《黄帝阴符经解(蹇昌辰)》

Preface to Huangdi Yinfu Jing Jie (Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman)

The Huangdi Yinfu Jing Jie was written by Jian Changchen and was probably completed around the Northern Song dynasty. The Tongzhi Yiwen Lüe records it as a single fascicle, and the surviving edition is included in the Jade Instructions (Yujue) category of the Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection) section of the Zhengtong Daozang (Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era). The Huangdi Yinfu Jing (Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) is a Daoist scripture (Jing). "Yujue" is a classification name within the Daoist Canon, and it mainly collects scriptural instructions and commentaries.

Human beings live between Heaven and Earth. Their bodily form is given by their parents, their Yuan Qi (primordial Qi, the fundamental energy that constitutes the activity of life) comes from Yin-Yang, and their bodies bear the workings of all things. Yet the one text that connects the body to the Dao (the Way) through external things, and that joins with the human heart-mind in the subtlest depths, is the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman).

Long ago, after Fuxi passed away, Shennong rose to prominence. The Yellow Emperor devised contracts and written records, and had Cang Jie observe the forms of birds and beasts and the patterns of Heaven and Earth, drawing on the images of all things to create writing. Spirits and ghosts wept because of this. Did the great Dao begin to fracture from that time? The Dao evolved into concrete affairs, and affairs in turn changed into ingenuity. Within the application of this ingenuity lay the ancient methods of governing a state through the Dao and De (Virtue/Power), the practices of cultivation for preserving one's own nature and life, and the principles for establishing hegemony and securing a realm. Its content was complete, with nothing left out.

The Yellow Emperor, revered as the founding ancestor of the Daoists, wished to promote the true spirit of the Daoist tradition. He received more than three hundred characters from Yuan Nü (the Mysterious Woman, a legendary goddess said to have transmitted the Dao to the Yellow Emperor), then elaborated on them and composed a text of just over one hundred characters. It summarizes the crucial points of the transformation of all things and governs the wondrous functions of the myriad spirits. The scripture conceals subtle and profound principles within itself and encompasses Heaven and Earth. Its wording is concise but its meaning far-reaching, and its ultimate import is left for each person to realize for themselves.

I have examined the commentaries of various schools and found that their explanations differ, often clinging to partial views. They know only to treat the Yinfu Jing as the Yellow Emperor's own instruction, and do not acknowledge that it was transmitted by Yuan Nü. Yet according to the Neizhuan (Inner Biography), after the Yellow Emperor received the meaning of the Yinfu Jing from Yuan Nü, he was able to accord inwardly with the workings of Heaven and respond outwardly to human affairs. From this it appears that the three hundred or so characters were indeed transmitted by Yuan Nü, while the one hundred or so characters were the Yellow Emperor's elaboration.

Thus the scripture's wording is essential while its purport is profound, and its principles are deep and hidden. The text says, "Here are marvelous instruments, from which the myriad phenomena arise," and it also speaks of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), of the sexagenary cycle, of the divine workings of Heaven, and of ghostlike, hidden transformations; the principle by which Yin and Yang overcome one another is also clearly displayed. Once these are understood, the meaning of the Yinfu Jing is already fully present, and later generations cannot add to it. When Confucius expounded the Yijing (Book of Changes) and composed the Xici (Appended Statements), nothing of the principles of the Changes remained unsaid. Yet writing cannot exhaust speech, and speech cannot exhaust the intent of the heart-mind, so what more could one say?

For this reason I have removed the old commentaries of the various schools and written a new commentary, taking care that what I cite and elucidate is accurate and free of error. The teaching lineage of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi prizes emptiness and stillness. Their words are vast and profound, transcending the mundane, making no deliberate effort to please the ears and eyes of the world, and revealing only the inner hearts of the sages. Those who devote themselves to study can grasp its many mysteries, and the broadly learned can probe its subtlest details. Since the Three Sovereigns, this Dao has been passed down through ten thousand generations. It can assist enlightened rulers in planning government, and it can also let worthy ministers put their talents to use. From the Qin and Han dynasties through the Sui and Tang, generals, ministers, famous officials, and eminent recluses who wrote commentaries on it are too many to count. Today, the wondrous function of the Yinfu Jing lies in discerning the workings of Heaven. If one can deeply realize its meaning, how could what one gains be only a slight benefit? Respectfully written as this preface by Jian Changchen.

The Deeds of the Yinfu Jing

Long ago, the Queen Mother of the West (a female immortal in Daoist legend) descended upon Mount Wangwu and transmitted the art of war to the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou on the plain of Zhuolu, destroyed the monstrous evils, and rid the world of its calamities. Afterward he governed his realm, established the altars of state (the symbol of a nation), divided the land, enfeoffed the lords, set in order the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and eliminated great bandits.

Later, the Queen Mother of the West sent the Dark Maiden (Yuannü, a legendary female immortal who transmitted the Way and its methods to the Yellow Emperor) to give him nineteen chapters of secret instructions and the Yinfu (Hidden Talisman), of more than three hundred characters. The Golden Elixir, jade registers (Fulu, Daoist talismans and registers), the art of flying through the air by precious talismans, and the methods of entering fire and crossing water were all included in the secret instructions and the Yinfu transmitted by the Dark Maiden.

The Yellow Emperor then established offices for welcoming immortals, practiced the essential methods of becoming an immortal, and made public the sacred texts and secret books in order to spread Daoism. When he put these methods into practice in the world, he was able to bring relief to all under heaven. Later, the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven from Dongting on a fire dragon, and his ministers buried his sword and shoes on Mount Ba; these events are clearly recorded in the histories.

This scripture was handed down so that later generations might study it and put its principles into practice. Thus, when the benevolent read it, they see benevolence in it; when the wise read it, they see wisdom in it. Understanding this scripture lies broadly in clarifying, in sequence, the Dao (the Way), the method, and the technique, so as to manifest virtue and benevolence and to store away their functions; those who read it should also grasp its principles for themselves.

Commentary on the Yellow Emperor's Yinfu Jing

Explained by the Master of Baoning, Jian Chen. Jian Chen once served as steward of the Jianlong Temple and was granted the purple robe.

Chapter on the Immortal Embracing the One and Expounding the Dao

Cherish Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), nurture the primal Qi, and Shen (spirit) will be preserved. One who attains the Dao and does not die is called an "immortal." The way of the immortals is to respond to all things as an empty valley answers with an echo; this is what Laozi meant by "the valley spirit never dies."

What a person depends upon is Shen (spirit), and what a person encounters is change. "Embracing the One" means holding to the root and returning oneself to unity; the myriad things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang, and so it is said that "the Dao gives birth to One." Even if numbers are extended to tens of thousands, millions, and trillions, they all begin from "One." This chapter aims to circulate widely and to explain the principle thoroughly, like the moon in the water, which appears everywhere. For this reason it is placed as the first chapter.

The original text repeats itself at points such as "this is what Laozi meant by 'the valley spirit never dies'" and "the myriad things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang, and so it is said that the Dao gives birth to One"; here they have been combined and interpreted according to their original meaning.

Observe the Way of Heaven and grasp the laws by which it moves, and the essentials of cultivating the Dao are all contained within it.

The Dao (the Way) of Heaven moves without rest. It neither hoards nor possesses anything, and for this reason the myriad things are able to grow without end. Thus the myriad things have forms that the eye can observe, while the Dao has no form and can only be grasped through contemplative understanding. By it, each thing follows its own nature. One who understands how the Dao of Heaven operates can quietly accord with change, and this is what it means to grasp the laws of the Dao's movement.

To "move" means to change ceaselessly and never to linger. The Dao's movement turns and returns like a pivot. One who holds the center of this cycle can respond to circumstances as they arise, bound to no fixed method. The Dao of Heaven is vast and all-encompassing, embracing the myriad things, and it takes emptiness and stillness as its root. If a person makes the mind like empty space, unobstructed by things, then on meeting them that person accords with the Dao, and the heart remains unmoved. When one meets the myriad things with an empty mind, each receives its fitting response. In this way, the opposition between self and things dissolves, and one can accord with the subtle workings of the Dao.

One who has the capacity to receive the Dao should not rely on subjective conjecture, insist on inevitability, cling to fixed opinions, or hold fast to the self. In acting, one accords with the pivotal moments of nature, and in any situation can find the source. This is how the sage practices Wuwei (non-action), doing nothing contrived and yet leaving nothing unaccomplished. Having achieved this, one can fully preserve and bring out one's own being.

Seen in this light, "observing" means observing one's own mind, not looking with the eyes, and "holding" means holding fast to one's own mind, not seizing with the hands. When the mind has neither deliberate observation nor attached grasping, it can comprehend the Dao of Heaven.

Within the Dao of Heaven there are the "Five Thieves" (five forces that affect the movement, growth, and decline of the myriad things). Those who can perceive them will flourish.

People apply the principles of things in matters of achievement, skill, timing, material goods, and the acquisition and use of life itself. All of these originally belong to the workings of Heaven and Earth; human effort cannot create them out of nothing. Yet Yu the Great excelled at accomplishing great works, Gongshu Ban (a master craftsman of antiquity) excelled at applying skill, Confucius excelled at seizing the right moment, Fan Li excelled at managing wealth, and Lao Peng excelled at preserving life. The "thief" (贼, zei) spoken of here therefore means taking and using. All five understood the Heavenly mechanism (the patterns by which Heaven and Earth operate), and so they were able to cultivate sage-like De (Virtue) within and accomplish kingly undertakings without.

The "Five Thieves" can also be read as a metaphor: in the heavens they correspond to the five planets, on earth to the Five Sacred Peaks, and in the human body to the five viscera. In summary, mastery of the art of the Five Thieves is called "immortality" (xian) in the Daoist tradition and "origin" (yuan) in the Confucian tradition. Seen from afar, they are things outside the self; seen up close, they appear as desires within the heart. When the heart is ruled by inner desire, it is drawn along by external things. Even a person living in the mountains and forests cannot find stillness of mind. This is called "sitting while galloping" (坐驰, zuochi: the body sits in stillness while the spirit races outward), and it causes one to lose one's innate, natural character. Zhuangzi called this condition "burning one's heavenly harmony," that is, disturbing and depleting the natural balance one is born with.

People differ in temperament and taste, and they often value one thing while neglecting another. Trapped in partial views, they cannot respond to situations of endless variety. Only those who can penetrate the principles of things deserve to be called broad in vision. If one can perceive the right moment when acting, one can command external things rather than be commanded by them. When the Dao (the Way) is one's master and one is not shaken by the changes of outer things, then the circumstances before one resemble the metaphor of the Five Thieves: once the heart sees them clearly, it can grasp and use them. Used properly, they become the "Five Virtues"; used improperly, they become the Five Thieves and bring harm.

The Five Thieves exist in the heart and are manifested between Heaven and Earth through action.

The functioning of the "Five Thieves" (wuzei) extends throughout heaven and earth and the human world; there is nowhere they are absent, yet in the end everything comes back to the human heart-mind. Thus the Dao (the Way) dwells within the myriad things, and the heart-mind dwells within the human body. When the Dao is not altered by external things, and the heart-mind is not pulled about by the body, one can stand firm and unshaken. A person who possesses the Dao is therefore able to bring order before disorder arises, and to preserve a state before it falls into peril.

When a single thought stirs in the heart-mind, the hundred spirits move in response. Is Heaven really so far away? How can a thought reach it? The meaning is that wherever the thought arrives, it resonates with Heaven, so where is the distinction between near and far? This passage speaks of the working of the heart-mind.

"The universe lies in the hand; the myriad transformations arise from the body."

What is light and clear rises to become Heaven; what is heavy and turbid sinks to become Earth. The universe is the furthest limit that above and below can reach. Since the universe is vast and boundless, why is it said to be grasped in the hand? Laozi says: "Hold fast to the Great Image, and the world will come to you." This means that one who grasps the great Dao will have the world turn toward them. The "hand" here refers to holding heaven and earth and directing Yin-Yang; the great Dao moves and transforms as if revolving in the palm, and so it is said that "the universe lies in the hand." An immortal also said: "One who knows the mechanism of creation and transformation can hold the sun and moon in the hand and set them within the furnace." This means that one who understands the principles of creation can, as it were, gather the sun and moon into the hand and place them in the furnace. It is like opening a subtle and marvelous gate, which cannot be done without the hand of a skilled craftsman. These statements concern profound and recondite principles, and it is not appropriate to set them out plainly.

"The myriad transformations" is a general term for the changes of all things. To say that the myriad transformations arise from the body is to say that the body is the form and substance of life. Humans are the most spiritually intelligent of all beings; the body gathers the Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth, and the "four great elements" (si da) contained in emptiness are all stored within it. The head is round, symbolizing Heaven; the feet are square, symbolizing Earth; and the person standing between them embodies the harmony and balance of heaven and earth. For this reason the human body is itself a small universe. The Liezi says: "Heaven and earth are, within emptiness, no more than a tiny thing." Is this not because all the transformations of the myriad things can be seen in the human body? By observing oneself, one can know how all things are born and transformed.

"Heaven's nature is the human; the human heart-mind is the mechanism."

The nature of Heaven is manifested in the human being, and the human heart-mind is the pivot that sets transformation in motion.

"Wealth and honor are what people desire; poverty and lowliness are what people...".

Nature is bestowed upon human beings, yet it is the human heart-mind that holds the key to action and change.

Wealth and rank are what people desire; poverty and lowliness are what they loathe. By nature, people love life and hate death, move toward benefit and avoid harm, and all of this is received from Heaven-endowed nature. But pursuing a certain principle, grasping a certain method, or accomplishing a certain task are things gradually acquired through learning. Thus the nature bestowed by Heaven is not something obtained without effort. When one holds a lofty aspiration in the heart, one must cultivate oneself and strive to realize it. Those who look down on such aspiration call it delusion, not realizing that even delusion can become a step toward the Dao (the Way). Therefore, the nature bestowed by Heaven must be put into practice by human beings, and the workings of the heart-mind must be set in motion by the pivotal mechanism within it. When a person is at rest, this shows itself as the heart-mind; when the person moves into action, it shows itself as the working of the mechanism. Moreover, once the Heavenly mechanism is set in motion, a person can enter the Dao through it. How could such a principle be explained to those of narrow vision? From this, one can also see what kind of person is able to comprehend it.

The Way of Heaven is established so that people have something to follow.

The Way of Heaven is tranquil, while the human way is inclined to movement. Human activity corresponds to yang Qi (vital energy), while tranquility accords with yin Qi, the two together forming Yin-Yang. To reach stillness and Wuwei (non-action), and yet to understand the order of things through responding to external stimuli, is the sage's ability to receive things with an empty heart and thereby turn back to examine the self. The human heart-mind is easily agitated but hard to quiet. If one can recognize tranquility and hold fast to it, one can be in accord with the Way of Heaven.

The Way of Heaven is tranquil, while the human way is inclined to movement. Human activity corresponds to yang Qi, while tranquility accords with yin Qi. To reach stillness and Wuwei, and yet to understand the order of things through responding to external stimuli, is the sage's ability to receive things with an empty heart and thereby turn back to examine the self. The human heart-mind is easily agitated but hard to quiet. If one can recognize tranquility and hold fast to it, one can be in accord with the Way of Heaven. Laozi's words, "Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to one's destiny," mean that to return to the root is to be tranquil, and to be tranquil is to return to one's original nature. Only when the heart-mind is first settled can it respond to external things appropriately. Having achieved this, one can fully investigate the principles of things and fully realize one's nature. Therefore, the Way of Heaven is established as the standard for human beings. If a person understands that the Way of Heaven operates in silence, that person can perceive change and dispel the veil of worldly dust. When the heart-mind is like a bright mirror, it can respond to the myriad things without exhaustion and is in accord with the Way of Heaven. Seen in this light, what distant gap could there be between human beings and the Way of Heaven?

When Heaven sets in motion the mechanism of austere killing, dragons and serpents appear upon the earth. When human beings set in motion the mechanism of killing and conquest, the order between Heaven and Earth is overturned. When Heaven and humanity set their mechanisms in motion together, the key to the myriad transformations can be settled.

The patterns by which Heaven and humanity move seem far apart, yet in truth they respond to one another close at hand. To act in accord with the times is to follow Heaven and answer to people. But if one acts rashly before the moment has come, one will never grasp the crux of things or align with the turning of fortune.

Among the four great powers between Heaven and Earth, Heaven occupies the highest position, yet even it does not dare to set changes in motion among humankind at will, lest dragons and serpents suddenly appear. The dragon lies hidden in the water, and the serpent lurks in the marshes. If they no longer conceal themselves and instead emerge in numbers upon dry land, this is a sign that Heaven has set a transformation in motion. If people act without following Heaven's timing, the heavens and earth grow dim, Yin-Yang falls into disorder, and day may even turn into night. This is how Heaven warns people not to act recklessly on their own.

Heaven moves in response to people, and people act in accord with Heaven's timing. If one can recognize the opportune moment and act at the right time, even ghosts and spirits cannot fathom his intentions, and the principles of Yin-Yang cannot perceive the subtlety within. When he issues commands, they will not be in vain. This is called "joint initiation" (he fa, humans and Heaven's timing acting in unison). When a person's mind accords with the Dao (Way) and quietly harmonizes with the Way of Heaven, the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity) each settle into their proper places, and the Five Elders (in Daoist tradition, the celestial sovereigns or deities of the five directions) will also accomplish their work.

Consider how, in ancient times, the eight hundred feudal lords assembled at Mengjin (a place name, an important ancient river crossing). Was this not precisely Heaven and humanity setting things in motion together and answering one another? Those who govern the world should not merely follow old habits but should examine ancient affairs as a mirror, and accumulate merit and good deeds in order to achieve success, so that they do not stray from their purpose. In stillness one may become a sage; in action one may accomplish the work of a king, because one's Dao accords with human affairs and with Heaven's timing. If even Heaven does not oppose such a person, how much less will people? This is the moment when Heaven and humanity respond together.

People's natures differ, some being clever and some plain, yet all of them can be restrained and concealed.

Whether one appears clever or clumsy depends on the person. One may yield for the moment and press forward when the time is right. Such a person watches for the opportunity before acting, keeps their abilities hidden within, and displays them only when the moment is ripe, so that others see only what is shown and never what is concealed. A person like this finds a place where they are at ease, preserves themselves, stays far from harm, and leaves nothing to regret. If someone of deep moral cultivation can do this, what more would need to be added? Hence the saying: "The sharp instruments of a state must not be shown carelessly to others." The most accomplished person looks, if anything, like a clumsy one, tirelessly keeping their abilities concealed; when they finally put those abilities to use in turn, they are all the more valued.

The deviance that arises through the nine orifices of the body (the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and the other openings) lies in three crucial points, and these three can set a person in motion or bring them to stillness.

Earlier sages regarded seeing and hearing, eating and breathing, and urination and defecation as the functions connected with the nine orifices, and they set out three essentials to guard a person's movement and stillness so that one does not lose one's original nature. When a person's Qi (vital energy) disperses into the Great Void, it has no form; when it gathers within the body, it can meet the affairs of life, and so it appears as fitting movement and stillness. Yet it is the heart-mind that governs the whole body. Therefore the phrase "deviance lies in the three essentials" refers to the heart-mind's deviance and its three crucial points, not to the claim that three of the nine orifices, such as the ears, eyes, mouth, and nose, are in themselves the crucial points. One who cultivates Qi and nourishes the heart-mind should straighten the body, straighten the intention, and set the heart-mind right. These are the three essentials for restraining the heart-mind.

A person's movement and stillness are driven by Qi. One must hold fast to one's purpose and not squander Qi at will; one must keep the heart-mind upright and not let deviant thoughts arise. The whole purport of the three hundred poems of the Book of Songs can be summed up in a single phrase: "Thinking without deviance." This truly captures the essential point of inwardly nourishing one's innate nature.

Fire arises from within wood, and once disaster breaks out, it often brings ruinous consequences; if treachery arises within a state, then when circumstances come to a head, the state collapses. One who understands these principles and cultivates accordingly may be called a sage.

Wood can produce fire, but once the fire rises, it in turn consumes the wood; in the same way, once a person takes action, that action may turn back and harm the person. This is the meaning of the fire-and-wood analogy. If people do not understand this principle and store up anger without regulating it, they injure their inner harmony from within and ultimately damage their very lives.

If one can recognize and make use of one's own inherent "natural furnace and cauldron" (a metaphor for taking the body as the foundation of cultivation), and apply effort to oneself, then one's De (Virtue/Power) will return to authenticity. If one can discern the Way of Heaven and model oneself on the great Dao (the Way), one can govern a state so that there are no treacherous ministers at court and one's own conduct is free of falsehood. Even those who stay close to sages and worthies may still become confused and lose the right path; and for those who look up to sages and worthies, how could the distance between them and the sages possibly be as great as that between the lands of Hu and Yue?

Heaven causes the myriad things to grow, and also causes the myriad things to perish; this is the law of the Dao.

When the myriad things come together by chance, this is called "life"; when they depart, this is called "death." Life is like sprouting in spring; death is like withering in autumn. A person's birth is the gathering of a single breath of primal Qi (vital energy); after death, this Qi disperses. Thus the coming and going, the living and dying, of all things and all people have never ceased. This is the state of affairs that arises from the movement of the Dao.

The flourishing and decline of all things, and the birth and death of human beings, are all necessary patterns in the movement of Yin-Yang (Yin-Yang) between Heaven and Earth. The alternation of life and death is understood by ordinary people and sages alike. As long as one does not lose the luminous source of the spirit and is not swayed by the changes of external things, one can accord with the "predecessor of the Imperial Image" (the state of the Dao before the formation of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things); and who could then guess where it comes from, or to whom it belongs? The constant principle of life and death is like falling asleep and waking again, and it has been so since ancient times.

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

To enrich the state is to nourish oneself; to bring peace to the people is to reduce desires.

Heaven and Earth draw upon the myriad things, the myriad things draw upon people, and people in turn draw upon the myriad things. Only when these three modes of mutual drawing are each appropriate can the "Three Powers" (Heaven, Earth, and humanity, together with the myriad things) be at peace.

The final passage of the original contains obvious repetitions and textual corruption; the above has been compiled according to the meanings that could be made out.

Heaven and Earth give birth to the myriad things, some of which grow while others perish. The myriad things in turn draw on the resources of Heaven and Earth, yet they do not thereby cause Heaven and Earth to be born and destroyed anew. Humans draw on the myriad things and so are able to survive, though this also wears the myriad things down. Humans, for their part, depend on the myriad things to sustain themselves. Heaven and Earth, humans, and the myriad things take from one another in turn, and it is through this exchange that change arises in the world. Heaven, Earth, and humanity together with the myriad things are called the "Three Powers" (sancai). They revolve in cycles and keep one another in balance. Hence it is said that when the taking and using among Heaven, Earth, the myriad things, and humanity is harmonious and fitting, the Three Powers are secure.

Therefore it is said: eat in accord with the season, and every part of the body will be properly regulated; grasp the moment at which things turn, and the ten thousand transformations will settle.

The "eating" spoken of here means taking in nourishment in accord with the seasons, and the "moment" means conditions such as the timing of Heaven and the advantages of Earth. If one eats out of season, the body falls ill. If one acts rashly, heedless of the right moment, one's speech too can easily invite danger. The "ten thousand transformations" here refers to the many changes within every state and region. When the ruler is wise, every region is at peace, and when people's hearts are in harmony, all manner of disturbance subsides. The principles of nurturing life and the key to governing the world are thus joined to one another.

People know to call it "Shen" (spirit) when its wondrous workings appear, but they do not know that it is precisely the unseen and inexpressible activity that allows wondrous events to happen.

"Shen" refers to a wondrous function that cannot be fathomed and has no fixed form or trace. It manifests its wondrous effects without knowing why it is wondrous. In this sense, humans and spirit seem to stand apart, one with form and the other without. Yet being and non-being are not absolutely separate, for both arise from the depths of the heart. The heart-spirit can communicate with Heaven and Earth: when it descends into Heaven, it resonates with Heaven, and when it descends into Earth, it resonates with Earth. When sincerity reaches its utmost, the wondrous response answers to the person. Thus Shen has no fixed place. Things respond to things and people respond to people, and the many principles are present everywhere. If one observes with one's own eyes, the Dao (the Way) reveals itself within them, and this is the manifestation of the wondrous function.

The sun and moon move according to fixed measures, and each has its own fixed scale. The accomplishments of the sage in governing the world arise from this, and the wondrous working of the spirits is likewise made manifest through it.

The sun's movement accumulates into a month, and the moon's movement accumulates into a year; twelve months make up one year. When the sun reaches the end of one cycle and the moon reaches the end of a full chronological cycle, they fix the three……

Days accumulate into months, and months accumulate into years. Twelve months make up the cycle of one year. When the sun completes one stage of its course and the moon completes the cycle of the year, 360 days are fixed as one complete year. Because some months are long and others short, the number of days increases or decreases, which reflects the law of the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang (阴阳). For this reason, two intercalary months are added every five years, making up the difference between the calendar and the cycle of Heaven's motion.

The achievements of the sages and the transformations of the divine powers all arise from this and are manifested through it. This is why human destinies differ between the noble and the lowly, the worthy and the foolish. Only those who have attained the Dao (道, the Way) can transcend the limits of the jiazi (甲子, the sexagenary cycle, which records years through the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and represents the cycles of time's passage). The jiazi is the guiding principle of the movement of Heaven and Earth; the achievements of the sages are shaped by it, and the transformations of the divine powers are forged by it.

Heaven and Earth bring forth humankind as the most spirited and refined of all beings, and cause ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, and all other beings to take their proper places and keep to their proper relations. It is said that a sage appears once in a thousand years and a worthy once in five hundred. Is this not the result of divine transformation at work? The Xunzi says: "Heaven and Earth give birth to the noble person, and the noble person brings order to Heaven and Earth." Matters such as elucidating the Way, governing the state, and harmonizing Yin-Yang cannot be accomplished by ordinary people. They are achieved jointly by the sages' accomplishments and the transformations of the divine powers.

As for the "stealing of the mechanism" (盗机, secretly seizing the key to the workings of Heaven and Earth), people under Heaven neither see it nor know of it. When the noble person obtains it, they are able to hold fast to themselves; when the petty person obtains it, they come to hold their own nature and life lightly.

In the original text, the passage on "the noble person governing Heaven and Earth, discussing the Dao and the classics to order the state, and harmonizing Yin-Yang" appears twice; it has been translated here once, according to its full meaning.

"Ji" (機, the key moment or pivot) refers to the crucial point at which gain and loss, or change and transformation, are decided in things. In Heaven and Earth, in the myriad things, and in human affairs and principles, every state of obstruction or flourishing, rise or fall, loss or gain, permissibility or impermissibility, and prosperity or decline is driven by such a pivotal point of change.

Hence "stealing the ji" (盗机) means grasping and putting to use the transformations of creation, as though one held the cosmos in the palm of one's hand. People cannot see why events occur, yet they see that someone has achieved great things; this is precisely because that person has mastered the pivot. Whether one occupies the ruler's seat and fulfills its duties, serves as a minister and carries out one's tasks faithfully, or keeps to one's proper role at home, so long as one grasps this ji and applies it within the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity, together with the myriad things), one can accomplish something.

The ji's effect may be as vast as standing alongside Heaven and Earth, or as fine as a strand of hair. It is neither sunken and still nor murky and manifest. It is like the saying "grind it and it does not thin; dye it and it does not turn black": however often it is ground, it wears no thinner, and however it is dyed, it does not darken. This speaks to the subtle and unfathomable side of the ji. Things in the world that have form can be observed, and people can see them; but "stealing the ji" leaves no visible trace, and the multitude have no means of perceiving it. Therefore, if one plans a secret matter without sufficient care, disaster will follow.

The gentleman who masters it can preserve his own person; the petty person who masters it may hold life itself in contempt. Worldly people, shallow in understanding and with their minds clouded, do not know how to use "stealing the ji." Thus whether one preserves oneself or treats life lightly is what reveals the difference between the gentleman and the petty person.

Chapter on Strengthening the Army and Winning Battles through Expounded Technique: This chapter discusses the strategies and methods for strengthening an army and defeating enemies to secure victory.

Military strength is the foundation that secures a state; it can make a country powerful and must not be allowed to decline. Victory in battle shows that an army is strong enough to withstand formidable enemies. A ruler commands the awesome authority of the three armies, yet he should not use it to subjugate the world, but to preserve stability. The groundwork of a peaceful age likewise cannot do without a strong army. Only an army that can defeat the enemy it meets is truly the army of a state.

The "soldiers of the individual," the rash fighting of those who parade their courage and love a brawl, are not like this. When Laozi speaks of "fine weapons," he means that even excellent arms are instruments of ill omen. They are not the tools a gentleman uses in ordinary times; they are taken up only when there is no alternative, and even then calm and detachment are best. The essence of using troops is to win without regarding the victory as something fine. Those who take war to be a fine thing delight in killing people, and such people can never fulfill their ambitions in the world. An attitude that treats war lightly and relies arrogantly on one's contempt for the enemy may cost a person the most precious foundation of all. Without understanding how to fight well, one loses the true principle. After great campaigns, calamity and poor harvests usually follow.

The Huangting Neijing Jing (Yellow Court Inner Scenery Scripture, a Daoist classic of visualization and life nourishment) says: "If you wish to live long, you must be careful in matters of the bedchamber; if you indulge desire and harm the body, how could the Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) not be damaged?" Such indulgence injures one's nature and life. Only the Yellow Emperor and Old Peng understood how to make proper use of the arts of the bedchamber.

When the "soldiers" within the body and mind come to battle, fear makes the commander easily shaken. One must therefore meet them with the solemn gravity of a funeral rite and restrain them according to principle. Disorder should be governed before it arises, and the state preserved before danger arrives. Once the Yin demons (inner dark and harmful desires) have been conquered, treasures will fill the inner chamber. Yet the scripture immediately warns: "When gold and jade fill the hall, no one can guard them." Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) should understand that the human body also contains such "soldiers," and so must treat them with care.

The blind hear keenly, and the deaf see sharply. A sense faculty that is focused and gathered in one place becomes ten times more effective than in ordinary people; practiced repeatedly three times through day and night, its effect can reach ten thousand times.

People who are deaf, mute, or blind may lack some hearing or sight, yet for that very reason they are not drawn away by external sounds and sights. They turn inward and attend with the mind, and their spirit (Shen) becomes single-pointed. Hence it is said: cut off the channels that scatter one's energy and concentrate on a single place, and the benefit multiplies tenfold; reflect repeatedly and examine deeply, and the benefit can exceed ten thousandfold. People today have intact ears and eyes and all their senses complete, yet they often fail to use their ears and eyes properly, and their focus of mind is worse than that of the deaf and the blind.

The "masters" mentioned here refers to ordinary people. Though their ears and eyes are complete, they are often deluded by external things and cannot listen or look with a settled mind. Do those whose ears and eyes are incomplete gain nothing, then? They observe through the inner mind, as though they had forgotten their ears and eyes, and yet they can still grasp the outer world. The Perfected Person (zhiren, one whose cultivation has reached a profound level) uses the mind like a bright mirror: the heart is clear and impartial, reflecting things without bias, embracing the myriad beings without being swayed by private thoughts.

The mind gives rise to thoughts because of external things, and is also trapped by attachment to them; the key lies in the eyes.

What dwells within and governs the five senses is the mind. The mind is the root of all affairs and all phenomena. Once a person is born, why are they no longer as free of burdens as before birth? Because once there is mind and thought, one is easily driven by it: seeing profit, one acts; seeing fame, one's thoughts stir; one struggles over wealth; seeing beauty, desire arises. These external things pull at the mind and prevent people from living out their natural years, and some even die young. From this we see that people pass through life and death because of the thoughts of the mind; before birth, they had none of these burdens. Laozi said: "Seek only to be fed and warm; do not chase after sounds and sights." This means to cultivate inwardly and not pursue outwardly, lest external things stir the mind into thought.

Yet if one wishes to understand the principles of things and become a sage or worthy, to comprehend the Dao (the Way) and become a Perfected Person, how could one do so apart from the mind? The phrase "the key lies in the eyes" means that a person's mind is within, and it connects with external things through the eyes.

Heaven seems to show no favoritism, yet from this it brings forth vast grace.

The Xuanji (the pivot of celestial movement, as the ancients called it) revolves in endless cycles. The Great Dao (the Way) is by nature empty, still, and formless. It never deliberately bestows favor on any being, yet it naturally brings all things to completion, and this is itself a kind of grace. Thus the myriad things grow and flourish each in their own way, all in accord with the principle of Wuwei (non-action). The work of Heaven and Earth in giving birth to and nurturing the myriad things is the efficacy of transformation and nourishment. Each thing has its own function and achieves its purpose by following the order of the Dao. Heaven never speaks, yet the four seasons proceed as usual and the myriad things grow as usual. Herein lies the principle.

Swift thunder and fierce wind: nothing is left unstirred.

Thunder and wind come with violent force, born of the vigorous Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth. Wind and thunder are the heavenly spirits displaying their might, used to shake and awaken those who act recklessly: they let the decrees of Heaven be carried out above, so that those below dare not stir up disorder. Those who hold virtue in their hearts are at ease and grow better with each passing day; those who harbor deceit toil in mind and body and grow only more clumsy. On hearing the sound of thunder, the false are often uneasy within, while the open-hearted and tranquil remain calm and untroubled. Wind and thunder shake the human heart, so that none fail to feel awe. When thunder first sounds, all beings among the myriad things that have vitality and spirit awaken and are transformed in response.

True joy allows one's inborn nature to be fulfilled; true stillness makes one's conduct upright.

The "nature" spoken of here is the original nature that arises spontaneously within the human heart. When this nature is fulfilled, one obtains true joy. Stillness is the root of nature, and when one reaches utmost stillness, one's conduct becomes upright. If one lets go of everything and clings to nothing, external things will not entangle one's life between movement and rest. What people hold precious lies in integrity and purity, not in the pursuit of pleasure. Therefore, true joy allows the Shen (spirit) to flow freely; clarity and stillness are the foundation for receiving the Dao. Purity and tranquility thus become the chief principle for practicing the Way in the world.

The Way of Heaven seems to show partiality, yet in its application it is utterly impartial.

The Way of Heaven seems distant, yet it embraces the private feelings of all things. The human way is close at hand, yet it judges every matter by public principle, and nothing escapes it. What the Way of Heaven embraces is simply its own operation; what the human way cannot let pass is whatever public principle must deal with. In sum, are the utmost private and the utmost public separated only by a single thought? From the standpoint of the Dao (the Way), the Way of Heaven may seem open to defiance, but once we descend to the human world, only public principle cannot be concealed. Why is this so? The Dao puts goodness to use, and so it can accomplish the tolerance of Heaven's Way; public principle governs by established norms, and so people cannot evade it. If the utmost public principle were not carried out among the common people, the human way would be deficient; if the Way of Heaven did not embrace the utmost private matters, the laws by which all things move would likewise be deficient. To guide people through public and private is to teach them about good and evil. Thus a ruler who grasps this principle can fulfill the way of the ruler, and a minister who grasps it can fulfill the way of the minister. Only then can customs be transformed and habits changed. A practitioner of the way of governance who understands this can employ the "private" side within the heart, which is what is meant by "the bent becomes whole" (one who knows how to bend and yield in dealing with the world ends up preserving oneself).

The key to mastering the birds lies in Qi (vital energy).

A creature with two feet and feathers is called a "bird." Here "bird" also stands for the heart, which corresponds, in the symbolism of the Five Phases (Wuxing), to the Vermilion Bird (the divine bird of the south). People have breath and emotions, and joy, anger, sorrow, and delight, as well as every choice and judgment, are all swayed by them; such displays show that the heart has not yet been properly regulated. When Qi leans toward Yang, one is easily moved to joy; when it leans toward Yin, one is easily moved to anger. But can Qi truly be controlled? Qi is what the heart tends toward, and it is the "horse" that good and evil ride; some call it the "horse of intent" (a metaphor for the restless, galloping mind). All these sayings speak of the interplay between Qi and the heart. The crux is how the heart turns. One who is skilled at regulating Qi first settles the heart, and in doing so gains the methods of tending the breath and nourishing the spirit. When joy and anger do not alter one's countenance, and fortune and adversity do not alter one's integrity, the heart already has a master. What then is there to be moved by slander or praise? Remaining unshaken by the changes of external things is the highest attainment in governing the emotions.

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

The cycle of human life and death goes on without pause, like day and night. Life is the root of death, and death in turn gives rise to new life. [Note: At this point the original text repeats several lines from the preceding passage about the heart having a master and not shifting with external things, and then the line "Life is the root of death; death is the root of life" appears again.]

Life and death are both determined by a person's own causes and conditions, like day and night alternating without end. Life is the root of death: whatever is born must die. Death, in turn, is the root of new life: when this life ends, rebirth must follow. Emerging and vanishing without rest, beings sink into the six paths of reincarnation, so how could they ever stop being born and stop dying? Is there, then, anything to debate about life and death? In truth, there is not. The sages of antiquity placed the question of life and death beyond heaven and earth; they expounded it but did not argue over it.

"Not giving life to life" means no longer falling into the life of reincarnation. One sheds this bodily form, attains the Dao (the Way) and becomes a Perfected being, and the spirit returns to stillness and merges with emptiness. One then enters Wuwei (non-action, the state of accordance with the Way and of nothing forced), transcends the Three Realms (the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm), and takes a place among the Perfected Immortals. What further life could there be after that?

There are also those who are born and must die, yet do not die. Following their unfettered and carefree nature, they take in hanxie (the dew-vapor of the night), breathe wind and drink dew, practice bigu (abstaining from grain) and nourish themselves on the rosy mists of dawn and dusk, thereby strengthening the physical body. They then accumulate three thousand merits and complete eight hundred good deeds. When merit and conduct are fulfilled, they can ascend in a single moment, roam through Daluo Heaven (the highest heaven in Daoism), and meet with the Perfected Immortals. Since they depart with the body intact, how could there be death?

Where death is followed by rebirth, life and death never cease. Laozi said, "The reason I have great suffering is that I have a body; when I have no body, what suffering can I have?" This means being no longer governed by the cycle of birth and death. Ordinary people do not act this way. They never find their way out of the road of life and death, and so they fall into reincarnation.

Kindness arises from harm, and harm arises from kindness.

Bestowing benefit on others is called kindness, and injuring others is called harm. Yet kindness and harm are not fixed; the two may turn into each other. One who cultivates the Dao first wearies the sinews and bones, and makes the temperament still and plain, reaching tranquility through action. The original text appears to have a gap in its sequence of thought at this point, and it then repeats the line "kindness arises from harm, and harm arises from kindness."

Giving a benefit to others is called "grace," and harming others is called "harm," yet the grace and harm spoken of here are reversed. One who cultivates the Dao (the Way) must first exhaust the sinews and bones through labor and make the temperament austere, bitter, and withered. Through action, such a person attains stillness; dwelling in obscurity, such a person seeks illumination. This lies only a short distance from the great Dao. Thus those who remain in solitude for a long time and finally enter the realm of the sage are people who obtained grace from harm.

"Grace is born of harm" means this: when people are wealthy and honored, they indulge their conduct and let desire drive them, never knowing how to cultivate themselves. When life comes to an end, neither the spirits nor the sages will lift them up, and their shen (spirit) is scattered to every sort of place. Is this not a cause for sorrow? Therefore the two paths of grace and harm must not be left without careful examination.

The foolish take the patterns of heaven and earth to be sacred; I draw wisdom from the patterns of circumstance and of things.

Those who are dark and ignorant, whose minds are closed and whose clarity has not opened, are called "foolish." The foolish do not broadly understand things, do not grasp principles, and do not follow instruction. For this reason, they cannot know what heaven and earth are, or what principle the patterns embody. When they see the patterns of heaven and earth, they consider them sacred, without knowing the reasons behind them.

I draw wisdom from the patterns of circumstance and of things because "to know others is to be wise." Moreover, "wisdom" means insight. Only after understanding oneself can one go on to know things broadly, discern principles, and judge right from wrong; this is the application of wisdom. All planning and strategy are contained within it: if one wishes for wealth and honor, one plans for wealth and honor; if one wishes for long life, one plans for long life. In this way, the laws of circumstance and of things are all within one's grasp and answer to one's direction. Could this not be the power of the great Dao? To grasp the patterns of circumstance and of things and to take them as wisdom is the sign of a complete embodiment of Dao and De (Virtue/Power).

The Yellow Emperor's Elaboration on the Yinfu Jing

This Elaboration was composed by the Yellow Emperor. The Yinfu Jing (scripture) is terse in wording yet far-reaching in intent, profound in meaning and subtle in principle. The author continues the intent of the scripture and develops its meaning at length, so that later learners who read these words may broadly grasp the main purport of the scripture.

The wise examine things by means that seem foolish and clumsy; I take not being foolish as wisdom. Others hope to obtain its meaning from it, but I do not aim for it to become a teaching regarded as sagely and enlightened.

Those who hold the Dao (the Way) conceal their traces, which is what is meant by "great wisdom that appears as foolishness." They harmonize Heaven and humanity so that no barrier remains between them, and in doing so they practice the art of Hundun-shi (the Primordial Chaos, a symbol of the ancient state before Heaven and Earth were divided, when all was one undifferentiated whole). Inwardly such a person holds the wisdom of sages and philosophers, yet outwardly appears no different from the common and unlearned. In this way they withdraw from the world and become one whose great wisdom looks like foolishness. They harmonize Heaven and humanity so that nothing separates the two; this is the art of Hundun-shi. Inwardly they hold the heart of a sage, yet outwardly they walk the path of the simple and the vulgar, living in seclusion like a useless tree that is left alone to live out its full years. This is a principle that only the wise can perceive.

When I say that they are not foolish, this is the Yellow Emperor mocking through irony. These people feared passing through life unknown, and so the great power of creation and transformation sent down its numinous refinement upon the people, making them sages and philosophers who would spread kindness widely and bring blessing to the world. Now that they have withdrawn and decline to take office, is that not a noble thing? Laozi's words, "When merit is achieved and fame is won, withdraw oneself; this is the Way of Heaven," speak of exactly this principle. The sage hopes that Heaven will bring forth a sage, and that a worthy minister will then assist him. Consider how Gaozong dreamed of Fu Yue (a worthy minister of the Shang dynasty): was it simply that Gaozong had a dream, or that Fu Yue truly appeared? Was it Heaven that caused events to unfold in this way? I say "no expectation" because one must observe the natural Way and bring the heart into accord with the mandate of Heaven: never seeking advancement by improper means, and always acting in keeping with the right moment. In this way, the worthy need not envy the foolish, and the sage need not wait upon external things. This is to grasp the Way of Heaven, so that neither Yin-Yang nor ghosts and spirits can perceive its subtle mystery.

To sink into water or throw oneself into fire is to bring about one's own destruction.

The yang within yin is called fire, and the yin within yang is called water. Fire corresponds to the Li trigram, and water to the Kan trigram. The Gate of the Mysterious Female (the Daoist term for the source from which all things are born) is the root of Heaven and Earth, and also the foundation of the human social order. The affairs of men and women, and the principles of ghosts and spirits, are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

To sink into water or throw oneself into fire is to bring about one's own destruction.

The yang within yin is called fire, and the yin within yang is called water; fire corresponds to the Li trigram, and water to the Kan trigram. The Gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth, and the foundation of the human social order and of the relations between men and women. The passions and desires of human nature cannot be wholly eliminated; the key lies in restraining them. Thus water and fire are used as metaphors to show that lead and mercury (two symbolic substances in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy) should be harmonized, and that the tiger and the dragon (symbols in Neidan that complement one another) should be joined. If one lets indulgence run unchecked, one will almost certainly damage one's own treasure.

Because the Way of Nature is clear and still, Heaven, Earth, and all things are able to come into being.

"If I do not act rashly, the people will be transformed of their own accord; if I love stillness, the people will naturally become upright. This is what it means to accord with the Dao (the Way) of nature. Heaven and Earth are the parents of the myriad things, yet they do not deliberately set out to bring them forth and nourish them; how much less do the myriad things do so for themselves? "The myriad things" is a general name for everything that receives the support of the Dao, and it is also the natural state in which the substance of the Dao appears, which is why the myriad things are able to come into being.

As the principles by which Heaven and Earth operate gradually unfold, the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang (yin and yang) becomes apparent. Heaven bestows and Earth transforms and gives birth, and the benefit that Heaven and Earth bring is without limit. The Way of Heaven leans toward stillness, and the Way of Earth leans toward movement; if movement and stillness lose their proper measure, the myriad things will undergo change.

As the principles by which Heaven and Earth operate gradually unfold, the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang becomes apparent. Heaven bestows and Earth transforms and gives birth, and the benefit that Heaven and Earth bring is without limit. The Way of Heaven leans toward stillness, and the Way of Earth leans toward movement; if movement and stillness lose their constancy, the order of Yin-Yang will fall into disarray. Heaven and Earth are so vast, and yet they cannot exceed their own limits; how then could human beings overstep the bounds of propriety?

Yin and Yang push and shift against each other, and change follows fixed patterns. The two kinds of Qi (vital energy) between Heaven and Earth are called Yin-Yang; they shift and transform within the myriad things, and so all the changes of the myriad things arise by following the cycles of Yin-Yang. The alternation of day and night, the movement of firmness and softness, the succession of life and death, the turning of cold and heat, and the flow and transformation of all things are all part of the constant order of how things are. Nothing can escape the measures of Yin-Yang; everything in the depths of Heaven and Earth that is profound and unfathomable is molded and shaped by Yin-Yang.

Therefore the sage understands that the Way of nature cannot be defied, and so acts in accordance with its patterns. The Way of nature does not contend with the myriad things; the sage knows it cannot be defied because it has its own constant principles. Thus humans take Earth as their model, Earth takes Heaven as its model, Heaven takes the Dao as its model, and the Dao takes naturalness as its model. How, then, could anyone still go against the Way of nature?

When the Dao reaches the realm of ultimate stillness, neither musical pitches nor the calendar can correspond to it. Pitches and calendars are used to measure things that follow regular patterns, while the ultimate stillness of the Dao goes beyond such measurement. Human beings dwell within the workings of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water); if they cannot grasp the principles at work in them, how can they transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred? If one can penetrate the ultimate Dao, how could it be measured by pitches and calendars? To accord with the Way of nature, one must keep the mind empty and free of rash action, while being inwardly full; only then can one speak of the depth and essential meaning of the Dao. If the mind still harbors cunning and calculation, one is far indeed from the Dao."

How can one examine the Dao of nature? Only by achieving "an empty heart and a full belly" (xuxin shifu), with no scheming or stray thoughts lodged in the mind, can one begin to discuss the essential meaning of the Dao. If even a trace of a calculating mind remains, one is already far from the Dao.

The "marvelous vessel" (qiqi) refers to the essential substance that receives life and gives form to the body. The Dao bestows its appearance, and Heaven bestows its physical shape; once formed, it possesses its own spiritual luminosity. All the myriad phenomena, it is said, can be found complete within a single person's body and mind.

The Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and the sexagenary cycle (jiazi) hold wondrous patterns of change, subtle and difficult to fathom. The "art of Yin-Yang mutual overcoming" (yinyang xiangsheng zhi shu) is the principle by which Yin-Yang wax, wane, and transform into one another; these principles are clearly revealed in the changes of all things.

The Bagua (Eight Trigrams, the eight basic images that symbolize the changes of heaven, earth, and all things) and the Jiazi (the sexagenary system that records years and hours through the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches) embody the pivot of the spirits' transformations and conceal the mysteries of how ghosts and spirits change. Only ghosts and spirits are able to wield this pivot and grasp its hidden workings.

Thus the Dao (the Way) can give birth to the myriad things, and there is nothing that does not possess the Dao, and no one who has not received it. The Bagua and Jiazi are the pivot on which heaven and earth turn, and also the means by which ghosts and spirits manifest their wondrous functions. Looking toward it, one sees no boundary; probing into it, one finds no center. When it exists, it has no fixed position; when it appears, it has no fixed form. This is the principle set forth in the Yinfu Jing. The scripture restates the mutual transformation of Yin-Yang: all things possess the Dao, and every person receives it. The Bagua and Jiazi embody the pivot of heaven and earth and the wondrous functions of the spirits, vast without limit and profound without form. This passage of the text contains some repetition.

The scripture goes on to say that the law by which Yin and Yang restrain and transform one another is the key to life itself. Later figures such as Jiankeng (the legendary long-lived Pengzu) and Master Rongcheng also understood this. "Zhaozhao" means being perfectly clear. To grasp still further the changes of the hexagram images is like the line "a withered poplar bears blossoms" in the ninth-fifth line of the Daguo hexagram, which points to the special spark of life that arises within the changes of Yin-Yang.

If one can comprehend the signs of the waxing and waning of hexagram qi (the Qi, or vital energy, embodied in the hexagram images), perceive the subtlest points in the rise and fall of its movements, understand how to use the ding vessel (in Neidan, or internal alchemy, a metaphor for the implements used to refine and nourish body and mind), and nourish Jing (essence) and Qi while circulating the breath, then one can master the law of mutual restraint between Yin and Yang. Laozi said: "The ancients who were skilled in cultivating the Dao were subtle, mysterious, and penetrating, and their depth could not be fathomed." He was speaking of precisely this essential path.

Afterward, one follows the line images to judge advance and retreat, so that movement and stillness accord with the hexagrams: the Li hexagram receives Yang and displays form, while the Kan hexagram receives Yin and takes shape as substance. This is what is meant by "one Yin and one Yang is called the Dao." To carry it on and continue its generation is goodness; to receive it and complete the nature of each thing is nature. This is the subtle meaning of the Yinfu Jing. Without the capacity of the high perfected and supreme immortals, who could comprehend it? Those who study it may take it to heart, but cannot receive it through words alone, just as ordinary people use the Dao every day without knowing that they are using it.