《道德真經集義(二)》Vol. 15

Chapter Fifteen of Collected Interpretations of the True Classic of the Dao and Its De · Part Four

The Chapter on Bearing the Hun and Po

Notes on textual variants

The Heshanggong version titles this chapter “Being Able”; the Zhao Shian version calls it “The Chapter on the Meaning of Attaining the True through Increase and Decrease”; the Quan version titles it “The Chapter on Bearing the Hun and Po.”

Commentary by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang

The previous chapter speaks of indulging desire, sinking into sensual pleasure, and becoming proud and complacent, all of which lead to fault.

This chapter speaks of nurturing the spirit, cherishing Jing and Qi, and keeping the mind undistracted, so that there are no flaws. From “bearing the Hun and Po” through “cleansing away,” it instructs us in cultivating the self to preserve De. From “cherishing the people” through “clarity and understanding,” it explains that only when De is complete can one serve as a ruler. The closing phrase, “giving life and nurturing,” shows how the efficacy of the mysterious Dao benefits all things.

Du Guangting

This chapter explains the benefits of “embracing the One,” in contrast with the error of “testing the sharp edge” in the previous chapter—that is, gauging one’s sharpness and showing off one’s point. Embracing the One keeps Shen whole and Po at peace; testing the sharp edge leads to fullness and, inevitably, collapse. The subtleties of “attaining softness” and “mysterious contemplation,” the principles of “cherishing the people” and “ordering the state,” and the Dao’s work of “giving life and nurturing,” together with the manifest virtue of “deepening the mystery,” all follow the same thread.

Zhang Chongying

The fifth chapter already pointed out the gateways through which Jing and Qi enter and leave. This chapter separately explains how Jing transforms into Qi, which is why it says “being able”: Jing can transform into Qi.

Main text

Bearing the Hun and Po, embracing the One—can you keep them from separating?

Gather and unite the Hun and Po, and hold fast to oneness. Can you keep them from separating?

Concentrating Qi and attaining softness—can you be like an infant?

Concentrate Jing and Qi and attain softness. Can you be like an infant?

Cleansing away distractions and contemplating the mystery—can you be without flaw?

Sweep away distracting thoughts and observe with a mysterious mind. Can you be without flaw?

Cherishing the people and governing the state—can you practice Wuwei?

Care for the people and govern the state. Can you rule through Wuwei (non-action)?

As Heaven’s Gate opens and closes, can you remain receptive and still?

As the root of Heaven—the gate of generation—opens and closes, can you remain receptive and soft, without acting rashly?

Clear and perceptive in every direction—can you refrain from relying on knowledge?

When you are clear and understanding, with insight in every direction, can you avoid priding yourself on what you know?

Giving life and nurturing: giving life without possessing, acting without relying on merit, guiding without ruling—this is called Mysterious De.

The Dao gives life to and nurtures all things, yet does not claim them as its own; it acts without relying on its accomplishments, and guides without dominating. This is called Mysterious De.

Textual variants

One version reads: “Bearing the Hun and Po, embracing the One—can you keep them from separating? Concentrating Qi and attaining softness—can you be like an infant? Cleansing away distractions and contemplating the mystery—can you be without flaw? Cherishing the people and governing the state—can you practice Wuwei? As Heaven’s Gate opens and closes, can you remain receptive and still? Clear and perceptive in every direction—can you refrain from relying on knowledge? Giving life and nurturing: giving life without possessing, acting without relying on merit, guiding without ruling—this is called Mysterious De.”

“Bearing the Hun and Po, embracing the One”: The Chu version (the version associated with Chu Suiliang) offers a separate analysis of this wording; see below.

“Can you remain receptive and still?” One version reads simply “receptive and still,” which does not accord with the meaning of the classic. Elsewhere, the classic says, “Know the masculine; remain with the feminine,” while one version reads “Can you refrain from acting?” Another version has “cherishing” in “cherishing the people.” These are all textual variants.

Collected Commentaries on the True Classic of the Dao and De: A Plain-Language Interpretation

(Quotation from the classic)

In caring for the people and governing the state, can you do so without clever schemes? In understanding and reaching in all directions, can you do so through Wuwei (non-action)?

The Master by the River says:

“Bearing the hun and po”

“Bearing the hun and po” means the soul. A person must carry the soul within the body to live, so it should be cherished and nurtured. Excessive joy or anger can scatter the hun, while sudden fright can harm the po. The hun resides in the liver, and the po in the lungs; fine wine and rich food can damage the liver and lungs. So the hun should be kept calm, and the mind should hold to the Dao without confusion. Then the po can be at peace, and a person can live a long life.

“Can you hold to the One without letting it depart?”

If a person can hold fast to the “One” and keep it from leaving the body, they can attain longevity. The “One” is the primal, harmonious Qi from which the Dao first arose, and so it is called the “One.” Its presence extends throughout the world: Heaven attains the One and becomes clear; Earth attains the One and becomes tranquil; rulers attain the One and the world is at peace. Within the body, it is the heart; outwardly, it is one’s conduct; when bestowed on others, it is De (Virtue/Power). Together, these are called the “One.” To be “One” means to keep the mind focused and have no divided intentions.

“Focus the Qi and bring it to softness”

Concentrate on holding the vital energy steady and undisturbed; the body will then become soft and supple.

“Can you be like an infant?”

To be like an infant means to have no distracting thoughts within and no troublesome affairs without. Then vital energy will not be lost.

“Cleanse and clear the mysterious mirror”

The mind should be cleansed until it is pure. The mind dwells in a profound and mysterious realm, from which it can observe and understand all things; this is why it is called the “mysterious mirror.”

“Can you be without flaws?”

Do not give in to lust or wrongdoing. Be pure, without flaws or ailments.

“Caring for the people and governing the state”

For those cultivating themselves, cherishing their vital energy preserves the body. For those governing a state, caring for the people brings stability to the state.

“Can you do so through Wuwei?”

Those cultivating themselves breathe in vital energy and keep their ears from hearing outside sounds. Those governing a state bestow kindness and virtue without letting those below them know—without making a display of it.

“The Gate of Heaven opens and closes”

The Gate of Heaven refers to the Purple Enclosure at the North Pole. Its opening and closing refer to the beginnings and endings of the five phases. In self-cultivation, the Gate of Heaven refers to the nostrils: “opening” is exhalation, and “closing” is inhalation.

“Can you be like the female?”

In self-cultivation, one should be as still and yielding as the female. In governing the state and responding to change, one should be gentle and responsive, without taking the lead or setting the tone.

“Understanding and reaching in all directions”

To understand and reach everywhere, like the sun and moon, extending throughout the world and beyond its farthest bounds. Hence it is said: look, but you cannot see it; listen, but you cannot hear it. Yet it shines through the ten directions, radiant and brilliant.

“Can you know nothing?”

Those who can know that the Dao fills all under Heaven…

“Without being”

Can…

“It gives life and nurtures”

The Dao gives life to the myriad things, nurtures them, and sustains them.

“It gives life but does not possess”

The Dao gives life to the myriad things without seeking anything in return.

“It acts but does not rely on its accomplishments”

The Dao acts without relying on its achievements or expecting repayment.

Note: This chapter explains passages from Chapter Ten and other chapters of the Dao De Jing through the commentary of the Master by the River. It pairs the principles of governing the state with self-cultivation, expressing a characteristic early Daoist idea: the body and the state are structured in parallel.

This passage elucidates the core Daoist concept of "governing through Wuwei (non-action)," using vivid analogies to illustrate the Dao's operational principles.

First, it explains the characteristics of the Dao: though it nourishes all things, it never dominates or deliberately interferes with their development. This profound De (Virtue/Power), called "mysterious virtue" (玄德), remains subtle and invisible, requiring sincere contemplation to perceive.

Wang Bi's (Wang Fusi) commentary employs everyday examples to illustrate cultivation methods: one should maintain spiritual focus with the pure simplicity of an infant, eliminate distracting thoughts to achieve flawless mental clarity, and govern states by following nature's course without resorting to scheming or cleverness. Just as the "Heavenly Gate" (referring to the portal through which all things emerge and return) opens and closes naturally, or as the feminine principle (representing receptivity) responds without contention, true wisdom understands affairs without ostentatious displays of intelligence.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Tang Minghuang) further notes that when people can maintain the unity of their Hun (ethereal soul) and Po (corporeal soul) without dispersion, they return to their original authenticity. The scripture emphasizes the principle of "nourishing all beings without claiming possession": neither obstructing the source of all growth nor restricting innate development, allowing all things to mature naturally without taking credit—this constitutes genuine mysterious virtue. This De may appear non-dominant, yet it originates from the profound and mysterious Dao.

“Formation is called the Po; when Yang arises within the Po, it is called the Hun.”

When a person is first conceived and takes shape, there is initially only the Po, like a faint shadow. When the Yang energy within the Po grows full, it is called the Hun.

“The Po is Yin and empty; the Hun is Yang.”

The Po tends toward Yin and emptiness; the Hun tends toward Yang and is active.

“To say ‘full’ means that a person bears an empty Po. One must constantly nurture and protect it so that Yang may return. When Yang energy is full, it becomes the Hun; when the Hun can move, life is complete.”

Here, “full” means that at the beginning of life a person bears a weak Po and must continually nurture and protect it, allowing Yang energy to return. Only when Yang energy is full does the Hun take shape; only when the Hun can move does life become complete.

“One means undivided.”

“One” means single-mindedness, without mixture.

“To restore Yang and preserve life, one must not be tainted or mixed with other things. Therefore, hold fast to simple purity and oneness, and the Hun will not leave the body.”

To restore Yang and preserve life, one must not be tainted by outside things. So one should hold fast to simple purity and oneness, and the Hun will remain in the body.

Commentary: At the beginning of life, a person has only an empty Po. Yang energy must be nurtured until it is full, and only then does the Hun take shape—just as the moon’s Po shines by borrowing the sun’s light. Zichan said that at first a person’s formation is called the Po, and that when Yang arises within the Po, it is called the Hun. His point is that a person begins life bearing an empty Po and must continually nourish Yang energy until it is full; only then can life be preserved. If one acts recklessly and without constancy, Yang energy disperses, and the person returns to an empty Po and dies. Zhuangzi said, “Do not let a heart close to death return to Yang.” Thus one must nurture the empty Po and restore Yang to preserve life. By holding fast to purity and oneness, free of mixture, the Hun remains in the body and life is complete. This teaches the cultivation of Shen (spirit).

“Concentrate Qi and attain softness; can you be like an infant?”

Can you concentrate harmonious Qi until it becomes soft, like that of an infant?

“Concentrate the harmonious Qi and bring it to softness; can you be like an infant, without distinctions?”

Can you focus single-mindedly on the subtle, harmonious Qi and bring it to softness, like an infant without attachments or distinctions?

Commentary: To concentrate means to be single-minded; Qi here refers to subtle, harmonious Qi. A person’s life begins with harmony as its foundation. If one becomes tainted by the world of dust, this Qi disperses and Shen is no longer secure. Therefore, one is urged to concentrate on harmonious Qi and become soft and yielding, like an infant with no attachments. This teaches the cultivation of Qi (vital energy).

“Cleanse and clear the profound mirror; can you leave it without flaw?”

Can you cleanse and clear the mind’s profound mirror so that it has no flaws?

“The profound mirror is the mind’s illumination; a flaw is a defect or affliction. Cleanse the mind’s illumination and make it pure—can you leave it without defects or afflictions?”

The profound mirror is the mind’s inner illumination; a flaw is a defect or affliction. Can you cleanse this illumination and make it pure, free of defects and afflictions?

Commentary: Becoming attached to outside things gives rise to desire. One must wash and clear the mind so that its illumination is pure and craving does not arise; only then can it be free of flaws and afflictions. This teaches the cultivation of the mind.

“Love the people and govern the state; can you do so through Wuwei (non-action)?”

Can you care for the people and govern the state through Wuwei?

“Care for and nourish the people, and oversee the affairs of state; can you do so through Wuwei? Then the people will transform of themselves.”

Can you care for and nourish the people and handle the affairs of state through Wuwei? If so, the people will transform of themselves.

Everything discussed above, from nurturing the Hun and Po onward, teaches self-cultivation. When one’s person is cultivated, De is complete, and only then can one serve as a ruler.

Commentary: To “love the people” means not to let them die violently or to burden them with labor that harms their nature. To “govern the state” means to value farming and grain, keep affairs simple and untroublesome, and enable people to live in peace.

This passage discusses the wisdom of “Wuwei” (non-action) and “keeping to the feminine and yielding.”

On “Wuwei” and the “Heavenly Gate”

This concerns the way of guiding and transforming people: it is the state of Wuwei. Can one attain it?

“The Heavenly Gate opens and closes.” The Heavenly Gate is where the ruler’s heavenly mandate and dynastic succession originate. “Opening” refers to receiving the mandate and ascending the throne; “closing” refers to being deposed. Opening and closing symbolize order and disorder.

If a ruler can follow the heavenly mandate and remain yielding and still, he can enjoy that mandate for a long time.

Another interpretation quotes the Book of Changes: “One opening and one closing is called change.” The sage follows the times and adapts to circumstances. He cannot prevail through force, but must hold to what is yielding—like the Heavenly Gate opening and closing, or the moon waxing and waning—and become more humble.

On “Understanding all things and reaching everywhere”

If a ruler can hold to what is yielding and still, the people will gladly support his De (Virtue/Power), and its light will shine in every direction. Yet although his achievements are great, he forgets his own merits and does not presume to rule as a master. This is why the text asks, “Can he do this without knowing?”

On “Giving life and nurturing”

A later passage says, “The Dao gives them life; De nurtures them.” Here, “giving life and nurturing” means that the ruler models himself on the Dao’s purity, allowing all things to grow, and on De’s generosity, allowing all things to be nurtured.

“Giving life without possessing”: He lets all things grow in their own way and does not claim them as his own.

“Acting without relying on one’s merits”: He lets all things act in their own way and does not pride himself on his achievements.

“Leading without ruling”: He stands above the people but does not presume to be their master.

To act in this way is to embody “Mysterious De”—profound and wondrous virtue.

All things are able to grow, yet the ruler forgets his own role in their growth. Their growth fulfills its natural course; by forgetting his merits, he keeps his work whole. This is the meaning of “being selfless, yet accomplishing oneself; not ruling, yet becoming the ruler.”

Du Guangting explains “Carry the body’s hun and po and embrace the One—can they remain undivided?” as follows: “Carry and nourish” means to bear and sustain. The human body is where Shen and Qi dwell and where the hun and po reside. It depends on the body to carry and set them in motion, just as a cart carries goods. The Scripture of the Western Ascension says, “The body is the vehicle of Shen.” Since the body is likened to a vehicle, it should be able to carry what it bears.

The po belongs to Yin Qi and has form; it refers to the physical body. The hun belongs to Yang Qi and is formless; it refers to the human spirit. Though the body may be fully formed, if Yang Qi has not yet joined with it, a person remains dull and unresponsive, like a stubborn stone or dead wood. Only when Yang Qi descends and attaches to the body can a person move and act. Thus the body is identified with the po, which belongs to Yin, and Shen with the hun, which belongs to Yang.

As long as even a trace of Yang Qi remains in the body, a person will not die. As long as even a trace of Yin Qi remains, a person cannot become an immortal. So, when Yin Qi is completely refined away, one transcends the Nine Heavens and becomes an immortal, joining the company of Yang. When Yang Qi is completely refined away, one sinks into the Nine Springs and becomes a ghost, joining the company of Yin. One should therefore preserve the Yang hun and nourish the Yin po in order to complete one’s nature and life. “Embrace the One” means to hold fast to the Dao. By restraining the hun and governing the po, with keeping to the Dao as one’s foundation, one can prevent them from separating.

“Empty image” refers to the first appearance of formed substance, which is called an image (the word also means “likeness”). The moon’s po is an example: it receives sunlight and thereby shines. According to the Scripture of the Celestial Origin, the moon is Yin Qi by nature; it has an image but no light of its own.

Du Guangting then uses the movements of the sun and moon to explain the principles of “image” and “carrying.” The sun is the essence of Taiyang and travels east along the ecliptic, covering a little more than one degree each day and night. One degree is about 2,932 li. The moon is the essence of Taiyin. Its form is round and its substance clear; it borrows the sun’s light, through which its body becomes visible. The part the sun does not illuminate is called the po. The moon, too, travels east along the ecliptic, sometimes passing above it and sometimes below it, and its speed varies. At its slowest, it travels 12 degrees and two nineteenth-parts of a degree in a day; its average motion is 13 degrees and 37 minutes; at its fastest, it travels 14 degrees and thirteen ninth-parts of a degree in a day. When its slowness reaches its limit, it turns swift; when its swiftness reaches its limit, it becomes slow again. It takes 27 days and 52 minutes, with a total motion of 417 degrees, to complete one cycle of slowing and speeding. Then the cycle begins again. On the first day of each month, the sun and moon share the same degree; this is called conjunction at the new moon. Because the moon moves faster than the sun, on the third day the moon begins to show its first light, an event called “the first appearance of the po.”

Plain-Language Interpretation

The Phases of the Moon and the Movements of the Sun and Moon

After the new moon, on the first day of the lunar month, the moon’s light gradually begins to grow. On the second or third day, when it appears as a crescent, sunlight falls on the side of the moon, so from the side an observer sees it half bright and half dark. Around the end and beginning of the lunar month, sunlight mainly illuminates the moon’s surface, while the observer seems to be on the side facing inward toward the moon; as a result, the moon cannot be seen. On the full moon, the fifteenth day, the sun and moon stand opposite each other. An observer between them, looking toward the moon, sees it round and full of light.

When the moon is seen in the east at dawn on the morning of the full moon, the ancients said it moved sideways and slowly. When it appears in the west at dusk near the end of the lunar month, they said it moved at dawn and swiftly. Another account, given in answer to a question about the heavens, says that the light of the sun and moon comes from the sun alone. The region beyond which that light does not reach is called the “dark void.” When the dark void coincides with the moon, a lunar eclipse occurs; when it coincides with a star, the star disappears. The sun and moon pass along the central path at new and full moon, and may be eclipsed if they meet the dark void. According to another old account, the sun and moon each travel a circuit of three thousand li and are about a thousand li in diameter. This reflects the ancients’ ideas about the scale of the heavenly bodies.

The “Po” and the Story of Zheng Boyou

When a person first receives bodily form, before becoming fully endowed with spiritual essence, the Yin aspect is called the Po. In the seventh year of Duke Zhao of Lu, during the Spring and Autumn period, Zheng Boyou was in power when Si Dai killed him. The people of the state were terrified and spread the report, “Boyou has come!” Someone dreamed that Boyou said he would kill Dai in the year of Renzi. The following year, Duan was indeed killed; Si Dai also died, and Gongsun Duan died as well. People asked Zichan whether Boyou could still become a ghost. Zichan replied: “In a person, the Yin aspect is the Po and the Yang aspect is the Hun. The more essence a person draws from things, the stronger the Hun and Po become. Even an ordinary man or woman who dies violently may still have a Hun and Po that attach themselves to the living and cause trouble. How much more likely this is for Boyou, who held power for three generations: is it not fitting that he should be powerful as a ghost or spirit?” Boyou was descended from Duke Mu, the grandson of Ziliang, and the son of Zi’er; this is why the account says “three generations.” Zichan installed Boyou’s son, Liang Zhi, in order to calm the situation, and the disturbances then ceased. This story uses a historical event to explain how the Po and Hun may attach themselves to the living.

Zhuangzi and “Do Not Let It Return to Yang”

“Let not a mind close to death return to Yang” comes from the “Discussion on Making All Things Equal” chapter of the Zhuangzi. It describes a person whose pursuit of advantage gives rise to anxiety, and whose Yang intent then runs its course to this extreme. The passage relates to Nan Guo Ziqi’s explanation to Ziyou of the meaning of the “pipes of Heaven.” “Pure and unified” means harmonious and undivided; “not departing” means clearing away defilement, stilling disorder, and allowing no distracting mixture.

Laojun and “Nourish the Po and Guard the One”

Laojun understood the teaching of “nourishing the Po and guarding the One” and used it to teach people how to cultivate Shen. The Hidden Book of the Highest Clarity describes methods called “Yu Yi rushing to the sun” and “Jie Lin rushing to the moon.” One visualizes five emperors within each of the sun and moon, calls their inner names, and imagines the emperors appearing before oneself in their forms and attire. One then swallows the radiance of the sun and moon. Those who master this method live as long as the sun and moon. There is also a method for binding the Hun and controlling the Po, practiced regularly on the third and fifteenth days of the lunar month… (The text continues with the Emperor Śakra, visualizing the sun’s essence and the moon’s radiance, and the successive stages of cultivation.)

On the thirteenth and twenty-third days of each month, visualize the red qi within the heart transforming, and at the same time invoke the corresponding spirits.

The three hun (soul-spirits) of a person are named Taiguang, Shuangling, and Youjing. One should recite secret incantations to summon and restrain the three hun. Again, on the first, fifteenth, and last day of each month, visualize the white qi at the tip of the nose transforming, and at the same time invoke the names of the seven po (corporeal souls): Shigou, Fushi, Queyin, Tunzei, Chuhui, Choufei, and Feidu. Then recite secret incantations to subdue the seven po. The related methods of visualization and spellcraft are detailed in the Shangqing Pin (Shangqing Grades). Long practice in this way can lighten the body and enable ascension. This is the Supreme One’s method of guarding the empty po-souls, freeing one from the dust of the world, and attaining long life.

“Can you concentrate your qi and achieve softness, like an infant?” An infant does not yet know how to play and respond; it simply devotes itself to the natural, harmonious qi. Externally it is not stained by miscellaneous things; internally it does not give rise to discursive thought. Following the soft, yielding state of qi, the harmonious qi is therefore not lost. The person who cultivates the Way should be like an infant—unstained by stray thoughts and free of chaotic thinking—so that spirit does not leave the body. The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascent) says: “To cherish others is not as good as cherishing oneself; to cherish oneself is not as good as caring for spirit; to care for spirit is not as good as nourishing spirit; to nourish spirit is not as good as guarding true nature. Guard true nature, and you can endure long and endure forever.” The scripture also says: “Spirit cherishes people, yet people do not cherish spirit.” Therefore Lord Lao teaches people to nourish spirit and nourish qi.

“Can you cleanse the dark mirror of the heart and be without blemish?” The heart can illuminate the myriad things, penetrate being and non-being, and pervade heaven and earth. When events arise it may lag; following external conditions it may race ahead. If one does not restrain it with purity and stillness, the heart sinks into worldly stain; once sunk, all kinds of evil thoughts arise, leading in turn to faults and illness. Lord Lao warns people to wash and clear the inner heart, cut away desire, and make the heart’s illumination clear and pure—then there will be no faults or illness. The Xisheng Jing says: “What gives me life is spirit; what kills me is the heart.” Therefore one must restrain the will and withdraw discursive thought—this is the teaching on cultivating the inner heart.

“In loving the people and governing the state, can you practice wuwei (non-action)?” The people are the root of the state; wuwei is the way of the Dao’s transforming nurture. Nurturing the people through wuwei—loving and raising them—the root of the state can be secured. Harsh and cruel ordinances are tyranny; heavy taxes and frequent corvée labor harm the people’s livelihood; levies at the wrong season obstruct farming; failure to practice thrift devalues grain. These are principles one must understand in governing the state. As ruler, one takes the Dao as foundation and De (Virtue/Power) as root; without Dao and De, on what basis can one govern all under heaven? This is Lord Lao’s essential teaching on governing the state.

“When the gate of heaven opens and closes, can you remain like the female?” Cultivating the way of loving the people and governing the state also concerns the ruler’s mind in governing by wuwei and sitting facing south to preside over the realm.

This passage discusses how a ruler “receives the Mandate of Heaven,” follows Heaven and responds to the people, and how the Dao of Heaven opens and closes, waxing and waning, fullness and decline, and the proper way for a ruler to govern.

Following Heaven’s Cycles and Cherishing the Mandate

A ruler must remain humble and serve Heaven, following the cycles of time. These cycles refer to the span of years fixed by the Mandate of Heaven and the sequence of the Five Phases in their movement. When Shun charged Yu with the throne, he said, “Heaven’s cycles are now embodied in you; may Heaven’s blessing endure to the end.” This means that the span of years set by Heaven rests upon the ruler, and only then can Heaven’s bestowed blessings endure in full. The supreme throne and its great treasure may therefore be cherished and called the “precious Mandate”: since it is bestowed by Heaven, one says that it is “received from Heaven.” This is the meaning of the Book of Changes’s Commentary on the Appended Phrases: “The sage’s greatest treasure is the position.”

Heaven’s Gate Opens: Auspicious Signs and the Founding of a Dynasty

When Heaven’s Gate opens, extraordinary auspicious signs appear: a yellow star may shimmer with color, a red portent may reveal a sign, purple Qi may fill the court, the five planets may gather at the Well mansion, a flowing rainbow may pierce the moon, or a great flash of lightning may circle the Pivot Star. Then the mountains may bestow their numinous power and bring forth worthy people, while stars appoint assistants to support and aid the ruler. In response to Heaven and in accord with the people, the ruler saves and sustains all things, removes harm and puts an end to violence, and, inheriting Heaven’s cycles, comes to possess the realm.

Heaven’s Gate Closes: Misrule and the Fall of a State

When a ruler abandons his proper place, and punishments and government become perverse and unjust, the people turn against him and his intimates scatter. Armies clash and calamities multiply. Rebellion rises from below, while signs appear in the sky above: strange sounds in the heavens, the sky splitting, mountains collapsing, rivers drying up. Disasters spring up like swarms of bees, and the state falls. This is what is meant by Heaven’s Gate closing.

Opening and Closing, and the Principle of Change

“One opening and one closing is called change.” The Commentary on the Appended Phrases of the Book of Changes says that opening and closing follow one another, and Yin-Yang alternates in its arrival. This is the principle of mutual dependence and reversal, in which good and ill give rise to one another.

Reducing Fullness and Increasing Humility

“Diminish fullness and increase humility” draws on the meaning of the Modesty hexagram in the Book of Changes. To diminish is to reduce; fullness is overflow. When something is full, humility and restraint bring increase. The sun declines after reaching its height, and the moon wanes after becoming full: what has exceeded fullness is reduced, while humility and restraint receive benefit. This is the pattern of mutual dependence and reversal. Laozi cautions rulers that, having received the Mandate and taken charge of the people, they should govern with receptive stillness, gentleness, Wuwei (non-action), and simplicity, following Heaven’s cycles as they shepherd and nourish the realm.

Closing the Door Is Kun; Opening It Is Qian

The Commentary on the Appended Phrases of the Book of Changes also says, “Closing the door is called Kun.” Kun is Yin, and closing means concealment. All things first lie hidden and then emerge, like a room whose door is opened and shut; hence the phrase “closing the door.” “Opening the door is called Qian.” Qian is Yang, and opening means bringing forth life. Under Yang, things unfold; Yang can bring forth the myriad things, like a room whose door is opened. Another interpretation is that closing means obscurity, while opening means illumination.

Do Not Claim Mastery

“Do not claim mastery” echoes the Zhuangzi, “The Great and Venerable Teacher”: “Do not oppose the few, and do not claim mastery.” It means not to put oneself ahead of things on the strength of one’s own achievements. One should maintain receptive stillness and transform and guide the world.

Bright and Clear in All Directions: Can One Be Without Knowing?

“Bright and clear” refers to a mind illuminated by wisdom. Its light reaches near and far, shining in all directions without obstruction. Even when illumination reaches this degree, one should still reflect: the mind that thinks from moment to moment must not become attached to “seeing”—that is, to what it sees and knows. This is the meaning of “Bright and clear in all directions: can one be without knowing?”

On Wuwei and Youwei

If one clings to “knowledge,” one becomes attached to things and thereby loses the Dao. If a ruler governs the world by relying on his own insight, his policies will be too discerning, and the people will suffer. Laozi warns people to forget fame and achievement and quiet the mind’s observing, as though blocking the ears with the tassels that hung from an ancient emperor’s hat, or lowering the jade beads of the ceremonial crown to screen the eyes.

The Meaning of Giving Life and Nurturing

The way that gives life transforms the myriad things; this is called the De of giving life. The way that nurtures the myriad things sustains them; this is called the De of nurturing. Emperors model themselves on the way of Heaven and follow nature, allowing each thing to find its place and fulfill its proper share, so that all reach a fitting state and none is displaced. To model oneself on something is to learn from and imitate it. To give life to and nurture the myriad things without claiming ownership of them is called “Mysterious De.”

A ruler holds fast to simplicity and singleness of purpose, purifies the mind and turns inward, cares for the people and governs the state—all by following Heaven’s seasons. He remains receptive, still, and calm; draws in sight and hearing, turning his attention inward; embodies the Dao to bring forth the myriad things; and follows De to nurture the people’s lives. He gives life to and nurtures the myriad things without taking credit, and governs without relying on force. His sight and hearing reach in every direction, yet when his work is done, he does not claim the credit. This is the way to cultivate oneself, govern the state, and care for all under Heaven. It is an expression of following Heaven’s De. “Mysterious” means Heaven.

On Carrying the Corporeal Soul

The Daoist master says: “Carry the corporeal soul.” The po is Yin in nature. It clings to the body and has a place of rest. That is why Laozi speaks of “tending” the po, while the Book of Changes speaks of the hun as the “Way”: the hun is Yang in nature, dwells in Qi, and is everywhere. The sages use Shen to govern the body and the hun to guide the po. Thus Shen continually carries the hun and is not carried by the po. It is like a carriage bearing all kinds of things, or the passage of the years, with cold and heat coming and going. The mind wanders together with Heaven; the six faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—depend on one another. One forgets the world beyond and leaves the myriad things behind, while Shen is never troubled. How, then, could it remain stuck in the po?

On Embracing the One

“Embrace the One: can you keep it from departing?” Heaven, the first, gives rise to Water, which among the myriad things is Jing. Earth, the second, gives rise to Fire, which among the myriad things is Shen. Jing and Shen arise from the Dao, while the body originally arises from Jing. Hold fast without losing them and unite with Shen: then Jing and Shen join and do not separate. Gather Shen through Jing, use Shen to direct the body, and use the body to preserve Shen. Shen remains whole and undiminished, Jing is put to use without being exhausted, and the body is nourished without declining. It is like the sun and moon abiding in Heaven and plants and trees taking root in the earth: they have never been separated.

We should explain this again: At the beginning of human life, Jing gathers Shen; the body and its form then take shape. It extends in all four directions and flows everywhere, reaching upward to Heaven and spreading beneath the earth. It transforms and nourishes the myriad things, yet cannot be captured in any image. This is called “the One.”

People in the world who are benighted are driven by external things; worldly habits alter their original nature, and for even a moment they cannot settle their spirit and mind: the spirit and qi stored within scatter outward, they chase endless desires, and deplete their own jing (essence); hun (the ethereal soul) instead follows po (the corporeal soul), the body burdens the spirit, and in the end they change together with the ten thousand things. Is this not delusion?

The sage is not like this. He guides po and roams freely, embraces the One (the pure unity spoken of in the Daoist way) and holds to it; he lets both body and spirit grow quiet, and the form naturally sits upright. Even if his spirit passes through Mount Tai, he is not changed by it; if he stands in deep springs, he does not feel their depth. Who knows where his starting point lies, and who knows where his end lies?

Therefore the sage treasures jing and qi, makes qi single and attains softness—can he be like an infant? The Yijing says: “When qian is still, it is single-minded.” Yang Xiong said that harmonious softness is enough to settle the ten thousand things; quiet without disorder is called “single,” harmonious without vehemence is called “soft.” When an infant sits at ease, it does not know what it intends to do; when it moves, it does not know where it is going; it does not hoard right and wrong, beauty and ugliness in the heart, and so can concentrate jing and qi and attain softness.

Mencius said that stumbling walks and hurried runs are all expressions of qi; qi in turn stirs the spirit and mind. If the heart cannot single-mindedly control qi, qi will show improper signs of stumbling and haste, and the heart too will become corrupt, chaotic, arrogant, and unable to restrain itself. The sage is empty-hearted in dealing with the world and does not let the heart be forcibly ruled by qi; therefore he can be quiet without losing harmony, harmonious without vehemence—what difference is there from an infant? Hence: “Can he be like an infant?”

Mencius spoke of the flood-like qi, vast and supremely firm; nourished with uprightness and not harmed, it fills the space between heaven and earth. Laozi speaks of concentrating jing and qi, yet what is reached is softness—what is the reason? Supremacy in firmness is for practicing the Way and duty; supremacy in softness is for returning to original nature. The essential point of ancient Daoist teaching lies here.

“Wash and cleanse the mysterious mirror—can you be without blemish?” means: wash the inner heart, make the deep observing mirror clear—can you be without flaw? By this the sage washes the mind, clears away various actions yet does not possess them as his own; again by this he withdraws and hides in still depth, contemplates mysterious principle, and excludes selfish desire and partiality. Thus body and mind are pure and plain, untroubled by attachment; even if there were faults he would not regret them, when things are done fittingly he is not self-satisfied—what blemish could there be?

“Love the people and govern the state—can you act without deliberate effort (wuwei)?” means: cherish the people and rule the country—can one achieve wuwei? Treating the people with benevolence, governing the state with stratagem, carrying out teaching and making laws, governing the world with goodness—these are hard to call wuwei. The sage extends grace through ten thousand generations yet does not think he is loving people; his merit spreads through all under heaven yet seems not to come from himself—therefore it can be called wuwei. He employs the things of the world and still has more than enough.

Opening and closing, advancing and withdrawing, all accord with the proper time; firmness and gentleness are nearly revealed, depending entirely on how they are used. Yet one never rushes ahead of others, but often follows behind; one never rises above things, but often remains beneath them. For this reason, all under Heaven are glad to elevate such a one and do not reject them. Can you keep to the receptive and gentle? Then, understanding and reaching in all directions, can you refrain from putting cleverness to use? “Bright and wise, yet hold fast to simplicity”—this expresses the same idea. Nurturing all things to this degree is called Mysterious De (profound and unfathomable Virtue). The sage preserves the spirit and observes transformations, embodying the Dao; thus, the sage can be in accord with the divine and nurture all things, with nothing that cannot be accomplished. Giving life is for things to fulfill their nature; sustaining them is to bring their nurture to completion. With no partial attachment or desire for gain in the heart, this is called “giving life without possessing.” With no boastful or grasping conduct, this is called “acting without relying on one’s deeds.” With no contrived skill or artificial shaping, this is called “nurturing without ruling.” In this way, one’s De is both profound and far-reaching, opposed to worldly things; hence it is called Mysterious De. When the Way of Heaven rises in the north, it separates from other things, and “mysterious” is the color of Heaven. When the sage receives the Way of Heaven and embodies it as De, nothing but “mysterious” can name it.

Wang Anshi says: “‘Bearing the spirit’—ying means to settle and remain still; zai means to carry, as in the Book of Changes, where the firm is carried below. When Jing and Qi gather, they form things; when the wandering soul transforms, it becomes spirit. The Hun belongs to Yang, so it is constantly moving; the Po belongs to Yin, so it is constantly still. Yin is Yang’s complement, yet also its constraint. The Hun assists the Po, yet also intrudes upon it. Only when the Hun moves while the Po remains still, so that the Hun is always carried by the Po and Yang always prevails over Yin, can one preserve one’s innate nature. The Hun can bring the Po to rest, and the Po can carry the Hun. If the Hun is not carried by the Po, this is because deliberate striving and desires have obscured it: though the Hun remains, life is dead from its very beginning.

“Can you embrace the One and never depart from it? The One is Jing. When Hun and Po are complete, Jing comes into being; when Jing comes into being, Shen follows. Can you concentrate Qi and attain softness, like an infant? The will commands Qi, and Qi is the horse that can turn toward good or evil; what Qi does is directed by the will. If you concentrate and keep your Qi within, bringing it to the utmost softness, can you be like an infant? This means being as supple and weak as an infant. An infant cries all day without making its throat hoarse and looks at things all day without blinking. When Mencius speaks of Qi, he calls it supremely great and supremely firm, filling the space between Heaven and Earth. Why, then, does Laozi speak of concentrating Qi and attaining softness?”

Mencius speaks of “establishing the root,” while Laozi speaks of “returning to the root,” so their teachings appear different on the surface.

“Cleanse the mirror of the Mysterious; can it be free of blemish?” To cleanse is to wash the heart; the mirror of the Mysterious is to behold the subtle. Even if it shines like the moon and gleams like a pearl, can it be without a flaw?

“In loving the people and governing the state, can you practice Wuwei (non-action)?” To love the people is to love them by means of “not loving”; only then can that love endure. To govern the state is to govern it by means of “not governing”; only then can that rule endure. Because what seems like not loving is in fact love, and what seems like not governing is in fact governance, this is called Wuwei. Wuwei makes use of what people throughout the world already do; those who have more make use of what people lack. Since Laozi speaks particularly of returning to the root, why does he also speak of loving the people and governing the state? Because Laozi begins his teaching from the Dao itself, as in the saying, “Share the people’s joys and sorrows.” The Yi says that the sage thereby cleanses the heart and withdraws into hiddenness. To share the people’s joys and sorrows—that is what this means. This was true not only of Laozi; it was true of all the sages of antiquity.

“When the Gate of Heaven opens and closes, can you remain receptive?” All things emerge from it and return through it, so it is called the Gate of Heaven. Opening and closing entail movement and stillness; movement and stillness entail the feminine and the masculine. Hold to the feminine to overcome the masculine, and hold to stillness to set things in motion. Thus the question: when the Gate of Heaven opens and closes, can you be feminine?

“To give life and to nurture”: giving life is the Dao of bringing things into being; nurturing is De (Virtue/Power). This is called Mysterious De. The expression of the Dao within me is De. “To give life without possessing, to act without relying on one’s effort, to guide without ruling”—this is called Mysterious De. These three all return to selflessness, which is why it is called Mysterious De.

Su Yingbin says: “‘Can you keep the body and spirit embracing the One without separation?’ The corporeal soul differs from the ethereal soul: the corporeal soul belongs to matter, while the ethereal soul belongs to spirit. The Yi says, ‘The subtle essences of things form them, while the roaming souls bring about change’; thus we can know the conditions of ghosts and spirits. The corporeal soul is material, so it is mixed and remains within the body; the ethereal soul is spiritual, so it is unified and transforms. The term ‘body and spirit’ refers to the aspect that remains within the body. The Dao is everywhere; in a person it is nature, and the subtle wonder of nature is spirit. When it is described as pure and unmixed, it is called ‘the One’; when it is described as gathered and undispersed, it is called ‘the Uncarved Block.’ Ultimately, all of these are the Dao, described from different angles.

“The sage’s nature is settled and the spirit is concentrated, unmoved by external things. Though the corporeal soul serves as its dwelling, wherever the spirit wishes to go, the corporeal soul follows. Thus spirit and corporeal soul do not separate.”

Ordinary people are often led by the Po: the aspect connected with the body and the senses tends to dominate. When people are ruled by external things and lose command of their nature, their spirit grows confused and Shen is at the mercy of Po. Their ears and eyes are trapped by sounds and sights; their mouths and noses are wearied by flavors. Po wants to act in a certain way, and Shen moves along with it. The result is that Po is always carrying Shen off in confusion. That is why sages teach people to “embrace Shen and carry Po,” keeping them from separating. This is the key to cultivating oneself. The true people of antiquity, whose roots ran deep and whose foundations were firm, could live long and see far; this, too, was their essential method.

“Concentrate the Qi and bring it to softness: can you be like an infant?” When Shen cannot govern, Qi becomes disorderly: the strong become combative, the weak shrink back, and people are unaware of what they are doing. When Shen can govern, Qi does not move recklessly, and joy and anger each accord with their proper nature. This is called “concentrating the Qi.” Shen is emptiness at its utmost; Qi is the beginning of substance. When emptiness reaches its utmost, it becomes soft; when substance reaches its utmost, it becomes hard. To preserve one’s pure nature and keep Qi from running wild is called “bringing it to softness.” An infant does not know likes and dislikes, so its nature is whole. When nature is whole, Qi is subtle; when Qi is subtle, the body is soft. “Concentrate the Qi and bring it to softness: can you be like an infant?” describes this utmost state.

“Wash away and cleanse the profound vision: can you be without blemish?” Outwardly, the sage is not ruled by Po; inwardly, the sage is not driven by Qi. Once every trace of dust and grime has been washed away, Shen opens out into spacious clarity. With profound vision, the sage observes all things and knows that they all arise from their original nature. Purity and defilement are regarded alike, leaving nothing to mar that clarity.

“Love the people and govern the state: can you do so through Wuwei?” Beyond cultivating oneself, extend the same principle to others. Even in caring for the people and governing the state, respond without deliberate intention. When intention takes hold, caring for the people can harm them, and governing the state can throw it into disorder.

“When the gates of Heaven open and close, can you remain receptive?” The gates of Heaven are where order and disorder, flourishing and decline, emerge and recede. When you bear responsibility for the world and stand at a turning point of opening and closing, change and transformation, ordinary people prize what they gain and fear what they lose, often acting first to secure good fortune. The sage follows principle and understands the Mandate of Heaven, waiting for the call before responding. The Yijing says, “Precede Heaven, and Heaven does not oppose you.” This does not mean deliberately rushing ahead. It also says, “Follow Heaven, and serve the timing of Heaven.” This does not mean always lagging behind. It means that whether one goes before or after, one is in accord with the Mandate of Heaven. Otherwise, the one who goes first is sure to be rash, while the one who comes after is sure to be late; both miss the right moment. To “remain receptive” simply means not to miss the proper time.

“Understand clearly in all directions: can you do so without knowledge?” Whether governing oneself inwardly or governing the state outwardly, and whatever changes one must face, all responses come from the Dao.

Question 3

Given that the content is highly confidential and its disclosure would seriously harm the organization, if the right to use that content were still treated as a tradable commodity, which of the following would most likely be legitimized?

A. Bribing, coercing, or enticing someone with access to the content to disclose it outside the organization in violation of its rules

B. Requiring all members to recite the full text publicly on a regular basis to prove their memories are accurate

C. Prohibiting any member from leaving the organization to prevent them from taking the content with them in their memory

D. Rewriting the content as a popular novel and distributing it freely on the market

Please choose A, B, C, or D.

The reason “mysterious De” (Virtue/Power) comes into being is simply that it refers to the De of Heaven.

Lu Nongshi says: The hun soul belongs to Yang and governs activity; the po soul belongs to Yin and governs stillness. The po assists the spirit (shen): its movements bring change, but not transformation and nurture. The hun assists the essence (jing): its stillness brings transformation and nurture, but not change. Thus “wandering hun” describes change, while “tending the po” describes stillness. Can they remain undivided? “Bearing the po” means allowing transformation to work outward; “embracing the One” means holding to it inwardly. Hence the saying, “Can you bear the po and embrace the One without being separated?” Bearing the po enables transformation; embracing the One enables inward preservation. The inner and outer remain joined, never divided.

Only then can one “concentrate the Qi and attain softness, becoming like an infant.” Inward preservation concentrates the Qi; outward movement makes it gentle. In stillness it is concentrated, in movement it is gentle, and its De can be compared to that of a newborn. Then the mind can be opened and cleared, and the spirit cleansed and illumined until it reflects Heaven. All methods are emptied, leaving no burden of method behind. Hence the saying, “Can you concentrate the Qi and attain softness, becoming like an infant?” It is followed by, “Can you cleanse and clear the profound mirror, leaving it without blemish?”

“Cleansing” means washing the heart-mind; “clearing” means hollowing it out. Wash it until nothing remains impure; hollow it until nothing remains unfilled. Then, detached and at ease, one can look on as all methods are emptied. From that emptiness, one can establish methods and share the people’s troubles and joys. Hence the saying, “Can you cleanse and clear the profound mirror, leaving it without blemish?”

“Can you care for the people and govern the state through Wuwei (non-action)?” Care for the people by caring without possessiveness; govern the state by governing without imposing control. The Dao leaves nothing undone. Then one can remain still and unmoving, yet respond when touched, thereby understanding the workings of the world. One acts only when compelled and responds only when called upon. Hence the saying, “Can you care for the people and govern the state through Wuwei?” It is followed by, “When the gates of Heaven open and close, can you remain receptive?”

The “gates of Heaven” are nonbeing. The spirit and essence come and go as the gates open and close; all things emerge from here and return here, and their transformations are without limit. When the gates of Heaven open and close, one remains receptive among all things, without asserting dominance. Then one can awaken fully and shine everywhere, reaching freely in every direction, with an unobstructed clarity. Hence the saying, “When the gates of Heaven open and close, can you remain receptive?”

Speaking of Heaven: it reaches a state where nothing obstructs it, and lets itself remain in obscurity. It has no awareness, and for this reason it is called “Heaven.”

Laozi’s Original Text and Two Ways of Reading It

“Can the Gate of Heaven open and close, yet remain like the female?”—As the Gate of Heaven opens and closes, can it remain still and yielding, like the female?

Then comes another question: “Can one understand everything and reach everywhere, yet be without knowledge?”—When one understands clearly and shines in all directions, can one avoid relying on intellectual knowledge or showing off one’s cleverness?

“Can one carry the hun and po, embrace the One, and keep them from separating?”—With the hun and po carried together in the body and the One held fast, can they remain undivided?

“Can one love the people and govern the state through Wuwei (non-action)?”—Can one care for the people and govern the state through non-action?

These passages describe the state of the sage.

The text also asks: “Can the Gate of Heaven open and close, yet remain like the female? Can one understand clearly and penetrate everywhere, yet be without knowledge?” This describes the state of the spirit person.

Wang Yuanze’s Explanation of “Carrying the Hun and Po” and “Embracing the One”

Wang Yuanze says: Carrying the hun and po—The po belongs to Yin and governs the physical body. Shen, as a presence, is vast and open to all things, yet cannot make itself clear to itself. Because Shen often lodges in the po, it is instead confined by the body. What is vast thus seems narrow; what is open to all things thus seems obstructed.

Those who wish to learn this Way should first broaden their aspirations and keep the body from becoming a burden. They should let Shen be carried by the hun, rather than by the po. Only then can they embrace the One and embody Shen.

I have argued that the difference between rising and sinking after death often comes from extinguishing Shen to serve the body, and making Shen follow the po. This leads to a fall into the shadowy realm and transformation into an anomalous being. For a person whose Shen is intact, even if the po remains Yin and heavy, Jing and Shen still unite as one and can go everywhere. It is said that when a sage dies, Shen does not follow the po; while alive, however, the sage still carries the po.

Embracing the One—“One” is the number of Jing. The text says “One” rather than “Jing” because when the One is held fast, Jing does not waver. Can they be kept from separating? The study of the Way culminates in returning to one’s original nature, and returning to one’s original nature culminates in embodying Shen. One fails to embody Shen by pursuing the branches and forgetting the root, and exchanging oneself for things. Thus one loses Jing and spiritual potency, sinking into dull ignorance.

The numinous aspects of Yin and Yang are called the hun and po. The hun belongs to Yang, and so it wanders and comes to rest; in the human body, the po is its counterpart. The po belongs to Yin, and yingying—its ceaseless activity—comes to rest. Therefore, practitioners must first calm their aspirations and Qi, making Jing and po still and unified. When the po comes to rest, the hun settles; when Jing is unified, Shen is whole.

One gives rise to Water, and Water is Jing. At the beginning of life, Jing gathers Shen, and the person is whole and undivided from the start. Those who cannot understand themselves often come to be split apart and scattered. This state is called wangliang: wang means that Shen is unclear; liang means that Jing is not unified. The Zhuangzi says, “Do not disturb your Jing”—this is the meaning of embracing the One.

In truth, Jing and Shen resemble Water and Fire: Fire has no fixed form and shines when it meets fuel; Shen, by contrast, is boundless.

Without having a form—that is, without first cultivating the inner foundation—one cannot attain the kingly Way; one need only preserve Jing and Qi. It is like adding oil to brighten a flame or nourishing the roots so the leaves grow thick. When the hun and po souls, Jing, and Shen are not depleted, the will grows strong and the movement of Qi flows freely, no longer led astray by external things. In stillness, the body accords with the Dao; in action, it accords with principle. At the highest subtlety, Shen returns to unity, surpassing even the four names “Jing, Qi, Shen, and hun.” This is the supreme subtlety of learning the Dao. Sages across the ages have sought inwardly from this understanding, never outwardly. By concentrating Qi and attaining suppleness, can you become like an infant?

The human body has three things: Jing, Shen, and Qi. When Jing is full, Shen flourishes; only when Shen flourishes can it govern Qi. When Shen is weak, it cannot command Qi, and becomes unsettled, causing a person to fall away from the Dao. Mencius said, “The will is the commander of Qi.” Yang Xiong said that Qi is like a horse galloping toward good or evil. When a commander is weak, the troops rebel, and the commander is sure to fall; when a horse grows wild and the driver is exhausted, the carriage is sure to crash. If Shen cannot concentrate Qi, then joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure all follow the flow of Qi, exceeding bounds and running wild. This is how things naturally unfold. The learned people of antiquity all understood this principle. If one has not yet reached this state, one should still quiet the heart to guard against it. The “Three Cautions” of Confucius all guard against the loss of control over Qi. Among his disciples, only Yan Hui could concentrate Qi; hence it was said that he did not transfer his anger to others. The violence of Qi lies in Yang, and no expression of Yang is more violent than anger. To feel anger without transferring it to others—what could this be but concentrating Qi? Human beings are endowed from birth with the nature of a sage, but when Qi disperses and cannot be concentrated, they grow ever farther from the Dao as they pass into adulthood. If one embraces the One, Shen flourishes; when Shen flourishes, Qi becomes supple; when Qi becomes supple, one’s true nature is complete. Thus one becomes like an infant. To concentrate means to possess something and hold authority over it.

Can you cleanse and purify the profound mirror until it is free of blemish? When Qi is concentrated, nature is settled; when nature is settled, wisdom becomes clear; when wisdom is clear, one can sweep away and cleanse all that obstructs it, attaining the wondrous vision of the profound mirror. Once one has seen through its principle, all the myriad forms of the world are equally wondrous. If one sees a blemish, one has not understood the principle.

In loving the people and governing the state, can you practice Wuwei (non-action)? As described above, the Way of cultivating oneself is complete; from there, one can extend what remains to others. Laozi’s teaching centers on recovering one’s nature. Action that imposes itself does not help the people rest in their nature; therefore, even in loving and governing them, one does not champion such action. This is the utmost Dao.

When Heaven’s Gate opens and closes, can you remain receptive? The sage has no intention of creating; the spirit emerges.

A Plain-Language Interpretation

1. Responding without taking the lead, and “knowing”

Most people simply respond to things without taking the initiative to lead them. This is what Zhuangzi means by “something that gathers them in.” Laozi corresponds to autumn among the four seasons. Its qualities are generating Metal, stillness and unity, and returning to one’s nature; hence his esteem for these qualities. As for the Yijing, whether one speaks of its Earlier Heaven or Later Heaven arrangement, it is all the Dao.

“Clear and penetrating in every direction, can one remain without knowledge?” In principle, there is nothing that needs to be known. Knowledge serves to help one respond to things. Once one knows the ultimate principle, one should naturally remain in a state of unknowing: only by being without knowledge can one know everything. If one is plainly convinced that one possesses knowledge, one has failed to grasp the wonder of “unknowing”—how could that count as real knowledge?

I have discussed this at length: sagely wisdom and the folly of the most ignorant are not essentially different. Wisdom appears through folly, and that is what earns the name “sage.” Would a sage ever consider himself a sage at heart? Thus, to be clear and penetrating in every direction while knowing nothing at the outset—that is the knowledge of a sage.

2. Giving life and nurturing, acting without relying on achievement, and guiding without ruling

If one embodies the Dao described above, giving life and nurturing: the work of transformation is in one’s hands, and one can give life to and nurture the myriad things. To give life without possessing: the Dao gives life to the myriad things, and things and Dao are always one. Who, then, could “possess” them? To act without relying on achievement means acting when there is no alternative; even when one has accomplished something, one remains detached and forgets oneself. How could one then boast or behave arrogantly?

To guide without ruling: with the Dao described above, one can nurture all under Heaven through Wuwei (non-action). Though one stands above the myriad things like a branch rising above the trees, is there any act of dividing or ruling them? This is called Mysterious De. “Mysterious” refers to the subtle essence; it is the highest form of De. In ancient times, when Shun lived in obscurity, the Book of Documents praised his Mysterious De. The highest De, after all, lies in acting without thought or effort. Since this chapter centers on Wuwei, it speaks of “guiding,” yet gives special honor to De as “mysterious.”

From “being a scholar” through embodying Shen (spirit) and becoming a sage, the entire sequence of self-cultivation is complete.

3. Liu Zhongping says

One holds to unity and brings unity to fulfillment through refined understanding; one holds to unity in responding to change; and one returns to unity to enter the realm of Shen. Thus the way of the noble person begins with bringing unity to fulfillment, is put into practice through holding to unity, and is concealed through returning to unity.

“Concentrate Qi and attain softness: can you be like an infant?” At birth, a person is an infant: Qi is concentrated and brought to unity, the utmost in genuineness. As the person grows, feelings arise, and falseness reaches its height. Only one who knows the Dao understands that striving for fame means losing one’s genuineness, while pursuing profit leads into falseness. This is what it means to be able to return.

“When Heaven’s Gate opens and closes, can you remain receptive? When Heaven’s Gate opens and closes, can you act as the receptive?” Opening and closing are the workings of change. The Yijing says: “Qian brings beauty and benefit…”

Video Evaluation Report: Avicii’s “Waiting For Love” Prompt vs. R1’s Finished Video

Note: No reference video or opening frame was provided, so the comparison below focuses mainly on R1’s text description and the prompt. Any frame-by-frame comparison with the reference music video can only be a reasoned inference. The assumed reference is the song’s official music video or visuals associated with the same song, rather than “Xiao Zhang” wellness skits.

I. Hallucination Detection (Yes/No)

Conclusion: The video shows clear semantic and instruction-following failures: its theme, dance style, and character setup diverge sharply from the prompt and the typical reference music video. Its baseline quality and aesthetic scores should therefore also be lowered.

II. Multimodal Consistency (0/1)

III. Basic Video Quality (0/1)

IV. Aesthetic Dimensions (0/1)

V. R1 Overall Score (0–100)

The main factor is the failure to follow the instructions and preserve the theme. The subject scores 0 for multimodal consistency, and several basic-quality and aesthetic dimensions also score 0, so the overall score is low.

VI. ELO-Style Pairwise Comparison (Assuming Each Model Generates One Video from the Same Prompt: “Avicii’s ‘Waiting For Love’ + Tango…”)

Model scores (ELO style, estimated single-generation quality with the same prompt)

VII. Summary Table (R1)

To reassess character framing and scene hallucination against the actual reference opening frame, provide key frames or a link to the reference video. The character-error and scene assessments can then be revised using stricter 0/1 criteria.

The first passage: conserving and wasting

“Chang” means restraint and cherishing; “se” means frugality and holding back. The Dao of Heaven always teaches people to conserve, yet people often squander and waste. The body’s openings—the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and so on—leak without restraint, and Jing and Qi continually drain away until the inside of the body is as if dried up. This is what “dryness within” means.

Speaking of death, it is not that a person’s Jing leaves the body of its own accord. People dissipate their own Jing and Qi, and so it is as though they have “departed.” Zhuangzi said, “One who does not depart from Jing is called a spirit-like person.” So Laozi asks: Can one avoid departing? To guard Jing and Qi is to avoid departure.

The second passage: focus Qi and become supple; can you be like an infant?

“Focusing Qi” means that Qi does not scatter or become mixed; “becoming supple” means reaching the utmost softness, like an infant. If someone cultivating the Dao can do this, their Qi will be preserved.

The Yellow Emperor said: The “source of life-giving Qi” is the root of the twelve channels; specifically, it is the moving Qi between the kidneys. Breathing through the nose and mouth, and moving the hands and feet, depend on the nourishment, augmentation, assistance, replenishment, moistening, and support provided by the five grains, five domestic animals, five fruits, five vegetables, wine, fragrant plants, and mineral medicines. Once harmonized, these enter the channels as nutritive and defensive Qi, circulating between the skin and protecting the body. These are all different functions branching out from “life-giving Qi.” The mother, the root, remains between the kidneys, and a person’s roughly thirty-five thousand breaths each day are all connected to this “mother.”

Once Qi flows into knowledge and desire, it is no longer focused or supple. Joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure arise within, while youth, strength, old age, and death appear outwardly; the seven-foot body becomes like mere dust and earth.

An infant does not yet know sexual relations, so its Qi may be called “focused.” It cries all day without becoming hoarse, which may be called “supreme.” At birth, people naturally possess a balanced, harmonious Qi. Later, it becomes wayward because they cannot focus their Qi and instead exhaust it recklessly. This is the subtle principle of preserving Qi. This is also what is meant by “a great person does not lose the heart of an infant.”

The third passage: cleanse and clear the mysterious mirror; can you be without flaw?

The heart-mind stores Shen. The heart-mind is like a mirror, and Shen is like a deep valley. When the principles of the world are reflected completely in the heart-mind, this is the heart-mind. It can reflect through Shen because it is mysterious and profound; hence the term mysterious mirror.

The human heart-mind is naturally capable of being a mysterious mirror. Who has made it unclear? Who has obstructed its openness? It is simply that people cannot master external things: when Jing departs and Qi weakens, Shen leaves. Once Shen has gone, everything in the heart-mind becomes defiled and obstructive. It is like walking at night and seeing nothing. This is not because the mirror was unclear to begin with, but because it has not been cleaned; nor is it because the heart-mind was not open to begin with, but because it has been blocked.

Thus, the faults of the mysterious mirror do not come from outside. A sage need not deliberately “cleanse and clear” it. Shen reflects naturally, without flaw.

The foundation of learning the Dao lies in preserving the wholeness of the three treasures of jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit). For this reason the scripture first asks whether one can hold fast to this foundation and keep it from scattering. The following passage, "nourish the essence as an infant," explains that the essence should be nourished with the simplicity and softness of a baby. "Nourish the qi without flaw" means that the qi should be cultivated without blemish. "Nourish the shen" refers to tending to the spirit.

The text then turns to loving the people and governing the state. Zhuangzi says: "The true essence of the Dao is used to cultivate the self, and its remnants are used to govern the state and the world. Loving the people is the expression of ren (benevolence), and it is also the business of governing." Thus the duties of kings and lords cannot be entirely wuwei (non-action). Yet if one can regard these duties as one regards straw dogs (figures of straw used in sacrifice, discarded once the rite is over and never treasured), not clinging to the affairs one performs, then one comes close to non-action.

In the line "In the opening and closing of the gate of Heaven, can you remain as the female?" the "gate of Heaven" refers to the openings through which the senses connect with the outside world, and "female" refers to yielding, stillness, and non-contention. A person who accomplishes human affairs must follow the Dao of Heaven, which is why the gate of Heaven is mentioned here. Zhuangzi says: "The gate of Heaven is non-being, and the myriad things emerge from non-being." The Yijing (Book of Changes) says: "One closing and one opening is called change," showing that the Dao of Heaven is governed by transformation. Loving the people and governing the state are simply a matter of accord with the Dao of Heaven and need not be forced through display of strength. Affairs should be undertaken only when there is no alternative, and even then one should simply follow what is natural.

In the line "With clear understanding reaching the four quarters, can you be without knowing?", "clear understanding" means a mind that is bright, and "reaching the four quarters" means penetrating in every direction. The "knowing" here refers to deliberate cleverness and calculation. If one does not deliberately display wisdom and does not scheme on behalf of others, then one can be said to "know everything without knowing." Not favoring hidden corners, being free of calculating motives, and nurturing one's own intelligence allows the hun (ethereal soul) and po (corporeal soul) to find their support, and the essence and qi to be preserved. In this way one may perhaps attain longevity.

The scripture closes by quoting the commentary of Liu Ji: the hun belongs to Yang and the po belongs to Yin. Only the harmony of one Yin and one Yang is called the Dao. To lean toward Yin or toward Yang alone is not the state of the Dao.

The Harmonizing of Hun and Po

Hun is Yang, and Po is Yin. The two are meant to complement one another, but when Yin grows too strong, it can also harm Yang. Hun must therefore bear Po, and Po must nourish and protect Hun, so that Yin and Yang are in harmony and do not injure one another. Only then can their Virtue blend and become one. Yet why seek this outside oneself? Simply “guard the One.”

The One is single and undivided, and the subtle workings of its generation and transformation cannot be fathomed. It is neither Yin nor Yang, yet it is never apart from them, and so it can harmonize Yin and Yang. This is why Laozi says, “Carrying the hun and embracing the po, can you keep them from parting?” The sage holds fast to this One without letting go. With nothing in the heart, the sage guards the spirit amid the vast darkness and nurtures it in still, profound quiet. True Qi then naturally becomes concentrated and unmixed, while one’s nature and temperament naturally grow gentle and calm. Thus one can be “like an infant.”

An infant does not know what to do when sitting, or where to go when walking. It keeps its eyes open all day without blinking and cries all day without becoming hoarse. This is harmony in its utmost form. The sage uses this to cleanse the heart and withdraw into stillness, clearing away every thought and contemplating the wondrous principles of the mysterious. What flaw could remain?

Cherishing the People and Governing the State: The Body as a State

After explaining how to return to the source, Laozi goes on to speak of “cherishing the people and governing the state.” Why? Because the body is a miniature state. The sage takes the heart as ruler, the body as the state, and Qi as the people. Wuwei (non-action) is the ruler’s Way: the heart acts without contrivance and rests in its honored place; the myriad forms of Qi naturally circulate, and the body’s members naturally fall into order. Preserving Qi is cherishing the people; keeping the whole body intact is governing the state.

Through Wuwei, one has more than enough to serve the world; through purposeful action, one is used up by the world and left with too little. So, “Cherishing the people and governing the state, can you do so through Wuwei?” With Wuwei, nothing is left undone: Heaven’s gate opens of itself, and Earth’s door closes of itself.

Heaven’s gate is where the spirit comes and goes. When it opens and closes, the spirit can enter and depart, sitting within the bounds of a single mat while roaming through realms without limit. Yet if the spirit roams without rest, it too will fall short. It must therefore be made still and brought into accord with Yin. So, “Can you play the feminine role?” When the Original Spirit is still, true nature becomes clear of itself, able to reflect Heaven and Earth and illuminate the myriad things.

But if the use of the intellect never ceases, the intellect too will reach its limits. So, “With clear understanding in all directions, can you remain free of knowing?” This is what is meant by guarding wisdom, sagacity, and intelligence with foolishness: possessing insight yet not putting it to use, having genuine wisdom that appears foolish. Stillness and wisdom support one another; knowing and tranquility nourish one another. One shares a nature with Heaven and Earth and works in harmony with the transformations of creation. Its Way can give birth to the myriad things, and its Virtue can nourish and sustain all under Heaven.

This scripture expounds the Daoist philosophy regarding the origin of life and the dynamics of yin-yang hun (ethereal soul) and po (corporeal soul). Laozi states that while heaven and earth nurture all beings, they claim no merit; though they transform and sustain myriad creatures, they presume no ownership—this natural Dao (the Way) represents the highest state. Like the sun illuminating the earth without boasting, all things depend on it for life yet remain unaware of its presence.

Zhao Shi'an (a Yuan dynasty Daoist master) elaborates: The origin of human life lies in the interaction between metal (lungs) and fire (heart). Hun and po resemble yin and yang qi (vital energy)—hun belongs to yang (spiritual activity), while po pertains to yin (physical functions). Hun requires po for its existence, just as po depends on hun for movement, mirroring the waxing and waning cycles of the moon.

Quoting the Yijing (Book of Changes), he explains that the Dao of heaven manifests through the mutual generation of yin and yang. The same principle applies to human hun-po: when hun is full, po flourishes; when hun weakens, po declines. This mirrors the moon's phases—appearing as a crescent on the third day (birth of light), reaching fullness on the fifteenth (peak of hun), then vanishing by month's end (extinction of po). The moon belongs to metal (west) while the sun represents fire (east). When moonlight reflects sunlight, it symbolizes "metal seizing fire's form."

A key insight: On the third day of each month when the new moon appears in the western sky (at the geng position), though called "birth of po," it inherently contains hun's essence. For the moon's form (po) derives from the sun's light (hun). This parallels the relationship between lungs (metal) and heart (fire)—the lungs govern po while the heart rules hun; their interdependence sustains life.

From the third to fifteenth day, the moon grows full like the Qian hexagram (pure yang) with all six lines represented by the yang number "nine." At this peak brightness, we witness "metal acquiring fire to complete its form." These cyclical patterns of yin-yang hun-po constitute what Daoist cultivation calls "carrying the camp-soul" (zai yingpo)—maintaining harmonious unity between spirit (shen) and physical form.

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

Scripture

The moon is represented by the Li trigram. Li represents the middle daughter, and the female symbolizes Yin. Zhen receives one change from Kun in the west; this corresponds to the third day and the position of the first yang line, the first nine. On the eighth day, the moon appears in the Xin position. After another change, it becomes Dui, corresponding to the second nine. By the tenth day, the form of Qian is complete: its fullness reaches Jia in the east. Qian governs the six Jia positions, and its flying dragon is in the sky—this corresponds to the third nine.

The waxing and waning of Yin and Yang can be seen in the phases of the moon. The thirty days of a month and its 360 periods correspond to the number of the year. In alchemical practice, one must first understand the timing of the fire. The fire is received from Heaven, so the trigrams are called “Heavenly Tally”; the Classic of Changes provides the standard for recording the fire. Of the sixty-four trigrams, Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li are excluded, leaving sixty trigrams in use. Tun in the morning and Meng in the evening begin the sequence; the first fifteen days advance to Dazhuang and conclude there. During the next fifteen days, the sequence runs from Jin to Weiji and concludes there. The advance and retreat of the fire, and the changes in the seasons, are measured by the day and can be seen in the moon’s waxing and waning. At the first quarter, advance; at the last quarter, retreat.

The scripture describes the joining of the ethereal and corporeal souls as the union of tiger and dragon, and the infant and maiden as seizing Shen. Through refinement, the Jade Liquid is formed and the first new shoots of the medicine appear. At the first nine, the fire advances: this is the time for careful protection, when no mistake can be allowed. Hence the instruction to “embrace the One.” Let it go, and it is lost; lose it, and one dies. It truly cannot be pulled away. When the yang embryo is cast down within, the breath follows its own course, and the Dao is achieved. Thus the scripture speaks of numbers without naming numbers, and of medicine without naming medicine: the principles of lead and mercury are all contained here.

Next, Jia must be urgently nurtured; through the six and the one, the Golden Tiger is gradually tamed. “Can one embrace the One and remain undivided?”

“Change” means the Dao. The character for “change,” 易, combines the sun and moon: before they are joined, there is no Yin and Yang; once joined, Water and Fire are paired. This is the natural Golden Elixir of Heaven and Earth. The natural Golden Elixir already exists in Heaven and Earth; it is neither embraced nor let go. Here, “embrace” means that humans cannot be one with Heaven and Earth’s natural state. They take Water, Fire, and Metal and entrust them to the image of Change, appropriating the natural Qi and transforming the furnace and cauldron in order to cultivate the supreme medicine. In this way, they follow the natural pattern of Heaven and Earth. Speaking of human beings, then, the question is: “Can one embrace the One and remain undivided?” This is a question that has not yet been answered.

When ordinary people speak of embracing the One, what is this “One”? If they treat the One as a number, they may say it is bound by number; if they treat it as something with a trace, they may say it is confined by traces. They should instead extinguish this “One” and thereby realize stillness and clarity. But this is a method of extinction, not the Dao of ceaseless transformation and renewal.

Key Points

The Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun) said: "He who comprehends the principle of 'One' (the origin of Dao) can understand all things in creation; but he who fails to grasp 'One' cannot even comprehend the most fundamental matters." How profound this statement is! Numerically speaking, from 'One' comes 'Two', and from 'Two' comes 'Three'. From the perspective of Qi (vital energy), 'One' represents the primordial Qi - this original energy is the pre-heaven Qi, identical with the Dao itself and the very foundation of human life. If one seeks to establish one's being and destiny, what else can one rely upon if not this 'One'?

Though 'One' appears formless and void, it permeates all things. What we call "embracing the One" (baoyi) is essentially embracing Yang energy. Both human nature (xing) and life (ming) originate from this 'One'. Liezi once asked: "Does the Dao of Change lack form?" To say it embraces emptiness is not to speak of illusory appearances; to say it embraces substance is not to refer to concrete objects. The essence of Dao transcends emotions, and this state of seeming existence within non-existence reveals its profound mystery.

Thus we understand that 'One' is Dao, Dao is Change (Yi), and Change is Yin-Yang. Hence the saying "the alternation of Yin and Yang is called Dao," and "continuous generation is called Change," meaning the mutual production of Yin and Yang creates endless transformations. Like the sun and moon in their courses, their separation and union follow natural patterns, their waxing and waning occurring spontaneously. When the new moon appears, it must absorb the solar fire Qi for nourishment, undergoing nine transformations to form the nine Yang energies. Therefore the practice of "embracing the One" must never be neglected for even a moment.

The Records of Fire state: "Heaven manifests through sun, moon and stars; Earth manifests through water, fire and metal." Though the moon belongs to the metal phase, metal itself has no fixed form, being merely the symbol of western Qi. Master Shenzi said: "The west contains no actual metal, only the concept of Qi; northern Qi is water, which also lacks fixed form; southern Qi is fire, equally without concrete appearance - these represent the true water and true fire" (technical terms referring to pre-heaven water and fire).

Thus the Immortal Classics declare: "Black lead" (referring to kidney water) and "water tiger" (true Yang in the kidneys) constitute the wondrous foundation of heaven and earth's transformations - having Qi but no substance; while "red lead" (heart fire) and "fire dragon" (true Yin in the heart) manifest heaven and earth's marvelous functions - the generative Qi that has energy but no form. By maintaining a tranquil and focused mind within the physical body, one can receive the natural Qi of heaven and earth. Drawing metal Qi from the moon, alternately employing water and fire, and refining metal through their interaction, one may form the Golden Elixir (Jindan, the accomplishment of Neidan practice).

From this we understand that Change is the substance of Yin-Yang, and 'One' is the source of water and fire. The Qian hexagram's essence belongs to metal, requiring fire Qi for nourishment. To obtain this energy, one cannot achieve completion without holding to 'One'. When the Great Yin (moon) first appears, it shows the Po (lunar soul) - without the Hun (solar soul) it cannot emit light. As the Hun belongs to fire, one cannot obtain solar Qi without "embracing the One." Only when metal and water each constitute half can completion occur - here we speak not of water but of fire in terms of operation, though the sun's essence is fundamentally watery. The Records of Fire state: "Stars are born from sun and moon, metal is formed through water and fire," therefore we must employ the three lights (sun, moon, stars) to illuminate the supreme Dao.

Concentrate the Qi and Become Soft Like an Infant

The Dao’s workings involve more than “seeing forms”; one must also be able to “forget the body.” This is where its subtlety lies.

Laozi says: Guard against joy and anger, concentrate the Qi, and soften the body—can you become like an infant? Here, “the One” is the Yang Qi just beginning to arise, like a fetus in the womb, protected through yielding softness. This is why it is called “concentrating the Qi.” It is also what the Jing means by “listening with the Qi”: continuous, as though present, yet used without strain. This is the way of concentrating the Qi. When Yang Qi first arises, it still carries a trace of hardness. One must tend it carefully just as it begins to return, guiding it with softness. If its hard force grows too far, it loses the Middle Way; hence the instruction to “become soft.” To “become” means to orient oneself toward something and make use of it: take up yielding softness to guide strength, so harmony is not disrupted. It is like the moon after the full moon, when Metal and Water each occupy half; at the first quarter, it is like a taut, straight cord, level and true, with no room for deviation. This is harmony. When nature and feeling accord, the Way of Yin-Yang is present within them. When Metal meets Fire, its substance changes into Qian; Qian then turns into Xun, and only then does its form change, finally returning to Kun. “The Five nourish the One; the mother establishes the foundation of the feminine.” The Jing says, “Prize being nourished by the mother.” One must therefore become soft—like an infant, with no tendency to stumble or become violent.

Cleanse the Profound Mirror; Let the Heart Be Without Flaw

To understand deeply that “form is emptiness,” cleanse distracting thoughts and observe with a profound and subtle heart: can you be without flaw? When the heart transforms into nature, traces of desire for gain and advantage disappear. When nature is hidden and the heart arises, the moment delusions encounter the outside world, they become entangled with it. To investigate the Great Dao, one must examine the workings of Heaven closely. If one has not forgotten external things, deviant thoughts only grow stronger. The Great Dao lies in an empty heart; grasping Heaven’s workings brings clarity and brightness. That there is “originally nothing” does not mean that, by remaining rigidly still, it becomes impossible to seek. Qian transforms from Kun; only penetrating wisdom can discern its subtle workings. Cravings cloud the mind, understanding remains shallow, and Heaven’s workings are blocked. “Cleansing” means laying open the workings of the heart; “the profound mirror” requires first letting go of attachment to oneself. Thus water flows on like a stream, and the sea is clear and empty; one bathes and purifies the spirit, then opens it fully to the ultimate—one cannot behold the profound without profundity, and follows only the Dao. Rong Chu once asked about the classic of nourishing life, while Yan Hui grasped the subtlety of “fasting the heart.” Laozi also says: In caring for the people and governing the state, can you practice Wuwei (non-action)? The Jing’s central meaning runs through the cultivation of the body, the household, the state, and all under Heaven. The commentaries ultimately point toward the schools of nature and life, and toward the ordinary and the profound. If one cultivates oneself and orders the family, or governs, but cannot bring these together, the teachings split into separate streams. If one connects them through principle, they return to a single principle. This chapter begins with “carrying the hun and po”; its principle lies in the coming and going, the meeting and joining, of the sun and moon.

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

Focusing Qi and Becoming Supple, and “Loving the People and Governing the State”

The regulation of the firing times, the advancing and withdrawing of ingredients, and phrases such as “focusing Qi and becoming supple” and “cleansing and purifying the mysterious mirror” all arise from the root of nature and life—the foundation of life and true nature.

At this point, the text suddenly speaks of “loving the people and governing the state,” which seems to concern worldly methods of government. Why does it appear so disconnected? In fact, it does not: the passage uses the body as a metaphor. The heart is the ruler, while blood and Qi are like the people. When the heart is clear, the spirit is harmonious; when the spirit is harmonious, the nutritive and defensive Qi circulate freely, and blood and Qi flow unobstructed. Yin-Yang and the four seasons then fall naturally into their proper order. There is no rushing or strain, much as one cherishes the spirit and Qi and treasures the nourishment of a single Qi. With the whole being in harmony, one reaches the Dao of Wuwei (non-action).

The Spiritual Pivot says, “Heaven and Earth lie hidden and still; the six primordial energies move of themselves.” This is the natural Wuwei of Heaven and Earth. As for the way of governing the world, it takes the people as its foundation: love them, and they will come; benefit them, and they will gather. Lead them with sincerity so that they submit willingly; employ them gladly. Do not violate their nature or divert them from their De (Virtue/Power), and they will dwell contentedly in a realm of benevolence and longevity. What need is there for deliberate action? Thus, when one works in harmony with Yin-Yang and shares in the work of Heaven and Earth, how could there be any division between this and the Way of governance?

Regulating and Mastering Firm Qi, and “When Heaven’s Gate Opens and Closes, Can You Remain Feminine?”

Five: Regulating and mastering firm Qi. “When Heaven’s Gate opens and closes, can you remain feminine?” The soft cannot be firm alone, and the masculine cannot be feminine alone: this is nature. To be able to be soft or firm, to know the masculine yet hold to the feminine—that is the Dao. To cling to only one aspect of nature without joining it to the Dao is not the way of a sage. In movement, the sage accords with the Dao; in action, the sage is one with the Dao.

Zhuangzi says, “Heaven’s Gate is nothingness; it opens and closes by means of nothingness.” But if one takes “nothingness” itself to be the opening and closing, one misses the meaning of “being feminine.”

Heaven’s Gate is Qian. In terms of the six Qi, Heaven’s Gate is at Xun and Ji; in the arrangement of the Eight Trigrams, Heaven’s Gate is at Xu and Hai, while Xun is the Earthly Gate—that is, Kun. Qian reaching Ji is pure Yang: it may be called masculine, yet it occupies Kun’s position and thus does not depart from the feminine. At the very height of firmness, it joins with softness in its De. Is this not precisely what it means to “be able to remain feminine”?

Xu and Hai are positions of Qian. Counting the six Qi from Wu, Hai is pure Kun. Qian occupies Kun’s position—does this not mean being feminine? This is the natural principle of Qian and Kun. Thus, in the southeast, Xun is where Yang Qi emerges and Heaven’s Gate opens; in the northwest, Qian is where Yin Qi enters and Heaven’s Gate closes. Moreover, moving eastward from the opening as far as Si, Si is Wei; Wei is the Human Gate, and therefore Xun is the Earthly Gate. This does not refer only to the precise position of Wei.

The same applies to human practice: speaking of what one “can” or “cannot” do means transforming one’s nature and entering the Dao. The conscious spirit and corporeal soul are associated with the moon, and Kun governs the moon. This is not a matter of refining the Four Symbols and… (The source text may continue here; the translation ends with the passage provided.)

Does it “enter the central palace”? The Dao gives rise to the myriad things. Solitary Yang alone cannot bring forth life; only through the union of Yin and Yang is birth possible. Thus the mother is taken as the governing principle. The Jing says, “The named is the mother of the myriad things”—this is the principle.

The moon as the measure of Yin and Yang: Within a month, from new moon to the dark of the moon, Qian and Kun take each other as their substance and bring their Dao to completion. Over the course of the month, on the third day, Zhen is born again: Zhen receives the sign of Geng, as Kun changes once into Zhen. On the eighth day it changes to Ding, as Kun changes again into Dui. On the fifteenth day it becomes Qian; on the sixteenth it turns to Xun, and Xin emerges. On the twenty-third day, Qian changes once more into Gen. On the thirtieth day, at the Jia position, Kun changes a third time and disappears into Yi, reaching the dark of the moon. Yang De wanes at Gen; Yang meets Yin and draws on it to nourish form. The sun and moon refine form, while Yin and Yang take from one another: the moon receives its po and gives rise to Geng; the sun receives its hun and announces the new moon. Both begin at Gen. Gen is the gateway. Zhuangzi says, “Entering and leaving without its form being seen: this is called the Gate of Heaven.” The Gate of Heaven is nonbeing.

As for Qian and Kun: when the trigrams are drawn, images appear; when they are not drawn, where are the images? Six Yang lines make Qian: this is the transformation of Qi. Six Yin lines make Kun: this is the passage of time. If Qian changes back into Kun, what remains of Qian? If Kun changes back into Qian, what remains of Kun? If their forms are not fixed, how can they have fixed positions? They go out and come in, and things take them up of themselves. Thus the myriad things emerge from “nonbeing, nonbeing”—the sage dwells within this.

Let go of knowledge and perception; understand all things clearly and reach everywhere—can you do so without knowing? “Knowing” means knowing oneself; “seeing” means seeing oneself. To know oneself is to awaken to something, and from that knowing the light of Heaven emerges. To see oneself is to become clear about something, and through the heart-mind to probe the wondrous source. See without anything to see, and all is utterly clear, shining through: this is not merely the absence of method; no method is left out. Yin-Yang transformations, the sun and moon joining, Qian and Kun working through one another, coming and going between being and nonbeing—when these are understood fully in the heart-mind and their subtleties grasped in every detail, one may be called clear-sighted.

Wisdom that knows is directed inward, not outward; seeing that sees is rooted in oneself, not in others. If wisdom is used for scheming, and the scheme concerns things, it does not seize the hidden workings. If clarity is used for seeing, and what is seen lies in affairs, it is not true understanding. One should use one’s light and return to clarity. How could one shine out brightly, like the sun and moon held aloft? Though one knows and sees oneself, one must not display it outwardly.

This passage explains the ideas of “giving life,” “nurturing,” “Wuwei (non-action),” and “not knowing” in the Dao De Jing, and connects them with inner cultivation, such as embracing the One, concentrating Qi (vital energy), and returning the Elixir. The main points can be clarified in plain language as follows.

Knowledge and the perfected person

“To know and see, and to know oneself” means that people can use knowledge and perception to understand themselves. The Buddhist Lankavatara Sutra says that once we treat “knowledge and perception” as fixed knowledge, we fall into ignorance; true liberation lies precisely in knowledge and perception being suchness itself. So why make a show of cleverness? And how can one remain endlessly caught up in verbal argument? From this we can see that the perfected person may clearly know inwardly, yet need not speak at every turn; those who love to talk often do not truly understand.

“Nurturing” and the generation of all things

The following section broadly discusses wondrous efficacy: Heaven and Earth depend on the workings of “giving life to things and nurturing things” for the sun and moon to move, and all things depend on them to come into being and change. Yang gives voice at the beginning; this is the meaning of the Yi Jing’s phrase “emerging first among the myriad things.” Yin takes form at the end; this is also the meaning of “not creating, yet bringing things to their completion.” All things are born and transformed through this, so the Dao is the mother of all things and is responsible for “giving life.” De (Virtue/Power), in turn, has the principle of completion and gathering, and is responsible for “nurturing”—sustaining and accumulating. Without the Dao, things cannot be born; without De, they cannot be nurtured. “Nurturing” means sustaining and gathering. Things dwell within Heaven and Earth, and the Dao nourishes them. It is also said, “Nurture them by gathering them”: within the fullness of one’s original nature, the Dao and De are already complete. Without De to bring that nature to fulfillment and preserve it, it would be diminished.

From purposeful action to Wuwei

This chapter moves from “bearing the body and embracing the spirit” through “embracing the One,” “concentrating Qi,” “cleansing,” and “loving the people.” It begins with purposeful practice and ultimately returns to Wuwei. Why? Heaven and Earth have their own natural way of “returning the Elixir”—inner cultivation that restores one to the root. People follow the model of Metal and Fire and cultivate the natural Way to completion, which is why the chapter concludes with “Wuwei.” Likewise, when the Gate of Heaven opens and closes, one alone guards the mother, neither drifting nor stirring. It is as though there were no knowing or awareness; here the meaning of the Dao is complete. The spirit’s activity tends toward “giving life,” while the formation of the bodily soul tends toward “nurturing.” To move from purposeful action to “acting without acting knowingly, and returning to wholeness through not knowing” is the Way of restoration and completion.

The three phrases “giving life without possessing,” and “not knowing”

“Give life without possessing, act without relying on it, and bring things to maturity without ruling them”—this is the efficacy of Wuwei. To speak further of “the efficacy of having no purposeful action” is to point to Wuwei as the Dao’s wondrous quality. The three phrases about “not claiming the achievement” repeatedly clarify the word “not knowing”: this does not mean being muddled, but rather not clinging to knowledge or claiming credit.

Learning the Dao: forgetting things, having no mind, and becoming one with Heaven

For those who study the Dao, the first concern is to forget things; the next is to have no mind. The Way of the Golden Elixir has the same efficacy as the Way of Heaven. Although one still follows methods handed down by a teacher, in the end one must “follow Heaven’s course” and never go against the principles of nature. Yet one must not “not know” or “not act”: only by knowing what is essential can one return to “not knowing.” One begins with purposeful action and ends in accord with Wuwei, like “Metal taking Fire”—the interaction of Metal and Fire in refinement, each returning to its proper place. How could one retain a mind intent on “taking”? Taking is, in the end, no different from not taking. Thus “giving life without possessing, acting without relying on it” rests in the wondrous workings of Yin-Yang, not in grasping for merit out of personal greed.

Note: Expressions such as “bearing the body and embracing the spirit,” “embracing the One,” and “concentrating Qi” are found in Chapter Ten of the Dao De Jing. “The Gate of Heaven opens and closes” and “guarding the mother” also draw on classical language. If you would like these passages matched line by line to specific chapters and verses, you can indicate which chapter for a closer breakdown.

What one relies upon is precisely the Dao that puts Yin-Yang to use; yet the mechanism of its operation is as unfathomable as Yin-Yang itself. Take “growing without ruling”: it is like the moon waxing from the first day of the month to fullness. What hand pushes it along? Yang Xiong said that in this matter, the sage “uses no hand” (does not rely on deliberate human effort). Should the sage not take part in such a state? The phrases “does not possess” and “its De,” which appear earlier in the commentary for the third section, together make up what is called Mysterious De. Here, “this is called” refers to the commentary’s summary and praise of the whole chapter: the text reveals the intent of the Heaven-and-Earth Golden Elixir and the workings of the refining union of Qian and Kun—profound and hard to fathom. People regard them as ordinary principles, but who knows that when the ingredients are complete and the timing exact, even the workings of creation cannot conceal that subtle point? Neither substance nor function extends beyond this scope. The Yinfu Jing says, “One who understands and cultivates this is called a sage”—that is Mysterious De.

Shao Ruoyu says: From “carry the hun and po” to “this is called Mysterious De”

The mind has no fixed name; it takes its name from wherever it is situated. When the mind moves, it clings to external things; through that clinging, the “mind” becomes apparent. A moving mind belongs to Yang and is called Shen (spirit), or the heart. An unmoving mind belongs to Yin and is called Jing (essence), or nature. When the mind turns outward, it sees and hears; this is called the hun (ethereal soul), or emotion. When it turns inward, withdrawing sight and turning back hearing, it is called the po (corporeal soul), or intention. These are all names assigned according to circumstances; together, they are called the mind. From this we can see that the mind is the master that carries the body and attends to everything.

The text speaks of the po because it belongs to Yin, whose governing principle is stillness. Restrain the mind within: in stillness, Jing and po settle; once they settle, Shen and hun settle as well. When Jing, Shen, hun, and po blend and unite as one, this is called Embracing the One. Though Embracing the One can regulate the two Qi at the Yellow Path and bring the two natures together in the Original Palace, gather the Five Phases, and harmonize the Four Images, making it a method for long life, it has not yet reached the Great Dao, because the mind still clings to “the One.”

Laozi asks with a sigh: Can one remain undivided from the Dao? Only by moving from “being” into “nonbeing” and making the mind open, clear, and pure can one be called Wuwei (non-action). This is the name for the true mind, which is the Great Dao. Consider also “concentrate Qi and attain softness”: to speak of concentrating Qi already involves the mind’s effort. With a mind at work, one cannot attain softness. Can one be without a mind, like an infant? Or, when cleansing away all circumstances and allowing the mind to gaze wholly into the mystery, can one hold to the mysterious without flaw, like flawless jade? As for the intention to love the people and govern the state, and the effort to manage the affairs of the world, these too are workings of a mind at work.

(The above explains “this is called Mysterious De”: Mysterious De lies in a mind free of attachment and returned to the pure true mind, not merely in the technical practice of Embracing the One.)

When a matter becomes visible in one’s conduct, it can easily invite trouble. “Humaneness” that is hidden in its workings and acts through Wuwei (non-action) accords with nature. The mind is like the gate of a mechanism: as it opens and closes to meet events, can it follow human feelings and preserve the virtue of the receptive and yielding? The mind should be clear, bright, pure, and open in every direction. If it is crowded with entanglements, views, and emotional interpretations until they obstruct its movement, it cannot remain empty and still. Can these views be let go? “The One” is the source of attachment and the root of arising and passing away. To cling to anything is to depart from the Way of Wuwei. Only by leaving behind the trace of “holding to the One” can one accord with mysterious De (Virtue/Power). Mysterious De is the source of generation and nourishment: the Dao gives life without appearing to act; De brings things to completion without claiming credit; and when they have matured, it does not rule over them. This is called mysterious De. Zhuangzi said, “Attain the One, and all things are accomplished.” If one attains the One with an empty mind, even spirits and ghosts will respond. That is the meaning here.

Wang Zhiran said: From “bearing the corporeal soul” through to “this is called mysterious De,” the sage takes embodying one’s nature and holding fast to the spirit as the stages of entering the Dao, and stillness reaching Wuwei as the function of embodying the Dao. To bear the corporeal soul is to take receptive stillness as one’s substance and yielding submission as one’s function; control requires the complementary presence of the yang soul. The corporeal soul depends on the body and can be still but not move; the yang soul carries the body and can move but not be still. Their separation and union occur naturally, with the spirit as their sole master. This is like the axle and wheel of a cart: though the hub and spokes are complete, the cart cannot move by itself. Its function depends on its “emptiness,” and this cannot be absent even for a moment. Hence the saying: “Hold to the One—can you keep from departing from it?” Consider this: when the spirit is not focused, it is called delusion; when Jing (essence) is not focused, it is called division. If things lead to delusion and division, what efficacy can there be? People, born into life yet ignorant of this Way, lose their own spiritual power. As they near the moment of death, their vital essence is spent and their souls drift away: the yang soul scatters into the void with consciousness, while the corporeal soul sinks into the earth with the corpse. Neither attains the return to the True; this is worlds apart from the teaching that “stillness is called returning to life.” Shi Jianwu said, “When Jing abides, Qi (vital energy) abides; when Qi abides, the spirit goes forth.” Zhuangzi said, “When Jing is whole, Qi is whole; when Qi is whole, the spirit is whole; when the spirit is whole, the Dao is whole.” When all three are whole, this is what is meant by the form and Jing returning to the body, with the spirit and body both wondrous.

In the text, “mysterious De” means hidden virtue that gives life and nurtures without claiming credit or exercising control. “Bearing the corporeal soul” and “holding to the One” are Daoist cultivation terms for guarding the souls and remaining firmly with the One. “The One” refers to a state of focused, unattached embodiment of the Dao. Here, “receptive” means yielding, still, and free of contention, in contrast to “assertive.”

Plain-Language Interpretation

Only when one joins with the Dao (the Way) and preserves one’s true nature can the mind remain peaceful over time and the light of Heaven appear of its own accord. Those who study the Dao often have one of two shortcomings: they have the desire to study it but lack the foundation it requires, or they have that foundation but lack the desire to study it. What you fear losing is precisely the basis for cultivating the mind and nurturing one’s nature. So Laozi poses this question: Can one focus on regulating the breath and reaching gentleness, becoming like an infant? (An infant’s breath is soft and its body supple; its mind is free of distracting thoughts.)

If joy and anger do not show on your face, likes and dislikes do not enter your heart, and you can meet all circumstances without clinging to them, with not so much as a speck of dust-like thought arising within you, what flaw could there be? The body is like a state, and a state is like the body. We have never heard of a body being well governed while its state is not, or a state being well governed while its body is not. Begin with purposeful action and end in Wuwei (non-action): outwardly, one may follow the lesser details of action, but inwardly one must hold to the root of non-action. Hence the saying, “In loving the people and governing the state, can you practice Wuwei?”

The Great Changes takes Heaven and Earth as its gateways; the Valley Spirit takes the Mysterious Female as its gateway (the Mysterious Female refers to the profound maternal source from which the Dao gives birth to all things). The Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth, their gathering and unfolding, opening and closing, coming and going, and shutting and opening, all occur at their proper times. The human body, too, is inseparable from the workings of Heaven and Earth and Yin-Yang. One always follows Heaven and never goes against it; one always comes after the myriad things and never contends to be first. Hence the saying, “When Heaven’s gate opens and closes, can you remain like the female?” (The female here signifies gentleness, stillness, and non-contention.)

Intelligence and wisdom are within the reach of a true gentleman. When his circumstances allow, he benefits the world; when called upon, he acts, and when set aside, he withdraws. He does not vent anger on others or repeat his mistakes. Among the disciples of Confucius, only Yan Hui embodied such abundant virtue and worthy bearing, yet appeared foolish all day long. To cast off cleverness, let the limbs fall away, and leave behind form and intellect is to become one with the Great Opening and Great Clarity: “Know honor, keep to disgrace, and become the valley of the world”; “The bright Dao seems dim.” Hence the saying, “In understanding all things, can you remain without knowledge?”

If this is so, the wondrous workings of the many virtues will be complete within you, and you will share in the work of the Creator. The Dao gives birth to the myriad things, and the same is true within me: to give life to them and nurture them—what difficulty is there in that? To give life is to let each fulfill its nature; to nurture is to provide for it to the utmost. One has no selfish preference or favoritism, and so “gives life without claiming ownership”; no self-regard or self-praise, and so “acts without relying on what is done”; no petty cleverness or artifice, and so “raises things without ruling them.” Benefits flow to the world for generations, yet not out of love for people; one’s achievements cover all under Heaven, yet seem not to be for oneself—who could praise such a person? How great! The Dao can benefit all things, De (Virtue/Power) can benefit people, and one’s actions can benefit oneself, while still claiming no ownership, relying on no achievements, and ruling nothing. This is what is meant by “human in appearance, yet of Heaven.” The virtue of Heaven is deep and far-reaching.

How vast, how immense! If a person can stand alongside Heaven and be its equal, what else could this state be called if not “Mystic Virtue” (Xuande)?

“Mystic Virtue” is an important concept in the Dao De Jing. It refers to a deep, subtle virtue that does not call attention to itself: like Heaven, it is vast and all-embracing, yet it takes no credit and makes no claim to virtue. Here, the text emphasizes that if a person can match the Dao of Heaven—be equal to it and resemble it—this is precisely the Mystic Virtue Laozi describes.