《黄帝阴符经注(蔡望)》

Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman (Huangdi Yinfu Jing), by Cai Wang

Part One

Observe the Way of Heaven and follow the laws by which it moves, and your cultivation will be complete.

The Dao (the Way) divided to become Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth divided in turn to become the myriad things. Among the myriad things, human beings are the most spiritually endowed, and originally form one body with Heaven and Earth. Yet the nature that people receive from Heaven and Earth varies, being pure and correct in some and mixed and unrefined in others. For this reason one must observe the Way of Heaven and follow the laws by which it moves, so that the Dao may be embodied in oneself. The scripture (Jing) speaks only of Heaven and not of Earth, because Earth is already contained within the meaning of Heaven.

Heaven has the "Five Thieves" (the Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and those who recognize them will flourish. The principle of the Five Phases resides in the heart-mind and operates upon Heaven. The universe seems to be held in one's hand, and the transformations of the myriad things seem to arise from oneself.

The Five Thieves are the Five Phases. All the good under Heaven arises from these five forces, and so does all evil; for this reason they are called the "Five Thieves," a name that views them from the opposite side. Although the Five Phases exist between Heaven and Earth, the power that created Heaven and Earth is itself the Five Phases. When applied to the human being, the Five Phases are embodied in the heart-mind. One who can recognize their principle can make them work upon Heaven and Earth, as though holding the creative power of nature in one's own hand. Hence it is said: "Those who recognize them will flourish."

The nature that Heaven bestows is the human being, and the human heart-mind is the pivot of movement and change. To establish the laws of the Way of Heaven is to settle the human nature.

The nature of Heaven and Earth is originally still and empty, and cannot be seen directly. What the human heart-mind receives is precisely this nature of Heaven and Earth, hence the saying: "Heaven's nature is the human." The heart-mind moves of its own accord, yet people do not know why it does so; this inner trigger of movement is called the "mechanism" (ji). The principle by which Heaven revolves and Earth remains still is also embodied in the mechanism of the human heart-mind. This mechanism can lead to many outcomes: it can bring about sages like Yao and Shun, and it can also turn a person into a tyrant like Jie or Zhou, yet the root of both is the same mechanism. Only by establishing the Dao of Heaven (the Way) as a standard can the mechanism be brought back to rectitude. Once this is understood and distortions are removed, the principle becomes manifest.

When Heaven releases the mechanism of killing and destruction, dragons and serpents rise up from the earth. When humans release the mechanism of killing and destruction, Heaven and Earth change as if turned upside down. When Heaven and humanity act together, the foundation for the transformation of all things is thereby established.

The so-called "killing mechanism" is the heart-mind's movement carried to excess and thrown out of balance. Once the qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth goes to excess, calamities and anomalies appear, and dragons rise up as well. Once the thoughts of the human heart-mind go to excess, delusions and fixations arise, as though Heaven and Earth were overturned. That Heaven and humanity act together means that wherever the great Dao resides, it is in accord with the will of Heaven and with human feeling. Yet Heaven has its constant order, and the human world has its rites, laws, and moral relationships. Western teachings regard these as a net that confines people and seek to sever them; but these orders cannot be shaken, for they are the established foundation, not lightly altered, on which the transformation of all things rests.

Human nature varies between the nimble and the dull, and it can also be gathered in and concealed. The sensory desires of humans easily invite perversity, and the crux lies in the "three essentials" (generally understood as the eyes, ears, and mouth, the three important sense organs), which can open or close according to the occasion.

The sage's nature is able to stand alongside Heaven and Earth, while ordinary people cannot do so, because their innate endowments differ in being nimble or dull. So long as one knows how to gather in and conceal one's nature, even the dull can become keen. Perversity of the heart-mind enters through the senses, and the crux lies in the "three essentials"; these three can open or close depending on circumstances.

The mind and nature (xingxing) of the sage accord with Heaven and Earth, yet ordinary people cannot achieve this, because they differ in the nimbleness or dullness with which they use the mind. So long as one understands how to gather in and conceal one's thoughts and actions, even a dull person can become supple. The reason people fail to gather in and conceal is that deviant and wayward influences disturb the nine orifices, including the ears, eyes, and mouth. Although there are nine orifices in all, the crucial ones are the ears, eyes, and mouth. One who knows how to grasp movement and stillness, and repeatedly regulates these three, can keep the nine orifices free from such disturbance. The eyes must see, the ears must hear, and the mouth must speak, so they cannot be made entirely still. The key lies in never departing from inner tranquility while active; what is called stillness does not mean being motionless. Only then can one speak of movement and stillness.

Fire arises from within wood, and when the time comes it burns the wood up. Treachery grows within a state, and when the time comes it brings the state to ruin. One who understands this principle and cultivates accordingly is called a sage.

Fire arises from within wood and at times consumes it; treachery spreads within a state and at times is bound to cause its collapse. The "Five Thieves" (the five factors that bring harm to people) operate by the same mechanism. Who but a sage could understand this and cultivate accordingly? The method of cultivation speaks precisely of the principle of grasping movement and stillness, and of gathering in and concealing.

Middle Section

Heaven brings forth the myriad things and also brings about their death; this is the law of the Dao (the Way).

Life and death are the natural working of the Dao once it takes form in Qi (vital energy; here, that which composes all things and drives their transformation), and no one can escape them.

Heaven and Earth nurture and diminish the myriad things; the myriad things nurture and diminish humanity; and humanity, in turn, nurtures and diminishes the myriad things. When these three act upon one another appropriately, the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity are brought to stability.

Heaven and Earth give life to the myriad things and also cause them to die; the myriad things sustain people and can also cause their deaths; people depend on the myriad things to live and also damage them. Because nurturing the myriad things always brings harm along with it, the relationship is described in reverse as "robbery," just as these forces are called the "Five Thieves." When giving life and taking life each have their proper measure, the three kinds of interaction harmonize; once they are harmonized, Heaven and Earth each settle into their places, and the myriad things are able to flourish.

Hence it is said: eat and drink at the proper times, and every part of the body will be in harmony; act in accord with the right moment, and the transformations of the myriad things will be settled.

All things between Heaven and Earth take the human being as their center. If people can follow the seasonal order of Heaven and Earth, every part of the body will be in harmony; if they can grasp the pivotal moments of cosmic change, the myriad things will settle and grow. This is what is meant by "stealing" the Dao (the Way) of Heaven and Earth. The "timing" spoken of here refers to the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, as well as morning and evening, day and night; the "pivot" refers to the critical points of change, such as birth, killing, growth, and nurturing.

People know to call things that are miraculous and unfathomable "Shen (spirit)," yet they do not realize that ordinary things, too, have a reason for being able to manifest wondrous workings.

What is called "Shen" is numinous and hard to fathom, while what is called "not-Shen" includes Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, mountains and rivers, and animals and plants. People tend to regard the numinous and unfathomable as spirit, but because Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, mountains and rivers, and animals and plants are what the eyes and ears meet constantly, they overlook the wondrous workings within them as well.

The sun and moon move according to fixed measures, and their greater and lesser cycles each follow a pattern. From this the achievements of the sages arise, and from this too the wondrous and penetrating transformations are made manifest.

The marvel of the sun and moon's movement is not recognized by ordinary people. The sun completes one cycle in three hundred sixty days, and the moon completes one cycle in three hundred sixty double-hours. The transformations of Heaven and Earth never go beyond a fixed pattern. From this the achievements of the sages arise, and from this too the wondrous and penetrating transformations are made manifest.

The marvel of the sun and moon's movement is not recognized by ordinary people. The sun completes one cycle in three hundred sixty days, and the moon completes one cycle in three hundred sixty double-hours. The transformations of Heaven and Earth never go beyond this number, three hundred sixty. The achievements of the sages can arise only because they understand this; the wondrous and penetrating transformations can be made manifest likewise because of it.

No one under Heaven can see or know the pivot of cosmic change once it is grasped. When a superior person obtains it, they can hold fast to themselves; when a petty person obtains it, they treat their own nature and life lightly.

The "stealing of the pivot" here refers to the "Five Thieves" (the five forces that drive change) moving between Heaven and Earth, which is to say the patterns of the sun and moon described above. To see and understand these patterns is to enable the three kinds of "stealing" to each find their proper place, and so to bring the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity to rest in stability. Yet the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun followed this Dao and gained renown and long life, while Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Shen Buhai, and Han Fei followed it and brought upon themselves death and the extermination of their clans. In the end, the common people can be made to walk the Way without needing to understand its principles. These words are profound indeed.

Lower Section

The blind hear acutely and the deaf see acutely, because they concentrate on the senses that remain usable and do not let the mind scatter. Focusing on a single fundamental aim is more effective than ten times the troops; pondering it three times over, day and night, is more effective than ten thousand times the troops.

The blind hear well and the deaf see well, all because their will is unified and undivided. <!-- Translator's note: The original text here has "之。至哉,言乎。" ("...it. How supreme, these words."), which repeats the preceding passage and is suspected to be a misplaced slip or an interpolation. -->

People who close their eyes hear more keenly, and the deaf see more keenly, because each concentrates on a single faculty and keeps the mind from scattering. To concentrate wholly on one thing and return to the source is to multiply the effect of one's forces tenfold. The "three returns of day and night" refers to drawing the eyes, ears, and mouth back inward and restoring them to their original state. Day and night symbolize the movement of Yin-Yang (阴阳). When all three are gathered back to the root, one can transcend the turning of Yin-Yang and pass through the boundaries between day and night, and between life and death, so that one becomes worth ten thousand. The phrase in the Yijing (Book of Changes), "martial in spirit yet not killing," speaks of this same state.

The mind arises because of external things, and it also perishes because of them; the key lies in the eyes. When the mind manifests through contact with things, it is "born of things"; when it chases after things and loses itself, it "dies of things." Humans make contact with the world through nine orifices, of which three are essential, and the eyes are the most critical of the three. Laozi said: "If one does not look at what stirs desire, the mind will not be disturbed." When Confucius spoke of restraining the self, he too put the eyes first. When Buddhists discuss the six sense faculties and the six consciousnesses, they likewise begin with the eye and form. The reason in each case is the same.

Heaven appears to show no favoritism, yet from this arises universal kindness. When thunder suddenly crashes and violent winds rise, nothing among the myriad things is left unstirred. The "kindness without kindness" describes the Dao (道, the Way) of Heaven: precisely because it does not deliberately bestow favor, it allows each thing to live out its own life; precisely because it does not act presumptuously, it is able to accomplish things. To reach the state in which "the effect of deploying forces is multiplied ten-thousandfold," one must also pass through the "three returns," gathering in body and mind and returning to the original state.

The greatest joy is rooted in the fullness of one's nature; the deepest tranquility is rooted in the purity and rectitude of one's nature. The Dao of Heaven seems the most self-contained, as if acting only for itself, yet it allows all things to benefit together, and so its operation is the most impartial. The key to subduing and mastering things lies in Qi (炁, the vital energy and dynamic of Qi in Daoist thought).

The happiest state is one in which the heart is free of disturbance. Because one's nature is then expansive, one can hold the troubles of all under heaven in one's own heart. The purest state is one untainted by external things. Because one's nature is then incorruptible, one can share the hardships of all under heaven. This is the "Way of the Three Returns" (san fan zhi dao), the discipline of returning to one's original nature and arriving at Wuwei (non-action), and it is the highest realm of Wuwei. It shows itself in a kind of action that is beyond those who would not pluck a single hair, who care only for themselves. Yet the Dao of Heaven, though it seems partial, is perfectly impartial in its operation. Reaching happiness and purity is therefore the very root of meaningful action, and so it is with all things.

Animals that may be hunted are called "birds and beasts" (qin). Things restrain and subdue one another, but is any of this deliberately arranged? It is probably the natural working of Qi (the spontaneous vital energy that moves all things). Tigers and leopards can subdue the qilin, and hawks and falcons can overawe the phoenix. This is not because they act from public-spirited motives, nor merely because of their skill at fighting and terrifying. It is this natural movement that enables them to do so. Day and night revolve, going and returning without end, and so one can answer ten thousand with one.

Life is the root of death, and death is the root of life. Kindness arises from harm, and harm may arise from kindness.

Life and death, kindness and harm: the Dao (the Way) moves in just this manner. Frost and snow ravage the myriad things, yet in doing so they reveal a profound generosity. Rain and dew nourish the myriad things, yet within them lies a severe force as well. Pursued to the extreme, the transformations between being and non-being, between movement and stillness, have always passed back and forth into one another. For this reason, words spoken straightforwardly sometimes sound like their opposite.

The foolish seek sagacity in the patterns and laws of heaven and earth, but I find wisdom in the changes of the four seasons and the workings of the myriad things.

People see the regular movements of the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens, and the orderly growth and transformation of all things on earth, and so they consider Heaven and Earth sacred, without understanding why they are as they are. From the course of the four seasons and the order of change in the myriad things, I have come to understand why Heaven and Earth are what they are. The celestial patterns manifest the four seasons, and the patterns of the earth manifest the myriad things. This is what it means to have clear understanding.

Seen from the constant state of Heaven and Earth, the Dao (the Way) is originally just so; seen from the phenomena of change, it is equally so. One who observes the Dao of Heaven and grasps its movement, and thereby comes to understand the alternation of day and night, can become one with the process of creation and transformation (the process by which Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things come into being and change), so that neither movement nor stillness runs counter to its patterns.