound caution.

All the ways I describe in my book as good make people “green-headed and vermilion-eyed”—a symbolic appearance with a green head and red eyes. Why do I say this? Because my Dao takes green and vermilion as its signs: green symbolizes growth, nourishment, and benevolence, while true red is the proper color of the sun and Heaven. My Dao is a benevolent way of governing the world, like the sun, and does not wish to harm any of the myriad things.

Now that the “qi of the Supreme Emperor of Great Peace”—a sign that an age of great peace is approaching—has arrived, can you explain what should be done first and what should follow in governing the world between Heaven and Earth? The laws of Heaven accord with the circumstances of the myriad things: when they are joyful, Heaven follows their joy; when they are in hardship, Heaven follows their hardship. Once the qi of great peace arrives, Heaven responds with joy, thereby putting the Dao of Heaven into practice and hastening to end warfare and punishment. The human world should do the same. Joy belongs to Yang and is a constant principle of the Dao of Heaven; warfare and punishment belong to Yin and are the anger of Earth. When Yin qi flourishes, it inevitably harms Yang’s power to bring forth and nurture life. Now that the qi of great peace has arrived, Heaven and the divine armies govern together. Punishment, warfare, and litigation must therefore cease, and everything must be made clear for posterity, so that no one can act recklessly again—just as the sun and moon cannot remain obscured for long.

When primordial qi, the fundamental qi from which Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things arise, is naturally harmonious and joyful, it accords with Heaven and Earth. When the myriad things are joyful, Yin and Yang can harmonize, and wind and rain can become balanced. With wind and rain in balance, they can together nourish the twelve thousand kinds of things. When the myriad things are joyful, wondrous omens appear. The vital essence that responds to the growth of the myriad things rises to Heaven, and the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—shine more brightly. When the three lights are harmonious and joyful, the four seasons proceed in order: spring joyfully brings forth life, summer joyfully nurtures growth, autumn joyfully brings the harvest, and winter joyfully stores and preserves. When the four seasons are harmonious and joyful, the Five Phases move without conflict and the people prosper. When the people prosper, the ruler enjoys long life; when the ruler enjoys long life, the people are at peace. When the people are at peace, strange spirits and evil influences lie hidden. Once they are concealed, no one will fall ill or die from calamities sent by Heaven, and no one will suffer a premature death or injury. When there are no premature deaths or injuries, the qi of great peace has truly arrived.

The various states will no longer wage war against one another, and theft and deceitful greed will come to an end. The spirits throughout Heaven and Earth will rejoice, and true immortals will appear. When true immortals appear, upright qi will become manifest and malign qi will lie hidden. Evil people will grow quiet and reflect, while good people will be able to practice goodness. The writings of divine beings—their admonitions and documents—will all appear, while false and deceptive writings will vanish. Everyone will rejoice; Yin and Yang will harmonize and act with one heart, and families will flourish through the generations. When all things are met with harmony and joy, evil deeds will not arise.

Harmony between Yin and Yang is the root from which the myriad things begin to grow and receive life. The principles of all things resemble those of human beings: men and women must be joyful and harmonious to share a purpose and bring forth life; in this way, nothing is beyond accomplishment. Without harmony and joy, they do not wish to unite. A union forced in anger and unwillingness will bring danger in its wake. Here my scripture gives only the main outline, showing how harmony and joy can dispel what is harmful. Its principles are numerous and cannot all be set out. Having explained the benefits of harmony and joy, I must also make clear the prohibitions against discord.

If a confused and disordered state is not harmonious and joyful, people will not work together with one heart and purpose, and primordial qi cannot arise naturally. When primordial qi is not harmonious and joyful, it struggles against itself; it cannot gather into a whole or bring its De into accord, and so it cannot generate Heaven and Earth together. When Heaven and Earth are not harmonious and joyful, Yin and Yang split apart and struggle. They cannot bring the four seasons, the Five Phases, and wind and rain into accord, nor can they vigorously nurture the twelve thousand kinds of things. When the myriad things are not harmonious and joyful but compete with one another, many will be damaged and die, and the year will be disastrous. When all things fall into discord and conflict, the sun, moon, and stars lose their light; rulers grieve, and the people are displaced. Good qi is obscured, evil qi spreads, upright spirits depart, and ghosts and monsters arise. The myriad things and human beings alike die prematurely and cannot enjoy long life. When the states fight one another and refuse harmony, punishments are imposed on a great scale and wars break out. Joy is cast aside, punishments grow ever harsher, and the four quarters fall into discord, with calamity arriving day after day. This also brings about disorder in the weather. Yet people do not know the source of these troubles; instead, they blame those in high positions and reproach their rulers. When they do not understand the fundamental fault and blame only those above them, contrary qi will gather. How could peace then be achieved? This will only bring calamity: the qi of punishment and killing will grow stronger, and the way of joy will gradually be extinguished.

The fault lies in the fact that, since the Middle Antiquity, the teachings regularly established by masters have opened the gates to deploying troops and closed the gates to joy. They have allowed evil and deceit to arise, making them difficult to stop at once. This is the greatest calamity. Therefore, now that the “cavern-wide qi of peace in Heaven”—the universal clarity and peace of the celestial realm—has arrived, joy should be vigorously promoted and punishments abolished. The human world should do the same. There is more to say about the good and evil involved in promoting joy than can be fully described.

The Dao of Yin and Yang extends from Heaven down to Earth and circulates without end. Living beings of the female and male kinds must love one another and meet in harmony and joy in order to unite in purpose, generate and govern the myriad things together, continue the order of Heaven and Earth, and hold the way of endless transformation in their grasp. If they do not love one another or find joy together, and refuse to unite in purpose, how could they jointly nourish and complete the myriad things, govern the world, continue the order of Heaven and Earth, and guide endless change? Even if punishment is used to compel them, or power to force them together, in time the union will still fall apart. When they turn away from one another, split apart, and struggle, Yin and Yang overcome each other, and harm cannot be stopped. Even those as close as father and son, mother and child, or husband and wife will harm one another, and in time their bonds too will break down. This leads people to turn away from one another and fight, to Yin and Yang overcoming each other, and to harm without end. Together they disturb the Dao of Heaven and sever the continuation of the generations. Such a grave fault will ultimately produce these consequences.

Music is the law of Heaven and the vital essence of the sun; filial piety is the law of Earth and the vital essence of the Great Yin. Music can therefore bring things into being, nurture life, and bring the myriad things into harmony. Heaven always regards joy as good and the nurturing of life as a source of delight, so people should accord with Heaven and share its Qi. Harmony and joy can help the myriad things give rise to one another, but there should also be order between above and below: music belongs to Heaven and occupies the higher position, while filial piety belongs to Earth and occupies the lower. Earth is below, receiving and following what is above. Yin follows Yang; a child serves a father, a minister serves a ruler, a ruler serves Heaven, and Earth too serves Heaven. Heaven follows what is above it, and thus shares its Qi with Earth. Music and filial piety are the practices best suited to the principles of Heaven and Earth.

The Changes (here referring to the principles used to derive the transformations of Yin-Yang) regulates the Qi of Yin and Yang, takes the Eight Winds (winds from the eight directions) as its rhythms, and accords with the Six Jia (a system for marking time using the stem-branch cycle). It shares the same substance as Yin and Yang and is joined to Heaven and Earth; for this reason it is called the Divine Way.

Punishment gives rise to an atmosphere of darkness, estrangement, conflict, and disharmony, so it often arises when Yin Qi is strong. Punishments become more severe when they encounter Yin Qi, grow lighter in spring and summer, and intensify again in autumn and winter. Thieves go out at night; treacherous deeds take place in dark, hidden places; ghosts, strange beings, and illnesses emerge in the gloom; resentment and calamity gather in dangerous, narrow places and lead people to kill one another. These are clear signs of governing through punishment instead of teaching through harmony and joy. How could one fail to be cautious? Even the foolish fear such things. If you know what to fear, that is a sign of longevity; if you do not, it is the beginning of calamity. Be vigilant and act with care.

Therefore, governance in Heaven should make the universal practice of harmony and joy the foundation of its teaching, so that all people may influence one another through joy and quietly reflect on their own faults, gains, and losses. Then it is easy to do good. Governance in Heaven should be like this, and governance on Earth should be the same. So if one wishes to quell disorder quickly, one should work to eliminate conflict and punishment, and put the promotion of harmony and joy first. The qi of imperial harmony and justice will then soon be established.

Someone asked: “The peaceful Qi of Heaven descends naturally at its appointed times. People ought then to turn naturally toward goodness, and all things should naturally be peaceful and free from illness. Since we are to follow the laws of Heaven, why should people take the lead by playing music and use it to influence the people?”

Everything requires guidance and instruction first. Good and evil are the starting points of instruction and the means of opening the door to understanding. Whenever Heaven is about to act, it first reveals signs: omens appear in the sky, and the patterns of the spirits become visible with them. The sages of antiquity modeled their instruction on these signs. The Three Sovereigns of high antiquity taught through the Dao; most people followed the Dao, and so did all things. The Five Emperors taught mostly through De; most people followed virtuous conduct, and so did all things. The Three Kings taught mostly through ritual, law, and literary culture; most people valued learning and culture, and so did all things. The Five Hegemons relied mostly on military force to teach, so people came to prize force, delight in anger and combat, and admire bravery and strength. This was not the best way to teach.

Thus, where good people live together, good people tend to abound; where bad people live together, bad people tend to abound. This is because people influence one another and gradually become alike. All kinds of things under Heaven have models they follow. People imitate the principles they observe, and the instruction they receive consequently brings them closer together.

The Dao of Heaven delights in bringing forth and nurturing all things. If things are not joyful, they cannot readily grow. Now the “Qi of Imperial Peace and Ultimate Vastness” in Heaven—a Qi of the Dao that symbolizes an age of great peace—has appeared together and governs the world. Yang Qi flourishes, and all things rejoice. People should therefore model themselves on this Qi and play music freely, in accord with and in support of the Dao of Heaven’s intention to nurture life. Heaven’s Dao, too, will rejoice. Today, the ruler governs well, the realm is at peace, and the people live long. So why should it be wrong to play music in service of Heaven’s Dao, while having each person sit quietly, reflect, and transform themselves?

Music belongs to Heaven’s Dao and represents Yang Qi. When Yang Qi is harmonious and free flowing, Yin Qi lies hidden. This is like Yang Qi rising in spring and summer, then lying dormant in autumn and winter: it is the natural pattern. The perfected person should strive to follow the words in my book; then punishments will disappear of their own accord. To spread instruction in this way is no different from the work of the spirits. The reason governance struggles to bring about peace is that instruction has gone astray.

The Way of Heaven has always undergone changes of flourishing and decline, good fortune and misfortune. Why, then, say that these changes are caused by a teacher’s instruction? Heaven and Earth cannot speak to people, so they often send sages and holy teachers into the world to convey the principles of the Way of Heaven. When the world is blessed with good fortune and peace, the Way of Heaven sends good teachers to proclaim good words and bring about good instruction. When the Way of Heaven is about to fall into disorder and decline, it sends wicked teachers to instruct people in wicked ways. The instruction given by these teachers is precisely a sign of the changes between good and evil within the Way of Heaven itself.

In peaceful years, good produce is plentiful and the five grains ripen, enough to nourish the people, who are then glad to do good. When Heaven is about to bring years of hardship, poor produce is abundant and good produce scarce. People can only subsist on inferior food, and their complexions grow wan. These are clear signs of the teachers who instruct people’s hearts. Thus, when good teachers appear and wicked teachers retreat, this signals the flourishing or decline of the Way of Heaven and reveals its sovereign power.

Now the Way of Heaven is operating in full order, so it has sent me down among humankind to speak of the good conduct and deeds of perfected people, enabling people to welcome instruction and attain the highest good. Therefore, I teach you the most essential principles. The Way of Heaven has arranged these matters completely; everything is in place, and people naturally rejoice. Do you understand what this means? Just as a person feels at peace when they have a home of their own, so now that the Way of Heaven extends everywhere, what is there that should not bring joy, that would make you worry each day about danger and misfortune? The instruction set forth in this book will remain unchanged for ten thousand generations. Such is the instruction of Heaven.

Music in the five tones should unfold in proper rhythm and order, bringing Heaven and Earth into harmony with the human heart. In this way, peace can be achieved, calamities and evil dispelled, and harmony brought forth.

When people’s hearts are in accord and their intentions aligned, that is great joy. When their hearts differ and their views clash, they fall into discord and disharmony, bringing about an atmosphere of distress.

Music in the five tones should unfold in proper rhythm and order, bringing Heaven and Earth into harmony with the human heart. In this way, peace can be achieved, calamities and evil dispelled, and harmony brought forth.

When people share the same intentions and live in harmony, that is the greatest joy. When their thoughts differ and they cannot agree, they come into conflict and bring upon themselves an atmosphere of distress. Joy does not necessarily depend on song and dance; it can also arise when people’s voices answer one another in harmony. Nor does suffering necessarily come from fighting: many calamities occurring together can cause suffering just as surely. Harmony and mutual joy can put an end to punishments; shared sorrow and hardship, by contrast, invite defiance. What does it mean to be compliant and of one heart? Whatever their rank, people feel joy when their intentions and aspirations accord. How many forms can this take? We should examine its underlying principles more closely.

The Heavenly Master of Pingdongji (a celestial teacher in the scripture) speaks once more on Heaven’s behalf, further clarifying this principle. To fully grasp the intentions of Heaven and Earth and make them serve the ruler’s governance, one should follow their will and avoid opposing Tai Sui (the year’s ruling spirit) and the other gods. One should share their Qi (vital energy), and the ruler’s policies should accord with them as well. Their joy and intentions should be shared, their direction and movement aligned, and their roots and purposes connected.

Thus the sages of antiquity established rules that required the ruler to face east in spring, south in summer, west in autumn, and north in winter. Their chief purpose was to conduct affairs in harmony with the seasonal timing of Heaven. To accord with Heaven’s timing is called following the Dao (the Way) of Heaven. To share Heaven’s Qi is to receive and follow the order of Heaven and Earth. When Heaven and Earth are consistently joyful and free from the anger that gives rise to war, disasters, treachery, and evil will cease. In this way, an atmosphere of peace can be brought about: the peaceful Qi of Heaven descends to govern, while the peaceful Qi of Earth rises, and the two support each other.

The “joy” spoken of here may take the form of raising one’s voice in song or dancing. The Qi of the ruling period is suited to movement and vigor, expressing joy through mutual respect, accord, and support. The Qi of repose, constraint, and death, by contrast, is suited to stillness and should not be disturbed. If it cannot remain at rest, it loses its joy and gives rise to warlike anger, which in turn brings evil, treachery, and disaster. This is said to be a natural law of Heaven and Earth, without exception.

Therefore, when stirring the various kinds of Qi, one should first stir the ruler’s Qi, then the Qi of the ruling period, followed by the Qi of ministers, then the Qi of repose, and only at the end the Qi of death and constraint. These kinds of Qi all lie ahead of the Heavenly Dipper—that is, the Dipper’s handle in the sky and the directions through which it moves. As the sun and moon advance, their momentum gradually grows stronger, so they should be stirred to help them flourish. The other kinds of Qi lie behind the Heavenly Dipper and gradually weaken as the flow of Qi moves away from them; they should therefore not be stirred. To do so would oppose Heaven and Earth and go against their intentions. We can thus see that the Qi toward which Heaven moves should be made to flourish, while the Qi from which Heaven turns away should be allowed to decline. By understanding Heaven’s timing, one can discern good fortune and misfortune.

Someone asked, “Playing just one of the Five Tones is not enough to make a complete song and dance. What purpose does it serve?” The answer is that even if the melody is incomplete, it can still stir the qi of the sovereign and bring forth the sovereign’s commands and voice. This is like the sovereign first issuing orders throughout the realm: the people and all things respond, and the world can then be brought to peace and harmony.

Each of the Five Tones—gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu—resonates with particular things. Some correspond to Heaven, others to Earth, the sun, moon, and stars, the seasons and Five Phases, mountains and rivers, or the people and all things. Once a sound is set in motion, it brings about corresponding changes, each with its own result. Thus, when a sound accords with what it is meant to affect, it brings good results; when it does not, it brings bad results. The Jing, Qi, and Shen of the things concerned respond first, and only afterward do their physical forms follow. When playing music, one should understand these principles and carefully grasp the intention associated with each sound. In this way, an age of great peace can arrive.

In spring, one should begin with the great jue, the tone corresponding to spring, the east, and the Wood Phase. Once the great jue is sounded on the strings, it resonates with Jupiter and the Heart constellation, then with the Eastern Peak. It stirs the Qi of Lesser Yang and resonates with the Wood Phase, Goumang, the spirit who governs spring, the Azure Dragon, symbol of the seven eastern constellations, and the Green Emperor, sovereign of the east. It also resonates with divine beings such as the Jade Maidens in blue robes. In this way, above and below communicate, and all things of the same kind come to respond, delighted by the music. This is only one example; other correspondences can be understood in the same way, and their transformations are without end. By examining and pursuing their underlying meaning in depth, one can understand their principles. Comparing them with the various classical texts then provides rules for putting them into practice.

If one grasps the highest meaning of music, one can transcend the ordinary world. Grasping its middle meaning can bring peace and dispel calamities; grasping its lowest meaning can give people pleasure. If one understands its highest meaning in terms of virtue, it can delight the spirits; its middle meaning can delight the Jing spirits; and its lowest meaning can bring comfort to oneself. When all these meanings are understood, the sovereign can enjoy leisure without resorting to punishment, and the spirit can become clear and fulfilled.

Music is the essence of the sun, while punishment is the essence of the moon. When Yang Qi flourishes, Yin Qi retreats; when Yin Qi flourishes, Yang Qi retreats. Therefore, as music grows more powerful, punishments decrease. Yang is active and thus produces sound; Yin is still and silent, so punishment often harms people through hidden, dark means. When the sages of antiquity performed music, they followed Heaven’s intent and Earth’s intent. To accord with them brings good fortune; to oppose them brings ill fortune. Heaven has three kinds of Qi: the upper Qi is called “music,” the middle Qi “harmony,” and the lower Qi “punishment.” Music belongs to Yang, punishment to Yin, and harmony to the center. The east and south belong to Yang and govern growth and nurture; the west and north belong to Yin and govern desolation and killing. Harmonious Qi comes and goes with the seasons, sometimes gathering away and sometimes appearing, to prevent calamities.

Sound is the means by which music expresses itself. To divine events near and far, one should consider the season, the day, the surname, and the specific region. One must distinguish the Qi of each direction as flourishing, generating, declining, or depleted, then combine these factors and use them as the information conveyed by sound. Only then can one judge accurately. The Way of Heaven moves like a cycle, turning without end. One should determine the direction indicated by the Dipper according to the Qi flourishing at that time, then play facing that direction. People may also play in accordance with the corresponding tones and arrange the sounds according to the Six Jia, the calendrical system based on the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the numbers of the Five Phases, since these reflect the patterns by which Heaven and Earth operate. Seasonal Qi is the direction and force taken by Heaven and Earth.

For example, on the day Beginning of Spring, the Dipper points toward the yin position. This is called the “time of the Supreme Emperor,” and one should first play the great jue. At midmonth, the Dipper’s handle points toward jia. In the second month it points toward mao, and at midmonth toward yi; in the third month it points toward chen. The other months follow the same pattern. The order and rhythm of the corresponding sounds should be arranged according to when each seasonal Qi appears: first play the Emperor’s tone and string, then the King’s tone and string, then the Minister’s tone and string, each following the sequence and numbers appropriate to the time. This is called receiving Heaven’s timing and following Earth’s Qi. If Heaven and Earth are pleased to receive this practice, how much more so will people be? People are the most honored among all things and are the subjects cherished by Heaven. If people respectfully act in accordance with Heaven’s timing, Heaven and Earth will favor them too. It is like a dutiful child following a parent’s teachings: how could the parents fail to love them?

One should grasp these principles deeply and pass them on to later generations, so that people may follow this practice and avoid calamities: above, stabilizing the Qi of Heaven and Earth; below, helping the sovereign govern the realm. When everyone is at peace of mind and does no wrong, and all things find their proper place, the world will naturally be joyful and content.

May I ask: among the affairs of the Six Caverns and Eight Directions—that is, heaven, earth, the four quarters, and the vast regions around them—which are most auspicious and which most inauspicious? Harmony and accord between things are auspicious; opposition between them is inauspicious. Evil deeds run counter to heaven and earth, while good deeds accord with them. The Qi of the Emperor, the Qi of the Minister, and the Subtle Qi—vital energies flourishing at different levels—all lie before the Northern Dipper. They are auspicious signs, manifestations that Heaven favors and wishes to bring forth, so one should gladly welcome and follow them.

The Qi of decline and abandonment signals that heaven and earth are jointly coming to rest and laying things aside. It should therefore be allowed to wane, and should not be celebrated with music. To play music at such a time goes against the will of heaven and earth; it is a grave transgression and a failure to accord with the seasonal Qi. The law of the Dao is this: the Qi of the King and the Qi of the Minister bring peace, while the Qi of confinement, abandonment, and extinction bring years of misfortune. In peaceful years, all kinds of things can grow and good things are plentiful. This is the clear manifestation of heaven and earth.

The sages of antiquity therefore observed the signs with care and acted in accord with the seasons. They understood that auspiciousness and misfortune could be inferred from things of the same kind, from shared principles, and from Qi. Once they received a sign, they changed their dispositions and conduct, no longer daring to do what was improper. The messages heaven and earth convey through these signs can be discerned in the corresponding kinds and manifestations of things. In years of misfortune, there are few auspicious or good manifestations. Therefore, when a peaceful year is coming and all things are flourishing, one should accord with the Qi of the King. To play music without cause in a year of misfortune is out of season. The Qi of confinement and abandonment runs counter to heaven and earth, and is therefore regarded as inauspicious Qi. The Qi of the King is where De (Virtue/Power) resides; the Qi of confinement and abandonment is where punishment resides.

Heaven gives each thing its own nature and spirit. If one delights in doing good, the spirit of goodness will come; if one delights in doing evil, the spirit of evil will come. This is the nature of things. Another teaching says: first act in accord with heaven and earth, the four seasons, and the Qi of the Emperor—the Qi that governs the seasons in a given region. In every undertaking, redouble your efforts, thereby bringing joy to Heaven. Then Heaven will be greatly pleased, the emperor will enjoy long life, untimely death and evil deeds will disappear, all calamities will be dispelled, and the Qi of the sun will no longer contend or rage.