《道德真經集義(二)》Vol. 11

Collected Explanations of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue, Scroll Eleven: The Chapter on the Spirit of the Valley

Compiled by: Master Ningyuan; Liu Weiyong, supervisor of the Xuánmiào Abbey in Changde Circuit

Revised by: Ding Yidong, former Court Gentleman for Consultation, Registrar of the Court of the Imperial Treasury, and Compiler of the Privy Council

Textual Variants

In the version by Heshang Gong, this chapter is titled “The Chapter on Forming Images”; in the version by Zhao Shian, it is titled “The Chapter on the Meaning of Nurturing the Numinous Root Well.”

Commentary by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang

The previous chapter explains that when universal care becomes partial attachment, it is difficult to extend that care everywhere. This chapter explains that utmost emptiness can respond, and that its responses are inexhaustible. It begins with “the Spirit of the Valley” to set forth the workings of spirit and clarify the Dao; next, it speaks of the “Mysterious Female,” identifying the mother of the mysterious workings; finally, it concludes with “continuous and unbroken,” showing how empty responsiveness works without effort.

Du Guangting’s Commentary

“Spirit” refers to what cannot be fathomed in Yin-Yang. Though empty, it can respond; when moved, it connects with whatever it encounters. This may be understood through “nurturing by means of the valley”: nurture the spirit and one accords with immortality. Or it may be understood through “an echo answering a sound”: respond to things, and the response is inexhaustible, like spirit. The “Mysterious Female” refers to exhaling and inhaling primal harmony, refining Shen and Qi. The body and its Qi endure as long as Heaven and Earth, while the numinous, continuous and unbroken, remains forever. This is the Way of long life.

Zhang Chongying’s Commentary

Human life between Heaven and Earth consists of the coming and going of Jing and Qi with every inhalation and exhalation. The nose receives Yang and thereby forms an image; the mouth receives Yin and thereby forms an image. Without a mouth and nose, Yin-Yang Jing and Qi could not rise and fall, move up and down, and no image could take shape. This chapter opens insight into the principle of Yin-Yang rising and descending.

Scripture

The Spirit of the Valley never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female. The gateway of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. Continuous and unbroken, it seems to endure; use it, and it is never exhausted.

Heshang Gong’s Commentary

“The Spirit of the Valley never dies”: “Valley” means nurturing. A person who can nurture the spirit does not die. “Spirit” refers to the spirits of the Five Organs: the liver stores the hun, the lungs store the po, the heart stores the spirit, the kidneys store Jing, and the spleen stores intention. When all Five Organs are damaged, the five spirits depart.

“This is called the Mysterious Female”: This means that the key to not dying lies in the Mysterious Female. “Mysterious” corresponds to Heaven and, in the human body, to the nose; “female” corresponds to Earth and, in the human body, to the mouth. Heaven sends the five Qi in through the nose, where they are stored in the heart. The five Qi, pure and subtle, become spirit, understanding, voice, and the five dispositions. Their ghost is called hun; hun means “masculine” and governs going out and coming in. The human nose connects with Heaven, so the nose is called “mysterious.” Earth sends the five grains in through the mouth, where they are stored in the stomach. The five grains, turbid and impure, become the body, bones, flesh, blood vessels, and six emotions. Their ghost is called po; po means “feminine” and governs storing and gathering. The human mouth connects with Earth, so the mouth is called “female.” The gateways of the nose and mouth are called the root of Heaven and Earth.

“Continuous and unbroken, it seems to endure; use it, and it is never exhausted”: The breathing through the nose and mouth continues without interruption, seeming at times to be present and at times to have vanished. When using Qi, one should be relaxed and easy; one should not strain by breathing hurriedly.

Note: In the commonly circulated Commentary on the Laozi by Heshang Gong, the passage attributed here to Heshang Gong includes an extended explanation after “the gateway of the Mysterious Female,” covering the root of Heaven and Earth, hun and po, and the nose and mouth.

Plain-Language Interpretation

Explanation of the Scripture

Flavor enters through the mouth and is stored in the stomach. The five qualities of human nature become muddied, giving rise to the body’s form, bones and flesh, blood and vessels, and the six emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, and aversion. What governs these is called the po, or corporeal soul. The po belongs to Yin and governs what enters and leaves through the mouth. Because it connects with Heaven and Earth, it is called the “female.”

The “gate of the mysterious female” is the “root of Heaven and Earth.” The root is the source of primordial Qi. The openings of the nose and mouth are passages through which the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth flows in and out. Breathing through the mouth and nose should be continuous, as if present: subtle and prolonged, seeming to exist and yet almost absent. Use it without strain: let the breath remain relaxed and spacious, never hurried or forced.

Wang Bi’s Commentary

“‘The valley spirit never dies’ … ‘use it without strain’”: The valley spirit is like the empty center of a valley, with nothing in it. It has no form or shadow; it rests in a low place, does not move, and remains quiet without waning. All things come into being through it, yet its form cannot be seen. It is a thing of utmost subtlety. It dwells low and cannot be named, so it is called the root of Heaven and Earth.

“Continuous, as if present; use it without strain”: The gate is the passage through which the mysterious female comes forth. Its source and its ultimate end are of one substance, so it is called the root of Heaven and Earth. If we say it exists, its form cannot be seen; if we say it has vanished, all things are born through it. Hence it is continuous, as if present. Nothing fails to take shape through it, and its use brings no weariness; therefore it is said to be used without strain.

Commentary by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang

“The valley spirit never dies”: “Valley” means empty yet responsive; “spirit” means wondrous and unfathomable; “die” means to cease. No one knows how a valley echoes a sound: when something calls to it, it answers, and its response is like that of a spirit. It answers without ever ceasing. To make clear that the utmost Dao is empty yet gives birth to things, and that its wondrous workings are difficult to understand, the valley spirit is offered as a metaphor.

“This is called the mysterious female”: “Mysterious” means profound; “female” means mother. The valley spirit responds to things with an unimpeded activity that has no fixed direction. Its profound subtlety is inexhaustible, and it mothers the myriad things. Thus the names “valley spirit” and “mysterious female” are used to reveal the Dao’s power to give birth to and nurture things.

Explanatory Note: The valley spirit illustrates how the spirit responds to sound just as the Dao responds to things: when something calls, it answers, and its response is like that of a spirit. “Spirit” means that which is unfathomable; “die” means to cease. Since this unfathomable response never ceases, the text says, “The valley spirit never dies.” “Mysterious” means profound; “female” means mother. The valley spirit’s response is profound and subtle, beyond clear comprehension, and the myriad things flourish through its nurturing. Hence the text says, “This is called the mysterious female.”

“The Gate of the Mysterious Female: This is called the root of Heaven and Earth.”

“Female” points to the feminine side that receives and nurtures. The “Gate of the Mysterious Female” is the gate through which all things are born and pass in and out. Laozi says that this gate is the foundation of Heaven and Earth. The Mysterious Female is empty, profound, and subtle, able to bring forth all things like a mother. Since all things emerge from it, it is called a “gate.” Heaven and Earth have taken shape and have physical form, so they depend on this root, this endowment, to stand firm. That is why it is called the “root of Heaven and Earth.”

Commentary (outline of the meaning)

The Mysterious Female responds to every stimulus. In response, all things emerge, so it is called a “gate.” Heaven and Earth are the greatest things among those with form. Without the activity of the Mysterious Female, they would collapse and disperse. Heaven and Earth, too, must “attain the One” as their root. Thus the passage says, “This is called the root of Heaven and Earth”: the foundation lies here.

“Continuous, as though it were there; in use, it is never exhausted”: The activity of the Mysterious Female, the Empty Female, continues without end. It is subtle and hard to perceive. When put to use, it seems ever present, yet requires no effort or toil. Because it acts through Wuwei (non-action), it does not grow weary.

Du Guangting’s explanation of “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female”

“Valley Spirit” can be understood in three ways:

1. Valley: Empty space that contains and receives; when a sound is made, it echoes. It is like the Dao’s underlying nature: if one does not interfere with it through misguided cultivation, it can be realized naturally.

2. Spirit: Formless, yet responsive when invoked. The Dao has no fixed shape; through cultivation, it can endure.

3. Echo and valley: Without sound in the valley, no echo arises. The Dao within the body likewise comes to fruition only through cultivation.

Here, “never dies” does not mean death in the ordinary sense of life and death. “Death” means cessation or rest. If the passage is read in terms of caring for the body, it concerns life and death; if read in terms of nurturing the spirit, it means long life without extinction; if read in terms of ceaseless response, “death” means resting or coming to an end.

The correspondence with body and mind

The mysterious corresponds to Heaven and, in the human body, to the nose. The female corresponds to Earth and, in the body, to the mouth. Original harmonious Qi (vital energy), together with the spirit of discerning illumination, enters and leaves the body through breathing at the nose and mouth, responding within it to nourish the body. This is why it is called the “Valley Spirit.”

The five Qi of Heaven enter through the nose. Their spirit is the Hun (soul, associated with Yang and Heaven), which connects upward to Heaven. The five flavors of Earth enter through the mouth. Their spirit is the Po (soul, associated with Yin and Earth), which connects downward to Earth.

Nurturing Qi makes one akin to Heaven; if sustained over time without interruption, it can lead to long life. This is Yang refining Yin. Indulging in the five flavors makes one akin to Earth; if continued over time without restraint, it can lead to illness and death. This is Yin refining Yang. The Lord Lao teaches people to nurture the spirit, cherish the body, and abstain from grain while taking in Qi, as a way to avoid death. That is why the Mysterious Female is called the gate and the root of Heaven and Earth.

The Gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth. It is not only human beings who depend on the Mysterious Female to circulate Qi and attain long life. Heaven and Earth, too, must rely on Dao Qi (vital energy) circulating and sustaining them if they are to endure in lasting peace and clarity, without splitting apart or transforming into disorder. The later scripture’s statements such as “If Heaven cannot remain clear, it may split apart” continue this same line of thought.

Plain-Language Interpretation

First passage: “Continuous, as if present; use it without strain”

If the earth cannot remain settled, it may fall into turmoil. If Heaven and Earth lose their Way, they risk tipping over and collapsing—how much more so the human body? If one does not hold to the center and preserve unity, the danger is greater still. One should be continuous, as if present, and use it without strain. Heaven and Earth let Qi flow naturally, and so they endure.

Breathing through the nose and mouth should be continuous and subtle, seeming both present and absent; it should not be hurried or exhausting. In governing a state, the administration of policies should likewise temper severity with leniency, and leniency with severity. If policies are too lenient, the people grow lax; if commands are too harsh, the people suffer. Governing the world through the Way of clarity and stillness leaves the ruler free from needless toil, while the people draw close and the state’s fortunes endure. Its continuity is like that of melon vines and kudzu, spreading without end. Hence the saying: “Continuous, as if present; use it without strain.”

Second passage: Song Huizong on “The Valley Spirit never dies” and the “Mysterious Female”

Song Huizong said: “The Valley Spirit never dies.” Whatever has form undergoes flourishing and decline; whatever is subject to number meets with completion and decay. When form and number are both present, there is birth and extinction. Such is the nature of the myriad things. A valley receives all that gathers within it yet remains empty. The spirit works its wonders through the myriad things yet remains still. In the truly constant, it is one with the Dao: it does not cling to form or fall within the bounds of number. It gives life without end, like the sun and moon moving ceaselessly through the ages, or the Dipper turning without deviation. Hence the saying: “never dies.”

This is called the Mysterious Female. “Mysterious” refers to the color of Heaven; “female” belongs to the category of Earth, and serves as a metaphor for the mother from whom the myriad things emerge. The myriad things receive their mandate from nonbeing and take shape through being. The valley’s function has no form, and the spirit’s essence has no fixed direction: these are where the myriad things receive their mandate. “Mysterious” is the color of Heaven; “female” belongs to the category of Earth: these are what the myriad things take shape from. The gateway of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. Zhuangzi said: “All things have their life, yet no one sees their root; they emerge, yet no one sees their gate. Whoever can see it must be a sage.” Thus this text says: “The gateway of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.”

Heaven and Earth are above and below the myriad things. In their own existence, things and Heaven and Earth have no precedence over one another. Yet if we clarify the order of the Great Dao, Heaven and Earth come first, and then the myriad things. What Heaven and Earth emerge from is the Mysterious Female. It existed before Heaven and Earth—who could have seen it? It is continuous, as if present, and used without strain; it is its own origin and root, enduring firmly from of old. It is like a flame passed on, with no knowing when it will be spent. This is what is meant by “continuous, as if present.”

Plain-Language Interpretation

(Continuation of the preceding passage)

Heaven moves of itself through a single Qi (vital energy), and suddenly brings things into being through its own transformation, entrusting every kind of form to grow according to its nature. The Qian trigram is understood through change, and the Kun trigram acts through simplicity. Neither depends on human effort or force, so why exert oneself needlessly?

Wang Anshi (Wang Jiefu) says:

“ The valley spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” A valley can be empty, contain things, become full, and respond: it possesses these four qualities. Since no one knows how it does so, it is called “spirit.” Where there is spirit, there is no death; if it died, it could no longer bring forth new transformations. Precisely because it does not die, it can continually give rise to things, while leaving no visible trace of its transformations. “Female” refers to giving birth to and transforming the myriad things. Since this process leaves no visible trace, it is called “mysterious.” The Book of Changes says, “The Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) generates the two primary forces”; this expresses the same idea as “the Mysterious Female.”

“The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.” The gate is the root of Heaven and Earth, the place from which all things emerge. What is called “being” is only as though it were there. “Continuous and subtle, it seems to exist; use it, and it is never exhausted.” “Continuous” means far-reaching and never-ending. Although the substance of the Way of Heaven seems to exist in this subtle, continuous way, the sage follows it without strain or force; everything arises naturally. The sage governs the active affairs of the world through Wuwei (non-action), and uses what is in surplus to make up for what is lacking. This is the principle at work.

Su Yingbin (Su Zhe) says:

A valley is utterly empty, yet its appearance can still be described. The spirit, by contrast, is empty and has no form. Empty and without form, it has not yet come into being—so how could one speak of its dying? Thus “valley spirit” describes its virtue, while “Mysterious Female” describes its function. The female gives birth to and transforms the myriad things, and is called “mysterious” because we see what is born but not what brings it forth. “The gate of the Mysterious Female” means that all things emerge from it; “the root of Heaven and Earth” means that Heaven and Earth arise from it. “Continuous and subtle, it seems to exist; use it, and it is never exhausted.” “Continuous” means fine and unceasing; “seems to exist” means that it is present but cannot be seen. When something is like this, one can use it all day without feeling weary.

Lü Jifu says:

The valley has form; by attaining the One, it becomes empty and can be filled. The spirit has no form; by attaining the One, it becomes still and can be numinous. If a person can hold to the center and attain the One, the body with form can become empty like a valley, and the formless mind can become still like a spirit. When form and formlessness unite, this may be called immortality. The ancients… (The original passage ends here, with the meaning centered on holding to the One and uniting with the way of the valley spirit.)

A Plain Language Interpretation of the Scripture

Main Text

A person should bring the body into harmony with the mind, the mind with Qi, Qi with Shen, and Shen in turn with “nonbeing.” That is the principle at work here. When these are in harmony, one does not die; without death, there is no birth; and without being born, one can give rise to the myriad things. This is called the Mysterious Female (Xuanpin): “mysterious” is the unity of being and nonbeing, while “female” refers to the capacity to give life and nurture.

The gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth—the point from which Heaven and Earth begin. The Dao gives birth to Heaven and Earth, and it begins here. That is why Laozi also says, “Continuous and seemingly present, its use is never exhausted.” If you take it to be “nothing,” it is continuous and never ceases; if you take it to be something truly existing, you cannot see whether it is there or not. It only “seems to exist,” while also seeming not to exist, without ever being cut off. It is present, yet not present in any graspable way. When we put it to use, there is no need to worry over whether it exists or has vanished. We need only silently accord with the Dao. Why expend so much effort?

Lu Nongshi’s Commentary

“The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” What gives life is itself unborn; what destroys life does not itself die. The Valley Spirit is mysterious, able to contain and respond; the Mysterious Female is subtle, able to be both female and male. Hence the two are joined in the saying: “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” The Mysterious Female gives birth to Heaven and Earth. The “gate of the Mysterious Female” is the passage through which Heaven and Earth emerge. A child is born through a gate, yet the gate itself cannot be seen; thus it is said that the gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth. Zhuangzi says, “There is birth, yet no one sees its gate.” This is what he means.

“Continuous and seemingly present, its use is never exhausted.” It seems to be there and yet not there, seems to remain and yet not remain. Its movement has never had a gap, and its function has never involved deliberate action. Hence the saying, “Continuous and seemingly present, its use is never exhausted.” The Book of Changes says that coming and going without end is called “permeation.” Zhuangzi says, “A faint stir without interruption is called destiny.” Laozi also says, “If the spirit has nothing by which to be numinous, it may soon come to a halt.” What comes and goes without end, interruption, or cessation is Shen. This is the meaning of “continuous”: the Valley Spirit speaks of its function, while the Mysterious Female speaks of its substance.

Wang Yuanze’s Commentary

“The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” A valley responds without limit; spirit transforms in ways that cannot be fathomed. The myriad things receive their life from me, though I have never been born and never died. This is the Valley Spirit. The word “spirit” already expresses the utmost, but the text adds “valley” to show that it can be empty or full, and that it can contain and respond. Because it remains alive without wearing out, it is simply called “undying.” The Valley Spirit receives life; the Mysterious Female gives form. This is what is meant by saying that the Mysterious Female gives birth to Heaven and Earth.

Collected Interpretations of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

Commentary on the Text

Form is composed of the two Qi of Yin and Yang, which constitute Heaven and Earth, yet at its root all remains one. Viewed in terms of receiving Heaven’s mandate and attaining life, it is called the “Valley Spirit”; viewed in terms of giving form to things, it is called the “Mysterious Female.” The “Gate of the Mysterious Female” is the source of Heaven, Earth, and all things. The Mysterious Female is Yin in its essential nature, yet within this unity Yin and Yang are both present. That is why it is called a “gate” rather than a “door”: all things emerge from this gate, yet one cannot see where it is. Hence the name “Gate of the Mysterious Female.” “Continuous, as though it were there”: like the Valley Spirit, it goes on without end, drawing forth without ceasing; this is spirit. The female principle governs birth and brings forth life without end, seeming both present and absent, and remaining beyond grasp. “Use it, and it is never exhausted”: the more it is used, the more it brings forth. Why exert oneself?

Liu Zhongping says:

From “The Valley Spirit does not die” through “Use it, and it is never exhausted”: a valley is empty, yet can contain and respond; the Mysterious is the gate of subtle principle; the female is soft, still, and profound. It harmonizes without running dry, and receives without giving anything forth. The valley and the spirit have never been born and have never died, yet the text says specifically, “The Valley Spirit does not die,” because from “does not die” one can understand “is not born.” “Continuous, as though it were there” means that when it is used, it seems only to exist. “Use it, and it is never exhausted” means that it is used through Wuwei (non-action).

Liu Juji says:

“The Valley Spirit does not die; this is called the Mysterious Female”: what makes spirit spirit is that it is empty yet never strained, responsive yet never exhausted, and leaves no trace. Thus the valley serves as its image, and it is called the Valley Spirit: a valley is empty, yet can respond. Whatever is born must die; only what does not die can bring forth life without end. Only what is neither born nor dead can bring forth life without end. “Always without desire” refers to this. What does not die is called spirit; what brings forth life without end is called the female. In truth they are one continuous reality, hence the words “this is called the Mysterious Female.” The female is the mother; adding “Mysterious” points to the Dao, as in “Mysterious Mirror,” “Mysterious Unity,” and “Mysterious De.”

“The Gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth”: the Mysterious Female tends toward bringing things forth, like a gate; the flow of forms in Heaven and Earth has its source in the Mysterious Female, like a root. Only by always remaining without desire can one be neither born nor dead; hence the reference to the spirit of Wuwei. Since birth entails a mother, the spirit is called the Mysterious Female; since emergence entails form, the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. The unmanifest is the Dao, and the Dao is Heaven and Earth.

“Continuous, as though it were there; use it, and it is never exhausted”: “continuous” describes the unceasing emergence of things. Because it never ceases, the source of life seems to remain present, though in truth nothing is really there to remain. “Use it, and it is never exhausted”: the more it moves, the more it brings forth. Why toil?

Plain-Language Interpretation

First passage

The phrase “as if present” also means not being willing to state outright, “It truly exists.” It is like a silkworm spinning silk into a cocoon or a spider spinning silk into a web: looked at strand by strand, it goes on without end, yet if you deliberately try to catch it, you cannot. “Use it without strain” means that the spirit is at work; ordinary people are not laboring to make it happen. Thus it is called “without toil,” because through emptiness and stillness one can respond to events. Since the text just emphasized “responding,” how could that possibly require no effort at all? The previous chapter used the bellows as a metaphor, so this chapter goes on to speak of the Valley Spirit. On the surface, the chapter speaks of the utmost Dao; yet the “spirit” cultivated for nourishing the body is no different. When essence and Qi are abundant, Qi is abundant; when Qi is abundant, spirit is abundant; when spirit is abundant, one can reach a state beyond death and birth.

Liu Ji’s explanation (from “The Valley Spirit never dies” to “use it without strain”)

The Lingshu Jing says: In the upper part of the human body is the Celestial Valley; the Muddy Pellet Palace is where spirit is stored, and only when the Original Spirit abides there can one become true. In the middle is the Responsive Valley; the Crimson Palace is where Qi is stored. Below is the Numinous Valley; the Gate of Origin is where essence is stored. The Celestial Valley is the Original Palace, the dwelling place of the Original Spirit and the seat of spiritual awareness; it is of greatest importance. The sages grasped the essentials of Heaven and Earth and understood the source of change. They let spirit abide in the Original Palace and Qi rise to the Palace of the Receptive (the abode of Yin and softness). Spirit and Qi then interact, and one naturally becomes true. When the true merges with the Dao, one enters the state beyond death and birth. Hence the words, “The Valley Spirit never dies.”

Mysterious Female: “Mysterious” means Heaven, and “Female” means Earth. The human body takes Heaven and Earth as its model, so the Lingshu calls the Muddy Pellet—the Celestial Valley and chamber of the Original Spirit—the Original Palace, and calls the Crimson Palace and Gate of Origin, the abodes of essence and Qi, the Palace of the Receptive. The Mysterious Female is where spirit and Qi meet. The Lingshu also calls the nose the Gate of Origin (also known as the Gate of Heaven) and the mouth the Gate of the Receptive (also known as the Earth Portal): the Gate of Origin draws Qi upward to communicate with Heaven, while the Gate of the Receptive takes in food and sends it downward to Earth. Thus it says, “This is called the root of Heaven and Earth”—here, Heaven and Earth refer to the Mysterious Female. Within the Mysterious Female, the sage sets the transformations in motion and works amid the indistinct and elusive. Its continuous, unbroken flow is a sign of what never ceases; its seeming presence and absence follow nature’s course. When spirit endures, it naturally grows calm; when the breath endures, it naturally becomes settled. When one’s nature enters the natural course and the subtle workings of Wuwei (non-action), what need is there for toil? Thus “use it without strain” is the way of deep roots and firm foundations, of long life and enduring vision. That is why the next passage begins, “Heaven is long-lasting and Earth endures.”

Zhao Shian’s explanation

Those who are just beginning to study the essentials of the Dao should first understand the “dwelling-place of the empty center” and the Valley Spirit.

A Way to Immortality and the Stages of Cultivation

The Way to long life and immortality may be understood as follows: the Dao descends and becomes Qi; Qi settles and forms an embryo; the embryo coalesces and becomes Shen; when Shen ascends, it is called an immortal. The Dao is therefore a method of cultivating the living body, bringing something forth from nothing. That “something” is the root of Qi, the Mother of Qi. The body is the dwelling place of Shen, so nurturing the body can preserve Shen. Qi is the root of Shen; only when Qi is present can Shen be retained. This is why the term “Mother of Qi” names the foundation of true longevity.

The scripture says, “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” The Mysterious Female is the Valley Spirit. The Valley Spirit draws Qi downward and returns it to the Mysterious Female. In terms of their fundamental nature, the Mysterious Female comes first, followed by the Valley Spirit. A person is born through the passage from Ren to Gui; the two kidneys are the beginning and end of everything. This is the principle at work. In practice, however, one first uses the Valley Spirit and then the Mysterious Female: a person breathes in and out through the two nostrils, while the Dantian receives and stores the Qi. This, too, is the same principle.

Qi is put to use through the Valley Spirit, flowing continuously, fine and unbroken. After a long time, Qi settles in the Mysterious Female, and one no longer draws Qi through the Valley Spirit. This is called “embryonic breathing”: Qi rests in the Mysterious Female as an embryo rests in the mother’s womb. It no longer depends on breathing through the mouth and nose; breathing arises from within. The practice begins with breathing that is continuous yet barely perceptible, and ends when the breath no longer escapes outward, transforming one into an immortal embryo.

Different schools explain these terms in different ways. Some take the nose to be the “Mysterious” and the mouth to be the “Female”: the nose draws in clear Qi, while the mouth exhales turbid Qi. They also say that “closing the Earth’s Gate” shows that the practice concerns the nose, not the mouth. Others say that neither the mouth nor the nose is the Mysterious Female, which is instead in the lower field, the Dantian. This account does not define it by the points through which Qi enters and leaves, but imposes a distinction. The Valley Spirit is also called the Spirit’s Chamber, and the Mysterious Female is also called the Dantian. The Scripture of the Yellow Court says, “Breathing enters the Dantian from the chamber.” The scripture also says, “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female. The Gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.” The Scripture of Salvation says, “When the Three Radiances are opened and illumined, this is called the root of Heaven.” The Three Radiances are the Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning. Here the text speaks of the Mother of Qi; later, the forces that generate Heaven and Earth are arranged as the Three Luminaries, also called the Three Radiances. These have inner and outer aspects: the Mysterious Female is within, while the Valley Spirit governs the outer.

A commentary says: “The valley responds to all activity yet always remains empty; the spirit works its wonders through all things yet always remains still.” This is also like the bellows described earlier: empty and ready to receive Qi. It shows that this is the nature of the Great Dao. The original meaning is that a spirit dwells in the valley—in other words, that spirit exists within emptiness. This is attained by nurturing stillness; it is not the mere, vacant emptiness of a hollow valley. The Scripture of the Yellow Court says, “Within emptiness, serenity and calm bring forth the spirit of their own accord.” Nature uses the mind as its function, while the mind takes Nature as its substance.

What is called the Dao is a state in which Shen is held at the pivot before movement begins, while Qi is held in the realm of the faint and obscure, beyond sound and form. The substance of the Dao is a single Qi within emptiness; when this Qi is put to work, it becomes nature. Nature is also the “Spirit of the Valley”: when the single Qi is still, it is nature; when nature is still, the myriad transformations are at peace. When the single Qi moves, it is emotion; when nature moves, the myriad transformations arise and pass away. The sage keeps the original Shen in the Heavenly Valley. The Heavenly Valley is an empty hollow; this hollow is the realm of nothingness. With Qi clear and nature pure, it is the source of all changes in the myriad things.

Zhengyuan Jun explains this in terms of palaces and chambers: the valley is the Heavenly Valley, which is the Niwan Palace; the Niwan Palace is also the chamber of nothingness. When a person can guard Shen, the Five Qi will naturally come to pay court. Shen then descends to the Mysterious Female. The Mysterious Female is the passage through which Heaven and Earth rise and descend. From this we can understand that the single Qi circulates up and down: in the Heavenly Valley it is Golden Essence, and in the Mysterious Female it is Jade Liquor. It is also said that once the Mysterious Female is established, over the course of a hundred breaths Qi passes through the numinous barrier, stirs the Heavenly Gate above, and sinks to the Earthly Portal below—this may be called the wondrous Dao. The Ling Shu says that the Mysterious Female connects upward to the Heavenly Valley and reaches downward to the Earthly Portal. In nourishing Qi until it comes to rest, one takes in more than one breathes out during the time of Zhen, takes in less than one breathes out during the Li trigram, and gathers and refines Qi in the Qian trigram at sunset. This is the daily method of gathering Qi practiced by students. When Qi rests without entering or leaving, this is called embryonic breathing. Its rising and descending as Dragon and Tiger is another method of alchemical refinement. Qi is one, but the methods differ; the affairs of the immortals cannot be pursued by only one path. The Treatise on Embryonic Breathing says that when Qi rests and Shen remains present, one can confirm that immortality is attainable.

The preceding passage, “This is called the Mysterious Female,” refers to the two openings of the nose, which lead downward to the kidneys, each of which has two gates. Mysterious is Yang, and Female is Yin; the two kidneys are likewise Yin and Yang. In daily practice, the work is done on the left and right, one side at a time.

The following passage refers to the flow returning to its source: the gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. The Imperial Commentary cites Zhuangzi: “All things have their life, yet no one sees their root; they emerge, yet no one sees their gate. Those who see it must be sages alone.” This is well said. For the Dao, in relation to Heaven and Earth, the myriad things, and Qian and Kun, what is born is born of itself, what changes changes of itself, what has nature has its own nature, and what has life has its own life. What, then, is the root, and what is the gate? To speak of a “root” and a “gate” is to speak of what only a sage can see.

Collected Interpretations of the True Classic of the Dao and De (II): A Plain-Language Reading

When people speak of “naturalness,” they often cannot explain why things happen to be just so. Yet things simply unfold that way. Behind this, the True Ruler—the true source that governs the myriad things, the master of nature—is at work.

Can it really be that speech has no “door” and no “root”? Those who can truly “see” must be sages. Those who cannot see will not find the door through which to enter; without that door, they cannot recognize the root from which life continually arises. Such matters involve the Heavenly Mechanism—the hidden workings of Heaven and Earth’s creation and the movement of life. Who but a sage could take part in them? That is why those who know and cultivate are called sages.

The Mysterious is the “One”; the Female is the “Mother.” The One arises from emptiness; the Female joins through movement. What seeks Yin is received by Yang, and what receives Yang is the Mother. The One does not deliberately set out to give birth, yet life comes of itself; the Mother does not deliberately set out to unite, yet feeling responds of itself. The Yi says: water flows toward dampness, fire goes toward dryness, clouds follow the dragon, and wind follows the tiger. This is the way things necessarily happen.

Thus, when Qian and Kun unite in Hai—the earthly branch associated with the first stirrings of Yang—Yang is first born. Ren, the Yang Water heavenly stem, arises in the northwest. Ren, as Yang Water, joins with Ding, Yin Fire, to give birth to Bing, Yang Fire. Bing joins with Xin, Yin Metal, to give birth to Geng, Yang Metal. Geng joins with Yi, Yin Wood, to give birth to Jia, Yang Wood. Jia joins with Ji, Yin Earth, to give birth to Wu, Yang Earth. Wu joins with Gui, Yin Water, to give birth to Ren. This is the principle by which “husband and wife” generate one another.

The human body has two kidneys: the left is the Yang kidney, the right the Yin kidney. The left is the kidney; the right is the Gate of Life, where Jing and Qi move between the kidneys and where nature and life are rooted. It is as though Ren has just begun to “conceive”: first there is the Gate of Life, and then the heart. The heart produces blood, following the pattern of Ding giving birth to Bing. The heart gives rise to the lungs; the lungs govern the skin and body hair, following the pattern of Xin giving birth to Geng. The lungs then give rise to the liver; the liver governs the sinews, following the pattern of Yi giving birth to Jia. The liver then gives rise to the spleen; the spleen produces flesh, following the pattern of Ji giving birth to Wu. The spleen gives rise to the kidneys; the kidneys produce bone marrow, following the pattern of Gui giving birth to Ren. Once the kidneys are present, they join with the Gate of Life to form a pair. From this we can see that, with the original Qi of Heaven as its root, the body is already One—so how could it have no “name”?

“Having a name is the mother of the myriad things.” In Qian, the first of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing Heaven and the beginning, there is a beginning, followed by “permeation”—free and unobstructed passage. Beginning means the primordial beginning. Qian governs Heaven, so we know that it governs the primordial Qi, the original Qi of Heaven and Earth. When it emerges, it is Yang; when it enters, it is Yin. Thus the Valley Spirit, the spirit of the hollow valley, a metaphor for breath and the vitality of life, can breathe; and the Mysterious Female, the wondrous mother-gate, a metaphor for receiving, storing, and gestating, can gather and hold. The myriad things receive their life from this source. How could they grow without a root or emerge without a gate? Those who wish to see should look here.

Thus, from the One Qi, Yin and Yang divide, and Heaven and Earth become vast through them; beginning with Ren, the Five Zang organs are generated, and the human body takes shape through them. As for their correspondence in Heaven and Earth… [the surviving scroll continues no further here.]

The passage from “Ren, Ding, Bing, Xin…” describes a teaching commonly used in Daoist internal alchemy and medical traditions: the heavenly stems are paired with the Five Phases and generate one another as husband and wife. It links the creation of Heaven and Earth with the body’s Five Zang organs, the Gate of Life, breathing, and storage. This is a symbolic framework used in cultivation, not a statement of cause and effect in the sense of modern anatomy. The surviving scroll ends after “As for their correspondence in Heaven and Earth,” and the passage must be completed from other parts of the full text.

The human body contains Yin and Yang vital energies that rise and fall, along with breathing and exhalation; these follow patterns that can be observed and understood. Only those who have grasped the deeper workings can master what is called the method of the “Three Brightnesses in Regulation.” Laozi says, “Fine and continuous, it seems to exist; use it without strain.” Breathing should be long and gentle, almost imperceptible, and it should not be forced. Those who receive life from Yin and Yang cannot escape their cycles; those bound to life and death cannot escape their power. Human life is endowed from the outset with the constant measures of Heaven and Earth. This is the order of Heaven and Earth.

To govern the body by means of these measures, while knowing only how to use them and not that they have limits, is to risk an early end; many have met such a fate. But some have grasped the measures and then transcended the world of things, attaining long life and deathlessness. What are these measures? One, three, five, seven, and nine; two, four, six, eight, and ten. Where do they begin? They begin in the Yellow Palace, with the primordial Qi of Heaven. Thus the human body models Heaven and takes Earth as its image: above and below span eighty-four thousand li; the two solstices meet, and Kan and Li revolve. With each inhalation the pulse travels three cun, and with each exhalation it travels three cun, so that in one breath cycle it travels six cun. There are 13,500 breaths in a day and night, half Yin and half Yang. From the Hai hour to the Si hour, nutritive Qi makes twenty-five circuits through Yang and twenty-five through Yin. This corresponds to the twelve double-hours and the hundred marks measured by the water clock. The waxing and waning of Qi complete the work of the year and harmonize the Five Qi: they must neither come too early nor lag behind, so that Yin and Yang may be balanced. If that balance is lost, the Five Qi fall into disorder: in Heaven this appears as excess and counteraction; in human beings it disrupts the five viscera, giving rise to every kind of illness. Everything depends on how they are used.

The scripture says, “Fine and continuous, it seems to exist.” “Fine and continuous” refers to the One Qi. Draw the One Qi into the space of the Valley Spirit and make it as faint as possible, so that its sound cannot be heard and its movement cannot be felt. It seems absent yet is present; it seems present yet is faint. Hence the words “it seems to exist.” In this way, nutritive and defensive Qi remain in harmony, the six pulses do not stray from their proper course, clear and turbid Qi rise and descend at the proper times, and breathing does not become violent. Mencius says, “Hold fast to your will; do not let your Qi become violent.” The Master of Kengcang says, “The body is united with Qi, Qi with the heart, the heart with spirit, and spirit with the unmanifest.” A commentary explains: “It is its own origin and root, firmly existing from ancient times, like a flame passed on, whose end is unknown.” When Qi is united with spirit, Yin and Yang can no longer dictate one’s life. The Book of Changes says… (the following text continues in the original scroll).

A Plain-Language Interpretation

First passage: On Yin-Yang, the use of power, and seizing the hidden pivot

The transformations of Yin-Yang are difficult to fathom; that is precisely the point. Life and death, too, cannot be wielded at will merely through “authority”—the power to adapt or command. Zhuangzi once said that when one speaks of something bringing life or death, it is not truly bringing life or death. What matters is how one makes use of it: using it with just the right measure, without exhausting the spirit or forcing deliberate action.

If a person lives between Heaven and Earth but goes against the proper course of Yin-Yang, they cannot “concentrate Qi”—that is, remain wholly attuned to the Qi within them. Drawn away by external things, they instead let Qi take control of them. How, then, could they understand the “hidden pivot,” the secret means of grasping Heaven and Earth’s creative transformations? This is why Heaven and Earth endure.

Shao Ruoyu says, explaining “The valley spirit never dies” through “use it without strain”:

“Valley” is a metaphor for “emptiness”: emptiness is the Dao. Spirit is the single Qi transformed from the Dao, something that exists within nonbeing. Neither emptiness nor spirit has form; since neither was ever born, neither can die. Hence the phrase “the valley spirit never dies.” Emptiness is the root of life and is called the “Mysterious.” Spirit is the source of transformation and is called the “Female.” Together, the valley spirit is what is meant by the “Mysterious Female.” All things emerge from the gate of the Mysterious Female; this is the “root of Heaven and Earth.” Seen through the valley spirit, it is continuous and seems always to be there. To use it is to unite spirit with emptiness, not to toil, contrive, or strain one’s strength.

Wang Zhiran says, on the same chapter:

The Mysterious Female takes Heaven and Earth as its root. All things come to life, yet their root cannot be seen. The Classic of Changes takes Heaven and Earth—Qian and Kun—as its gate. All things emerge, yet their gate cannot be seen. Whoever can perceive this may rightly be called a sage. The scripture says, “The valley spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” A valley has visible form, yet contains emptiness and can therefore respond. Spirit has no fixed place, yet embodies its own nature and is therefore undiminished. The Mysterious is the image of Heaven; the Female is the image of Earth. One who understands the division between day and night, penetrates the source of Yin-Yang, unites with the workings of nature and life, and comprehends the transformations of death and life, follows the One Qi as it rises and descends through creation and transformation, without end.

The valley is always empty and receives its mandate from Heaven; spirit is always still and receives its form from Earth. When it goes out, life begins; when it enters, transformation takes place. All of this has its basis in the natural course. The root itself has never been born: if we trace how it came to be, it came from nowhere. The root itself has never undergone transformation: if we examine where it goes, it goes nowhere. This is what Zhuangzi meant when he said that it has never died and has never been born. Liezi said there is “that which gives life to life,” “that which gives form to form,” “that which gives sound to sound,” “that which gives color to color,” and “that which gives flavor to flavor.” Tracing the argument back through each layer shows that the root of life giving rise to life does not lie among the familiar appearances of birth and death.

Collected Meanings of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its De — A Plain-Language Interpretation

Scriptural passage:

Where there is life, there is death; yet the true level of “life” has never ended in form. Where there is form, there is substance; yet form itself has never made a sound. Where there is sound, it can be heard; yet sound itself has never truly sounded. Where there is color, it can be seen; yet color itself has never truly appeared. Where there is flavor, it can be tasted; yet flavor itself has never truly been present.

It seems to know and do nothing, yet in truth it knows all and can do all. What I wish to learn is precisely that wondrous essence which has “never ended, never existed, never sounded, never appeared, and never been present.” Riding the changes of Yin-Yang, it moves alongside the sun and moon, roaming with the cosmos. Above, it travels with the Creator; below, it befriends those beyond death and life, beyond beginning and end. What gives life in this way is surely called the “Mysterious Female”; what brings deathlessness in this way is surely called the “Spirit of the Valley.” But if one thinks that following this path makes one neither die nor be born, that has never been the case.

Zhuangzi says: Cultivate your nature to return to De; when De is perfected, you become one with the Great Beginning. The True Person breathes from the heels. Their breath grows deeper and deeper; this is called “continuous, as though it were present,” and its use is never forced.

Alas, this Dao is very easy to understand and very easy to practice, yet people cannot understand or practice it. Why? Because students have not grasped the subtle meaning of “deep roots and firm foundations” and “entering life and leaving death.” Once this subtlety is understood, one can make Heaven and Earth one’s palace and all things one’s storehouse. One may ascend beyond the Great Brightness to the source of utmost Yang, and enter the gate of profound darkness to reach the source of utmost Yin. When one apprehends the deepest mysteries of Heaven and Earth and Yin-Yang, one understands where the Mysterious Female and the Spirit of the Valley return.

Huang Maocai’s commentary:

“The Spirit of the Valley never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” The Valley’s nature is emptiness; emptiness can nurture the spirit, and because the spirit is ever-present, it does not die. The Dao of the Spirit of the Valley is wondrous and cannot be conveyed, so it is described with the words “this is called the Mysterious Female.” “Mysterious” is the gateway to the wondrous Dao; “female” is the progenitor of living things. The gateway of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. “Mysterious” is the gateway to the wondrous Dao; “female” is the progenitor of living things. If we seek it within our own bodies, what exactly is it? If we cannot find it by seeking, then what is it that gives life to our bodies? Heaven, Earth, and I were all born together from the Mysterious Female. To know what gave life to my body is to know the root of Heaven and Earth. The scripture says, “Deep roots and firm foundations: the Dao of long life and lasting vision.” This is what it means. “Continuous, as though it were present”; its use is never forced.

Fine words speak of the subtlety in all things: what they speak of is the subtle Dao.

“Use it without strain” means that it continues without interruption. “Continuous, as though it were still there” likewise describes the Dao that does not die.

The highest kind of person hears of the Dao and diligently puts it into practice. Why, then, does this passage speak of “using it without strain”?

Ordinary diligence comes and goes; what is “used without strain” is diligent everywhere, in harmony with the Dao. No diligence could be greater than this.

Cheng Taizhi said: Laozi often uses the valley as a metaphor. “Vast, like a valley” conveys its breadth; “the valley, by attaining the One, is filled” speaks of its capacity to receive; and “be the valley of the world” and “the rivers and seas can be kings of the hundred valleys” draw on its readiness to lie low. This chapter alone speaks of the “deep ravine,” the spirit, “not dying,” and “as though it were still there.” The principle it conveys is profound and subtle, and has practical force; it differs from the other passages that use the valley as a metaphor. Other commentators have offered no new insight, but have simply spoken of emptiness. The valley’s emptiness may indeed serve as a metaphor for the spirit, but emptiness is not the spirit. To understand what is meant, one must reflect on its not dying and its seeming presence; “emptiness” alone cannot fully describe it.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang explained: The spirit responds when touched, and its response is like an echo; this is precisely what is meant by sound producing an echo. Other commentators were able to follow and elaborate on this point because Emperor Xuanzong had already made it clear; before him, no one had explained it plainly. The way sound produces an echo is like the way form produces a shadow, but shadows do not reflect forms in just one way: the sun, moon, water, and fire all cast shadows wherever there is light. If one seeks the source of a shadow, looking to the sun or moon will not suffice; turning instead to water or fire can also make the matter clear. Sound’s production of an echo is different from this. In an open field, sound disperses; when it strikes a mountain, it is blocked. Only a valley, curved on the outside and hollow within, can receive a sound and send it back, softly and repeatedly, so that an echo is produced in harmony with it. Among all things in the world, only this valley can produce an echo out of what is empty; only it possesses this spirit. Whether a sound is loud or faint, quick or slow, long or short, single or many, the valley responds to each impression, matching it in every detail. If we do not understand that the spirit belongs to this valley, how can we understand what the spirit is? Only by knowing that the spirit belongs to the valley can we understand it.

This section follows the line of thought in chapter six of the Dao De Jing: “The valley spirit does not die; this is called the Mysterious Female,” and related passages. “The highest kind of person hears of the Dao and diligently puts it into practice” comes from chapter forty-one. Cheng Taizhi and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang were commentators on the Dao De Jing. Here, through the valley’s emptiness, low position, and capacity to receive sound and produce echoes, they explain how the spirit is inseparable from the image of the valley, yet cannot be captured by the single word “emptiness.”

The principle of “not dying, yet seeming to exist” can be inferred from this. At first, Dachang (a commentator) thought this was the right interpretation, but did not dare to assert it firmly. Only after seeing Liezi quote the Yellow Emperor’s words to elaborate on Laozi’s meaning was he completely convinced.

When Liezi discusses “generation and transformation,” he draws directly on the Yellow Emperor’s original words about the “Valley Spirit” to show that generation and transformation continue without end. This is precisely what allows the “Valley” to be “spiritual,” “not to die,” and “seem to exist”: that is the point of the passage. Liezi then explains that the life and death of all things are a matter of “emerging from the pivot and entering the pivot,” and cites a saying attributed to the Yellow Emperor: “When form moves, it does not produce form but produces shadow; when sound moves, it does not produce sound but produces echo; when nothing moves, it does not produce nothing but produces something.” The principle accords exactly with what was said before.

Dachang therefore holds that these two passages from the Yellow Emperor originally formed a single chapter. Liezi split them into two because the discussion happened to turn elsewhere. Readers should bring the two passages together, attend to the differences in how each begins, and grasp the thread that runs through them; only then can they understand the meaning. The reason the “Valley” can be “spiritual” can also be inferred from this: when it is empty, it is “nonbeing” in relation to the Dao; when sound touches it and it responds, it becomes “being.” “Being” arises through movement. Viewed as a process of advance and retreat, growth and decline, this is waning and ceasing. The Book of Changes and Laozi both speak of this, but Laozi often probes where the Book of Changes leaves things unsaid. Once he has made the point, he goes beyond “waning and waxing” to speak directly of “being and nonbeing.” “Being and nonbeing” are what govern the pivot of waning and waxing, without being constrained by their fixed patterns. Thus the image that confirms the principle of return is the straw dog; the pivot of waning and waxing is explained through the bellows; and the source of generation and transformation is the Valley Spirit. These mark the difference between the more superficial and the more profound.

Zhan Qiupu says: The passage from “The Valley Spirit does not die” to “its use is never exhausted” forms a single chapter. It means that when all things nourish their spirit and Qi through the valley, they come into being without ever perishing. This is called “Heaven.” Yang is the Mysterious; Yin is the Female. The Mysterious Female is the gate through which all things are born and nurtured. Rooted in Heaven and Earth, it brings forth living things and gives form to the myriad phenomena, without end.

Zhang Chongying says: From “The Valley Spirit does not die” to “its use is never exhausted”: my body receives the Qi of Heaven and contains the essence of Earth; this is the spirit of the five organs.

Main Meaning of the Scripture

The nose and mouth each govern one kind of Qi and essence

The nose is the passage through which Qi rises and descends; the mouth is where essence moves. Qi enters and leaves through the nose, rising and descending in “fifty-one breaths.” Essence circulates about seventy-four times each moment and moves through the mouth. In this way, the Grain Spirit—the spirit within emptiness, understood as the root of nature and life—is nourished by essence and Qi and does not die. This is what is called the Mysterious Female.

The Gate of the Mysterious Female

“The Gate of the Mysterious Female”: the nose is the gate of Heaven’s Qi, and the mouth is the gate of Earth’s essence. When their rising and descending movement follows its regular course, the kidneys are not depleted and the sea is not blocked. This is also the root of Heaven and Earth. If essence and Qi can truly be kept flowing continuously, as though present, and used without exhaustion, life can be prolonged. This method is open to both men and women. It should be carefully contemplated and nurtured: becoming a perfected being and entering sagehood both proceed from it.

Otherwise, when essence is spent and Qi depleted, the Grain Spirit has nothing to nourish it. The face loses its radiance; Qi transforms into the male, essence into the female, and spirit into a ghost. These are what are called the Three Corpses. It is a pity that people live in this world with this subtle treasure in their bodies, yet cannot preserve and nurture it.

Zhang Lingying’s Commentary (Explaining the Rising and Descending of Qi and Essence Through the Sequence of the Hours)

The Mysterious belongs to Heaven and is Yang; it is primordial Qi. The Female belongs to Earth and is Yin; it is primordial essence.

• Primordial Qi: At the hour of the Rat, when Yang is born, it enters the five viscera from the kidney palace by the left pathway. At the hour of the Hare, it meets essence in the abdomen and enters the liver, marking the springtime share of Yang. At the hour of the Snake, it reaches the Gate of Heaven—the nose, the gate of entry and exit—and rises to the crown of the head. At the hour of the Horse, it descends by the right pathway, enters the bones and channels, and returns to the kidney palace.
• Primordial essence: At the hour of the Horse, when Yin is born, it enters the bones and channels from the source of life by the right pathway. At the hour of the Rooster, it meets Qi in the back and enters the lungs, marking the autumnal share of Yin. At the hour of the Boar, it reaches the Earth’s Gate—the mouth, the gate of entry and exit—and rises to the crown of the head. At the hour of the Rat, it descends by the left pathway into the five viscera and returns to the source of life.

Essence and Qi rise and descend in turn. When the Mysterious and the Female join in harmony, with neither depletion nor excess, the spirit dwells in the Celestial Valley and guards the body. Only then can one discover the method for regulating oneself and avoiding death.

Bai Yuchan’s Commentary (Explaining the Mysterious Female Through the Movement of Thought)

The Grain Spirit does not die: this mind has no such thing as aging and dying. This is called the Mysterious Female, and it shares the same Heaven. The Gate of the Mysterious Female lies where thoughts begin to stir; this is called the root of Heaven and Earth. It is only in the mind, flowing continuously as though present, just so. Use it without striving: that is simply Wuwei (non-action).

Collected Explanations of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue (II): A Plain-Language Reading

Liao Cuiran says: “The valley spirit never dies”—the empty, void Qi within the human body is the mother of the “spirit.” Mother and child nourish one another, allowing form and spirit to endure; this is the “Mysterious Female,” the mother of all things. The “gate of the Mysterious Female” is the gateway through which life and transformation unfold and all wonders converge. It may be called the “root of Heaven and Earth,” the foundation of all phenomena. “It seems to exist continuously, drawing from every direction”—this is the natural functioning of our original nature. It works without strain, circulates without ceasing, and endures through past and present without requiring effort.

Chen Bixu says: “The valley spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female”—the great person takes the Great Void as an empty valley and the workings of creation and transformation as the highest spirit. The empty valley and the highest spirit are the Dao’s substance and function; how could they die? Since the principle of imperishability exists, and is also profoundly mysterious, nourishing all things as a mother does, it is called the Mysterious Female. Some use the echo in a mountain valley as a metaphor, but that is far too limited. If people can be broad-minded, model themselves on the vastness of the Great Void, preserve their innate spiritual truth, and draw on the numinous power of creation and transformation, then form will naturally unite with the Dao. What place would there be for talk of death? In this way, they silently flourish and nurture, and all things receive their bounty. Hence it is called the Mysterious Female.

Heshang Gong’s Commentary: “Valley” is pronounced “yu” and interpreted as “nourish.” One who can nourish the spirit does not die. “Spirit” refers to the spirits of the Five Viscera: the liver stores the hun, the lungs the po, the heart the spirit, the kidneys the Jing, and the spleen the will. If people can remain clear, still, and empty in order to nourish their spirits, without letting themselves be stained by their desires, their form will remain whole and their spirit complete; thus they will not die. But if they are held fast by emotions and unsettled by the many things they encounter, their form will be damaged and their spirit will depart. How could the Dao then remain within them?

“The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth”—the Great Void brings forth and transforms the myriad kinds of beings, and all things emerge from and return through it. Since it is said that they emerge and return, it is called a “gate.” “Root” means foundation. Though Heaven and Earth are vast, they cannot escape having form. All things that have form take the empty void and Great Harmony as their foundation. Hence it is called the root of Heaven and Earth.

Heshang Gong says: The Dao of immortality lies in the Mysterious Female. The Mysterious is Heaven; in the human body, it corresponds to the nose. The Female is Earth; in the human body, it corresponds to the mouth. Heaven feeds people with the Five Qi, which enter through the nose and are stored in the heart. When the Five Qi are clear and subtle, they become spirit, intelligence, voice, and the Five Natures; their ghost is called the hun. The hun is the active, masculine spirit and governs coming and going. The human nose communicates with Heaven, so the nose corresponds to the Mysterious.

…also. The earth nourishes people with the five flavors. The five flavors enter through the mouth and are stored in the stomach; the five flavors are turbid…

Humiliation gives rise to the physical body—bones and flesh, blood and vessels, and the six emotions. Its ghost is called Po (the corporeal soul); Po belongs to the feminine and governs coming and going. The human mouth communicates with the earth, so the mouth is the feminine gate. The root means the origin: the gates of the nose and mouth are where the original Qi of Heaven and Earth comes and goes.

The passage above says, “The Valley Spirit does not die,” teaching people how to nourish the spirit. Here, “the gate of the Mysterious Female” reveals the art of refining the body. Only when body and spirit are both wondrous can one become one with the Dao.

When a person has a body and a spirit, there is birth and death; where there is birth and death, one cannot speak of the Dao. What is constantly shifting and impermanent—how can it be called still? If one empties body and spirit, and forgets self and things, then one emerges without a root: Qi gathers, but this is not called life. One enters without an aperture: Qi disperses, but this is not called death. Neither dying nor being born—this is the Valley Spirit. Birth and death without constancy belong to the shifting things of the world. Deep, feminine, still, and serenely unmoving: this is called the Mysterious Female. “Faintly present, as if it were there; use it, and it is never exhausted”—these words conclude the meaning of nourishing the spirit and refining the body.

To nourish the spirit is to reach the utmost depths of mystery, to become clear, still, empty, and open; faintly present, it responds when things stir, never coming to an end. To refine the body is to breathe in Great Harmony and guide and connect the blood and Qi; to drink the spring that never runs dry and chew the herbs that prolong life, so that the joints and limbs flow freely without strain. Only then can one share a root with Heaven and Earth and a gate with all mysteries.

Xie Tunan said: From “The Valley Spirit does not die” through “use it, and it is never exhausted”: the Jing says, “The valley obtains the One and is filled; the spirit obtains the One and becomes numinous. Heaven and Earth possess it, and so do people.”

Chen Xiyi said: Mountains descend from above Heaven; therefore, by observing the lines of the Gen trigram, one can know that mountains came from Heaven. The human head images Heaven; the crown is called Kunlun. The spirit is stored between the nose, mouth, and the root of the mountain—that is, the Valley Spirit, the master of the whole body, which in truth has never died. The Mysterious Female refers to the two primal forces of Qian and Kun: Qian is the head, Kun the abdomen. The Qi of these two forces rises and descends, coming and going. In Qian it is called Mysterious; in Kun, Female. The Mysterious Female is the Qi of the two primal forces, and those two forces are the master of the Valley Spirit.

Shao Kangjie’s poem says: “One thing, from the beginning, has a body of its own.”

Collected Commentaries on the True Scripture of the Dao and De (II): A Plain-Language Reading

The cosmos within the body, and the breath through the nose as its root

The human body contains another “heaven and earth”: that is what this passage means. The “gate” refers to the two nostrils. The clear, tranquil breath of heaven and earth enters through the nose and flows throughout the body. The head is Qian (Heaven), and the abdomen is Kun (Earth); both depend on this way of nourishment, which is why it is called the “root.” After entering through the nose, the Qi continues without interruption. “As if present” means keeping to it naturally, without forcing it—hence the phrase “use it without strain.” Some people hold their breath too tightly. This is not only useless but can also harm the body.

The Three Powers and the human body

There has long been a teaching that when Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) first divided, humanity stood alongside heaven and earth as the third. This is the way of the Three Powers. The head is Heaven, the abdomen is Earth, and the heart lies between them: the human body, too, contains the Three Powers. Shao Kangjie’s poem says, “Heaven divides its creative transformations from the center of the One; human affairs are ordered from the heart.” The heart lies between the head and abdomen and governs what is above and below. It enables the mysterious female (the mysterious pass) to rise and descend, and Shen and Jing-Qi to circulate. Only then can the body remain whole for a long time.

Misty, indistinct, dark, and obscure: turning inward to contemplate

When preservation and cultivation deepen and understanding becomes familiar, one can experience these three states: “Vague and indistinct—within it there is an image; indistinct and vague—within it there is a thing; deep and dark—within it there is essence.” One can also contemplate these three: “Look for it and it cannot be seen: it is called Yi; listen for it and it cannot be heard: it is called Xi; grasp for it and it cannot be caught: it is called Wei.” And one can hold fast to these three: “Know the masculine, yet keep to the feminine; know the white, yet keep to the black; know honor, yet keep to disgrace.” Turn inward and contemplate: heaven and earth are no different from me. How could Laozi have been deceiving us when he said, “The valley spirit never dies”?

Lin Yanzhai’s commentary: The chapter on the valley spirit

Lin Yanzhai says: From “The valley spirit never dies” through “use it without strain,” this chapter presents one path of cultivation, though Laozi’s original intent was not limited to cultivation. Jing is substantial, while Shen is insubstantial. “Valley” means emptiness; the “valley spirit” is spirit within emptiness. Human Shen arises from emptiness, and so it can endure and never die, extending into the mysterious and boundless. The “female,” too, is empty rather than substantial; both words speak of “emptiness.” Heaven and earth also arise from this, which is why it is called the “root.” “Continuous” means unbroken; “as if present” means seeming to be there and yet not there. It operates within emptiness and nonbeing, so it remains without effort. This is what is meant by “empty, yet never exhausted; set in motion, it emerges ever more.” Zhu Xi, also known as Master Huiweng, says: “Within the most subtle principle lies the meaning of ceaseless generation.”

Note: In context, the text’s “gate” is understood as the “mysterious pass” or “portal” in a cultivation setting, and is associated with the two nostrils. Specialized terms such as Qian, Kun, the mysterious female, the valley spirit, and the female have been briefly explained at first mention.

Some people think this passage is also quite good, though its meaning comes close to teachings on health cultivation. This chapter can certainly be used to discuss health cultivation, but Laozi’s original intent does not stop there.

Fan Yingyuan says: “‘The Valley Spirit never dies’: this is called the Mysterious Female.” The “Valley Spirit” is like a subtle, empty Qi; “never dies” means it is endless, without conclusion. “Mysterious Female” refers to its ability to bring forth the myriad things, though how it does so cannot be seen; that is why it is described as “mysterious.” As for the words “Valley Spirit,” Fu Yi understands them as remote yet able to reach everywhere. Sima Guang says that what is hollow within is called a “valley,” while what cannot be fathomed is called “spirit.” Su Shi, like other commentators of his kind, says: A valley may be utterly empty, yet it still has a form. The Valley Spirit, by contrast, is empty and formless. Being empty and formless, it cannot be said to be “born”—so how could it “die”? Calling it the “Valley Spirit” speaks of its Virtue; calling it the “Mysterious Female” speaks of its function. The female gives birth to and nurtures the myriad things, yet is called “mysterious” because we see the things being born but cannot see the source that gives birth to and nurtures them.

“The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.” “Gate” refers to Yin-Yang opening and closing: it closes and opens, and their coming and going never cease. Yin-Yang describes the Dao in terms of movement and stillness: movement is Yang; when movement reaches its utmost, it turns into stillness, which is Yin. When stillness reaches its utmost, movement begins again. The opening and closing never miss their proper course, and generation continues without end. “Root” means that Heaven and Earth are both rooted here. If people can awaken to this when a thought first arises, they will know that the root of Heaven and Earth is in fact a “root without a root,” the gate of the Mysterious Female a “gate without a gate,” and the Valley Spirit a “spirit that is not spirit.” How could any of these be exhausted?

“Continuous, as if it were present; use it, and it is never exhausted.” The Valley Spirit is within Heaven and Earth, continuous and endless. Yet it cannot be seen, heard, or used up, which is why it is said to be “as if present.” Heaven and Earth depend on it for the turning of the four seasons and the growth of the myriad things, yet it is never wearied. The Valley Spirit within the human body is the same: continuous, with life arising without end. If “original nonbeing” is taken as the body’s foundation and “original being” as what governs it, where, exactly, does it reside? Hence it is still said to be “as if present.” Those who make good use of it are never wearied. How could it ever reach an end? This chapter should be deeply contemplated. Some explain it solely in terms of cultivation and health practices, but one must first recognize what the “Valley Spirit” is before such an explanation can be precise.

Xue Yongzhai’s Explanation (“The Valley Spirit never dies” to “This is called the root of Heaven and Earth”)

The “valley” is where the spirit dwells; the “spirit” is borne by the physical form. To nourish Qi through the form, and to contain Shen within Qi, is the way to avoid death. Shen itself has neither birth nor extinction. Attached to the form, it seems to die; yet even when the form dies, Shen has not truly died. The Valley Spirit does not die because of the Mysterious Female, and Heaven and Earth take the Mysterious Female as their root.

Within, the Mysterious Female stores essence; outwardly, it regulates the breath. It opens and closes, breathing in and out: exhaling sends the roots deep, inhaling secures the stem. Then Shen enters, leaves the constellation Dipper, passes through the celestial court, rides the sun and moon, and dons clouds and mists. It soars back to the chamber of “Great Abundance.” Likewise, on Mount Gushe there dwells a spirit-person, whose presence is continuous, seeming to exist yet barely perceptible, and whose use does not bring strain. “Continuous” refers to regulating the breath, making it seem both present and absent; to use it should not entail exertion.

Explanation from Xiuxiu Hermitage (“The Valley Spirit never dies” to “its use does not bring strain”)

Emptiness and clarity are called the valley; numinous subtlety is called Shen. When emptiness, clarity, and numinous subtlety are without limit, they are called undying; this is the Mysterious Female. “Mysterious” means the Great Dao; “female” means mother. One Qi arises within emptiness and clarity, then divides into clear and turbid, and establishes Heaven and Earth. Hence the saying, “The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.”

The wondrous Dao acts through Wuwei, while the movement of one Qi never ceases. This is called “continuous, seeming to exist.” It responds to the time and circumstance, benefits life, and aids beings; matters are accomplished without toil. Hence the saying, “without strain.” In human beings, emptiness, clarity, and numinous subtlety are called the mind. The mind is sovereign over the myriad things and can give birth to Heaven and Earth and set the sun and moon in motion. Its mysterious workings and wondrous functions unfold without limit, responding to circumstances and encounters without effort. Those who have awakened to its clarity know without speaking.

Chu Boxiu’s Explanation (“The Valley Spirit never dies” to “its use does not bring strain”)

The valley is empty and responds readily; Shen is numinous and has no fixed form. If a person can store what is supremely numinous in a place of utter emptiness, it will respond whenever touched, then leave no trace of its response. If one does not know how life comes about, what could death possibly be? “Mysterious” means the wondrous Dao, difficult to fathom; “female” is the place of transformation and generation. Its wondrous function brings forth the myriad things and enables them to be born; this is what is meant by “undying.”

This passage explains the way of emptying the mind and nourishing Shen, using the transformations of Heaven and Earth as its terms. It begins with an empty mind that allows transformation to proceed, and ends with a mind free of intention that itself becomes transformed. The birth of all things fundamentally arises in this way; hence it is called the “gate.” Zhuangzi says… (If a quotation from Zhuangzi follows in the original text, continue translating it as written.)

Brief explanations of terms: The Valley Spirit uses the emptiness of a valley as a metaphor for the ground on which the mind and spirit depend: Shen dwells there and does not perish. The Mysterious Female combines “mysterious,” meaning the profound and wondrous Dao, with “female,” meaning mother and the gate of generation; together, it refers to the root from which Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things arise from emptiness. “Continuous, seeming to exist; its use does not bring strain” comes from chapter six of the Dao De Jing and describes Dao-Qi continuing as if barely present, and functioning without exertion. The “chamber of Great Abundance,” a phrase found in works such as the Zhuangzi, is a metaphor for the vastest emptiness, the place to which Shen returns. Mount Gushe is a mythical mountain where spirit-persons dwell.

The “Gate of Heaven” is not a real, physical gate. All things arise from “nonbeing.” In the language of the Book of Changes, this is the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate); in the human body, it is the beginning of one’s nature—the place from which the One brings all things to life, and where all principles and roots converge. Everyone is complete in themselves from the beginning, but if they let themselves drift and do not seek within, the valley is no longer a true valley, and the spirit is no longer a true spirit. What can be said of Heaven and Earth and the myriad things if they are separated from form, Qi (vital energy), and spirit?

Form is the vessel of life, Qi sustains life, and spirit governs life. When all three are settled, the Way of life flourishes. The “Mysterious Female” within the body appears here. It persists, faintly present; keep to it and do not lose it. Amid vagueness and obscurity, why exert yourself beyond what is needed? The words of this chapter are spare, yet their meaning is profound, like Mencius’s discussion of the “vast, flowing Qi”: it becomes evident only after it has filled and nourished the person. The whole body is the Way. Those who awaken to it understand for themselves; words cannot fully express it.

Earlier writers who discussed the Dao beyond the ordinary world often explained its subtle aspects in detail while skimming over the coarser ones. They spoke of ascent to the heights but not of learning from below. The Perfected One of Primordial Unity placed this chapter after the chapters on “beauty and ugliness,” “the worthy and the unworthy,” and “the bellows” in order to show how its meaning connects with what comes before and after. Yet its language is so abstruse that students are daunted by its height and distance and dare not draw near. I will venture, despite my shallow understanding, to speak of shadows beyond the shadow:

The Valley Spirit is like the Wuji (Limitless); the Mysterious Female is like the Taiji. The continuous, unbroken process follows the Taiji as it stirs, spreads, transforms, and brings forth life without end. “Valley Spirit” speaks of its substance, “Mysterious Female” of its transformation, and “continuous, unbroken” of its function. If people turn inward and seek within themselves, they will find that they themselves are the root of Heaven and Earth. This needs no further explanation.

Many modern practitioners of health cultivation also make the Valley Spirit and the Mysterious Female their main concern. But they cling to physical form, focusing only on the heart and kidneys above and below, or on the breath between mouth and nose—all of these are residue of the acquired condition. They leave aside the root of Heaven and Earth and the source of the myriad things, and make no inquiry into them. How, then, can they understand the wonder of the Valley Spirit?

According to the Liezi, the book of the Yellow Emperor contains this entire chapter, suggesting that these words were already in circulation in ancient times. The Perfected One of Primordial Unity, too, meant to transmit what had been handed down, not to invent anything new.

The Biography of Niu Miao says: “The Valley Spirit does not die; this is called the Mysterious Female.” “Valley” means nourishment; “spirit” is one of the Three Treasures of the highest medicine. The “Mysterious Female” refers to the two nostrils. Thus great practitioners use the method of embryonic breathing: they connect the outer Mysterious Female with the inner Mysterious Female, guide the genuine Qi of Great Harmony, and focus their thoughts on the Dantian (energy center). With long practice, the body endures; hence the phrase “does not die.” The Jade Clarity Embryonic Origin conveys the same idea.

The Inner Nourishment Scripture says: “The wondrous Way of the fetal origin joins the outer Mysterious Female with the inner Mysterious Female, and uses the outer True Spirit to replenish the inner True Qi. Gather the myriad treasures of Heaven into the original Jing of my embryo, so that Shen is born within the embryo and Qi cleaves to Shen. Let the sovereign of the heart govern in stillness, and regulate the breath until it is even. Let it continue softly, as if present, without ceasing; its use is inexhaustible, and its efficacy becomes apparent. The Valley Spirit never dies: this is what it means to unite with my True Source.”

“The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.” Explanations of the Mysterious Female distinguish between an outer and an inner aspect. The outer Mysterious Female was explained earlier. The inner Mysterious Female, however, is a secret transmitted orally from teacher to student and not committed to writing. Thus Zhang Ping-shu says in the Wuzhen Pian: “The Mysterious Female is neither the heart, nor the kidneys, liver, lungs, or spleen, nor the Triple Burner, bladder, or Dantian (energy center). Where, then, is it?” He also says: “The Mysterious True and the Mysterious Female, the True Female and the Mysterious Female, all come together in a single aperture.” Yet without encountering an enlightened teacher, it is ultimately difficult to understand this subtle principle.

I once read the Treatise on Cultivation in the Daoist Canon, which says: “The Mysterious Female resides between the two kidneys. It is called the spirit chamber, the abode where the spirits gather and the region where Jing and Qi respond to one another. It is the Gate of Life in the human body, and is therefore called the root of Heaven and Earth.” The human body, after all, is known as a small Heaven and Earth.

“Softly continuous, as if present; use it without strain”—this refers to the method of fetal breathing and guiding and stretching. It should be neither tense nor slack, but hover between seeming present and seeming absent. Let the breath flow softly in and out through the nose, without needing to drive it. Hence it says, “use it without strain.”

The Jade Emperor’s Mind Scripture says: “The three grades of superior medicine are Shen, Qi, and Jing. Dimly indistinct, far off and obscure, preserve emptiness while holding to presence; in a moment they are brought to completion. Turning the wind, they blend together; in a hundred days, the spirit becomes clear. Entering and leaving through the Mysterious Female, seeming absent yet present, they continue softly without interruption, securing the base and deepening the root. Each person has Jing; when Jing reaches its utmost, it becomes Shen. When Shen unites, there is Qi; when Qi unites, the body becomes true. Shen depends on Qi for its birth, and Jing depends on Qi to become full. When they gather, they are present; when they disperse, they vanish. The three grades share one principle, whose subtlety cannot be expressed in words. Once attained, it is attained forever; naturally, the body becomes light, Great Harmony fills it, and the bones transform into cold jade.” This is what it means.

Yang Zhiren says: “‘The Valley Spirit never dies’ through ‘use it without strain’: The Valley Spirit is the original Shen of Heaven’s Valley. When primordial chaos first divided, this spirit already existed. It shared its substance with the Great Void and was born together with Heaven and Earth. When Shen arrives, life begins; when Shen departs, death follows.”

Collected Interpretations of the True Classic of the Dao and De

Life, Death, and the Mysterious Female

In death, life has never truly been born; in death, nothing has ever truly died. It governs Yin and Yang and is revered above all living things. Deep and vast, it is what allows the sun and moon to shine, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) to arise and flourish, and all things to grow and mature. This “deathless” principle is the Mysterious Female.

“Mysterious” refers to true Yang; “Female” refers to true Yin. It reaches up to Heaven and coils down through Earth, flowing through the six directions with no fixed path above or below. In alchemy, it is true lead and mercury; in the Classic of Changes, it is the trigrams Kan and Li; in symbolic numerology, it is the Dragon and Tiger. When a person cultivates it, Kan and Li wax and wane within the body, and wind and clouds issue through the seven orifices. True Qi (vital energy) steams and circulates without cold or heat; pure Yang flows through the body, beyond life and death. This is the work of the Mysterious Female.

The Gate of the Mysterious Female

The “gate” is the portal of the sun and moon. It is not the heart and kidneys, the mouth and nose, the Niwan Palace, a point below the navel, a point one cun and two fen inside the navel, the two passes along the spine, a point above the heart, or a method of holding the breath. To fixate on any of these is a grave mistake. Why not turn inward and contemplate the root of Heaven and Earth?

The Classic of Changes says: what is still and unmoving is “sincerity”; what responds to things and connects with them is “spirit.” This is the gate of the Mysterious Female. The subtlety between movement and taking form is called “incipience”—the root of Heaven and Earth. Sincerity is refined and therefore clear; spirit responds and is therefore wondrous; incipience is subtle and therefore hidden. Sincerity and incipience endure continuously, as if present, and the sage uses them without strain.

The Valley Spirit Does Not Die

Laozi’s book addresses governing the state and caring for the people, cultivating the mind and nurturing one’s nature, and regulating the breath and refining the spirit. It encompasses both the refined and the coarse, and attends to both the root and the branches. This chapter is chiefly about cultivation, and should be read alongside Confucian and Daoist writings, which illuminate one another.

• The Confucian view: The valley is emptiness; the spirit is the spirit within that emptiness.
• The Daoist view: The valley is the Celestial Valley; the spirit is the body’s original spirit. The palace where the original spirit resides is empty like a mountain valley. Since the spirit dwells within it, it is called the “Valley Spirit”—that is, the Niwan Palace. When the spirit remains, there is life; when it departs, there is death.

The Valley Spirit does not die because of the Mysterious Female: the Yang spirit is the Mysterious, and the Yin breath is the Female. Through their mutual response, spirit and Qi naturally become true, unite with the Dao, and enter a state beyond life and death. Hence the saying, “The Valley Spirit does not die; this is called the Mysterious Female.”

A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Yinfu Jing says: The mouth connects with the five internal organs. The breath exhaled through it is heavy and turbid, belongs to Yin, and is called the “root of Earth.” The nose connects with the six viscera. The breath exhaled through it is light and clear, belongs to Yang, and is called the “root of Heaven.” The mouth and nose are the gates through which the Yang spirit and Yin breath pass back and forth; hence they are called the “gate of the Mysterious Female,” also known as the “root of Heaven and Earth.” At the moments of ascent and descent, the sage circulates this Qi; between inhalation and exhalation, the sage refines it, ceaselessly, without interruption. “Preserve” means to preserve the spirit in accordance with nature. In time, one can naturally become still and settled, without straining the spirit to hasten the process. That is why it says, “Use it without effort.” Confucian and Daoist writings can be brought into accord. The Liezi quotes this whole chapter and attributes it to the Yellow Emperor, suggesting that Laozi’s teaching may have a source. Some also speak of another “aperture” within the human body, distinct from the mouth and nose, the heart and kidneys, and the digestive tract. Its significance is difficult to put into words; it is something to discuss together with those who explore the mysteries.

Xu Liuxu says: “The valley spirit never dies.” “Valley” refers to emptiness, “spirit” to what cannot be fathomed, and “never dies” means that it abides forever. In the empty valley there is a spirit, unfathomable in Yin and Yang and enduring through past and present; hence the saying “the valley spirit never dies.” Because it never dies, it is called the “Mysterious Female”: “mysterious” means profound and remote, while “female” means the power of generation. For billions of years since antiquity, it has remained profound and hard to fathom, and the principle of generation has been without end; hence the name “Mysterious Female.” “The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth”: a gate is where things enter and leave; a root is their source. Heaven and Earth emerge from the gate of the Mysterious Female, and all things are born from it, so it is the source of Heaven, Earth, and all things. “Faintly, it seems to exist; use it without effort”: “faintly” describes the subtle, unbroken nature of the Mysterious Female; “without effort” describes its function. From antiquity to the present, the gate of the Mysterious Female has continued subtly and without interruption. Though it cannot be seen, its wondrous power of generation appears to be present. When has it ever shown signs of weariness?

From beginning to end, this chapter speaks of just one thing: the valley spirit. How remarkable that the sage expounds on it at such length! A person cannot be apart from this valley spirit for even an instant, from birth to old age. Its form and function differ from what is described here not by the slightest degree. Those who believe this need exert no further effort.

A Forceful Interpretation (fragment): The general meaning is that if you are still there pondering and calculating, the moment has already passed, like a hawk flying past Silla. (The original sentence is incomplete, and scholars differ in how they restore it.)

Li Shicong says: From “The Valley Spirit never dies” through “use it without strain,” this chapter is about nourishing Qi (vital energy). “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female”: “Valley” means emptiness. Heaven and earth are the great valley; mountains and marshes are lesser valleys. “Spirit” means numinous vitality. Spirit dwells in emptiness and makes itself heard through Qi. Mountains and marshes have no feelings, yet a call is answered at once. The human spirit has no form, yet finds a voice through Qi. “Never dies” means it endures and does not perish. “Mysterious” refers to the mind; “Female” refers to intention and Qi. When the mind’s activity has not yet begun, it is hidden from others; this is called “mysterious.” When Qi has not yet taken shape as a particular phenomenon and cannot be seen, this is called “female.” “The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of heaven and earth”: this is the gate through which things are taken up or set aside, go out or come in, released or gathered in. From this one Qi, the Dao gives rise to heaven, earth, and the myriad things; from this one mind, a person gives rise to countless functions. It is the root from which every impulse of activity arises. “Continuous, as if present; use it without strain”: it continues without interruption, enduring and never perishing. In using it, one should move gently and steadily, without rash action or overexertion that might injure the spirit and Qi.

Chai Yuangao says: “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female”—the valley is emptiness, and “never dies” means that the mind remains constantly alert and clear. The source from which all thoughts arise can be seen as “empty” only when obscured by desires for things; once emptiness is seen, it comes alive. “The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of heaven and earth” means the place where Qian opens and Kun closes, where things go out and come in. “Continuous, as if present; use it without strain”: the True Person breathes from the heels, deeply, slowly, and at length; this is not straining. Ordinary people breathe from the throat, quickly and shallowly; this is straining. One must also “attend to it, yet not force it; do not forget it, and do not help it grow.” This is the subtle use of not straining—is it not the very gate of Qian and Kun in the Classic of Changes?

Su Jingjing says: From “The Valley Spirit never dies” through “use it without strain,” the purpose of this chapter is to nourish Qi. Heshang Gong, Zhang Chongying, and others all interpret the Mysterious Female as the nose and mouth: the mouth and nose are the gate and root through which the breath enters and leaves. The nose and mouth connect with the original Qi of heaven and earth as it flows back and forth, continuously and without end, subtle as if absent yet as if present. When Qi is properly nourished, using it takes no effort, and one naturally has strength to live long and see far. It was only in the time of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang that “valley” came to be used as a metaphor for the response of an echo: do not ask how it works; when something calls, it responds, and its response is like that of a spirit. Laozi uses “valley” as a metaphor more than once in his book, as in “vast, as if like a valley,” “the valley, by attaining the One, is filled,” “be the valley of the world,” and “rivers and seas can be kings of the hundred valleys.”

This passage explores the profound meaning of "The valley spirit never dies" from the Daodejing. The valley (gu) is called the "king" precisely because it occupies the lowest position. What makes "the valley spirit never dies" particularly mysterious is its seeming emptiness yet eternal existence.

Like echoes in a valley—invisible and intangible yet persistently responsive—the true state of "never dying yet ever-present" resembles the echo effects in Emperor Xuanzong's palace during the Tang Dynasty, where every sound produced its inevitable response. The nature of reflections (shadows and echoes) is fundamentally the same: shadows follow forms as surely as the moon follows the sun or fire follows water. Yet echoes are even more marvelous—they dissipate in open wilderness, are blocked by mountain walls, yet produce wondrous resonances precisely within empty valleys.

The Yellow Emperor once observed: "When form moves, it produces not form but shadow; when sound vibrates, it produces not sound but echo; when emptiness moves, it produces not emptiness but substance." The miracle of an empty valley lies in this: when utterly vacant, it is "non-being" (wu), yet the moment sound touches it, it instantly responds and becomes "being" (you). This capacity for immediate resonance is precisely its magical essence of "never dying yet ever-present."

"Xuan" (mysterious) refers to subtle profundity, while "pin" (feminine/receptive) denotes passive responsiveness. The empty valley harbors echoes awaiting sound, never initiating sound itself. Just as all things in heaven and earth arise from the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and Taiji itself emerges from emptiness—emptiness giving birth to substance, echoes responding to sound—is this not the very root of creation? Earlier the text states "The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth," while here it speaks of "the root of heaven and earth"—root and origin being one and the same.

"Continuous, seeming ever-present" describes how echoes flow unbroken: as one sound fades, another arises, the responses eternally consistent. The valley spirit (the mystical property of valleys) never perishes—the more it's used, the more it manifests. What appears as depletion is actually inexhaustible, precisely because of its empty nature. That emptiness can generate substance—is this not miraculous? As for later practitioners' theories about "nourishing qi," these are human extensions of this principle.

Wu Huanzhong (a Song Dynasty Daoist) commented: From "The valley spirit never dies" to "Yet use will never drain it," Laozi's entire text subtly conveys the art of immortality cultivation—how to prevent the dispersal of hun and po souls (Daoist concepts of spiritual components) and achieve the "harmonization of water and fire" (a Neidan term for yin-yang balance). His teacher explained: "Valley spirit" refers to the primordial qi (cosmic source energy), where spirit and qi return to emptiness; "mysterious feminine" (the gateway of yin-yang) denotes the origin of thought-movement, not mere mouth-nose breathing. Xuan represents yang, pin represents yin—this speaks of the purest yin-yang principle.

Zhuangzi said: “All things are born, yet none know their root; life appears, yet none know the way it comes forth. That from which all things under Heaven and Earth arise is the ‘Mysterious Female’ (the profound, hidden maternal source).”

The key to the great medicine of the Golden Elixir (the essentials of internal alchemy) lies in the interplay of Jing, spirit, Hun, Po, intent, and the divine fire. Jing belongs to Water, Hun to Wood, Po to Metal, and intent to Earth. Among the Five Phases, nothing can be accomplished without Earth. Use intent to nourish Qi, Qi to condense Jing, and Jing to unite with Shen; bring the four symbols into harmony and fuse them into one. When the practice is mature, concentrate Qi and become supple. Over time, it will naturally gather, continuous and barely perceptible, without interruption. Use it without strain, day and night alike: this is the way of nature.

The ancient immortals sometimes spoke openly, sometimes in concealment. They expressed these matters through Yin-Yang, or likened them to lead and mercury, the sun and moon, men and women, dragons and tigers; they called them Zhen and Dui, Kan and Li, or spoke of golden sand, Jia and Geng, Bing and Ren, Wu and Ji, Water and Fire, ruler and minister, child and mother, infant and maiden, the measure of a knife, Metal and Wood, nurturing through warmth, host and guest, rising and sinking, bathing, birth and death, punishment and virtue, battle, waxing and waning, drawing out and adding, civil and martial, heat and cold, advance and retreat, and weight and measure. All these expressions concern the Mysterious Female. Images and metaphors are set forth so that people may awaken to their meaning for themselves. One must investigate within oneself; one must not seek outside the body.

Have you not heard what Master Empty Stillness said? “Shen governs Qi, and Qi sustains the body. No need for mixed techniques: life will lengthen of itself.” This is the true teaching.

People who study the Dao today may recognize the ingredients, yet have no way to begin. Even when they know how to begin, they do not understand the rules, and remain bewildered about the Mysterious Female. Shen is the root of life; the body is where Shen resides. When Shen is whole, Qi is whole; when Qi is whole, Jing is whole; when Jing is whole, the body is whole. When the body is whole, Shen flourishes; when Shen flourishes, Qi is responsive; when Qi is responsive, Shen penetrates all things. Only then can one become one with the Dao. When Shen is depleted, Jing cannot be restored; when Jing is worn down, Po is unsettled.

Surely, sir, you have read enough to understand this. When things meet and mingle, they are often entangled in the affairs of the day. Even during sleep at night, seeing, hearing, speaking, and moving continue to roam through realms beyond the reach of ears, eyes, thoughts, and reflection. This is why the highest immortals of old cast aside profit and desire and rose beyond the world of things. Only after becoming as steadfast as a sheer cliff a thousand fathoms high could they achieve this. If Shen cannot govern Qi, and Qi cannot secure the body, then one can neither keep it settled in its dwelling nor avoid destroying that dwelling oneself. How could one hope to gain something once and keep it forever?

Miao, having heard his master’s words, understood them fully and only smiled without speaking. The master asked someone to fill the cups with wine, then sang a verse from the Songs of Chu: “The Dao may be realized, but cannot be conveyed in words; its smallness has no within, its greatness no bounds; the spirit does not become muddled or disordered, and things naturally take their course…” After singing, he bowed and departed. I then took advantage of some spare time to write three verses of praise as a warning to myself. Perhaps demons and evil spirits would not truly return; those foolish dreams from before could now be put to rest.

Another poem says: Xie Xian’s raising of the fire sprang from the same intent; by the banks of the Yangtze, he watched the lively scene. When tending the fire alone, one should observe it with the utmost care. A fine, drifting rain is no hardship; there are two or three hundred bronze vessels—the alchemical equipment—always at hand to moisten the throat and nourish fine speech. Whether it rains or not, whether the wind blows or not, one laughs cheerfully, free of doubt and worry. Looking upon the gathered, rounded cinnabar field, one blooms alone and seals alone.

Another poem: Do not delay beginning your work; what doubt can there be about the Golden Elixir? A single mass of harmonious Qi is settled, while the timing of the fire must be kept with care. Once the Four Images—such as water, earth, fire, and wind, or corresponding configurations of Yin-Yang—are brought into harmony, the workings of the spirit can be glimpsed. To know the true wonder, look when the solitary moon shines upon the pool.

In the edition published at Yuewu, Shi Tan’s commentary on the Dao De Jing presumptuously appends this chapter after the chapter on the “Valley Spirit.” Master Wuzhen has a poem: “Do not blame me for revealing heaven’s secrets; it is only because students are so deeply confused.”

Said the Adept of the One Hut:

From “The Valley Spirit never dies” through “use it without effort”: The valley is empty yet has form; the spirit within it is “being within nonbeing.” The Mysterious—the profound wonder of the Dao’s true nature—has no form; the Mysterious Female—the gate from which all things are born, beyond even the mysterious—is “nonbeing within being.” Being within nonbeing is therefore deathless; nonbeing within being can therefore give birth. This too expresses the substance and function of the Dao beyond form.

The place from which things emerge is called the “gate”; to deepen the foundation of ongoing generation is to strengthen the “root.” The first chapter speaks of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things. This passage does not speak of the myriad things, because wherever Heaven and Earth exist, the myriad things exist as well. The “root” sustains unceasing generation, and all things are contained within it. If a person realizes the Dao within the body, and it persists continuously, seeming almost to exist, then the Valley Spirit and the Mysterious Female will also be realized within oneself, and the Dao’s use will never be exhausted. “Continuous” does not mean truly absent; “seeming to exist” does not mean truly present. It is without exertion or toil.

To say that “wherever one takes it, one finds its source” captures only the surface. In broad terms, Laozi takes the wondrous principle of the Dao back to the beginning of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things, then turns it inward to preserve and cultivate it within the body.

A Plain-Language Reading of Collected Meanings of the True Scripture of the Dao and De

General Discussion: How This Chapter Resonates with Various Schools of Thought

This chapter says that the Dao (the Way) acts without striving and has no form, yet gives birth to Heaven and Earth and has existed unchanged since ancient times.

Some have compared Laozi’s terms “transformation,” “preserving the spirit,” and “Valley Spirit” with the Buddhist idea of “wondrous existence within true emptiness.” They have also compared “Mysterious Female” and “continuous as though present” with the Buddhist expressions “uncontrived,” “letting things rest,” and “extinction”; with Mencius’s “neither anticipating, nor forgetting, nor forcing growth”; and with the teaching that “one must attend to what is at hand.” The schools use different terms, but all describe an origin that is never deliberately contrived and yet is always at work.

Shi Yi: Bingwen’s View

Heshang Gong, a Han-dynasty commentator on the Dao De Jing, interprets the “Mysterious Female” as the mouth and nose: breathing and taking in food and drink through them to sustain life. Bingwen argues that to understand the “Mysterious Female” only as something as limited as the mouth and nose makes Laozi’s teaching too narrow. Laozi is speaking of something more fundamental: the root from which life continually arises.

Supporting Evidence from Other Schools: Liezi

A passage in the Liezi can be read alongside the ideas of “Valley Spirit” and “Mysterious Female.” There is “that which gives birth” and “that which is not born,” just as there is “transformation” and “that which does not transform.” What gives birth to life is not the same as the level of “life” that is born; what transforms things is not the same as the level of “transformation” undergone by those things. Thus life and transformation are constant: there is never a time when things are not being born or transformed. Yin-Yang and the four seasons operate in the same way.

“That which is not born” is like something settled in solitude. “That which does not transform” is like a cycle moving back and forth, whose limits cannot be reached. The Dao that is settled in solitude, too, cannot be fathomed.

The Book of the Yellow Emperor, quoted in the Liezi, says:

The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.
The gateway of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuous as though present, it is used without being exhausted.

Therefore, that which gives birth to things is not the same as the set of concepts called “birth and transformation”; that which transforms things is not the same as the concept called “transformation.” To speak of things as “giving birth to themselves, transforming themselves, taking form and color, becoming intelligent and powerful, diminishing and ceasing,” and to label all of this “birth and transformation, form and color, intelligence and power, decline and cessation,” is to miss the point. The Liezi emphasizes the origin that is constantly giving birth and transforming, rather than a collection of labels for outward appearances.

Shitan’s View: Two Interpretations of Valley Spirit and Mysterious Female

Shitan notes that there have traditionally been two kinds of interpretation of the phrase “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.”

Interpreting it in terms of principle: an empty valley echoes, as if it had a spirit

“Valley Spirit” can be understood through the image of an empty mountain valley: when a sound is made, it answers with an echo, as though a spirit were present. This interpretation explains the Valley Spirit in terms of the principles of Heaven and Earth and their responsiveness. It emphasizes that what is empty can respond, and what is still can communicate.

Interpreting it in terms of Qi: the spirit of the Heavenly Valley

“Valley Spirit” can also refer to the spirit within the body’s Heavenly Valley, in the region of the Niwan Palace at the crown of the head. In cultivation, this is called the Original Spirit or the spirit of the Heavenly Valley. This interpretation approaches the subject through internal cultivation and the relationship between spirit and Qi (vital energy).

Shitan considers the two interpretations different on the surface but identical in principle. The spirit of the empty valley and the spirit of the Heavenly Valley within the body both come from the Dao; they are not two separate things.

As for the “Mysterious Female,” one interpretation takes “female” to mean the mother or female of a species, which is associated with giving birth. All things arise from the female, yet the source of this generative power cannot be seen; it is therefore called “mysterious,” meaning profound and beyond naming. In the passage from the Book of the Yellow Emperor quoted in the Liezi, the Mysterious Female is understood in terms of Heaven and Earth’s capacity to give rise continually to life.

Another interpretation identifies the Mysterious Female with the “gateway of the Mysterious Female” within the body, as described in cultivation practice, such as the Dantian (energy center) and the Ren and Du channels. This is terminology used in life-nourishing practices and Neidan (internal alchemy).

In terms of principle, the Dao is like a sound answering within an empty valley: still and unmoving, yet responding and thereby connecting with all things. In terms of Qi, the spirit of the Heavenly Valley and the spirit of the empty valley share a single source.

Summary

The chapter’s central teaching is that the Dao acts without striving and has no form, yet gives birth to Heaven and Earth and has endured throughout the ages. Heshang Gong takes the Mysterious Female to mean the mouth and nose, which sustain life, though this interpretation should not be made too narrow. The Liezi describes constant birth and transformation, alongside what is not born and does not transform, and locates their root in the unfathomable Dao. The Book of the Yellow Emperor speaks of the Valley Spirit, the Mysterious Female, the root of Heaven and Earth, and that which remains continuously present. Shitan interprets the Valley Spirit as both the echoing spirit of an empty valley and the spirit of the Heavenly Valley within the body, bringing principle and Qi together. He understands the Mysterious Female both as Heaven and Earth’s ceaseless power to give life and as the hidden gateway within the body.

The things that arise from the valley are always there. We can see that “life” arises, but cannot see exactly what it is that gives rise to it. Hence the phrase “the Valley Spirit never dies”: here, the “Mysterious Female” is the source that allows the Valley Spirit to endure without perishing.

From the perspective of the human body, if one settles the spirit at the crown of the head, in the Celestial Valley—the area around the Niwan and Baihui—the spirit of the Celestial Valley does not die because the Mysterious Female below continually nourishes and sustains it.

“The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.” Commentators have offered differing explanations of this line. From the perspective of the principles of Heaven and Earth, the interpretation given by Cheng Taizhi and others is more fitting: the gate of the Mysterious Female is the root from which all things in Heaven and Earth emerge and to which they return.

As for the Mysterious Female within the human body, explanations have long varied. Some identify it with the two kidneys, some with the region between them, and others with the mouth and nose, or with the two nostrils. The identification with the space between the kidneys is the closest fit. The mouth and nose, meanwhile, are the “gate” through which the Qi of the Mysterious Female enters and leaves, connecting with the Qi of Heaven and Earth.

“Continuous, as if present; use it without strain.” In terms of principle, the Qi of Heaven and Earth gives rise to life without end, flowing on without interruption; hence “continuous, as if present.” Because its workings are subtle and imperceptible, it is also said to be “as if present.” “Use it without strain” means that it can be put to use without taxing the spirit or making a deliberate effort to force results.

From the perspective of the Mysterious Female in the human body, its gate is where the Qi of Heaven and Earth passes back and forth with the breath through the nose. Let the breath continue finely and evenly, seeming both present and absent. When the breath is subtle and the Qi settled, it links above to the Celestial Valley and below to the Mysterious Female, so the Valley Spirit can be kept from dying. “Use it without strain” means that regulating the breath and nourishing the Qi should be relaxed and natural, without haste or excessive effort.

The Valley Spirit is a metaphor for the spirit or primordial Qi that, like an empty, deep valley, can give life and nourishment to all things. The Mysterious Female is the subtle, receptive source that can give life and nourishment to all things, often likened to a mother or a gateway. The Celestial Valley is the region at the crown of the head around the Niwan and Baihui, regarded in internal cultivation as the dwelling place of the spirit. A synthesis of interpretations brings together the meanings proposed by different commentators to explain a text.