《黄帝阴符经疏(原題李筌)》

The Huangdi Yinfu Jing Shu (Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) is originally attributed to Li Quan of the Tang dynasty. According to the philological research in the Daozang Tiyao (Summary of the Daoist Canon), however, the work was most likely compiled by a Song-dynasty editor, who combined Li Quan's Preface to the Yinfu Jing with Yuan Shuzhen's Collected Explanations of the Yinfu Jing, producing a text in three fascicles. The base text used here comes from the Yujue (Jade Instructions) category of the Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection) section of the Zhengtong Daozang (Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era). It has been collated against the Menghuaguan edition included in the Congshu Jicheng Xinbian (New Compilation of the Complete Collection of Series). "Preface to the Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Yinfu Jing" is the title of the preface.

Li Quan, styled Daguanzi, of Mount Shaoshi, was devoted to the way of the immortals. He often traveled among famous mountains, searching widely for all kinds of esoteric techniques. Arriving at Tiger's Mouth Cliff on Mount Song, he found in the rock wall a copy of the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman). It was written on silk, mounted on a vermilion-lacquered roller, and sealed with red silk fabric. The seal read: "In the second year of the Wei dynasty's Zhenjun era, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the Shangqing Daoist Kou Qianzhi hid this in a famous mountain, to be passed on to those of like mind." The scripture was damaged and decayed, nearly crumbling to ash. Li Quan copied it out in rough form, and although he could recite it, he never understood its principles.

Later Li Quan entered the region of Qin and came to the foot of Mount Li, where he met an old woman. Her hair was coiled on top of her head with the rest hanging down, her clothes were tattered, and she stood by the roadside leaning on a staff. Seeing a leftover fire burning among the trees, she murmured to herself: "Fire arises from wood; when calamity breaks out, it will surely be subdued." Startled, Li Quan asked: "Those are the opening words of the Yellow Emperor's Yinfu Jing. How could an old woman know them?" She answered: "I have studied this Yinfu Jing through the cycles of the Three Origins and Six Jia, and through complete sexagenary rounds."

According to the Taiyi Dunjia Jing (Scripture of Taiyi and Escaping Jia), one "origin" is sixty years, a single sexagenary cycle; the Three Origins total one hundred eighty years, three cycles making one full round; and six rounds accumulate to one thousand and eighty years. Li Quan asked how someone who looked so young could understand such things. The old woman laughed and said: "The lines of your cheekbones and cheeks run through the 'Gate of Life' (the position symbolizing vitality), and your life-wheel is level with the moon-horn. Your essence and qi have not declined, and your heart and nature are upright. You are of worthy disposition, fond of the arts, courageous and eager to learn. You are my disciple. However, fifty-six years from now you will meet with a great calamity."

She took out a cinnabar-written talisman, placed it on the tip of her staff, then pricked Li Quan's mouth, had him kneel and swallow the talisman, and said: "May Heaven and Earth protect you." She then sat beneath a tree and expounded the profound meanings of the Yinfu Jing. When she had finished, she admonished Li Quan:

The Yellow Emperor's Yinfu Jing has three hundred characters in all. Each hundred sets forth the Dao, the method, and the technique respectively, and the three illuminate one another and merge into one. Sages, worthies, the wise, and the foolish each study according to their own endowment; whether one grasps it depends on one's innate capacity. The upper section treats the immortal's cultivation and the way of Guarding the One; the middle section treats governing the state and bringing peace to the people; the lower section treats strengthening the army and the strategy of victory. When sages study it, they grasp its Dao; worthies grasp its methods; the wise grasp its techniques; petty people who study it invite disaster, for each person's insight and station differ.

The subtlety of the scripture lies inwardly in the workings of Heaven and outwardly in accord with human affairs, like the sea gathering a hundred rivers, or like still water reflecting all things. When its principle unfolds, it embraces heaven and earth and encompasses the far distance, yet this is not large; when it contracts, it is as fine as a mote of dust and can be held within a mustard seed, yet this is not small. In its subtlety, even the eight scenes of the Huangting (Yellow Court) cannot exhaust it; in its essential purport, even the classics, commentaries, philosophers, and histories cannot fully express it; in its ingenuity, even Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Bai Qi cannot compare. The natures of animals and plants, the patterns of success and failure, and the principles of life and death all contain this principle. For this reason, the book is also called the Yellow Emperor's Heavenly Mechanism.

Those whose nine orifices or four limbs are incomplete, as well as the greedy and miserly, the foolish, those afflicted with epilepsy, and the reckless in conduct, should not hear this book. To pass it to those of like mind, one must first purify oneself by fasting for three days. In choosing a recipient, regardless of youth or age, whoever possesses the book may serve as teacher; one must not honor the wealthy and noble or despise the poor and lowly. Whoever violates this precept will have twenty ji cut from their lifespan.

The Hetu and Luoshu (River Chart and Luo Writing) record that the Yellow Emperor said: when a sage is born, the Heavenly Emperor bestows upon them a lifespan of thirty-six thousand seven hundred twenty ji. The "suan" and the "ji" are ancient Daoist units for counting lifespan, with one suan equal to one year. If one commits faults, the Director of Destinies deducts suan; when the suan are exhausted, ji are deducted, and when the ji are used up, the person dies. If one has merit and virtue, the Director of Destinies adds suan; as the suan and ji accumulate, one can prolong life and attain longevity.

Copying one scroll each year on the seventh day of the seventh month and hiding it among the rocks of a famous mountain is said to add twelve hundred to one's allotted years. Reciting it seven times daily increases wisdom and intellect, drives away evil spirits, dispels calamities, and expels the "Three Corpses" (spirits in the Daoist tradition said to dwell within the body and watch for opportunities to record one's faults) and the "Nine Worms" (the term used in Daoist and ancient health-cultivation teachings for the parasites within the body). Therefore the sages kept this book treasured in a golden casket and did not transmit it carelessly.

When the old woman finished speaking, the day had reached afternoon. She said: "I have wheat rice that I can give you to eat." She then took a gourd from her sleeve and sent Li Quan to fetch water.

The Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) means "tacit accord": the laws by which the Dao of Heaven operates quietly correspond with the right moments for human action. This is why it is called the Yinfu.

Chapter on the Spirit Immortal Embracing Unity and Expounding the Dao

To observe the Dao of Heaven and to act in accordance with it is to say all that can be said about the Way.

If one only observes the Dao of Heaven, acts according to its principles, and grasps the laws of its operation, one can exhaust the principles by which Yin-Yang, movement and stillness, each find their proper place.

The commentary says: "Heaven" here is the collective name for the two Qi (vital energy) of Yin and Yang. Yang Qi is pure, light, and clear; it rises and floats upward to become Heaven. Yin Qi is heavy and turbid; it sinks downward to become Earth. Heaven and Earth are joined together and are not separate from each other.

The "Tang Wen" chapter of the Liezi records that Lie Yukou once said to a man of Qi: "Heaven is nothing but accumulated Qi, and Earth is nothing but accumulated clods of soil. From the ground upward, all of it is Heaven. You walk beneath Heaven all day long, so why worry that it might collapse?" From this we know that Heaven and Earth are formed from the two Qi of Yin and Yang. Within Qi are also contained the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The Five Phases are the means by which Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth do their work, and the myriad things are generated through them; the myriad things may also be called the offspring of the Five Phases.

Therefore, if people are taught to observe the patterns of Yin-Yang in Heaven and Earth, and to grasp and follow the movement of Heaven's Five Qi, they can understand the flourishing and decline of things and can discern the life and death of living beings. Beyond this, there is no other principle that needs to be observed or grasped, and so it is said, "to say all that can be said about the Way."

Heaven has five thieves; those who can see them will prosper. When the five thieves are kept in the heart and put into practice according to the Dao of Heaven, the cosmos is as if held in the palm of one's hand, and the myriad things seem to arise from oneself.

The commentary says: Heaven generates the Five Phases, which are called the "five thieves." If a person observes and grasps the patterns of the Five Phases with attentive mind, and acts in accord with the Dao of Heaven, they can master the principles by which the cosmos operates, so that the cosmos seems to lie in their palm and the myriad things seem to be born from within themselves.

The commentary says that the "Five Thieves" refer to the qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water; wuxing). Taigong's annotation states: "The sage calls them the Five Thieves, while the people of the world regard them as the Five Virtues." People live by the five flavors and can also die from them, yet no one gives up the five flavors because of this; the same is true of the qi of the Five Phases. This is the meaning of the "Five Thieves." "Thief" means to harm: if one goes against the regular movement of the Five Phases, harm comes to life, and so they are called "thieves."

The text here says that Yin-Yang (yinyang) contains the five qi, and hence it speaks of "the Heavens have Five Thieves." The Five Phases appear in the heavens as the five planets, on earth as the five sacred mountains, in direction as the five quarters, in imagery as the five colors, in sound as the five tones, in food and drink as the five flavors, in the human body as the five organs, and in the cultivation of the Dao (Dao, the Way) as the five virtues. If one cannot use them well, they become a source of calamity.

"Thief" carries yet another sense. The Five Phases restrain one another and take turns bringing forth life and death, day and night without pause, and they can also affect the life and death of people and the success or failure of all things. This is why they are called "thieves." Why is it said that one who perceives the Five Thieves will flourish? If a person can understand the principle by which the Five Phases restrain one another, examine the source of the rise and decline of Yin-Yang, and act accordingly, that person may be said to have perceived the Five Thieves. One who can discern and make good use of them will receive blessings, and their virtue (De, Virtue) will flourish.

Why is it also said that "the Five Thieves are in the heart"? Because the human heart is able to know the Five Phases. When one uses the heart to observe and grasp the movement of the five qi, distinguishes what accords from what opposes without error, and follows the subtle workings of the Way of Heaven, heaven, earth, and the myriad things seem to lie within one's grasp, and the vital force of all things seems to arise from oneself. In this way one turns misfortune into good fortune, finds that every undertaking goes well, and walks together with the Dao. Is this not flourishing?

In the way of holding office, one who upholds benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness will obtain wealth and honor. In the way of warfare, one who understands the favorable and unfavorable movements of the Five Phases will prevail in battle. All of this shows that discerning the Five Thieves leads to flourishing.

To use the Five Phases in their mutual generation is to follow the way of virtue, which accords with Yang; to use them in their mutual overcoming is to become the harm and calamity of Yin. Therefore, when the masters of the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism) governed the world and established their scriptures (jing), they all urged people to cultivate goodness, which they called virtue and the Way, and they did not urge people to do evil, which they called thievery and harm. From this we know that skillfully cultivating virtue is the Dao and is the master of Yang, while dark, wicked conduct that harms others is demonic and is the essence of Yin. Beyond this, the many broad discussions in the scriptures are no more than elaborations of these principles.

Confucius said: "To sum it up in one phrase: thoughts without depravity." He also said: "Choose what is good and learn and follow it; what is not good, correct." This is the ultimate Dao, so why must one discuss and practice so broadly? What accords with the root of the Dao does not go beyond this one gate. One who can understand the source of heaven and earth, Yin-Yang, and the success and failure of all things has already grasped the principle from the first chapter of the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman).

People of the world see that it is short and its words plain, and so often fail to understand its subtle depths. How could it compare, they think, to the broad discussions in the scriptures of the Three Teachings? The Lady of Mount Li said: "If one examines the profound principles within it, the Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture) and the Bajing Jing (Eight Effulgences Scripture) are not sufficient to count as learning; if one examines the essential matters within it, the classics, commentaries, philosophers' writings, and histories are not sufficient to count as literature; and by the ingenuity and wisdom found in it, Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Bai Qi would not be counted as extraordinary talents." This is precisely what she meant.

Following one's inherent nature is the foundation of being human; the intentions of the heart are the pivot of all action. Establish the standards of the Way of Heaven, and human affairs can be settled.

To settle human affairs through the Way of Heaven, the key lies in making use of the "Five Thieves" (the five forces, as described in the scripture, that influence the changes in human affairs).

The commentary says: The human heart governs the hun and po souls and is the place where the body holds the spirit (Shen). To make use of the Five Thieves, the key lies in the heart. Those whose minds are clear and penetrating tend to plan their affairs in accord with the Way of Heaven (Dao). In this way, although the cosmos is vast, it seems to lie entirely within one's grasp; although the myriad things are countless, their growth and decline all fall within one's calculations. Hence it is said that when the heart's intentions are upright, one can resist deviance and delusion.

When the Way of Heaven reveals the moment for killing and punishment, dragons and serpents stir and emerge upon the earth. When a person stirs thoughts of killing and punishment, heaven and earth are likewise overturned. When Heaven and humanity act together, the myriad transformations acquire a firm foundation.

When the Way of Heaven sets its killing impulse in motion, it does so from an impartial standard; when a person sets it in motion, it often arises from personal emotion. Dragons and serpents stir in response to the impartiality of the Way of Heaven; private feeling disrupts order and makes heaven and earth seem to be overturned. When both Heaven and humanity follow the impartial standard, the ten thousand transformations can all be settled.

The commentary says: Heaven contains the Five Qi (wuqi), which move in turn and bring growth and decline. This is the natural order. When the Dao of Heaven (Tiandao) brings about life and death, it always follows the times and suitable conditions, and never acts without cause. The changes of Yin-Yang and the succession of seasons, with the old receding and the new arising, are precisely Heaven setting its killing-impulse (shaji) in motion. There is no partiality in this.

When the killing-impulse is set in motion in accord with Heaven's might, hidden things, whether dragon-like or serpent-like, may rise up from their concealment. To move freely within this process, following the times without violating what is timely, is to ride along with Heaven's mechanism (tianji).

If a person sets the killing-impulse in motion on their own authority, the order of Heaven and Earth is overturned. Humans are transformed and born from the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). They ought to follow the changes of life and death in the Five Qi and let Yin-Yang run its course. How could they presume to decide life and death for themselves? This is why the laws of the world decree that one who kills must pay with their life, and that harming living beings is also a crime. Such a killer has not acted on the mandate of the Dao of Heaven, so how could they take another's life on their own authority? The passage warns people against recklessly setting the killing-impulse in motion.

Treacherous ministers and rebels defy the Dao of Heaven and betray their rulers and elders. They commit violence and evil without restraint, harm the world, and slaughter people on their own authority, recklessly setting the killing-impulse in motion. This is as though Heaven were turned into Earth and Earth into Heaven, causing great chaos. Such defiance of the Dao of Heaven invites terrible disaster and is called "Heaven and Earth overturned." At that point the people are filled with resentment, the spirits are enraged, and Heaven is about to inflict punishment, while the multitudes also rise together to attack the offenders. A punitive campaign of this kind accords with the killing-impulse and is called "Heaven and humanity act together, and the myriad changes are settled on a firm foundation." Suppressing rebels and carrying out punishment in accordance with the Dao of Heaven both follow Heaven's mechanism of decline and severity. When one accords with perfect impartiality and the right Way, all things submit and dare not move recklessly. This is what is meant by "settling the foundation."

The Way of ruler and minister prizes impartiality. If governance and action all accord with Heaven's mechanism and follow the course of the times and the Dao of Heaven, then people's hearts will be at peace and all things will live in security. The Five Phases will each keep their place, and the mountains and rivers will each be guarded by their own spirits. When rulers govern from above with Dao and De (Virtue), and act from below with benevolence and righteousness, calamities will not arise and disorder will not erupt. Heaven and humanity both return to stillness, and this is called "settling the foundation."

People's natures differ, some skillful and some clumsy, and these qualities can be restrained and kept hidden rather than displayed. One should not casually reveal one's talents or one's shortcomings, but act with caution and choose what is good, so as to avoid bringing disaster upon oneself.

The Commentary (Shu) says: Everyone is born with a natural disposition and native abilities; some are clever, some are clumsy, and both the wise and the foolish possess these differing qualities. In short, even if a person has only a little intelligence, quickness of mind, or skill in argument, they should not flaunt it. One should act with caution, choose the good, and thereby avoid bringing disaster upon oneself.

The Commentary also says: Why is it that when people have a little quickness and eloquence, they display it everywhere, without considering possible gain or loss, and end up openly inviting blame? It is because they cannot keep a secret, nor do they know how to guard themselves and act prudently, and so they bring about their own downfall and ruin. Hence the Daodejing (Jing, scripture) says: "Great eloquence seems halting; great skill seems clumsy." This means that the truly eloquent seem poor in speech and the truly skilled seem clumsy, which speaks of restraining and concealing one's own talents. The Yi says: "If a ruler does not keep secrets, he loses his ministers; if a minister does not keep secrets, he endangers himself; if confidential matters are not kept secret, the undertaking is spoiled." It speaks of the same principle.

What is meant by "can be hidden away" is this: even when a worthy person or noble-minded gentleman is naturally intelligent and eloquent, learned and widely informed, and their conduct accords with the times, is that not ingenious? Yet they habitually rein in these abilities and do not lightly reveal them, great or small, because to use them carelessly may invite the slander of the envious and the treacherous, and bring misfortune upon themselves. How much more so for the foolish and clumsy, who follow their impulses, act rashly rather than with restraint, and do not know how to hold back and conceal: calamity may come upon them at once.

The worthy person nurtures Dao and De (Virtue/Power), gathering both their cleverness and their clumsiness within body and mind. They then look inward to contemplate their rightful nature and outward to discern crooked and improper conduct, doing what is good and discarding what is not. By cultivating themselves and tempering their conduct in this way, they at last become a sage. How could outsiders know what cleverness or clumsiness they once had? The multitude see only someone naturally wise and enlightened, unaware that this was reached through cultivation. This is why one is told to "hide away," that is, to restrain and conceal one's talents.

The "nine apertures" (the nine openings of the human body) can all invite harm from perversity, but the crux lies in the "three essentials," namely the ears, eyes, and mouth. One must be careful to restrain them lest misfortune arise. The ears, eyes, and mouth can be active or still; what matters is whether one knows how to use them with discernment.

The Nanhua Jing (that is, the Zhuangzi) says that a human being has more than a hundred bones, nine orifices, and five organs, which together make up the body. A person is formed by receiving the Five Qi (the five kinds of qi that constitute all things, namely the qi of the Five Phases), with a round head and square feet, four limbs, five organs, and the three hun and seven po souls. Thoughts of rectitude and of depravity arise in turn within the body, relating to one another like ruler and minister as they circulate through it. What sets the body in motion is the nine orifices.

Calamity and fortune arise most readily from three critical points: the ears, the eyes, and the mouth. The Daodejing (Jing, classic) teaches that chasing after the five colors to excess dims the eyes, indulging in the five sounds deafens the ears, and craving the five flavors ruins the palate. One who cultivates the Dao (the Way) does not look upon perverse sights, listen to perverse sounds, or speak of perverse matters; only when something is proper does such a person look, listen, and speak, and this is called "movement." When confronted with deviant and false matters, one does not let the mind follow them to look, listen, or speak, and this is called "stillness."

Confucius said that choosing what is good in order to learn it and follow it is "movement," while finding what is not good and correcting it is what is meant by "stillness." The Classic of Filial Piety says that a person whose words spread throughout the world without fault, and whose conduct reaches throughout the world without provoking resentment, is one whose body and mind are upright and tranquil and who does no evil. When one meets goodness and acts on it eagerly, and meets evil and restrains oneself without acting, the body can be spared misfortune; the key lies in carefully guarding these three points of ear, eye, and mouth. Hence it is said that movement or stillness both depend on these three critical points.

Fire arises from within wood, and once disaster breaks out, it inevitably destroys the wood; treachery breeds within a state, and once it erupts, the state collapses. One who understands this principle and cultivates accordingly is called a sage.

Here fire is used as a metaphor for a person's temperament, wood for the body, treachery for wicked thoughts, and the state for body and mind together. One should guard against the eruption of treachery and fire just as one would govern a state and settle the body, and then refine oneself and temper one's conduct, finally becoming a sage.

The commentary says: This section clarifies the sage's original intent and uses analogies to urge caution. The preceding text discussed the "Nine Apertures and Three Essentials" (the deviant thoughts to be guarded against in body and mind, and the key points of cultivation) as well as the proper balance of movement and stillness, warning people to be watchful. So that readers may grasp the principle deeply and fulfill their nature, the author borrows two images, "fire hidden in wood" and "treachery hidden in a state," to encourage diligent cultivation until one becomes a sage.

Fire hidden in wood is an analogy for the wicked dispositions and the "fire of the five poisons" (greed, anger, and other harmful thoughts that disturb body and mind) that lie hidden in the human heart. The Taigong commentary says that Guangchengzi held that accumulated fire can burn away the five poisons. Fire is fierce by nature; the Shangshu (Book of Documents) says: "When fire burns Kunlun Ridge, jade and common stone are consumed together." Where fire lies hidden in wood, one should not rashly drill the wood to make fire, for once the flame is kindled, the wood will be burned up. In the same way, evil thoughts lie hidden within the human body. If they are suddenly given free rein, all good thoughts will be destroyed along with them, and body and mind will fall into ruin.

"Treachery grows within the state, and when the moment stirs, collapse follows." This means that a state always harbors treacherous ministers and those with rebellious hearts, who conceal their malice and scheme to seize power for wealth and rank. So long as the ruler upholds De (Virtue/Power), his ministers are loyal and dutiful, society is harmonious, and the realm is at peace, such people, though ill-intentioned, can hardly dare to act. They merely wait for their chance. But if the ruler's Dao (the Way) is lost and the ministers' conduct declines, and war, flood, drought, locusts, and harsh taxation follow, the people's hearts turn and they resent the court, and society falls into turmoil. Then every kind of treacherous person rises amid the chaos. How could the state not collapse?

This analogy corresponds to the "Nine Apertures and Three Essentials" mentioned earlier, as well as to skill and clumsiness, movement and stillness. When a person's De and dinghui (concentration and wisdom, the cultivation of calm and focused insight) lie hidden within body and mind, wicked, licentious, and perverse thoughts do not easily arise. If deviant thoughts erupt in competition with one another, body and mind are ruined. For this reason the text uses fire in wood and treachery in a state to show that both the deviant and the upright lie latent within a person's body and mind. The worthy who understand this principle devote themselves to the Dao, removing evil and preserving good. This is called "cultivation through knowing," and it is carried on until one becomes a sage.

The "Way of Embracing the One" (the practice of holding fast to singleness and uniting with the Dao) mentioned earlier was attained by the Yellow Emperor, who ascended to heaven by it, and by Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou, who became rulers of the realm through it. Lishan Mu (the Mother of Mount Li) said that sages who study this Way follow the seasons of heaven, cultivate De within, and employ the worthy and capable without; by knowing and cultivating it they become sages, and the Yellow Emperor was such a sage. Worthy people who study this method follow the proper course of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), neither violating heaven's seasons nor going against the lay of the earth, neither wasting resources nor harming living beings, so that the state is enriched and the people secure; virtuous rulers such as Yao and Shun are examples. The wise who study its techniques accord with the Way of Heaven, make use of the resources of the land, conduct themselves with care and economy in order to support their parents, uphold benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, serve ruler and kin with loyalty and filial piety, remain upright and incorruptible, and so preserve their own station and salary; worthy ministers such as Kui, Long, and Yi Yin are examples.

Petty people who study this Way, however, bring disaster upon themselves. Instead of using the qi (vital energy) of the Way of Heaven for good, they rely on cunning, eloquence, and cleverness, scheming over and over day and night, waging reckless wars, harming others in secret, craving luxury and glory, and struggling for power and profit. Even if they enjoy wealth and rank for a time, they give no thought to the calamity approaching, and in the end they meet with ruin that extends to their descendants. Rebellious ministers such as An Lushan and Shi Siming are examples.

The Holy Mother added: this passage is profound, like the sea gathering a hundred rivers, embracing all phenomena and containing subtle and luminous principles.

This is the "Shenxian Baoyi Yandao Zhang, Part One" (神仙抱一演道章上), comprising one hundred and five characters. It teaches people to understand the Dao of Yin-Yang, to observe the patterns of flourishing and decline, and to grasp the right moment for action, and then to cultivate the body and refine conduct until one becomes a sage. For this reason it is called "the Way of the Immortal Embracing the One." The eulogy says: The Dao of Heaven moves with the turning of the seasons, and the transformations of Yin-Yang are profoundly subtle. Once one sees the key within them, survival and ruin rest with oneself. Those who comprehend follow the right path, while the confused stray from what is true. One who understands these things and cultivates them may rightly be called a sage.

End of the first fascicle of the Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman (Huangdi Yinfu Jing Shu)

Collation notes: the fifth character was originally written "此" and has been corrected according to the Meng edition; the third character was originally written "机" and has been corrected according to the Meng edition; the character "木" appears as "才" in the Meng edition.

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

Commentary by Li Quan of Mount Shaoshi

Chapter on Enriching the State and Pacifying the People: Expounding the Method

Heaven and Earth are the thieves of the myriad things;

Heaven covers the myriad things and Earth bears them. The myriad things grow silently, and the harmonized qi (the blended and merged qi of Yin-Yang) nourishes them in secret. For this reason Heaven and Earth are said to "steal" from the myriad things.

The commentary says: Heaven and Earth are Yin-Yang. The two forces of Yin-Yang, together with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), make seven in all. Heaven and Earth cover and bear the myriad things, allowing them to grow silently, and nourish them in secret through harmonized qi; therefore Heaven and Earth are called the thieves of the myriad things.

The commentary says further: Heaven and Earth are Yin-Yang. The two forces of Yin-Yang, together with the Five Phases, make seven. To claim that beyond Heaven and Earth there is some other power able to transform the myriad things would be deeply misleading. All things between Heaven and Earth, whether born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or by transformation, as well as grains, grasses, and trees, depend on these seven kinds of qi for their growth. They pass from formlessness into form, covered and nourished without knowing it, gradually taking shape as though quietly taken away. Heaven and Earth likewise secretly employ their own qi, and their effect is inexhaustible; the myriad things silently receive the covering and nourishment of Heaven and Earth, and each finds its own stability. Therefore it is said: Heaven and Earth are the thieves of the myriad things.

The myriad things are the thieves of humankind;

The myriad things grow by relying on the power of Heaven and Earth, while humans take up the myriad things to sustain themselves. So long as one knows how to take them appropriately and within proper measure, this too accords with the natural order.

The commentary says: Humans, like birds, beasts, grasses, and trees, are born by receiving the qi of Yin-Yang. Humans are the most spiritually perceptive, standing between Heaven and Earth, with wisdom and deliberation in the heart, 】【.

(The source text breaks off here, mid-sentence, with stray bracket characters 】【 at the end.)

If one can turn inward to observe one's own nature, investigate the root of how things begin and end, and understand and make use of the Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (the forces that constitute all things and drive their transformations), one can act in accordance with their patterns. The sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) and the sixty-year cycle of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches embody these patterns. Hence the earlier passage says: "When one sees clearly, the myriad things can flourish."

Human beings live among the myriad things generated by the Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, and can draw upon the various things that are produced in order to nourish themselves. This is why the text uses the word "stealing" (dao). Here, "stealing" means following nature and taking what heaven and earth have produced, as in tilling fields, raising silkworms, and harvesting the five grains. The Liezi records that in the state of Qi there was a man named Guo who was wealthy. He said: "I am good at taking from heaven and earth. Heaven has its seasons, and earth has its produce, and I take the seasons and produce that heaven and earth bestow. When rain moistens the land, I take birds and beasts on dry ground and fish and turtles in the water. When I began doing this, I could support myself within a year; in the second year I had a surplus of grain; in the third year I was greatly prosperous, and from then on I shared what I gained with my village. I take from heaven and earth, and no calamity has befallen me. But if one steals gold and silk from other people, how can that be called blameless?" The myriad things grow by drawing on the Qi of heaven and earth, and Guo drew on the myriad things to nourish his body; so long as one knows proper measure and acts in accord with reason, this too is the natural pattern. This is the principle by which the myriad things take from heaven and earth, and human beings take from the myriad things.

Human beings take from the myriad things to nourish the body, and the myriad things take the Qi of heaven and earth in order to grow. When all three forms of taking are properly measured, the "Three Powers" of heaven, earth, and humanity each find their peace.

"Ji" (既) means "all" or "entirely." When all three forms of taking are fully fitting, the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity are each able to fulfill their functions.

The commentary says: People only know how to take from the myriad things to nourish themselves and satisfy their craving for glory and wealth, but they do not realize that the myriad things can in turn harm people and bring calamity upon them. The three kinds of mutual plundering described earlier also follow the natural order of things. Within every form of plundering, a certain principle must be observed: when one acts in accord with the proper time, there is good fortune; when one goes against the order of things, danger and misfortune follow.

Thus the Liezi says: "Does theft too have a Dao (the Way)? How could it not? To perceive that wealth is hidden in a house is sagacity; to know whether the deed can be done is wisdom; to enter first is courage; to leave last is righteousness; to divide the spoils fairly is benevolence. There has never been anyone who accomplished a theft without these five virtues." This is the "Dao" spoken of within the act of theft itself. The three kinds of mutual plundering mentioned above must likewise follow principle and be fitting and appropriate. Only then will the order of the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) not fall into confusion, and each can keep to its proper place. One must not overstep one's station or injure one's own nature, lest calamity be invited.

Therefore it is said: "When eating and drinking accord with the proper time, the many parts of the body are harmonized; when action seizes the right moment, the transformations of the myriad things are settled."

This means that when a person eats and drinks in keeping with the seasons, the body will suffer no harm; and when one acts with good timing and a sense of proportion, the transformations of the myriad things will proceed steadily.

The commentary adds: Those who cultivate their nature and life all need the flavors of food and drink to nourish the body. Hence the Zuozhuan says: "Flavors are joined with the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao, and this Qi serves to fill the body." When a person eats and drinks in keeping with the seasons, the body will suffer no harm; and when one acts with good timing and a sense of proportion, the transformations of the myriad things will proceed steadily.

The commentary says that all people who wish to sustain life depend on food, drink, and flavor. The Zuozhuan says that flavor and the Dao's qi (气) are interconnected: qi fills and strengthens the will, while food nourishes the body and moistens the spirit (shen, 神). In the end, none of this can be separated from eating and drinking.

The Yellow Emperor said that when people eat, they should first prepare the five flavors, five meats, five vegetables, and five fruits (that is, a variety of tastes, meats, vegetables, and fruits), then blend them and regulate the portions according to the season and the condition of the body. Cooked food benefits a person, while raw food harms the organs. This is why eating must be suited to the time. If one does not eat at the wrong times, does not overindulge in flavors, keeps to the middle way, and does not exceed what the body can bear, the four limbs will be at ease and the five organs will be harmonious. One will fall ill less often and live longer. Is this not the regulation of the whole body?

Thus the Kangcangzi says that eating one's fill in winter keeps the body warm, while eating one's fill in summer keeps it cool. When cold and heat are properly balanced, people seldom fall ill, epidemics do not spread, and each person can live out their full natural lifespan. Grain is the foundation on which people live. For this reason, a ruler should devote himself to agriculture; a ruler who neglects agriculture abandons the people. And if the people are abandoned, how can the state endure?

When the Three Thieves (the interacting and mutually dependent relationship among Heaven, Earth, and humanity) each find their proper place, and Heaven, Earth, and humanity each rest in their own position, all accords with the natural order. After that, a wise ruler and capable ministers are needed to govern the world. While the myriad things are each in their proper place, they should establish fair and just laws and appoint the worthy, so that benevolent virtue (De, 德) reaches even the insects and moral teaching extends to the grasses and trees, letting all things settle where they belong. This too accords with the natural order. When every measure matches the timing of the Dao (道), Yin-Yang (阴阳) follows its proper sequence, the world is peaceful and stable, and the people are all at ease. This is governing by following the crucial point, bringing stability to all things. Hence it is said that within it lies the method for making the state prosperous and the people secure.

People recognize the marvelous workings that become visible and call them "shen" (spirit). They do not realize that it is because there is a fundamental Dao that does not itself display anything miraculous that the myriad things come into being so marvelously.

Yin-Yang gives rise to the myriad things, and people call this working "shen." Yet they do not know that there is also the Supreme Dao, silent and formless, which appears to show nothing miraculous yet enables all things to come into being. It is precisely for this reason that Yin-Yang seems so wondrous.

The commentary explains that "spirit" (Shen) is subtle, wondrous, and beyond human measure. The Yijing says, "The transformations of Yin-Yang cannot be fathomed, and this is called Shen." People see only that the myriad things arise from Yin-Yang (阴阳) and from the sun and moon, and so they call this Shen. They do not realize that Yin-Yang and the sun and moon themselves originate from what is "not spirit-like." What, then, is meant by "not spirit-like"? It is the Supreme Dao (the highest Way). The Supreme Dao is empty, still, and silent, and in itself appears to have no marvelous transformations. Yet out of this stillness it gives birth to the sun and moon, Yin-Yang, the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity), and the myriad things, letting them grow and flourish, and keeping them settled and in harmony. All things come from the emptiness and stillness of the Supreme Dao, which shows that the working of Shen is contained within what is "not spirit-like."

Those who practice dietary regulation and the arts of nourishing life, if they can grasp the principle of Wuwei (non-action) and the "not spirit-like," will turn back to examine their own nature and cultivate the Way of non-action. They hold to the One through contemplative visualization (concentrating the Shen inward and keeping singly to the One), return to simplicity and purity, go back to the Way of non-action, and enter a realm of profound mystery. Only then can they realize stillness and non-action. This is the state of appearing "not spirit-like" yet reaching the utmost Shen, and so it is said that the principle here is clear.

The sun and moon move along fixed courses and measures, and each has its own set standard of largeness and smallness. From this the achievements of the sages arise, and from this the working of spiritual illumination becomes manifest.

The sun and moon travel by their established measures and never fall out of order, and each has its fixed standard of largeness and smallness. Precisely because of this, the achievements of the sages are made plain, and the work of spiritual illumination is made manifest as well.

The sun and moon are manifestations of the essence and Qi (气) of Yin-Yang (阴阳). Within heaven, earth, and the four directions, the highest principles are all contained in them. The degrees of their movement, their greater and lesser measures, and the patterns fixed by the calendar and pitch-pipe systems each follow definite standards, and their motion never goes astray. Hence the saying: "The sun and moon have their numbers; the great and the small have their fixed measure."

The growth and transformation of the myriad things between heaven and earth depend on the illumination of the sun and moon and the movement of Yin-Yang. Animals and plants each grow in their own way, and their workings are subtle and far-reaching, attaining the realm of the utmost sagely. Hence the saying: "Sagely achievement is born from it, and spirit and illumination come forth." The transformations of Yin-Yang are difficult to fathom, and so they are called "spirit" (Shen, 神); the light of the sun and moon is bright and clear, and so it is called "illumination." Heaven, earth, and all things receive this sagely and wondrous work of creation and come into being. The formed emerges from the formless, and its operation is plainly visible, so it is said that "spirit and illumination come forth."

All things in the world receive this creative work and are born, with the great and the small each having a fixed place, never overstepping one another. Therefore the small do not envy the great, and the great do not look down on the small. The Zhuangzi says that the great peng bird and the little bird each roam in carefree freedom, neither jealous nor envious of the other, which speaks to the way the great and the small each have their allotted part. It also says that from kings and lords to common people, each has their own position and share, without contending or crushing one another. When high and low live in harmony, harvests are abundant and the age is at peace, and this is called Great Peace. Hence it is said that within this are contained the methods for enriching the state and bringing peace to the people.

The "stealing of the mechanism" (盗机, the key workings of creation and transformation that people can make use of) is something everyone under heaven can see and can know. When the superior person obtains it, they preserve their own person; when the petty person obtains it, they hold life lightly.

The stealing of the mechanism is deep and subtle. It looks easy, but truly understanding it is not. The superior person understands the opportunity that comes from accumulating good deeds, and so is able to preserve their own person. The petty person single-mindedly chases opportunities for honor, disgrace, gain, and loss, and so holds life lightly.

The commentary says: "Stealing the mechanism" restates the meaning of the earlier "three thefts." "Person" (躬) refers to one's own self; when the petty person obtains this mechanism, they hold life lightly.

"Stealing the opportune moment" (dao ji, 盗机) further explains the meaning of the "Three Thefts" mentioned earlier. Mr. Guo, for example, grew wealthy by "stealing from Heaven." Everyone could see his methods of farming and management, but no one grasped the deeper principle behind them.

What, then, is "stealing the opportune moment"? When you lack something of your own but know that others already have it, you quietly plan, seize the right moment, and, without anyone noticing, take it for your own use. This is called "stealing the opportune moment." Everyone under Heaven can see such practices, yet not everyone understands their deeper meaning. Even among the clever, the gentleman (junzi) and the petty person see things differently: the gentleman understands how to safeguard his own being, while the petty person understands only how to treat life and nature lightly.

By "safeguarding the self," it is meant that the gentleman knows the Supreme Dao (the Way) embraces every kind of good conduct, and that whatever he seeks, so long as it accords with the Dao, will be fulfilled as readily as an echo answers a sound. He therefore plans in secret and cultivates in silence, setting in motion the mechanism of goodness so that his person comes into accord with the Dao. He then practices "guarding the One" and visualization: he concentrates on keeping his heart and Shen (spirit) steady, gathers his spirit in contemplation, and applies himself diligently to this discipline, drawing on the subtlety of the Dao to nourish his nature. Some also cultivate the inner elements named by the Daoist terms Divine Water, Flower Pond, Jade Efflorescence, and Golden Liquid, in the hope of becoming immortals. Worthy men and gentlemen who grasp this profound principle become sages through cultivation. Hence the saying: "When the gentleman obtains it, he safeguards his person."

As for the petty person who, in the words of the text, "obtains it and treats life lightly," he single-mindedly pursues money and goods and fears no hardship. Or he devotes himself to learning and martial skill, never tiring, all so that through cleverness and scheming he may chase empty worldly fame and profit. At times he wins glory and favor, at times he suffers disgrace, and he may even meet defeat in war. His greed never ends, and in the end it harms his own person. Or he indulges in wealth and craves beauty, and though he enjoys a fleeting, showy favor, he cannot in the end escape calamity. This happens because he does not understand the subtle workings of the Dao, and so falls into such straits. Hence the saying: "When the petty person obtains it, he treats life lightly."

This chapter discusses the method of "enriching the state and pacifying the people." It runs to ninety-two characters and chiefly teaches one to make choices according to the moment, to discern the subtle and hidden changes in things, and thereby to steady the situation, nourish life, and preserve oneself. It is therefore said to contain the means of making a state prosperous and its people secure.

The eulogy says: The transformations of the myriad things between Heaven and Earth all depend on Yin-Yang (阴阳) and the succession of the four seasons. The myriad things take from one another in turn, and the key lies in according with the timing of Heaven. To achieve sagely merit and to perceive the Dao (道) of the spirits is not beyond the understanding of the worthy. To preserve oneself and regard one's life lightly, one must examine carefully what the moment requires.

End of the middle fascicle of the Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman (Huangdi Yinfu Jing Shu, 黄帝阴符经疏).

The lower fascicle of the Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman

Commentary by Li Quan of Mount Shaoshi

Chapter on Strengthening the Troops and Winning Battles through Practiced Technique

The blind are good at hearing, and the deaf are good at seeing. If one cuts off the advantage of the senses in one place and concentrates on another, the effectiveness of the army can be increased tenfold; if one examines this repeatedly, three times over day and night, its effectiveness can be increased ten thousandfold.

"Cutting off the advantage" means stopping up the ears so that sight grows keener, and closing the eyes so that hearing becomes more focused. The aim is to keep body and mind free from disturbance and to attend wholeheartedly to the matters for which one is responsible.

The commentary says: if a person is greedy for beautiful sights, their ears cannot take in proper sounds; if they are lost in lewd music, their eyes cannot see upright colors. This shows that both seeing and hearing are governed by the mind.

A person of De (Virtue) harbors no wicked thoughts or delusions. Even when the ears and eyes take in all manner of sounds and sights, the mind remains upright and settled, neither craving nor clinging, so that it is as though they had no ears or eyes at all. The point lies in keeping right thoughts in the mind, not in actually becoming deaf or blind. When the mind is upright, the ears and eyes are not led astray by harmful things; when they are not led astray, body and mind are not thrown into disorder; and when body and mind are settled, then in focused thought, in conduct, and in action, one can accord with the Way of Heaven. Acting in this manner yields results ten times greater than those of ordinary people, and affairs are accomplished with ease. Why, then, apply this principle only to the conduct of war? Other matters may be understood by analogy.

The phrase "reflecting three times, day and night, multiplies the army's strength ten-thousandfold" means this: the settled body and mind and the keen ears and clear eyes described above can make one's conduct and actions ten times more effective than usual. If one can further deliberate again and again, weigh matters with care, and devote oneself day and night without slackening, the results may exceed those of ordinary people ten-thousandfold. Why, again, confine this to warfare? The Analects says, "Think three times before acting." It means that one must proceed with care and attentiveness, which is exactly this principle.

The "army" mentioned here refers to troops. Weapons are instruments of ill omen, and war is a perilous affair. Standing on the battlefield, at the brink of survival or destruction, one must reflect repeatedly and plan thoroughly; if one's deliberation falls short and one advances or retreats rashly, defeat and ruin will follow. Thus the commentary borrows the ears, the eyes, and focused thought to illustrate the art of war, intending to encourage people to cultivate body and mind and to protect themselves, not truly to teach how to command troops and fight.

A person of De hates evil as one hates an enemy. They understand that the ears and eyes easily become the root of the chase after profit, and they grasp the principle of reflecting repeatedly and acting with care. Profound and discerning, they hold fast to what is right, root out the crooked and treacherous, and preserve themselves, and through long cultivation they attain the Dao (the Way). The Yellow Emperor's victory over Chiyou is an example of this.

As for the famous generals of past and present, such as Sunzi, Wu Qi, Han Xin, Bai Qi, Zhuge Liang, and Li Jing, all were skilled in using troops and also deliberated repeatedly day and night, and so they achieved merit and won glory. Yet the commentary holds that victory through strong armies is, in the end, a means that makes people treat life lightly and invites danger. The Yellow Emperor attained the Dao by it and ascended to Heaven, and Fu Yue, by it, came to dwell in Xuanxiao (the name of a constellation). Hence the earlier passage says: "When a noble person obtains it, they can preserve themselves; when a petty person obtains it, they treat life lightly."

The human mind arises in response to external things, and it can also be damaged by indulging in them. The key lies in the eyes.

Craving external things harms one's lifespan. When the eyes covet what they see and are never satisfied, the mind becomes scattered. By carefully restraining the gaze and gathering in the thoughts, one can avoid disaster.

The commentary says that a person of moral cultivation does not let the mind stir recklessly, nor allow desire to drive them to chase after external things. It is natural for people to draw on the myriad things to nourish the body and prolong life. But when this goes beyond proper limits and departs from what is fitting, it turns around and harms one's inborn nature.

The Kangcangzi says: "If ten thousand people each held a bow and arrow and all shot at a single target, there would be none that missed." Here "zhao" (招) means the target, and some explanations say it refers to the mark on the target. The myriad things appear in profusion, and if a person simply chases after them, it is like a multitude of arrows aimed at one target, and in the end life will be injured. Nowadays many people use their inborn nature to feed external things, without knowing when to stop. This means that once greed arises in the heart, a person is held captive by external things and finally brings disaster upon themselves.

The Kongzi Jiayu (Family Sayings of Confucius) says that those whose cravings are never satisfied and whose grasping never ceases will bring punishment upon themselves, and may even lose their lives. The Laozi says: "One who knows contentment will not be disgraced; one who knows when to stop will not be in danger; thus one can endure long." What is precious lies in knowing contentment: keeping desire within measure and not clinging blindly to external things, so as not to harm one's true nature or endanger oneself.

The Liuzi uses the examples of "raising birds in a burning forest and raising fish in warm springs" to show that external things may seem to nourish life yet can in fact harm it. This is precisely the principle that "the mind arises from external things and is also damaged by external things."

"The key lies in the eyes" means that a person's deluded thoughts often arise from what is seen. The mind's chasing after external things frequently begins with what the eyes behold. One must therefore carefully restrain the gaze and not look recklessly at lewd or improper sights, so that the mind is not stirred wildly by external things and the inborn nature is not disturbed. Only then can the body be preserved and life prolonged.

Heaven seems to bestow no favors, yet from this it brings forth vast and abundant blessings.

Heaven and Earth give birth to and nourish the myriad things, yet do not claim them as their own; they act, yet do not rely on their own merit; they cause all things to grow, yet do not demand gratitude in return. The myriad things, covered and nourished by Heaven and Earth, naturally come to feel thankful.

The commentary says: The myriad things between Heaven and Earth exist naturally, and all are embraced and nurtured by the Great Dao (Way). Heaven and Earth do not demand that things repay their kindness, but because things receive the covering and nourishment of Heaven and Earth, they naturally feel gratitude toward them. Hence the Laozi says: "It gives birth to and nourishes the myriad things without possessing them; it acts without relying on its own merit; it causes them to grow without ruling over them."

When swift thunder and fierce winds strike, there is no one who is not startled.

Rolling thunder and violent winds are manifestations of the movement and transformation of Yin-Yang. People naturally feel fear in their hearts, and, frightened, are startled into alertness.

The commentary says: Swift thunder is the sound produced when Yin and Yang collide; the fierce wind, in the words of the Zhuangzi, is the breath exhaled by the "Great Clod" (Heaven and Earth), and is called wind. Wind and thunder both arise naturally from the movement of Yin-Yang; they were never meant to intimidate people, yet people are startled by them out of fear. The passage here means that a ruler who understands Dao and De (Virtue) nurtures the myriad people by imitating the impartiality of Heaven and Earth. The common people, birds and beasts, grasses and trees will all feel grateful for the ruler's kindness, just as they are grateful to Heaven and Earth; each keeps to its proper place and is content in its own work, living at ease and in peace. An enlightened ruler need only issue just decrees and make the laws of the state plain. When the people see the authority of these decrees, they will be stirred as if hearing swift thunder or meeting a fierce wind, and will become watchful and act with caution. If an army is governed in this way, its generals will be brave and its soldiers strong, with dignity and reverence at every level, so that violence and disorder can be eliminated and stability restored. This is to say that it also contains a method for making an army strong and prevailing over the enemy.

The utmost joy arises from a nature that is full; the utmost tranquility makes a person upright and incorruptible.

The commentary says: When one values integrity and tranquility, the heart is free of sorrow and fear; one's feelings are cheerful and open, and life becomes easy and unhurried.

True joy does not come from the pleasures of music, song, and dance. If joy depends only on such sensory delights, the heart will find it hard to have any room to spare. The Kongzi Jiayu (Sayings of Confucius's School) says: "The greatest joy has no sound, yet it brings peace to all under heaven." The Sanlüe (Three Strategies) says: "A ruler who possesses the Dao (the Way) makes the people joyful through his own joy."

Worthy people and noble persons are at peace within and upright in character. They neither deceive others about the nature of things nor bend to the times for the sake of convenience. In governing a state and ordering a household, they do not abuse punishments or violate the law. Since they have no faults of their own, they have nothing to fear or worry about; their hearts are naturally glad and at ease, and their expressions relaxed and unhurried. How could such joy be compared with the pleasures of strings, pipes, and banquets? Among the ancients, there was one who gathered the rice harvest while playing the zither, and another who sang as he walked, calmly awaiting the end of his days. Hence it is said: "The greatest joy is to have abundant room within one's own nature."

One who has attained utmost stillness is incorruptible and self-restrained, does not behave as a petty person, and does not indulge in extravagant, licentious musical pleasures. Such a person can preserve a joy that is free of worry and free of entanglement. Undisturbed by sound and sensual allure, their nature is quiet and at ease, their Shen (spirit) is pure, and their aspirations are upright. The Kangcangzi says: "When one holds an honored position, one's words reach far; when one's household is wealthy, one's actions are made easy; when one is in hardship, one's mind becomes open instead; when the heart is tranquil, the Shen (spirit) flows freely." These four kinds of openness share one fundamental principle, and so are called "supreme joy and supreme stillness." If a person can reach utmost stillness, the Shen (spirit) will flow freely. This is what is meant by "utmost stillness and incorruptibility."

The character of a general is valued for its integrity and calm. Such a general can shut out clamor and disorder and keep rewards and punishments clear. Even when fathers and sons serve together in the army, they can keep glad hearts, and their natures have courage to spare, so that they can defeat powerful enemies and accomplish great deeds. It is therefore said that within this lies the way of waging war to overcome the enemy. To be able to dwell in the stillness of the Shen (spirit) and the joy of the heart is called "guarding the center"; when the six emotions are untouched by external things, the light of the sun and moon remains constant as ever.

The Dao of Heaven is the most hidden, yet its operation is the most impartial.

The Dao of Heaven lies deep and unfathomable, and so may be called utterly secret; yet the myriad things are brought into being by it, and the effects of the sages' wisdom are plainly visible, so it is also utterly impartial.

The commentary says: "'Heaven' refers to the Supreme Dao (the highest Way). The Supreme Dao embraces all things. It is deep, dim, and indistinct, with no fixed form, and cannot be glimpsed, and so it is called 'supremely private.' Here 'private' means hidden and unrevealed. Within its obscurity and depth, the Supreme Dao operates without limit and brings forth the myriad things, giving each its own form and its own name according to its function. All of this becomes manifest and visible to everyone, and so the Supreme Dao is also called 'supremely public.'" The passage is speaking of a ruler of Virtue (De). His planning is broad and comprehensive, and he governs all manner of affairs. He is skilled at keeping his strategies and decisions deep within his heart, where no one can see through them. This is "supremely private." When he comes to govern, he discerns good from evil and right from wrong, issues decrees, and carries out rewards and punishments. He handles every matter clearly and openly, so that all under Heaven can see it. This is "supremely public." Hence the saying: "Heaven is the most hidden, yet in its use it is the most open and clear."

A commander should act in the same way. His plans are kept secret, so that others can hardly glimpse the shifts and calculations within them. His decisions and choices seem divinely aided, while his authority and his kindness are plainly evident. In this way, those above and below are clear in purpose, military discipline is upright, generals are brave, and soldiers are strong. Such an army can overcome its enemies and win great achievements. For this reason, it is said that what follows concerns the art of war by which victory is won through strong troops.

"The control of birds lies in qi" (Qi, vital energy) means that what allows a bird to govern its own movements is qi, here meaning the strength that drives its motion and sustains its flight.

When the great Peng bird beats its wings for ninety thousand li, it rises into the sky on its accumulated strength. The cicada and the little dove also spring up quickly on beating wings. All of them can make use of qi, and so they are free to advance and retreat.

The commentary says: "Birds" (qin) refers to the various kinds of birds that arise through feathered transformation, and "Qi" (炁) refers to the Yin-Yang (阴阳) energy that moves between heaven and earth. When people move, they rely on their hands and feet to advance and retreat; when birds move, they rely on their wings to stir the air. The moment a bird's mind stirs, its wings respond, and it can fly up or down and go wherever it wishes. Humans are the most spiritually gifted of all beings. If they cannot make good use of the Qi (vital energy) by which the Dao (道, the Way) and De (德, Virtue) operate between heaven and earth to nourish the body and prolong life, how can they hope to attain long life and lasting vision? Those who know how to harness this Qi of Dao and De can roam freely through the Great Void, a feat with which birds cannot compare. A general commanding an army who can make good use of the rise and decline of the Qi of the Five Phases (五行; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) through the different seasons, and who understands the fundamental principle by which Yin and Yang restrain and subdue one another, can crush fierce enemies and defeat his opponents. For this reason the scripture (Jing, 经) says that what follows also describes methods for strengthening troops and securing victory.

Life is the root of death, and death is the root of life.

The foolish chase after external things and cling greedily to life; by going against the principle of life, they instead shorten their years. The wise give up selfish desires in order to seek the Dao, and by realizing its subtle principles they preserve themselves and keep their lives from perishing.

The commentary says: People in this world all cling to life and loathe death, so they do their utmost to treat their bodies generously and to nourish them, fearing that the body will head toward destruction. Sustaining the body cannot be done without food and clothing, which is, by its very nature, in accord with the natural order. Hence the Zhuangzi says: "Plow to obtain food, weave to make clothing, and a person's De (Virtue) will not go astray." Weaving cloth to wear and tilling the land to eat is called "sharing in De." From this we know that a living person must rely on food and clothing to nourish the body.

Yet frugality and moderation in living bring benefit, whereas indulging desires and living in extravagance without restraint bring calamity and harm life. People of high antiquity lived in tree nests and caves. Their temperament was simple and unadorned, and they did not concern themselves with whether life would be long or short. They merely followed what was natural and roamed free and unfettered, and for that very reason they enjoyed long lives. In later ages, the pure and simple custom of the Dao (the Way) declined, and a culture of showiness and frivolity arose. People built splendid houses, wore brocade and embroidered garments, and prized rich and abundant food, indulging themselves beyond their proper station for fear that the body might not be comfortable enough. They did not realize that excessive nourishing wearies the Shen (spirit) and damages the faculty of thought, thereby inviting calamity and becoming the root of a shortened lifespan.

Hence it is said: "Life is the root of death, and death is the root of life." As for those who cultivate virtue and the Dao, in seeking the arts of long life they are able to give up personal comfort and are unafraid of hardship. Some "dine on rosy clouds and ingest Qi (vital energy)" (a practice of consuming the glow of dawn and dusk and regulating the breath to refine Qi), and practice bigu (abstaining from grain, that is, ceasing to eat the five grains). Their minds are still as dead ashes, and their bodies lean as withered wood. Ordinary people who see them may think this the appearance of those about to die, not knowing that it is precisely the foundation of long life. Therefore it is said that death too is the root of life.

If a general understands that clinging only to life may instead invite death, and that placing one's troops in a place of certain death may instead bring a chance of survival, then he can preserve his army and its officers and become an excellent commander. The military classics say: "Put the army in a place of death, and it will find life amid desperation." This is the method for making an army strong and vanquishing the enemy. The Zhuangzi says: "When a thing has just come into being, it is already heading toward death; when it has just died, it is already beginning to come into being."

Within favor, calamity arises, and within calamity, favor arises as well.

The noble person strives to do good and to remember kindness, because benevolence often arises out of misfortune. The petty person betrays kindness and so brings calamity upon themselves, because calamity can also arise out of benevolence.

The commentary says: This speaks of how the human heart changes, and of how favor and harm can give rise to one another. Originally there was neither harm nor favor to speak of. When someone bestows a kindness by helping another escape misfortune, favor is born out of that misfortune. When a worthy and noble person meets with some small hardship and is rescued by others, they are grateful and never forget it for the rest of their life. This is favor arising from misfortune.

The petty person is different. They receive generous kindness from a noble person and enjoy glory and emoluments, yet cannot remain careful and mindful of their station to the end. One day they lose favor and power and fall into the net of punishment. Rather than reflecting on their own faults, they breed resentment and cause harm. This is harm arising from favor.

A person of virtue is grateful for the kindness with which Heaven and Earth nurture the myriad things, and does not betray the grace by which the Dao (the Way) transforms and gives birth to all beings. They cultivate goodness and practice uprightness, returning to simplicity and to their original truth. In this way, favor does not give rise to harm, and misfortune does not become the cause of favor. Such a person does not let favor or harm disturb their nature, but holds to stillness and silence, keeping the heart and nature genuine and at peace. The mutual conversion of favor and harm, and the alternation of honor and disgrace, are the ways of the petty person.

A general should not betray the sovereign's grace and should not grow arrogant from honor and favor. Remaining careful and constant from beginning to end, they should preserve the favor they have received, devote themselves fully in loyalty, and establish meritorious achievements. In this way, favor will not turn into harm, and harm will not arise from favor. If one leads an army with Dao and De (Virtue), is it not excellent to march out to war without needing to fight? That is why the following passage says that the art of strengthening the troops and securing victory is yet to be discussed.

The foolish take the patterns of Heaven and Earth for the principles of sagely clarity; I, instead, perceive wisdom in the patterns of things that change in accord with the times.

Foolish people see a shooting star or a halo around the sun, or meet with wind, rain, thunder and lightning, or flood, drought and locust plagues, and they are filled with worry and fear. They do not realize that if ruler and ministers each keep to their duty and righteousness, and governance is clear and harmonious, they can bring peace to the people and turn disaster into blessing. The sage understands how to discern the principles of things by following the patterns of the age and of events.

Heaven and Earth hang the sun and moon to illuminate good and evil, and arrange the constellations to reveal fortune and misfortune. All of this reflects the natural workings of the Dao and De (Virtue). Foolish people gaze up at the sun, moon and stars and watch the changes in the heavens. When they hear thunder roar, or meet with abnormal cold and heat, floods, droughts and insect plagues, they fear that calamity will fall upon themselves and are thus anxious and afraid. They take these phenomena as Heaven and Earth's way of displaying fortune and misfortune.

What the sage calls "the patterns of the age and of events" means that the ruler holds integrity and tranquility in his heart, the ministers are loyal and upright, the hounds and magpies raise no alarm, no beacon fires warn of trouble on the borders, the people are healthy and happy, and all under Heaven is at peace. Even if Heaven and Earth produce portents of disaster or of good omen, these cannot bring about calamity. This is precisely how the sage understands the patterns of the age and of events.

The Kongzi Jiayu (Family Sayings of Confucius) records that during the reign of Tai Wu of the Yin dynasty, governance had lost the Way and the laws were unjust. Seedlings of mulberry and paper mulberry suddenly sprouted in the royal court, and within seven days they had grown so thick that two arms could barely encircle them. The diviners said: "Mulberry and paper mulberry are trees of the wilderness. They belong in the outskirts, yet now they grow in the court. The state is about to perish." Tai Wu was frightened. He examined himself and cultivated his virtue, reflected on how ruler and ministers should govern, and made clear the methods for nurturing the people. Three years later, people from distant lands, admiring his benevolence and righteousness, came through multiple layers of translation to submit to him, and sixteen states did so. Thus the strange growth of the mulberry and paper mulberry never became a calamity.

Confucius said that the survival or fall of a state and the good or ill fortune of a person both depend on oneself, and that disasters of Heaven and anomalies of Earth cannot harm people. Therefore the harm of prodigies cannot prevail over good governance, and ominous dreams cannot prevail over good deeds.

Yao endured nine years of flood, and Tang of Shang suffered seven years of severe drought, yet the people remained at peace and no one showed the look of hunger. This was because the rulers governed according to the Way, their decrees were fair and harmonious, the ruler was trustworthy and the ministers loyal, and the people supported those who ruled them. Even with flood and drought, these could not become true calamities. Flood and drought are phenomena between Heaven and Earth, whereas the so-called "patterns" (wenli) are the regularities that the age and events display. Those who understand these patterns can turn disaster into blessing and let the dying survive. Hence it is said: "I understand the patterns of the age and of events."

A general commanding troops should act in the same way. If a five-colored halo appears around the sun, if shooting stars streak across the sky in all directions, if strange beasts burst into the camp, or wild birds fly into dwellings, these are all phenomena by which Heaven and Earth display omens of disaster. Yet if the general sets his decrees in order, plans with care, and cares for and comforts his soldiers, he can turn disaster into blessing, and how could any enemy withstand him? This is the wise conduct of one who understands the patterns of the age and of events.

So this chapter concerns strategy for achieving victory through military action. Its one hundred and three characters all aim to make people reflect deeply and observe calmly, so that thoughts of favor and harm do not obstruct judgment. They also urge one to see clearly the hidden realities of survival and destruction, and of public and private interest; to understand the patterns of all things and bring matters to completion; and to observe the signs of Heaven and grasp the right moment. Thus it is said that this chapter speaks of strategy for victory in military affairs.

The eulogy says: Cut off the desire to chase after profit, and deliberate again and again. Act in accord with the moment when external things change, and life and death, gain and loss lie before your eyes. Ease and joy come from stillness within the heart, yet kindness may also turn into harsh calamity. The disasters and auspicious omens between Heaven and Earth all have their circumstances and patterns; if one follows these circumstances, one can turn misfortune into blessing.

The Way of nature (Dao) is inherently tranquil, and for this reason Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things come into being. The patterns by which Heaven and Earth operate gradually become manifest, and so Yin-Yang (阴阳) wax and wane in relation to one another.

Liang, the commentator, says: The patterns of Heaven and Earth's movement are subtle and advance by degrees, and in the end it is always the side that holds the advantage within them that takes the lead.

Yin and Yang shift and push upon each other, and thus change unfolds smoothly.

Liang says: Yin and Yang drive one another onward, and when change has developed to a certain point it occurs of its own accord; this is right before our eyes.

Therefore the sage, understanding that the patterns of nature cannot be forcibly opposed, follows those patterns in order to regulate and employ them.

Liang says: This principle is profound and precise. One who has mastered the Dao of Heaven regards it as the natural order; a hero regards it as a law that can be put to use; a fool regards it merely as the phenomena of change.

The principle of utmost stillness is such that even the calendar cannot match it. The movements and transformations of birds and beasts are an example.

Liang says: When birds and beasts are in a state of stillness, the calendar cannot calculate in advance the timing of their actions.

From this arise marvelous ritual instruments, and the myriad phenomena appear along with them. The Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and the Jiazi cycle (the sexagenary system of symbols used to calculate change and mark time) can both be used to decide all matters.

The mysterious pivot is deeply hidden and hard to fathom.

Liuji is the talisman of the Mysterious Woman (Xuannü).

The method by which Yin and Yang overcome one another is plainly displayed in the forms and transformations of all things.

In this passage of seventy characters, the principle has been fully expressed and no meaning has been left out.

End of the second volume of the Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talismans (Huangdi Yinfu Jing Shu).

The character 良 (liang, "good") was originally written as 亮 (liang, "bright") in the text. Here it has been emended to 良 on the basis of the "Meng edition" (Mengben, a variant version).