《太平经合校》Vol. 12

Only the Lord of the Highest holds the law and opens illumination, seeing through all things without exception. (The document pauses here; there is still good text to follow, which will be continued when issued so that nothing is omitted.)

Nine Lords Supreme Intimate Decrees · Section 193

Only the Lord of the Highest holds the standards of the law, clear and penetrating in insight, knowing all things. (The document pauses here; there is still good text to follow, which will be continued when issued so that nothing is left out.)

Some people set their goal on obtaining rank and office. Among all affairs under Heaven, filial piety ranks first—no other virtue compares. One must steadily accumulate merit and practice good deeds, passing them down generation after generation without loss. Such persons are recorded as “those who live again”: they can receive their parents’ kindness anew and once more embody filial virtue. Heaven fixes their names in the registers and places them among the undying; such a household is a true house of filial piety. They can also be promoted in rank again and again and carry out heavenly duties in the heavens. Heaven records their loyalty, filial piety, and every act worthy of respect, appointing them to celestial office so that honor and favor increase day by day. In Heaven they are called “filial and virtuous divine beings,” and the gods all hold them in esteem.

If someone seeks fine food and drink yet first violates filial duty, they will not have both. Their lifespan has no limit; their inner light grows stronger daily. Above they can see the limitless Heaven; below they can see the limitless Earth; to the sides they can see the limitless realms. They can also know what has not yet happened. The gods all follow their instructions without going against their intent, jointly recommending and reporting upward. When the Lord of the Highest sees that their filial conduct is unmatched, He lets them draw near within and without the heavens, and the gods esteem them all the more. Hence it is said: those Heaven loves, the gods honor; those Heaven hates, the gods shun and guard against. From this one may know the principle. As for the rest, each still follows their own mind, choosing what is convenient and suiting themselves. The document pauses here for now; there is still good text to follow, which will be continued when issued so that nothing is omitted.

The Lord of the Most High (the supreme deity in Daoism, often identified with Yuanshi Tianzun or the sovereign who presides over all gods) has law and measure, opens clarity and shines through all, penetrating everywhere without obstruction, and can foreknow what has not yet happened. Before the spirits speak, he already knows their intent; what the spirits see and anticipate, they dare not deceive or distort—everything is clear in his mind.

It is also said: how could the words of the Most High fail to move? Though people share reverence and awe, their hearts do not always fully comply, and so he sometimes cannot see through their minds. The reason is that the Most High is entirely divine: what is born and what is transformed, what should live and what should thrive—all can be known. The registers of the spirits follow in order, fixing rank high and low—who would not follow?

Above the Nine Emperors stand the Nine Lords. The Nine Lords are kin to the Most High; each has his own conduct and bestows grace and bounty. The gods attend them, honor what they do, and nothing fails to succeed. Lesser gods, with shallow sustenance, cannot grasp the Nine Emperors’ intent—how much less ordinary people?

Those whose hearts are sage and ears sharp may view the Wenzhang Lucce (celestial documents recording names and allotted fortune). The wording of the direct registers issues of itself with refined light; all use gold for slips and silver for the script. This register lies within the Heavenly Lord’s domain, with exact duplicates at the center; other bureau documents likewise use memorial slips that generate script of themselves—spirit infuses each character, called “radiance.” Whenever there is speech, it illuminates what is known and does not contradict what is said.

Shenren (spirit immortals) and Zhenren (those who have attained the Great Dao and merged with truth), receiving the Heavenly Lord’s words, speak them fully; above and below, the gods follow the radiance of each character’s name. Whenever there is speech, it illuminates what is known and does not contradict what is said. Shenren and Zhenren, receiving the Heavenly Lord’s words, speak them fully; above and below, all know the human realm. The Heavenly Lord knows what the spirits say, without straying from the rule and ink of the documents.

The Way of spontaneity—what does it not know, what does it not transform? When there is movement or error, there is no private bias: they eat from the Tianchu (heavenly kitchen, food offered to gods in heaven), wear refined essence as garments—what more could they desire? All this is what the Lord of the Most High practices. Great gods and small gods each have their own conduct; all revere one another and dare not be private. As whim and intent seek what they follow, the stirring heart is known; they see what can succeed and do not confuse or mislead intent, so that each person may follow his utmost will.

It is said: you all receive from the Xianlu (register of those who ascend to immortality); your lifespan reaches the limitless.

Someone may receive gold and silver adornments, a purple sash as reward, be ennobled as marquis with a fief, and then receive again colored silks, gold and silver, pearls and jade—whatever they wish for, they obtain it. This is not the way of the immortals (xian); one must look at whether that person’s will is firm.

Others may be granted illusions of beautiful women and jade maidens to entice with sensual beauty; if the mind does not waver, they are next shown visions of every size and shape that shift and change, so that the heart follows thoughts and covets the next life—even so one cannot achieve the Dao.

Others may be placed in deep mountains and great valleys full of wild beasts, tigers, and wolves, or in deep water, to transform the heart; or poisonous insects and creatures may force one to kill; or one may be made afraid to climb high mountains or enter great valleys and deep water—the Dao likewise cannot be achieved. These visions are meant to warn people: if in the higher trials one still cannot hold the mind single-mindedly, and at the first sight of delusion the will shakes; if one drifts with the visions in and out, up and down, deep into valleys and great waters without fear in the heart; if one sees beauty yet the will does not crave; if images of family, young and old, bind and pull one another yet one does not follow their words and only seeks the way of birth into life—then one may succeed.

One must warn the multitude and draw much from the essentials of the scriptures. Heaven also trusts the good person, and sends immortals to deliver and transform them. When people themselves are good, how would Heaven deceive them? Those who are deceived are so because they are doubting and suspicious, forcibly demanding from the immortals useless things that bring no benefit, seeking peace without merit—how could they not be deceived? Heaven values rebirth into life, cherishes their feeling, and especially esteems a firm will; those who think of life must have Sanming (Three Brightnesses).

Sanming means the heart (xin): the heart presides over the upright Mingtang (Bright Hall), connects with the light of sun and moon, and is called achieving the Dao through the Three Brightnesses. When the will of the heart itself does not look back (to the worldly), there is also the luce (record book of merit in the celestial realm)—it cannot be seized by force. Those who ascend to heaven in broad daylight have their own authenticity: nature is inherently good, and the heart has its own clarity.

Plain-Language Reading of Taiping Jing (Collated Edition)

Keep the heart steady and do not drift toward evil paths; toward money and profit, do not look and do not dwell on them. Clothes are plain, enough only to cover the body—this is how those who can ascend to heaven behave.

Heaven rewards such conduct and sends good spirits (shanshen) to accompany and protect them so they are not harmed by evil influences. Heavenly deities also cherish them and help them succeed. This comes from their own practice: such people naturally do not crave large worldly wealth. Heaven knows their utmost sincerity, records their names in order in the registers as true persons (zhenren), and they have their own auspicious stars (shanxing); the hour of birth destined them not toward evil. Heaven treats them still more kindly and uses the transformation away from greed (tan) to assist the Heavenly Sovereign (Tianjun) in governance.

(The scripture repeats this passage.) Those in heaven likewise do not covet great worldly wealth; Heaven knows their utmost intent, records them by register, they have their auspicious stars; their birth-time was not for evil, and Heaven again favors them, using removal of greed to help the Heavenly Sovereign govern.

Heaven’s writings must be explained clearly; conduct must hide no private motive. When years of practice show names entered on the glory registers and registers of the living, in accord with the Supreme Ultimate (Taishang), they can report their merit and conduct, make up what is lacking, and also gain the support of spirits.

Heaven trusts their filial piety, goodness, and sincerity; their practice is without flaw, so in daylight spirits come to welcome them, clear before and behind, all the people can see—only then is the achievement complete, so others may see goodness. Those who ascend in broad daylight (bairi)—among a million people there may not be one. Those who truly attain this are protected and trusted by Heaven and the great spirits; others cannot compare. Those who achieve corpse liberation (shijie)—only one in a million. Merit has greater and lesser; mutual recommendation is required; the recommended should make Heaven doubly cherish them. Within, they become confidants of the Supreme Ultimate; recommending them rests on trust and real effect, each achieving merit and name—is this not good?

On the day the Heavenly Sovereign issues the teaching, spirits do not falsify their words. The Heavenly Sovereign thereby gains goodness, trust, and effect, knows the future deeply, and there must be no deception whatsoever. (Violators) all have their lifespan shortened; the lesser may undergo minor liberation after death (xiaojie yu hou) (forms of corpse liberation after death); if the recitation is unfinished or intent incomplete, they must still recite the Dao.

Brief glossary (first occurrences)

• Ascension / broad daylight (bairi): In the scripture, often rising to the heavenly realm in life or after death; here contrasted with shijie. Shijie: one path to immortality through corpse liberation in Daoism. Heavenly Sovereign (Tianjun) / Supreme Ultimate (Taishang): supreme rulers and names for the root of the Dao in the text. Registers by order / glory registers / names of the living: heavenly books recording merit and names. Auspicious stars (shanxing): stars and fate corresponding to good conduct. Transformation of greed (tanhua): removing greed to align with the Way of Heaven.

From ancient times to the present, most people in the world have been disappointing. They seek only their own advantage and refuse to serve faithfully. What they say and what they think chase novelty and excitement; when they see others do good, they only laugh and talk about it, without helping in any practical way. Their words are light and come easily; even between father and son there is mutual deception. They pretend not to hear when face to face, then turn and follow others, gossiping this way and that, praising or blaming without regard to proper standards, to no real benefit for the world.

Most people are blinded by worldly toil; as soon as words leave their mouths they stir up trouble, and few truly follow the teachings of books of goodness. In their hearts they think themselves excellent, but their conduct does not match; they have no solid, reliable foundation, and their speech is empty and cannot stand up to scrutiny. Such people are called “the incautious”—those who act without care or trustworthiness. How can they long stand before upright persons and those who aspire to goodness? People who wish to live and fear death naturally do not wish to see such evil persons; yet the evil do not know themselves, and think themselves capable, believing few can surpass them.

Morning and night they wait and watch, gathering ill-gotten wealth, unwilling to earn an honest living through hard work, yet imagining they can long remain in a state of zhonghe (moderation and fitness—not extreme or biased)—and converse with others. Those who hear them do not especially take their words to heart. The spirits also know and observe their every move; they understand these people are not good, know they cannot long keep up a good appearance, and report to the heavenly gods: among those who value moderation, there are those of loose tongue and careless speech who cannot long persist in goodness; before long evil words emerge again, with no credible proof. They only flatter and blame one another—what good does that do for others?

They should eat the five grains and wear silk, changing clothes with winter and summer, seeking comfort for mouth and belly and ease for the body. There is honest profit to be made in the markets, yet they refuse to seek it though they could support their parents in old age; the next morning they rise not knowing where to go. They parade and sell off household goods, sit with legs spread in taverns, jest and flirt, sing and make noise, thinking themselves vigorous, whispering gossip about others until their goods are gone and they can no longer support themselves.

Note (for understanding; not scripture):

This passage belongs to the admonitory (“jie”) style of the Taiping Jing. Through “unfilial conduct,” “incaution,” and “loose, easy speech,” it criticizes those who care only for mouth and belly, neglect filial piety and honest labor, say one thing and do another, and take unrighteous wealth—and stresses that the heavenly gods and spirits observe their conduct, hence “cannot long preserve life” (bu ke jiu sheng): they cannot long sustain life or remain in a state of goodness. In Daoist scriptures, zhonghe often means a moderate, fitting state in body-mind and social relations, not merely “having a good temper.”

Those who join others in doing wrong gradually become wicked people. Such people cannot restrain themselves and willingly sink into evil—how could one expect them to turn toward good even for half a day? They bring no benefit to the household; instead they make parents, siblings, wife, and children worry all day long, unable to escape that suffering. Robbery and theft go on without end, yet they imagine they can live a long life and do not wake up even when their hair has turned white.

They do not know that Heaven assigns attendant spirits (houshen)—spirits who watch good and evil and stay at one’s side—to watch over them, even entering the body, urging and restraining what they do, driving them toward danger, cutting short their allotted lifespan so they cannot endure. They still strut in wrongdoing and refuse to stop until officials seize them and punish them according to law, so they can no longer live. Neighbors to death—how can they live again? Some are also harmed by ghosts and spirits.

Parents worry over them and often weep alone; they endure loneliness with no one to help. In old age they are cast aside; food and drink are poor and good meals are rare; torn clothes and shoes cannot be mended. This is the extreme of evil conduct. Years pass one after another; the person grows emptier and more worn; the face is ugly and no longer has a human glow. With such a son, parents have no one to rely on in old age, and kin will not acknowledge him.

The wickedness of such people reaches the utmost; relatives detest them and say they have ruined the family name. When the son dies he does not receive a proper burial—no coffin, buried carelessly, gnawed by foxes, bones left in the wild—when will they ever see you dressed and fed again? From this one knows that good and evil deeds are summoned by the person himself—whom else can he blame?

People under Heaven are so foolish—they do not measure how great the gap is between life and death. While alive there is vital breath; one can see the brightness of heaven and earth, sun, moon, and stars. After death, can one again know there is daylight? In the dark realm, where is there light? The foolish do not think deeply; they bring disaster on descendants; calamity cannot be undone and reaches later generations—whose fault is that? People refuse to turn from evil toward good and throw away their own lifespan—should they not learn the conduct of immortality seekers (xianshi)?

Plain-Language Reading of the Taiping Jing

I. Filial Conduct and Proper Order

Every movement and every word should follow rule and measure. When people do this, it benefits their parents, the household has enough food and clothing (“tenfold abundance” means a prosperous life), dress becomes more dignified over time, and the face gains a healthy glow. This is the filial conduct of a son or daughter—and such a person is no evildoer.

II. When Calamity Reaches Descendants, Whose Fault Is It?

When disaster extends to later generations, whom should we blame? It is because people themselves refuse to turn toward the good and amend their ways, needlessly shortening their lives. Should they not instead take as models the conduct of lofty “immortal gentlemen”—those who embody the Dao?

III. Repaying the Debt of Nursing and Rearing

When actions and speech have proper order, parents benefit, the family is provided for, clothing improves, and the countenance shines—this is how a filial child behaves; such a one was never a wicked person to begin with. Should one not repay the kindness of parents who nursed and raised you? If you as a son are unfilial, when you in turn have sons, how can you expect them to be filial to you?

IV. Good and Evil Receive Their Due, Like a Mirror Showing the Face

Do good and you receive a good return; do evil and you receive an evil return—as clear as a mirror showing a person’s form. Do you imagine Heaven does not know what is truly in your heart? Hence there are documents that distinguish good from evil, recorded with the same brush and ink—how great can the gap be between long life and short life?

V. When Human Life Is Exhausted, One Becomes a Ghost

If the living can remain in the world for a full span and enjoy their allotted years, only dying when their term is complete, then even as ghosts after death they must still face inquiry and governance. The wicked often die early; underground they are seized and dealt with according to law, called to account for what they should not have done. They suffer torment in places of bitterness and see no time of peace. Having become ghosts, why is there never a moment of pardon? This is evil pushed to the limit: as ghosts they still receive evil retribution—what can they cling to, where can they settle?

VI. Poverty at Home and the Qi of Begging

Those whose homes lack grain must beg to live, chasing the qi of “fugitive ruin” (dispersion and collapse)—such a path cannot last. The realm below also wishes for good ghosts and does not want evil ones. Therefore everyone should each turn the mind toward good and not overstep proper bounds—that is fitting. Otherwise, what can one still hope for?

VII. Sharing Heaven and Earth’s Wish—Does Heaven Prefer the Wicked?

People ought to be of one heart and one purpose in seeking the good, aligned with Heaven and Earth’s intent to nurture the myriad things—would Heaven favor the wicked? Yet people go and do evil instead. Those who do evil are not fit to long gaze upon Heaven, Earth, sun, moon, and stars; therefore they are hidden away underground, unable to share peace with good ghosts—they are separated and handled differently.

VIII. Repetition in the Documents—Hatred of the Wicked

The documents repeat the same points again and again because they truly loathe the wicked and cannot allow them to long remain among the living. Those whose nature is good are those whom Heaven protects.

From the moment descendants are born, they should take goodness as their foundation. Under the light of the sun, one acts without taboo; one also aligns with the seasonal rhythm of the monthly branch (yuejian, such as “establishment in Yin” each month), acting when sun, moon, and stars shine brightly—if people are nurtured in this way, how could they fail to live long? That is the outcome that good conduct brings.

Good and evil must be clearly distinguished in the mind: what can be done, one does oneself, and one is naturally at ease. Heaven does not go against what people do rightly. Think once, think again; reflect once, reflect again—you may advance or hold back. If you yourself do not seek long life in the first place, there is nothing to be done.

The words of the scripture can be understood; grasp them clearly, and if anything is unclear, examine it again. Even if it costs you hardship, persist; remember that life must not be neglected, and be extremely careful in what you say. The text pauses here so the reader goes on to what follows. If something still seems unsatisfactory, discuss and investigate it again and again.

Only those who possess sacred virtue can each speak what should be spoken and say what should be said. Each person acts according to their own capacity, completes their work in proper order, and fulfills their role appropriately, so that words are trustworthy and heaven’s words are honored. To have heaven cherish people and bring great works to completion, and to gain heaven’s inner trust—this is the wish of the person of sacred virtue.

Everyone wishes to follow heaven’s intent and receive heaven’s command, and does not wish to harbor resentment. Therefore heaven lets each person follow their own aspiration; they should not speak what ought not to be spoken, and then things will naturally be as they should. This is true humaneness: making recompense and sincerity match one’s wisdom and plans, and acting from what is fitting.

To live in the world is very difficult. In every move one should follow what ought to be said, keep to the middle without excess or lack, yet fail to examine oneself and instead blame others’ words—this is called not walking the upright path. When each has complaints, heaven grows angry and does not love people, and says that life span is uncertain.

Therefore in the world there are persons of sacred mind and great harmony who explain the meaning clearly, so people know where faults come from and each can correct themselves. Human life span arises from within oneself, not from others. Thus it is said that Siming (the spirit who governs life span) is close to the heart in the chest, not far from the person, inspecting right and wrong; when there is fault, years are reduced. Knowing that those who are not good toward others wish to hear admonition so they may be at peace, between faults they are made to reflect on the meaning, given penalty and reduction of years, yet without leaving hatred.

Heaven is extremely broad and gentle, bearing with people; punishment is not imposed in a single morning. When accumulated faults and piled-up guilt are many, then the office of the chief lord (zhu zhe zhi cao) is notified to take the person’s hun-soul and spirit and examine their deeds. If these do not accord with the patterns of heaven, and there is further deception, and after deception there is shouguo (voluntary confession of fault), the guilt cannot be pardoned.

Therefore orders are again sent down to explain and instruct, showing that doing evil brings disaster and change, so that people may correct themselves; if heaven’s words are not heeded, how can one long remain among people in the world? Thus good and evil are distinguished so that each does not blame the other. Heaven sets prohibitions so that people do not transgress; yet if one deliberately transgresses, under heaven’s spirits there is command and prohibition—can one long remain equal to other people? To act in this way—is this the path that keeps one from dying?

This passage mainly teaches that ordinary people who do not cultivate themselves and do evil will not long be tolerated by the celestial deities and heaven and earth; only those of moderate goodness, who do good and are filial, accord with the Way of Zhonghe (central harmony) and may extend their years, increase their lifespan, and receive blessing and protection.

On Whether Heaven Is Entirely Unaware, and the Faults of Ordinary People

Can it be said that heaven is wholly ignorant of what people do? Ordinary folk clearly know there are prohibitions and commands from the celestial deities, and could dwell long in the world like others—yet they still transgress. If one always acts thus, how can this count as the correct path that “keeps people from dying”? Can heaven truly know nothing of it? Such conduct among ordinary people must not be imitated; acting so, how could one long be established in Zhonghe—the balanced harmony of heaven, earth, and humanity—and enjoy the food and clothing one ought to enjoy like others? By contrast, those who do good often receive divine protection until their allotted years are complete. When there is no “tianren” (one who accords with the Dao and is recognized by heaven) among them, that itself proves “not good.” If one does good for long, why worry about not living out one’s proper span? From this it is clear: if one cannot do one’s utmost in goodness but instead harms oneself, one brings calamity on oneself.

The Retribution of Evil-Doers and Suffering Underground

Why are evil-doers so harshly treated? They imagine they can live long and share heaven’s mandate with the good—yet unexpectedly the celestial deities hurry them downward and send them into the earth; once in the earth, when can they be born again into the world? Underground they drag one another down and corrode one another, further ruining the corpse—can such people, who never again receive heaven’s blessing, have anything to hope for? From now on each should plan for oneself and not add calamity for posterity; that is the attitude one of moderate goodness should hold. If not, one wishes to be evil—heaven will not protect, earth does not wish to bear. One should be cautious and not fall short in fault, then one may be called “human.” One may think of parents and descendants, continue practicing kindness and giving, and perhaps extend one’s years; essence and qi stay moist, strength stays robust—that comes from doing good; evil makes the body decline by itself—how far apart are the two? From now on one should examine messages closely and distinguish good from evil: whatever conduct one keeps in mind, one will be at peace—heaven does not oppose people’s rightful actions. Reflect again and again; if one goes against the Dao and acts perversely yet dreams of long life, how can such conduct long appear before the celestial deities, sun, moon, and stars? Would they long shine upon (protect) the perverse? Those under the celestial deities’ protection—yet people vie to harm them—whose fault is that? Are not those harmed precisely the ones who do good and are filial? They often hold stipends and rank, receiving salary as Sinong (minister of grain and taxes), and later again govern the people, so superiors and subordinates serve one another—that is what the people honor. Goodness leads to this; evil cannot even preserve the self—how far from good is that?

Main point: The scripture takes “whether heaven knows,” “Zhonghe,” and “commands of the celestial deities” as its framework, urging people not to imitate vulgar evil but to practice moderate goodness and filial piety, lest they enter the earth without return and lose heaven’s blessing; it also explains that doing good can extend years and moisten the essence, while evil makes one decline by oneself.

Some people read the trial edition of the book of precepts yet do not act according to its words; they simply follow their own pleasure and impulse—and call that right? They harbor evil thoughts they cannot change, yet still expect subordinates to serve and carry out their wishes—yet among the common people such persons are the ones who are respected. If good deeds bring their due results, evil acts naturally cannot even protect oneself—how far is that from what was said before? Look again: one reads the book of precepts but does not use its teaching and acts for one’s own comfort as one pleases—that is still doing wrong.

Some have hearts full of filial piety and goodness, loyalty and sincerity, yet they still look to Heaven for reward; when they fall ill they pray for recovery, though in ordinary times they have done too much evil—when there is no way out, can leniency last long? So this text was written to keep worldly people from each blaming only their own punishment. Those who cherish life and wish to live ought not to do evil and shorten their years. When they receive the book and see the admonitions, they know to avoid taboos and not commit wicked acts. If they can turn themselves around in this way and do good, they can long behold heaven and earth, sun, moon, and stars, and share this world with others like everyone else—while the unvirtuous do not value their lives, thinking that after death they can be born again. It is as if people do not know they are doing evil yet believe nothing is wrong. They love to talk and compete with others, wanting clothes and food to match their peers—can that last?

Those who fear death dare not violate this admonitory text—that too is driven by the registers of allotted fate and lifespan. Living plainly with others, speaking little, yet still wanting to be like others and match peers in food and clothing—can that last? When one’s direct allotted span should run its course, what is there to worry about? Each person should be careful and strive, weighing the safety or danger of what they do; the warnings in the book should be clear to oneself as well. The celestial book is meant to lead people toward good and does not wish to hear of their evil. So if the fate register is incomplete, there is nothing terribly surprising about it. Think again carefully and do not slacken.

In Heaven there is a register of the living—a thing to cherish; on earth there is a register of the dead—deeply hateful. Between life and death there is no comparison—do you understand? When you know evil, you must be cautious, restrain yourself, and blame yourself; not for a moment may you be careless, or you will lose years of life—a great pity. When you speak with others and give voice, if it comes from good conduct and wins people’s hearts, Heaven will treat you kindly; do not utter wicked words and bring disaster on yourself.

The same mouth and the same breath—when you open your mouth to speak, choose your words with care. Do not let even one unkind phrase pass your lips; in this way you can extend your life.

Above all, if you can reflect on and put into practice what belongs to heaven, receive the weighty teachings of the celestial gods, and act according to their commands—if every move and every stillness is deeply considered—you can alter your entry in the book of fate and be transferred to the department that governs long life.

Each person should still continue to cultivate the self and straighten conduct, and not forget the grace heaven has bestowed. Hold this thought often in the heart to repay great kindness; only then is it fitting to change one’s aims and practice with ease. Heaven will again show favor, so that one does not meet with disaster. One can trust what the celestial book says, and then obtain life and obtain order—without having to rely on empty words in books.

If the scripture itself is incomplete, choose from it what can be done and act on that; do not force what cannot be done. Each person must examine his own good and evil—nature is originally endowed by heaven; do not give rise to needless doubt. Do not cheat the good while the wicked instead receive blessing—this has already been stated plainly; what is there still to doubt?

Those who have attained the Dao do no evil; everyone cherishes life—this is clear proof of doing good. What the book says is brief; from beginning to end it exhorts what those who study the Dao wish for: the good and evil of the Way, leaving people to weigh it themselves. If you cannot achieve it, do not blame yourself; if you blame yourself, know that it is because you heard and learned too little and in old age reach extreme want—then you blame yourself, that is all.

The rest follows each person’s mind—if you crave life, you should not harbor evil. Therefore people are told to weigh for themselves where joy and suffering lie: who alone enjoys the joy? who alone bears the suffering? You should also reflect inwardly: do not utter words of resentment, and do not rashly let loose careless speech to vent. People are told they may think—and thinking of life leads to good; hence the repeated earnest admonition, so that the words are clear and understandable and do not miss heaven’s rule. When practice is complete, the natural Way—what will not succeed, what will not transform? People will all come to welcome you—is this not heaven’s natural grace, and not a heterodox path?

Those who are most dull-witted do not reflect that they have received heaven’s great allotment and the good fortune of human birth, yet imagine they can last forever. They never consider that wu (shamans), zhush (ritual specialists), and numinous spirits are watching, and that they ought to stop wrongdoing and not create harm. The scripture’s admonitions are not in one place only; when you recite them, they rise up one by one; the layers of text answer each other, which is why the warning is repeated with such weight. Even if people cannot fully act as the scripture says, as long as for one thought they turn toward the good and seek a path to life, they may still hope to survive; if they keep speaking evil and going against heavenly principle, it will be entered in the registers and pursued without end. Therefore they must be cautious and stop wrongdoing; having stopped, wrong thoughts may stir again, and if after reflection they still feel it is not enough and remain dissatisfied, the scripture will explain the principle once more.

Buke Bu Ci Jue (Article on Not Neglecting Sacrifice and Precepts, number 196)

People in the world are mostly unfilial, rebel and make trouble, vie with one another in disloyalty and faithlessness, and do not speak of repaying kindness or returning what was given. They take themselves for full-grown adults who can long remain on earth. In what they say and preach there is never the slightest good, only vicious words; perversely they know no gratitude and grant no leniency, doing as they please without thinking that once words leave the mouth there will be consequences—and on earth it is the same: what they say never holds a little good, only harsh speech; perversely they harbor ingratitude and refuse to extend mercy, following only what suits them, never imagining later suffering and distress.

Such people were not meant to stay long in the world; they should not be lightly trusted. They force themselves into folly and arrogance, thinking they match what people want. What comes from their mouths cannot be taken as reliable or made a model; they fear nothing and keep violating norms and treading crooked paths, doing as they please, not counting their lives, not seeing that they can long remain whole. In every move, going out and acting, they do not repay their parents and no longer serve them morning and evening—they are no different from barbarians.

What sort of people are these, and from what line were they born? They are slightly less than their peers (or: slightly at odds with ordinary propriety); in food and in principle they have never understood clearly—they are no different from the six domestic animals, with life and death unsettled. The mouth wants fine flavor, clothes must look good—will heaven really let you live long? Your conduct cannot be upheld; when you die, will your trade still serve? You make heaven angry, with no joy in it—will it still cherish your life and keep you from dying? Everything you do offends what should not be offended, yet you go on as before; that is choosing ruin for yourself, as if you no longer wished to see heaven and earth, sun, moon, stars, and the mass of people and living beings.

(Note: “Shuji” can be understood as the spirits’ offices or heaven’s ledgers recording faults; “wu ling zhi shen” refers to spirits that communicate with the divine and spirits that oversee; “ci jue” stresses that sacrifice must not be abandoned and precepts must be kept.)

Heaven holds a book of admonitions that sets out the principles of good and evil with perfect clarity. If you do not trust these warnings, what path can you still walk? How can you hope for a long life and untroubled breath?

If you refuse to believe, you fall below the six domestic animals, birds, and wild beasts—they at least know how to align with Heaven’s way, while you do not even match them. That is folly at its extreme; how could you follow the subtle Dao?

Such people only grow frivolous and unrestrained. They sell off the family estate to show off, wild beyond all bounds. They ignore reason, year after year neglect the household, idle away their days in endless play, never knowing when to stop. When the mind never settles on what is upright, a lasting life is naturally impossible.

This person too was born of parents, yet in conduct shows little righteousness—no full loyalty or filial piety, no yielding compliance, only defiance. Heaven ought to cut you off, so that your eyes close and your breath stops and you cannot live long. After death, unpaid guilt remains, and it will reach descendants not yet born.

Those who commit wrong may sin in one body and die before their years are full, so that children not yet born never see the lifespan they should have had. While alive they still hope to become ghosts after death—but one death is not enough to pay the debt. That comes from evil conduct; how can they live at ease and still remain among the living?

Should those who were due to be born yesterday bear resentment because of right and wrong? Why speak falsely and long dwell in the open? People under Heaven—why not question themselves instead of treating fault lightly? What good does accumulated wrong do anyone? It only shortens life. Should you not think about this? Why invite disaster on yourself? The principle is just this.

Living in the world, if you practice filial piety and goodness you gain long life; sons and grandsons follow in turn, and you may again see high office and rich stipends—is that not the fruit of doing good and being filial? With no goodness in yourself and no care for what follows, you are a great rebel and villain, and you will grow ever more reckless beyond compare.

When your parents bore you, they wished to hear that you did good—would they wish to hear evil words enter their ears? When brothers hate one another, there has never been peace; each blames the other, yet neither will turn to good—that path cannot be walked for long. It does no good to Heaven, no good to Earth, no good to people, no good to the four seasons, the Five Phases, or the brightness of sun, moon, and stars. The person is utterly wicked—what is there left to hope for? Should you not look up at Heaven’s way and examine yourself?

You imagine that Heaven does not dispatch fierce spirits to watch your wicked conduct—but should you not blame yourselves? What you seek and what you do bring no benefit to others, and they also disrupt the normal course of the four seasons, the Five Phases, and the sun, moon, and stars.

People this deeply wicked—what can they still hope for? Should they not look up to Heaven? Do you think Heaven sends no fierce spirits to govern your wrongdoing?

You should blame yourselves alone: when what you seek and do has nothing to rely on, decline, illness, and death will never cease day after day—is that not so? How would Heaven take pleasure in killing you? Heaven says: you have not even a moment’s delay in what you owe—therefore you are cut off. Or you may be handed over to the authorities, your property wiped out, and one grievance and misfortune after another—does that not come from the evil you commit? Why then curse Heaven and cry out in resentment?

Ordinary people are like this, yet still mean to offend Heaven again—what use is self-justification? For long stretches they withhold sacrifice and fall behind on what they owe the spirit officials, refusing to repay on schedule with the middle thanksgiving and debt-release rites. Debts should be cleared on a purification day in the third month of spring. Three rounds of debt-release can lighten the written charges, and the spirit officials too are unwilling to press people with repeated severity. When documents pile up, those above and below pass the blame—who listens to what common people say? Poverty stops them, and what ought to be done cannot be done.

While alive you all eat solid food; after death you should properly receive qi from offerings—yet you refuse to receive it. The intent of the ancestors was: children are born so that after death someone will perform sacrifice; once you receive qi on the same footing as the ancestors, you still do not venerate one another—if generation after generation is like this, how can descendants long look after one another? You will also perish, the same as those who died before. When hungry, how can you be at ease? Toward the celestial officials you should emphasize filial piety; you should understand sacrifice—what is there to doubt?

For three years after death, until the day of burial, prayers and thanksgiving offerings must be maintained—you cannot say that because the body is still unburied on earth there is no sacrifice. Refusing to receive offerings only adds to the fault; descendants will not be harmed on that account. From this you can see that sacrifice is obligatory. People often suffer because in prosperity they are extravagant, slaughtering cattle, sheep, pigs, and the six domestic animals; the ritual officers gradually grow distant, and later punishment falls—then they no longer care how poor they are.

Property and Sacrifice

Wealth cannot be gained all at once; if conduct lacks proper bounds, wealth will not return either. If sacrifice is neglected for long, how can debts owed be cleared in an instant? One should often confess to Heaven one’s arrears and faults; only then can there be good retribution, and descendants again receive long life. Heaven favors those who shouguo (take the lead in admitting wrongdoing). For families in poverty, as soon as they have grain to eat and can taste its flavor, they should call one another to bow, strike themselves, and confess upward to Heaven. Heaven pities their hardship and lets the ciguan (officer in charge of sacrifice) “lend” them a little that can be used for a small offering. When they have even slightly enough property, they should make offerings on schedule and not doubt. If they do not offer, they will again see their ancestors in the duihui (assembly for reckoning in the netherworld), the ciguan reproaching them for lack of intent to sacrifice, and ghost generals escorting them home—the living fall ill without end. The ancestors are again detained in the shrine; divination yields no answer, until the day when the rite must be performed. Heaven allows such “borrowed on credit” goods; offerings should still be made without doubt… (The original repeats here with much the same sense: failure to offer brings in succession ancestors, ciguan, ghost generals, illness, detention, failed divination, choosing the day, and so on.)

Grave Offenses and Written Decrees

The offense is so heavy that written decrees are sent down, so people know they suffer Heaven’s punishment yet do not resent it, and can tell one another so that others do not offend again. Ancient books recorded this long ago, yet offenders never cease. Where the coffin is not yet buried, sacrifice cannot be omitted. Now the decree is deliberately displayed at length because those of sincere mind use writing to unlock its meaning. Do not doubt what the book says—then one may still enter the shengji (register of long life). If one doubts and does not act, the term of death is fixed. Understand this for yourself; do not again blame Heaven and Earth.

Practice, Writing, and Further Reflection

After carrying out the practice, write, rest briefly, and reflect in thought. Then think again on the text and know one should act again as one has done, and practice this Dao (Way) repeatedly once more.

Those who single-mindedly turn toward goodness and seek long life constantly consider how to respond to Heaven’s intent and extend their years. When they see what Heaven approves and promotes, they follow it, aligning with Heaven’s transforming and nurturing; thus they encounter the methods and texts of “enduring life,” their form gradually changes, their spirit is fulfilled, and the light of life grows day by day without slackening—because the heart stays turned toward good and never forgets Heaven’s grace.

Likewise, those whose hearts incline to good, who do not forget Heaven’s kindness and know how to repay it, also practice Heaven’s transforming and nurturing, encounter the path of enduring life, and see their appearance change and their spirit come to completion, their radiance increasing daily without laziness. When would such people harbor lasting resentment? Resentment often dissolves in an instant; they blame themselves, rejoice at having a human body, and comply with Heaven’s will in accord with the Dao. When cultivation bears fruit, they further understand “Heaven’s prohibitions”—the rules and taboos ordained by Heaven—keeping themselves from harm and toward the good path, not offending the spirits. Seeing good they follow it; they never fail to reproach themselves; they often repent, reform, and return to the right way, turning the reasoning over in their minds, seldom daring to rest easy or doubt themselves. Devoted to good, they gradually grasp Heaven’s intent; principle becomes clear and distinguishable, and doubts in the heart are few. Self-reproach and repentance accumulate day by day; blessed and protected, they submit to Heaven’s transforming and nurturing and do not meet calamity. Knowing they receive “Heaven’s rewards and punishments,” how could they forget for a moment? They fear the spirits may punish them; their words are not empty, so unease stays in the heart and they never dare relax. Greedy to advance and to follow Heaven’s will, yet afraid of missteps, they wash the heart anew and change conduct again, moved above and longing to rise further, coveting long life. They truly fear a short span of years and dread that they cannot long stand between Heaven and Earth; therefore they exert utmost loyalty with sincere intent as their constant thought.

Having often heard divine words yet not seen the divine person, the heart cannot be at peace; they constantly keep purification and observances, fearful and unsettled, anxious day and night, not daring to be at ease. Precisely for this reason they dare not abandon good deeds and turn toward evil conduct. Everyone must eat and drink, relying on the primordial Qi of Heaven to draw breath. Knowing human affairs and knowing themselves favored by Heaven, they ought to give thanks—why still hesitate?

(The following continues the same thread as the preceding passage: because they have heard divine speech without seeing the speaker, the heart is uneasy; they keep observances in fear and dare not abandon good for evil; they live by breathing Heaven’s primordial Qi and know that grace must be repaid.)

Heaven bestows upon people Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); earth nourishes the human form, enabling growth and fulfillment. When one encounters the precepts in the heavenly scriptures and reads their words, one trembles without any battle having been fought—who would dare betray heaven’s words? Fear remains in the heart; when can there be peace? Only the great spirits of heaven constantly pity and watch over one, repeatedly granting leniency. Though one knows this in the heart, one cannot repay the great grace on time. Only through the great spirits can one see their sheltering compassion and live long within the breath of life, lasting longer than in years past, never forgetting the vast bestowed kindness. When leniency and grace are sufficient, one dares not for a moment slacken in gratitude or turn against that grace. Only through the completion granted by the great spirits can one see the heavenly deities, speak with them, and think upon hearing again to receive precepts anew. One must honor what heaven says; only when one receives recompense for what was received may one dare to trust oneself. The great spirits report the words of those with good hearts; the Heavenly Lord always favors such people of good intent who are useful to heaven and promotes them accordingly. From now on, those with good hearts who declare themselves before heaven reach the Heavenly Lord in the light of day; accept what is recommended and do not doubt—matters will surely be as spoken before. This is what the Heavenly Lord dares to promise in advance. The years draw to an end; strive to believe what heaven says. Heaven also trusts those with good hearts—they are no longer among ordinary folk. It is recorded in the register within the path of ascension to heaven in broad daylight; the meaning does not deceive. The Heavenly Lord wishes to advance the good; those whose hearts do not violate the words are such people. The great spirits see their conduct from afar; though the household has nothing for the day, what was said before still stands—do not worry. Constantly remember facing the deities of heaven—this comes from goodness; do not grow weary. One with a good heart says: “By birth I was not one destined for promotion; I only hope in my heart to repay the great spirits, to seek advancement and cherish life, to exhaust what I know—how dare I hope for ascension in broad daylight? Selection for promotion should find the right person; in life I dare not accept it. I fear being rejected by the great spirits; receiving grace I take it as undeserved favor, and when the allotted grace is complete I only regret not having fully repaid the gift—only the great grace allows me to breathe again in forbearance.”

Someone heard a great deity—the kind of spirit who holds high rank in the heavens—say this: Earlier I reported to the Tianjun (lord of heaven, who in Daoist belief governs the celestial realm and rewards good and punishes evil) the good intentions of Shengyi, a person who had offered sincere devotion to heaven. The Tianjun said this person truly had heart and good intent, and counted him as “one of us.” Shengyi still feared the great deity might not fully accept him; to receive grace at all was already good fortune, and the grace was more than enough—he had not yet had time to repay it properly, and relied entirely on the great deity’s forbearance to catch his breath.

The great deity also said: Earlier I reported Shengyi’s good intentions to the Tianjun, and the Tianjun said this person truly had heart and good intent and counted him as one of us. The Tianjun had always wished to draw such people close and would not give cause for doubt. Favor was never meant to rest on the great deity alone—why keep thinking “how shall I repay”? What should be made clear must be made clear: there will surely be recompense and trustworthy assurance; gratitude and earnestness in the heart are enough. The host of spirits will certainly protect him and not let evil spirits harm him. Speech must be especially careful, with good intent as the root of every word; what is written must be faithful and consistent, and must never fail those who truly turn toward good and speak upward in sincerity. Day and night heaven will send divine generals to guard him—there is no need for excessive doubt.

As for documents of the “xiangming juchu” type (writings about life span, fate, taboos, and clashes in destiny): the person must first undertake chenfu (bearing responsibility for the faults of ancestors and of one’s own past lives) and explain for himself—do not worry over these matters on that account. A person of heart and will to do good said: My nature is lowly; I have long lived in the world and fear I cannot leave the mundane behind. I admire the great deity’s grace; when I am seen, I am warm and sincere, and I know it myself. I only ask the great deity to explain to the Tianjun that I may be listed among the “ranks of the undying” (those who attain long life and are not entered on the rolls of the dead)—that would be enough; how dare I still hope for ascension in broad daylight (becoming an immortal and ascending as a perfected being)?

The great deity said: The Tianjun trusts those who sincerely turn toward good. His teaching is to have no second heart and no wavering doubt—that is the Tianjun’s true meaning. Even if one thinks the household is lacking and hunger and cold come together, there is the tiancchu (Celestial Kitchen—the heaven-supplied fare that frees one from ordinary worry over food); one need only rely on that for things to be accomplished. The spirits will personally instruct his descendants—he need not worry over that.

After Shengyi received his allotment (his heavenly rank and share of blessing), when would he forget the great deity’s words? What he feared was only that he might fail to complete cultivation. He dared not leave the pillow and mat of the great deity’s teaching (a metaphor for teachings one must never put aside); he kept them always in the heart’s center (the place between heart and diaphragm—the innermost mind) and dared not slacken. Such were the great deity’s words. The Tianjun knows: those who do good naturally receive good; those who have heart naturally accord with the Tianjun’s will.

What had been reported to the Celestial Master (Tianjun) before was not yet settled. One dared not betray the great god’s charge: it stayed constantly in mind, with not the slightest slackening. That is what the great god said. The Celestial Master sees clearly: those who do good naturally receive good retribution; those who set their hearts on goodness naturally accord with the Celestial Master’s will.

When reporting earlier, the Celestial Master had instructed the great god: “This person was already reported a few days ago; the day for advancement has come—do not miss the deadline. In his heart there truly is fu (talismans) verification; look closely and you will see it; the spirits will speak for themselves as proof. Transformations all have fixed days—he need only chant day and night without slackening.”

The seeker (sheng) said: “After receiving the command, how could I slacken? I only hope it can be fulfilled.”

The great god said: “There must be written documents and fu verification; you will meet in due course. Do not worry that you will not obtain heavenly longevity—not the great god alone speaks thus; all the gods approve. This is someone with a sincere heart; all the gods protect and watch over him, only waiting for fulfillment and clear judgment.”

The seeker said: “The responsibility is weighty; if things go as I wish, I will certainly serve with full reverence and respect.”

The great god said: “That too is what he should speak from the heart. The Celestial Master values his household, so that they do not commit major faults; the debt of inherited burden (chengfu) is then cleared away at once. Do not trust spirit messengers as you please—you must certainly serve with full reverence and respect.” (This passage appears twice in the original text with much the same meaning.)

The great god also said: “Do not trust spirit images or the words of diviners and oracle masters—divination cannot add to or subtract from allotted lifespan. To deliver the living, what matters is the upright gods. Even if minor gods are remiss, Heaven itself will resolve it; still, do not rashly do what ought not to be done. That is what people of sincere heart and the Way understand. Each plans for his own person; trust Heaven’s words—Heaven does not deceive those who sincerely advance in goodness. Though wisdom is always recited, do not forget even for a moment. When one hears that evil gods descend on their own—people without resolve do not keep themselves carefully and also fix on extraordinary affairs, so evil gods descend, making them restless or bringing misfortune; in the end there is no success. This book does not trust the wicked, and the wicked do not trust this book. There will be effective verification and retribution; only after the report arrives can one know. Now there should be faith: know that those who advance in goodness have the book—the gods themselves will want to see the report.”

[On the Words of the Scripture and the Verification of Faith]

If one does not believe in or put these admonitions into practice, those who wholeheartedly turn toward goodness and hope for good results will not obtain what they truly seek. What the scriptures say can already be understood in part now; only when one’s practice deepens in the days to come will one fully comprehend it.

One should now have faith: those who know they must advance in goodness write their intentions in writing and present them; the spirits and gods will of themselves be willing to show retribution, so that people see that “faith” is not empty. Likewise, if one does not believe or apply them, what the person who turns toward goodness seeks will not be obtained. Since the scriptures have already made this clear, one will understand it more fully in time; once one sees that faith brings verification, it will not be long in coming.

How may this be proved? If that person truly cherishes life and delights in living, the angel will also rejoice in protecting and aiding him—this is the “reply letter” given by Heaven. Such a person will in the future surely be able to become an immortal, and will accomplish this in broad daylight for all to see; there is no need to doubt. His body will day by day grow lighter, his daily food gradually decrease—this is the refined light manifested as verification of faith; the spirits and gods will also draw closer to him day by day. This is “faith,” clear and unmistakable.

Do not give rise to doubt or reckless talk. Having already seen the admonitions and received the command, one must act according to the words, reflect on them constantly, and not dare to slacken or forget. Even if one was born ordinary and did not understand before, once one accords with this Way and attains union with it, closeness to the spirits and gods will increase day by day without difference.

The great spirit said: Good, good. One should also thereby gain a fine reputation and accomplishment; it is fitting to bring merit to completion—this is the admonition the spirits and gods constantly give. Though the scriptures contain many words, it is because the Way of life inherently has much that can be said—there is no need to fear; though the words are many, there is still a limit, and the meaning of each section will continue to be explained. Those with resolve and who can hold the thought respond again and again with “yes, yes,” not daring to forget.

[Heavenly Sovereign’s Command to Advance, Secret Formula, Number 198]

One must reflect: from ancient times to the present, people of great sincerity and faith each have had verification; every person who follows the model, holds the aspiration, and keeps the thought should do likewise, not daring to forget.

Those who constantly reflect on people of great integrity in ancient and modern times know that each had real merit, accumulated merit toward Heaven, and only then dared to speak before the spirits. In every move and every step forward or back, they never slipped in the slightest. They always bore a compassionate heart toward others, spread kindness widely, and let the many benefit. They dared not fail in the least in trust, did not go against Heaven and Earth, followed the cycles of the four seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and helped all things grow—they dared not intend anything to fail to thrive; instead they put themselves at risk and kept themselves uneasy. Thus they restrained themselves and remembered their faults, fearing they could not be cleared and would again be entered in the spirits’ registers and reported to the Supreme Lord. So they dared not rest for a moment. From age to age the line continues: good and evil turn and pass—when does it ever stop? Therefore they kept to stillness and never slackened, and never forgot what Heaven does. They only thought of themselves as seekers of De (Virtue): when they saw someone with a good heart they rejoiced; when they saw someone with an evil heart they were afraid. They thought the celestial spirits must know, and that each person advances accordingly. They also reflected: having come from the ordinary world, their hearts always longed for great transformation, coveted the path of life, kept far from the rolls of death, clung to firm inner light, greedily wished that light to remain in the body, wished to love themselves properly so the heart could be at peace—otherwise they feared they would not be among those the spirits usually saw. Only the various celestial spirits, when they had not yet arrived in time, taught them when to advance or retreat; one must accept Heaven’s intent and must not fail. Yet the smallest wrong could reach the ears of the Supreme Lord. So when the spirits asked and he answered broadly, he only hoped not to be refused and not to be suspected. Bearing the weight of one who receives a single share of fate, he dared not forget even a thread’s breadth. He only asked that his words be reviewed, that he might heed Heaven’s admonition and perfect himself and not fall into peril. On the day the spirits showed him favor, he dared not rest, yet did not forget how heavy the grace he must repay was. Before the spirits had reported to the Lord of Heaven, word came that he had been sent; the spirit on duty received the order and went to see him. That person spoke of how he was shaken—what was that about? They questioned his intent fully, had the spirits inquire, and then reported back in daylight.

Supplementary notes

• Lord of Supreme Heaven / Supreme Lord: In Daoism, titles for the highest deity (such as the Supreme Lord Lao or the Celestial Lord); here it means the highest divine realm to which registers of merit and fault are submitted.
• Following the four seasons and the Five Phases: Aligning with spring, summer, autumn, winter and with the phases of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
• Rolls of death / inner light / path of life: Common Taiping language, roughly meaning leaving the registers of death, guarding essence and light, and seeking the way of longevity.
• Register documents / memorial entries: Divine books that record good and evil; even small faults are noted and reported.
• Spirit on duty: The guardian spirit assigned to the shift, who receives orders to examine whether this person’s words and conduct are unstable.

This passage describes how ordinary people who practice the way of middle harmony (Zhonghe) and accumulate merit through good deeds wish to report their merit to Heaven, while minor deities in charge below hesitate, delay, and pass the buck to one another—until they anger the Celestial Sovereign (Tianjun) and are demoted.

I. The Good Person and the Wish to Report to Heaven

So-called people of middle harmony (Zhonghe) live by the Dao, often do good, and over time both long for long life and constantly examine themselves and keep the Dao in mind, fearing fault or debt and never slackening. The gods see clearly what they achieve by their conduct.

The gods consult among themselves and say: This person truly has merit; in middle harmony, they wish above all to repay Heaven’s great grace; having long accumulated good deeds, they also wish, through the gods’ words, to present their merit to Heaven themselves.

II. The Gods’ Suspicion

In their hearts the gods each feel fear and dare not approach the Celestial Sovereign by day. They believe they have served Heaven with merit and earned Heaven’s trust, and ought to recommend this person—yet they still do not report upward for a long time.

The gods inspect that person’s conduct and see that months and years have passed and merit is clear, yet they still do not understand why it is not reported. Fearfully they say to one another: They never really knew this person’s background and fear the account is not true and full. So each holds back and watches, while also fearing the Celestial Sovereign may already know.

III. Seeing Merit and Not Reporting—Merit Examined and Exposed

The gods are at a loss: they plainly see someone who does good with merit, yet do not promptly declare it to the Dao of Heaven.

An envoy (shizhe) is ordered to examine that person’s accumulated conduct and concludes there is great merit. Only then do the gods lose composure—each lacks equal merit and goodness, yet puts on an outward show, thinking the Celestial Sovereign does not know, and each finds excuses: what helps oneself is enough; each seeks only safety.

IV. Confession and Awaiting Punishment

The gods acknowledge their guilt and remove their caps to beg forgiveness. The minor gods say: Holding office and serving on duty, they should have been loyal; yet because of this inquiry their guilt is hard to bear, and they can only wait for death outside the gate.

The Celestial Sovereign issues a teaching: He did not wish lightly to harm the gods, and could not bear mutual injury among them.

V. Punishment by Demotion

He orders the gods: Demote them to the middle-harmony realm on earth, in Jing-Luo (the Luoyang region) for ten years, selling medicine and healing illness, and they must not charge patients extra.

When the term of demotion is complete, those who perform outstandingly are entered in the Office of Memorials (Wencao); after one more year of merit they may return to their former posts.

When the gods see that even for a “deathless offense” the Celestial Sovereign can still show leniency, they receive only a light demotion (bo zhe)—already great fortune.

Main point: The whole section uses narrative to show that when ordinary people accumulate merit and wish to repay Heaven, the divine offices that should recommend them are slack and conceal the truth; the Celestial Sovereign punishes them with “selling medicine in Jing-Luo and not taking too much”—both disciplining divine office and fitting the Zhonghe spirit of helping the world. Celestial Sovereign, the gods, envoy, Office of Memorials, and Zhonghe are all terms for celestial offices and stages of cultivation.

This person, having sincerely admitted his faults, humbled himself and no longer expected a good outcome; he could not bear to keep thoughts of harming others, and so once more submitted a written act of repentance to Heaven.

The Heavenly Lord said: “Deliver this document of repentance to the Cao Official (the clerk of the Heavenly Bureau who keeps documents and registers) for immediate dispatch—do not delay. Also send Shenxing Zhuo (the spirit charged with travel and inspection) to observe this person.”

The Cao Official reported: “Your command is obeyed; it will be dispatched as the Heavenly Lord has ordered.”

The Heavenly Lord further instructed the Cao Official and notified the Great Spirit (the high deity who oversees the spirits and assigns their duties): the text must be reviewed so that all spirits may know its contents.

The Cao Official passed the document to the Great Spirit; the Great Spirit relayed it to the departments under his authority, and each department acted according to its charge. Where there were merits, good deeds, or persons striving wholeheartedly upward who deserved promotion, they were to be advanced according to rule. If memorials on such matters had already been submitted, those could be checked against them.

The Heavenly Lord further charged the Great Spirit: “Observe this person as soon as possible, and see whether what he says agrees with the reports of the spirits assigned to him.”

The Great Spirit replied: “I have received the order and gone to observe; after counting the days and reviewing the results, I will report. By day I carry out the charge, observing those who have merit in Zhonghe (living in harmony with the Dao and holding to centrality and balance); what I report matches what the assigned spirits have said.”

For meritorious persons of this kind, the Heavenly Lord should indeed act in this way. Yet if the departments under the spirits fail to memorialize in time and the Heavenly Lord learns of it, he will make his intent clear—is that not slackness? From now on, all whose names are entered on the Heavenly Lord’s Register of Zhonghe (the ledger of merit and fault in centrality and harmony) should take this as a warning. Merit that is not memorialized, once the Heavenly Lord hears of it, brings punishment; the blame falls on the individual and on neglect of duty. Each must carefully keep his post, send spirits to guide and nurture the person, so that he may become a spirit and his spiritual brilliance may increase. When the registers are consulted, if his name is not yet recorded in Heaven, his name should be entered and memorialized.

After receiving this instruction, the Great Spirit returned to the Bureau, checked the registers, and finding the name duly recorded, reported to the Cao Official: “This item appears in the document; please compare it with the Heavenly Lord’s inner register and see whether they agree.”

The Heavenly Lord took out the inner text for verification; it matched the transmitted document, and the decree was promptly memorialized upward.

The Great Spirit said again: “It is not clear whether the fixed term has been completed; please examine the registers once more in detail.”

The Heavenly Lord said: “The Great Spirit, having set eyes and ears (having deployed spirits to observe), did not fully inspect, yet claims the term of years was not reviewed—the Heavenly Lord has verified the text against the outer document; they agree, and the decree is memorialized upward. The Great Spirit again says the full term was not reviewed and asks that the registers be examined again with care.” (The original passage repeats itself here; the meaning is that verification has already confirmed the record, and the Great Spirit should not use ‘term not yet reviewed’ as a reason to delay, but should scrutinize the registers again.)

The Heavenly Sovereign said to the Great Spirit: You were sent to set up eyes and ears (surveillance), yet you did not see clearly what you should have seen. Only now do you come to report and ask to go back and investigate?

The Great Spirit pleaded guilty, citing heavy official duties.

The Heavenly Sovereign said: Investigate at once and return quickly.

The Great Spirit then went to look into the man and found that his allotted years were complete. There had been an earlier oversight that was not reported truthfully; by law he deserved to submit to punishment and execution.

The Heavenly Sovereign said: For the time being, keep your cap and hold your post, but do not slacken. Summon that man; do not fail to honor the merit of his small office, and make clear the meritorious service he has offered.

The Great Spirit answered: Yes, yes. Please act according to the Heavenly Sovereign’s command.

The Heavenly Sovereign said: Granted. The Great Spirit first brought the man up to Heaven, gave him a minor post, and observed his words and conduct.

He also said: The time is still short; please verify the circumstances again. If there is truly great effect and trustworthiness, and a vacancy truly exists, then assign him to fill it.

The Heavenly Sovereign added: You must understand what the Great Spirit has reported; there must be no further laxity.

The Great Spirit answered: Yes, yes. Please dispatch envoys and spirits to inspect this especially.

The Heavenly Sovereign said: Good.

(Section title and chapter number: Formula on Incomplete Fate When One Does Not Rely on Written Words — Chapter 199)

Only in heaven are there sage persons: each holds an office, each serves with full loyalty, never failing heaven; each exerts all strength to finish what ought to be done and never goes against their true intent. They can foreknow the policies the heavenly lord will enact, always listen attentively to grasp his mind, and often consult records and archives to understand how duties are divided. Summons from the heavenly lord come at no fixed hour—they dare not go out privately; they travel only on official business and only after mutual understanding do they set out. Wherever they inspect and pass, they act on decree according to precedent and dare not linger a moment. Only after official business is done do they dare speak up—sincere in submission, never favoring private interest. If they err, they do not spare their lives; day and night they blame themselves, ever fearing they cannot serve with full loyalty. Each keeps the self in order, wishing to accord with the intent of the Supreme—when would they slacken, lest they miss what is fitting? Merit grows day by day; the spirits need not say much. They wish to become immortals and attain the Dao, to gain long life and lasting vision, to serve alongside the gods of heaven—great and small, all mutually known. What may be done, they do; what may not, they treat as wrong—they do not decide alone, fearing suspicion; every move is reported to one another—where is idle time? It is thus because each person has his aim, each heart’s thought differs, each achievement differs, each plan differs. Each sees differently, each origin differs, each desire and gain differs; each knows his place, and the heart is clear. For this host, rebirth and renewal is the first concern; the rest each plans his own course. Generating Qi clings to the human body, never parting from the person—mutual guarding, mutual completion; the spirits too prize gaining their names. They transform and pass in and out through what has no aperture; great and small are free. Ordinary people cannot see the spirits’ forms, yet spirit knows spirit; form is all wrought from Qi—how could accomplishment fail? Great spirits and small spirits, essence-light waxing and waning—naturally each has its difference. When lifespan increases by nine, there is its count of years. The great transformation and doing good—life too is inexhaustible; above there is no above, below no below; in and out without gap, neither outer nor inner, like a cycle.

Note: This chapter belongs to the Taiping Jing’s ideas on heavenly bureaucracy and nourishing-life cultivation. It stresses that celestial officers serve loyally, humans and spirits communicate, generating Qi guards one another, and doing good extends life. The text contains repetition (the stretch from “each has his own… fearing suspicion…” looks like copyist expansion); the translation follows the original sense in one continuous thread.

To stop when one should stop and to go when one should go is not acting on whim. Through regulating breath and adjusting the breath, one can attain wondrous spirit; the body’s light shines forth and glory and prosperity appear. Heaven and the human realm each have fixed seasons: move when it is time to move, return when it is time to return—one must not act on one’s own authority. Because high and low have their order, they dispatch one another to carry out tasks; each has name registers and documents, each has assigned duties. One should keep one’s resolve unmoved, understand clearly what one is doing, each display their merit and each advance what they know—without favoritism. In every movement one must act in accordance with instruction and not violate the precepts; advance toward the Dao diligently without ceasing, until one receives the imperial command may one rest—this is the original vow of giving birth to spirit; and talismans and registers (fulu) will be granted as proof of faithful practice.

Whatever is carried out according to the text: the rations one should receive must not exceed what the documents fix—they are issued according to the tally. In heaven the transmission lodges (chuan she, relay stations) have their own registers: one must not stop where stopping is not permitted. The celestial lord often teaches “do not act rashly,” fearing that the officers who guard the relays will rely on power to tyrannize. Offices have rank high and low; one must not forcibly or fraudulently claim a great position and linger long at a lodge without returning. Officers obey the celestial lord’s command; if anyone oversteps the lodge, they must report name, rank, and affiliation—without concealment or deceit. The celestial lord knows this as well; how could there be favoritism? Each must receive what is fair. Only thus can matters reach the heights above. If one does not use the proper command and tally, or if register and count do not match, that is loss of essential light (jing) and reduction of lifespan—this principle is clear. At such times one should carefully observe the seasons, not dare to act on one’s own, and not receive instruction from above.

The gods of heaven mutually oversee and report on one another, without a moment’s pause. Those who come later, above and below, should know this prohibition; the sage and clear-minded will not transgress. Lest those who ascend later fail to see the warning, documents throughout the world let lay people know the prohibitions—this is the celestial lord’s great grace, lest anyone offend; it is also that the celestial lord wishes to complete good hearts, therefore shows the text and informs lay people as well.

Ordinary people, though their horizons are narrow, still know this much: within “Zhonghe”—the balanced order among Heaven, Earth, and humanity, and the rules of daily household life—each domain has its own taboos, and none may be broken lightly.

Official writs govern the realm as a whole; Zhonghe governs the lives of common folk. On the highway, among tenant farmers, on field paths, at community gatherings, in homes and government offices, at gates, wells, and stoves—gods such as Xingde (the spirits of punishment and virtue) preside over their respective affairs. One must not commit evil. If one’s name is entered in the ledgers and cases pile up, and the Mingtang Heavenly Lord learns of what the enlightened powers oversee, one’s allotted years will be cut— in the gravest cases, even to death. How can anyone fail to be careful?

Such documents have been issued again and again, yet people of later ages often refuse to believe the warnings of those who came before. For that reason, those who are thoughtful and keep the prohibitions are charged to explain the teaching to the world; if one does not act according to the writ, one’s life cannot be kept whole. The registers of evil grow day by day, while the shortening of life rarely turns back. Hence there are decrees and books of admonition beforehand, telling people not to transgress against one another; transgression means a thin fate—there is no doubt of it. One should obey what the books say: small faults may still be remedied, but how can great faults be forgiven? The admonitions fill more than a single scroll; one must be all the more cautious.

Celestial signs and heavenly law must not be treated with casual disrespect. Those with understanding seldom break the taboos; if they slip once, Heaven may still pardon them and not enroll them among the wicked. But if one does evil without cease, one is linked to the registers of death, handed over to the offices of the earth for keeping, and one’s bodily form is hidden away—when can one ever emerge again? The hun and shen are confined and questioned about one’s deeds in life; when answers do not agree, there is beating and torment, and the spirit knows bitterness beyond words—whose fault is that? All alike receive Heaven’s endowment and the same human form—why choose evil? Each person ought to guard himself well. The span of life Heaven grants cannot be granted a second time; evil conduct cuts years away—when will that ever bring gain? In these matters the Heavenly Lord trusts what is recorded and does not let a person’s wickedness pass so that he may live on and on—or is it that people simply do not grasp this truth?

The scripture repeats its warnings because the people still would not change; the author could only hope they might at least live out their full span of years. Some refused to do good and threw away their wholeness, and nothing could be done about those who kept on doing evil—so the wording was kept brief: readers were told to recite the latter part first, and if that still seemed insufficient, to go back and read from the beginning.

Great Longevity Admonition, Section 200

Only those whose resolve is firm are not inwardly confused. They align with heaven’s transforming work and ought to serve as guides for the multitude, doing their utmost so that each person may follow their own bent—that is what it truly means to “follow the heart.”

The myriad things between heaven and earth all spring from the soil of central harmony and grow to maturity; the branches and leaves above in turn cover and shade the roots below. Flowers and fruit fill people’s mouths and bellies and also complement the five grains, so that sour, salty, vinegar, and bland each find their place; water turns into salt to harmonize flavors; beans turn into fermented black beans to help salt bring out taste—thick or thin, as people prefer. Whatever vegetables and miscellany are fit to enter the mouth are made edible so that people may rely on them for warmth and fullness, grow into form, and pass life on to their descendants. Among the six domestic animals, those not suited for draft are also given for people to eat—rich, sweet, crisp things, all for human enjoyment.

This is the work of angels and spirits in office, harmonizing and balancing so that each may find their place—is that not a broad bestowal of grace upon the myriad people? Must what heaven gives require no return at all? When does heaven insist that people must repay? The scripture stresses “seeking repayment” only because common folk receive great favor and offer no thanks. Heaven itself feeds on refined essence-qi and naturally needs no human rituals of gratitude; what matters is whether the human heart remembers the favor. Yet some forget: this was what heavenly qi generated so that people might eat. If among the people there are those who know the favor and do not repay, yet imagine themselves to be acting as angels and spirits in office, they are mistaken.

Those in office move among the people and also command flying insects to carry orders, urging cultivators to hurry with their work; the cuckoo calls day after day so people heed its voice. In households large and small, all who can eat grain exhort one another morning and night without cease; when the land is moistened and seed is sown, heaven again sends timely rain and gentle wind to stir the branches and leaves so grain ripens day by day and is brought for people to eat—is that favor not weighty?

Vernacular Interpretation

Year after year passes—does human life truly have no limit? Yet people refuse to practice filial piety; instead they unite in being unfilial, harboring rebellious hearts in their minds. What good does this do Heaven? Why does Heaven long sustain such wicked people and let them still see food they can eat?

Does the Central Heaven know nothing of all this? Why does it still long nourish those who are unfilial, vicious, and rebellious? So Heaven sends fierce spirits to follow them. Those who are unfilial, vicious, and rebellious face heavier restrictions: sins pile up, calamities grow heavier, and they see no moment of pardon. Ordinary people ought to understand these truths—why then do they still transgress and bring short life and loss of allotted years upon themselves?

Should we not look at this: do those who are filial and do good alone gain long life and continuing descendants? Good and evil ought to be set side by side—short life and long life ought to be contrasted; inability to have children and early death ought to stand far apart, not be lumped together. Practicing filial piety, doing good, and showing kindness lets each person live out their full span; some even gain added years, with descendants succeeding one another and no premature death in between. Heaven uses precisely this way to make the effects of goodness and filial piety visible—should we not compare the wicked with the good? Why still do wrong and impose harm on others? Heaven deeply hates such conduct and cuts off their lives; their descendants suffer too—this is what wrongdoing brings; what else can they expect?

Heaven favors the good and does not use wicked offspring. One should ponder the words of the scriptures carefully—the meaning is fully stated; one can preserve oneself and is sure to receive Heaven’s blessing. There is no need to long torment oneself with worry, filling the chest with anxious qi. Often anxious qi gathers and will not disperse: day and night one grieves and sighs, fretting over lost wealth, fearing one cannot keep it long. Illness runs year after year, never leaving pillow and mat; medicine cannot cure it, and the knotted qi does not release. Turning things over in the mind day and night, one grows thin and weak, unable to eat much; grain food will not digest, the five viscera are unsettled, and the spleen cannot properly grind and transform food—this falls in the “department of incompleteness”: breath is short, food will not go down. When the family looks on, all say recovery is unlikely.

In wealthy households there is still some savings; in poor ones, property is exhausted, inner and outer life are destitute, and they cannot help one another. When allotted years run out, the spleen cannot grind and transform—right in the department of incompleteness, breath short, food will not descend. The family sees it and all say the person cannot long survive.

This passage explains that when a person is reduced to utter poverty—with family assets exhausted, inner and outer destitution, and no one able to help one another—then when life ends they cannot even afford a coffin and must be buried naked in bare earth. Only if wealth is earned later can the remains be moved out and properly interred. In poor households, money runs out and kin scatter; no one knows when they will meet again. The family falls apart and cannot look after one another. The dead then never see a coffin and become ghosts without coffins, drifting without a home, with no one left to offer sacrificial food. After death they become hungry ghosts begging for food, without rest. This is the retribution for evil conduct; the person himself does not understand that he has lost the protection of his lineage. Alas, how painful—to die without anyone to rely on. Such a person has piled up too much calamity, cut off the gate of posterity for his descendants, and Heaven deeply grieves. Therefore sometimes a posthumous child is still left behind, of unknown sex. Before the child has grown, the mother remarries and leaves. When the child grows older and asks distant kin, “Where are my parents?” the relatives say: Your father from youth would not obey his parents; he was frivolous and unrestrained, mixed with bad company, ignored the household, robbed on the road, and knew no restraint until the authorities executed him and he was banished to another region; his property was used up and he could not return home; he lived long in another commandery and his whereabouts were unknown, his life or death uncertain. Every family suffered disaster and kin near and far fled. When your mother was pregnant, seeing that you were born to carry on the line, she once thought of killing you, then drifted elsewhere… (here the scripture repeats lines with the same gist: property exhausted, no return, life and death unknown, kin scattered because of calamity.) When your mother was pregnant and saw that you would continue the lineage, her heart turned again to joy. With no elders in the family to depend on and unable to support themselves, they had to hire out their labor to get by. She followed her husband on a long journey with no fixed date of return. The posthumous child says: Everyone is raised by parents to be born; I alone grew up without ever seeing my parents. When somewhat older he asks where his father is. People say: Your father did evil, abandoned his parents from afar, wandered in outer lands, life and death unknown, nowhere to be found. Those who came and went heard he was dead, yet still did not know where he was buried. His parents worried themselves sick and could not become fully human (could not mature into stable adulthood). The whole passage uses concrete misery—rich and poor contrast, burial rites, orphans, remarriage, banditry, exile—to show the retribution of “no posterity, no household gate” for failing to do good, neglecting the family, and doing evil; and through the posthumous child’s voice it points to Heaven’s grief while still leaving a thread of bloodline—a complex moral meaning.

When the family fortune was exhausted, everything inside and outside the household fell into ruin. The fault lay in kin growing distant and in failing to show kindness and maintain ties in ordinary times. As a son, one should weep toward heaven until tears soak one’s clothes. The father committed wrongdoing and brought it on himself that he could not return home. He could only blame himself and could not free himself from it.

Sometimes he wandered abroad, hired out as labor in wealthy households, and was ordered about like a servant. In a year he might earn a few thousand in cash; food and clothing came from that, with little left over. Only after saving for more than ten years did he scrape together enough for his own use and to go back to his native place. In his heart he always mourned and wept for his father: weeping day and night, with no one left to rely on. How painful! The evil the father did in his day left the son with nothing to depend on; tears flowed like water and never dried.

Heaven was deeply moved with pity; afterward he was often granted a strong body, favorable means of livelihood, a wife and children, and descendants again, so that his heart could settle a little. He also told his son: My father did evil and stayed far away and never came back; when others left, one could still ask after them, but in our family we do not know whether our father is alive or dead or where he is—we can only grieve in vain. After some years of working away from home, Heaven pitied the poor man and gave him some income so he could save a little; thus he married and lived with his wife, and then you were born. I hate that my father did evil from youth, so I warn you: from now on devote yourself to doing good; do not follow my father’s example of running off elsewhere. I also often examine my own faults—this is Heaven pitying me. You must put your heart into goodness and not roam idly; earn a living in an orderly way, do not take others’ property—enough to live on is enough. Help one another, do not drink recklessly; gossiping about right and wrong brings trouble again. Think carefully on your parents’ words, and you can avoid disaster. When Heaven knows of it, you will become a better son, attain long life, and finish your full span of years. I plan for your long future and take this as my admonition. The gods know it and report upward to Heaven; Heaven sends benevolent spirits to accompany you, your livelihood progresses, wealth increases, your sons are healthy, and daily needs are met—all of this is Heaven’s grace.

Heaven will send benevolent spirits to walk with you and guard you: your livelihood can advance step by step, your possessions can slowly increase, the children you have can be healthy and sturdy, and your days can grow ever more ample—all of this is heaven’s grace (de).

At the major seasonal rites of spring and autumn each year, and at the La (year-end) sacrifice, you should repay heaven’s kindness in accordance with ritual propriety. If you do not yet grasp the reasoning behind this, you should at least do your utmost to perform good deeds; blessed retribution (bao) will come of itself. Be careful in speech and conduct, and when you speak, follow through in action. Know how to examine yourself and to restrain and adjust your ways. Heavenly deities (shen) are often at a person’s side; do not let rash or arrogant words leave your mouth. A moment’s negligence can bring great calamity, even the loss of your life.

When you meet admonitions and warnings, blame yourself first and do not lay fault on others—hold this rule firmly in mind. Anyone who desires long life must not go against these warnings or cast them aside.

Plain-Language Reading of the Scripture of Great Peace

People in the world each have their own allotted capacity and things they can accomplish. Heaven does not override human resolve; it lets people live as suits them—trading, farming, holding office, practicing medicine, serving as ritual specialists, working as artisans—all paths can succeed and sustain a livelihood. This is the teaching of the Celestial Master (Tianshi): what cannot be achieved? As long as people are willing to support themselves by their own effort.

People should bear in mind: follow the Way of Heaven, distribute according to grace and righteousness, repay the four seasons in due time, and ceaselessly offer pure incense and clean offerings—this is how one repays heavenly grace. Long practice of goodness brings protection from the spirits; good deeds naturally meet with response—what wish goes unfulfilled?

Therefore Heaven always dwells on high, overseeing human right and wrong, dispatching spirits to come and go, knowing what people do; good and evil are all reported upward, nothing is missed. Some think “knowing a little is enough—no need to take it seriously.” Heaven then verifies through shadow and echo, through what the spirits delight in—what goodness brings forth finds compliance in turn. Heaven also observes human influence, letting people read intention from sound, from the pace of wind and rain, and so grasp the heavenly will without needless doubt. Human conduct differs in detail, yet written law and measure follow one thread and do not lose their rule. People should know what may and may not be done—how can they indulge themselves and resist Heaven?

Heaven personally receives the primordial Qi (vital energy) in its natural course, heeding its commands, not daring the slightest disobedience, fearing fault that would drag down the merit the people have accumulated. Those who violate heavenly law are like fish in a net—nowhere to escape. Hence Heaven’s mandate is self-warning: to live long, one must stand on the same footing as the good. Can ordinary people truly be at ease? Therefore spirits are sent to follow those who act wickedly, watching what they ought not do, reporting upward by the deed—fault great or small is all reported to Heaven. This is fault people bring on themselves—why blame the “heavenly book”?

The heavenly book holds prohibitions, yet people do not live by them; only when illness strikes do they panic—can they be spared?

This passage mainly criticizes a common pattern: people live wickedly, then only turn to the gods when illness strikes; hiring physicians and ritual specialists to dispel disaster often wastes money, fails to save life, and can invite greater harm.

The common people are ignorant—what good does that do for the Heavenly Way (Tian Dao)? Instead it only wears out the spirits with worry and effort. People summon doctors and shamans for rites of release from calamity, desperate to live, yet give no thought to how they ordinarily violate seasonal order and the principles of Heaven. If they behave this way while still doing wrong, why not repent and blame themselves sooner? Only when already sick do they seek to survive—and many who do so still die in the end.

Some pray and sacrifice to the spirits: the mild cases may improve slightly, but the severe ones cannot escape the punishment they deserve. Yet people call on the spirits again and again, still treating the illness as the work of “spirits of feigned sickness,” beating their heads and chests in frantic hope of life; petition after petition is filed, their names fixed in the register of the dead—how can they still slip free?

Those who hire ritual specialists and spirit-medium households hear the mild cases called curable and the severe ones still doomed; they summon the spirits repeatedly anyway, still blaming feigned-illness spirits, kowtowing and striking themselves to stay alive. Many documents are written, the name of the dead already entered—there is no escaping it.

Spirit specialists care only to take people’s money. They claim they can cure, yet demand rich offerings of fine food and wine and meat, invoking “great spirits” and urging people to put their trust in them, saying that is how one avoids death. The name register is not something one can rewrite by oneself; when money is exhausted, life cannot be kept.

When spirit specialists are called three times and the spirits still do not descend, the illness does not improve—why summon them again? Calamity often follows calamity, and guilt falls on those who come after.

Evil spirits impersonate upright ones and kill recklessly; when they cannot find the one they should kill, they strike others by mistake. Grievances and false accusations reach the ears of Heaven; the Celestial Lord (Tianjun) will judge according to reason. Because of such killing, the descendants of spirit specialists may also suffer when they pray for the patient’s blessing. What was meant to help the sick survive, when the summons goes wrong, becomes self-invited disaster.

Households that serve evil spirits even boast, “My spirit is an upright spirit,” and teach people to speak perversely. When did such evil spirits and freakish powers dare go before the Celestial Lord to plead for anyone? They merely waste people’s wine, dried meat, and jujubes for nothing.

This passage mainly teaches that when people fall ill they should repent to Heaven, must not rashly trust in evil spirits or conceal spirit-related goods, and should speak and act with caution while striving to do good; otherwise they cannot enter the ranks of the undying nor enjoy the extended life Heaven grants.

People like this, once sick, instead go to the houses of evil spirits to seek cure. What is meant by “recovery” is that a person is enrolled in the register of the undying (the roster Heaven keeps of those who may enjoy long life). If the matter has not yet been reported to Heaven, one may still receive Heaven’s grace and recover—that is Heaven healing on its own; what has that to do with the houses of evil spirits? On what grounds do those houses boast that they can cure all illnesses, yet demand rich offerings from people?

When people witness what evil spirits do, they ought to report it so Heaven may examine their hidden crimes. When hidden crimes are many and guilt is heavy, the evil spirits cannot survive. Those who serve spirits (worship and employ spirits): if the spirits do not truly come and go, yet they demand fine offerings from people; if they see evil spirits act wrongly yet do not report or examine their hidden crimes—when guilt is great the spirits cannot live either. To serve spirits while spirits do not come and go, and the person is not in accord with the Dao, spirit and vitality daily waste away—that is the evil spirits bringing calamity on themselves. The houses of evil spirits use what evil spirits leave behind to support their households and live in plenty, thinking they can last long; if spirits once sat guard in their homes, how can they hope to live and enjoy long life? Having received too much that spirits concealed, they cannot go on borrowing to get by; in the end even their descendants perish together. They say instead that Heaven was at fault, that it “killed my descendants,” or they themselves hope for long life, yet end as extinct households (line cut off, no heirs).

People should correct themselves daily and must not blame Heaven. People of this age act very foolishly and shallowly: when sick and near death they refuse to take guilt upon themselves before Heaven, do not confess their faults (declare their wrongs to Heaven) or beat their breasts and kowtow; regardless of household size, they should help one another plead for mercy. When days pile up, Heaven may temporarily restore them, lending them sun and moon so they revive; if they offend again, kowtowing is useless—this principle can be understood. Strive to do good and do not enter the forbidden realm (what violates Heaven’s prohibitions), and you may live out the years allotted for that year. If you do not do good, seek not to live long, wish to become a ghost, and do not cherish life, Heaven can do nothing. In speech and action be careful; those who rejoice in knowing they still have margin before fate should reckon not to act wrongly; when ill, take guilt back to Heaven yourself—you save expense and need not throw the whole family into panic and flight to distant lodgings. What good is flight for one about to die? Fierce spirits follow—how can one escape? Fools act thus; how can they expect their fate to enter the undying? There is no need to flee far. What good is leaving the house without killing anyone? Fierce spirits follow—how can one escape? Fools act thus; how can they expect their fate to enter the undying? There is no need to flee far. If you leave the house without killing anyone, the household declines on its own. Heaven’s spirits are above; by divination it can be known where you are—would they not know where you dwell? Be careful what you say: Heaven loves people and wants them to live—when would Heaven wish to harm people for no reason? Therefore prohibitions are set so people do not violate them; when people violate them themselves, from where can life be extended? Think deeply, and again recall the words of the scripture (the teaching of the classic)—then you need not doubt yourself. The book pauses here for now; after it stops you should still recite it in mind; what ought to be said must still be spoken.

Title in brief: “Not Accepting the Heavenly Scripture’s Words on Illness and the Need to Resolve Punishment” (Chapter 202)—on people who ignore the scripture’s warnings and fall ill or meet disaster, and on how the world abuses the name of “resolving punishment” to extort money.

Ordinary people are often deeply benighted: they refuse filial and Heaven-conforming conduct and turn instead to rebellion; they do not accept the teaching of the “Great Scripture” (the Taiping Heavenly Scripture) and even despise themselves while indulging in wrongdoing. They show no kindness toward others, yet their bad reputation spreads again and again. Those in high position suffer disaster; those in the middle decline; those below fall ill and know no peace. They load guilt onto others so that sins pile up with no escape, and they never intend to show grace. Day and night they oppress good people, driving them to resentment; there is no goodwill between them—instead they scheme and trap people in accusations, until punishment or even death, against the will of their rightful lord (or the master they serve). Wealthy households can still “buy off the cup” (pay to dispel disaster and guilt); the poor who break the law, when summoned by officials, cannot get free except by valuing and surrendering everything in the house to avert calamity. In cases of “half for the taker, half for oneself,” half is seized and half left to support the household—yet they still feast on good wine and meat at will. They think that is enough, unaware that others should judge their wrongdoing fairly; they imagine they can go on like this forever, on equal footing with everyone else. When the county magistrate is strict, he sends people to watch and investigate; officers who “prove merit” through denunciation ought to face retribution in turn. They watch day and night, hunting only for proof of evil; the master secretly lists accomplices by name, goes straight to the door, and passes sealed documents inside naming people. The clerk who keeps the register takes bribes and plays go-between, retailing every fault and virtue. Fine wine and rich meat are never out of sight. When the magistrate gets the written report, he secretly summons the master, sets up witnesses so denial is impossible; once guilt is fixed, the person is sent to prison and tortured to extract confession of the chief crime and stolen goods. If anyone speaks up again, the charge is increased—and listeners share the same fate. Over petty money they refuse honest effort, mutual aid, or fair profit, and instead use words to frame others in crime—this is real wickedness; why should such people live long? Hated by senior officials, commanded not to live—whose fault is that?

Brief notes on terms

• Great Scripture / Heavenly Scripture: In the Taiping Jing, the classic said to descend from Heaven; “not accepting the Great Scripture’s words” means refusing its admonitions.
• Resolving punishment / “buying off the cup”: In Daoist usage, often means lifting disaster, warding off calamity, or removing celestial demotion; the text also says the rich can “buy off the cup”—in practice, paying to escape guilt.
• Witnesses and evidence: Zhengzuo—persons or proof at trial.
• Register keeper: The clerk in charge of records; here, like the “go-between,” he informs and spins long and short accounts to weave a case.

The gist of this scripture is as follows:

Such wicked conduct usually comes from people who have ruined their virtue. Parents suffer grief and anger because of it, and the whole clan is deeply harmed. If one acts this way, what can one hope for, and how can one seek lasting peace and life? Inflicting disaster and punishment on others while still dreaming of preserving one’s own life—what sort of person is that? Heaven looks down from above and says such a state truly cannot be tolerated for long.

Those who lead bands of evil send clerks and malicious spirits to work with the county magistrate in dealing with the lawless, so that people fall under laws that mean certain death and lose all hope of living. What they covet is not only one household’s property; they grow fat on ill-gotten gains and live at ease on them. Once guilt is fixed, death follows and that is the end—and there is no one to carry on the line; the dead of earlier generations also receive no sacrificial offerings or food. All of this is your fault.

From now on, if people of later ages see these warnings, they should stop doing evil and may then have a slight thread of hope; otherwise they will surely fall among those marked for death—do not doubt it. Be careful: a small slip is hard to undo, human life cannot be regained, and this is true for everyone—so why not obey the prohibitions?

The lawless band together, plunder others’ goods. Their leaders may not be executed by the county magistrate at once, but Heaven performs the punishment in their place: above, the household is extinguished; below, harm reaches descendants. Because of this unrighteous wealth, they cannot even prolong their own lives—where is there any justice in such reckoning? That is why this book is promulgated again and again: to value people’s keeping this precept. If one repeatedly commits the utmost evil, the dead multiply, and Heaven is deeply troubled by it.

Therefore, when someone’s heart can understand, they naturally no longer transgress. Yet people in the world today cannot see this at all: they read books on prolonging life but do not act according to them, thinking the texts cannot be trusted. They fail to understand that those who attain the rank of immortals do so through filial piety and goodness, and that their lifespan has no end.

(Phrases such as “the following text at…” and similar lines are likely insertions or repeated passages from the manuscript; in meaning they still connect with what precedes—poison to parents and clan, leaders who bring disaster yet hope to live, Heaven’s refusal to endure this long, and the warning that evil bands send clerks to aid officials and leave people without hope of life.)

The scripture says: You should ponder these words carefully—they all come from one and the same set of teachings. The point of the teaching is that good deeds will show themselves in due course, and wrongdoing will likewise bring its own retribution. The precepts written at the beginning and end of the classics are nothing other than urging people toward goodness and warning them not to offend the Way of Heaven and the law; how could they deliberately wrong anyone?

You ought to turn these words over in your mind again and again, engrave them within your five viscera (the inner self), and live by them. Do not blame Heaven without cause; such blame is useless and only drags one another down, making offenses pile up heavier and heavier. By no means harbor resentment in your heart. If you act uprightly, fortune and misfortune will sort themselves out—what is there to resent or to blame? Only by striving to do good does one deserve to be called human. In your conduct, cherish yourself and do not invite spirits and ghosts to bring disaster—can this principle really be unclear?

Each person should think through his own plans clearly and not stubbornly take the crooked path; even if you stake your life, you cannot make up for the sins you have committed. Many meet with calamity, yet when will resentment and hatred ever stop? If the heart is not sincere and discipline is not strict, fine words alone are worthless. Many ways of acting in the world only leave people bitter and poisoned in spirit; if people will not speak plainly to one another and will not live in harmony, what good can come of it?

Some think themselves worthy and set out to instruct others, yet they are not worthy themselves and should not measure others by their own standard. Born as human beings like everyone else, they remain without awakening; when you question them, they have no real will to explain things honestly to one another. Such people are like the six domestic animals—they may know a little in speech of what is fragrant or foul, dress neatly, and go through the motions of ritual, yet in kneeling, rising, advancing, and retreating they never conform to proper measure, and in their hearts they constantly hold thoughts of “refusing to submit” and “refusing to be recorded.” When they see an elder neighbor, they are arrogant, breach ritual, and do not rise; concerning other people’s wives and concerning right and wrong, they talk of mutual punishment and sorting out what is ugly or fine—this is the behavior of wicked people, not the conduct of those who attend to what is right. Outwardly they handle affairs in a seemly way, yet in their mouths they curse, thinking there are no spirits on earth; they denounce one another, each goes his own way, and gives no thought to the disaster about to come. When calamity arrives, it is too late to remedy anything—what use is that? Things only grow more harsh and tangled, and in the end judgment still must follow the principle of Heaven.

Plain-Language Reading of Taiping Jing (Collated Edition)

This passage mainly explains what follows when people violate the Dao of Heaven, incur debts, and do wrong, and how to ward off disaster by obeying what is above and by resolving grievances and lifting transgressions.

How can one see this clearly? One must understand the guilt one carries. If others condemn you and you still bring harm without stopping, in time you may face ruined family, no heirs, and no long life—conduct like that is deeply unjust; how could it last?

The meaning of Taiping zhi shu (Scripture of Great Peace) is: when policies make the people below obey those above, order can endure. Otherwise life is lost and governance fails again. Ordinary people often show little kindness and little righteousness, care only for immediate satisfaction, do not value their lifespan, indulge in wrongdoing, and think there are no spirits. Many follow lax ways toward law and order, and everything becomes entangled. When registers are checked at the Bright Hall (Mingtang), people are held to account from first to last, names are reported upward, and those in charge keep the records. If there is fault or debt, it is reported to the office official, who in turn reports to Taiyin (the deity of the yin realm who records merit and demerit).

Officers of Taiyin summon the family ancestors (jiaxian) and interrogate and punish the person. They send word home: because of cursing, arrears and debt, and past wrongs that have not stopped, sickness is sent upon the household. The sick household should resolve yin debts and lift transgressions (jie yin, jie zhe) so that harm does not recur; only when transgressions are fully cleared can illness stop. If transgressions are not resolved, illness does not stop and punishment may come again. If they neither resolve nor believe, and one looks only at conduct, each case has its person—more or less, light or heavy, all have fixed measure; thus it can be known. Be all the more careful afterward and do not add to guilt; the knowing can avoid blame, the unknowing invite fortune or disaster themselves—it never rests.

Each person, be careful in speech and writing: do not wrong one another; it is hard to list every detail; spirits (shen) never cease watching—they want people to know people and act thus on purpose; that is unkind conduct. Those who are steadfast in good receive good; the wicked by nature do not live long—what is there to resent? It is all self-chosen. Those below obey those above, and there need be no wicked offspring—is this clear? Be warned, be warned—then one may breathe a little easier.

Scripture cannot write out every word of law and command in full; when opened and made plain, one should not transgress. Writing is also abbreviated, and sometimes meaning is left unfinished; read carefully what follows, seeking only what can be understood and repented—then one gains it for oneself.

Summary: Not obeying superiors, incurring debt, and doing harm can implicate ancestors, bring disease, and shorten life; sick households must resolve yin and lift transgressions and change conduct; spirit-offices record merit and demerit; good and evil receive their due; one should be careful in speech and writing, obey what is above, and not indulge because one thinks there are no spirits.

Those in lower positions must follow those above them if they are not to raise wicked offspring—do you grasp this principle? Be warned, and warned again; here one may pause briefly.

Scripture is hard to set down: both the wording and the statutes must be laid out clearly so that people are kept from transgression. The book also gives some abbreviated explanations, and some phrases remain slightly unsettled. Read what follows with care; the aim is only that readers may understand. Be cautious, and cautious again—small lapses can grow into great harm. The text grows dense again, so we pause for a moment. After that pause there is more to say, and the exposition continues.

Only those who consistently perform good deeds will naturally avoid violating the prohibitions established by Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, the Five Phases, the sun, moon, and stars, and the various deities. They hold these rules in awe, fearing any breach, knowing their names may be reported to the celestial court—so they willingly practice filial piety and do good.

Heaven and Earth issued these prohibitions not so that people would violate them, but so that the population would flourish and life would be secure—when would they deliberately hide the path to survival? Heaven and Earth arrange for living beings to be used by people; when would they intend mutual slaughter? Mostly people bring harm on themselves by transgression.

Therefore the good do not speak evil words. Each person has a corresponding “record” (wen) in which what must be guarded against and what may be accomplished is written plainly. Those who do good naturally gain life; those who do evil naturally die early—what is there for ordinary people to dispute? Hence the “Record of the Good” (Shanren Wen) was set forth, so people would know where fortune and lifespan, blessing and misfortune, begin, and the Dao was used to admonish them so they would not dare to offend.

When Heaven sees someone doing good, it sends spirits to follow and protect them, moving their name from the death register to the Bureau of Long Life, until merit is fully realized. If later generations meet auspicious days under the aspect of the Heavenly King, there are fewer taboos below; they may also inherit unused lifespan from their ancestors, reaching as much as one hundred twenty years. Descendants who carry forward their forebears’ good intent—even with only small virtues and no small vices—may live long, with white-haired generations in succession. Sons and grandsons find the household ample and the lineage thriving, without being plundered. Farming and trade prosper; in office they are promoted again and again, without fear of punishment. The way of goodness ought to be spoken of thus—yet others cannot imitate it and instead mock with arrogance. The good at heart seek goodness for themselves and benefit others: seeing poverty, illness, and distress, they lend grain and money without demanding heavy interest; those who receive kindness do not break their word, and when they repay even a little, they thank with wine and meat—both sides receive grace. Heaven sees such conduct and adds further reward, so that coming and going meet no obstruction. Those who do good are assisted by Heaven, not left to evil—it all follows from how they act.

Those who do not do good are the opposite. If they do not learn goodness or keep faith, they reduce their lifespan tally and shorten their days, walking the opposite road from the good.

Heaven observes human conduct and treats people accordingly, again showing favor to those who act well, allowing the virtuous to come and go freely without obstruction or harm. Those who do good are naturally assisted by Heaven and spared from disaster—this is the fruit of virtuous conduct. Those who do not do good yet hope for long life without effort and for descendants are failing to distinguish good from evil. Therefore Heaven distinguishes their allotted spans: those who especially carry out the Way of Heaven and are of one mind and purpose with Heaven may have their names entered on the immortal registry, rise to the ranks of the wise and sage, and see their spirit grow daily stronger—how then could their years be limited? Thus it is said that doing good cannot be neglected; this is also what ordinary people find hard to attain. Heaven especially cherishes the good and does not wish them tainted by evil. Good people and evil people each have their proper boundary; how could they be lumped together? What the heavenly scripture says is already quite clear: the good are affirmed and the evil warned, so that people do not fall into ruin or lose years of life. This is Heaven’s recompense to the good—extended life; toward the evil it brings failure to pass things down and difficulty for descendants to establish themselves. This too can be understood—why still doubt? From birth to old age, people naturally have children and grandchildren who grow up and make their way; as parents one should follow their inclinations and give them stability, not going against their wishes, so each finds their place—this is fulfilling what each heart seeks. To be a parent is truly not easy; children likewise should be filial and receive their parents’ teaching. Thus the flesh and limbs of the virtuous can all be kept whole. What parents gave birth to, one should keep the body intact and not suffer mutilation or injury. What parents gave birth to, one does not dare answer back; when there is something good, one reports it. Even if the household has little wealth, one should be respectful, gentle, and treat others with ease. Children should also be filial, accept their parents’ instruction, and keep flesh and limbs each complete. What parents gave birth to should be kept whole without harm; one does not dare talk back, and when there is merit one presents it. Neighbors and close kin should all be cared for as oneself—cultivate conduct of this kind.

When you encounter fierce or wicked people, do not dare to engage with them, for fear of mutual opposition and clash. Once people stand opposed, even the good can turn bad, and Heaven loathes this all the more. Everyone ought to respect and cherish themselves: breaking taboos can drag down descendants and leave the household unsettled—not only your own home but relatives near and far, so that the whole family cannot rest easy. If county officials become involved, property and wealth suffer as well. Therefore guard yourself carefully and do not go against what the scriptures teach.

If you can live in peace and harmony with kin, without double‑talk, each keeping to their role and each doing their part, that is the way of a person of great virtue. Heaven is sure to grant long life; spirits and ghosts will protect you, and they will not allow you to slip.

Seasonal offerings follow a fixed order; when you buy goods at the market, do not haggle over price. Whatever is dedicated and presented carries spiritual presence attached to it. The slightest fault—something a little better or worse than it should be, a step forward or back, or a lack of cleanliness—is entered on the record and nothing is overlooked. Only when you follow the proper rules for what to buy and how to proceed is that true reverence, and the spirits will surely be pleased.

The merit is reported upward to Siming, the deity who governs lifespan, and the officers of the shrine and the clerks of each department can also carry out their duties in peace. Sometimes the spirits inspect whether the offerings are clean and fragrant before they accept them; after acceptance, the five ancestors feast again in the same place and eat with joy. Then the household grows prosperous, the descendants are all good, and there are no wicked sons.

When the commandery and county hear of it, they summon such a person to serve as an officer; he is transferred to the prefecture and given a prominent post; when the prefecture hears, he is drawn close and recommended as “Lianmao”—upright and capable. All of this comes from doing good. Good deeds naturally bring their reward, and official rank is sure to follow. This is also the “allotted stipend” of one’s fate—what one receives by mandate—and it shows that good conduct is at work, while evil does not cross the threshold.

The gods in Heaven say that conduct of this kind is especially fine, yet people still do not understand Heaven’s intent. That is why worthy texts and worthy people are made to inscribe it on bamboo and silk, so that later generations may turn toward goodness, families may honor one another from age to age, and descendants may never be far from the court.

Vernacular interpretation

Emperors will cherish people of this kind and keep them long in fitting, upright positions. Such achievement takes shape of itself—it is the fruit of the merit they have accumulated. Therefore those who practice goodness should take this scripture (jing) as their standard; what the text describes can be verified in experience, not empty words.

(Right-column heading, in gist: Heaven teaches filial piety in order to quell rebellion and disorder, ward off external threats, and make the people compliant so that governance is easier.)

There is also a quoted passage (from Sandong Zhuangnang, juan 3, citing Taiping Jing juan 114): Qingtong Jun gathers flying root and swallows the sun’s radiance; ingests the Bright-Opening spirit talisman, the moon-flower talisman, and the “eliminate the two” talisman; binds the three hun and controls the seven po; wears the star-and-image talisman; takes flower elixir, yellow water, and returning water; eats huan gang, phoenix brain, pine, pear, jujube, and also silver and purple gold; takes cloud cream; eats bamboo shoots; and wears the five-spirits talisman. With these methods fully in place, transformation is inexhaustible—one can rise beyond the three realms and roam within the six directions.

The Baotai pin (Precious Terrace Chapter) cites the Taiping jing (Scripture of Great Peace), saying: the Numinous Upper Radiance Terrace is the place governed and inhabited by Grand Preceptor Peng Guangyuan; the Great Void Jasper Terrace is the dwelling place of the Great Peace Daojun (Lord of Great Peace). Next, Scroll 116, “Mou Jue No. 204,” of the Taiping jing states: when minds are identical and aspirations align, this is great joy; when hearts are bitter and intentions differ, when people are at odds with one another, this is disorder and will attract bitter Qi (vital energy). Joy need not depend on song and dance or on many voices harmonizing; suffering need not wait until conflict and all kinds of calamity arise together. Mutual joy uses harmony to suppress and stop the Qi of punishment and killing; mutual sorrow attracts opposition and disharmony. What is mutual accord and shared mind? No matter whether people are great or small, if they can share the same mind and intention, they will surely be harmonious and joyful. The Master of August Peace and Cavernous Ultimate in Heaven (a title of Celestial Master, Tianshi) supplements teachings for Heaven and reiterates this meaning: if one truly wishes to obtain the mind of Heaven and Earth and to benefit imperial governance, one should comply with the mind of Heaven and Earth, must not oppose Tai Sui (the annual deity) and the various gods, but should unite in Qi with them and align with the imperial enterprise. Sharing the same joy and mind, the same direction and orientation, the same movement and pivot, the same root and intention. Thus the ancient sages set forth standards and laws for rulers: in spring especially, one should follow and apply the mind of Heaven and Earth, not go against Tai Sui and the various gods, and make human affairs accord and unite with the Qi of Heaven and Earth.

Make the Qi (vital energy) harmonious and bring it into accord with the emperor’s undertakings. Heaven and humanity share the same joy and the same mind, the same orientation and direction, the same movement and pivot, the same root and intent. Therefore the sages of antiquity set forth the norms and standards for emperors: spring is paired with the east, summer with the south, autumn with the west, and winter with the north, so that the ruler may act together with the Qi of these seasonal times; when the Qi are the same, they welcome and respond to one another. This is what the ruler means by carefully complying with Heaven’s Dao (the Way) and sharing the same Qi as Heaven; for this reason they receive and follow one another in compliance, harmony, and joy. What the ruler calls harmony and unity means mutual joy; when there is mutual joy, Heaven and Earth remain joyful for long and do not contend or grow angry. When Heaven and Earth do not contend or grow angry, disasters, wickedness, and malevolence of every kind all cease and depart. Only when evil people are cut off and depart can balanced Qi (the Qi of central harmony and great peace) be summoned: the balanced Qi of Heaven can descend to govern, and the balanced Qi of Earth can ascend to assist. If one does not joyfully comply with the Qi favored and employed by August Heaven and Sovereign Earth (i.e., Heaven and Earth), but instead activates Qi that ought to be rested and discarded, then resonances become disordered and contrary; one violates the Dao of Heaven and Earth and the Qi of the emperor, and diverges from the intentions of Heaven and Earth. Once Heaven and Earth contend and grow angry, myriad anomalies arise together, wickedness flourishes increasingly, and this brings about unrest and the arrival of the Qi of disastrous years. Therefore one should understand deeply: if the emperor’s Qi differs from the intentions of Heaven and Earth, this is what follows.

The Perfected (Zhenren) said, “Good, good; I understand.” The Celestial Master (Tianshi) said, “This is easy to understand. Heaven delights in it; the Perfected must be cautious.” The Perfected assented again and again, carefully committing it to memory in detail and not daring to forget.

He then said, “Since the enlightened master has been constrained to teach this, I wish to hear what should be done in spring, summer, autumn, and winter respectively.” The reply was, “In all cases, follow the Qi of that season and accord with its qi-number and pattern. Only the sixth month is special: from the day of the summer solstice, the gong tone (one of the five tones, correlated with central Earth) is also sounded, continuing until the end of the fifth month; in the sixth month, the gong tone alone is used. What is called music is the production of sound, song, and dance. The vigorous reigning Qi (the Qi in season) is suitable for being shaken; music and dance are used to shake it, expressing compliance and assistance through music. The resting, confined, and dead Qi (the declining Qi that should rest) should all remain quiet and does not wish to be shaken; if it is shaken, it becomes displeased, contends, and grows angry, thereby producing malevolence, wickedness, and disaster. This is the natural law and inherent character of Heaven and Earth, without any possibility of error.” Finally, he asked further which kind of Qi should be shaken.

Question: I wish to hear you set forth the governing principles; I dare not go against the movement of the “one Qi.”

Answer: As a rule, what moves first is Diqi (Emperor qi), then Wang qi (King qi), then Xiang qi (Minister qi), Hou qi (Marquis qi), and Wei qi (Subtle qi). These all lie before Tiandou (the Celestial Dipper position in the heavens); they advance day by day with the calendar, intending to boost momentum, and so they are set in motion. The remaining qi lie after Tiandou. On the side Tianqi (Heaven qi) turns away from, Xiang qi, Hou qi, Wei qi, and the like may also move first—likewise advancing before Tiandou by day, stirred to aid momentum; the rest remain after Tiandou. On the side Heaven turns away from, qi daily wanes and should not be roused again. If it opposes Heaven and runs counter to Earth, not matching Heaven and Earth’s intent, the outcome is inauspicious. Hence what Heaven faces flourishes; what Heaven turns from declines—know the qi of that moment and you can infer fortune and misfortune, safety and danger.

Question: If today we set only the Five Tones in motion, yet the Five Tones alone cannot make a full song for singing and dance, how should we stop?

Answer: Well said! Yet one must move first. Yin and Yang: when there is movement, there is sound; thus when music moves, sound moves with it. Yang has sound, so one Gong, three Zhi, five Yu, seven Shang, nine Jiao count as tone names; two, four, six, eight are not named as tones. Xing (punishment) belongs to Taiyin (Greater Yin); it acts without tone, so yin’s harm to people is slight—“acting without tone” means just this.

Question: Why does the military commander today also have a tone?

Answer: Well said! The noble person has a military commander and has tone, but entertainment music (changyue) can dismiss it; there is no need to intend harm. When anger flares and harm is already underway, it is not only that sound rises from within—they no longer speak to one another at all. Do you understand?

Question: Yes, yes—if it is truly so, your humble student has already grasped it.

Answer: Therefore the sages of old placed what would use music (yue) on the left, and what would use punishment (xing) on the right.

This passage mainly explains how fortune and misfortune correspond to left and right and to yin and yang, how the three qi of Heaven (Le, He, and Xing—Joy, Harmony, and Punishment) are assigned to directions, and why in composing and expounding scripture one should show the leading principles and not pile up words.

Fortune and misfortune, left and right

For auspicious matters one should take the left; for inauspicious matters, the right. The left belongs to yang, the right to yin—each follows its kind and keeps its place.

Writing in accord with Heaven

(The Celestial Master or scripture lord says:) I compose scripture following Heaven’s intent and the principle of the earth: when one aligns with them, there is fortune and flourishing; when one goes against them, there is misfortune. If it diverges from Heaven’s will, what good can one still expect?

Heaven’s three qi

Heaven originally has three qi:

• The upper qi is called Le (Joy)
• The middle qi is called He (Harmony)
• The lower qi is called Xing (Punishment)

Le belongs to yang, Xing to yin, and He to the center.

Thus in the southeast, yang and Le favor life; in the northwest, yin and anger favor killing; He qi moves between them to adjust. The scripture also speaks of “one storehouse, one manifestation—chiefly for avoiding harm”: whether hidden or revealed, the aim is that people know what to avoid and what to approach and do not transgress taboos.

Joy is only for the auspicious, not the inauspicious

Therefore Le should be used only for auspicious and life-affirming matters; one must not rejoice at misfortune or rejoice at death—this is Heaven’s fixed rule and cannot be reversed.

The Perfected One treats my words with care.

Why only “one category” is given as an example

(The disciple asks:) Yes. Now in explaining sound and meaning you speak of only one category (one jia) and have not said everything. How should the rest be handled so that one fully knows everything that ought to be cited?

(The scripture lord answers:) One should examine and collate all texts of sages and worthies by school and category, citing each according to its kind, so that above and below, great and small, all correspond. Take one as pattern for ten, ten for a hundred, a hundred for a thousand, a thousand for ten thousand, ten thousand for the limitless; when many worthies consult together, nothing remains unknown. Therefore I only give you the leading principles and cannot spell out every detail.

Superior worthies who see my text will fully grasp its meaning; those of middling attainment who see it may hope to rise higher; lesser persons who see it may still act according to the method and not violate Heaven and Earth’s prohibitions, each giving rise to good intent—whereas if everything were said and piled up, the abundance of text would dazzle and confuse, lose its guiding thread, and make the writing chaotic and hard to order. So one should only sketch the leading principles and let people think for themselves.

(The disciple:) Excellent. … (The later text repeats the emphasis: too much writing dazzles and confuses, loses the guiding thread, and becomes chaotic and hard to order.)

Main idea

Left as yang and auspicious, right as yin and inauspicious clarifies ritual orientation; Le, He, and Xing together with the southeast favoring life and the northwest favoring killing show how the qi of Heaven and Earth are distributed by direction; and the text stresses that music aligns with the auspicious and with life, not with misfortune and death. Finally it explains that in teaching scripture one should present the framework and not verbose prose, lest readers lose the thread of the teaching.

Therefore the essential points about “wealth” should be laid out first, so that people can reflect on them for themselves.

“Excellent! Excellent!”

“Very well—I will stop here for now. If you still have doubts, come and ask again.”

“Yes, yes. May I ask: when tone and voice harmonize with each other and can accord with the intended meaning, can one know this?”

“One can—it can be known. Imperial Qi (diwang zhi qi) has had its Heaven-ordained measure from the outset. When Imperial Qi holds the upper hand, edicts and sounding can be sent out first. It is like the ruler issuing commands to the world before all else: ordinary people and the myriad things follow, and the world is at peace. If anyone dares not follow but goes against it, that person meets death. Therefore Imperial Qi must be sent forth first; everything else will follow of itself.”

“Excellent! Excellent!”

“If one does not first send forth Imperial Qi but instead first mobilizes declining qi such as Rest (xiu) and Imprisonment (qiu), and even makes Imperial Qi follow that—this is great rebellion. It is the fixed pattern (gefa) of Heaven and Earth; it cannot be forced to change. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Each of the Five Tones (wuyin) has what it sets in motion: some move Heaven, some move Earth, some move the sun, moon, and stars, some move the four seasons and the Five Phases (wuxing), some move mountains and rivers, some move the people and the myriad things. When a tone moves, whatever it sets in motion is stirred, and each produces a different effect. When harmony is fitting and accords with the intended meaning, goodness results; when it misses the meaning, evil results. When music is deployed, the spirits of the myriad things assemble first and only then move; one then observes their forms. Therefore in deploying music one must truly know the matter at hand and discern its inner meaning—Great Peace (taiping) can be attained and malign qi can be removed. The Perfected Person (zhenren) should examine this principle closely.”

“Yes, yes. When music is deployed, how does it set things in motion?”

“Well asked—you have reached the vital point. For example, when spring qi moves first, the Greater Jue (dajue) string is deployed on a jia day: with jia day above, it sets the Sui Star (Jupiter) in motion; with the Heart Star below, it sets the Eastern Peak (Dongyue) in motion; the qi then stirs Lesser Yang (shaoyang)—there lies the working of the tone.”

First Section (Question and Answer on the Principle of Spring Music)

You ask well—you have hit the essential point. It is like the first stirring of spring: the string of the Great Jue (jue mode) moves first on a Jia day. When the qi of the Jia day ascends, it stirs the Year Star (Jupiter); when the qi of the Heart constellation descends, it stirs the Eastern Peak (Mount Tai). When qi moves, Lesser Yang (Shaoyang) sways in response; when sound moves, the Wood phase sways in response; when spirit moves, Gou Mang (the spirit of Wood virtue) sways in response; when the symbolic bird moves, the Azure Dragon moves in response; when the directional seat moves, the Green Emperor arrives; when spirit moves, the green-robed jade maiden comes. Above and below, nothing fails to pay homage according to its kind—all rejoice for the sake of musical sound. Speaking of “one” to seek its kind—there is no end to it. If you yourself refine and seek the essential meaning, you will naturally understand it all; when it aligns with the wording of ordinary books, it can become a formal pattern. Therefore, when music is performed: one who attains the upper meaning may transcend the world; one who attains the middle meaning may bring great peace and remove calamity and harm; one who attains the lower meaning may delight people. Attaining the upper meaning delights the spirits; attaining the middle meaning delights the essence and brings peace while removing calamity and harm; attaining the lower meaning delights the body. If upper, middle, and lower meanings are all obtained, the sovereign may wander at leisure without affairs; when music rises, punishment is cut off, and spirits and essences harmonize without harming one another.

Second Section (Wishing to Hear the Secret Formula)

I wish to hear the secret formula of “when music rises, punishment is cut off.”

Third Section (Music, Punishment, Yin-Yang, and Knowing Sound)

You ask well. Music is the essence of the sun; punishment is the essence of the moon. When yang is abundant, yin submits; when yin is abundant, yang submits—therefore when music flourishes, punishment is cut off. Why music belongs to yang and punishment to yin—the principle lies here. When tones harmonize, that direction is kind and auspicious; when tones do not harmonize, that direction is fierce and inauspicious. When performing music, one should listen keenly to the tones: one who knows sound fully knows whether affairs are auspicious or inauspicious; one who does not know sound cannot know either.

[Appendix]

Yang—the active, vocal aspect—moves and makes sound; yin is silent and still. Punishment therefore belongs mostly to yin and often harms people through soft, yielding means. When the ancient sages wished to perform music (yue), they had to align with both the intent of Heaven and the intent of Earth. Alignment brings good fortune; opposition brings misfortune. Hence Heaven has three kinds of qi: the upper qi is called “music” (le), the middle qi is called “harmony” (he), and the lower qi is called “punishment” (xing). Thus music belongs to yang, punishment to yin, and harmony to the center—the place that balances yin and yang. The southeast belongs to yang and favors nurturing life; the northwest belongs to yin and favors killing and warfare. The harmonious qi moves back and forth with these, now hidden and now visible, chiefly to ward off disaster and harm.

Sound and voice are the verbal expression of “music.” In divination, whether near or far, one must harmonize with them: combine day and hour, name and strokes, boundaries of the hexagram lines, and the flourishing, phase, rest, and decline of the five phases—taking and matching these as the basis for discourse. Those skilled in this hear it without error.

[Question]

Excellent, excellent! I ask: using music to remove disaster, treachery, and evil, and establishing a numerical art in imitation of Heaven and Earth—should emperors morning and evening shake the instruments and first intone their sounds, to dispel the qi of sorrow and bring about great peace?

[Answer begins]

(This passage in the collated edition follows immediately after the question; the main text may continue elsewhere.)

This passage responds to the questioner: You have asked about the method with such excellence and keen wit. Heaven has long been afflicted by calamities in the world and, pitying the sovereign’s distress, sent perfected ones to preside and resolve the doubts of ordinary people—is that so? Yes. Sit at ease; I dare hide nothing. If I did, I would fear heavenly punishment and long, heavy banishment, with no benefit to my allotted years. Please sit quietly and listen; I will explain the deep meaning point by point.

The Way of Heaven is like a cycle that turns and returns upon itself. When music is raised, one must add “Wang Qi” (sovereign vital energy) according to the season, taking as the cue the direction indicated by the Dipper’s handle at Jian Dou, facing that quarter and stirring the sound. Human voices may also be used; each person acts according to their root tone. The reckoning follows the Six Jia and the Five Phases—that is the number of Heaven and Earth. Seasonal qi is the effect that Heaven and Earth respond to and raise up. Suppose on the day of Beginning of Spring the handle adds to the yin position: that is called “the hour of the Supreme Lord.” First move the Great Angle (Dajiao). At mid-month add jia; in the second month the Dipper adds mao and mid-month adds yi; in the third month add chen, and so on for the remaining months. Each follows its seasonal qi in order; morning and evening each have their measures. First move the Lord’s tone and Lord’s string; then the King’s tone and King’s string; then the Minister’s tone and Minister’s string; then the Marquis’s tone and Marquis’s string; then the Zheng tone and Zheng string—each matching its number. This is called receiving Heaven’s Way and responding to Earth’s qi. Heaven and Earth will then take joy in applying themselves—how much more so human beings? Humans are the most honored among the ten thousand things, the offspring Heaven begets. Heaven delights when people gravely and reverently apply its numbers; Earth delights when people carefully and obediently apply its numbers—just as filial children follow their parents’ teaching: how could the parents fail to love and treat them well?

Fortune and misfortune hinge on whether things accord with one another or not, and on whether there is mutual joy or not. When everyone is in step and joy is shared, the outcome is good and auspicious; when things run against the grain and bring worry and bitterness, the outcome is inauspicious and evil.

Joy counts as wholesome joy only when it is joy that fits mutual accord. In evil affairs one must not join the crowd in singing merry songs—there, “joy” can turn into misfortune.

When imperial qi is still subtle, only what rises before the Celestial Dipper (Tiāndǒu) is the auspicious event through which heaven and earth mean to flourish. What heaven and earth delight in and intend to use, when followed, prospers.

The True Person (Zhēnrén) asked in such detail to leave a lifeline for later ages: accord brings flourishing; opposition brings disaster.

Qi of decay such as “xiūfèi” (resting and abandoned) is what Heaven and Earth jointly discard and jointly weaken; therefore one should renounce it and not celebrate or make music on its account. When rejoicing goes against the true intent of Heaven and Earth, it is called great rebellion—it does not accord with the qi of the season. Seasonal qi is the correct heavenly qi of the time. Heaven and Earth take this as their rule: wangxiang (prosperous-phase) qi governs years of great peace; qi of imprisonment, waste, and extinction governs inauspicious years.

Wangxiang qi mostly begets the ten thousand things and mostly completes good deeds. Thus in years of great peace the ten thousand things are fully born and good things abound—clear evidence and Heaven and Earth’s great verification. The effect of Heaven and Earth favoring goodness appears upon the people and the ten thousand things, verified by events. So in years of great peace all things are born and goodness is plentiful—this is the great verification. The sages of old therefore examined themselves deeply, knew the gain and loss of their conduct, and divined by kind, by deed, and by qi. When they obtained signs corresponding to the same qi and kind, they changed their nature and altered their conduct and dared not do wrong. Heaven and Earth’s “language” lies in these verifications; they do not speak face to face with people—by the images and kinds one obtains, one understands for oneself.

Qi of imprisonment, waste, death, and extinction begets little and completes few good deeds. Hence in inauspicious years few things can be born; there are no good responses and no good things—of the same kind, the same deed, and the same qi. Therefore those who are about to enter great peace may fully prepare music and celebration—for music accords with wangxiang qi, and balanced qi is about to arrive. Before the Dao shows the year before a inauspicious one, one must not make music or rejoice without cause; qi of imprisonment and waste goes against Heaven and Earth, so in inauspicious years and inauspicious affairs one must not make music. Wangxiang qi is where virtue dwells; qi of imprisonment and waste is where punishment dwells.

(Supplementary gist) In inauspicious years there are few good responses. Those about to reach great peace prepare music in full; this should follow wangxiang qi. In inauspicious years one must not make music without cause; making music when qi of imprisonment and waste goes against Heaven and Earth is forbidden. Wangxiang qi is the abode of virtue; qi of imprisonment and waste is the abode of punishment.