《上方灵宝无极至道开化真经》

A ruler’s wisdom lies in governing the people. To bring them peace, one should enact lenient and moderate policies and treat them with kindness. The scripture explains that generous governance benefits the people and brings peace to the realm; governing through ritual and music can also help a state endure.

The commentator also compares “the people” to the Qi, blood, and spirit within the human body, and to its “jade towers and chambers”—a metaphor for the body’s precious inner regions. To preserve health and avoid decline, one must let the original spirit—the person’s fundamental spirit—move and harmonize Qi, nourishing the body’s Qi, blood, and spirit. When the inside and outside of the body are in harmony, golden liquid and yellow sprouts—Neidan terms for the essence cultivated in practice—can arise, allowing one to roam freely in the realm of the Great Void.

Help those in hardship who have nowhere to turn, and take in and care for the elderly and infirm.

A person is called old when their years have run their course, and weak when their strength has diminished. “Nourish” means to care for and preserve. Here it says that a ruler’s virtue lies in helping the poor and those in hardship, and caring for the old and weak. A ruler should always treat them with compassion and offer support whenever they lack what they need. This is the way to rule.

The Dong says: Within the human body are five spirits. When a person is in distress, the five spirits can be called upon to help, restoring the vital energy of life to its source and returning it to its root, so that life may flourish anew. The five spirits are: the Azure Dragon, the spirit of the numinous youth, which helps the Hun spirit associated with Wood; the Vermilion Bird, the spirit of the maidservant, which helps the spirit associated with Fire; the Yellow Sprout, the spirit of Wu and Ji, which helps the Yi spirit associated with Earth; the White Tiger, the spirit of Geng and Xin, which helps the Po spirit associated with Metal; and the Dark Warrior, the spirit of original Jing, which helps the Zhi spirit associated with Water. Here, the Five Phases are linked to the body’s Shen, Hun, Po, Yi, and Zhi. If the five spirits can be returned to their proper places and used to support and cultivate the spirits of the Five Phases, one can set out on the path to long life. Why travel far across mountains and rivers in search of it? Thus, those in poverty should be helped, and the old and weak should be cared for.

The ode says: Only when the One Qi turns back can the spirit and vital energy of the whole body be brought to life again. When the organs and viscera are depleted, they should be replenished from the inner root. To use unrelated things to nourish what shares the same source is to waste this magnificent six-foot body.

In governing the people, treat them all equally.

“Approach” means to be present among them and govern them; the people occupy the lower position. “Harmony” means being at peace, and “nurturing all” means providing for everyone thoroughly. “Govern” means to rule and keep in order.

In dealing with ministers, keep rewards and punishments in fair balance.

When appointing ministers, the ruler should choose those who can assist the sovereign and carry out their duties competently. Bestowing benefits is called “reward”; reducing stipends is called “punishment”; “equalizing” means bringing things into balance. The passage says that a ruler should treat the people fairly, while regulating the officials through rewards and punishments so that each receives what is appropriate. If these principles are put into practice, the state will be secure in its relations with other states, and affairs within the court will be properly managed. Thus, the key to governing lies in fairness and in regulating officials through rewards and punishments.

From “The Cavern says” onward, the text turns to self-cultivation as an analogy. The Original Spirit, which governs the mind and body, governs the body according to the same principle described in the previous chapter. When regulating the spirits, channels, six viscera, three peaks, nine palaces, five Zang organs, and other spirits, energies, and organs within the body, one should use a calm and balanced Qi. If a particular spirit or energy is excessive, restrain it; if it is deficient, supplement it; if it is settled and peaceful, keep it in balance. By following the Way of Heaven and emulating the Earth’s De, one can attain a precious state. Thus, the people should be governed through calm and balance, while the body’s inner energies should be harmonized by increasing or reducing them as needed.

The verse says: Harmonize the breath and settle the spirit by supporting Yang Qi; observe and follow the Way of Heaven, and flourishing will follow. Practice in this way without slackening, and nothing will be lost; in the end, one may reach the state of long life and immortality.

To bring peace to all under Heaven, one must soothe them with benevolence.

“Soothe” means to bring to peace; “all under Heaven” refers to the cosmos. Caring for all people and benefiting all things is called “benevolent concern”; “settle” means to calm and comfort.

To secure all under Heaven, one must make filial piety and righteousness shine forth.

“Secure” means to make firm. Repaying the kindness of one’s parents is called “filial piety”; upholding what is centered and proper is called “righteousness”; “make shine forth” means to bring clearly to light. The passage says that if a ruler wishes to bring peace to all under Heaven, he should govern with benevolence and make filial piety and righteousness shine forth.

Jian means firmness. Repaying one’s parents for their kindness is called filial piety; upholding what is balanced and upright is called righteousness. Zhao means brightness. The passage says that if a ruler wishes to bring peace to the realm, he should make benevolence his guiding concern and use it to transform the people. If he wishes to hold the realm securely, he should use the virtues of filial piety and righteousness to help the people understand what is right. Then the people will willingly submit, and the realm will be secure. Thus the scripture says: “From west to east, from south to north, there is no one who does not willingly submit.”

The Dongzhen commentary explains: If a person’s original spirit—the spirit at the root of life—wishes to bring body and mind to rest, it too should uphold benevolence and do so at every moment throughout daily life. One should protect Jing and Qi, cherish original Qi, nourish the blood and Qi, and moisten Shen. Care for and nurture yourself without the slightest neglect; in this way, body and mind can be made secure. To settle body and mind through care and nourishment is to strengthen oneself. Within, preserve the Qi of original harmony; outwardly, support and nourish the body, allowing it to suffer no injury at all. This is true filial piety. Only by doing this can one be said to walk the path of righteousness.

The hymn says: “To hold fast to the Way of nature and life, begin with filial piety. The original spirit thereby grows clearer and more beautiful; practicing righteousness is no cause for shame. Keep it clearly in mind at every moment, never forgetting it, and you will realize the principle of the Great Vehicle of the Golden Heaven—the wondrously sublime Dao represented by the Golden Heaven.”

Putting these principles into practice can bring people near and far to joy and delight. Here, “by” means to put into practice, “these” refers to the principles just discussed, and “the Way” refers to those principles. “Bring to submission” means to make people willingly yield. “Joy among those near and far” means that the realm is at peace, the people are prosperous, and all rejoice in enjoying peace and prosperity.

People of every age and rank willingly submit. “Great and small” refers to elders and the young; “joyfully submit” means that they gladly come to pay homage.

Heaven responds to good deeds by offering aid; the spirits respond to virtue by granting protection. This means that Heaven and Earth, too, rejoice in virtuous goodness.

Thus the ruler enjoys blessings of every kind. “Dragon countenance” refers to the ruler’s face, while “a hundred” signifies great abundance. “Blessings” include long life, wealth, peace, and harmony, as well as the willing submission of the people, the protection of the spirits, and honor and longevity.

May the sage ruler enjoy boundless longevity.

“Sacred longevity” refers to a long life; “ten thousand springs” means attaining the fullest measure of years.

When the heir to the throne—the ruler’s descendant—takes the throne and faces south to receive the people’s homage, he rules with his robes hanging loose, through Wuwei (non-action). No force can obstruct the influence of this way of governing.

The passage says that if a ruler can apply the highest form of instruction, understand Wuwei and respond to change, and follow the great Dao (the Way) of Heaven and Earth, people from afar will gladly submit. Those at court and among the people will also rejoice and willingly comply. Heaven will then lend its aid, and the spirits will offer their support, gathering blessings and bringing longevity, prosperity, and harmony together. Once the crown prince succeeds to the throne, he too can inherit the rule for a long time and hold the honored position through Wuwei, beyond anyone’s power to take away. Is this not a beautiful outcome?

The scripture then compares the cultivation of kingship to personal practice. If a person’s original spirit can follow the way of the primordial Dao, perceive the transformations of Heaven and Earth, follow their principles, and model itself on the great Dao, body and mind will come into harmony. The phrase “those near and far rejoice” is explained in the commentary to mean that the spirits within the body all come to pay homage at the Jade Capital, a sacred celestial realm in Daoism, and that the spirits of the Five Organs and the essences of the Six Bowels are all joyful and compliant. Here, “August Heaven” refers to primordial Qi, the source energy that forms all things in Heaven and Earth; “the spirits” refers to divine beings transformed from Dao Qi. When a person cultivates in accordance with the Dao, primordial Qi and the spirits will return to and support them, bringing a hundred blessings.

“Sacred longevity, ten thousand springs” also refers to practitioners becoming one with the Dao’s body, returning to the root and restoring their original life, and attaining longevity and enduring vision. The commentary further interprets “heir to the throne” as one who inherits the pure, harmonious Qi of an infant. “Facing south in honor” means holding fast to Yang Qi, occupying the honored position, and entering the realm of the Dao. “With robes hanging loose, none can obstruct him” means that through Wuwei, one’s body and mind transform naturally.

The hymn says: By following the workings of Heaven and Earth and modeling oneself on the great Dao, one can attain longevity. The luminous Qi of the spirit reaches the Purple Palace, the immortal abode in Daoist belief, and auspicious clouds follow, escorting the practitioner back to the great Dao.

A minister who occupies a subordinate position and strives to uphold his integrity and serve the ruler faithfully is called “loyal.” A text that records affairs of state is called a “chapter”; “second” indicates its place in the sequence. This passage concerns the integrity of ministers: only by upholding their integrity can they offer their loyalty to the ruler.

The scripture also compares the human body to a court. Jing, blood, Qi, flesh, sinews, bones, skin, and hair are all subjects within the body, while the spirit of the heart dwells alone in the Crimson Palace, the palace associated with the heart, just as a ruler does. One must keep the inner self from injury and the outer body from harm; nourish within the vital energy of balanced harmony and abundant integrity, and keep the skin supple and lustrous without. This is the way a minister serves a ruler.

The hymn says: The body’s organs are like ministers, and the spirit of the heart is like a ruler, dwelling alone in the Crimson Palace and embracing the energy of Yang harmony. Treasures from outside are offered to me, like a jade disc from the Cinnabar Heaven. In this way, one naturally attains Wuwei (non-action), and the state of cultivating the Dao is renewed day by day.

A minister’s proper conduct is to serve the ruler with loyalty and virtue. To uphold integrity even at the cost of one’s life is called “loyalty”; to care for the people with benevolence is called “virtue.” Governance must be conducted well so that the people are orderly. It must also harmonize the four seasons—spring’s sprouting, summer’s growth, autumn’s harvest, and winter’s storage—following the timing of Heaven and the patterns of nature, so that those above and below live in harmony.

When people throughout the realm can each live securely by their own livelihood, the ruler can stabilize and strengthen the state. The ruler can then enjoy the honor and blessings bestowed by Heaven and pass them down through the generations, without falling into peril.

“Loyalty to the ruler” means serving with devotion the sovereign within the body and mind. “Kindness toward the people” means regulating the movements of Qi within the body with a generous and humane heart. Once this has been properly done, affairs must also be handled fairly, so that the four seasons each follow their proper order. If one can act in this way, harmony will naturally prevail throughout the body and mind; the people will naturally dwell in peace; the ruler will naturally be able to secure the realm; and the blessings and emoluments bestowed by Heaven will continue to appear for a long time. If one acts in this way, what signs of danger and ruin could there be?

The scripture explains: A person’s thoughts and intentions are like ministers within the Celestial Valley Mudball, a Daoist Neidan term referring to the spirit dwelling in the brain. Those who cultivate the Elixir should therefore advance along the Dao with loyalty, penetrate the profound realm of reality, cultivate the righteous Way and cast aside deviant thoughts. They should act virtuously at all times, serving the spirit of the Celestial Valley as their sovereign, and regulate the Qi of the body’s organs through benevolent and humane governance.

The Qi of the Five Phases corresponds to a person’s spiritual activities and to the four seasons: Wood Qi corresponds to the Hun and to spring; Fire Qi corresponds to the Shen and to summer; Metal Qi corresponds to the Po and to autumn; Water Qi corresponds to the will and to winter; Earth Qi corresponds to the intent and to the four seasons. If one can regulate these energies, bring them into harmony, and follow the season proper to each, then the body and mind, above and below, will be empty, still, and peaceful. The Original Shen—the person’s fundamental spirit—will be at ease and clear, firm and enduring. In this way, one can share in Heaven’s blessings and emoluments and enjoy endless longevity. What signs of danger and ruin could there be?

The verse says: By discerning the hidden and rectifying one’s nature, one awakens to how to serve the sovereign. Wisdom and spiritual powers can dispel obstacles arising from deviance. Harmonizing Yin-Yang within the Gourd, a common image for the space of cultivation within the body in Daoist internal alchemy, is like bringing spring back to Heaven and Earth. Only in this way can one realize the Mahayana teaching of perfect and luminous fulfillment.

Chapter Three: The Father’s Righteousness

Yang is honored and is therefore called the father; what occupies the center and accords with what is fitting is called righteousness.

A father is precious because, when his child is young, he protects and cherishes them. “Esteem” means honor; “perhaps” here conveys the general sense of something. Protecting and cherishing a child expresses profound benevolence.

When the child grows up, they should be sent to bow to a teacher and receive instruction. “Grown” here means that the child has reached adulthood. Sending them to study under a teacher means enabling them to become familiar with the institutions and teachings handed down by the former kings.

Guide them through ritual propriety and humility,

To guide means to lead. Humility, respect, deference, and propriety are called “ritual”; refined speech and a gentle manner are called “modesty.”

They should be taught through the writings of the sages. “Learning” means study: send them to a teacher so they may learn the rites and teachings passed down from the former kings.

Guide them with ritual and modesty, and teach them through the writings of the sages. The sacred writings are the works left behind by the sages.

Help them establish themselves and earn a good name, become gentlemen, and achieve success in their undertakings. The moral way upheld by the former kings is called the “great undertaking.”

First admonish them with sincere words. “In advance” means beforehand: when you discover that the young people have done wrong, first warn and instruct them with words.

They should put the way of benevolence into practice at every moment. The principles of the former kings are called the way of benevolence.

In both action and rest, they should follow loyalty and trustworthiness. Sincerity in the heart is called “loyalty”; honesty in speech is called “trustworthiness.”

If they do not obey, reprimand them after warning and instruction. If they still refuse to obey, then punishment may be imposed. A penalty carried out according to the principles of law is called “punishment.”

Soften their stubborn, unyielding temperaments and bring them into accord with virtue. Who would punish them without first warning and instructing them, then reprimanding them if they disobey, and punishing them only if the reprimand has no effect? Acting in this way is what makes someone a righteous father.

“Bending the stubborn” means softening a hard, unyielding disposition; “breaking the rigid” means blunting the edge of violent aggression. “Yielding” means following what is right. Softening hardness and bringing violence into harmony: this is the moral Way of the ancient kings.

The scripture takes a father raising his young son as an example. While the child is young, the father should do all he can to protect and cherish him, bringing him up with kindness and generosity. When the child grows older, the father should guide him to a teacher who embodies benevolence and virtue, lead him through ritual and music, and instruct him with the words of sages and worthies. In this way, the child learns the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, along with the standards of conduct set by the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, and ultimately becomes a gentleman capable of shouldering great responsibilities. If the child does wrong, the father should promptly admonish and teach him, so that his everyday conduct follows the path of benevolence and his actions are marked by loyalty and trustworthiness. If he refuses to comply, the father should rebuke him; if he still will not listen, he should be disciplined according to the law. Transforming hardness into gentleness and violence into harmony in this way is the duty of a righteous father.

The scripture then uses the Five Phases to explain this kind of nurture. Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, and Metal in turn generates Water. The Five Phases also correspond to elements within the human body: the Metal Po-soul symbolizes the White Tiger, the Fire spirit symbolizes the Vermilion Bird, the Water essence symbolizes the Black Tortoise, and the Earth spirit symbolizes Yellow Wu. Figures such as the Metal Elder are regarded as fathers of the original Qi—the fundamental energy that constitutes human life. These figures are called the “Five Venerable Elders.” They protect and sustain the original Qi, nurturing it in its youth. Once it has matured, it should follow its own teacher. This teacher is the office that governs the spirits within the body—in other words, the spirits themselves.

Guidance through ritual and music corresponds to the nature of Fire: Fire governs ritual and music, arises from the heart, and is associated with the Li trigram. Instruction through sacred texts corresponds to the nature of Water: Water governs the will and literary thought, arises from the kidneys, and is associated with the Kan trigram. Li Fire governs ritual and music, while Kan Water governs literary fortune and wisdom. Water arises within Fire, and Fire within Water; only through the rising, descending, and circulation of Water and Fire can an infant-like form take shape. Here, “infant” refers to the inner form of life produced through cultivation. When the Qi above and below is harmonized, a tiger dwells in Water and a dragon in Fire; clouds travel across the sky and wind rises from the earth. These images describe the blending of Yin-Yang, Water, and Fire, and the movement of Qi.

The ancient perfected immortals said: “When the Five Phases turn against their usual course, the dragon emerges from within Fire; when the Five Phases do not flow in their usual sequence, the tiger is born in Water.” This means that in cultivation the Five Phases do not follow their ordinary cycle of generation; instead, Water and Fire must unite and Yin-Yang must be brought into balance. One should therefore maintain a calm and peaceful bearing at all times and conduct oneself in accordance with morality. When the movement of Qi is obstructed, regulate it until it flows smoothly; when it already flows smoothly, harmonize it until it is steady. Correct what is out of accord and support what is already in accord, so that hardness becomes gentle and violence subsides. In the end, the Dao is realized and De made complete. Those who can do this may live long and remain vigorous, enjoying longevity in peace; such a person is rightly called a righteous father.

The eulogy says: In raising a child, a father should observe and follow what is right, carrying out instruction in accordance with the Way of Heaven; its subtle principles are inexhaustible. To grasp the vital energies of Heaven and Earth at the pivot of transformation is a state beyond compare, like the bright moon and the clear breeze.

The mother who gives birth to me, loves me, and supports me may also be called a loving mother.

In raising her children, a mother should guide them according to ritual propriety and righteousness from the time she is pregnant. The “prenatal education” described here means that during pregnancy, her words, conduct, and bearing follow the Way of the sages and the rites and music of the former kings. This makes it more likely that, after birth, the child will be intelligent and virtuous, and understand patterns of learning and principle.

After the child is born, the mother feeds and clothes the child, keeps them warm, and cares for them with affection. She does not harm the child’s body or damage their Jing and Qi. “Jing and Qi” here refers to the inner breath and vitality that sustain the body’s functioning.

When the children reach adulthood, they should be entrusted to benevolent and virtuous people as teachers. They should be taught in accordance with the right Way and learn the laws of the former kings.

Only by not going against the guidance and standards taught by their elders and teachers can one be said to have fulfilled a loving mother’s duty. This is the Way of the loving parent.

“No” means not; “to lose” means to relinquish; “this rule” means this principle; “who” means who; “not” means likewise not; and “praise” means to commend. The scripture means that a mother should begin nurturing her child in the womb, teaching and raising the child according to proper conduct. If the child born to her is virtuous, intelligent, and striking in appearance, she should care for the child with great care: in feeding and giving drink, and in clothing and comportment, she should avoid harming the child’s body or vital energy. When the child grows up, she should personally send the child to study under a teacher, guide the child in virtue, and never depart from this principle. Who, then, would fail to praise her as a kind mother?

A commentator says: The essence of primordial Jing is the mother of true blood; the soul of true blood is the mother of the spirits; the spirit within the spirits is the mother of the muscles; and the essence of Yellow Wu is the mother of the Po soul and Qi. The “five mothers” here are Jing, blood, spirit, muscles, and Qi. They can give birth to and nurture all things, and so are called “mothers.” The “fetal immortal” is Qi, and is therefore called the “child”; the fetal immortal is born from primordial radiance. One should always let these “mothers” nurture the “child” in accordance with proper conduct.

Here, “propriety” means not allowing awareness to depart from proper conduct, and maintaining the rules in speech, hearing, action, and contemplation. When Shen acts in accordance with propriety, it does not lose its original primordial Qi, the innate vital energy. Once the fetal immortal has matured, continue cultivating it as though watering it and protecting it with clothing. Clothing belongs to the Zhen trigram and corresponds to the soul and Wood; Fire arises within Wood. Water belongs to the Kan trigram and corresponds to intention and Jing; Water arises within Jing. Water and Fire nourish one another between the Kan male and Li female, revealing the splendor of the Elixir and the form of the red dragon. When the human body can transform in this way, its form and vital energy will not be harmed.

When this “child” has matured and taken shape inwardly as an Elixir, it naturally ascends to the Heavenly Valley, where the original spirit resides. The Heavenly Valley of the original spirit is where benevolent teachers gather; in the true realm, spirits are called “teachers.” The teacher then sends down true, upright Qi to nourish the many descendants below—that is, the myriad spirits. If one does not depart from this principle, one can lay the foundation for long life.

The mystery of immortal cultivation lies in harmonizing and regulating the flow of Qi between above and below. The Three Offices—the related spirit and Qi centers within the body—blend and connect; the flying dragon rises to Heaven, while the wind tiger dwells on Earth. Water issues from the Office of Fire, and Fire is born in the Water Palace. The Four Images gather in the Yellow Court, the body’s central hub, while the Five Phases converge at the Purple Gate, the place within the body where cultivation takes place. Thus the Qi above and below is brought into harmony. Who could fail to praise the wondrous Dao of this kind mother?

The verse says: The five mothers nourish one another, and the five children flourish and bloom; in the end, all depend on Yin-Yang. Grasp the celestial principle in the subtle workings of cultivation, and one can enter the realm of enduring life and imperishable existence.

An elder brother should treat his younger brother with humility and deference, and care for him with kindness. By his modesty and courtesy, he can guide his younger brother; by his affection, he can help him understand what is right. The younger brother will then feel joy sincerely, and the two brothers can share the same aspirations and serve their parents together.

To put these principles into practice and never abandon them is the way to be a good elder brother.

The “Dongyue” adds: The small intestine, bladder, and Gate of Life are the elder brothers of the kidneys.

The gallbladder is the elder brother of the liver; the large intestine, small intestine, and stomach are the elder brothers of the spleen; the spirit, the Celestial Valley, and original Jing are the elder brothers of the heart; and the Qi of harmony, nourishment, and defense are the elder brothers of the lungs. Here, “elder brother” refers to the spirit in the Yang organs, while “younger brother” refers to the Qi in the Yin organs. Practitioners should follow these inner relationships to contemplate the Dao of Heaven, the patterns of the Earth, and Yin-Yang. By applying principles such as greater and lesser, near and far, they should grasp the intent of the spirits and bring the two images together, as bones from different clans become kin through marriage. Apply this method in daily practice and persist in it, and the Qi above and below will become harmonious, forming a smooth and unobstructed Dao. From this, one may attain a realm of secure state, peaceful people, abundant living, and peace throughout the world.

Humility and yielding show that the movement of Qi is smooth; benevolent care and thoughtful consideration show that it is well ordered. When Qi moves smoothly, it can summon and bring down “True Lead”; when it is well ordered, one can discern and subdue the “True Ruler.” “True Lead” and “True Ruler” are terms in Neidan (internal alchemy). Following the movement of Qi can transform the numinous embryo; discerning its movement can regulate Water and Fire. When life follows and accords with principle, it grows; when it goes against principle and dissipates Qi, life declines. To return from death to life, and to use life to overcome death, one must regulate and grasp the changes between movement and stillness. In this way, one approaches the foundation of long life.

If one practices in this way, the Qi of the Yin organs will naturally give rise to harmonious Qi. A joyful and peaceful state of mind is a sign of this harmony; body and mind will also stir together in their resolve. Here, “resolve” refers to the original Qi in the Kidney Palace. Practitioners should nourish these forces as they would care for their parents: the father is the source of Jing, and the mother the root of blood. When the Qi of the Yang organs flows smoothly and the Qi of the Yin organs is well ordered, the brothers live in harmony and the parents are at peace. To study and practice these methods without ever letting up is to grasp the “mechanism of elder and younger brothers”—that is, the way to cultivate life.

The ode says: To bring order to the relations among the brothers within the body is like the moon shining amid rosy clouds in the universe inside the pot. Where Yin and Yang unite and harmonize, Jing and blood are refined into cinnabar. The enduringly radiant ruler, and the clear and limpid glory of seven generations; bring all things into accord and return them to one Qi, and even white hair will naturally…

Next is “younger brother.” “Gong” means to show respect. A younger brother should act with reverence; “yi” means “should,” and “you” means “to put into practice.”

He should serve his elder brother humbly, work alongside him, and care for their parents with filial devotion. “Ye” means to help; here it refers to siblings serving their parents together.

Even after their parents have passed away, brothers should continue to uphold affection and humility toward one another. “Zhong” means “to pass away”; “ti” refers to the affection between brothers, and “rang” means to yield with modesty. “Wu qiong” means that this must never cease.

If one acts in this way without growing lax, one may be called filial toward one’s parents and affectionate toward one’s elder brother. A younger brother should act with respect and humility, and preserve affection and modesty throughout his life.

A younger brother should respect and obey his elder brother, and join him in doing all they can to serve their parents. After their parents have died, the brothers should still live together, yield to one another, and look after each other without ever growing lax. To do these things is filial piety and fraternal devotion.

The scripture says that the Red Dragon in the Crimson Palace—the heart’s fiery divine Qi—is the younger brother of the Azure Youth, and represents spirit and blood. The Azure Dragon in the East—the divine Qi associated with Wood—is the younger brother of the Dark Warrior, and represents blood and soul. The Dark Warrior in the Primordial Palace—the divine Qi associated with Water—is the younger brother of the White Tiger, and represents essence and resolve. The White Tiger in the Golden Court—the divine Qi associated with Metal—is the younger brother of Yellow Wu, and represents Qi and the corporeal soul. Yellow Wu in the Center—the divine Qi associated with Earth—is the younger brother of Cinnabar Heaven, and represents nutritive Qi and defensive Qi. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Cinnabar Youth, Dark Warrior, and Yellow Center correspond respectively to Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, and Earth. Together, they form the fundamental primordial Qi in which Yin and Yang interweave. Primordial Qi is the unified source of the Dao. If people can hold fast to Yang Qi and devote themselves to the Dao, they can lay the foundation for long life and become an example for all under Heaven.

When Yin and Yang join, men and women may be together without dissipating their Jing and Qi, following their natural course. This is the ordinary principle of human relations. Yin contains Yang and can help Yang Qi arise; Yang contains Yin and can nourish Yin Qi. Thus, when Yin and Yang alternate and harmonize, the body is at peace. When they work against each other, the body becomes obstructed and blocked.

The Sagely Teacher said, “Clarity is the source of turbidity; movement is the foundation of stillness.” If people can remain clear and still, all things in Heaven and Earth will return to them. Clear Qi is Yang Shen; turbid Qi is Yin Qi. If clarity and turbidity each find their proper place, and Yin and Yang change in accordance with their natural course, the most authentic state between Heaven and Earth will gather within the body.

The key to nourishing every part of the body is eating and drinking at the proper times; the key to bringing stability to the changes of all things is grasping the moment when they begin to move. “Movement” refers to Qi and blood: when Qi and blood circulate, life is sustained; when they stagnate, life declines. “Stillness” refers to the Original Spirit: when it is settled, life is maintained; when reckless movement dissipates it, life is harmed. People differ in their natural acuity, but the crucial matter is knowing when to move and when to be still. This is a secret passed down by the sage kings of antiquity and an important principle for cultivating oneself.

A younger brother should treat his elder brother with righteousness and obey him, while helping to harmonize primordial Qi and honor the spirit in the Celestial Valley and Mud Pill—the deity within the brain according to Daoist teaching. The spirit is the parent: the Yang Celestial Valley is called the father, and the Yin Primordial Palace the mother. When the Qi of Yin and Yang combines and becomes pure, it forms the spirit; these two parents are the root of the Five Phases. When the Five Phases flow smoothly, the spirit in the Celestial Valley is at peace. When the “brothers” among the Five Phases turn against one another, the spirits of the parents are harmed.

When the body is ill, Yin Qi should refine and nourish Yang Qi, and Yang Qi should then support Yin Qi. The mutual nourishment of Yin and Yang is the principle of Heaven and Earth, and it also enables life to endure. The Book of Changes says, “One Yin and one Yang: this is called the Dao.” Even after one’s parents have died, one should regard the spirit in the Celestial Valley as the foundation to guard throughout life. Yielding and harmony should be inexhaustible. To do this without ever growing lax is to be filial and devoted to one’s elder brother; few other virtues can surpass it.

A noble person cares for the self as a ruler protects the state: when the body is secure, the Dao has a place to dwell; when the state is stable, the people can live in peace. Would it not be foolish to act against this principle?

The hymn says: When brothers live in harmony, the Qi above and below within the body can mingle. When the Original Spirit is focused, inner radiance shines with pure beauty. Once practitioners have connected the Qi of the curtain and screen and formed a spirit embryo, they can occupy the lofty, bright Yang position represented by the Li trigram.

When children honor their parents, families live in harmony, and the people can be at peace. Would it not be foolish to act without following this principle?

The hymn says: When brothers live in harmony, the qi within and without is balanced. The Original Spirit—the fundamental spirit within a person—can then return to unity and appear in a realm of elegance and purity. After passing through the curtains and screens and connecting with the Numinous Embryo, the inner spiritual embryo spoken of in cultivation, one may ascend to the First Peak of Li-Yang, the direction symbolizing Yang qi and brightness.

“Children” here means loving one’s parents; “filial devotion” means repaying the kindness one has received from them. The foundation of moral principles lies first in serving one’s parents. The principles spoken of here are morality; serving one’s parents means making their care and support the foundation of one’s conduct and practice of the Dao.

While one’s parents are alive, one should prepare their clothing according to the seasons and attend carefully to their meals and daily needs. One should do everything possible to ensure the household is well provided for, so that one’s parents do not suffer worry or distress from poverty. One should also live harmoniously with the neighbors, sparing one’s parents the hardships of winter cold and summer heat and allowing them to live in comfort.

If one’s parents make a mistake, one should advise them gently. If they do not listen, one may speak more candidly, urging them to change out of a sense of devotion. In this way, mistakes can be corrected, virtue cultivated, and the right path restored.

To withdraw and yield means to avoid wrongdoing; to cultivate De means to perfect a kind and upright character. “Return” means to turn back, and “yield” means to comply. The “Dao” spoken of here is the guiding principle by which the humane conduct themselves.

When one’s parents are ill, care for them attentively and make sure they are settled and at ease. Tend to them with care so that they feel secure.

When one’s parents grow old, their children should make every arrangement for them with anxious care. The mixture of joy and apprehension one feels for one’s parents comes from the duty to provide for them properly throughout their lives and fulfill one’s filial obligations.

After one’s parents die, one should devote oneself wholeheartedly to arranging their burial. Even after their death, one should attend to the funeral rites with reverence and sincerity.

At the appointed seasonal festivals, one should remember and make offerings to one’s parents. Perform the spring and autumn rites at their proper times to express one’s longing for them.

Those who can follow these principles may be said to have returned to the proper Dao. “Can” means to be able; “serve” means to put into practice; and “these principles” means the guidelines just described. Children should provide their parents with food and clothing and treat them with respect and obedience. They should keep the household secure and well supplied, so that their parents have no cause for worry or anxiety. They should also live in harmony with their neighbors.

Goodness means benevolence; service means providing for one’s parents. “This standard” refers to this principle. Children should provide clothing for their parents, offer them food and drink, and treat them with respect and obedience. They should make the household prosperous and secure, so their parents are not burdened with worry and fear; live in harmony with their neighbors, so their parents are not worn down by heat, cold, or hardship. When their parents make mistakes, they should offer counsel. They should not let their parents fall into unrighteousness, nor neglect them when they are ill. As their parents grow old, children should care for them attentively and keep them safe, serving them with respect and consideration. When their parents die, they should bury them with sincerity, make offerings at the proper times, and present them with ritual gifts. Only by doing these things can one be said to have embarked on the path of long life and the school of meditation, and to have truly attained goodness.

The Dong says: Yin and Yang are the children of the Dao; Heaven and Earth are the children of Yin and Yang; human beings are the children of Heaven and Earth and Yin and Yang; and the myriad things are the children of humanity. People can nurture and sow the myriad things, so they are called the father of all things. All children should constantly serve their fathers with filial devotion. To understand this relationship is to enter the realm of Dao and De. The scripture continues: To investigate the meaning of the preceding chapter, one must look deeply into what is real: observe the inner through the outer, and recognize reality through appearances; understand formed things through what has form, and apprehend the formless through formless principle. Emptiness and form—terms commonly used in Buddhist and Daoist contexts for voidness and visible shapes—can be expressed in words, but one must experience true emptiness and the constant Dao in order to grasp the root. Only those who cultivate the Dao can attain profound clarity and realize the true sovereign.

The verse says: Use appearances to contemplate reality, experience reality, and let things follow their natural course. When one’s true nature is whole, it can be concealed in the Yellow Court, the inner place of refinement in the human body described in Daoist practice. Even in the Nine Springs, one need not cling to one’s name; instead, establish a warrant in the Golden Gate, the palace of Heaven. In the deep darkness, who can truly understand? In still, silent obscurity, one can accord with the numinous nature of the Mystery. Cut away the mind’s restless stirrings in stillness and its dark, harmful thoughts; why worry that you cannot ride the clouds and ascend to Heaven?

It also says: When words multiply, the Dao is spoken from the mouth, but the meaning of the Dao does not lie in elaborate language. Grasp its meaning, and when the mind clears, thoughts will naturally return to what is right. It also says: To understand a single phrase can bring great insight; one may read ten thousand books and still fail to grasp the essential point. In the end, it all comes down to this one word: “Dao.” Why struggle to seek it outside? It also says: If the Dao is treated as an object of discussion, the moment one speaks, one has already fallen into empty words. Only when cultivation reaches the unspeakable does one truly approach the original teaching.

Chapter Eight: The Chaste Woman

The yang within yin is called “woman.” Only when a woman is joyful without being wanton can she be called “chaste.”

A worthy minister does not serve two rulers. Here, “worthy minister” means a loyal minister, and “does not” means precisely that. Not serving two rulers means remaining steadfastly loyal to a benevolent and virtuous ruler.

A chaste woman does not marry a second husband. “Chaste woman” refers to a woman who preserves her chastity; “does not marry again” means she takes no second husband. She does not remarry in order to preserve her chastity.

The most precious qualities in a woman are chastity and steadfastness. The proper way for a woman to conduct herself is to maintain an upright and blameless character.

A woman should serve her parents and parents-in-law with wholehearted filial devotion. Before marriage, she serves her elders in her family home. Her husband’s parents are called her parents-in-law. To practice filial devotion is to serve one’s family with a filial heart.

A woman should do her utmost to be kind and virtuous toward her deceased husband and the younger and older members of the household, and to manage relationships between young and old with care.

She should keep far from jealousy and refrain from improper speech; cast aside flattery and deceit, and speak no falsehoods.

She should uphold the ethical bonds and principles, conduct herself with propriety, keep virtue in her heart, and ensure that her behavior accords with the standards of chastity and uprightness.

Chastity and filial devotion must never be abandoned, and good conduct must never be neglected. Here, “the crowd” means all the people: the idea is to keep practicing good deeds among them, so that one’s conduct grows ever better.

If she can do these things, she may be called a virtuous and chaste woman. A worthy minister serves only one ruler, preserving his loyalty; a chaste woman does not marry a second husband, preserving her integrity. By continually cultivating goodness without slackening, one’s conduct grows ever better.

A loyal minister serves no two rulers, thereby preserving his loyalty; a chaste woman does not marry again, thereby keeping her virtue. For a woman who cultivates the Dao, what matters most is steadfast chastity and purity, holding fast to virtue and embodying these qualities in her heart. She should serve her elders with filial respect and treat her husband with propriety, self-restraint, and kindness. In matters great and small, whether among those close or distant, she should act with reverence and propriety, never overstepping her place, and know how to yield. She should also cast aside flattery, deceit, and empty words. A woman who can maintain these good practices without violating them may be called virtuous.

The Commentary says: Ding Fire is the daughter of Jia Wood and is called “the supreme treasure of the Heavenly Court”; Ji Earth is the daughter of Bing Fire and is called “the numinous elixir of the jade tablet”; Xin Metal is the daughter of Wu Earth and is called “the true crystal of the White Tiger”; Gui Water is the daughter of Geng Metal and is called “red lead of the water realm”; Yi Wood is the daughter of Ren Water and is called “the turtle’s essence and the phoenix’s marrow.” Here, the relationships among the Five Phases, the heavenly stems, and male and female are used to symbolize Jing, blood, Shen, Qi, and the inner alchemical elements of Yin-Yang union. If these can be blended and brought into unity, gathering in the Yellow Court—the central palace in the body’s inner alchemical imagery—then surging upward to the Celestial Valley and Niwan in the head, and flowing downward to the Crimson Palace and Primordial Mansion, the inner palaces of the body, they can nurture the Three Primordials and harmonize the five organs. They make manifest a vast, pure, and upright spirituality, and open access to the subtle workings of change, deep and elusive. The body’s hundred bones and joints will regulate themselves; myriad transformations will settle into peace. The spirit will be clear, the breath abundant, and Jing and blood flourishing. One will nurture a body as pure as an infant’s and realize the wonder of the Primordial Great Dao.

Then fire is born in water, and water in fire; the dragon rises among clouds and brings down rain, while the tiger’s roar stirs the wind, and Yang Qi rises with it. Shen and Qi are replenished, and the Sacred Embryo—the inner alchemical metaphor for the fruit of cultivation—comes to completion, transcending the distinction between Wuwei and purposeful action. The wondrous is so called because Shen itself is wondrous; the true is so called because truth itself is true. Wondrous awareness is clear as an autumn sky reflecting the bright moon; true numinous presence is like pure white radiance appearing on a river’s surface. One must still resolve to follow the principles set out in this chapter, return to the original tradition, and turn one’s gaze inward: seek what is true through outward forms, and cultivate inner spirit through symbols of outward divine beings. Such a person is truly one who cultivates the Dao.

If someone hears a fitting teaching but refuses to practice it, or apprehends the Dao but cannot understand it, clinging to a narrow view and unaware that other realms exist, they labor in vain—like splitting wood to find jade or boring into stone in search of ice. To meet truth with truth is the way of a cultivator who stands apart from ordinary people; to meet truth with falsehood is the way of the deluded. The root of the Dao is hard to put into words, yet if nothing is said, living beings are difficult to teach. The root of De is not made by human effort, yet if it is not explained, people can easily lose their way amid its principles. The teaching is profound and far-reaching; what matters is whether a person can awaken with clarity, understand how things work, and recognize what is natural. Each increase in wisdom and understanding adds to one’s aid to the Dao. From one part and two parts, to a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, and a hundred million, wisdom has no limit—and so the boundless wondrous workings of the Great Dao continue to reveal themselves.

The Great Dao has no end, but those who study it are limited by their own capacity: each understands as much as they can contain. If they remain dependent on words alone, their effort ultimately comes to nothing.

The verse says: Within Yin lies pure Yang, helping me bring beauty to completion; between the curtains, light shines upon the clouds and colors of the open sky. Between the Dipper and Ox constellations, there seems to be a realm without dust; with every step, golden lotuses bloom, and flowers blossom upon the land.

It also says: Spring’s radiant hues are like a crow’s feathers, while peach blossoms’ colors reflect those of apricot blossoms. The winds and moonlight across the river valley are all beautiful; such scenery belongs not only to the imperial household. Deep in the bamboo grove, a traveler rides with a golden saddle, and earth clings among the plants and trees. Those with steadfast purpose lead everyone forward together, and in the end all can leave behind the worldly haze and journey toward stillness.

This concludes Volume One of the Scripture of the Highest Heaven, the Numinous Treasure, the Limitless Supreme Dao, and the Opening of Transformation.

The Scripture of the Highest Heaven, the Numinous Treasure, the Limitless Supreme Dao, and the Opening of Transformation, Volume Two

Chapter Nine: Aiding the Departed

“Zhou” means to aid and relieve; “death” means passing away.

When a person’s cultivation of the Dao and De accords with the Way of Heaven, the heavenly court is sure to respond. “Matching” means being in accord: joining oneself to the Lord on High through proper and virtuous conduct.

The foundation of De begins with serving one’s parents. Filial devotion is the root of virtue and the starting point of cultivating the Dao. When one’s parents die, one should grieve with sincerity and bury them according to ritual propriety.

One should also pray to Heaven, make offerings, and perform good deeds to accumulate De and aid the departed. One should write sacred texts and cinnabar inscriptions, perform the appropriate rites, and report the matter to the heavenly court. These are prayers directed to the ten quarters of Cinnabar Heaven, offered in remembrance of the dead and to rescue them. If the prayers are made with sincerity and reverence, Heaven will surely respond: the De of filial devotion will receive a response from the Way of Heaven.

Heaven will bestow good fortune, forgive offenses, and grant blessings, while the descendants will also prosper. Daoist rites further guide the souls of the dead and refine their spirits, subjecting them to refinement and deliverance in the “Court of Flowing Fire.” Then, by virtue of the forbidden texts of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Red Emperor’s recommendation, their names are entered in the Southern Palace. There they receive a new birth and rise to a higher station.

Those to be saved also include both close and distant relatives, the old and the young, people far away, and those who are alone and without support.

Whether near or far, the poplar trees keep them company, the cool breeze and bright moon are their neighbors, and Heaven and Earth are their companions. With nowhere to settle and no one to depend on, they are “solitary.” No one gathers their bones for burial; their wives and children have scattered. Their bodies lie exposed in the earth, touched by the white dew. By day they watch the clouds and rain; at night they lie beneath the stars and moon. These are the “destitute.”

Ghosts in shadowy passes who receive no offerings, and the dead who suffer in hardship with no one to make offerings for them, are all spirits of the netherworld without offerings or support. If compassion is broadly stirred to help them, the resulting merit is the same as described above.

“To broadly stir compassion” means to extend goodwill widely. “The same as described above” means that the benefits gained are the same as before. Doing this is a way of guiding the souls of the dead toward deliverance.

The spirits in Northern Feng, the northern realm of the netherworld, who receive no offerings and have no one to rely on, can be guided toward deliverance through compassionate aid, leaving the netherworld for a better realm. Their souls should also be delivered, and their bones buried. “Guiding” means delivering them beyond this realm; “rescuing” carries the sense of pulling them free. In this way, all spirits without offerings can benefit.

Heaven itself responds to such merit and repays it with blessings: granting many auspicious things, dispelling many calamities, and allowing people to gain a hundred blessings and escape a hundred misfortunes.

These blessings and good fortune extend even to the nine ancestors, the nine generations of forebears, enabling the dead to transcend.

Where could one find an end to extending one’s life? “Oneself” means oneself; “reaching longevity” means living to an advanced age; “where” asks what or where, and “end” means exhaustion. The foundation of Dao and De lies in serving one’s parents and, through this, joining with the Lord on High. Following the methods of the Dao is also part of the way of serving one’s parents.

One must also care for the souls of the dead, buried deep beneath cold springs and long enveloped by Yin energy, as well as for the dead who have no descendants to tend their graves and the scattered bones left exposed. If one extends compassion widely and joins with others to accomplish good deeds, delivering souls from suffering and gathering in the bones, the merit is great. The lonely and helpless souls will find comfort, and the scattered bones will receive proper burial. Heaven’s heart will respond, bestowing a hundred blessings; its grace will also reach the departed ancestors, benefiting both the living and the dead.

The Cavern says: Letting thoughts and intentions settle into stillness is the foundation of long life. Indulging desires and injuring one’s nature marks the beginning of a short life and death. If people can quiet the Five Desires, they can attain the Way of long life. A hundred blessings will come upon them, a thousand calamities will vanish at once, and they will accomplish the supreme Great Dao, while also freeing their nine generations of ancestors from entanglement. In this way they can attain great longevity and receive the aid of the spirits. Spirit and body alike reach a wondrous state, no longer subject to birth and death.

The verse says: By quieting the thief called desire, one gains life; it is the arising of covetous thoughts that brings death. Grasp the principle of long life amid change, and it is as though you dwell beyond the heavens, in Heaven beyond Heaven.

Chapter Ten: Awakening to Life

“Awakening” means attaining insight; “life” refers to the Way of long life.

A person’s life depends on awakening to the true Dao.

Awaken to the true Dao, and life can be attained.

A person’s death lies in losing the true Dao.

Fail to awaken to the true Dao, and one will move toward death.

What people value is nothing but possessions.

What people love is nothing but desire.

What people covet is sexual pleasure.

People fight because they show off their strength and act violently.

What people become infatuated with is fine wine.

Madness here means excessive indulgence in pleasures such as food and drink.

The factors that harm people are all already within them; they are simply mixed together.

All four factors are present in the human heart. When the heart is rightly ordered, one can awaken; when it is not, one loses one’s way.

If people awaken, they can accomplish good deeds. Those who awaken are called “good.”

If people lose their way, they become “chang”—a state that fuels confusion and harms others. Those who lose their way are called “mad.”

Good deeds bring flourishing fortune, while becoming chang causes calamity to spread. The good enjoy deep blessings, while the calamities of the mad become manifest.

Awakening accords with the Dao; losing one’s way depletes. Both arise from the same source yet lead to different outcomes. The key lies in the movements of the human heart and mind.

Awakening and delusion both exist within the human heart. Though their schools share a common source, their essential nature is no different.

These are the fundamental principles of human life, summed up.

The differences between people cannot be separated from four things: wealth, temper, wine, and sexual desire. Petty people are led around by them, while noble people know how to handle them properly. When petty people encounter wealth, they disregard what is right and harm others for their own gain. Noble people take what is right as their guide, and would rather suffer a loss themselves than refuse to help others. When petty people are drawn into disputes over pride, they quarrel and sue, crossing the bounds of propriety. Noble people in such situations remain gentle and yielding, responding as circumstances require. Petty people drink only for immediate pleasure, losing their composure and harming their health. Noble people drink to nourish their spirit and cultivate their primal vitality. Petty people who indulge in sexual desire damage their innate nature and life. Noble people, by contrast, preserve their Jing and Qi, and do not give themselves over to reckless excess.

The same things bring benefit when used in accord with the Dao, but cause depletion when used improperly. The effects of wealth, temper, wine, and sexual desire continue without pause, day and night. What deep mystery is there in the difference between immortals and ghosts? The key is whether a person’s heart is upright. The term “xie ren” here may refer to a mind inclined toward deviance.

The Dong says: Wealth is the foremost condition for the cultivation of immortality. Used skillfully, it can aid the “yellow sprout” (an important term in Neidan practice, referring to the Jing and Qi produced through refinement and cultivation). Sexual desire is the foundation of immortal cultivation. Handled skillfully, it can benefit practice in both stillness and movement. Wine is the nectar of immortals. Used skillfully, it can support primal Qi. Qi is the root of immortality. Regulated skillfully, it can help a person ascend beyond the ordinary. Of these four things, the benevolent see benevolence in them, and the wise see wisdom. They arise from the same source, but yield different results according to how they are used; though their root is one, they branch into distinct forms. Thus it is said that when noble people obtain these things, they can remain content in poverty, while petty people may lose their lives because of them.

The verse says: Qi, wealth, wine, and sexual desire are all determined by the mind. Petty people bring calamity upon themselves for no reason, sinking ever deeper. Only great noble people know how to use them well, and in the end can cultivate a body of purple gold.

Chapter Eleven: The Master’s Instruction

One who can set people straight is called a “master”; one who teaches people the right way is said to “instruct.”

Is anyone ever able to attain the reputation of a noble person without being taught by a teacher?

To attain the reputation of a noble person is to win a good name. “Wang” means “none,” and “you” means “to come from.” The statement that “no one attains great renown without it coming from a teacher’s instruction” means that a person’s good reputation always depends on a teacher’s guidance.

The value of a teacher lies in the ability to teach people the right way. “Zhu” means “them.” The reason teachers are held in esteem is that they can set their students straight and instruct them.

“Correctness” means following heavenly principle and honoring established standards. De can also be understood as correctness. Heaven shows no favoritism; it supports only those who possess De. The three hundred poems of the Classic of Poetry express no improper thoughts, so the Classic of Poetry can also serve as a standard.

Spreading the teaching of the correct Way is like a gentle spring breeze. “Spread” means to disseminate and proclaim. Just as the spring breeze nourishes all things, so too should the teaching of the correct Way.

The teacher imparts upright instruction, and the disciple admires it, learns from it, and puts it into practice. When wind passes over grass, the grass bends with its force. A teacher’s instruction should likewise be like the wind, moving disciples to follow the correct Way.

When a disciple behaves well, teach them the principles of loyalty and goodness. When a disciple behaves poorly, first guide them with a loyal heart. If they still refuse to listen, the teacher should treat them with forbearance, yield at the right moment, and stop trying to force them. “Instruct” means to teach; “forbearance” means to be tolerant.

Only by acting this way can one be a teacher to others; only by knowing when to advance and when to yield can one be called a benevolent teacher. Those who cannot do so become crude and vulgar people: “soft” like grass, “unyielding” like stone. If a teacher leads people astray, the resulting harm can take deep root.

A teacher who rectifies himself and instructs disciples in the right way will receive the assistance of Heaven. Thus, Heaven always supports those who are virtuous and conduct themselves with integrity. Upright virtue can be taught to others; words and actions that depart from the right way should not be taught. Teaching disciples through upright virtue is like the gentle breeze of spring: when it blows, all things grow in season. When instruction in the right way is passed on, disciples learn from it and their own virtue flourishes.

A teacher must also discern each disciple’s abilities, distinguish their strengths and limitations, and teach according to what each can manage. If a particularly able disciple is taught only as one of ordinary or lesser ability would be, that disciple’s development will be held back. If a disciple of lesser ability is taught in the way suited to one of greater ability, the instruction may be difficult to grasp. So disciples of good conduct should be guided through their innate moral awareness; those whose conduct still falls short should be led toward improvement through the way of loyalty and empathy. Only by doing this does a teacher fulfill the way of teaching. Without it, one is merely an empty figure, bound to appearances and possessing the title in name alone. Such a person not only misleads others but also sets himself on an unrighteous path, with consequences that are far from trivial.

The Dong says: “The substance of the Dao is empty and profound; the realm of true emptiness is beyond measure. Without a teacher’s guidance, one cannot comprehend it. Yet if one continually cultivates benevolence, filial devotion, loyalty, and integrity, helps all things, and cares for others, bringing one’s virtue into accord with Heaven, one will naturally encounter a good teacher.”

The ode says: “Upright instruction is like plants and trees following the wind. Dwelling in benevolence and virtue naturally brings people to loyalty and sincerity. Who can understand what I mean by ‘white coloring’? Dyed blue or yellow, the colors that appear are ultimately different.”

Chapter Twelve: The Disciple’s Learning

“Disciple” refers to a younger brother, and can also mean a son; “learning” means awakening and understanding.

When disciples study, they should first choose good virtue and commit themselves to it. That is, they should draw close to a benevolent teacher and learn upright virtue.

They should distance themselves from bad conduct and avoid the harm it brings.

Begin with humility and compliance with good virtue;

end by accomplishing good works.

Cultivating one’s De (Virtue) should have the fulfillment of De as its ultimate aim.

Whether active or still, one should accord with the Dao (the Way). In advancing or withdrawing, in every movement and pause, one should act according to the Way of benevolence. What the eyes see and the ears hear should be guided by De, and one should also observe and listen with benevolence and De as one’s standards.

The four qualities of loyalty, filial piety, trustworthiness, and diligence must never be neglected, even for a moment. Serving one’s ruler by keeping to one’s duties and giving one’s utmost, with an upright intention, is loyalty. Serving one’s parents according to ritual, obeying them and providing for them, is filial piety. Making one’s words and actions agree, and keeping one’s promises steadfastly, is trustworthiness. Handling affairs without slackness, fairly and carefully, is diligence. To say that these qualities must never be neglected means not allowing one’s resolve to weaken.

In reading and reflection, and in observing ritual and yielding to others, one must not forget one’s resolve.

There are five groups of texts on which reading and reflection should be based. The first comprises the Zhou Documents and the Book of Changes. The second comprises the Book of Documents, the Book of Songs, and the Book of Rites. The third comprises the Dao De Jing, the Yinfu Jing, the Suwen, and the Nanjing. The fourth is the Prajñā Golden Scripture. The fifth comprises the writings and records of Confucius. One should continually study and reflect on all five groups of classics. Thought arises from the mind, and the mind resides in the spleen and stomach. Human thought is naturally prone to deviation and gives rise to greed. If one regularly uses these five groups of texts to instruct oneself and cultivate one’s nature, they can nurture an innate disposition toward benevolence and goodness, ultimately leading one toward the realm of the Dao.

Some say, “Having no mind is the Dao.” This is not quite right. Without the teachings of sages and worthies in one’s heart, one is easily led by desire, like a monkey; without the restraint of education and culture, one runs wild like a horse. A mind like a monkey or horse is precisely a sign of lacking learning. Only awakening through learning can be called the Dao-heart. Once one has reached this state, one may speak of going beyond learning. How could one begin by learning nothing at all and attain the Dao simply by having no mind? Therefore, learning must be the foundation, and one must reflect on the words of sages and worthies. This is the profound and subtle principle.

Acting in accordance with the balanced and upright Way is called ritual. Being humble, acting in accordance with what is right, and living harmoniously with others is called yielding. To say that one must not forget one’s resolve means that, even while reflecting, one must not neglect these four qualities.

If one can act in this way, one may be said to be learning.

When disciples begin their studies, they should choose a teacher of benevolence and virtue, pay their respects to him as their master, and study the upright texts of the ancient kings. If they encounter a teacher lacking benevolence and virtue, they should keep their distance. By following a virtuous teacher, one’s own good conduct gradually grows. This is how one should begin learning. Once virtue has been cultivated, great undertakings can be accomplished; this is the end of learning.

If something one hears, does, or observes is contrary to morality, one should not pursue it. In daily life and in one’s conduct, one should avoid whatever is not kind and upright. Let these standards guide one’s thoughts, words, manners, and deference; let them also guide one’s loyalty, filial devotion, trustworthiness, diligence, and care. Keep them constantly in mind, and hold fast to your aspirations whether serving in office or living in seclusion. Only by doing so can one be said to have truly learned.

The Cavern says: Human life is like a dream; in the end, all things return to nothingness. Since it is rare to gain a human birth, one should study morality. If one does not, will one not sink into ruin for a long time? The hymn says: When crows roost, they choose a grove in which to build their nests. Since people are human, how could they fail to study the teachings? One should know the instructions of the ancient kings and review what one has learned to gain new understanding, like a mirror that grows brighter day by day.

Chapter Thirteen: Benevolence and Righteousness

Benefiting all living beings and saving the dead is called benevolence; putting others before oneself is called righteousness.

What the sages honor is precisely benevolence and righteousness.

Here, the sages are praised for honoring benevolence and righteousness. Benevolence means living harmoniously with others without violating what is right and natural. It is also the foundation of caring for others and benefiting all things, and this benevolence must be put into practice through one’s outward conduct. Harmony without violation is humility; caring for others and benefiting all things is compassion. “Putting it into practice outwardly” means embodying benevolence in one’s words and actions beyond oneself.

Righteousness means never departing from good virtue. Its foundations are moderation, appropriateness, and adherence to what is constant, and it must be put into practice within the heart. “Moderation” means being impartial, neither excessive nor deficient. “Appropriateness” means weighing each situation and choosing the proper course of action. “Constancy” means what is ordinary and enduring.

Benevolence and righteousness are distinct when considered separately, but when integrated, they form a single whole.

The Great Dao (the Way)—the fundamental principle followed by all things—has a single purpose. Though its paths differ, they ultimately converge. If one follows the Dao from beginning to end, what is there to worry about or fear?

“Zhao” means beginning, and “jing” means ending; “he” means “what,” and “dai” means danger. The sages value benevolence and righteousness because these bring benefit to the living and help the dead find deliverance.

To “benefit the living” means to temper punishments and treat people with kindness, generosity, and forgiveness, while holding oneself to strict standards. It means helping others fulfill their Dao and strengthen their De, enabling them to live in peace and turn away from wrongdoing, and guiding their hearts so they return to the Way of Heaven. It also means understanding the land and the affairs of state, respecting the ruler, and personally teaching people the principles of life so they can return to the root and recover their original nature. These are ways of benefiting all beings.

To “deliver the dead” means helping those in danger and relieving disaster; doing all one can to aid living beings and protect life; guiding the ghosts of the netherworld toward deliverance and caring for the dead who have no one to make offerings for them. Whether close or distant, whether one’s benefactor or adversary, all should be helped toward deliverance. One should put others before oneself and use surplus wealth to help those in need. One should bring others’ strengths to light and keep one’s own brilliance in check. These are ways of delivering the dead and helping those who suffer.

For this reason, the sages esteem benevolence and righteousness, and advocate practicing them with harmony, humility, and fitting measure. Benevolence is like a person’s head, and righteousness like the feet; harmony, deference, moderation, and appropriateness are like the limbs. When all the limbs are intact, the body is healthy; when something is missing, the body falls ill. If the illness grows severe, life itself is endangered. Only when the body is whole can the Dao be fulfilled.

“Harmony” means caring for others so that everyone benefits. “Deference” means conducting oneself humbly and accommodating all things. “Moderation” means holding to the constant Way and treating others with proper respect. “Appropriateness” means handling matters with just the right measure. Benevolence and righteousness, together with these four qualities, may take different forms, but they share the same root and do not differ from beginning to end. What matters is to practice them in every circumstance, whether advancing or withdrawing, visible or hidden, and to put them into action. What danger, then, is there to fear?

Thus the sage says: “Approach the end as carefully as the beginning, and nothing will fail.”

The Dongyue says: “Caring for the spirit and Qi is called benevolence; augmenting strength is called righteousness. If the Way of benevolence and righteousness enables one to face death without fear, what is there to destroy or abandon?” The Way followed by an enlightened ruler is therefore vast.

The ode says: Benefit all beings and deliver the dead, and you will accord with the lofty Way. Always put others before yourself, and handle affairs with fairness and composure. When your merit and virtue are complete, the Celestial Emperor will summon you of his own accord. Why wait for a cloud chariot to come for you before journeying to the heavenly court in the East?

“Softness” means overcoming hardness through gentleness and yielding; “harmony” means coordinating and blending with one another, allowing all things to reach a state of natural concord.

Sages have always esteemed gentleness and harmony. Gentle people are not violent, since violence leads to conflict; nor do they bully others, since bullying means showing contempt for them. By remaining gentle, one can live long. Gentle people are full of vitality. Only by setting aside violence and contempt can one live alongside others for a long time. Treat others with respect, without overstepping proper bounds, and show them courtesy and regard.

When people practice gentleness, they are like the lands of the southeastern water country, which excel at staying low. “Southeast” here refers to where rivers and seas converge. Only low-lying land can draw in the waters of the world. Those in high positions, too, should place themselves humbly; then people everywhere will come to them. A gentle person can also move the hearts of people throughout the world and win their willing allegiance.

A noble person honors the worthy, welcomes the many, praises good deeds, and shows compassion for those of limited ability. Others will respond in kind. As waters gather, rivers and seas grow fuller; this is called increase. When people’s hearts are glad, the changes of all things become more settled. Water and people are different, but the principles at work are alike: though water and people differ, the underlying principle is the same.

To act in this way is to set out on the path of the sages and enter their gate. Here, “tread” means to put into practice. By doing these things, one can enter the hall and chamber and reach deeply into the realm of the sages. This is indeed an excellent way to govern.

Here, “zi” means “this.” To govern well is to follow the Dao. Is this not admirable? The Dao practiced by sages places gentleness first. Gentleness can remove the faults of harshness and bullying. When harshness and bullying disappear, respect and humility arise in their place. Respect others, and they will show you respect in return; yield to others, and they will yield to you in return.

Thus the former kings cast aside harshness and bullying while preserving gentleness and humility. This is like the deep lakes and marshes in the southeast, where the waters of rivers, lakes, and seas gather. Water is skilled at occupying low places, so all the waters under Heaven flow toward it. It grows ever fuller and is never exhausted. The same principle applies to how we treat other people.

This Great Dao is supremely precious. It endures through the ages, never perishing; it is goodness at its fullest, mysterious beyond measure. The scripture continues: the Qi of the Pot-Heaven—a Daoist paradise or inner world—becomes gentle, enabling one to live long and transform into an immortal; when it becomes rigid, one meets illness and calamity, sinks, and falls. The former is the correct path; the latter is the deviant path. How you treat others is how they will repay you.

The eulogy says: Those who practice benevolence respect others, and others respond with respect. Those who act with righteousness honor their elders and care for their peers, and others likewise follow what is right. In their dealings with one another, people share De; in their movements and conduct, they care for one another. How magnificent is the teaching of the ancient sages! All under Heaven will come to follow it.

Chapter Fifteen: Establishing the Teaching

“She” means to establish; “jiao” means to set people right and teach them.

Those who establish a teaching should explain the correct path and pass it on.

To establish a teaching is for a noble person to set up instruction and guide others. The scripture explains that this text carries forward the teachings of the Book of Zhou, Laozi, and Confucius. It was not invented by its author; rather, it passes the correct path on to the people of the world.

The teaching spreads the correct path in order to make the customs of the world clear and set them right. “Zhao” means to make clear. Once the proper teaching has spread, people under Heaven will naturally submit to it.

If the way of instruction is not upright, the social customs it shapes will not be upright either. When instruction goes astray, the world naturally falls into disorder.

When social customs are upright, the workings of Heaven and Earth proceed smoothly; when customs are corrupt, the movement of Yin-Yang (Yin and Yang) falls out of balance. Smooth movement is called “Tai” (openness and peace), while imbalance is called “Pi” (obstruction and discord). The beginnings of Tai and Pi have their roots in instruction.

The right Way and the deviant Way each receive a corresponding recompense from Heaven. In ancient times, when sages carried out proper instruction, the Dao of Heaven aided them, and the spirits protected them, allowing their legacy to endure. Here, “assist” means to help; “stand by what is right” means to follow the right Way.

If one does not act in accordance with the right Way, the Supreme Lord of Heaven will rage and press down upon them, while the thick Earth will also punish them. Here, “follow” means to abide by and put into practice; “rage and press” refers to anger that bears down upon someone; “the thick Earth punishes them” means that the Earth Lord inflicts a sentence of death.

Whether one promotes righteous teaching or deviant teaching, each brings its corresponding recompense. Therefore, how can anyone who proclaims instruction to others fail to act with caution?

How can those who conduct themselves in the world and teach others—especially those who govern all under Heaven—not act with care? To be “careless” is to lack solemn respect. The wise and worthy rulers of antiquity taught all under Heaven by governing affairs according to upright principles, thereby winning the people’s allegiance. Then Heaven and humanity would both follow the Way, Yin-Yang would be harmonious, the Primordial Dao would lend its aid, and the spirits would offer their protection. If governance does not follow this path, the outcome will be the opposite: unrighteous conduct brings a corresponding retribution. How can those who govern all under Heaven and hold the lives of its people in their hands fail to act with care?

The scripture also says: The Spirit of Heavenly Origin and Orthodox Unity is the ruler and impartial judge of human beings. Those who act uprightly can live long and enjoy enduring life; those who act wrongly will suffer the Three Paths and Five Miseries, sinking into hardship with little hope of rising to the realm of the celestial beings.

The verse says: In governing, benevolence and virtue should come first, for both Heaven and humanity honor compassion. Without the teaching of benevolence and virtue, how can people be brought to follow? Know that those who extend compassion far and wide can endure in life and continually renew themselves.

Chapter Sixteen: Guiding People Beyond

Receiving and responding to people, and bringing benefit to all beings, is called “guiding beyond.”

The principle of guiding people beyond is the foremost precept of the sages, and its foundation lies in good virtue. To consider others first and oneself afterward is goodness.

“To put others first and oneself afterward” means to care for others before considering oneself.

Heaven lends its support to those who follow the Dao; this is called “virtue.”

The Dao of Heaven favors no one in particular, yet it constantly helps the good. August Heaven is impartial and supports only those who possess virtue.

Those who can act in this way truly deserve to be called “Realized Persons”—people accomplished in cultivating the Dao and endowed with virtue.

Those who do not act this way are called “petty people.”

Realized Persons can guide others beyond; petty people cannot. The noble person benefits others, while the petty person harms them.

Therefore, anyone who wishes to guide others beyond should reflect carefully and act with caution. Engaging with others, benefiting life, and guiding people beyond are essential ways of the sages, and their foundation lies in good virtue.

One should first help others fulfill their aims, and only then consider oneself. If one can truly do this, one will receive the heartfelt joy of Heaven and humanity; the spirits will bless one, and high Heaven will protect one. Only then can one be called virtuous. To embody this virtue is to follow the Way of the Perfected Person.

Above all, one must cultivate benevolence and virtue. Those who prize virtue always help others fulfill their aims before considering themselves. If one can truly do this, one will receive the heartfelt joy of Heaven and humanity, and the spirits and high Heaven will bless and protect one. Only then can one be called virtuous. One who embodies this virtue is called a Perfected Person. Only a Perfected Person can guide and transform others. Those without this virtue are called petty people. The unvirtuous only harm others, and so must not be allowed to lead them toward salvation. If they are allowed to guide others, they will lead people into unrighteousness and create karmic grievances that cannot be released for thousands of generations. Therefore, only Perfected Persons can save sentient beings and bring benefit to all things.

The Cavern Scripture says: “One who masters hidden mysteries, knows and understands the subtle and profound principles, comprehends the ways of the spirits, understands the source of life, and can put all things in their proper place may guide people in cultivating an immortal embryo. Such a person should be benevolent, teach and transform the people, and be loyal and upright. Those who are not like this should be treated with caution.”

The hymn says: “Everywhere, all is steady and upright; brightness and obscurity appear at every moment. Tender shoots first emerge in the Jade Pool, breathing out fragrance; with every step, golden lotuses follow.”

The Scripture of the Most High, Numinous Treasure, Limitless Supreme Way of Transformation and Perfection, Scroll Two, ends here.

The Scripture of the Most High, Numinous Treasure, Limitless Supreme Way of Transformation and Perfection, Scroll Three

Chapter Seventeen: Human Relations

Human beings are born from the refined and wondrous Qi of Heaven and Earth. When moral cultivation is brought to completion, this is called “human relations.”

“The guiding role is called the host; the assisting role is called the guest. When host and guest each fulfill their function, this is called clarity.” (The wording here is brief: the party that takes the lead is called the “host,” and the party that assists is called the “guest.” When host and guest each fulfill their proper function, this is called “clarity.”)

Letting the guest follow the way of the host is called “clarity.” Clarity is the way of natural simplicity. Simplicity means keeping one’s original nature and holding fast to what is plain, free of selfish thoughts and desires. Do not weary the body or disturb Jing and Qi. Empty and still the mind to discern the Way of Heaven; strengthen the body and take Earth’s great virtue as your model. If you can do this, you may be called clear.

The constant and true Dao shines without cease and is boundlessly mysterious. When one grows still, river and sky meet; plants on the banks are reflected among the reeds. Beside a lonely guesthouse stand a bamboo fence and a thatched cottage, while a cool breeze and bright moon shine upon the pear blossoms.

When the guest stirs the host, this is called “darkness.”

For the guest to unsettle the host is to go against the Way of Heaven. Strengthen the body and take Earth’s great virtue as your model. If you can do this, you may be called clear. The constant and true Dao shines without cease and is boundlessly mysterious. When one grows still, river and sky meet; plants on the banks are reflected among the reeds. Beside a lonely guesthouse stand a bamboo fence and a thatched cottage, while a cool breeze and bright moon shine upon the pear blossoms.

When the guest stirs the host, this is called “darkness.”

For the guest to unsettle the host is to go against the Great Dao; hence it is called darkness.

When things blend together and take on form, becoming firm and settled, this is called “the true.”

When the inside and outside of the same vessel are both damaged, this is called “punishment.” Here, injury within and without is compared to harm caused by thieves and to harsh punishment.

To preserve oneself completely on entering and leaving, without straying from the Way, is called “spirit.” Here, “spirit” refers to one’s inner Shen.

When movement and stillness both accord with the middle way, this is called “purity,” the foundation of stillness and clarity.

A vast image brings a sense of coolness and thereby allows things to settle. The original phrase, “the great image cools and is called serenity,” means that coolness tempers intense heat and brings it to rest.

Once the Great Void takes on form, it has already lost its emptiness. If the force of heat continues to grow, it will become full and overflow.

Reside peacefully within Shen and Qi, regulating them with Qi that is balanced and harmonious so they may be brought into accord. If there are gaps in the dwelling place of Shen and Qi, use the clear and still Way of illumination to observe and understand them.

Respond to the seasons with restraint; this is called “settling.”

“Frugality” means nurturing and protecting. Follow the seasons and their proper rhythms, and eat nourishing foods. Regularly eat foods rich in vital energy, nourish the body with Yang broth, and balance it with Yin water. Use the turbid to nourish the turbid, and the impure to replenish the impure. Once the spirit and vital energy have been cultivated, continue the work and refine them with the true Yang essence of Li Fire. Practice in keeping with the time between the Ox and Tiger hours, and follow the daily timing within each period: take two trigrams to represent a year, and the two crescents to represent a month.

During practice, close the seven apertures, lie on your back with the spine extended, draw in the navel and abdomen, and inhale pure Qi through the nose. □ enters the original palace, the body’s fundamental place. Only after the breath has settled should you exhale turbid Qi. With practice in this way, the true Dao gradually takes shape. Thus, eating at the proper times regulates every part of the body; activating the essential mechanism of cultivation also brings the myriad transformations to rest.

A verse says: If you wish to govern a realm as pure and lovely as a cave-heaven, cultivate and protect its roots together, so that its foundation may flourish. The new moon is a fitting time to practice, when growth begins like bamboo shooting up; plum blossoms stand out more fragrant against the snow. A turbid, impure body, once nurtured, can change from turbid to clear and awaken to new life; when its source and course grow still, clarity appears of itself. The remote, hidden Qi of Li Yang can unite with Kan Qi, the Yin energy represented by the Kan trigram. Nourish the body gently while eating, and do not take this lightly. Follow the seasons in regulating the firing process, and no harm will be done. Once cultivation is complete, one can attain a body that soars to the heavens and enter the realm of the Great Dao with clarity.

Another poem says: Beside the immortal grotto of Jade Creek lives a recluse. At dawn, the sky is clear, and distant mountain mist reflects over the sandy ground. The waterside scenery flows dimly into the doorway; it is all petals of peach blossom.

Another poem says: To calm the spirit and preserve life, avoid overexertion. Lessen desire and cast aside selfish thoughts, and the body will naturally become full and moist. Often, while eating, gently nourish the body outwardly, and refine □ with the Li Fire of the cave-heaven.

The ability to transform is called “numinous.”

Though engaged in action, one can still achieve Wuwei (non-action); through skill in transformation, one becomes spiritually clear.

To follow the way of Heaven is called “accomplishment.”

By observing the workings of the Dao (the Way) and acting in accordance with its patterns of correspondence between inner and outer, one can enable all things before one’s eyes to flourish without end, like an everlasting spring that never knows night. The scripture says: “Is the Dao of Heaven not like the bending of a bow? What is high is pressed down; what is low is raised up. What is in excess is reduced; what is insufficient is replenished.” The ways of the human world are different: they often take from those who have too little to provide for those who already have too much. Who in the world can reduce the gains of those with more than enough and benefit those with too little? Only one who has truly attained the Dao. If people can model themselves on the Dao of Heaven, they can attain the body of an immortal.

“Those who continue to be so are called the human relations” means that people capable of this are exemplars of human relations—the ethical bonds between people. “Continue” means to be able; “be” means to be like. In this way, one achieves the wondrous Dao.

“Those who do not act this way, how could they avoid sinking?” means: if one does not act accordingly, how could one avoid falling into ruin? “Do not” means without; “follow” means to use. “Those who do not follow this way” therefore means those who do not adopt this practice. “How” means for what reason; “sinking” means becoming submerged or falling into ruin.

“Ah, joy and grief lie in the foundations; wander, then, where what you have heard leads” speaks of how the paths of suffering and joy, life and death, depend on how a person applies the teachings they have heard. “Ah” refers to the realm of suffering; “joy” refers to the immortal path. The particle “then” marks the tone. “Foundations” refers to the basis of death; “lie” refers to the beginning of life.

Ah, this is a realm of suffering; what one gladly longs for is the immortal Way. The particle “xi” is merely an expression used in literary writing. “Hui” means to destroy, and here signifies the foundation of death; “zai” means to exist, and here signifies the beginning of life. Do not suffering and joy, death and life, all have to do with the Dao?

This explains the meaning of the chapter “What the Ear Hears.” The Dong commentary says: Shen is the master, referring to the upright, awakened nature within the human heart; Qi is the guest, referring to the original Qi in the kidneys, which is balanced and harmonious. The heart is like the host, and thoughts are like guests. If Shen is always allowed to guide Qi, and the heart to guide thoughts, all will proceed smoothly and peacefully. Otherwise, host and guest will be reversed. Thus, when the heart can regulate Qi, this is called “strength”; when the host can command the guests, this is called “clarity.”

If one can do this, one can establish oneself firmly within the physical body and avoid injury and punishment amid the actions of daily life. In coming and going, one can preserve the spirit; in movement and stillness, one can maintain serenity. In this way, all will proceed smoothly and peacefully. If one cannot do this, host and guest will be reversed. Hence it is said again: the heart’s regulation of Qi is called “strength,” and the host’s command of the guests is called “clarity.” Those who can do these things can settle themselves within the physical body, avoid harm in their daily actions, preserve the spirit in coming and going, and maintain serenity in movement and stillness.

When Yang Qi is excessive and overheated, use water to cool it; when the condition is too weak, use fire to nourish it; when it is balanced and harmonious, use true Qi to bring it into equilibrium; and as the four seasons change, nurture it through cultivation. Those who can do this adjust skillfully to change and nurture transformation. This is to model oneself on the Way of Heaven and thereby attain the subtle Dao.

Once innate wisdom opens, the mind becomes spacious and unobstructed, entering a realm of clarity and emptiness. When the original, luminous nature appears, one can be still and penetrate the root of Heaven and Earth. One sees that all things shaped and formed through action are like dreams and lightning, and recognizes the realm without color or form as seeming like true emptiness. Thus, the wondrous transformations cannot be fathomed, and the rise and decline of favorable and adverse conditions cannot be measured with instruments. Such a person transcends the shores of life and death, leaves behind the realm of suffering and joy, endures through vast cycles of tribulation, and moves within the wondrous realm of Yellow Florescence.

The eulogy says: To transcend the world of dust, one must rely on profound scriptures; within the chapters on human relations, their true meaning can be made clear. Those who understand these principles and put them into practice are people of the highest attainment in the mysterious Origin.

Chapter Eighteen: Response and Resonance

“Response and resonance” refers to the mutual influence between cause and effect.

The Way of response and resonance begins between Heaven and humanity. When people act, Heaven responds; thus Heaven and humanity can resonate with one another.

When people put something forth, they receive a corresponding response. It is like a sound made in an empty valley: an echo must follow. Whenever people take action, Heaven responds in turn, so human beings and Heaven can communicate with one another.

When someone speaks, an echo answers. Likewise, a person’s good and evil bring corresponding fortune and misfortune. Everything people do draws an answering consequence, just as a shadow always follows the body. If the body is bent or straight, the shadow takes on the same form. In the end, the consequences of good and evil are made clear; cause and effect follow their own laws.

The Dao of Heaven supports the good and aids those who possess De. Its net is vast and far-reaching, without bounds. The Dao of Heaven has no private interests: it draws near to the good and helps those of De, sustaining the loyal and kind, nurturing filial conduct and increasing De.

The Dao of Heaven is like a bright mirror, naturally illuminating all under Heaven, like the autumn moon reflected in a river. It observes good and evil throughout the world, as a precious mirror reflects the forms of all things.

The Dao of Heaven is vast and radiant, which is why the scripture calls it “great” and “bright.” “Great” means vast; “bright” means luminous. The Dao of Heaven is high and distant, without fixed form, boundlessly vast and luminously immense. That is why its greatness and brightness are repeatedly praised.

Those who follow the Dao of Heaven receive many blessings: when people do good, August Heaven bestows blessings; when they do evil, the thick earth brings calamity. August Heaven will not protect those who deceive their ruler and mislead the people. Those who destroy the ways of benevolence and righteousness will be visited by calamity from Heaven.

Through responsive resonance, the Dao of Heaven makes the consequences of good and evil known. These consequences are vast and clear, extending through past and present.

Alas, people should act with great care and thoughtfulness.

The people should hold Heaven’s mandate in reverence. The scripture says, “Reverence for Heaven’s mandate is a teaching that rulers should cherish; observing the Way of Heaven is the law followed by the immortals. Those who act in accord with the Way of Heaven will flourish; those who act against it will perish.” Thus, the sages cultivate De and bring themselves into harmony with the people. They also teach the people to revere Heaven’s mandate, observe the Way of Heaven, and act in accordance with it. By following Heaven, the sages accord with the divine and unite with the Dao, attaining long life and enduring insight into the Way. To reject this path is sheer folly. The ode says: Retribution is like the bright moon in the Milky Way on an autumn night, its radiance reflected on the water, clear as a pure river. Heaven and Earth are impartial, discerning all things; people in this world should all yearn for the great, divine sages.

Chapter Nineteen: Advancing and Withdrawing

In conducting oneself in the world, one’s advances and withdrawals should accord with the right way. In action and stillness alike, one should observe the Way of Heaven.

What accords with virtue, goodness, and integrity may be undertaken once it has been clearly discerned. What does not accord with them should be firmly abandoned and avoided.

Any conduct that follows the Way of Heaven may be carried out; conduct that goes against it should cease.

Those who can discern clearly and advance with resolve are called perfected persons—people who embody the Dao in their conduct. In their actions, perfected persons should be content and at ease with Heaven’s arrangements, frugal and restrained, generous and compassionate.

Contentment keeps one from being troubled by wealth and status; ease with Heaven’s arrangements keeps one from being entangled in romantic attachments. Frugality and restraint make it difficult for want to draw near; generosity and compassion make it difficult for calamity to approach. These four virtues are like the four limbs of the body: indispensable to self-cultivation and to conducting oneself in the world. Those who firmly reject what is improper and preserve these virtues possess the conduct of perfected persons.

Those who firmly reject what is improper and know when to withdraw are likewise called perfected persons. Their usual principles are to respond humbly to the times, follow the Way of Heaven, remain peaceful and kind, and make the virtue of the divine manifest.

Humility in responding to the times keeps harm at a distance; following the Way of Heaven brings one closer to good fortune; peace and kindness lead one into the Great Dao; making divine virtue manifest frees one from the ordinary world. Those who preserve these virtues are perfected persons; those who lack them are petty people.

Only by clearly discerning when to advance and when to withdraw, and understanding how to respond to what is near and far, can one grasp the true Dao and approach the realm of the sages.

The Dong says: Those who wish to preserve themselves often act with flexibility rather than insisting on directness. Those who wish to establish a reputation, by contrast, hold fast to uprightness and refuse to bend. Those who cultivate themselves often have to give up reputation and wealth; those who value reputation and wealth often hinder their own cultivation. The former cannot do what the latter do, and the latter cannot do what the former do. If someone can treat what the former do as though it were what the latter do, and what the latter do as though it were what the former do, that person may be called a True Person—one who embodies the Dao in action.

Thus the sage said, “A skilled merchant stores precious goods deep away, so that he seems to have nothing to sell. A person of profound De appears plain and foolish.” To be upright without showing off, and radiant without dazzling others: this is a mystery within a mystery, and the subtle teaching of the former masters.

The hymn says: The Dao, De, and the rites and music of the former kings shine forth clearly. By following the times, one can bring Heaven and Earth to a state of stillness and openness. Without this, it is hard to escape the dreamlike condition of fleeting life; even by the willow-lined shore, one can only gaze in vain at the cold moonlight.

Chapter Twenty: Zongyuan

The sages of the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—share the same fundamental purpose; there is no difference between them.

When people study and attain understanding and distinction, I know they must have grasped the sages’ essential teaching. That teaching has three main aspects.

Though divided into three, these aspects ultimately share one and the same root.

The first aspect belongs to Confucianism. Its core consists of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, and learning, together with upright conduct and an understanding of laws and institutions. These are the essentials of Confucianism.

What is spoken of in the upper and middle lanes above consists entirely of these things. “Zi” means “this.”

The second aspect belongs to Daoism, and it too is divided into three parts.

Though divided into three, these aspects ultimately share one and the same root.

The first aspect belongs to Confucianism. Its core consists of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, and learning, together with upright conduct and an understanding of laws and institutions. These are the essentials of Confucianism.

What is spoken of in the upper and middle lanes above consists entirely of these things. “Zi” means “this.”

The second key to cultivating the Dao is to embody the subtle and unmanifest in simplicity, remain clear and tranquil through Wuwei (non-action), reveal the original spirit and regulate the breath. It also means being full of compassion within, treating others gently, and extending kindness without seeking an end to it; bringing body and mind into unity, blending with the world while remaining in harmony with it, and ultimately returning to one’s original life and source. These are all important principles of Daoist cultivation.

“Subtle and unmanifest in simplicity” means that the original substance is hidden and difficult to perceive, without form or appearance, yet the divine spirit is present within it. The Dao operates throughout the myriad things; its radiance is everywhere. By preserving one’s original simplicity, one can discern the past, present, and future. By realizing the Great Dao, one can abide in natural truth and grasp its subtleties.

“Clear and tranquil, revealing the spirit and regulating Qi” means responding to external things without clinging to their appearances: understanding their meaning through their forms, then letting go of attachment to desires and passions. The original spirit shines forth, like the bright moon illuminating Heaven and Earth. When the breath is full and balanced, the spirit becomes lucid and alert. Regulating the breath can calm the divine spirit; maintaining clarity, tranquility, and Wuwei can bring body and mind into harmony. When body and mind are nourished by pure Yang Qi, there is no need to worry that the foundations of cultivation will fail to sprout. When true Qi is abundant and simplicity is maintained, the Three Officials—the Celestial Official, Terrestrial Official, and Water Official in Daoist teaching—naturally become stable. The original spirit, too, can then rest in ease, as if accompanied by a bright moon and a gentle breeze.

Jing and blood nourish the inner seed of spiritual awareness, harmonizing spirit and Qi amid the dust of worldly life. The cultivator dwells in stillness as the Yin and Yang Qi within respond to one another and rise. The scripture then uses images of riding an official’s horse, a golden saddle and jade pendants, galloping beneath the moon, and pointing toward a bridge among the white clouds to portray ascent and transformation in cultivation.

“Compassion in fullness, gentleness, and boundless kindness” means being filled with compassion, treating others generously and gently, and responding to things in accord with the Dao. Compassion gives all beings abundant care, while gentleness nourishes the myriad things wherever it reaches. This kindness has no end, like the bright moon reflected on clear rippling water.

Bestow kindness and compassion universally; the wind blows hard along the willows on the riverbank. Moonlight over Qiantang shines on the eastern suburbs, where flowering trees flourish beneath a dense green canopy. A few cold stars in the River of Heaven illuminate the shadowed pass, as though loosening the bonds of the north.

“Blend into one with the dust, then return to life’s source” means to bring all things together and live among ordinary people, ultimately returning to one’s original nature and source. “Unite as one, grasp thirty, one hundred, and two; the subtle principle of blending with the dust is far beyond ordinary rule” speaks of bringing things into unity and grasping their underlying principle. The subtle art of living among ordinary people is not a method of governance in the usual sense. For life to return to its source is like returning to the state one had when first born to one’s parents; only then can one reach a bright, clear state free of obscurity.

Life in this world is like a dream, and all things of the mundane realm are illusory as dust. Realizing one’s original nature is the foremost work of cultivation. Fame, wealth, and worldly attachments are mostly insubstantial, like morning dew beside a great river, gone in an instant. Better to awaken decisively while there is still time; when the principle is truly put into practice, people’s hearts naturally become harmonious.

One should seek the true heart within the body and regulate the breath. When the breath flows freely, the mind and spirit grow clear, and the path is unobstructed. Grasp the generative vitality of Heaven and Earth within body and mind, as though springtime under Heaven were contained within a pot. The clear breeze along the willow bank, and the subtle principle without limit or bounds—this is the foremost work of cultivation.

Yang energy has just begun to stir, while the cold moon quietly preserves its true nature. Green waters flow murmuringly, and clear breezes blow in gusts. By the ancient banks of the Xiao and Xiang rivers, boats lie moored across the water as drums and horns sound. A noble young man, dignified in bearing, stands amid it all, seeming to hear exquisite music.

The essence of these three points is to take compassion and patient endurance as one’s foundation, ultimately attaining a mind of equality; to understand the causes and effects between people and broadly benefit all beings; and to enter the Dharma of formlessness and proclaim the great Way that awakens people. Deeply recognizing the true sovereign—these are the essentials of cultivation.

Compassion means saving and guiding all beings with a loving heart, helping them leave the sea of suffering caused by desires and afflictions and cross its waves, one after another. It also means helping the souls of the dead in the netherworld resolve their grievances and entanglements, so that debts and ties among relatives can be settled, allowing them to leave hardship behind and rest in a realm of peace and freedom.

Patience under insult means that no matter how much hardship I face, I can meet it calmly. Even when I am slandered, Suchness—the unchanging true nature—remains unmoved. I no longer cling to the many kinds of emotion, and transcend the four marks described in the Diamond Sutra: the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of beings, and the mark of a life span.

The ultimate Way means seeing through all things and principles in this fleeting life: they are as illusory as a dream. Even the Buddha’s teachings are merely skillful means that guide people, so how much more so are the many forms of the world? All conditioned things will eventually perish. Examine these conditioned appearances deeply, and you will understand that they are like phantoms and bubbles, obscuring what is real. Knowing that all things are like dreams, turn your mind around and return to the highest source. See through the dreamlike nature of this fleeting life, and the original spirit (the human spirit in its primordial state) can become clear. Only when the mind clings to nothing can it be still; then even the wind, moon, mountains, and waters seem like intimate companions. The green mountains are bright and clear, inviting song; the waters of Xiaoxiang are limpid and pure. The boundless scenes along the riverbanks are all displayed within the imperial city.

Equality means regarding life and death, and past grievances and affections, without distinction between those near and those distant, and resolving every karmic debt and entanglement with complete sincerity. Performing rites to deliver the dead and aid the living at the proper time has real efficacy. When it accords with the right moment, the Dao can manifest through it.

The distinction between one side and the other is this: those who awaken to the Dao can transcend the world and reach the pure shore, while those lost in desire and attachment to outward forms continue to sink. Beings drift without end through the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. Sadly, many are still lost even in the prime of life.

Cause and effect means that planting wholesome causes brings wholesome results, while sowing harmful causes brings an increase in harmful results. Cause and effect is vast and clear, like a mirror reflecting an image; every step a person takes is accompanied by its corresponding retribution.

Those who benefit all beings universally, lead people into the teaching of formlessness (freedom from attachment to outward appearances), and expound the scripture of great awakening should understand that all appearances are like dreams. Even when one says, “There is no body,” a real bodily form still exists. When the heart is radiant, one can understand the primordial One Qi (the source energy of heaven, earth, and all things). Through mutual support, one can preserve youthful vigor for a long time.

The “True Ruler of Profound Clarity” refers to true awakening (genuine realization) shining forth clearly, with an authentic nature. Let your actions and stillness arise from your true nature; do not become absorbed in delusion and lose your way. Without understanding this, it is hard to appreciate the wonder of the bright moon at the river’s head, the green waters, and the blue mountains. Do not let the clear beauty before you pass unnoticed.

Thus, the essential teachings transmitted by the three great sages share the same source; only their expressions and methods of instruction differ. From their formless, boundless nature, they expound a formless, boundless teaching, benefiting all beings and caring for each one equally.

Their manifestations and teachings, adapted to the capacities of living beings, are endless and innumerable as grains of sand. All they teach is true doctrine: it can benefit the dead and help living beings transcend birth and death.

Those who respectfully contemplate its essential meaning from beginning to end, then continue to put it into practice without slackening, are truly worthy.

“Zhao” means beginning, “jing” means ending, “li” means reverence, and “zhu” means “of it.” The three great sages expounded various teachings among humans and in the heavens, yet the doctrines they established do not differ: at their root, all return to the same Dao. The scripture says, “The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to the myriad things.” Though the myriad things flourish, in the end they return to their root. What begins as One branches into many, and the many return to One. The saying “There is only one vehicle, neither a second nor a third” likewise means that all teachings are ultimately the same. The sages used the One to comprehend all things, showing that the Great Dao shares a common thread: though the paths differ, they finally converge. Thus, a noble person is not confined to a single use and should not take one limited view as the whole truth.

The former master said that the three great sages were all manifestations of a single presence, responding to the different capacities and needs of living beings and teaching and rescuing them with generous compassion. Alas, some foolish people in later generations cling to their own prejudices and force the teachings into a hierarchy. Trusting only their own views, they reject others, giving rise to mutual hatred and slander, as well as partiality and aversion. Those who act this way will fall into hell. People of talent and understanding in later generations should take warning from this.

So the sage says, “Clinging to something can cause you to lose it.” Laozi says, “Treat the good with goodness, and treat the not good with goodness: this is true Virtue and goodness. Trust the trustworthy, and trust the untrustworthy: this is true Virtue and trust.” If people fully understand this principle, never violate it by day or night, and put it into practice, they can attain goodness.

The verse says: “Take refuge in the teachings of Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucius; violate them neither by day nor by night. Put the principles of the sages of the Three Teachings into practice—how could you fail to reach the Phoenix Pool, the realm of honor and distinction?”

Cultivating the True means walking within the realm of Dao cultivation. The verse says: Though living amid the dust of the world, one is not burdened by worldly concerns; contentment lets one know when to stop. Guard the world within the gourd, and it is like dwelling in an imperial domain. The clear river reflects the moon in the lofty sky, while green grass grows beside the ancient bank.

The Way of cultivating the True is highly esteemed by the sages. What they esteem as fundamental is Original Qi (the primordial, precelestial Qi). “Original” is crystalline Shen (refined, clear spiritual energy), the foundation of all things; Qi is the energy of Yin-Yang, the source of the myriad phenomena.

What the sages’ Way honors is Original Qi, while the foundation on which Original Qi is established is Jing and blood. A person with abundant Original Qi follows the method of matching Water and Fire, regulates Lead and Mercury (symbolic terms in Neidan cultivation), and brings the Zhen soul into union; in this way, one can attain long life.

Abundant Original Qi means that a man’s Jing and a woman’s blood are both full and stable. Matching Water and Fire means bringing Dao and Li, Kan, into union. Setting Lead and Mercury means transmuting the Lead of the Qian trigram and refining the Mercury of the Kun trigram. Joining the Zhen soul means blending the soul of the Zhen palace and aligning it with the true Jing of the Azure Dragon. What is called long life is entering the land of no night.

Those whose Original Qi has been damaged should follow the method of clear Yang, replenish Water and Fire, and gather in the Dui Po (the corporeal soul governed by the Dui palace), thereby restoring the original source of life.

According to the correspondences between Yin-Yang, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), clear Yang Qi is associated with Zhen and Dui. To replenish Water and Fire, one should add the essence symbolized by Li and draw out the Qi symbolized by Kan. To gather in the Po symbolized by Dui, one must gather in the Po of the Dui position while also grasping the Hun of the Zhen position. These statements discuss only the symbols of the six trigrams Qian, Kun, Li, Kan, Zhen, and Dui, without mentioning Gen and Xun. Why? The sages said that if you are shown one corner but cannot infer the other three, you cannot understand the whole. The other two inner symbols will also be strengthened by the principles described above, so they are not mentioned one by one here. Besides, saying too much is less useful than keeping to the Middle Way.

What is called “returning to one’s destiny” means that when Yang obtains Yin, this is called returning to the root; when Yin obtains Yang, this is called returning to one’s destiny.

As for the conditions required for stability, and what must be reduced in order to bring things into harmony:

When fullness is reached, it is transformed into the Elixir. When cinnabar, wrapped in mercury, becomes depleted, the cinnabar within the mercury must be replenished.

Use Qi to replenish Qi, and Shen to nourish Shen.

When Yin Qi and blood are harmonized and abundant, they can strengthen Yang spirit. When Yang spirit is abundant, it can in turn nourish Yin Qi and blood.

Expel dampness from within the body.

There are three important places in the human body. The upper and middle are called the Mud Ball, the spirit palace in the head, and the Crimson Palace, the Qi palace in the heart. The lower is called the Origin Palace, around the lower Dantian. These three places are where Shen, Qi, Jing, and blood reside; they are not places of dampness or Yin Qi. Dampness should therefore be expelled.

By cultivating in this way, one can attain a wondrous Dao body.

The key to cultivating the body lies in mastering these principles.

If people follow these methods, they can become immortals.

Those who cultivate themselves in this way can ascend to the Yang Heaven, the pure and bright celestial realm, pass through the Golden Gate, the entrance to the realm of immortals, and attain the body of an immortal. The commentary says: Regulate the breath and quiet the spirit; nourish Qi and blood, and refine and cultivate Jing and Qi. In time, progress will follow. When the abdomen is full, the bones strong, and the mind firm, one can remain in the human world for a long time. Even without ascending to heaven in broad daylight, one can prolong life and preserve youth. The verse says the same: Regulate Qi and quiet the spirit; nourish blood and refine Jing, and gradually cultivate to completion. With a full abdomen, strong bones, and a firm mind, one can remain in the world for a long time. Even without ascending to heaven in broad daylight, one can live long and remain youthful.

The verse says: Men possess true Yang within themselves; they need not seek Yang energy elsewhere. By refining and cultivating what is already present in Yang, they can bring it to full strength. If one cultivates repeatedly and restores the source of life, it is like entering a realm where immortals are beyond the reach of night.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Refining the Nature

When Dong Cheng Zhen awakens and the seeds of realization take root, one is called a Daoist.

In refining and cultivating the nature of the mind, the most important thing is to subdue the inner thieves that cause harm. There are five such “thieves.”

The functions expressed through the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—are called the “Five Thieves.”

The first is the will, whose emotional expression is fear; hence it is called the “cold thief.” When it is brought under control, this is called the “leak-free nature”: a state of mind that does not dissipate its spirit and preserves inner clarity.

The will belongs to Water and governs the Qi of the kidneys; it also manifests as a person’s resolve. Its emotional expression is fear, which is why it is called the “cold thief.” The will governed by kidney Qi can give rise to fear, alarm, and other such states. When they arise, they greatly damage the original spirit of awareness, the innate faculty of knowing. If the light of wisdom is used to see through this fear, allowing the mind to recognize its true master, one can cease to be alarmed and attain a leak-free state. The mind then becomes open, pure, and unadorned, like moonlight clear and bright and a gentle breeze passing by, as tranquil as an ancient bank beside a stream.

Leaving this formless realm, all dust and turmoil are emptied away. At ease and undisturbed, one dwells amid the clear breeze and bright moon.

Another version says: When the mind recognizes its true master, one ceases to be alarmed and attains a leak-free state. The mind becomes open and pure, as tranquil as a moonlit night, a clear breeze, and a sandbar by an ancient bank.

Leaving this formless realm, all dust and turmoil are emptied away. At ease and undisturbed, one dwells amid the clear breeze and bright moon.

The second is the hun, whose emotional expression is anger; hence it is called the “cautious thief.” When it is brought under control, this is called the “cool and clear nature.”

The Hun belongs to Wood and governs a person’s Liver blood and the Qi of the Liver and Gallbladder. This is the Hun, or ethereal soul. Its emotional nature appears as anger, so it is called the “thief of resentment”—a thought that readily gives rise to anger. The Hun of the Liver and Gallbladder governs the many expressions of anger and conflict. Once these thoughts arise, they greatly harm one’s innate awareness. If they can be regulated, this is called “the nature of clear stillness.” Shine the light of wisdom on this true Hun and awaken to the emptiness of all things. Then you will understand that such thoughts pass in an instant, like dreams or flashes of lightning. Turn the light inward and gather the mind’s radiance, allowing innate lucid awareness to shine clearly. It is like the autumn moon illuminating the open sky, or a fresh breeze sweeping across an ancient shore. In the end, one attains the fruit of coolness and reaches a state of purity and stillness.

The third is Shen. Its emotional nature appears as joy, so it is called the “thief of pleasure”—a thought that readily draws the mind and spirit into delight. If it can be regulated, this is called “the nature of the Subtle and the Obscure.”

Shen is the true primordial essence belonging to Fire. It is a person’s mind and spirit, and it is also what governs the mind and spirit. The place to which the mind and spirit return is called divine clarity.

Shen’s emotional nature appears as joy, so it is called the “thief of pleasure.” The mind and spirit govern the many expressions of delight, amusement, and abandon. Once these thoughts arise, they too greatly harm one’s innate awareness. If they can be regulated, this is called “the nature of the Subtle and the Obscure.” Keep desires in mind and observe where they ultimately lead; also watch how thoughts continually arise and reveal their illusory nature. In this way, one can grasp the subtle workings of things and understand their root, then turn back to observe the inner mind and bring one’s nature to rest in the Subtle and the Obscure. The saying “Look, but it is not enough to see; listen, but it is not enough to hear” means that the Dao is so subtle and hidden that it cannot be grasped through sight or hearing. At this point, one understands that life need no longer be burdened by external things, and learns how to nourish the mind and spirit and preserve purity and stillness.

The tender green plants by the riverbank are soft and lush; reeds sway among the flowering rushes. A small boat lies moored beside the ancient shore, the moonlight cool, and a fresh breeze fills the sleeves.

Only then does innate lucid awareness truly appear. Within the gate of purity and stillness, the mind is at ease. As the veils of the mundane world are swept away, the True Ruler—the inner master—comes into view; the primordial spirit emerges beyond the threshold of life and death.

The fourth is Yi, or intention. Its emotional nature appears as thought and deliberation, so it is called the “thief of greed”—a thought that readily gives rise to craving and attachment. If it can be regulated, this is called “the nature of Wuwei (non-action),” the nature that does not cling to contrived action.

“Intent” corresponds to Earth and is also associated with the spleen and stomach. The intent generated by the spleen and stomach has contemplation as its nature, and is therefore called the “thief of food.” The intent of the spleen and stomach gives rise to all kinds of thoughts, such as desire and longing. Once these thoughts arise, they severely deplete the spirit of innate awareness. If one can regulate these thoughts, this is called the “nature of Wuwei (non-action).” Only when a person can regulate their thoughts can they be said to practice Wuwei. In this way, one can keep company with the true Dao through all ages, as though accompanied by the bright moon and a gentle breeze.

The fifth is the “Po,” whose nature is sorrow, and is therefore called the “thief of delusion.” If one can regulate it, this is called the “nature of great illumination.”

The Po belongs to Metal Qi and is also associated with the Qi of the lungs; the Po is what the lung Qi generates. Its nature is sorrow, and it is called the “thief of delusion” because the Po, generated by the Qi of the heart and lungs, gives rise to thoughts of sorrow and distress. Once these thoughts arise, they too severely deplete the spirit of innate awareness. If one can regulate the Po, this is called the “nature of great illumination.” If a person can put an end to sorrow and distress, they can attain a state like green waters and verdant mountains, entering a realm of eternal spring and sleepless night, where the mind and spirit are bright and unobstructed.

These five kinds of thieving thoughts all reside in the human heart.

The Five Thieves symbolize the Five Phases and are also the source of change in the myriad things. Since the heart governs the changes of the myriad things, the sages say that the Five Thieves are all within the heart.

Those who follow these thieving thoughts will transmigrate through the Three Realms. If people act in accordance with fear, anger, joy, contemplation, and sorrow, they will sink into the cycle of the Three Realms: the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm.

If people give in to the Five Thieves—the inner desires that lead them away from their true nature—and to fear, anger, joy, anxious thought, and sorrow, they sink into the cycle of rebirth within the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Realm of No Form). Within the Three Realms are also four states: wealth is the realm of desire, sexual attraction the realm of passion, wine the realm of confusion, and pride the realm of anger. The Three Realms and these four states are all causes that draw gods and living beings into the river of passion and the sea of suffering.

The joy brought by the Five Thieves is merely a feeling produced by external circumstances. Thus the sages say that those who give in to these desires and emotions will cycle through the Three Realms. How lamentable that the Five Thieves make people sink so deeply that they can scarcely escape; the Three Realms stretch on without end, the four states quietly entangle them, and the river of passion surges too powerfully to cross, leaving even boats unable to break free. Even in the heavenly Realm of No Form, all that remains is a scene of emptiness and chill.

Those who can master the Five Thieves can enter the immortal realm where the immortals dwell.

“Step upon” means to enter and reach. If people can master the Five Thieves within, and are no longer ruled by fear, anger, joy, anxious thought, and sorrow, they can step into the immortals’ land of eternal spring and agelessness. They can leave the Three Realms behind, free themselves from the four states, cross beyond the river of passion, and ascend bodily to Jade Capital, the celestial city of the immortals. There they can pay homage to the Supreme Emperor, bow low in reverence, and enter the immortal realm.

“Step upon” means to enter and reach. If people can master the Five Thieves within, and are no longer ruled by fear, anger, joy, anxious thought, and sorrow, they can step into the immortals’ land of eternal spring and agelessness. They can leave the Three Realms behind, free themselves from the four states, cross beyond the river of passion, and ascend bodily to Jade Capital. There they can pay homage to the Supreme Emperor, bow low before the Celestial Worthy, and rejoice wholeheartedly; the Imperial Way, the highest and most upright path, will then become clear and open.

Therefore, whether listening, speaking, acting, or observing, people should remain alert and clear-sighted at all times. Through constant restraint, refinement, cultivation, and practice, without slackening, they can attain boundless blessings and freely roam in the realm of eternal spring.

In every movement and action, every thought and deed, one should continually observe the subtle workings of Heaven and Earth’s transformation, investigate the profound and lucid principle that governs them, and see through life’s illusions. One should understand that flowers must eventually fade, and reflect that life is like a dream, vanishing in an instant. By cultivating this Dao, subduing desire, the thief within, one can roam through the Purple Palace (the heavenly realm) and freely enjoy the land of eternal spring.

The verse says: The deluded continue to sink into this world, while the awakened can become immortals. Why cling so desperately to scripture scrolls? In the end, one need only bring clear and pure awareness to light, break free from the cage of the mundane world, and subdue the thief within. Then one can roam through the Purple Palace and freely enjoy the land of eternal spring. The deluded continue to sink into this world, while the awakened can become immortals. Why cling so desperately to scripture scrolls? In the end, all that is needed is to bring clear and pure awareness to light. Break free from the cage of the mundane world, and a world of one’s own will naturally open up.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Brightness and Simplicity

“Brightness” means openness, penetration, and clear understanding; “simplicity” means an undivided, unadorned, and pure state.

People all experience “emptiness” and “form”—the void and the visible world—yet they cannot comprehend the state of brightness and simplicity.

To experience emptiness and form means to live within the dreamlike course of past, present, and future, never at any moment apart from emptiness. Past, present, and future together are called the Three Times. People cannot comprehend brightness and simplicity because they are attached to the things that appear in the void, unaware that every step they take is within constant change. From time without beginning until now, people remain like the blind and deaf, unable to see or hear the truth.

I can break through attachment to emptiness and form, and I can cultivate the Way of brightness and simplicity.

Here, “I” refers to the true nature within illusion, the inner source within what has form. It lies in the elusive realm between seeming to exist and not to exist. It is the foundation of everlasting life, and so it is called “I,” or “self.” “Can break through” means that when the Five Ghosts—symbolic of five dark forces that disturb body and mind—vanish, the original self becomes visible; this original self shines everywhere. In truth, there is no need to wait until one deliberately sets about “breaking through,” or until one is capable enough to do so. Without waiting for the right moment, the thief within will naturally be subdued. “Can also cultivate brightness and simplicity” means being skilled at letting go of attachment to all forms and entering the state of Wuwei (non-action, refraining from contrivance and following nature).

“Emptiness and form” here refer to emotions such as fear, anger, joy, thoughtfulness, and sorrow. These are governed by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and are also part of human nature.

“Brightness and simplicity” refer to states such as illumination, purity, awakening, stillness, and wisdom. “Illumination” means clear understanding and Wuwei; “purity” means spiritual radiance untouched by defilement; “remaining clear amid forms” means retaining awareness and understanding while situated among all kinds of forms.

To understand and embody Wuwei (non-action), following nature without forcing things, is called “Illumination.” When the light of the spirit remains unstained by worldly dust, it is called “Clarity.” To dwell amid the myriad things without letting the mind grow clouded is called “Awakening.” To cut off misguided thoughts and obstructions is called “Stillness.” When all coming and going accord with the Great Dao, it is called “Wisdom.” Together, these five are known as the “Five Seals of Earth.”

If people can see through emptiness and form—the stillness of emptiness and all things with visible shape—and grasp their principles through spiritual insight, fully understanding the realm of light, they can leave behind practices of deliberate action and enter the formless body, a state unconstrained by any particular shape.

All forms and appearances ultimately return to true emptiness. Therefore, one should leave the physical body behind and return to the formless spirit. Though this spirit is hidden deep in the subtle and mysterious, it does not perish; people should enter this state.

To accord with the Great Dao is to have no end. Perhaps only those who can attain this state on their own are capable of it.

This nature, formed through cultivation, is the same as the Dao’s own essence. It alone is imperishable. The sages gave it different names: the Daoist Lord called it the “spirit that is not a spirit”—a presence that shows no supernatural signs yet has wondrous effects. Shakyamuni called it the “form of the Tathagata,” the Tathagata’s true nature. The sages called it the “sovereign’s office,” and Confucius called it the “humane and noble person.” Expressions such as “the true self, the master” and “the indestructible diamond of the Buddha” also point by different paths to the same thing. Ultimately, they all refer to the original nature innate in human beings—that is, the mind-spirit.

To cultivate this mind-spirit, however, one must eliminate the “Five Thieves” and the “Five Emotions.” The Five Emotions referred to here are fear, anger, joy, worry, and sorrow. Only after removing them can one bring forth the “Five Forms” and elevate the “Five Seals.” These forms and seals refer to clarity, purity, awareness, stillness, and wisdom. One who reaches this state is said to have an “Dao-body”; one who does not remains an ordinary being.

Those who possess the Dao-body and can cultivate themselves are called “immortals among ghosts.” Those whose Dao-body is complete, who can congeal mercury and condense lead—a phrase for gathering vital energies and refining the elixir in Neidan practice—unite with the Dao’s own essence, establish Virtue in accord with the Way of Heaven, and accumulate merit and good deeds are called “immortals among the heavens.” Those whose Dao-body is not yet complete, but who can refine Jing into Qi, accumulate Virtue, and help others, are called “terrestrial immortals.” Those whose Dao-body is not yet complete and whose spiritual cultivation remains unfinished, but who uphold loyalty, filial devotion, humaneness, and righteousness, and are upright and gentle in character, are called “immortals of the water realm.” Those whose Dao-body is still incomplete and whose goodness has not yet been fully cultivated, but who preserve Jing and Qi, refine Qi and blood, and care for the mind-spirit, are called “immortals among humans.”

The “Dao-body” is, in fact, the human mind. To remove fear, anger, joy, worry, and sorrow from the mind, and to cultivate a mind-spirit marked by clarity, purity, awareness, stillness, and wisdom: this is what is meant by the Dao-body. This explanation is offered to prevent misunderstanding.

The Five Immortal classes are ranked in five grades: celestial immortals first, terrestrial immortals second, water immortals third, human immortals fourth, and ghost immortals fifth. Their grades differ according to the level of cultivation the mind has attained. Those who fail to cultivate themselves in this way will instead fall into the “Five Sufferings,” whose causes are the very opposite of the path of cultivation described above.

The hymn says: “The numinous, wondrous nature is formless, the Dao’s radiance shining within inner truth. Where the two poles of Yin and Yang meet lies the place that has never sunk into extinction.”

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Constant Dao

The mysterious awareness and numinous light are subtle and difficult to see, yet they are as clear and bright as a cold pool, reflecting all things. The verse says: Spirituality and the Great Dao have no fixed form; a sunlike radiance reveals the true nature within.