《阴符天机经》

If there is an opportunity yet no suitable person to seize it, failure ensues; if there is a suitable person who does not know how to follow the principle, failure likewise ensues. Therefore the Yijing says: “Chasing a wild deer without a guide, one merely plunges deep into the forest. The wise person perceives the impropriety and would rather stop; to continue onward will bring difficulty.”

Thus the sage observes the situation of the time, acts in accordance with the opportunity, and arranges matters according to the circumstances of the time, and is thereby able to grasp the authority of life and death and achieve his undertakings throughout the world. The Yijing says: “The gentleman conceals his abilities within himself and waits for the proper time to act.” Therefore the sage preserves these principles in his mind and observes the critical junctures of change. When gathered inward, they may be used to cultivate oneself; when deployed outward, they may overcome others; when one discerns them they show no trace; when one employs them their efficacy is without limit. The Yijing says: “The transformations of Yin-Yang are difficult to fathom; this is called the marvelous.” The Yinfu is precisely what is used to symbolize this principle. The sage masters the unfathomable talismanic mechanism, harmonizes and governs the world so that the myriad things each obtain their proper place, and does not allow people to blame or resent him.

Heaven is the master of Earth, and the Dao (the Way) is the leader of De (Virtue/Power). Therefore the sage honors the earth and models himself on Heaven, establishes De and practices the Great Dao. The scripture places the Heavenly Dao at the opening, indicating that people should understand the principles of the earth and thereby receive and carry out the Heavenly Dao. The Yijing says: “Accord with Heaven’s will, receive the Heavenly Dao, and wait for the time to act.” Therefore, when the sage is about to take action, he must first observe the fullness and deficiency in the operation of the Heavenly Dao, and then seize the opportunity to put it into practice. Acting in accordance with the time, one will not omit any of one’s plans. The Yijing says: “Acting prior to Heaven’s time yet able to follow Heaven’s time.”

The sage models himself on the great earth and accords with the heavenly Dao (the Way), establishing De (Virtue/Power) and putting the great Dao into practice. Positioned between Heaven and Earth and between Dao and De, those who found vast meritorious achievements never fail to rely on the “Five Thieves” to accomplish their aims. These Five Thieves consist of harming a person’s nature and life, appropriating wealth and possessions, making use of opportune timing, seizing meritorious achievements, and commanding the spirit (shen). This is the principle by which sovereigns and hegemons wield authority and adaptive expediency.

Therefore the sage observes the pivotal transformations of things and responds to them, weighing the timing before taking action. Jiang Taigong formulated the statutes of hegemony and thereby brought the Yin dynasty to ruin; he implemented the “Three Winds” (three modes of moral instruction or governmental ordinance) to administer the Zhou royal house. Was this not according with the times, grasping the opportune moment, and employing the Five Thieves? Hence the sage plants the root within the kingly Dao and meets the moment amid the adaptive strategies of hegemony. By these means one governs the state and cultivates the person, thereby mastering the Five Thieves. People throughout the realm, seeing their imposing presence, follow them even to the exhaustion of their lives, yet cannot clearly say to whom the grace or the resentment belongs. This is called “theft in possession of the Dao,” a war without form. Alas, there is no greater plunder than this.

The Five Thieves reside within the heart-mind; whether they are seized or released lies in the palm of the hand. For cultivating the self and assisting the affairs of the world, no method is more excellent. The Jing (scripture) states: “He who sees and comprehends this principle will prosper.” Is this not indeed reasonable?

The Body

The human heart-mind is the sovereign of the body, the dwelling of the hun soul and the storehouse of the po soul. In carrying out the Five Thieves, nothing is more essential than the heart-mind. All planning must conform to the heavenly Dao. Thus, although the cosmos is immense, it is as if held in the palm; although the ten thousand things are manifold, their generation and extinction remain within the compass of strategic control. From this it may be known that although Heaven and Earth are vast and substantial, they need not be esteemed more highly than what lies immediately before one, still less what is within the reach of ears and eyes.

The Mechanism

The so-called “killing mechanism” is the germ of the rise and fall of successive dynasties, as well as the portent of life, death, fortune, and misfortune among the myriad people. The transformations of life and death never depart from the scope governed by strategy; therefore, although Heaven and Earth are vast and substantial, they need not be regarded as more precious than the things before one’s eyes and ears.

(The latter portion of the original “Ji” section repeats a sentence from earlier, and the character “ji” appears alone at the end; the sense appears to be incomplete.)

The so-called “killing mechanism” is an omen of the rise and fall of two dynasties, as well as a portent of life and death for the myriad people. It appears when clouds and thunder intermingle and the situation remains unsettled, and also when heaven and earth change color amid bloody conflict. Therefore, when celestial phenomena change, dragons appear in the fields and snakes wander the roads. This portends that the two sides are about to clash in battle, and so it is called “dragons and snakes rising upon the land.” When human affairs change, the governmental ordinances of autumn are carried out in spring, rebellious ministers are rewarded and loyal ones punished. This portends that order is about to be inverted and collapse, and so it is called “heaven and earth overturned.” The mechanisms of change in Heaven and among humans are set in motion simultaneously; although circumstances undergo a thousand transformations, the crucial point of success or failure has already become apparent.

A person of benevolence and generosity invariably possesses courage, yet a person of courage is not necessarily benevolent and generous; an intelligent person is able to feign dullness, yet a dull person is not necessarily able to become intelligent. Therefore, when a sage’s fortunes are favorable, he reveals his talents and wisdom and establishes meritorious achievements; when his fortunes are unfavorable, he appears clumsy and conceals his traces. The preface by Zhuge Liang (styled Kongming) states: “Jiang Taigong (Lü Shang) did not encounter an enlightened ruler until the age of eighty, not because he lacked opportunities, but because he judiciously chose the sovereign he would assist.”

Alas, human temperament, destiny, as well as talent and simplicity each have their times of manifestation; the ability to recognize circumstances and understand advancing and retreating also differs from person to person. Only by comprehending these can one observe transformations, discern the opportune moment, and employ the “Five Thieves” (a Daoist term referring to the five interacting forces in the operations of Heaven and Earth). The reason sages plan far ahead and never miss the proper time in their actions is that they observe celestial phenomena, infer human affairs, and act in accordance with the times. Thus the Yijing says: “Those who understand advancing and retreating, existence and perishing, yet do not deviate from the correct Way—are they perhaps only the sages?”

The nine orifices (a person’s two ears, two eyes, two nostrils, mouth, and anterior and posterior lower orifices) correspond to the nine stars of heaven and the nine provinces of earth. If the Qi (vital energy) of a person’s nine orifices is not proper, they will be invaded by evil Qi; once affected by such evil, discernment and judgment become biased, making it impossible to perceive the mechanisms of events or see changes clearly.

Therefore the key to regulating the nine orifices lies in three critical points. Tai Gong said that the ears, eyes, and mouth are these three. The ears, eyes, and mouth assist the heart and Shen (spirit); they are the gates through which spiritual brightness enters and exits, the pivot for the application of wisdom, and they also concern a person’s fortune and misfortune. If the ears are not acute one cannot distinguish sounds; if the eyes are not bright one cannot perceive the opportunities of affairs; if speech lacks restraint one cannot properly convey commands. If these three critical points are not carefully examined, one cannot govern the state above nor manage the family below, still less employ military force. The use of troops concerns people’s lives and the survival or destruction of the state; whether in stillness or in motion one cannot but be cautious—how then can one act rashly?

Fire is born from within wood, and when the fire spreads it burns the wood itself; if treachery arises within the state and accumulates deeply, the state falls into chaos. This is also like the silkworm that spins silk to form a cocoon, which once completed confines and harms the silkworm; if a person constantly generates incidents and affairs become numerous and tangled, they ultimately endanger their own life. Only those of the highest wisdom can cultivate themselves and refine their character, taking precautions against calamity before it appears and governing promptly before disorder arises.

A great tree thick enough to be encircled by both arms begins as nothing more than a small handful of twigs; a towering terrace is likewise built from the earth and stones at one’s feet. If small evils are not addressed in time they will inevitably brew into great disasters. Alas, if pieces of wood do not rub against one another, fire has no means of arising; if the state has no chaotic decrees, treachery has no means of generating. When affairs have both beginning and end, right and wrong will not stir recklessly. Those who can understand this principle are probably only the sages.

All things steal the essence of Heaven and Earth in order to grow; humans use the bodies of all things to meet the needs of life; and all things, in turn, rely on human effort to be sown and to flourish. Each takes from the other and each receives a fitting result, yet none of them knows that this is simply how the myriad things change and move.

Those who understand the principle at work here model themselves on these three conditions. They draw upon things in accordance with the Dao (the Way), allowing each thing to fulfill its proper use, and in this way the principle of mutual taking among all things becomes manifest. The reason this works is that timing is of the utmost importance. When one eats in accord with the seasons, the parts of the body fall into harmony; when one acts at the right moment, the transformations of all things settle into stability. But when one goes against the seasons and misses the opportune moment, disaster and disorder arise.

Shen (Spirit)

Laozi said: "When a task is accomplished, do not claim the credit; when you have acted, do not rely on your achievement." This is the root of preserving life and establishing De (Virtue).

The petty person, greedy for wealth, will risk his life in pursuit of profit; cherishing a good name, he strives to seize credit; flaunting the miraculous and seeking the title of "Shen" (spirit), he becomes the object of everyone's envy, and in the end he will surely lose his life. Wanting to increase what he gains, he instead brings about loss, and so he cannot be called spiritually enlightened.

The noble person achieves great merit without relying on it, and guards against small calamities before they have arisen. He yields himself and promotes others, honors those of talent, and gives the benefits to the many; the many therefore support him, and so no one takes his advantage from him. His wisdom reveals itself naturally, yet he does not contend with others, and people gladly let him go first. By yielding, he seeks diminishment and instead gains benefit, and thus he reaches the realm of spiritual illumination.

Therefore Laozi said: "Whoever acts will meet with failure; whoever grasps will lose." These words are truly sound.

Sheng (Sage)

If a sage appears every thousand years and a worthy person every five hundred years, they are all born in accordance with the laws of the movements of the sun and moon; great personages and lesser personages are also determined thereby. When a great personage appears in the world, they will manifest De (Virtue) and establish a sagely enterprise; when a lesser personage holds power, they will abandon the proper Dao (the Way) and its guiding principles, inviting disaster and chaos.

Therefore, Jiang Taigong offered advice to Xibo (King Wen of Zhou) because he perceived the direction of the people's hearts and ultimately attached himself to King Wen of Zhou; Liu Kun of the Zhou dynasty revealed his innermost thoughts in Langya because he recognized the heavenly timing yet did not depart; the mother of Jinling took her own life because she knew that a worthy and enlightened ruler would surely arise; Zhao Kuo's mother was not put to death because people perceived that the Zhao army was bound to be defeated. From this it can be seen that changes in the Heavenly Dao (the Way) and in human affairs can be discerned in advance by the worthy; if one assists those who should not be assisted, one may oneself suffer the calamity of having nine clans exterminated. Therefore the Yijing (Book of Changes) says: “The eldest son leads the army and can found a state and inherit the family enterprise; lesser people must not be employed, otherwise they will certainly disrupt the state.”

Ming

When the omens of success and failure have not yet manifested and the crucial points of life and death have not yet been set in motion, lesser people can see the slightest indications, while the junzi can understand the principles within. Omens are easy to see, but tendencies are difficult to know; immediate affairs are easy to see, but long-term results must be inferred. Those who only see the omens often seize the opportunity to pursue profit, and as a result may not preserve their natural span of years; those who truly comprehend the configuration of the times can investigate the origins of matters and infer the final outcomes, and therefore will certainly be able to preserve their own Xingming (nature and life).

Bei

Blind people are skilled at listening because their Shen (spirit) is concentrated on the ears; deaf people are skilled at looking because their thoughts are concentrated on the eyes. When listening, the Shen (spirit) is focused on the ears; when looking, the thoughts are focused on the eyes. The ears and eyes take turns in playing their roles; when using one of them, if one can keep the other from dispersing attention, with Xinshen (heart-spirit) concentrated, one will refine one's actions to ever greater perfection, and the results can even increase tenfold—how much more so when this is done repeatedly?

Using this method, after multiple considerations, one then plans with concentrated energy; one accords with the times, revealing or withdrawing at the appropriate moment, acting when the opportunity is encountered and contracting when the timing does not fit. Commanding troops by this method, one will certainly obtain ten-thousandfold victory.

Wu

If a person’s mind is not drawn by external things, it generally does not give rise to thoughts without cause. Whether thoughts arise or fall silent in the mind is bound up with the things it encounters: when external things undergo change, thoughts arise; when external things return to stillness, thoughts likewise subside. Are not the arising and settling of thoughts precisely brought about by external things?

The Eyes

The eyes are the portal through which Shen (spirit) enters and exits; Shen is the master of the mind. There is no movement of Shen in entering or leaving that is not made manifest through the eyes. Therefore those who can perceive the omens of things all attach importance to observing the eyes, while those who can truly understand the omens of things all attach importance to examining the inner mind.

Naturally

The Great Dao (the Way), the fundamental law by which the myriad things operate, does not specially create spring for the sake of the myriad things; when the myriad things sense the Qi (vital energy) of spring, they grow of themselves. The Great Dao likewise does not specially produce autumn in order to slay the myriad things; when the myriad things sense the Qi of autumn, they decline of themselves. When the myriad things grow, the Dao does not vaunt its De (Virtue/Power) or demand repayment, and therefore its grace is vast; when the myriad things perish, the Dao does not vaunt its might or demand that they fear it, and therefore its power is profound. Whatever is obtained by deliberate seeking is limited; what is obtained without deliberate seeking, coming naturally of itself, is great. Therefore the sage does not seek with intention.

Whether a ruler possesses the Dao has a bearing on the omens of a nation’s wealth and of the people’s peace or turmoil; whether folk songs are joyful or sorrowful foreshadows that year’s harvest or famine. If the people of the time cannot examine these omens, Heaven and Earth will send down conspicuous signs, such as the rising of five-colored cloud Qi or anomalies in the movements of the sun, moon, and five planets. These phenomena are all related to the prevailing ethos of a state.

When the ruler of Song lost his De, the Yinghuo star (the ancient name for Mars) once lingered near the Heart mansion, producing the celestial phenomenon of “Yinghuo guarding the Heart.” Later, when the Song ruler repented and corrected his faults, Yinghuo retreated three she (an ancient unit for measuring the displacement of celestial bodies). Comparing the affairs of today with those of antiquity, the situation is perfectly clear; using past events to illuminate present ones does not require exhaustive effort. Therefore the wise person comprehends as soon as a matter first shows its clue, while the foolish person waits until the stellar signs have appeared before understanding.

Laojun (Taishang Laojun) holds that Wuwei (non-action) is the root of the myriad things, and that stillness is the master of agitation. What is called “stillness” refers to the undifferentiated state of primordial Qi (yuanqi, the original vital energy before Heaven and Earth were generated). The myriad things take form within primordial Qi, and therefore stillness is able to give rise to Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things. This is also like a person who can remain spacious and deeply still, with the inner mind undisturbed, and thereby give rise to all things under Heaven.

Sheng

“Sheng” means gradual increase. As Heaven and Earth operate, each gradually increases: Heaven increases Yang Qi, Earth increases Yin Qi. Yin and Yang attract one another; once they interact in mutual response, they are able to give rise to all things under Heaven.

Sheng

“Sheng” means gradual increase. As Heaven and Earth operate, each gradually increases: Heaven increases Yang Qi, Earth increases Yin Qi. Yin and Yang attract one another; day and night alternate, taking turns as host and as follower, mutually constraining and prevailing over each other, and this is therefore called “Yin and Yang prevailing over one another.” When founding a state or mobilizing an army, one must necessarily accord with the Dao of Heaven. This is like the encounter of Metal and Fire: only through their clash will one subdue the other. Even Heaven cannot violate this pattern, still less can human beings.

Shun

The Yijing (Book of Changes) says: “When the firm and the yielding rub against each other, change is produced.” Change that does not violate the pattern is therefore called “shun” (accordance). Even in nourishing the body and regulating the mind-nature, a person still cannot act contrary to the seasons; how much more is this true of outstanding figures who govern the state and assist the ways of the world?

Qi

The Dao of the supreme sage is far-reaching, profound, and subtle, and it proceeds by Wuwei. With Wuwei there is no opening that can be exploited; with no opening that can be exploited, extreme stillness is attained. The subtlety of the calendar and of the pitch-pipes and measures lies in the fact that they can be inferred through their operation; if their substance is empty and void, they cannot be peered into through a tube. This is also like the use of troops: not missing the moment, not revealing any flaw. Even a person of wisdom and strategy—from where could they begin to subdue it?

Xiang

The “marvelous implement” (a wondrous vessel) is Yin-Yang…, and therefore is able to give rise to the myriad things. This is also like the human mind, which can be set in motion and thereby possess knowledge; since its substance is empty and void, it cannot be peered into through a tube. This is also like the use of troops: not missing the moment, not revealing any flaw. Even a person of wisdom and strategy—from where could they begin to subdue it?

Xiang

The “marvelous implement” is Yin-Yang…, and therefore is able to give rise to the myriad things. This is also like the human mind, which can create all affairs and manifest all manner of images. “Coming forward” refers to images appearing before the eyes, that is, forms. The Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the Six Jia (liujia, the art of calculating days, times, and transformations by means of the heavenly stems and earthly branches), as well as the secret affairs of ghosts and spirits and the methods by which the firm and the yielding mutually constrain one another, all clearly array their forms before the eyes.

In the original, the phrase “the marvelous implement is of Yin and Yang…” is incomplete, and the “Xiang” section appears twice; the above follows the given wording in translation.