《黄帝阴符经注(唐淳)》

Commentary on the Yinfu Jing of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi Yinfu Jing Zhu) was written by Tang Chun and completed in the jichou year of the Zhengda era of Emperor Aizong of the Jin dynasty (1229). The work has two fascicles and is included in the Jade Instructions (Yujue) category of the Dongzhen (Three Caverns) division of the Zhengtong Daozang (Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong era).

"Preface to the Commentary on the Yinfu Jing of the Yellow Emperor" (Huangdi Yinfu Jing Zhu Xu) is the title of the preface to this book.

Only one who has deeply grasped the will of Heaven can explain the mysteries of the Way of Heaven; and how could someone who has not reached the realm of the sage interpret the sage's scriptures (jing)? Why is this so? Because the words of the sages are as profound as Heaven itself. Without probing their deep and hidden places, how could one truly understand them?

The Yellow Emperor's Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) has only a section or two, and its whole text runs to no more than three hundred characters. Its language is spare, yet its meaning is far-reaching; its words are concise, yet their significance grows ever deeper. Some understand it as a method for governing the state and bringing peace to the people; others regard it as the key to strengthening armies and winning victories, or to cultivating body and mind. It encompasses the principles of Heaven and Earth and gathers up the transformations of Yin-Yang. It has no color to be seen and no sound to be heard; it is deep and unfathomable, and its subtle mysteries can hardly be exhausted. Unless a person is inwardly clear and transparent through and through, able to grasp the changes of Heaven, Earth, and Yin-Yang, who could first analyze the text and annotate it, glimpse its secrets, and measure its limits?

No fewer than a dozen scholars have written commentaries on this scripture, but only one, Master Tang Chun, truly grasped the sage's subtle meaning. His given name was Chun, and his style name was the Daoist of Jinling; it is not known in which dynasty he lived. Drawing on what he had heard, he explained the text in accord with the sage's original intent, and cited other classics as corroboration, so that later readers, even when facing this profound and remote scripture, could see it plainly and understand it clearly with the help of his commentary. His explanation of a single character was like lamplight dispelling darkness; his clarification of a single sentence was like divination resolving doubt. Had Master Tang not already recognized the source of Being and Non-being, probed deeply into the beginnings of creation and transformation, and penetrated the workings of Heaven to reach the sage's realm, how could he have done this?

Recently, Master Zhou Zhiming, styled Yingranzi, has become a person zealous for this cause in our time. While traveling to Mount Kongtong (the legendary place where the Yellow Emperor sought the Dao), he was moved by the Yellow Emperor's story and conceived the wish to spread this learning widely. He earnestly sought out this annotated edition and had it carved and printed. He hoped that those who cultivate perfection (xiuzhen) could use it to distinguish truth from falsehood and rid themselves of error, transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred, holding Yin-Yang in the palm of the hand and gathering the sun and moon within the chest. This truly reflects the heart of the ancients.

Master Zhou asked me to write a preface. I was inclined to decline, but to leave unpraised a friend's admirable deed is also a fault. So I have taken up my brush to write these words and help bring his good intention to completion. Written in the sixth year of Zhengda under Emperor Aizong of the Jin dynasty (the jichou year, 1229), by Meng Chuoran of Huozē.

Chapter on Embracing the One and Expounding the Dao, from the Divine Immortals

Shen (spirit) in the eyes appears as sight; in the ears, as hearing; on the tongue, as speech; in the nose, as smell; in the hands, as grasping; in the feet, as walking. By day it turns into thought and longing; by night it turns into dreams. When summoned, it comes; when dismissed, it departs. In the heart, Shen appears as will, and through language it appears as written composition.

Shen originally has no fixed form, and its gathering and scattering leave no trace. When it enters the human body, it shows itself in all kinds of states; when it leaves the body, it seems empty and void. When it spreads out, it can pervade heaven and earth and the Nine Yi (the ancient term for the peoples of the eastern regions), reaching everywhere; when it becomes subtle, it can enter a speck of dust or a mustard seed, and even the realm of dreams.

If one can nourish and preserve Shen in the Dantian (energy center; the place in the body where Daoists cultivate and refine), and rise above the worldly, one may become an immortal. If one is dull and ignorant, one will fall among the lower kinds of ghosts, though some trace of spiritual awareness remains. When thought disperses, it is called "intent" (yi); when it condenses, it becomes Qi (vital energy). When Qi moves, Shen moves with it; when Qi condenses, Shen condenses with it. The Yijing (Book of Changes) says: "The transformations of Yin-Yang are beyond measure; this is called Shen." It also says that when Shen is in the Dantian and Qi congeals, an embryo is formed. If true Qi does not scatter, spiritual illumination arrives of itself. Is it not, then, that Shen and Qi guarding one another is the Dao (the Way) of long life?

Shen is the child of Qi, and Qi is the mother of Shen. A Daoist scripture (Jing) says: "Having already known the child, go on to hold fast to its mother." Tang Chun said that when child and mother guard each other, this is the Way of becoming an immortal. The Perfected Master Shi said that if Shen and Qi are not lost, one can preserve one's own body and become a person of long life.

The word "xian" (immortal) carries the sense of moving on and transcending. An ordinary person who cultivates can become a divine immortal. The character 仙 is composed of "person" and "mountain": the cultivator's nature and mind should be as steady as a mountain, with Shen and Qi unshaken, and so the "person" radical is joined with "mountain." "Shenxian" (divine immortal) is a title for one who has attained the Dao. It is like the way people say "lang," which a commentary explains as being joined to the "mountain" element and as a form of address used on seeing treasure.

"Bao" (to embrace) means to enfold and to hold fast; "the One" is the Dao. Thus "embracing the One" means holding fast to the great Dao, and this chapter is precisely an exposition of the great Dao on that basis.

Observe the patterns by which the Way of Heaven operates, and act in accordance with them; the principles of cultivation are then fully contained within this.

The word "observation" (guan) here carries two meanings. It refers to ordinary looking, and it also names a method of inward contemplation. The commentary borrows the image of the "six gates" to explain how one gathers in the inner and outer senses and focuses the Shen (spirit): the Shen is not allowed to scatter outward, nor to be pulled about by external things. The author holds that by gazing up at the heavens one can come to know the Dao (the Way), and he regards the "Qi of the True Lord of the Supreme One" (Taiyi), which moves beneath the Northern Dipper, as a key manifestation of the Way of Heaven.

The commentary goes on to say that the Qi of Taiyi holds within it the true Qi of all things. When gathered and stored, it is called "primordial Jing (essence)"; when dispersed and spread out, it transforms into the myriad spirits; when held within, it is called "Taiyi"; and when released, it is called "Taiqing" (Great Purity). As the Dipper turns and its handle points to different directions, the month-establishing positions change with it. The four seasons of the year, the sun, moon and stars, and the growth and transformation of all things follow the Way of Heaven, moving in endless cycles. The commentary uses the divisions of the seasons to illustrate this regularity: five days make one "pentad," fifteen days make one "Qi period," forty-five days make one "node," and ninety days make one season. Spring brings forth, summer causes growth, autumn harvests, and winter stores. Everything between heaven and earth, including beings born from wombs, from eggs, from moisture, and by transformation, as well as the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of plants, is generated through the transformations of the Qi of the Dao. Hence the Dao is manifest both within and without all things.

The author then maps the Way of Heaven onto the human body. The "Taiyi" within the body corresponds to the two kidneys. The yellow Qi of the center, located in the heart region, together with the arrangement of red above, black below, green on the left, and white on the right, relates respectively to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and to primordial Qi. Taiyi is also called the root of water. The pivot and handle of the Northern Dipper correspond to the aperture of the heart, while the sun and moon in the sky correspond to the heart and kidneys in the body. Just as the sun and moon shine down from the heavens, so the heart and kidneys answer one another within the body. The five planets and six luminaries correspond to the five viscera and six bowels, and the teeming multitude of things corresponds to the skin and hair, the bones and joints, and the so-called "thirty-six thousand spirits of essence and light."

The commentary cites the line "The Daojing (Classic of the Way) says: Without going out the door, one knows the world," and draws on the words of Heshang Gong to show that the human body can be likened to the operation of heaven and earth. If one can set the Taiyi within the body in motion, make the heart and kidneys circulate like the sun and moon, and bring the heart's fire downward and the kidneys' water upward, then fluids will be generated throughout the five viscera and the hundred vessels. Qi, bodily fluids, blood, and Shen will flow freely and naturally, and the Five Phases, the four images, the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and the many spirits will return to the great Dao, so that every part of the body becomes open, clear, and luminous. The commentator therefore holds that a practitioner who cultivates in accordance with the movement of the Way of Heaven can grasp that movement itself, and this is what is meant by "Grasp the course of Heaven, and all is accomplished."

Between Heaven and Earth there are five forces that restrain and transform one another. Those who can see them clearly and put them to use will flourish.

"Thief" (贼, zei) here refers to the interactions among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The Seven Worthies say that the meaning of the "five thieves" includes the five planets in the heavens, the five sacred peaks on earth, the five organs of the human body, the four directions together with the center, and the Five Phases themselves, so the principle it contains is very broad. Tang Chun explains that when Heaven and Earth set the Five Phases in motion, they both restrain one another and give rise to one another.

In Heaven, the Five Phases are arranged as Wood, Water, Metal, Earth, Fire; on Earth, they are arranged as Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. When the scripture (Jing) says "the five thieves of Heaven move in reverse," it means that the Yin-Yang and Five Phases of the Heavenly Dao (Dao, the Way) operate in a different order from the one found on earth, while the earthly Five Phases follow the ordinary sequence of mutual generation. A person who follows only the earthly pattern will pass through birth and death. One who can grasp and employ the reversing principle of the Heavenly Dao can attain longevity. This is why the text says, "Those who see it will flourish."

For example, on earth the relation is that Metal generates Water. In the Heavenly Dao, however, it can be understood as Water generating Metal: water vapor (qi) rises to form clouds, and the clouds ascend into the sky. Heaven belongs to Metal, so it is said that rising water vapor generates Metal. The cloud-qi then transforms into rain and descends, which is the meaning of "clouds move and rain falls, and all things take shape and flow into form" (a line from the Yijing, meaning that as clouds travel and rain descends, the myriad things are generated and transformed).

Take another example. On earth, Wood generates Fire; viewed from the Heavenly Dao, one may say that Fire generates Wood. In the human body, Fire corresponds to qi, and in the heavens it corresponds to the sun. Yang qi causes the myriad things to grow and makes the branches and leaves of plants flourish, so it is said that Fire can generate Wood. These examples show that the sages took the Heavenly Dao as their model, and held that those who seek longevity must learn this "inverted" movement of the Five Phases.

In practical terms, the practitioner uses the heart-fire to stir the kidney-water. When the kidney-water meets the fire, it transforms into qi, and the qi rises to the lungs. The lungs belong to Metal, and so the relation "Water generates Metal" is formed. The water-qi then turns into "metal liquid" and enters the liver, which belongs to Wood. The heart-fire in turn generates liver-Wood, filling the liver qi, brightening the eyes, and making the black and white of the eyes distinct. Terms such as "metal liquid" and "river chariot" here are technical terms of Neidan (internal alchemy), describing how essence and qi (Jing and Qi) circulate and transform within the body during practice.

The south belongs to Fire, and Fire generates the Wood of the east; the north belongs to Water, and Water generates the Metal of the west. The Four Images (the four directions with their corresponding Yin-Yang and Five Phases) are then joined with the Two Modes (Yin and Yang) and gathered into the central position represented by the Earth of Wu and Ji. This is called the "art of inverting the Five Phases."

The Realized Person Taibai said: "The art of inverting the Five Phases: the dragon emerges from within the fire. When the Five Phases do not move in their usual order, the tiger is born within the water." Zhenyizi held that although these twenty characters are brief, they point to the subtle mystery of the interaction between Heaven and Earth. Lord Yin Zhenjun also said: "The true qi of the north is called the River Chariot; in the east, Jia and Yi refine the golden sand. The Vermilion Bird harmonizes and turns, giving birth to the Golden Flower, and the Golden Flower in turn gives birth to the treasure of Heaven and Earth." These words likewise use directions, the Five Phases, and Neidan terminology to explain the process by which essence and qi are transformed.

If practitioners understand these principles and bring their inner cultivation into accord with the movements of Heaven and Earth, they can refine Jing into the divine elixir, transform the body, transcend the ordinary world, and ascend, attaining the Way of the immortals. Hence it is said that those who can see and master these patterns will flourish.

The Five Thieves (Wuzei, referring to the qi of the Five Phases) reside within the heart-mind, are set in motion by it, and move in accordance with the Way of Heaven. The heart-mind is the governing power: the moment it stirs, the qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) stirs along with it. A person's conduct, and their good and evil alike, all arise from the heart-mind. Whatever one undertakes should accord with the Way of Heaven and be carried out by marshaling the qi of the Five Phases.

The universe seems to be held in one's hand, and the transformations of the myriad things seem to arise from oneself. This describes where the immortals begin their practice: the cultivator is like a master craftsperson who, within the palm, directs Yin-Yang so that the transformations of all things manifest from within the self.

"The universe lies in the hand; the myriad transformations arise within the body" speaks to where an immortal's cultivation begins: just as a sage-artisan masters the key points of his craft, the practitioner must grasp the pivot of Yin-Yang (阴阳) transformation.

The Yin-Yang spoken of here are symbolized by the sun and moon, and a number of terms are used to explain their relationship. The sun corresponds to the dragon, mercury, Li (离), fire, the yang soul (hun), Qi (气, vital energy), and nature (xing). The moon corresponds to the tiger, lead, Kan (坎), water, the yin soul (po), Jing (精, essence), and life (ming). To "hold the authority of the universe" means to take hold of one's own nature and life. The scripture says, "My life is in my own hands, not in Heaven's," meaning that a person's life is also bound up with their own cultivation: the heavenly bodies move by means of the sun and moon, while the human body moves by means of Jing and Qi.

Master Lü (Lü Zhenren) said that when someone asked him about the method of cultivation, he simply pointed to the sun and moon at the horizon. Wei Boyang's Cantongqi (a classic on the arts of refinement and nourishment) also explains this in verse: the sage comprehends the laws of creation and transformation, and places the sun and moon within the alchemical furnace; he mobilizes the essence of Heaven and Earth and gathers Yin and Yang together. One who can recognize the "sun soul and moon po" is one who understands cultivation. After long refinement and nourishment, if the body can rid itself of yin stagnation, it will not easily decline and perish. The lines in the poem about "tumbling and overturning the essence of Heaven and Earth" and "drilling and clustering Yin and Yang" are, in the original, repeated a second time.

The Suwen, in its chapter "On the Ancient Innate Truth" (Shanggu Tianzhen Lun), records that the true people of antiquity could lift up Heaven and Earth and grasp Yin and Yang; they breathed in essential Qi and guarded the spirit with single-minded focus, so that the body was harmonized and unified. Their lifespans therefore matched those of Heaven and Earth and had no end. Zhang Mengqian, for his part, used phrases such as "gathering Qian and Kun in the palm" and "holding the sun and moon before the breast" to describe how the practitioner draws in the Qi of Heaven, Earth, sun, and moon.

The Daodejing says, "Deepen the root and firm the stem; this is the way to long life and enduring vision," meaning that only when the foundation is secure can one endure for long. The commentary likens the sun and moon to the heart and the kidneys: the heart is easily stirred, and when it is, the spirit (Shen, 神) readily dissipates its essence. The sage therefore steadies the heart and spirit and gathers in the kidney essence, so that Jing and Qi do not leak outward. When the root is firm, the body becomes light and robust and can be nourished for the long term. The interaction of heart and kidneys and the circulation of Jing and Qi are precisely the key by which the practitioner brings about transformation within the body. What the scripture calls "the pivotal workings of immortals" refers to the way cultivation can change the state of body and mind; "turning ghosts into immortals and saving the dead to make them living" is a hyperbolic way of describing how great this change is, and hence the saying "the universe lies in the hand."

Heaven unleashes the killing mechanism, and dragons and serpents rise from the earth.

This passage says that when Heaven releases its "killing mechanism" (shaji), it corresponds to the three months of autumn. The west belongs to Metal, and in autumn the Metal qi (vital energy) grows stronger, bringing down frost and dew so that the myriad things wither and fall. Metal also overcomes Wood, so plants and trees decay while dragons and serpents go into hibernation. In explaining "dragons and serpents rise from the earth," however, the Chun commentary links the phrase to spring: in spring the myriad things begin to sprout, the vital force between Heaven and Earth is set in motion, and dragons and serpents emerge from their dormancy to move about. Autumn's severity and spring's growth are both the natural course of things. Spring corresponds to the Tai hexagram and autumn to the Pi hexagram, and these images are used here to illustrate the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang between Heaven and Earth and the changing of the seasons.

When humans unleash the killing mechanism, Heaven and Earth are overturned.

The human "killing mechanism" can refer to grave guilt incurred through great rebelliousness and unfilial conduct, which was believed to be capable of overturning the order of Heaven and Earth. In terms of cultivation, however, "killing" refers to circulating a single qi (the primal qi spoken of in Daoist internal practice) so that Yang qi rises and develops. By this means one eliminates the Three Corpses (sanshi, impure entities that Daoists believed dwell in the body and harm a person's spirit and lifespan) and the Nine Worms (jiuchong, in older accounts the parasitic impurities within the body), and then refines the Golden Elixir, bringing the body to a state of pure Yang. The "overturning of Heaven and Earth" means that the qi of creation and transformation is set in motion so that the dead return to life, that is, the ordinary state of Yin-Yang and of Heaven and Earth is reversed.

When Heaven and humanity act together, the foundation of the myriad changes is fixed.

"Heaven and humanity" refers to the movement of one and the same qi. "Acting together" means that Heaven and humans respond to one another, as Yang qi first stirs and begins to rise. The "myriad changes" are the many transformations of all things, and "fixing the foundation" means that all these changes take the movement of qi as their root.

Nature may be skillful or clumsy, and it can be concealed and stored away.

Human nature differs in its quickness and its dullness, and it can also be restrained and kept hidden.

The nature of the myriad things is originally the same; only their root dispositions differ. Licorice, for example, is sweet, while phellodendron is bitter: both arise from the same primordial Qi (vital energy) and the same root, yet their flavors and properties are distinct. People, too, are endowed with cleverness or clumsiness, and in their dealings they can keep these qualities concealed. The Yijing (Book of Changes) says: "If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will bring about his own death; if a secret matter leaks out, the great undertaking will be ruined." From this we can see that the Dao (the Way) gives rise to things by endowing them with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the myriad things function according to their own Five Phases nature, with all these workings remaining hidden and unrevealed. The Liuzi says: "When the mountain macaque displays its skill, it will surely meet with disaster in the end." The mountain macaque is adept at dodging arrows. When the King of Chu went hunting, the macaque circled around the trees to evade him. Seeing how nimble it was, the king ordered Yang Youji to shoot it. As Yang Youji was about to loose his arrow, the macaque clung to the tree and wailed, for it knew that Yang Youji's archery was so masterful that it could not possibly escape and would surely die. Hence it is said that showing off one's skill invites calamity. However clever a person may be, they cannot avoid death; is this not a wondrous operation of the Way of Heaven?

The evils brought on by the nine orifices (the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and other openings of the human body) hinge on three vital points; these three can set a person in motion, and they can also keep a person still and calm.

The heart-mind (xin) is said to have "nine apertures" (jiuqiao), not because the physical heart literally has nine openings, but because the heart-mind is regarded as the master that governs body and mind alike. The text says the heart-mind has seven apertures and also three hidden inner apertures, two of which correspond to Yin-Yang and serve as auxiliaries. This way of speaking carries the symbolic character of Daoist discourse on cultivating the heart-mind.

The "Three Essentials" (sanyao) refer to the ears, eyes, and mouth: the eyes see color, the ears hear sound, and the mouth tastes flavor. The heart-mind is easily swayed by sights, sounds, and the flavors of food and drink, so one must guard these three gates: not looking at perverse colors, not listening to wayward sounds, and not craving improper flavors. In this way, external evils cannot easily enter the heart-mind, and it can settle into stillness. The text quotes Laojun (Lord Lao): "When the heart-mind is clear and still, Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit) become naturally bright and lucid; the six desires do not arise, and the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion also fade away."

People are divided into three grades, upper, middle, and lower, and each grade is further divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks, making nine in all. The text uses the number of apertures in the heart-mind as a metaphor for a person's innate capacity: the highest rank of the upper grade has nine apertures, the highest rank of the middle grade has seven, and the highest rank of the lower grade has five. The lowest of all have heart-minds that are entirely blocked; they are called benighted and are no different from animals that understand nothing. The purpose of the teaching on the Three Essentials is to protect the heart-mind, because the ears, eyes, and mouth are the gates through which the heart-mind is affected by the outside world, moving from stillness into movement, and even connecting to matters of life and death.

"Fire is born of wood, and when calamity breaks out, it must overcome": fire arises from within wood, and once disaster erupts, it often brings about destruction. The image of wood generating fire is used here to show that calamity may be triggered by factors contained within oneself.

The phrase "Fire generates Wood" (火生木, huo sheng mu) means that fire in turn nourishes wood, symbolizing the Way of Heaven acting against the ordinary course. "Wood generates Fire" (木生火, mu sheng huo) means that wood, following its natural tendency, produces fire, symbolizing the Way of Earth acting in accordance with the ordinary course. Once calamity arises, it usually brings harm. This belongs to the Way of Earth moving along its normal course: the wood is punished and in the end burns itself up. The Way of Heaven, moving in reverse, is different: the wood is able to flourish and thrive.

The cultivation of the human body follows a similar principle. If one follows the working of the Way of Earth and lets things run their usual course, one moves toward death; if one employs the method of the Way of Heaven and reverses the ordinary state, one can obtain life. The human body is like the wood, and the heart-mind is like the fire. If the fire of the heart-mind kindles itself while a person remains dull, ignorant, and unwatchful, the person will damage themselves. When matters develop into calamity, harm becomes unavoidable. This is the way of the foolish. The sage, by contrast, regards the body as wood and the heart-mind as fire. The sage extinguishes the root of the fire, cultivates the self, and quietly transforms both form and substance, finally becoming a sage.

"Treachery and wickedness grow within the state; when the moment of opportunity is triggered, the state collapses."

Lewd and wicked thoughts bewilder the Shen (spirit, 神) and set the Qi (vital energy, 气) in motion, leaving the spirit scattered. The saying "when the moment is triggered, collapse follows" means that Shen and Qi disperse from the body, and the heart-mind collapses along with them. The Laozi says: "Take the body as the state and take Jing (essence, 精) and Qi as the people; when the people scatter, the state falls apart."

One who understands the methods of cultivation and puts them into practice is called a sage. Heaven has the function of giving life to the myriad things and also of destroying them; this is the pattern of the Dao (the Way, 道).

If one meets a sage, receives the oral instructions, and understands the methods of cultivation, one should begin the work at the hours of Zi and Wu (子时 and 午时, the double-hours used in traditional practice to schedule the exercises), practicing diligently in order to refine away the ordinary womb-born substance and turbid bones and attain boundless longevity. Such a person is called a sage.

End of the first fascicle of the Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman (《黄帝阴符经注》).

Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman, Second Fascicle

Annotated by Tang Chun, the Daoist of Jinling

Middle Chapter: Enriching the State and Pacifying the People, Expounding the Method

The Laozi says: "Take the body as the state, take Jing and Qi as the people, take the many spirits as the myriad families..."

The Laozi (Lao Tzu) says: "Compare the body to a state, essence and qi to the common people, and the many spirits within the body to the myriad subjects."

Chun explains that Jing (essence) nourishes the physical form, while Qi (vital energy) nourishes the Shen (spirit). Jing, Qi, and Shen together are the foundation that keeps life full and strong. One who knows how to use essence and qi to refine and nourish the body is like a ruler who makes the state prosperous; one who preserves the spirit and safeguards the primordial qi is like a ruler who brings peace to the people. The sage used the state and the family-realm as metaphors: regard the body as a state, and cultivate essence and qi within oneself in order to attain the great Dao (the Way).

The Old Mother says: "Sweet wine and delicacies are blades and spears that harm one's nature; licentious music and seductive beauty are axes and saws that break the bones." When people do not practice restraint, they injure themselves without noticing, and so there arises a situation in which the people's hearts scatter and the state falls apart.

"Yanfa" (演法) means to expound the teachings; "zhang" (章) means to make clear and manifest.

Heaven and Earth are the source from which all things draw upon one another; the myriad things also draw upon a person's vital strength, and people in turn draw upon the myriad things.

Heaven and Earth are the "thieves" of the myriad things: the myriad things draw breath and vital energy from between Heaven and Earth in order to nourish their bodies. The myriad things are in turn the "thieves" of humans: people take what they need from the myriad things to nourish their nature and life (性命), and so are able to keep themselves safe and stay alive. Humans, too, are the "thieves" of the myriad things; and if they cannot discern the temperament and patterns of the myriad things, they will instead be constrained and depleted by them. This relationship of mutual taking and mutual depletion is called the "Three Thefts."

To understand the temperament of the myriad things also includes mastering the methods of regulating diet. One should not eat to excess. The original text goes on to discuss the refining of grain and the changes inside the body, using terms such as "fire number" (火数), "nine orifices" (九窍), and "expelling dregs" (退滓) to describe the process of cultivation and the expulsion of impurities. It also mentions eyes like honeycombs, expelled matter congealing like white fat, and, after forty-nine days of cultivation, cinnabar being passed in the urine. These statements belong to the original text's cultivation terminology and its description of bodily change.

Heaven and Earth take from the myriad things, the myriad things take from humans, and humans again take from the myriad things; the three are bound to one another, and people can hardly escape this relationship. If a person can draw in the essential qi of the myriad things, apply and refine it so that the stomach and intestines become soft like curds and cream, and then circulate original qi (元气) until reaching the state of not eating the five grains, only then have they freed themselves from dependence on the myriad things. The original text specifically points out that merely abstaining from food does not amount to truly reaching this state.

The Old Mother (老母) says: Heaven and Earth take from the myriad things, so that the myriad things cannot flourish forever and must eventually decline; the myriad things take from humans, so that humans cannot stay young and strong forever and must eventually age and die; humans take from the myriad things, so that the myriad things cannot be preserved forever either. These three kinds of taking arise together, and people often fail to notice them; in fact they are depleting one another's essential qi (Qi), which is to say, depleting the body. Food and drink are needed every day without fail; otherwise, through lack, hunger, cold, and illness will arise.

If one is diligent in cultivation and skilled at drawing in and applying essential qi, one can make body and mind full and harmonious, let qi and blood flow freely, and have every part of the body nourished. If one is not skilled at using this method of "taking," one will instead be depleted by the myriad things. Therefore, one must be skilled at nourishing the body, moderating essential qi, and refining original qi, and by this seek long life.

When the three kinds of taking are each rightly proportioned, the "Three Powers" (三才; the three basic beings that make up the order of the cosmos), Heaven, Earth, and humankind, can be settled and stable.

Heaven and Earth take from the myriad things, the myriad things take from humans, and humans in turn are depleted by the myriad things. Therefore, one should be skilled at nourishing the body, moderating essential qi, and refining original qi, in order to seek long life.

Heaven and Earth draw upon the myriad things, the myriad things draw upon human beings, and human beings in turn draw upon the myriad things. Only when these three kinds of drawing upon one another are kept in due measure does one accord with the Dao (the Way). When this balance is lost, the first to suffer harm is oneself.

Hence the saying: "When eating and drinking suit the season, every part of the body is harmonized; when the pivotal mechanism is set in motion, the transformations of the myriad things are settled."

When eating and drinking suit the season, every part of the body is harmonized. When they do not, the five viscera fall out of harmony, a person's Shen (spirit) is damaged, and the body cannot find peace. To "set the pivotal mechanism in motion" means to follow the operation of the Heavenly Mechanism (Tianji). Perfected Lü said, "The Heavenly Mechanism is profound and distant; even to begin cultivation at once is already almost too late." The "Heavenly Mechanism" spoken of here refers to a spot about one and three-tenths inches below the navel, where the sages begin to nurture the "embryonic immortal" (the spirit of gestation in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice). Master Yang, in his commentary on the Classic of Difficulties (Nan Jing), says that the moving Qi (vital energy) between the two kidneys, below the navel, is the Dantian (energy center), the seat of a person's inborn nature and life, and that the Dantian is the root of both. This is why Daoist practitioners who visualize the deities and Buddhist monks (bhikshu, those who have left home to practice) who sit in meditation both stress gathering true Qi below the navel.

Within the Dantian dwells the "Divine Tortoise," and what it breathes is true Qi, not air taken in through the mouth and nose. The mouth and nose are merely the gateways through which Qi enters and leaves; the Dantian is the source of Qi, and it is where the sages begin their cultivation and gather in the "True Unity" (the original, genuine Qi). Thus "embryonic breathing" refers to the circulation of Qi within the body, and "setting the mechanism in motion" means putting the mind's intention to work. Perfected Shi said that when the mind guides the Qi and the Shen nurtures the embryo, the transformations of the myriad things are settled. The Old Mother said that "eating" does not mean craving food and drink but taking in the Jing (essence) and Qi of the myriad things: the body absorbs flavor, while the spirit absorbs Qi. If eating and drinking suit the season, the body can function; if one then employs this essence and Qi through the mind's intention, the transformations of the myriad things will be settled.

People recognize that spirits seem wondrous, but they do not realize that it is precisely because the spirit itself has no form or trace that it can be wondrous at all.

People know there are spirits that govern Yin-Yang (阴阳, yin-yang), fortune and misfortune, yet they do not know that within their own bodies there is also a spirit that presides over coming and going, and even bears on life and death. People know that the movements of the hands and feet are directed by a divine intelligence, yet they do not know the subtle and wondrous numinous power that appears when the Heavenly Mechanism (the pivot of the body's inner life activity) is set in motion and runs its course. For this reason it is called the "Shen (神, spirit) within Shen."

People know the Qi (气, vital energy) that enters and leaves through the mouth and nose in breathing, yet they do not know that within the Dantian (丹田, energy center; the cultivation site within the abdomen) there is also the "Qi of True Unity" (the primordial Qi of cultivation). For this reason it is called the "Qi within Qi." People know the essence and Qi produced by the transformation of the five grains, yet they do not know that there is originally a "Jing (精, essence) of True Unity" (the primordial Jing). For this reason it is called the "Jing within Jing."

Laojun says: "Within Jing there is Jing, within Qi there is Qi, and within Shen there is Shen. This is what I call the Dao (道, the Way) of naturalness." The Old Mother says: "People know only the spirits to whom sacrifices are offered, yet they do not know that they themselves possess thirty-six thousand radiant spirits of essential light (the divine powers within the body, in Daoist teaching), which can become spirits that transcend the mundane world."

The sun and moon move according to their own patterns, and each has its fixed measure, great or small. From this the meritorious work of the sage's cultivation arises, and from this the spirit-light is made manifest.

The total of the numbers governing Heaven and Earth's movements is fifty-five. The Great Expansion number (Dayan, the number used to derive the transformations of Heaven and Earth) is fifty, of which forty-nine are actually put to use. The generating numbers of the Five Phases are: Water is one, Fire is two, Wood is three, Metal is four, and Earth is five. Their completing numbers are: Water is six, Fire is seven, Wood is eight, Metal is nine, and Earth is ten.

The "number" spoken of here is explained through the image of the "thirty spokes." The commentary says that the generating numbers of the four phases of Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal add up to ten. Earth has no fixed form; it flourishes along with the four seasons and is assigned five to each of the four directions, making twenty. Added to the ten above, this yields thirty. This number of thirty corresponds to the movement and function of a single month. Heaven and Earth turn in accordance with these numbers, and human beings likewise have a breath (Qi) that corresponds to them; what is described here is the working of the monthly number.

The daily number is reckoned by nine times nine. Beginning at the winter solstice, one counts day by day until nine nines are complete, eighty-one days, which corresponds to the number of the sun's course. Five days make one pentad (hou), fifteen days make one solar term (qi), forty-five days make one node (jie), and ninety days make one season. The moon waxes and wanes, and the growth and transformation of the myriad things each follow a fixed number; for this reason the long and short months of the calendar also follow regular patterns. Through this, the achievements of the sage can be accomplished and divine, wondrous function made manifest.

If a practitioner follows the rhythms of sun and moon, regulating increase and decrease, and applies supplementation and continuation, then through the accumulation of days and months they may gradually move away from the road of death and break free from the bonds of life and death. Using an ordinary body to refine a true form, so that both spirit (Shen) and body reach a state of subtle perfection: is this not the attainment of immortality?

This practice of stealing the pivotal moment of Heaven and Earth's creative transformation cannot be seen by the people of the world, nor can they come to know it.

The exchange and use of all things between Heaven and Earth follow a principle that no one can see; this is the subtle mechanism by which Heaven and Earth operate. People cannot see it because it has no color, makes no sound, has no tangible form, and cannot be named, so it is hard to perceive and hard to understand. Only by thoroughly investigating how the "One Qi" (Yi Qi, the fundamental primordial energy that constitutes all things in Heaven and Earth) transforms and gives rise to things, and by observing how the myriad things grow, can one come to grasp the principle within.

The Huashu (Book of Transformations) says: "Gazing up at the vast sky, you cannot see any trace it leaves; standing within emptiness, you cannot hear its voice. The divine is in fact not distant, and the noble person should always keep their heart upright." Master Yan said: "The more I look up to it, the higher it seems; the more I probe it, the more solid it proves; I see it before me, and suddenly it appears behind." This means that the Dao (the Way) exists in a state of indistinct obscurity that cannot be described through concrete images. Tang Chun said: "Indistinctness is the state between being and non-being." Therefore, the sage understands the source of being and non-being and investigates the starting point from which the myriad things are transformed and generated; when one cultivates it, it manifests form and takes on an image. Hence it is said that the Dao is hard to understand and hard to see.

When the noble person obtains it, they willingly rest content in hardship; when the petty person obtains it, they hold their very life lightly.

The noble person and the petty person each set their own nature and life (xing and ming) in order. The noble person comprehends the principle of nature and life and can rest content in hardship; yet this principle of nature and life is perhaps originally formless and imageless, and only after cultivation does it manifest form and become a visible image. Hence it is said that it is hard to understand and hard to see.

When the noble person obtains it, they willingly rest content in hardship; when the petty person obtains it, they hold their very life lightly.

Both the superior person and the petty person receive their innate nature (xing) and their life (ming). The superior person, even when in dire straits, is able to preserve nature and life. Yet life may meet with unforeseen calamities, so one must comprehend one's nature and nourish one's life in order to extend one's years, and even attain longevity without end. The petty person receives nature and life but cannot protect them; instead he harms his life and loses his nature. He indulges in wine and sensual pleasures, lets his will and mind go to waste, and gives free rein to his own bravado. Because he does not treasure his own life, it is said that he holds nature and life in contempt.

The Yijing (Book of Changes) says: "The superior person matches Heaven and Earth in virtue, matches the sun and moon in brightness, matches the four seasons in order, and matches the spirits and deities in fortune and misfortune." The so-called superior person is one who accumulates hidden virtue (good deeds done without seeking anyone's notice) outwardly, and cultivates the heart and Shen (spirit) inwardly. He is content in hardship and nourishes his life, and thereby safeguards his nature and life.

Every movement of the petty person runs against the constant principles of Yin-Yang (yin and yang) and of the sun and moon. Heedless of life and of royal law, he nonetheless considers himself powerful. In secret he is blind to the Way of the spirits; his heart holds not a trace of sincerity; his conduct is without benevolence, and in the blink of an eye he turns ungrateful and faithless, always harboring resentment. Such a person is not tolerated by Heaven and Earth, and the sovereign of the underworld reduces his merit and his allotted years. Even if he himself lives long, calamity will descend upon his descendants. Hence it is said that the petty person acts in this way because he holds his own life in contempt.

Qiang Bing Zhan Sheng Yan Shu Zhang, Part Two (Chapter on Strong Armies Winning Battles and the Elaboration of Technique, Part Two)

What is meant by a strong army winning battles? It means attacking a force of one hundred thousand with an army of a million, or one man with ten men. Would that not be an easy victory and a display of overwhelming strength? Yet at this point the original text goes on to say, "yet one may have long life but bring misfortune upon one's descendants," which repeats the preceding lines, and the sense seems to have become garbled. The text afterward says again: "Hence it is said that the petty person acts in this way because he holds his own life in contempt."

Winning battles through overwhelming force, such as a million men against a hundred thousand, or ten against one, surely makes victory easy? The gentleman should reflect carefully: this is not the true way of using soldiers. The Perfected Yuan Shu said that those who wage war by relying on martial courage and ferocity may win, but only in that way. Yet the Three Strategies of Lord Huang, the Six Secret Teachings of Lü Wang, and the Thirteen Chapters of Sunzi all teach how to defeat the many with the few, overcome the strong with the weak, and turn defeat into victory. How could they be about using superior numbers against a smaller enemy?

Tang Chun said that the sages borrowed the art of war to explain the way of cultivation, with the aim of calming disorder. What they call contending for victory refers directly to the struggle within the heart. When the heart is unshaken, no wayward thoughts can enter. When the nature is turbid, the movement of Qi (vital energy) falls into disorder, and the path of cultivation grows distant. When the mind is still, the Dao (the Way) arises, and the immortals come of their own accord.

Li Chong said that the "strong soldiers" in question are the great Dao and the Celestial Master (Tianshi), the sovereign that transforms and nurtures the myriad things, and also the sword-Qi that subdues demons. One who grasps this principle will no longer be troubled by the poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, nor by the "six thieves" (the six sensory desires that disturb body and mind), and no evil influence will find a way in. When the nature is turbid, the movement of Qi falls into disorder, and the path of cultivation grows distant. When the mind is still, the Dao arises, and the immortals come of their own accord. Li Chong added that one who grasps this Dao will see the poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, the dimness of the six thieves, and all ghosts, spirits, demons, and yin-aligned malign forces scatter together, leaving only the supreme Dao revealed. This is what the profound Dao of high antiquity means by "strong soldiers."

The ancient sages established their methods to subdue demons, quell disorder, and instruct the world so that people might return to purity and stillness. They did not mean the kind of "strong soldiers and victory in battle" that glorifies martial force, disturbs living beings, takes lives, invites enmity and karmic retribution, and leaves calamity for one's descendants. The chapter mentions Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Bai Qi, all masters of winning through strong troops. But any method of attack that relies on military might and deceitful scheming, using lives to destroy lives, is in the end the conduct of ghosts and spirits. What could such people understand of the intent of the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman)? What the sages taught about cultivating body and mind is what truly deserves the name "strong soldiers and victory in battle."

The blind hear acutely, and the deaf see sharply. If one cuts off desire in a single sense and concentrates on one source, the effect of cultivation is doubled. Practicing it repeatedly day and night, the effect can reach ten thousandfold.

Why are the blind often good at hearing, and the deaf often good at seeing? Tang Chun explains that it is because they concentrate on one sense. If a person can set aside both sound and form, so that the mind is no longer drawn along by the senses, and can focus on a single point, the effect of practice multiplies tenfold. If that person can also keep the practice turning day and night, nourishing nature and life, the effect multiplies ten-thousandfold.

The "singleness" mentioned here means cultivating the mind and spirit (Shen) so that the heart does not scatter. As for "employing the masters" (用师), some commentators read it as deploying troops and gathering a multitude. Yet whether this reading makes the passage flow, or fits the meaning of the scripture (Jing), is doubtful. Li Chong holds that "masters" does not mean soldiers or crowds. The true unity of the Dao (the Way) is supreme, he says, and the practitioner should turn away from outer circumstances and return to the inner heart. Practicing in this way multiplies the effect tenfold. Returning again and again, training ceaselessly day and night, multiplies it ten-thousandfold.

Tang Chun interprets the "three returnings" as the turning back of Shen, Qi (vital energy), and Jing (essence). Shen and Qi act upon each other: the heart directs Shen, and Shen in turn acts upon the heart. Qi returns to Jing, and Jing is like fire. Fire travels downward while water rises, and when water and fire cross and complete each other, moving in opposite directions above and below, this is the circulation that revolves in a full cycle. The commentary also describes a path of inner cultivation. Breath begins at the Weilü (near the lower end of the spine) and rises along the back through Jiaji, Shuangguan, Fengfu, Niwan, and Baihui. It then descends through Mingtang, Dongfang, and the bridge of the nose, flows into the Dantian (energy center), and turns again. This unbroken circulation is called by the commentator the method of moving Jing and Qi up to the Niwan, and he regards it as the realm of "employing the masters ten-thousandfold."

Master Xiaoyao said: "Fill once, then rise once, and you may keep company with the immortals." Master Langran said: "If someone has opened the passage of the Niwan, why cling to refining the Great Elixir?" He added: "Going straight from Jiaji and Shuangguan to the crown of the head is a fundamental road of practice." The line in the Shangsheng Jing, "water surges upward and roams among the beams and rafters," likewise refers to the rising of water-Qi.

The heart is born through outer things, and it also perishes through them; the key lies in the eyes.

"The crux lies in the eyes." On this line, the Perfected One Yuan Shu said: the heart-mind is the root of desire, and the eyes are the basic gateway to the forms and colors of external things. The eyes see, and the heart-mind understands. If the heart-mind has no awareness, the eyes cannot tell one thing from another. This is why it is put this way.

Chun said: when the eyes see something, the heart-mind is stirred by it; when the heart-mind clings to something, it chases after that thing without end. If the true heart-mind is no longer clear, the inner spiritual nature is harmed. When the True Origin (the original essence and Qi of a person) is scattered and adrift, one cannot help being burdened by outer things.

"The crux lies in the eyes" means that the eyes are a point of leakage. When black and white can no longer be told apart and the light of Shen (spirit) grows dim, such a person has only the road to death and no chance of life. To be burdened by outer things is to die through outer things. One who has attained the Dao (the Way) sees things with the eyes, yet the heart-mind is not shaken by them. The Shen and Qi circulate as usual, and the Jing (essence) and Qi do not leak. Such a person has the vitality of life and no sign of death. When the eyes can tell black from white and the Jing does not leak, the light of Shen is naturally bright. This is what is meant by "the crux lies in the eyes."

The ancients said: "Living mercury can nourish the dead; dead mercury can nourish the living." Here mercury is a metaphor for a person's Jing and Qi. The Medical Book says the heart weighs twelve liang and stores about three he of Jing. Thus the spiritual nature dwells in the heart. When Jing and Qi are exhausted, the mercury dries up, and this is what the scripture means by "dying through outer things." So when it says "dead mercury nourishes the living," it refers to the Perfected One who has attained the Dao. If a practitioner's Jing and Qi cannot coalesce and the mercury cannot be dried up, that person is like one already dead. So when the mercury is still moving, it actually shows that the person has lost the vitality of life. All who cultivate and seek immortality should understand this.

The scripture also says: "Dead mercury nourishes the living; this is the Perfected One. Living mercury nourishes the dead." If a practitioner's Jing and Qi cannot coalesce and the mercury cannot be dried up, there is no vitality of life. So when the mercury is still moving, the person will die instead. All who cultivate and seek immortality should understand this.

Heaven does not deliberately bestow favors, and so it accomplishes the greatest favor.

Heaven does not think of itself as bestowing favors. It simply follows the turning of the seasons, and as true Qi rises, the myriad things grow from it. The myriad things thereby receive the great favor of Heaven and are able to live long.

When thunder roars and fierce winds blow, there is nothing among the myriad things that is not startled and stirred into motion.

The qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang extends outward, and the qi of Heaven and Earth joins together. When the purest qi begins to move, it naturally gives off sound, and the myriad things stir and grow along with it. Human cultivation is no different. One applies effort at the hours of Zi (midnight) and Wu (noon), so that Yin and Yang unite and condense into jing (essence). The qi of Kan and Li (which symbolize water and fire, and often refer to the corresponding Yin and Yang qi within the body) then blend with one another and reach the state of "water and fire in balance" (the harmony of water and fire), and sound naturally arises. That sound is like thunder or a roaring wind, and it is produced when jing and qi are set in motion. When Yin qi recedes and Yang qi becomes pure and harmonious, a person can soar through the clouds. Is this not what it means to be an immortal? The Yin-Yang qi drawn upon in cultivation is all brought about through the movement of jing and qi.

The Old Mother said: When people cultivate the qi of Yin-Yang and let the two mingle and fuse, it is like wind in motion and thunder giving voice. The workings of qi can then flow freely, washing away the turbid and the clear, causing the five organs to generate bodily fluids, and bringing the joints, sinews, and vessels of the whole body into harmony and ease. In this way the Dao of the True One (the path of cultivation that returns to one's original nature and preserves pure unity) is kept alive.

Supreme joy makes one's nature full; supreme stillness makes the mind upright.

"Supreme joy makes one's nature full" means taking delight in accord with the Dao of Heaven. "Stillness" means returning to the root. Hence it is said that purity and stillness, and rectitude, are the manifestation of the Dao. The Old Mother said: To seek nothing outside and be free of confusion within is the Dao of supreme joy. Supreme joy is the highest happiness, and one's nature is originally pure and genuine. If an ordinary nature can attain perfect authenticity and perfect stillness, then something has truly been gained. Ordinary people take the gathering of children and grandchildren and the enjoyment of pleasures to be happiness, but this is not the joy of which the sages speak. Stillness does not depend on dwelling in the mountains and forests, nor does bustle depend on dwelling in the marketplace. When a sage comprehends their nature, they can take the nurturing of life as stillness, and by holding fast to the "One" (the fundamental, undivided source spoken of in Daoism), they become pure and upright.

The Kangcangzi says: When one's position is honored, one's words travel far; when one's wealth is abundant, one's actions go smoothly; when one is in hardship, one's mind may paradoxically become clear; and when one returns to purity and stillness, the shen (spirit) becomes unobstructed. This is the meaning of the "Four Openings."

The Dao of Heaven seems partial, yet in its use it is utterly impartial.

The Dao of Heaven quietly brings the myriad things to completion and conceals the crucial mechanism of creation, so it is said to be "supremely private." Yet it gives birth to all kinds of beings and lets each follow its own nature and pattern. This is "supreme impartiality," treating all things with fairness.

The art of qinzhi (subduing and mastering birds, beasts, or other subjects) lies in qi.

The sage compares birds that soar high into the sky to "feathered guests" (yuke, the Daoist term for immortals). A bird rides a single current of Qi (vital energy) up into the blue heavens, but humans find this hard to do. Though people are the most spiritually endowed of all creatures, they cannot harness the Qi of Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue), and so they struggle to nurture life. Yet if they learn to use this Qi well, they can transform their bodies as the dragon sheds its bones, the snake its skin, and the cicada its shell. If a person can change form through cultivation, fly into the Heaven of Great Network (Daluo Tian, a high celestial realm in Daoism), and ascend the Cloud Han (Yunhan, the Milky Way, also meaning the distant heavens), is that really so difficult? Above the Nine Heavens, all the sages and perfected ones (shengzhen) were ordinary people who attained that rank through cultivation. The Sacred Words of the Jade Emperor says: "Thus the High Ministers of the Nine Heavens and the Perfected Lords of Fate (Siming zhenjun, Daoist divine offices) embrace pure Jing (essence) and Qi, and obtain the Qi of Primordial Chaos (Hunyuan, the original Qi from before heaven and earth divided). Only then can they transcend the mundane and enter the sacred realm." If practitioners can refine the Qi of Primordial Chaos into pure Jing and Qi, and finally become a body of utmost Yang, they can become immortals. Why would this be impossible?

Teachings that one studies but cannot grasp are like mountains and rivers stretching ten thousand miles; the distance may differ, but the situation is the same. To understand the source of the sage's mastery over natural forces, one must see that it lies in seizing the creative power of heaven and earth. Consider water in winter. It does not freeze merely because the weather is bitterly cold; it must also meet the north wind (shuofeng) before it congeals. In summer, water does not fear the heat but fears the south wind, which melts the ice until it becomes water again.

When a person's true Jing (the essence of life) is to coalesce into an elixir, the Qi of the kidneys in the north must work like the north wind. Once Jing and Qi have coalesced into the elixir, it must further be transformed into the Jing of True Unity (zhenyi zhi jing, the original, pure essence). Then the heart-fire of the south transforms this Jing into Qi, which warms and nourishes the four limbs and the hundred bones, so that pure Yang Qi circulates through the whole body. In this way, a person is no longer bound by life and death.

The Venerable Mother said: "Birds can fly through empty space by the power of Qi. How much more so humans, the most spiritually endowed of all beings! If they cultivate and refine themselves into a body of pure Yang, their Qi can pass through metal and stone without obstruction, and travel past the sun and moon without casting a shadow. Then why could they not transform their forms, realize the fruition of the Way, and ride the movements of Qi to roam the realm of mystery?"

Life contains the root of death, and death can in turn become the root of life.

Those who covet fame and profit, strain to provide for their families, indulge in lust, and pile up great wealth appear to others to be pursuing life. In my view, these are precisely the roots that lead toward death. What is meant by "death is the root of life" is this: if a person does not crave gains they have no right to, knows how to be content with their lot, accepts flourishing and decline alike in accord with the decree of Heaven, devotes themselves to upholding the right Way, keeps the conduct of a gentleman, aids those in danger and hardship, does no harm to living beings, restrains selfish desire, rests in benevolence, and stores up Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) while preserving Shen (spirit), then what looks like renunciation becomes instead the very foundation by which life is prolonged.

What is meant by "life is the root of death" is that life too may move toward death because of its own root; once the root is changed, death can turn into new life. The "root" spoken of here refers to the heart and the kidneys: the heart is the foundation of Shen, and the kidneys are the foundation of Qi. When the heart returns to stillness, a person's nature is settled; when kidney Qi is guarded within, the vital Qi of life is preserved. Conversely, when the mind is restless and grasping, desires multiply; when kidney Qi leaks outward, Jing and Qi are depleted. The key lies in guarding the root of life, and only then can one attain "long life and lasting vision" (to live long and keep one's vitality).

Blessing may arise from harm, and harm may arise from blessing.

Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad things through the two Qi of Yin-Yang (yin and yang), which seems a blessing; yet if the myriad things know no restraint, they instead draw down and consume the Qi of Heaven and Earth, and so it is said that "blessing is born of harm." The giving of Heaven and Earth also carries constraint: autumn brings severity and killing, spring brings growth, and so it is also said that "harm is born of blessing." The principle is the same for great matters and small, within and without, with no difference between them. The movement of the Dao (the Way) inherently contains both blessing and harm; one who practices and accords with this principle will lengthen their life, while one who treats it lightly will shorten it.

The foolish judge things only by the surface order that Heaven and Earth display; I rely instead on the patterns of the seasons and the changes of things to discern the principle within them.

The foolish judge fortune and misfortune by the patterns that reveal themselves between Heaven and Earth. People observe the stars and, from their changes, infer calamity and blessing, survival and loss, gain and failure; this is what is called "principle" (li). A sage who does not even know the truth of their own life and death is no more than a fool.

I observe change by following the patterns that the seasons and things display. Looking at a single thing, I can tell how it passes from flourishing to decline; seeing a single phenomenon, I can understand the transformations of life and death. All of these principles lie in grasping the crux of things. What is meant by "my fate lies within me" is to turn one's gaze back upon one thing and awaken to the Dao (the Way), to examine one thing and discern fortune from misfortune, and so to hold the initiative over life and death in one's own hands. Since "my fate lies within me," one can turn old age back into youth, and step out of death into life. Thus I am able to observe change by following the patterns of the seasons and of things.

Chun says: I offer only a few brief insights to guide readers toward understanding this scripture (Jing). I do not set up separate chapters or punctuate the sentences; I seek only to make the meaning of the text as clear as I can.

Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman, Volume Two