《黄帝阴符经集解(赤松子等)》

In the title Huangdi Yinfu Jing Jijie (Collected Commentaries on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman), "Huang" (Yellow) denotes the color of the center, and "Di" (Emperor) denotes the ruler. The center governs the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), just as a ruler governs the myriad things. "Yin" (hidden) is the root of nature and life, and "Fu" (talisman) is the essential credential of life; this is the meaning of "Yinfu." According to the scripture, one may turn inward to cultivate the self, or turn outward to govern the family and the state, and so come to understand Heaven and Earth and command all quarters. The immortals and realized ones of every age have practiced in accordance with this principle, and in the end reached the realm of Wuwei (non-action).

Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) says in his eulogy: "Know that the Heavenly number five returns to the center, and the center belongs to yellow; the Emperor is the heart of the original, primordial law. The realized ones all understood the principles of the Yinfu, and so they could govern the state, cultivate the self, and enter the sacred realm."

The Realized One Cao says in his Qingxiao Le (Song of the Azure Heavens): "The heart is like a ruler, symbolizing the yellow of the center. If the spirit's workings are free of selfishness, the Way of the sovereign will flourish. Yin is the root of nature and life, and lead is a precious substance for cultivation. When one's name is recorded in the Heavenly Treasure registry, the talisman of one's destiny reveals its yang nature. The scripture hands down its teaching and opens a door of expedient means for practice, universally rescuing deluded beings like a great ship. Once practice is complete and accomplished, the Ten Isles of the immortals will be one's home."

"Shenxian Baoyi Yandao Zhang" (Chapter on the Immortals' Embracing Unity and Expounding the Dao): this is the title of the lower section. "Baoyi" (embracing unity) means holding fast to the Dao and returning the spirit to single-minded focus; "Yandao" (expounding the Dao) means elucidating the Dao.

Patriarch Lü (Lü Zhenren) said: "Heaven's one gives birth to water, and Earth's two gives birth to fire." In the human body, this corresponds to Jing (essence), the vital essence that forms the very foundation of human life. Shen (spirit) is born from the Dao (the Way), while the physical form takes Jing as its root. If one guards Jing and Shen and does not let them dissipate, and unites body and mind with the profound Dao, then Jing and Shen can merge and never part. Use Jing to gather Shen, and use Shen to command Qi (the vital energy spoken of in Daoism). By refining Shen until it accords with the Dao, one can endure as long as Heaven and Earth.

Hence the Daodejing (Dao De Jing) says: "Can you embrace the One and not be separated from it?" It also says: "Embracing the One, one can become the model for the world." In ancient times, Guangchengzi admonished the Yellow Emperor: "Do not overtax your body, do not squander your Jing and Qi, reduce your thoughts and restrain your desires, and only then can you attain long life." This is the very heart of the immortals' practice of "embracing the One" (concentrating the Shen and guarding the Jing, so that body and mind are unified).

Ge Xianweng (the Immortal Ge) praised it, saying: "When Chaos first opened, Heaven and Earth came into being; assisting the work of creation, they established Qian and Kun. If a student of the Dao wishes to seek the way of long life, the Supreme One holds within it one's true nature, and this is the genuine root." Cui Minggong, in his poem to the tune of "Immortal by the River" (Linjiangxian), wrote: "One Qi is the numinous source of life; concentrate your heart on guarding the profound true nature. In the deep and silent obscurity lies the root essence. Those who attain the Dao first devote themselves to the root; once the root is established, the foundation of the Dao will be accomplished. A pearl hidden within the oyster adds radiance to the scenery of rivers; fine jade concealed within stone makes the mountains more beautiful. Why can Heaven and Earth endure? It is because they embrace Dao and De (Virtue), remaining pure and tranquil through countless kalpas."

To observe the patterns of the Heavenly Dao and to follow its movement is to grasp the essential key to everything.

Zhongli said: The Great Dao (Way) has no form; it cannot be seen with the eyes or heard with the ears. The Great Dao has no name; it cannot be measured by any standard of measurement or calculation. The myriad things rely on the Dao to take shape, and then receive names according to their forms. The greatest of these names is Heaven and Earth. By observing the positions of above and below in Heaven and Earth, one can grasp the high and low of the Dao; by observing the cycles in which Yin-Yang (yin and yang) conclude and begin their movement, one can grasp the sequence of the Dao's operation.

At the winter solstice, Yang qi (vital energy) rises from beneath the earth. Five days make one "pentad" (hou), and three pentads make one "qi period" (an ancient unit for dividing the seasons). After six such periods, the spring equinox arrives. At this point Yang qi has entered the yang position; after another six periods it reaches the summer solstice, when Yang qi ascends to Heaven and, having reached its limit, gives birth to Yin qi. Yin qi is dim and deeply hidden, embracing Yang qi as it travels downward. At the summer solstice, Yin qi descends from Heaven; after six periods it reaches the autumn equinox, when Yin qi enters the yin position. After another six periods it arrives at the winter solstice, when Yin qi sinks beneath the earth and, having reached its limit, gives birth to Yang qi. Within a state of obscurity that can hardly be grasped, Yang qi bears Yin qi upward. Because the rising and falling of Yin-Yang never departs from its constant course, Heaven and Earth are able to endure for a long time.

Human beings are born by receiving spiritual nature, and take their stand in life by relying on the Dao. If one can model oneself on Heaven and embody the Dao, and use the heart and kidneys to harmonize Yin-Yang, one can accord with the order of movement between above and below in Heaven and Earth. Practitioners compare the qi and fluids within the body to the rising and falling of Yin-Yang, using one day to imitate one year and one double-hour to imitate one month. Following the proper methods and seasonal timing, they nourish life and carry out their practice, so that Yin-Yang unite without losing their proper course, and they may then become as firm and enduring as Heaven and Earth.

"Grasping" (zhi) means to hold fast. To observe the Way of Heaven and hold to its norms, and to act in accordance with the seasons, is to bring all affairs to completion. Hence it is said: "Observe the Way of Heaven, and grasp the principles by which the Way of Heaven operates," and the whole truth lies within these words.

Chisongzi praised it, saying: Heaven's Way does not speak, yet it sets the four seasons in motion; clouds travel and rain falls, and the myriad things are nourished by it. Discern the subtle signs of the heavens, and follow the decrees of Heaven's Way; embody and emulate this principle, and the cultivation of truth will accord with the essential secrets of the sages.

Liu Haichan wrote in "Before the Pavilion, the Willow": The Way of Heaven moves by the qi of Qian's primal origin, covering and sheltering the myriad things without partiality, while the constellations hang bright in the sky. At the winter solstice, Yang qi is born from within the earth; at the summer solstice, Yin fluid descends from Heaven. The essence of sun and moon travels back and forth, driving the celestial bodies to revolve through the void. To embody the Dao and observe the heavens, one must understand the four seasons and eight nodes of the year, and study their essentials deeply. In practice, use one day to imitate one year; at the hour of Zi (midnight), advance the fire and carry out the work, at times adding mercury and drawing off lead (alchemical terms referring to regulating the Yin-Yang essence and qi within the body), until the great medicine of the Golden Elixir is refined, and only then may one be called an immortal.

Heaven has Five Thieves; those who see them clearly will flourish.

Chisongzi said: the "Five Thieves" refer to the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). In the heavens they correspond to the five planets; in the human body, to the five organs; in the eyes they appear as the five colors, and in the ears as the five sounds. They also include the five odors the nose perceives, the five flavors the tongue tastes, the various sensations the body feels, and the countless desires and fixations of the mind. All of these may be called the "Five Thieves." A "thief" is whatever causes harm. The qi (vital energy) of each of the Five Phases has its own function of generating and of withering. To accord with them brings good fortune; to oppose them brings misfortune. When the seasons of heaven are in harmony, the four seasons move in concert and the world is peaceful and abundant; when they go awry, war, famine, flood, drought, locusts, and plague may arise. In the human being, the key to the Five Thieves lies in the heart. When the heart is upright, a person is gentle, benevolent, sincere, and clear, and their actions bring good fortune. When the heart is disordered, a person becomes obstinate and violent, fierce and impatient, unrestrained and defiled, and their actions bring misfortune. Here, "to see" means to perceive and awaken to understanding. One who can see these principles clearly will find body and mind at peace and in good health. Hence it is said: "Heaven has Five Thieves; those who see them clearly will flourish."

Liu Haichan's verse says: the workings of the Five Thieves extend in all directions, linked respectively to Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, and Earth at the center. If one can eliminate strife and perversity, warfare will be quelled, and the world will enjoy lasting peace and prosperity.

Cui Minggong's Su Mu Zhe says: the mechanism of the Five Thieves has neither form nor shadow, yet it makes living beings suffer, devouring one another from age to age. Among the five organs, when one is deficient, another may become relatively excessive; the body weakens as a result, and the root of this lies in an overabundance of Yin qi. When the spleen qi is strong, one should nourish the kidneys. Greed, ignorance (wuming, not understanding the nature of things), deceit, and jealousy should all be eliminated. When one sees that the five skandhas (the five categories of factors that constitute human physical and mental experience) are all empty, one can make Nature and Life (xing and ming) secure and enduring, continuing without end like Heaven itself.

The Five Thieves reside in the heart, and they also manifest between heaven and earth through human action.

Zifang said: the "Five Thieves" are the thief of fate, the thief of things, the thief of merit, the thief of time, and the thief of spirit. They lie hidden in the heart, without form or trace. If one can perceive and comprehend them, this is called "illumination in accord with naturalness" (zhaoliao ziran, clearly discerning the principles of nature). In this way one can settle the Shen (spirit), harmonize the breath, and clear away obstruction; when one's conduct follows the laws of nature, one accords with the Dao (the Way) of Heaven.

The workings of the universe seem to be held in one's hand, and the transformations of all things seem to arise from oneself.

Liu Haichan said: "The 'earlier moment' refers to the thieving spirits. The Five Thieves lie hidden within the human heart, subtle and hard to see. If a person can perceive and understand them, this is called "illuminating and realizing the natural" (that is, understanding the principles of nature). In this way, Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) become settled and harmonious, and all affairs proceed smoothly without obstruction. When one acts in accordance with the patterns of nature (the regularities of its movement), one can unite with the Way of Heaven.

The laws governing the cosmos can be held in one's hand, and the transformations of all things can arise from within oneself.

Liu Haichan said: First observe the Way of Heaven, then understand the Five Thieves, and apply this understanding in action, so that one's own being accords with the mandate of Heaven. Though the universe is vast, it does not lie beyond one's grasp; though the transformations of all things are many, they all arise from oneself. The verse of Master Lü says: when the state of the heart is clear and bright, one's actions can accord with the signs of Heaven; the principles of firmness and softness in heaven and earth are held in the hand, and the generation of all things lies within oneself. Master Shi, in his Bu Suanzi poem, says: when the heart is clear and lucid, the Five Thieves are all dispelled; as the Way of Heaven moves, one moves along with it, and preserving life brings long endurance. Grasp the pivot of heaven and earth's movement, and the heart understands principle and is at peace; the generation of all things lies within oneself, and by holding to the "One" (the fundamental unified Dao spoken of by Daoists), one can reach the realm of the sacred.

Heaven's endowed nature is the nature that humans receive; the human heart is the pivot of its use and activation. To establish the standard of the Way of Heaven is to settle the human heart.

Cui Minggong said: Heavenly nature and the human heart originally come from a single source. The Way of Heaven is empty, still, and formless, clear and tranquil, and the human heart should be the same. Because the two share the same origin, the scripture uses "heavenly nature" as a metaphor for the human heart, indicating that the heart should be brought into accord with the pivot of the Way of Heaven. This is the meaning of "establishing the standard of the Way of Heaven in order to settle the human heart."

Cui Minggong says: Heaven's endowment of nature to the myriad things and the human heart share a single origin. The Way of Heaven (Dao) is empty, still, formless, clear, and silent, and the human heart has this same source. The scripture borrows the image of "Heaven's nature" to illustrate the "human heart," guiding the heart to accord with the principle by which the Dao of Heaven operates.

The root of establishing the Way of Heaven lies in Yin-Yang; the root of establishing the human way lies in benevolence and righteousness. Benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness, together with delight in doing good without slackening, are called the "Heavenly Rank" (tianjue), the nobility a person earns through virtue (De). First cultivate this Heavenly Rank and accumulate good deeds; then observe the Dao of Heaven and accumulate merit. To reach the realm where merit becomes subtle and profound, nothing matters more than holding to "Embracing the One" (baoyi), that is, single-mindedly guarding the root.

Zifang says: The "Heaven's nature" of the scripture refers to the innate nature a person receives from Heaven, while the "human heart" is like a pivot-mechanism that sets the myriad things in motion. The scripture does not state directly that "the human heart is Heaven." It means to show that all things are set in motion by this pivot and all return to it.

The Perfected Xu's verse says: Heaven transforms human beings out of its nature, and Heaven's nature and the human heart form one numinous whole. When good deeds are complete and merit is full, one may be enrolled among the immortals in the Southern Palace (the dwelling of immortals and perfected beings in Daoist tradition).

Ge Xianweng's Moon over the West River says: The great Dao has no form or appearance, yet it gives birth to Heaven, Earth, and humanity. The human heart and Heaven's nature are equally numinous; tranquil, plain, and free of rash action (Wuwei) is the root. The highest practitioners observe the Dao of Heaven and walk according to it; having attained the Dao, why would they fear the changes of morning and evening? When good works are complete, auspiciousness arrives, and the Seven Ancestors (seven generations of forebears) are also lifted up and enter a wondrous realm.

When the Dao of Heaven sets in motion its mechanism of severity and killing, dragons and snakes rise from their hidden places onto the earth. If a person sets in motion a mechanism of slaughter and conquest, the order of Heaven and Earth too will undergo an upheaval as if turned upside down.

Zifang said: In the workings of the Heavenly Dao (Dao, the Way), growth and severity both follow the proper moment and never arise at random. The "killing" spoken of here refers to Yang qi (Qi, vital energy) taking on a stern, withering aspect as it shifts with Yin qi; the "mechanism" is simply adapting to the moment and changing with it. At the spring equinox, for example, four parts of Yang qi are rising while two parts of Yin qi are waning. The Heavenly Dao then issues its command: thunder sounds and shakes the depths of the earth, startling all things awake. Dragons, snakes, and other creatures lying dormant underground all emerge onto the surface. This is the Heavenly Dao setting in motion its mechanism of severity.

Foolish people do not understand the Heavenly Dao. They act recklessly, greedy for profit and fame, bringing ruin upon others and harm to all things. The Heavenly Dao answers them with calamity, so that disaster and turmoil descend upon them. This is what is meant by "Heaven and Earth overturn."

Liu Haichan said: "The passage from 'Heaven's nature is the human' to 'by which the human is settled' speaks of the constant principle of the Dao; the passage from 'Heaven sets in motion the killing mechanism' to 'Heaven and Earth overturn' speaks of the Dao's transformations. The constant principle teaches people to grasp the way of firmness and softness and so establish themselves; transformation teaches them to regulate Yin-Yang (Yin-Yang) and accord with the moment."

Master Shi's eulogy says: Thunder sounds and Heaven's might is revealed, startling the dormant dragons and snakes, and all things revive together. This is the subtle mechanism of creation and transformation; one who can understand this principle will be in accord with the Dao, profound and formless.

Master Xu's eulogy says: When people act recklessly, calamity soon follows; overthrow and ruin all come from harming living beings. Those who lost their states and homes in grief have still not awakened to the lesson even now. The Golden Valley Garden and the Zhanghua Terrace were both places once flourishing and later fallen into decay.

Master Lü's Lin Jiang Xian says: The sun's shadow moves and the seasonal periods shift; the four Yang lines of the Fu hexagram reach the spring equinox. Heaven's might stirs all things with thunder, the dragons and snakes come out onto the earth, and the dormant creatures awaken and revive. How could shallow people grasp the intent of the Heavenly Dao? They busy themselves only with seeking profit and rank. They ensnare others, injure all things, and destroy living beings, leaving behind a calamity that cannot be undone, and in the end they bring themselves to overthrow and ruin.

Heaven and humanity act in mutual resonance, and together they establish the foundation of the transformation of all things.

Master Xu (许真人) said: "When Heaven attains the One (the origin of all things and the root of their unity), it becomes clear and bright; when a person attains the One, they are able to live. The mechanisms by which Heaven and humanity operate are interconnected, and the principles by which the myriad things are created and transformed are no different. Hence it is said that when Heaven and humanity respond to one another and move in concert, this accords with the pivot of the great Dao (道, the Way). When a person's heart-mind is in harmony with the Way of Heaven, the entanglements of the world settle and grow still within it. Hence it is said that the myriad transformations all find a stable foundation.

People's natures differ, some being quick and clever, others slow and dull, yet all of these can be gathered in and concealed."

Cao Daochong said: Creation and transformation (zaohua, the working by which Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad things) is the most skillful of all, yet one cannot see how it operates, and on the surface it even seems clumsy. The Jing (scripture) says: "The human nature has its skill and its clumsiness, and both can be gathered in and concealed." The Laozi says: "The greatest skill appears as clumsiness." The two sayings carry the same meaning.

Master Shi said: Only the sage sets the pivotal mechanism in motion and accords with the Dao (the Way), and so the ten thousand transformations come to rest naturally within the heart. For this reason, the sages exhaust the principles of things, fully illuminate their nature, and unite with the Dao in truth. Thus it is said: "Be upright without wounding others, be incorruptible without piercing them; be straight without being unrestrained, be bright without dazzling; seek no praise, accept no slander, and cling to no right or wrong; at times rise like a dragon, at times lie hidden like a snake, changing naturally with the circumstances; at times ascend, at times descend, taking harmony as the measure." They move above the myriad things and roam freely in the realm of the Dao and De (Virtue), so how could they be burdened by external things? This is returning to the root and going back to the source of one's nature. Hence it is said that the human nature has its skill and its clumsiness, and both can be gathered in and concealed.

The hymn of Master Zhongli says: When Heaven and humanity act in unison, the mind is thereby stilled; returning to one's destined life and going back to the root is the very moment of exhausting one's nature. Erase your traces and gather in your radiance, cultivating De; conceal the primal fire (the original Qi, or the fire of life within), and hold to a state of softness and humility.

Master Lü's poem to the tune "Wangjiangnan" says: The Dao of Heaven is profound, and creation and transformation follow the four seasons. When the time is right, one may leap from the abyss, like the rising of Yang Qi in the second lunar month; when the time has not yet come, one should withdraw and keep oneself hidden, like the careful self-restraint of the autumn equinox, and so avoid misfortune. The calendar and the signs of the heavens show this clearly. One should observe these patterns and bring one's own actions into accord with the seasons of Heaven. In daily life, distinguish the hours by the hexagram lines, just as one watches the water clock (an ancient timekeeping device) to know the time; if you are not disturbed by the myriad affairs, the Shen (spirit) will be settled. When your merit and practice are complete, you may go to Penglai and Yingzhou (the legendary realms of the immortals).

The evil disturbances that the nine orifices receive hinge upon the Three Essentials; the Three Essentials can make a person move, and can make a person still.

The Immortal Ge said: "The 'Three Essentials' are the eyes, the ears, and the mouth. If one can grasp the right moment in both movement and stillness, the principle will become clear. Therefore one must not look at, listen to, or speak of anything contrary to propriety." The Five Thousand Words (another name for the Daodejing) says: "The five colors make the eyes go blind, the five sounds make the ears go deaf, and the five flavors dull the palate."

Seeing, hearing, and speaking are the first means by which a person engages the outside world and responds to things. Among the nine orifices of the body (the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and the rest), the eyes, ears, and mouth are therefore especially critical. They can nourish a person, and they can also harm one. Nourishing life depends fundamentally on stillness, while harm often begins with excessive activity. Activity arises from human contrivance, whereas stillness is one's innate nature. What is produced by human contrivance is called "falseness," and what is endowed by Heaven is called "truth."

Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) said in his eulogy: "If the nine orifices are disturbed by wicked winds, the true Shen (spirit) will be harmed; only by guarding the Three Passes firmly can one preserve one's true nature. Clear the mind and spirit, banish desire, and seek the profound principle. Once you have grasped it, you must cultivate it diligently and never stop."

The Immortal Ge's lyric to the tune Fisherman's Pride says: "The profound principle is deep and subtle, which is why the sages established rules and left their teachings. Observe the great Dao and watch the Way of Heaven, and you will understand its meaning. Distinguish the Three Essentials of eye, ear, and mouth, and do not let perverse things disturb the Shen. Guard the gateways of the senses and nurture the treasure within; do not let the five colors, five sounds, and five flavors lead the will astray. Let seeing, hearing, and speaking all accord with the Way of the sages, cast off cunning and scheming, and know how to judge the right measure of movement and stillness at each moment. Only then have you understood its benefit."

Fire arises from wood, and once the calamity breaks out, it often destroys the very wood that bore it. Treachery grows from within a state, and once it seizes its moment, the state collapses. One who understands this principle and cultivates accordingly is called a sage.

The Perfected Shi said: The passage above speaks of the wicked disturbances that afflict the nine orifices, the Three Essentials of eye, ear, and mouth, and the proper measure to be observed in movement and stillness, stressing the need for vigilance and restraint. To show that those who cannot fully investigate the principle and exhaust their nature must cultivate all the more diligently, it then offers the analogies of fire born from wood and treachery growing from within a state. Human desires are like fire hidden in wood, and must be restrained through cultivation.

Master Shi said: The preceding sections discussed the "Nine Evils," the "Three Essentials," and the proper balance between action and stillness, repeatedly urging people to practice with care. Concerned that these teachings might still not suffice to help people fully grasp the principles of things and reveal their true nature, he adds a further analogy, "fire arises from wood, and treacherous evil harms the state," to encourage diligent cultivation.

Human nature carries desire within it, just as wood conceals fire. Fire is born from wood yet burns the wood up; desire arises from nature yet may turn back and damage nature. Only the sage penetrates the root of nature and life and understands the principles of Heaven and humankind, and so is able to nourish the body outwardly and cultivate the mind and nature inwardly. Nourishing the body serves to preserve Qi (vital energy) and Jing (essence); cultivating the mind and nature serves to nurture Shen (spirit). The true function of the Dao (the Way) is first to regulate the self, and then to order the family, the state, and all under Heaven.

Thus, when one cultivates oneself, one's De (Virtue) becomes pure and genuine; when one cultivates the family, one's De becomes abundant; when it is applied to governing all under Heaven, its beneficence endures; when it is applied to governing the state, its beneficence spreads widely. Extending from the self to the outer world, and from the near to the far, one who practices this profound way will find nothing beyond its reach. Hence it is said that one who understands cultivation and puts it into practice deserves to be called a sage.

Master Cao's verse says: Wood symbolizes nature, and fire symbolizes desire. When the fire of desire burns fiercely, it obstructs the purity of nature. Only the sage, through cultivation, can dissolve this harm, sparing the state from ruin and keeping the "wood" from being consumed.

Master Xu's verse says: When the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan attained the Dao, he illuminated the path that leads people out of delusion. The "wood" in the state stands for true nature; the treacherous fire that harms the state stands for deluded desire. When desire recedes, the treacherous fire is extinguished; when nature is clear, desires perish. If the ruler's mind is cultivated and upright, the individual is secure and the state is at peace.

Ge Xianweng's lyric to the tune Man Ting Fang says: When the mind moves recklessly, the spirit grows weary; when the emotions are calm and clear, nature is at ease, and the gateway to the mysterious opens from there. Fire rises from within wood, and calamity springs from it, so one must examine oneself with care. Water that freezes into ice has its flow obstructed; fields overgrown with brambles cannot be tilled. One should quietly cultivate the Primordial Great Dao, discerning the false from the true and the illusory from the real, and contemplate the original mind with serene contentment. Fully understanding the Way of Heaven, and recognizing and cultivating the five skandhas (the five categories of elements that make up human existence and experience), one can be free of worldly entanglements. Once the host of demons and evil obstructions has dispersed, one returns to the source, makes good the deficiency of Yin-Yang, and brings Yin-Yang into full and harmonious balance. When the work of practice is complete, cause and effect are likewise fulfilled. Seeking the true Dao and awakening to one's nature, when three thousand merits are fulfilled and the Neidan (internal alchemy) is perfected, one transcends the ordinary world.

Collected Explanations of the Yinfu Jing of the Yellow Emperor, Volume One

Collected Explanations of the Yinfu Jing of the Yellow Emperor, Volume Two

Chapter on Enriching the State and Pacifying the People: An Exposition of the Method

Zhongli, the Perfected One, said: "To be enriched means that material resources are abundant; to be at peace means that one is safe, well, and tranquil. The human body is like a state, and the heart-mind is like the father and the ruler. When the ruler is upright, the people of the whole realm are at peace; when the heart-mind and Shen (spirit) are still, all the spirits and the vital essences within the body are full and harmonious. Within a single person, the spiritual nature holds the principles of all things, and the Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), blood vessels, organs, hun and po souls, skin, and hair are all like the people of the state. When the ruler practices Wuwei (non-action) and does not act rashly, the people can dwell in peace; to know contentment and not to crave is true wealth.

Thus the Daodejing says: 'One who knows contentment is rich.' It also says: 'Can you love the people and govern the state through non-action?' 'By acting through non-action, nothing is left ungoverned.' 'If I practice non-action, the people transform of themselves; if I love stillness, the people set themselves right; if I have no private desires, the people become simple of themselves; if I do not meddle, the people prosper of themselves.' This is the essential point of pacifying the people and enriching the state."

Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) composed a eulogy, saying: "The lofty and remote Xuandu is called the Jade Capital, and the treasures of the world within the gourd are inexhaustible. To be at ease and know contentment is the wealth bestowed by Heaven; when government is clear and the people are simple, the state is secure and settled."

The Perfected One Shi said in the Yutang chun: "Langyuan, Pengying, and Huaxu are all realms of subtle wonder and beauty; within the Jade Hall, the Golden Horse Gate, and the Treasure City, the people are at peace. To grasp this subtle principle, one need only begin with oneself: the body is like the state, and the heart-mind is like the ruler. Revere the Shen (spirit) so that the heart-mind is upright and free of wicked thoughts; when the spirit is settled, one is content and forgets craving. This is true wealth and flourishing; one may also say that within the gourd there is another springtime of its own."

Heaven gives birth to the myriad things, and Heaven also causes the myriad things to perish; this is the law of the Dao (the Way).

Master Chisongzi said: The growth and decline of Heaven and Earth all accord with the patterns by which the Dao (the Way) operates; nothing is done arbitrarily. Heaven and Earth gather essential qi (vital energy) into Yin-Yang, and the alternating movement of Yin and Yang forms the four seasons. The essential qi then disperses and transforms into the myriad things. Heaven holds the qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), which revolve in turn as the seasons change. In spring and summer, the mild warmth of Yang qi nurtures and sustains all things; in autumn and winter, the cool, cold Yin qi draws things inward and causes them to wither and fall. This is the law of nature and the most impartial expression of the Dao. Hence it is said that Heaven gives life to the myriad things and also brings about their death, and this is the constant principle of the Dao.

Heaven and Earth draw upon the myriad things, the myriad things are drawn upon by humans, and humans in turn draw upon the myriad things. When the relations of drawing upon one another among Heaven, Earth, and humanity are harmonious, the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity) each keep to their proper place, and the myriad things are settled and secure. All this is the law of nature, and the most impartial expression of the Dao.

Liu Haichan said: Heaven and Earth give life to the myriad things and also draw upon them, bringing them to decline and wither. The myriad things serve human use, yet humans may grow arrogant and indulgent because of this. Humans fashion tools to make use of the myriad things, and may thereby ruin them. Master Xu said: The myriad things depend on Heaven and Earth to come into being, yet do not realize that Heaven and Earth also cause them to age and perish. Humans take from the myriad things to gain wealth and rank, yet do not realize that the myriad things, pressed into human service, also wear humans out and may even bring disaster upon them. Master Ge said: Drawing upon the myriad things is not always contrary to the Dao, but one must not draw upon them in a way that departs from it. The three relations described above are the natural laws of mutual drawing-upon. If humans can investigate the principles of things, grasp what is real, draw upon things in accord with the Dao, and follow the proper measure, they will find what is fitting; if they violate these laws, they will bring misfortune upon themselves. Therefore, when each of the three draws upon the others within proper measure, Heaven, Earth, and humanity can each rest securely in their own roles.

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

Perfected Shi says: "The phrase 'Therefore it is said' here carries on from the preceding passage. One must first understand the principles of Heaven and Earth, which both give life and nurture and also bring severity and decline. Only then can one grasp the key by which the Three Plunderings (San Dao), meaning the mutual taking and mutual influence among Heaven, Earth, and humankind, accord with the Great Dao (the Way). When each of the Three Plunderings finds its proper measure, and Heaven, Earth, and humankind each settle in their places, eating and drinking will keep to their proper times and every part of the body will be regulated. When action seizes the crucial moment, the transformations of the myriad things will be at peace."

Cao Daochong says: "In nurturing body, mind, nature, and life, one must first attend to food and drink. The five grains, five fruits, and five flavors should all be suitably balanced and eaten according to one's own constitution. Cooked food benefits people, while raw food may injure the organs. If eating and drinking do not miss their proper seasons, if flavors are not excessive, and if one stays within moderation and does not violate the natural order, then every part of the body will be in harmony. The five organs will be at peace, illness will be absent, and life will be prolonged. Hence it is said: 'When eating and drinking keep to their proper times, every part of the body is regulated.'"

Zhang Zifang says: "If food is poor in color, its Qi (vital energy) is impure. If its smell is bad, its Qi is not in harmony. If it is cooked improperly, Water and Fire have not been balanced. If it has not ripened in its proper season, the generative Qi within it is incomplete. The sages specifically warned people against eating food in these four conditions. Thus the Inner Classic (Neijing) says that eating and drinking should be moderate, daily life should be regular, and one should not overexert oneself, for this is what it means to understand how to nourish life. The noble person draws in the harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth to moisten the spirit, and eats what the earth produces to nourish the body."

Cui Minggong says: "The Daojing (Scripture of the Dao) says: 'Everyone has the Dao, yet I alone appear foolish and crude. I am different from others, and what I prize is seeking nourishment from the Mother.' This is precisely the deeper meaning of 'eating and drinking at the proper time.' To eat and drink at the proper time and so bring the body into order is the practical application of the human Dao. To seize the crucial moment in action and so bring the transformations of the myriad things to peace is the very substance of the Heavenly Dao."

Zhang Zifang's eulogy says: "The Three Plunderings depend on one another and take from one another in turn. When eating and drinking keep their proper times and the body is in order, the breath flows harmoniously. The Qi of the Golden Elixir circulates through the five organs like wind and rain in motion, and it does not hinder one from holding high office and governing the state."

Perfected Zhongli says in his lyric Manlu hua (Full Road of Flowers): "Everyone has the Dao, but those who are lost do not know its source. Within the principles by which Heaven and Earth give life and bring severity lies a profound key. The stars move in their courses, and the sun's shadow shifts with the seasons. Clear the mind and forget desire, nourish the Shen (spirit) in accord with the order of the seasons, and you can reach wisdom and bring your awakened spirit to fulfillment. If the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humankind, together with the Three Plunderings, each settle in their proper place, what difficulty is there in governing a state? When eating and drinking keep their proper times, the body becomes firm and well ordered, and then one cultivates the Dantian (energy center, the inner-cultivation site in the lower abdomen). Thus one is not hindered from living in the marketplace, nor from serving at court. With unbroken embryonic breathing (a slow, soft, deep method of breathing), nurture the infant-like primordial Qi within, and let the sun and moon go on in their cycles."

People know how to act by means of the numinous (shen, 神), yet they do not realize that it is precisely the root, seemingly formless and without action, that allows the numinous to arise.

Cui Minggong said: If one relies only on cleverness and quickness, things often fail to be accomplished; if one is merely dull and unclear, one's actions go against the natural order. Brightness and obscurity alternate and transform, and this is Yin-Yang (阴阳). Brightness and obscurity, Yin and Yang, mutually complementing each other: this is the principle by which the Dao (道, the Way) operates.

Patriarch Lü said: Ordinary people regard grandeur, outward form, and displays of might as numinous, but the sage holds that profound stillness is the Dao. The Dao is the numinous. When people encounter the force of thunder and lightning or the violence of wind and rain, they are struck with awe and take these to be the divine. They do not know that Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things all arise from the subtle and the void-still. This is precisely what appears to lack spirit yet gives rise to numinous function.

Zhongli said: The numinous means that which transforms unfathomably and has no fixed location. People know only that the myriad things are born and grow through Yin-Yang, but do not know that Yin-Yang itself arises from a root, the Dao in its essence, that appears to lack spirit. The "non-numinous" spoken of here refers to the supreme Dao; "void-stillness" refers to Wuwei (无为, non-action), that is, not insisting on contrivance. For this reason it is called the "non-numinous." Yin-Yang, sun and moon, the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity), and the myriad things can all arise from this void-still non-action. This is what appears to lack spirit yet accomplishes the numinous.

Zifang said: The Dao constantly practices non-action, yet there is nothing that is not accomplished through it. Because the Dao does not act, it is called the true Way. The Daodejing (道德经) says that within the profound and dim there is something subtle, and within the vague and indistinct there is a real image. This is the supreme Dao: within what seems to lack spirit lies the principle of the utmost spirit.

Zifang's verse said: People all believe that the numinous must be deliberately employed, and so they drive it all the harder, until the spirit-qi (神气) scatters like wind and clouds. If one can accord with non-action and let the myriad things transform of themselves, one can preserve life and enjoy longevity. Only then does one understand that the great Dao in the end returns to its root.

Chisongzi's Xiaochongshan (《小重山》) says: People of the world bustle about, chasing profit and fame, exhausting their intelligence and talent, yet it is all futile toil. In this way they shake their jing-qi (精气, essence and vital energy), deplete their primal qi (元气), and injure their primal spirit (元神). Body and spirit must both be well nourished; of wealth and life, which is truly dearer? The great Dao is level and natural, and non-action is its wondrous function; if one deliberately exercises scheming, one falls instead into dullness and confusion. Within the profound depths, spirit and essence (Shen and Jing) lie hidden; only by removing the preconceptions and attachments of the mind can a state of perfect, luminous clarity appear.

The sun and moon each follow their own regular course, and each has its own fixed measure of greatness and smallness. From this the transforming and nurturing power of Heaven and Earth over the myriad things arises, and from this their marvelous transformations become manifest.

Zhongli the Perfected said: The sun and moon are the condensed essences of Yin-Yang (阴阳), and they hold the most honored place within Heaven, Earth, and the four directions. Days accumulate into months, and months accumulate into years. As the sun and moon travel across the sky, each keeps its own measure. The sun rises and descends, advances and withdraws, and the sun and moon each have their own measure of greatness and smallness. These regularities embody the marvelous transformations of Heaven and Earth.

Lü the Perfected said: As the sun and moon alternate in their courses, light comes into being; as cold and heat take their turns, the year is formed. Heaven and Earth have warmth and coolness, cold and heat, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and so they are able to nurture the myriad things. All things come into being by following this Way of creation and transformation (Dao, 道). Is this not the sage-like merit and the marvelous power of Heaven and Earth?

Xu the Perfected said: Whether born from wombs, hatched from eggs, born from moisture, or arising through transformation, and whether metals, stones, grasses, trees, or any of the myriad things of Heaven and Earth, the principle of their growth is the same: they go from non-being into being, and the efficacy of creation and transformation is revealed in this. All things in the world receive this creative merit and are born through it. The great and the small each have a settled limit and do not overstep one another. Therefore the great does not look down on the small, and the small does not envy the great. The great Peng bird and the little sparrow each live at ease and do not envy one another.

Liu Haichan said: What people see is called "image" (xiang, 象), and what has bodily form is called "vessel" (qi, 器). In terms of image, this refers to the sun and moon; in terms of form, it refers to greatness and smallness. Only when there are celestial images can there be numbers that can be calculated, and only when there are forms do their positions become evident. Hence it is said that the sun and moon each have their own number in their courses, and the great and the small each have their own fixed allotment. Humans are the most spiritually endowed among the "Three Powers" (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity), and should model themselves on the principle of the rising and falling of Yin-Yang. If one can accord with the laws by which the sun and moon travel, one's cultivation can accumulate sufficient sage-like merit, and one's spiritual consciousness (Shen, 神) will ascend into the Great Void (Taixu, the vast and boundless emptiness). Whether cultivation reaches accomplishment depends on one's own practice, and the height of the realm attained likewise differs according to each person's conduct.

The eulogy of Cao the Perfected said: The rising and setting of the sun and moon have fixed numbers, and the transformations of Heaven and Earth have corresponding line-images. When sage-like merit is perfected, the spiritual consciousness is naturally set free; whether great or small, each is able to rest content in its own place. Han Xin willingly endured the humiliation of crawling between another man's legs, while Tao Qian refused to bow at the waist for a petty official; some chase after glitter and show, others rest content in plainness, and the great Peng and the little sparrow each live at ease.

The eulogy of Zhang Zifang said: In the vast sky, the sun and moon move by regular course and cannot be concealed; when the earth first meets the season of Heaven, light appears. The transformations of creation unfold according to the phases of the moon, its quarters and its fullness; and marvelous merit, once accumulated, extends without end.

The Manting fang (满庭芳) lyric of Shi the Perfected said: True mercury and true cinnabar are the treasures of the celestial court, and in cultivation one must guard them with single-minded attention. When the Qi (气) of the Five Phases (五行) is complete, the Infant and the Maiden (terms in Neidan (内丹), internal alchemy, representing the essences of Yin and Yang) join with one another. Yin and Yang unite according to the numbers of three for Heaven and two for Earth, and nine and six share the same boat, symbolizing the meeting of Yin and Yang. Their essences (Jing, 精) blend, and the cauldron (a metaphor in Neidan for the vessel in which Jing and Qi are refined) turns gently; if the refining is to have no leakage or loss, the principle within it is profound. Firmness and softness are distinguished by the trigrams, and the go-between and the firing times are regulated, applying fitting methods so that the refining continues. When sage-like merit is complete, it can make a country prosperous and its people content. Through transformation, the emptiness of the Li (离) trigram and the fullness of the Kan (坎) trigram answer to one another and are harmonized; the pure Yang Qi takes form, and the practitioner has a place of return. The spirit-light (Shen, 神) is thereby manifested, the height of each realm has its fixed allotment, and practitioners take their places among the immortals according to their own conduct.

The subtle workings of Heaven's timing, Earth's advantage, and the growth of all things form a hidden "stealing of the mechanism" (daoji, accommodating the timing and generative power of Heaven and Earth in order to fulfill oneself). Few under Heaven can see it, and fewer still understand it. When the noble person grasps it, they can preserve themselves; when the petty person grasps it, they treat their own nature and life lightly.

Immortal Xu says: This passage restates the "Three Thefts" mentioned earlier (the principle by which Heaven, Earth, and humanity draw upon one another and transform one another). Whatever is taken from Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things must follow the patterns of those things; one must never defy reason and take by force. Heaven has its seasons of movement, and Earth has its conditions for growth. People live by relying on Heaven's timing, Earth's advantages, and the creatures nurtured by mountains, forests, and lakes. They build houses from timber and cultivate fields. Is there anything among these that does not involve drawing on the generative power of Heaven and Earth? Yet people often do not know the "stealing of the mechanism" within it. Noble and petty people differ in their aspirations and breadth of character. The noble person is content with their lot and uses this to preserve and nourish themselves, while the petty person acts through force and scheming, and so takes their own nature and life lightly.

Liu Haichan says: The noble person knows that the highest Dao (the Way) embraces every kind of good conduct. They seek harmony, study the good Way, and begin every undertaking from goodwill, bringing themselves into accord with the Dao. They also concentrate their thoughts and practice Guarding the One (gathering the spirit and holding the mind steady), observing the subtleties of the Dao in order to nourish their nature. Some also cultivate the "Divine Water and Flowery Pool" and the "Jade Blossom and Golden Fluid" (symbolic names in Neidan, or internal alchemy, for the essence, qi, and bodily fluids), seeking to become immortals. Worthy and noble people understand the workings of this wondrous Way, and so it is said: "The noble person obtains it and secures their person."

The petty person peers into these workings yet treats their own life lightly. Accustomed to doing evil and accumulating cunning, they think only of gaining wealth and ignore the hardship it costs. Sometimes they practice martial arts and do not tire, but they spend their intelligence on chasing show and glitter. And so, reckless warfare brings the destruction of armies, and clinging to the powerful ends in vanished glory and personal disgrace. Greed damages the self, and wealth and lust bring disaster. Even if they enjoy glory for a time, calamity cannot finally be avoided. All this is because they do not understand the workings of the wondrous Way, and so it is said: "The petty person obtains it and treats life lightly."

Immortal Ge says: The highest Dao has no fixed form, so those under Heaven cannot see it. The wondrous mechanism transforms without end, so those under Heaven can hardly understand it. Worthy people can grasp its principle, and so the noble person who obtains it can preserve themselves. The unworthy are deluded, and so the petty person who obtains it instead treats life lightly.

Immortal Ge's verse says: The worthy investigate the principles of things, unite with emptiness and non-being, and awaken to the mysteries of creation and transformation of Heaven and Earth. Those of shallow vision contend only for fame and profit, and their final destination is nothing more than a grave in the wilds.

Perfected Lü's poem to the tune "Xing Xiang Zi" says: The wondrous Way is profound and subtle, and those who truly penetrate it are few. Even the clever find it hard to see or understand. It is deep and unfathomable, its form indistinct, hidden within the finest essence and images of all things. This is what is called the "Heavenly Mechanism." People of great virtue investigate principle and carefully guard the "Three Wonders" (here referring to the profound essentials that practitioners of the Way protect). The foolish chase appearances, dim and lost, greedy for wealth and lust, careless in conduct, wasting their spirit (Shen) and casting their lives aside. It is truly lamentable.

The poem to the tune "Su Zhong Qing" says: The noble person of great virtue is even-tempered and does not contend with external things. Only the ignorant and foolish quarrel over a scrap of empty fame. The true scripture (Jing) bears the principle of emptiness and subtlety, and can settle the body and mind and protect one's life. The Dao is deep and unfathomable, yet it lies hidden within. Those who awaken to it can cultivate the Dao and become immortals.

The Huangdi Yinfu Jing Jijie (Collected Commentaries on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman), middle and final volumes.

The commentators listed in the collection are: Chisongzi; Zhang Liang, styled Zifang, the Perfected Person; the Immortal Zuo of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate); Weng Gexuan; Xu Xun, the Perfected Person of Xishan; Zhongli Quan, the Perfected Person Zhengyang; Lü Yan, the Perfected Person Chunyang; the Perfected Person Huayang; Shi Jianwu; Cui Minggong, the Perfected Person Zhiyi; Liu Xuanying, the Perfected Person Haichan; and Cao Daochong, the Perfected Person Qingxu.

The chapter is titled "Strengthening the Army and Winning Battles: Elaborating the Arts" (Qiangbing Zhansheng Yanshu Zhang), meaning a chapter that discusses how a strong army achieves victory and how the arts of calculation and numerology are developed.

Master Zhongli says: "Strength" means health, vigor, and power, and "soldiers" are the instruments for resisting external enemies. The De Jing says, "To increase life is called auspicious; for the mind-spirit (Shen) to direct Qi (vital energy) is called strength." The Yi Jing says, "Heaven moves with vigor and without rest, and the noble person thereby strives ceaselessly to strengthen the self." The meaning is that one should emulate the pure Yang and unyielding virtue of the Way of Heaven, governing the myriad things with the mind as ruler and Qi as soldiers. If a sovereign can accord with the Dao (the Way) of Wuwei (non-action), nothing will remain ungoverned. This is the Dao of purity, stillness, and non-action. By relying on the Dao to subdue demonic obstructions, there is nothing one cannot overcome, and so the text says, "Strong soldiers are victorious in battle."

Master Lü says: When the sages established laws and standards, their purpose was to eliminate evil, end disorder, govern the state, and bring peace to the people. How could it have been to scheme for power, pursue military force, mobilize armies, drive the people, take lives, invite disaster, and pile up sins that bring misfortune on one's descendants? Men like Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Bai Qi employed treacherous and cruel stratagems and left behind uncanny, almost supernatural theories of warfare. They caused white bones to pile up like mountains and blood to flow like rivers, leaving the living to suffer for long ages and leaving rulers burdened with worry. Can this be counted as the grand strategy of meritorious ministers? Therefore the Five Thousand Words (the Dao De Jing) says, "Governing a state with cleverness is a scourge upon the state; not governing a state with cleverness is a blessing for the state." It also says, "Sharp weapons are instruments of ill omen." For this reason, the Yin Fu Jing places material of this kind in its lower section.

Master Shi composed a verse, saying: To act skillfully without leaving a trace is called strong soldiers. Resisting external threats and quelling disorder is also the use of arms. To face outer circumstances without letting the mind be stirred by them is called victory in battle. By cultivating the self and governing the state in this way, the state will be secure and flourishing.

Master Cao's "Song of the Azure Heavens" says: The mind is the sovereign, Qi is the general, and "zhun," meaning instruction and command, is the fighting force. Make compassion your banner and wisdom your encampment. Beat the drum of the precepts, plan with the steadiness of meditative concentration, and wear benevolence and righteousness as armor. Take frugality and humility as provisions, and find peace through virtue. Be gentle, kind, modest, and careful, as one drives a carriage or rides a horse. With loyalty, trustworthiness, integrity, and honesty, your commands will be carried out. Arrange your battle formation with filial piety, brotherly respect, kindness, and harmony, and once the demon army is driven back, it will submit and form an alliance.

The blind hear with acuity, and the deaf observe with care. If one can cut off stray thoughts and gather the mind and spirit (Shen) at a single root, the effectiveness of one's work will increase tenfold; and if one reflects and investigates repeatedly, day and night, the effect will increase ten-thousandfold.

Master Cui Minggong said: The blind listen with focus and the deaf watch with focus, and it is because their senses are concentrated that they seem so keenly attuned. If a person is wholly focused and sincere, and skilled at seizing the right moment, then what they undertake will achieve complete success. If, on this foundation, one reflects again and again and weighs matters repeatedly, examining them through day and night, the results will far surpass those of ordinary people. Chisongzi said: "The 'teacher' refers to the mind. All action is set in motion by the mind; when the mind and spirit (Shen) are unified, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished." Haichanzi said in his verse: The blind listen with focus and the deaf watch with focus, and the key lies in utmost sincerity; cutting off stray thoughts and concentrating on one place is the way of the sage. Pondering repeatedly through day and night yields results far beyond the ordinary.

In cultivation, one examines oneself repeatedly three times in a day and a night, and must first grasp the root, so that essence (Jing) and blood unite, whereupon the elixir can be formed. The Perfected Cao said in his Su Mu Zhe: Remove what veils, draw in the ears and eyes that race outward, cut off stray thoughts, and cultivate with a single mind, and one will obtain extraordinary efficacy. The ten thousand methods do not depart from the mind within its square inch; to guard carefully its natural, balanced state is to cultivate truth. So long as the mind is empty and still, the spirit (Shen) is settled, and the Dao's primal Qi (Qi, the original vital energy of the Dao) will return to its proper place. In repeated self-examination, one first devotes effort to the root; once essence and blood have united, the formation of the elixir depends on lead and mercury (symbolic terms in Neidan, internal alchemy).

The mind arises because of external things, and it also perishes because of external things; the key lies in what the eyes see.

Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) said: The key to life and death lies hidden within external things, and the key to success and failure shows itself in what the eyes behold.

Master Xu said: Those who cultivate the Way (Dao) and honor Virtue (De) do not let idle thoughts arise in the heart, nor do they act rashly. The foolish crave the myriad things and try to satisfy themselves with them, only to be held in check by external things and to harm their own nature. This is how thoughts arise because of external things, and in the end are damaged by them as well.

Ge Xianweng said: One who knows contentment will not be disgraced; one who knows when to stop will not meet danger, and so can endure for long. The foolish are quick to let wild thoughts arise and to crave external things, often because the eyes have seen something and desire then springs up in the heart. This is why it is said, "The key lies in the eyes."

Chisongzi said: "The key lies in the eyes" is a reminder to be careful about what one sees, and not to chase after or gaze upon things that tempt the appetites. Hence the Taishang (here referring to a Daoist scripture) says: "If one does not look upon what stirs desire, the heart will not be disturbed."

Zhang Zifang composed a eulogy, saying: Thoughts arise from the myriad things, and scenes pull at the heart, entangling a person without end. Those who crave wealth and rank are like those scorched by the fire of karmic guilt. But if the heart keeps to a place of stillness and depth, and the spirit (Shen) is not scattered, one will naturally accord with the Great Dao that precedes Heaven.

Cui Minggong said in his Lin Jiang Xian: Thoughts arise from the scenes of external things; forget cleverness and calculation, and those scenes will no longer move the spirit (Shen). The scripture (Jing) says, "Block the openings and shut the gates," which means gathering in the senses and closing the gate of desire. The words of the sages are subtle, and those who grasp their meaning can prolong their years. The profound Way of our Daoist tradition, for those who understand it, can bring peace to the family and the state and cultivate the self; with the spirit at rest, one guards the essence (Jing), qi, and spirit (Shen), devoting oneself wholly to nourishing and refining them. Once one awakens to this, one understands that the key lies in the eyes; only when both heart and eyes are clear can one avoid being pulled about by external things.

Heaven's Way seems to bestow no kindness, yet from this very fact vast blessings are born.

Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) said: Heaven has no partiality in its heart, yet it nurtures the ten thousand things with its bounty. Each of the ten thousand things has a heart of its own, and so they turn toward Heaven's bounty. Hence the Five Thousand Words (the Dao De Jing, or Daodejing) says: "Heaven and Earth are not partial; they treat the ten thousand things as straw dogs. The sage is not partial; the sage treats the common people as straw dogs." Heaven bestows upon the ten thousand things without asking for repayment, and it gives them life and nourishment without claiming credit for it.

The Perfected Xu (a revered Daoist immortal) said: To have no selfish intent is what is called "without favor." Only one who is still, quiet, and practices Wuwei (无为, non-action) cannot be deceived or led astray by outer things. Understood in this way, Heaven's bounty becomes plain to see.

Zhang Zifang offered this praise: The Qi (气, vital energy) of Heaven seems to bestow no favor, yet it transforms and nurtures the ten thousand things. If one can preserve Jing (精, essence) and Qi in the Three Fields (三田, santian: the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (丹田, energy centers), the places in the body where Neidan (内丹, internal alchemy) is cultivated), they can be transformed into the precious "jade treasure." When the Qi of Yin-Yang (阴阳) mingles and ferments, it is refined into the medicine of ascent to Heaven. This is transformation without intent, which in turn gives rise to great favor.

Ge Xianhuang, in his Moon over the West River (Xijiang Yue), wrote: To hold fast to the true nature one is endowed with by Heaven, and not to use the mind recklessly, is to be "without favor." To follow the changes of Yin-Yang, as a potter shapes clay, is to let form take shape; to return to the root and go back to the source is what is fundamental. One who dwells amid desires and cannot be without intent and without favor cannot undergo refining, and the Three Fields cannot be transformed into the jade treasure. Without favor, how could great favor arise? Refine a single grain of the Golden Elixir (金丹, Jindan), and long life will follow.

Swift thunder and fierce wind: there is nothing they do not startle and set into motion.

Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) said: Thunder crashes and the wind rages. Their might carries far, and those nearby feel even greater dread, so that none of the myriad things fail to be startled and afraid. Heaven has no intention of intimidating the myriad things, yet they feel awe of their own accord, and through it all return to unity, just as a sage governs the world. When the sage bestows rewards, he does not seek gratitude through favor, yet the meritorious are rewarded. When he metes out punishment, he does not subdue people by force, yet the guilty are punished. Once rewards and punishments are established by those above, authority and benevolence naturally take effect among the people below.

Perfected Xu said: The Book of Changes (Yijing) says, "Thunder repeated: the image of Shock," and so the noble person remains vigilant and examines and corrects themselves. It also says, "Wind following wind: the image of Xun (the Gentle)," and so the noble person repeats their commands and carries out their affairs in accordance with them.

Perfected Shi said: The same holds true when this is applied to an army. If those above command respect and those below hold them in awe, disorder will surely be put down and evil rooted out. Hence it is said that what follows concerns the method of strengthening the troops and securing victory.

Chisongzi (an immortal of Daoist legend) composed a eulogy that says: Wind and thunder stir and surge, moving in step with the right moment. The creative transformations of heaven and earth flow on in rivalry, and the myriad things grow because of them. Military orders must be truly carried out, and actions must follow the rules. When applied to an army, if those above command respect and those below hold them in awe, disorder will be put down and evil rooted out. Hence it is said that what follows concerns the method of strengthening the troops and securing victory. Only by cutting down the violent and cruel can peace be attained.

Master Cao said in the White Crane Master (Baihezi): At times one takes the wind's force as a means of riding, relying wholly on thunder for wheels. One proclaims Heaven's commands and displays the mighty power of wind and thunder. The thunder shakes the deepest springs and startles the spring awakening in the many mountains and valleys. When will martial power be brought to bear, so that a single skill alone can quell the turmoil on the borders?

As for supreme joy, one's nature is thereby fulfilled. When one reaches supreme stillness, the heart becomes clear and upright.

Zhang Zifang said, "The key lies in the eyes." Chisongzi said, "Nature belongs to Yin. If one indulges in pleasure, one becomes extravagant and unrestrained, and Yin energy grows strong. If one keeps to stillness, one becomes upright and incorruptible, and the spirit (Shen) grows clear."

Master Ge Xian (Ge Xianweng) said, "The sage does not immerse himself in extreme pleasure, but loves extreme tranquility. To let the spirit (Shen) rest in stillness and ease is called 'guarding the center.' When one achieves this, power and profit cannot tempt him, sound and sensual beauty cannot disturb him, skilled debaters cannot persuade him, clever people cannot sway him, and the brave cannot frighten him. He can foresee fortune and misfortune beyond many layers of barriers, and anticipate calamity within obscurity and darkness. In this way, even Heaven's will does not oppose him, so how much less would the deceitful stratagems of warfare?"

Master Shi's (Shi Zhenren) hymn says, "The greatest joy is nothing other than a mind perfectly still; untouched by worldly defilement, far from extravagance and excess. Only after the work is accomplished, practice is complete, and the Golden Elixir is formed can the profound meaning of the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) be made manifest."

Master Lü (Lü Zhenren), in his Su Mu Zhe lyric, says, "Hold fast to emptiness, stillness, and gentleness, and steady the upright nature. To nourish the Yang soul, the key is to quiet the source of the mind. When the vast, flood-like Qi is harmonious and smooth, the spirit (Shen) moves toward the sacred. Use the Dao to dispel falsehood, and all illusions will scatter. In the conduct of war, the Yin soul perishes; in setting up formations, take compassion as the banner, so that one departs smoothly and returns safely in victory. This differs from ordinary people who act by cunning and luck, which only brings sin and enmity and vainly harms living beings."

"The Dao of Heaven appears supremely partial, yet in its operation it is supremely impartial."

Zhang Zifang says: The Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth blends and gestates the myriad things. It seems to hold a profoundly deep inner mechanism, and this is the "Supreme Private." The myriad things are transformed and born from it, and it nourishes everything between Heaven and Earth without exception, and this is the "Supreme Public."

Perfected Lü says: "Being under heaven first came to be regarded as the mother of all under heaven." The myriad things appear out of non-being, and only then does one begin to see the source that produces them as the mother of the world. This is the "Supreme Private." Once the source is recognized, one can understand the myriad things through it. Having understood the myriad things, one returns to the source and holds fast to it, and this is the "Supreme Public." The blending of Heaven and Earth in gestating the myriad things can be called the "Supreme Private," while the transformation and birth of the myriad things from it is the "Supreme Public."

Chisongzi says: When Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad things, the myriad things carry Yin-Yang's Yin Qi on their backs, and this is the "Supreme Private." They also embrace Yang Qi, and this is the "Supreme Public." One who understands the Dao (the Way) of public and private can grasp how the wondrous work of creation and transformation operates.

Perfected Zhongli's hymn says: Heaven and Earth blend, presenting the image of the "Supreme Private." The myriad things grow without being possessed, and this is the "Supreme Public." Employ the Dao of the Supreme Public and one can travel freely from south to north. Make the transformations of the myriad things wondrous and one can penetrate from east to west.

In his Wangjiangnan, Perfected Lü says: One who has mastered the great Dao finds Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things all connected. When the Dao is put to use, it seems to act, yet it does not cling to deliberate effort. It claims no merit, and wondrous effects naturally appear within its workings. The rising and falling transformations of the great Dao are inexhaustible. The "Xuanpin" (Mysterious Female) refers to the deep and hidden source that is able to generate all things. It accords with creation and transformation and returns to true emptiness. When the Qi of Heaven and Earth unite, sweet dew descends. Its measures and principles move between the hidden and the manifest, appearing now as private, now as public. Finally, returning to the source is called "chaozong" (paying court to the ancestral source), meaning that all streams return to the sea and all things return to the great Dao.

"The key to mastering the myriad things lies in Qi (炁, the Daoist term for the breath of life and the primordial energy of the cosmos)."

Master Cao said: Emptiness and nonbeing (xuwu) transform into Shen (spirit), and Shen in turn transforms into Qi (the vital energy of life as described in Daoism). When Qi is strong, one can govern external things; when Qi is weak, one is governed by them. Hence it is said that birds can be controlled and mastered, and the key lies in Qi.

Master Xu said: Master Cao said that emptiness and nonbeing transform into Shen, and Shen in turn transforms into Qi. When Qi is strong, one can govern external things; when Qi is weak, one is governed by them. Hence it is said that birds can be controlled and mastered, and the key lies in Qi. Birds, relying on pure and empty Qi, can soar through the clouds and sky with a single thought and a single beat of their wings, rising and descending as they please. How much more should this be true of humans, the most spiritually gifted of all creatures, if only they cultivated themselves? If one can make good use of the celestial mechanism and the Qi of Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue), guarding the body and preserving life, then attaining longevity is not difficult.

Master Shi said: Qi is the root of life. One who is skilled at nurturing life and tending Qi can overcome even the mightiest rhinoceros and tiger, or the hardest armor and sharpest weapons, let alone anything else.

Haichanzi composed a eulogy, saying: To subdue birds, one must first subdue the tiger and dragon within the body (commonly a metaphor for the two forces of Yin-Yang). Once this is done, the myriad things will naturally submit. The master's oral instructions and arts of spiritual communication enable a person to gather and command Yin-Yang.

Cui Minggong said in his Man Ting Fang: The Hun and Po dwell apart, east and west; Jing and Shen are scattered, south and north, and yet within this lies another profound and subtle principle. The Dao has no visible trace, so only brief words can offer a modest analysis. Blood is like cinnabar, and Jing and Qi are like mercury; divine water, lead, and the like are also symbolic substances in the work of cultivation. They unite in the central palace (the inner cultivation site at the center of the body), like partners who love one another and form a bond. One must first cultivate so that Mount Kun (symbolizing the body or the realm of inner cultivation) opens through to the Emerald Sea (symbolizing a deep realm of inner cultivation), and then refine further until one returns to the root and reverts to the origin. Even the dull-witted can, like an ant threading a nine-curved filament, follow the winding path forward. Gather the hare's marrow from the Toad Palace (a Neidan [internal alchemy] term for the essence obtained through cultivation), and, guided by the master, blend it with the crow's liver (a Neidan term for another symbol of cultivation). When the art of mastery is complete and three thousand merits and practices are fulfilled, one may stride up to Mount Peng (the mountain of the immortals).

The sprouting of life is precisely the root of death; and death is likewise the root of life.

Master Cao said: Gather the hare's marrow from the Toad Palace, and, guided by the master, blend it with the crow's liver. When the art of mastery is complete and three thousand merits and practices are fulfilled, one may stride up to Mount Peng.

The sprouting of life is precisely the root of death; and death is likewise the root of life.

Master Cao said: One who seeks to survive first passes through life and then moves toward death; one who practices the way of death first passes through death and afterward obtains new life.

Zhang Zifang said: Those who devote themselves wholly to worldly life are held captive by external things. They exhaust their Shen (spirit) and drive their Qi (vital energy) to its limits, coveting glory and wealth, until they are consumed as if by the fires of their own sins, and calamity follows upon calamity. If this continues, what is there to await but death? What is called "practicing death" is to bring the Shen to such stillness that it seems to perceive nothing: the demeanor is at ease, with no pursuit to follow, the Qi is harmonious, and there is no deliberate action. No manner of thought can disturb such a person, and even if they wished to obtain death, they could not. The gate of long life can be reached from here.

The Immortal Ge (a Daoist immortal) chanted: The mystery of the gate of life and the door of death is known to very few. In applying the methods of drawing out and adding in, the key lies in Kan and Li (terms in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, symbolizing water and fire, Yin-Yang). When Yin-Yang waxing and waning reaches the time of "two-eight," the Yang Qi will grow; when it reaches the flourishing point of "nine-three," the subtle transformations within can be determined.

Cui Minggong said in the Baihezi: To seek the Dao of the immortals, one must first recognize the root. When a thought stirs, the Shen is scattered; when the outer realm recedes, wisdom becomes clear. Take heaven and earth as the furnace and cauldron, and take Yin-Yang as the charcoal and firewood. When the supreme elixir is refined and merit is complete, one may go to pay court to the true immortals. The furnace, cauldron, charcoal, firewood, and elixir spoken of here are metaphors in Neidan practice.

Kindness is born from harm, and harm is born from kindness.

The Perfected Zhongli said: Kindness is the root of harm, and harm is the continuation of kindness. The Perfected Lü said: People are originally born from the Qi of affection and love. If they cannot carefully guard their innate, true nature, they will drift in the river of desire and be carried along with its waves into the sea of craving. This is how harm arises within kindness, and kindness within harm.

The Perfected Xu chanted: At the beginning, people received their bodies through the Qi of affection and love; to bestow kindness unreasonably will instead give rise to harm. If one can guard carefully and remain constant to the end, unchanged in resolve as at the start, then when the Returned Elixir (the elixir described in Neidan practice) is accomplished, it will astonish ghosts and spirits.

Chisongzi said in Linjiang Xian: People often take deep, sincere love to be kindness, and having long indulged in it, they conclude that this is indeed kindness. Who knows that harm too can arise within kindness? If one wishes to make affection and love vanish, once they vanish, harm too loses its root. Descendants are formed through affection and love; but too much of it will in turn damage the self. If one can cultivate the Qi of affection and love and nurture it into something precious, then when three thousand merits of practice are complete, one may pay homage to the Honored One of the Jade Purity (a Daoist deity).

The foolish take the patterns of heaven and earth to be sagely; I take following the seasons and the patterns of the myriad things to be wise.

Zhang Zifang said: The patterns of heaven are the sun, moon, stars, thunder, rain, wind, and clouds; the patterns of earth are the mountains, seas, metals, stones, grasses, and trees.

Zhang Zifang said: "The natural phenomena of the heavens include the sun, moon, stars, thunder, rain, wind, and clouds; those of the earth include mountains, seas, metals and stones, plants and trees, and creatures with scales or feathers. When foolish people see auspicious stars and colorful clouds, gentle breezes and sweet dew, sweet springs and abundant harvests, or such omens as the qilin, the phoenix, the lingzhi mushroom, and fragrant orchids, they feel joy. At other times they see the sun and moon obscured, the seasons thrown into disorder, comets and ominous darkening skies, or they meet with drought, flood, locusts, violent storms, a world turned dark, or earthquakes, and they are seized by fear, worried that disaster will fall upon them. If, taught by these signs between Heaven and Earth, they reflect and grow cautious, correct their faults and cultivate themselves, they can move from being ordinary people to being sages. This is called 'ordering the sage' (li sheng)."

Liu Haichan said: "When the Xuanyuan Lord (the Yellow Emperor) was about to complete the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman), he first gave the example of foolish people who become sages by relying on the signs and principles between Heaven and Earth. He then said with humility, 'I achieve wisdom according to the seasons and the patterns of things.' This is what is meant by placing oneself last and thereby coming out ahead."

Immortal Xu said: "'The seasons and the patterns of things' refers to human affairs. The meaning is that one need not devote oneself to observing the heavens. If one constantly accords with the right moment and conducts affairs according to the good Dao (the Way), then even when disasters or strange omens appear, one will not be harmed by them."

Chisongzi said: "The worthy can make affairs run smoothly; the unworthy bring them into confusion. Model yourself on the Way of Heaven and follow its patterns, so that your actions are measured and in keeping with the seasons. Use this principle to cultivate yourself and correct your faults, so that the ordinary qi (vital energy) gradually recedes and the pure Yang qi grows full, and the true Dao will be realized."

The hymn of Immortal Zhongli said: "The lofty, luminous heavens reveal fortune and misfortune. Even the foolish and deluded, if they correct their faults and understand the principle, can achieve something in cultivation. So long as one accords with the seasons and with all things, and acts with sincerity and goodness, one will be like the sun and moon in their ceaseless course, and the Dao will naturally flow freely."

Immortal Lü, in his Man Ting Fang poem, said: "The great Dao clearly reveals fortune, misfortune, and calamity, and uses them as warnings. If ordinary people awaken, correct their faults, reflect on themselves, and practice with care, they can be free from sorrow and distress. Calamity and blessing are both summoned by people themselves; by observing the myriad things of the world, one can see what rises and what declines. Seize the right moment in whatever one meets, and constantly practice virtue and goodness, and disaster will be dispelled.

"The principles of the Yinfu Jing are concise, its words subtle, and its purport profound, able to guide those who are deluded. It sends forth a bright light that illuminates the darkened road. The practitioner who holds fast to the One (single-minded devotion to the Dao) and perfects the Golden Elixir can make the state prosperous, the people secure, and the spirit (Shen) tranquil and free. If one can make the army strong and victorious in every battle, and perfect the body of pure Yang, one can ascend in flight to the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu, the realm of the immortals in Daoism)."

Collected Commentaries on the Yellow Emperor's Scripture of the Hidden Talisman (Huangdi Yinfu Jing Jijie), Volume Two.