《太平经钞》Vol. 5

The human body possesses the conditions for accomplishing all things, and so a person is born after ten months in the womb. Human beings can pass through beginnings and endings alongside all things; therefore, they can dispel calamities and bring about peace. Those of the highest rank who study the Dao do so to assist rulers. They should cherish life and accumulate merit in order to endure. Those of the middle rank study the Dao in hopes of keeping their families free from disaster. Those of the lowest rank study it only to preserve themselves. The principles of the Dao are revealed to the worthy and are not understood by the foolish. Those who know how to put the Dao into practice will find good fortune. If they do not know how to use it, surely they may suffer harm and calamity.

Whether someone is wise can be seen from how they understand the principles. The wisest show reverence in every circumstance, great or small. Those of middling wisdom show reverence only in some matters. The least wise have no reverence at all. The wisest are reverent because they examine and discipline themselves, rather than judging others. Open-minded and clear in their thinking, they harbor no favoritism. They understand primordial Qi—the fundamental energy from which all things arise—and the source of nature’s workings. They revere Heaven and Earth, and also hold in awe the sun, moon, and stars; the Five Phases, the five forces that compose and drive the transformations of all things; the four seasons; the Yin-Yang changes expressed through the Six Jia cycle of heavenly stems and earthly branches; and all living things that walk, move, or stir. None of these came into being from nothing.

Ghosts and spirits, essences and apparitions, and the winds, clouds, thunder, and lightning that arise within and beyond the realms above, below, and in all directions do not appear without cause. Each has a spirit that governs it, just as rulers govern the human world. People should therefore show reverence and not act recklessly.

Those of middling wisdom show reverence only in some matters. They do not understand primordial Qi or the principles of nature’s workings; they know only the wind, rain, and clouds they see before them, and living creatures. Sometimes they even claim there are no spirits in Heaven. They do not revere the sun, moon, and stars, and know only the Great Fire Star and the Northern Dipper. Those of the least wisdom do not understand the vastness of the land, mountains, and rivers. They know only how to farm, cultivate the fields, and manage household affairs to meet their daily needs. They do not know how to live in accordance with the seasons and the Five Phases, nor do they understand the subtle transformations reflected in the Yin-Yang of the Six Jia. Some even say that these things do not exist.

Though foolish, a person can become wise through study. The wise can become sages by continuing to study; sages can attain the Dao by studying further. Those who attain the Dao can become immortals through continued progress; immortals can become perfected beings through further cultivation; and perfected beings can become spirits if they continue their studies without stopping. All of this comes from steady accumulation and persistent learning.

One interpretation is that life is prolonged, so that distant foreign peoples too naturally submit to the righteous way. Though the kinds of beings in the world differ, all can enjoy long lives, receive Heaven and Earth’s protection, and remain free of calamity. This is because they follow the “Way of Great Accord,” the principle of aligning with the natural order of Heaven and Earth. When cultivation of the Way succeeds, one can dwell throughout one’s life in the same realm as Heaven and Earth; by persisting in study, one can become perfected and attain spirit. These achievements all result from the continual accumulation of learning.

Another interpretation is that life is prolonged, so that distant foreign peoples naturally submit. Though the kinds of beings in the world differ, all can enjoy long lives, receive Heaven and Earth’s protection, and remain free of calamity. This is the “Way of Great Accord.” When the ancients put this Way into practice, the myriad spirits naturally each found their proper place. If one wishes to know its effects, auspicious signs will naturally appear, while calamities will fade away of their own accord. An emperor who governs the world by means of it need not expend military force; those who understand and practice this Way will also find that distant foreign peoples naturally submit. By practicing it continually, one can become a perfected person, one who has attained the Way. Thus, the sages establish their teachings not through beating or coercion, but by following people’s natural dispositions. Emperors are able to bring stability to the world because they govern in accord with the people’s wishes, and so win their hearts.

This is the Way taught in the ancient classics. At birth, a person is called “spirit” and receives from Heaven and Earth a share of power, bodily form, appearance, spirit, Jing and Qi, breath, affairs, accomplishments, and a place to dwell. This gives rise to three domains: one portion of Qi transforms into Heaven, one into Earth, and one into humanity; the remaining Qi disperses throughout and fills the myriad things. Therefore, Heaven should be revered, Earth held in esteem, and humanity cherished. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors all appointed teachers, and whenever they had questions, they knelt to seek instruction. For this reason, their states could often be governed well, and even when calamities arose, they were able to avert them.

The fundamental way to free the ruler from worry is to follow the Dao. Then the ruler can live without worry or undue exertion, and peace can prevail throughout the realm. Heaven and Earth will not be violently shaken, wind and rain will not rage, and the myriad spirits will each rest in their proper place. No calamities will befall the world. All things will find their proper place, and people will live in comfort and peace of mind.

How can this be achieved? Govern with benevolence and De, and the ruler will enjoy lasting peace. Follow the Dao, and you will not fall into worry and hardship. When the ruler is troubled, the realm is unsettled. The ruler is the heart of the realm; the ministers are its supporting limbs; the people are its hands and feet. When the heart is troubled, the limbs move without order. When the hands and feet are constantly in motion, the people are left wandering without stability. These effects arise naturally from one another, and the same is true of Heaven and Earth.

When Heaven loses the Dao, the clouds and vapors become disordered. When Earth loses the Dao, it cannot steadily bear the myriad things. The ruler is connected with Heaven: a son finds peace through his father’s peace, and ministers through the ruler’s peace. Earth is at peace through Heaven, and Heaven through the Dao. In this way, the Qi of peace can descend.

The Qi of Heaven is about to return to harmony, and the Supreme Sovereign—the highest divine being—will be at peace and return to unity. Heaven and Earth are in accord. If the ruler follows the Dao I have described, what fault could there be? The Dao is the heart and head of Heaven. Once the heart and head are in motion, how could the limbs and whole body fail to move with them?

The Method for Restoring the Shen and Dispelling Evil: Distinguish the domains governed by the three kinds of Qi, so that the spirit can return to its proper place and remain settled in the body. The Qi of the sun belongs to Heaven, and is therefore called “Shen.” The body is governed by the Great Yin, which bears and nourishes all things; hence the earth’s spirit is called “Qi,” while a person’s spirit is stored in the abdomen. “Jing” is the essence formed when the Yin and Yang of all things come into harmony, and so it moves and changes without fixed pattern. The essences of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, together bring forth the myriad things. This is the order of the “Three Unities.”

Shen governs life, Jing governs nourishment, and the body governs physical form. Together, these three make up the human body as a “vessel of the spirits,” much like ruler, ministers, and people: none can be lacking. When the mind’s Shen is unsettled, the body becomes uneasy. If you can settle the mind’s Shen, it will remain; if you do not settle it, it will depart. Beginners should follow methods that bring body and mind to rest. With sustained practice, they will naturally become settled and no longer disperse.

Yin Qi and Yang Qi can generate one another only through their interaction. The Qi within the human body also circulates throughout it, above and below, with Shen and Jing riding on Qi as they enter and leave. Shen and Jing need Qi as fish need water: when Qi is cut off, Shen and Jing disperse; when the water dries up, the fish die. Thus, the way of nourishing life lies in settling the body and regulating the breath, without frequent anger or great elation. The wise teachers of antiquity taught rulers first to settle body and mind and be free of worry, so that they could devote themselves to governing.

When Heaven displays joy and an air of peace, all things can grow. When Heaven reveals resentment and a punishing force, all things are struck down and harmed by its poison, and people everywhere feel apprehensive. If Heaven cannot keep hold of Shen, the sun, moon, and stars lose their light; if Earth cannot keep hold of Shen, mountains and rivers collapse and sink; if a person cannot keep hold of Shen, the body dies; if any thing cannot keep hold of Shen, it is damaged. Therefore, Shen should be brought back and kept settled within the body. This is called flourishing. If Shen cannot be kept, one perishes.

Harmonizing Yin and Yang: If Heaven cannot keep hold of Shen, people will die; if any thing cannot keep hold of Shen, it will be damaged. Therefore, Shen should be brought back and kept settled within the body. This is called flourishing. If Shen cannot be kept, one perishes.

Bring Yin and Yang into harmony with each other. Heaven and Earth correspond; the sun and moon correspond; Yin and Yang correspond; spring and autumn correspond; summer and winter correspond; day and night correspond. Left and right, outer and inner, white and black, light and dark, hardness and softness, male and female, front and back, above and below—all stand in relation to one another. Ruler and minister, Jia and Yi, Zi and Chou, five and six, trees and grasses, female and male, mountains and hills likewise each have a corresponding counterpart. These relationships of mutual correspondence form the foundation and pivot of the Dao (the Way); they are also the key to the transformations of Yin and Yang, expressing the deepest intent of the divine spirits.

The way to prolong life and bring peace to the world lies in bringing three kinds of Qi (vital energy) into harmony. They are the roots of life and spiritual awareness: Jing (essence), Shen (spirit), and Qi. They dwell together as one, yet each has its source in Heaven, Earth, or humanity: Shen comes from Heaven, Jing from Earth, and Qi from the union of Heaven and Earth. The three work together and follow a single Dao. Shen moves by riding on Qi, while Jing rests within it; they support one another and thereby bring life into balance. So, if you wish to live long, cherish Qi, honor Shen, and treasure Jing.

To set great matters right, one should do so through “non-action.” Non-action means refraining from arbitrary interference and allowing things to grow and develop naturally. This is the constant principle of Heaven and Earth and the way to follow nature. Its effects are like a shadow following a form or an echo answering a sound. The highest person uses this method to bring stability to the state; the middling person uses it to prolong life; the lowest person uses it to govern the household. This may be called achieving things without contrived action and establishing order without forceful rule. The Great Dao is level and easy to follow, and it is not far from oneself. Cherish yourself inwardly, and the way of governance can be found by seeking it within.

Seven matters dispel doubt. If one governs oneself through De (Virtue/Power), how much more should one use it to govern the people? If one can do good but cannot extend it more widely, how can one bring people to peace? The same applies to governing oneself through benevolence and righteousness, ritual, and cultural instruction: these too should be extended to the governance of the people. Cultural instruction can also restrain people and keep them from wrongdoing. The same questions arise when one governs oneself through force and arms, then proceeds to govern the people: if good government cannot be put into practice more widely, how can peace be secured? Each of these seven matters has its own function. None can be dispensed with, and none can be relied upon alone.

The divine people of antiquity followed fundamental principles in cultivating themselves, and had essential methods for governing the people. They sought to let all things grow and find their proper place, and to bring joy to people near and far, in the six directions and eight regions—in other words, throughout the world. Only when nothing is displaced from its proper place does this accord with the natural Way and bring peace to the four quarters. Benefits should be bestowed broadly and carefully, leaving nothing, however small, unattended. If one cannot yet properly care for either the roots or the branches, how can one govern well?

The seven matters mentioned above—De, benevolence and righteousness, ritual, cultural instruction, law, and arms among them—are distinct. Each has strengths when used in governance, but each may also fail in certain circumstances. Because each has its own strengths, none should be abandoned, and none should be practiced alone. Cultivating oneself, securing the state, and bringing about peace all require a deep grasp of their essential methods; the Dao is what unifies them. It brings the myriad differences back to holding fast to the One, while allowing transformations without limit. The Lord on High acts according to this; its depths are unfathomable, and it is called the “pattern of penetrating insight,” the principle by which all things are discerned and illuminated. To teach the people throughout the four seas to understand the strengths and failings of governance and to move toward peace, one must also grasp this essential method and use the Dao to unify all the methods.

Heaven gives rise to people in three broad classes: first, those born of Heaven; second, those born of Earth; and third, those born through human reproduction. Those who receive their mandate from Heaven are rulers; those who receive theirs from Earth are ministers; those who receive theirs from humankind are the people. Rulers should act in accord with the Way of Heaven, and ministers in accord with the Way of Earth, obeying and supporting their sovereign. The people are subordinate to the ministers, and all serve one another in successive tiers. Only when the Qi of Heaven, Earth, and humanity all take part in governing can accomplishments be achieved.

A ruler is secure because the ministers are worthy; when ministers fulfill their duties, the people can follow their proper course. When both ministers and people act well, the ruler becomes discerning and governance can endure. Peace requires following the Dao. Only when the Qi of Heaven, Earth, and humanity are all harmonious and good is governance in accord with the proper standards; people then cherish the Dao and De and do not harm one another. Thus, a great person governs the world through the Dao, aiding the four quarters. Their beneficence reaches far, even to the Yi and Di peoples beyond the Central States, leaving no room for calamity to arise. As good deeds steadily increase, misfortune does not descend.

A person of middling ability who studies the Dao and serves as a minister of state can assist in governance, bring security to the household, and avoid calamity. But if cultivating the Dao means caring only for oneself—even to the point of harming one’s parents and withdrawing from worldly affairs—then one’s De is narrow and weak: it can preserve only oneself. How could one assist an enlightened ruler and help the state? Those who bring peace to the four seas receive Heaven’s aid. A minister should help govern in accord with the Way of Earth. If one seeks only to escape for oneself, one’s path is narrow and cannot bring governance to completion. These three kinds of Dao cultivators can all transcend the ordinary world and prolong their lives, though they attain different degrees of achievement.

This means that the departure and return of the spirits each have their own principles and signs. A divine person asked, “How can we discern whether conduct accords with the Dao, where the allotment of life comes from, and who is upholding the right way?”

Human beings are born according to the principles of Yin-Yang. Yang is always upright, enduring, flourishing, and life-giving; Yin is always deviant, absent, declining, and destructive. A person changes three times in the course of a day, as though corresponding to three kinds of Qi, each moving in a different way. They conflict and do not yield to one another, yet habit can bring them toward stability. Keeping the human form and its proper share intact brings good fortune.

Only one who has truly attained the Dao can concentrate and persevere, rising above these differences. Those who have not studied do not understand the signs that spirits have departed or returned. What appears before one’s eyes cannot be concealed. Therefore, the noble person disciplines body and conduct and need not subdue ghosts and spirits.

When a person is awake, their movements, sitting and lying down, and speech are clear and distinct. Their bearing is composed, and their words can serve as a standard. This shows that the spirit is within the body. When the eyes close in sleep, the outer scene recedes. Thoughts remain in the mind, but speech ceases. This shows that the spirit is hidden within. In deeper sleep, the spirit leaves the body and wanders; the body cannot move, the mouth cannot speak, and the ears cannot hear. It is as though the person has joined with deviant Qi, with only a single breath remaining in the body. This is clear proof. So one must constantly guard the spirit: if it is kept, one can live long; if it is lost, one reaches the end of one’s allotted life. Whether a person attains the Dao depends on their will and thoughts; losing the Dao likewise comes from their will and thoughts.

One must constantly preserve this method of rescuing what has gone astray and turning it back toward the right way. If it is kept, one can live long; if it is lost, one reaches the end of one’s allotted life. Whether a person attains the Dao depends on their will and thoughts; losing the Dao likewise comes from their will and thoughts.

The transformations of the Great Dao have no fixed pattern. It reaches as far as ten thousand li, where things face one another across vast distances; above and below, it has no end, and it circulates through the six directions—the four quarters, Heaven, and Earth. Following the Great Dao brings good fortune; going against it brings harm. The alternation of Yin and Yang and the opening of Heaven and Earth are all constant principles of the Dao.

The Great Dao should be taught to those who understand the Dao, so that good people may act in accordance with it. In this way, their lifespans may be measured against those of Heaven and Earth. Virtue has degrees, and events have their proper sequence and roots and branches; nothing in the world lies outside the Dao. What is about to flourish will reap good results; what is about to decline will incur bad results. This is like the land: fertile fields yield a good harvest, while barren soil brings a poor one.

Good people occupy high positions and can accord with the Way of Heaven; those of low status dwell in marshlands. Those seated at rest are hosts, while those who travel are passing guests—each of these reflects the Dao. Good people who follow the Dao bring blessings to fruition; wicked people who act wickedly invite disaster. Thus good people acquire the blessings and Virtue of the Dao. Those of high rank who attain the Dao may ride in carriages or on horseback; those of low rank who attain it can walk on their own two feet. Sages and worthies who attain the Dao can transcend the ordinary world; even petty people who attain it can avoid clashing with or harming others. All these are expressions of the Dao.

The opportunity to teach will not come again, and the moment will not return. The rulers should be taught without delay, so that they may put the Way of Great Peace into practice. When the Great Dao is carried out, individuals can transcend the ordinary world, and their merit and Virtue can extend to all living beings throughout the six directions.

The scripture in this fascicle ends here. According to the commentator’s research, this fascicle is an excerpt from juan 17 of Part A of the Taiping Jing. The fascicle numbering in the Zhengtong Daozang is incorrect.