《大道論》

This scripture elucidates the essential characteristics of the Dao (the Way) and its relationship with De (Virtue/Power):

The Great Dao (cosmic origin) is an existence of utmost emptiness and tranquility, truly eternal. It governs the Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), nurtures the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), and generates all phenomena from a single true essence. Transcending the boundaries of time and space, the Dao is the foundation of all things in the universe—so profound that even divine beings cannot fully encompass it. Without concrete form or name, it is both ever-changing and eternally constant, surpassing all linguistic description. The Nanhua Zhenjing (i.e., Zhuangzi) states: The Dao feels neither lofty above the supreme void nor deep below the six directions. While all worldly things undergo birth and destruction, the Dao itself remains without birth or alteration. The Yijing describes the Dao as the designation of emptiness, for emptiness penetrates all things—hence it is called the Dao, all-pervading and all-encompassing.

The relationship between Dao and De resembles that of mother and child: the Dao is the root (mother), while De is its manifestation (child). The Wuhuo Baojing explains: The Dao connects all things through "non-being," while De accomplishes functions through "being." The Xisheng Jing states that the Great Dao is profoundly unfathomable; those who truly understand it do not speak recklessly. Even when facing calamities of fire and flood, the Dao remains eternally unchanging; even if the order of heaven and earth collapses, the Dao abides in serene stillness. Zhuangzi once spent five years calculating yet failed to exhaust the Dao's depths, and after twelve years of deducing the transformations of Yin-Yang, he still could not fully grasp it—thus the Dao is proclaimed as the supreme ultimate.

Supreme De (the highest virtue) manifests the Dao's generative function. The sages say: Because it penetrates and generates, it is called the "Dao"; because it embraces all things, it is called "Great." Emptiness and tranquility constitute the Dao's essence (not concrete objects), while spontaneity is its nature (not artificial contrivance). The Dao's function is expressed in three aspects: its empty and tranquil essence, its spontaneous nature, and its generative capacity—all unified in the Dao's true nature. The Great Dao disperses as primordial, simple Qi to govern the nine regions, scattering original Jing (essence) to operate all phenomena. The initial Qi differentiates into the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), forms the four seasons, and activates the Five Phases. Heaven and earth oversee covering and supporting, the sun and moon govern illumination, wind and rain provide nourishment, clouds and thunder stimulate movement, while humans and animals are distinguished by clarity and turbidity, mountains and seas by height and depth. All things return to their respective categories, endowed with varying wisdom: those oriented toward the Dao may attain sagehood, while those turning away will sink into the cycle of life and death. All things originate from the supreme De generated by the Dao. Zhuangzi states: De means "attainment"—all things are born through attaining the Dao, hence it is called "De." De is the concrete function of the Dao, while the Dao is the fundamental basis of De.

The substance of the Dao (the Way) is unobstructed and gives rise to the myriad phenomena. In creation and transformation there is both action and non-action; the highest De (Virtue/Power), however, is Wuwei (non-action) and yet nothing is left undone. Lord Lao’s Record of the Dao (Daoji) says: “For one who penetrates the ‘One,’ all affairs are complete; for one who attains through no-mind, ghosts and spirits submit.” That which penetrates Heaven and Earth is De; that which moves the myriad things is Dao. This is the utmost unobstructedness under Heaven. The myriad things are what is generated; De is what generates. Without the myriad things as that which is generated, De as the generating power cannot be manifested.

The Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) says: De is the “De whose mark is rectitude” (the De that takes rectitude as its mark); completion (cheng) is to accomplish and bring deliverance; not losing (bu sang) is not to lose; it possesses three superior meanings. Furthermore, Heaven and Earth receive De as their endowment, Yin-Yang rely on De, and the Five Phases thereby generate one another; the four seasons thereby have their ordered sequence (lunxu); kings and lords thereby govern and civilize; teachers and friends thereby instruct and guide their followers; and even sages, Zhenren (Perfected, those who cultivate the truth and attain the Dao), immortals, ghosts and spirits, beings of other kinds, animals, and plants all rely on the wondrous function of the highest De. This means that the great Dao has genuine sincerity and fidelity, and may be called the highest De.

The chapter “Handing Down Teachings” (the section on revealing transformative instruction): In high antiquity there was no teaching and transformation; teaching began only from the Three August Ones and Five Emperors (the ancient sovereigns). Teaching is informing; it has speech, reasoned principles, meaningful purport, transmission, and inheritance. Speech is exposition; teaching is informing. Through speech one awakens to teaching; through teaching one clarifies principle; once principle is clear, speech is forgotten. Since there is one who teaches and that which is taught, there must be a teacher and one who is taught; hence there are the teaching of Nature and the teaching of Shenming (divine intelligence). These two teachings have no teacher and disciple. The teaching of Shenming exists when considered in terms of meaning and discourse, but does not exist when based on ultimate reality. There are the teaching of correct truth, the teaching of the Three August Ones and Five Emperors, the teaching of returning to custom, and the teaching that instructs the world; one should distinguish between the provisional or expedient (quan) and the real (shi). When these five teachings are present, they all open from the one truth.

The teaching of Nature is before primordial Qi (source Qi); pristine simplicity has not dispersed; it is deep, quiet, vast, empty, and open. There is no teacher expounding the teaching, no disciple receiving transmission, no end and no beginning, no meaning and no words. Primordial Qi attains it and transforms; Shenming attains it and creates; Heaven and Earth attain it and cover and support; the sun and moon attain it and shine; the rulers of high antiquity attained it and practiced Wuwei. This is transformation without teaching. The teaching of Shenming is the dispersal of pristine simplicity into Shenming. Among vessels none is greater than Heaven and Earth; among powers none is greater than Shenming. Shenming blends with primordial Qi and circulates everywhere; it harmonizes with the highest Dao and orders things to completion. It arranges the round, clear Qi and establishes Heaven; it fashions the square, turbid Qi and makes Earth; it universally spreads spiritual efficacy and transforms and nurtures the world; it overflows with harmonious Qi and generates humanity.

When discussing Yin-Yang, their rise and fall cannot be fathomed, and even ghosts and spirits do not know their transformations. The teaching of Orthodox Truth takes Wushang Xuhuang (the Supreme Void Sovereign, a Daoist deity) as its master and was transmitted and received by Yuanshi Tianzun (one of the highest Daoist deities). When the mysterious and subtle essence was concealed in the nine heavens and the transforming teaching of the orthodox Dao (the Way) spread among the sage kings of successive ages, in heaven the Celestial Worthy vigorously propagated the True Vehicle (zhencheng, the true teaching) throughout the heavens of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing: Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing), opening and guiding the stages of cultivating immortality; in the human world, Fuxi received the Chart, Xuanyuan received the Talisman, Gaoxin received the Heavenly Jing (scripture), and Xia Yu received the Luoshu. These four sage kings received divine illumination, and the Five Elders appeared at the river islet; hence arose the Sanfen and Wudian (ancient classics).

The teaching of the Constant Dao and the teaching of return to the mundane were given by Xuanyuan Dasheng (Laozi) when he governed state and family in the time of Emperor Shun; numinous texts and true instructions spread widely through the human world, while golden slips and jade chapters were extensively propagated in heaven. He earnestly wished to make heaven above and the world below return to pristine simplicity and again accord with the sublime ethos (the ethos of a generous and prosperous age). The teaching that instructs the world is that the Master (Confucius), grieving over the decline of moral order, expounded the teaching of benevolence and righteousness, transformed the customs of the time, and used ritual propriety and wisdom to rescue the disorder. The originally honest and generous ethos had gone far away, and frivolous and shallow customs had become prevalent. Alas, teachings arise from the sage’s heart of saving the world and pitying beings; when the minds of sentient beings comprehend the teachings, they become the same as the sage’s mind. In the sage’s mind, both the provisional and the real are extinguished, and verbal explanations are entirely obliterated. Only then does one accord with the wordless teaching; images and concepts fundamentally leave no trace. The Chapter on Cutting Off Meaning (a chapter that transcends words and meaning and severs attachment).

The Great Dao says to cultivators: Do not take clan as “I,” because fundamentally there is no place of birth and no surname; since all is one and equal, there is no clan. Do not take name as “I”; the Dao, by virtue of its De (Virtue/Power) of growth and nurturing, takes the courtesy name “Dao.” It is hidden and unmanifest; people do not know its essential nature, so only its courtesy name is used and no formal name is established. Do not take high or low status as “I”; it abides in humility and lowliness like earth and does not exalt itself; as a subordinate, it honors the Dao and values De but is not servile. Do not take seeing and hearing as “I”; it is not form-dharma, so it cannot be seen; it is not sound-dharma, so it cannot be heard. Do not delimit me by blame or praise; it has no transgression, so it cannot be blamed; it has no boasting, so it cannot be praised. Do not delimit me by benefit or harm; it has no desires, so it cannot be benefited; it accords with things, so it does no harm. Do not delimit me by right and wrong; it does not follow custom and runs counter to things, so it has no fixed “right”; various faults are difficult to establish, so it has no fixed “wrong.” Do not delimit me by opposition or compliance; it opposes what the worldly ear hears, so it is called non-compliant; it follows the heavenly Dao, so it is called non-oppositional. The word “mo” means “do not” and summarizes all the above: cultivators must not grasp any name-appearance or affective view as “I.”

The Discourse on the Great Dao elucidates the transcendent and non-dual nature of the Dao, revealing methods to transcend attachments and return to original authenticity.

On the essence of Dao:

The Dao transcends all dualities. It recognizes neither high nor low (following celestial patterns), large nor small (subtle as autumn down yet aligned with cosmic principles), substantial nor void (acting upon all things without attachment), noble nor base (neither boasting merit nor belittling), wise nor foolish (maintaining primordial simplicity), first nor last (having neither beginning nor end), calm nor chaotic (apparent disorder in nature's growth conceals profound order), gain nor loss (externally non-seeking, internally aligned with innate nature), love nor hate (making no distinctions of preference), facing nor turning away (formless yet ever-present with all things), favor nor disgrace (neither flaunting virtue nor self-abasing), square nor round (having no fixed form), light nor dark (seemingly obscure yet containing brilliance), new nor old (without temporal boundaries), advance nor retreat (non-attached to emptiness or form). Practitioners who realize this achieve complete unity with the Dao.

Warnings for cultivation:

The text cautions Dao cultivators ("children of Dao") against clinging to metaphorical language or specific methods, lest they lose genuine realization of Dao-nature. Like fools who won't release medicine after being cured or fishermen who cling to nets after catching fish, excessive attachment to doctrinal formulations forfeits the harmonious equilibrium (Chonghe) and eternal truth (Zhenchang) of Dao.

Methods to transcend attachment:

All cognitive activities (mind, emotions, discernment, intellect, intention) are ultimately illusory distinctions arising from Dao. Beyond Dao there exists no independent mind; beyond mind there exists no independent Dao—mind is Dao. To eliminate these distinctions requires:

• Relinquishing the mind that seeks Dao
• Severing the consciousness that identifies Dao
• Eliminating the intellect that proves Dao
• Abandoning the wisdom that obtains Dao
• Clearing the intentions that comprehend Dao

Ultimately one attains the pure state of forgetting knowledge, forgetting purpose, forgetting intellect, and forgetting distinctions.

(Note: "Embracing Simplicity" [Baopu] refers to maintaining primordial authenticity; "Harmonious Equilibrium" [Chonghe] denotes the balanced state of Yin-Yang; "Eternal Truth" [Zhenchang] indicates the unchanging substance of Dao.)

Forget mental thoughts, and naturally there will be no attachment to seeking the Dao, tending toward the Dao (the term for “tending toward” is interchangeable with “moving toward”), or learning the Dao; thus one attains the Dao. This is to remove the practitioner’s attachment to traces—the outward marks left by cultivation. Truly attaining the Dao is truly attaining the One (“the One” refers to the original whole that communicates with the Dao). If one becomes attached to the Dao or attached to the One, one is far from the Dao. If one forgets the Dao and forgets the One, then one attains the Dao and attains the One.

Since the three kinds of body—the body of self-substance, the body that serves as substance, and the body of imitation—are different, the two kinds of generation—generative generation and derivative generation—are also different. There is the “body of self-substance,” which is the original nature of the Dao. There is the “body that serves as substance,” on which the Dao and the myriad phenomena rely. There is the “body of imitation,” which is the practice that imitates the nature of the Dao until reaching Wuwei. There are two kinds of generation. There is “generative generation,” the generation by which the Dao generates the myriad things. There is “derivative generation,” the generation by which the myriad things are generated from the Dao.

The awakened person cultivates diligently without ceasing and will surely become a sage. The deluded person does not cultivate and remains an ordinary person. One who is not obstructed by the distinction between sage and ordinary is awakened. One who is obstructed by the distinction between sage and ordinary is deluded. One clearly understands that delusion and awakening are both empty. One penetrates sage and ordinary, and both are dissolved.

Therefore, transcending the relative distinctions of form and emptiness, provisional and real (expedient teachings and true teachings), verbal teaching, and so on, as well as the discrimination of being and non-being in outward appearance—this is truly attaining the Dao. The Dao is not something that speech and wisdom can exhaust, yet with the aid of speech and wisdom one reaches naturalness. De (Virtue/Power) is not conditioned action, yet by means of conditioned action its true function appears.

Therefore one opens the twenty-four gates (the twenty-four methods for entering cultivation) in order to close the five portals (the portals of sensory desire such as ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and body). The so-called gate of clear illumination and profound stillness means that the body of the Dao is utterly empty and quiescent, clear and cool, mirroring the myriad things without partiality, deeply concealed and wondrous, responding mysteriously. The so-called gate of Heaven and the sage being without mind means that Heaven and Earth are without selfishness, covering and supporting the myriad things, and the myriad things grow without missing their seasons; the sage is without selfishness, transforming and governing the people, and the people are at peace and joyful in clarity and tranquillity. The so-called gate of empty response and pervasive penetration means that the great Dao is without mind and penetrates all existence, naturally clear and still, departing from both being and non-being. The so-called gate of being like Shen (spirit) and inexhaustible means that wondrous being is clear and still; in responding to the myriad things it has no fixed location, never resting for a moment, like Shen (spirit), wondrous and inexhaustible.

The so-called gate of profound stillness and growth means that the myriad things are generated from the Dao and receive the transforming nurture of naturalness. The so-called gate of humility, softness, and benefiting beings means that cultivators take softness and weakness as De, hold fast with sincere devotion, and benefit the myriad things without weariness. The so-called gate of concentrated oneness and no knowing means embracing and guarding the harmonious one Qi, not discriminating among worldly affairs. The so-called gate of being and non-being mutually supporting means that emptiness and non-being borrow form and matter, and form and matter borrow emptiness and non-being; there is function but no fixed cause, hence it is called mutual support. The myriad phenomena—heaven, earth, people, and things—are called form and matter and belong to “being”; the function of the Dao, however, manifests as “wei” (action).

The Discourse on the Great Dao elucidates the principles governing both spiritual cultivation and state governance, employing comparative analysis to distinguish worldly delusions from the realized state of Dao attainment:

Ordinary people often obsess over external fame and gain (chasing illusions while losing their true nature), much like those who pursue sensual pleasures only to lose their original purity. In contrast, Dao adepts maintain childlike innocence (the Gate of Steadfast Preservation) while embracing all things with the receptivity of mountain valleys.

Common folk who flaunt their abilities (the Gate of Ignorant Cripples) resemble those with maimed limbs unaware of their disability. True cultivators, however, proceed with the caution of fording a river (the Gate of Four Analogous Methods), preserving hearts as clear and unblemished as ice.

Ancient sage-kings governed without flaunting authority (the Gate of Non-Dominance), eschewing manipulative stratagems (the Gate of Unobtrusive Wisdom) and military posturing (the Gate of Non-Arrogant Implements). Instead, they harmonized with natural patterns (mental union with Wuwei).

Cultivation requires maintaining the Middle Way (the Gate of Centered Non-Preference), neither drowning in worldly affairs nor chasing empty transcendence. Only by securing one's fundamental nature (the Gate of Deeply Rooted Essence) can longevity be achieved. Similarly, governance thrives through simplicity and minimal punishment (the Gate of Unperturbed Transformation), like cooking small fish without excessive stirring.

True treasures manifest as inner virtue (the Gate of Revealing Virtue Through Objects). Spiritual practice accumulates from subtle beginnings (the Gate of Gathering the Minute), and humility builds great achievements (the Gate of Greatness Through Humility). Self-cultivation roots itself in compassion and frugality (the Gate of Treasuring Virtue in Cultivation), while greed and flattery invite calamity.

The text concludes with seasonal metaphors (the Gate of the Unharmed Master Craftsman): a ruler's punishments should mirror celestial precision—like the flawless workings of heaven—never exceeding necessary measure. This embodies the realm of "heavenly artistry."

[Note: Terms like "the Gate of Steadfast Preservation" and "the Gate of Four Analogous Methods" represent metaphorical stages in Daoist practice, while "mental union with Wuwei" describes complete attunement with the Dao's spontaneous functioning.]

The Universal Gate of the Equanimity of Dao (the Way): the gate of the Great Dao that is equal and universal, embodying the heavenly Dao’s pattern of pressing down the high and raising up the low, supporting the weak and restraining the strong, sending misfortune upon the licentious and wicked while blessing the humble, and reducing surplus to make up for deficiency.

Closing the Five Doors refers to what are called wisdom, benevolence, righteousness, cleverness, profit, guarding, caution, relinquishing, removing, and so on. The Chapter on Near and Far discusses “near” and “far.” When sages wish to establish words to reveal principle, there is therefore a distinction of nature and allotment; yet sage words are words that match reality, whereas ordinary words involve delusion. Thus there is advance and retreat; once differences have been settled, the substance of the Dao is fundamentally without delusion or awakening. There is no awakening to awaken to and no laughing to laugh at; advance does not necessarily mean gain, retreat does not necessarily mean loss.

Not seeing the three types of practitioners is to be a true superior practitioner: only by not clinging to distinctions among the three types of practitioners—superior, middling, and inferior—is one a true superior practitioner. There is “near knowing near”: there is a kind of “near knowing near” that can transform delusion into awakening and draws close to cultivation and study. There is “knowing near but not near”: there is a kind of “knowing near but not near” that constantly expounds the teaching of Wuwei (non-action) but does not cultivate the practice of Wuwei; this is knowing near but not being near. There is “near but not knowing near”: there is a kind of “near but not knowing near” that is deluded by the realms of dust, does not awaken to the true source, and does not know that right within the dust there is a wondrous ultimate. There is “far but not knowing far”: there is a kind of “far but not knowing far” that, although it has awakened to the profound and far, does not cling to the profound and far; the profound and far does not fall into emotional thought, and so it does not know far. There is “far and knowing far”: there is a kind of “far and knowing far” that has already awakened to the profound and far, knows that sentient beings possess a profound and far nature, manifests bodies in responsive transformation, expounds the Dao, and benefits people, thereby aligning with the profound and far. There is “practicing but not arriving”: there is a kind of “practicing but not arriving” that, although it cultivates for a long time, still clings to cultivation; clinging to cultivation falls into emotional thought and has not reached the utmost emptiness. There is “not knowing practice”: there is a kind of “not knowing practice” that does not awaken to the teachings and practice and has no teacher’s guidance. There is “not knowing arrival”: there is a kind of “not knowing arrival” that does not know the path to the ultimate, has nowhere to enter, and so does not know arrival. There is “non-practice arriving”: there is a kind of “non-practice arriving” that does not see what has been practiced, does not see what has been arrived at, and yet mysteriously unites with the wondrous root; thus it arrives without practicing. There is “arriving and self-transforming”: there is a kind of “arriving and self-transforming” that attains the inner clarity of true stillness and mysterious De (Virtue/Power), and without teaching or speaking naturally becomes pure and transformed.

The Chapter on Employing the Dao discusses “employing the Dao.” To employ the Dao is to condense it into human terms; the Dao’s operation is condensed into the wondrous root. The Dao forgets its De; this is Wuwei. Empty forgetting is reaching the ultimate. De’s attainment is like receiving grace. Humans imitate the Dao and model themselves on De, thereby matching the workings of spontaneity.

At human birth, the Great Dao continues Qi (vital energy), the utmost Jing (essence) bestows numinous awareness, the Three Primes—a Daoist cultivation term—congeal Shen (spirit), and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) gather purity. Having received a constitution endowed with Jing, one’s original allotment contains the efficacy of non-use. Harmonizing with unhewn simplicity, no thing dares resist; holding fast to the Great Image, all formed things return. Those who are one with the Dao and one with De are soft and weak yet firm, securely dwelling in the condition of an infant.

One who comprehends the wonder of the Mysterious Female (Xuanpin, the deep and mysterious gate of generation) does not discriminate between the inner mind and outer conditions; such a person regards life and death as equal, accords with Heaven, Earth, and natural spontaneity, and follows Yin-Yang in movement and stillness. In high antiquity, rulers who employed the Dao (the Way) emptied their minds and benefited others; they embodied the Dao and transformed the people. They presided over the four quarters and brought universal relief; they grasped the six penetrations (the six supernatural powers) and stood alone without reliance. They blocked sight and hearing, dismissed cleverness and acuity, were not obstructed by dogmas and stagnant words, and did not let emotions congeal or become attached to external things. They cultivated the fundamental root of the Three Ones (the unity of Jing [essence], Qi [vital energy], and Shen [spirit]), so that growth became firm in the true source; they cut away the seedling roots of the four-six (a metaphor for the branching outgrowths of defilement), so that their spreading was severed in the spiritual mansion (the dwelling of spiritual nature). They did not boast of clever intelligence that claims great merit; how could they seek eloquence that brings small success? The Lower Jing (the lower section of the Daodejing) says that clarity and stillness are the correct way for the world. The Nanhua Jing (Zhuangzi) says that the Dao has true and trustworthy verification; it is Wuwei (non-action) and without form. It can be transmitted but cannot be grasped or received; it can be realized but cannot be seen with the eyes. Therefore Xiwei Shi (an ancient ruler who attained the Dao) attained the Dao and lifted up Heaven and Earth; Fuxi attained the Dao and inherited the Mother of Qi (the mother of primal Qi); the Yellow Emperor attained the Dao and ascended to the clouded heavens; Zhuanxu attained the Dao and dwelt in the Mysterious Palace (the palace of the wondrous); and even Weidou, Kanpi, Yuqiang, and Pengzu (all ancient attainers of the Dao) all attained and employed the Dao and ascended to the fruit of sagehood.

From this it can be known that sages, divine persons, immortals, ghosts and spirits, Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, and stars, and the myriad things—if they did not attain the Dao and did not employ the Dao—could not be spiritually penetrating, could not rise lightly (ascend), could not remain hidden and profound, could not cover and support, could not shine down upon, and could not grow. Moreover, the Dao gives Heaven its function of covering, Earth its function of supporting, and the sun and moon their function of shining; whatever has a function has that function bestowed by the Dao. Moreover, the Dao gives Heaven the name Clear, Earth the name Tranquil, the valley the name Full, and things the name Life; thus both function and name are bestowed by the Dao. Therefore humans model themselves on Earth, Earth models itself on Heaven, Heaven models itself on the Dao, and the Dao models itself on natural spontaneity.

The chapter “Two Kinds of Learning” (on the two kinds of learning). From this it can be known that conventional learning is decrease (conventional learning clings to objects and is obstructed by words, unable to enter the true realm; it is of no benefit to the Dao, and so it is decrease). True learning is increase (the mind merges with the ultimate Dao and one’s being enters the Double Mystery—the ultimate Dao, mystery upon mystery—without the threefold abiding of the mind [the mind does not stagnate or abide]; therefore it is increase). Alternatively, true learning is also decrease (gradually cultivating Dao-practice, one discards defiled emotions and desires, and so it is called decrease—a decrease of passions and desires). Alternatively, conventional learning is also increase (by means of conventional teachings one gradually enters the true teaching, attains the Dao and awakens to the real, passing from the conventional into the true; therefore it is called increase). Alternatively, it is self-decrease and other-increase (oneself enters the mysterious realm—the wondrous realm—and attains the supramundane, while others see what one has attained).

(Interlinear note: This too is cultivation; through cultivation one attains the Dao (the Way), and so it is called “other-benefit.”) There are those who gain benefit for themselves when others are harmed (interlinear note: seeing cultivators attain the Dao, one also diligently cultivates; when one’s merits and practices are complete, one awakens and accords with the profoundly profound—that is, the realm of mystery and wonder—and so it is called “self-benefit”). It is harder to be attached to “being” and return to “nonbeing”; it is easier to dwell in “nonbeing and being” and enter “nonbeing.” The teaching of Wuwei (non-action)—the teaching of non-contrivance and accordance with the Dao—is of great benefit to cultivators: to preserve “nonbeing” and forget “being” is not as good as forgetting both loss and gain; being and nonbeing are both equally dissolved. In principle, one must attain the essential purport; when the essential purport does not fall into utility and the inner mind becomes greatly illumined, one can accomplish the transformative nurturing of the Great Dao (the Great Transformation).

Chapter on the Two Illnesses

With respect to the Dao, there is the question of “illness” and “no illness” (interlinear note: hypothetically asking whether those who cultivate the Dao have illness). To know emptiness (the principle and state of emptiness) without stagnating in emptiness is to be without illness (not attached to emptiness or to being). To know emptiness but stagnate in emptiness is an illness (taking emptiness as an object of discriminating consciousness). Not to know emptiness is an illness (the affect of attachment to emptiness and being). To know emptiness but not cultivate emptiness is an illness (there is understanding but no practice). To know emptiness and cultivate emptiness is not an illness (both understanding and practice are present). Not attaching to emptiness is the same as the non-illness of cultivating emptiness (the first is having awakened to emptiness; the second is cultivating emptiness everywhere, cultivating to the point of non-cultivation and equality, without attachment).

The illnesses of cultivating the Dao have deep and shallow forms: the illness of stagnating in emptiness and the illness of attaching to being are both deep (stagnating in emptiness and adhering to being—both illnesses are deep); knowing emptiness but not cultivating emptiness is a shallow illness (for superior faculties, cultivating emptiness without attaching to emptiness is a shallow illness; for middling faculties, cultivating emptiness while attaching to emptiness is a deep illness). To be immersed in empty quiescence while saving the world still involves attachment to being; alternatively, one may awaken to emptiness and, without abiding in emptiness, come to save the world. Because sentient beings have two kinds of faculties, this cannot be generalized; those already attached to emptiness belong to the middling faculties.

Chapter on Teacher and Resource

The Daoist scripture says: good people are the teachers of the not-good; the not-good are the resources of good people (a reference and support). To be a teacher, one must have standards that can be upheld and conduct that can be emulated, and be able to take Dao, De (Virtue/Power), ritual, and music as the four great foundations and be ranked among the three supremely honored positions of ruler, father, and teacher. A teacher possesses the four goods of Dao, De, wisdom, and benevolence. If a person has the Dao, he is penetrating and upright; if he has De, his spirit and Qi are clear and bright; if he has wisdom, he can observe what is timely and appropriate; if he has benevolence, he is compassionate toward all things—such a one can be called a master. By serving as a teacher one becomes an elder and a leader; by advancing in the Dao one becomes a Zhenren (Perfected) or Xianren (immortal). “How could it be only this?” means “Is it merely this?”

A teacher who instructs people should also be regarded as a treasure of the state. How wondrous indeed is the good person! Those who are not good, however, have four kinds of ungoodness: delusive error, confusion, craving, and lack of compassion. Not to draw near the orthodox teaching but to devote oneself to heterodox classics—this is called delusive error. To censure and condemn the Ultimate Person while taking the side of the benighted and foolish—this is called confusion. To drown and abandon oneself in the Five Dusts (sensory objects such as forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangibles) and to join with the Six Thieves (the six sense faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—greedily clinging to external objects)—this is called craving. To lack a heart that brings peace to people and compassion for creatures, while possessing a vicious, poisonous temperament like that of scorpions, owls, and poison birds—this is called lack of compassion. Such people may be called the resources and support of the good. From this one may know the rise and fall of the teaching, and may also realize the difficulty and ease of learning the Dao (the Way). The good rest in tranquility and delight in companionship with the Dao; they do not conceal what they have learned and they honor the master; they harbor the anxious care of one standing at the edge of a deep abyss or treading on thin ice, and they endure toil and hardship. If they reach the utmost and penetrate the principle of emptiness, they can forget both “what is left behind” and “attachment”; inner mind and outer objects are both extinguished. In this way, how could the teaching without words be far away!

Before the one Qi (vital energy) and the two images of Yin-Yang had differentiated, all was profound, dark, and utterly empty. Only after the Five Greats (Wutai, the five primordial stages in Daoist cosmogony) and the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) had emerged did spoken teachings gradually spread. Returning to plainness and honesty, one delights in the teaching of Wuwei (non-action); by nature one can ascend to Perfectedness and become a sage, roaming in the ultimate Chongxuan (Double Mystery). The Heavenly Worthy transmitted the Dao to the assembled immortals; Lord Lao revealed the mysterious Dao throughout the ten thousand lands, conveying the common people to the realm of long life and bringing all under heaven to the river of blessing. Someone asked: When emperors since antiquity obtained the Dao and employed it, was this spontaneous, or did they have a master? I replied: The Upper Three August Ones took the Great Dharma Master of the Mysterious Center as teacher; the Middle Three August Ones took Master Yougu as teacher; the Lower Three August Ones took the Imperial Lord of the Golden Gate as teacher. Fuxi took Yuhuazi as teacher; Shennong took Dachengzi; Zhurong took Guangshouzi; the Yellow Emperor took Guangchengzi; Zhuanxu took Chijingzi; Emperor Ku took Lutuzi; Emperor Yao took Wuchengzi; Emperor Shun took Yinshouzi; Yu of Xia took Zhenxingzi; Tang of Yin took Xizezi; King Wen of Zhou took Xieyizi; King Wu took Yuchengzi; King Cheng took Wuguangzi; King Kang took Guoshuzi; and Confucius (Zhongni) took Laozi as teacher. From the highest age of pristine simplicity down to the age of flippant and shallow customs, vertically penetrating the Nine Heavens and horizontally encompassing the Eight Extremes, from the Three August Ones and Five Emperors, the Three Kings and Five Hegemons onward, if there had been no sages, Zhenren (Perfected), and immortals who used the norms of masters and relied on the supreme teaching to train and refine themselves, no one could have left the dusty world and ascended to Perfectedness to attain the Dao. Moreover, the Guangyi (Expanded Meaning) says: When Lord Lao was about to make the great teaching shine forth and spread transformation throughout the ten thousand regions, he said: The Dao cannot be without a venerable teacher, and teaching cannot be without a patriarch.

Lord Lao once served the Supreme Jade Dawn Dao Lord (a high divine perfected being) with the courtesy due a master. The Dao Lord, together with the lords of five hundred million heavens and countless holy lords, likewise took the Primordial Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun) as their master. Lord Lao’s being is immeasurably vast, his wisdom immeasurably vast, his divine power boundless, his teaching boundless; the Dao (the Way) penetrates inexhaustibly, and his lifespan endures through billions of kalpas. Even he received the teaching of a master and patriarch, realized the true Dao, and benefited living beings. How then can people of the world fail to seek a clear teacher and practice according to the teachings? Yet they hope to have their names written into the registers of immortals (the roster of immortal names), and even wish to raise the Nine Mysteries (nine generations of deceased ancestors) above the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

Chapter on Benevolence and Righteousness (a discussion of benevolence and righteousness). The Five Phases are what humans receive and make into the nature of the Five Constants (the nature of constant conduct); they are also the virtue of emperors. The nature of benevolence receives Wood and shares the virtue of spring’s generation. The nature of ritual propriety receives Fire and shares the virtue of summer’s growth and nurture. The nature of righteousness receives Metal and shares the virtue of autumn’s austere cutting. The nature of wisdom receives Water and shares the virtue of winter’s storing and hiding. To maintain this true and constant nature is to accord deeply with the teachings of Fuxi and Shennong, and to embody the natural breeze of benevolence and righteousness of the utmost Dao. Embracing harmonious Qi (vital energy) and containing Shen (spirit), one completes one’s nature through the yang of Heaven and the yin of Earth. What is called “zhi zhi” is the differentiation of bodily form.

Master Wu said: Yang Xiong, Ban Gu, and their kind held that the Daoists slight benevolence and righteousness, treat ritual propriety and wisdom lightly, and rely exclusively on purity and emptiness. This is because ordinary Confucians do not understand the profound intention of the mysterious sage. Benevolence is universal loving-kindness. Righteousness is the judging of right and wrong. What sprouts in the thin and decadent latter age is only the superficial flowering of the Dao. The “Heavenly Revolutions” says: the highest benevolence of ancient times made benevolence its path and lodged in righteousness, like an inn rather than a place of long dwelling. It is also like the straw dog used in sacrifice, which cannot be displayed and used a second time. The Shangjing (Daodejing) says: “When the great Dao is abandoned, there is benevolence and righteousness.” It also says: “Cut off and discard sagacity and wisdom.” Confucius asked the fisherman what truth is. The fisherman said: truth is the utmost of essential sincerity. Without refinement and sincerity, one cannot move others. Therefore truth is the utmost sincerity within. Confucius took benevolence and righteousness as his teaching and used ritual and music to transform people; this was not truth. Zhuangzi said: the highest ritual does not distinguish self and other; the highest righteousness is not confined to things; the highest wisdom does not use calculation; the highest benevolence is not partial to kin; the highest trust does not use gold and jade as pledges. The Dao is obscured by small accomplishments, and words are obscured by superficial falsity. How much more so when Dao and De (Virtue/Power) are taken as primary and benevolence and righteousness as secondary. Armies and weapons are the last branch of De. Rewards, punishments, and the five punishments are the last branch of teaching. Ritual, law, punishment, and names are the last branch of governance. Bells, drums, and feather banners are the last branch of music. Mourning garments and the pain of injury and death are the last branch of grief. Alas, people of the world value the last branches and slight the root. If they could follow true feeling and natural disposition, people would not lose their constant Dao; if external ritual and law were discarded, the mind and will would naturally accord with original truth.

Tranquil and peaceful, halting entertainment so that the mind is not indulged and set adrift; removing benevolence so that love and hate are erased; cutting away righteousness so that right and wrong are forgotten—thus one can empty the mind and admire the customs of pristine antiquity, restraining sharp thoughts on the path of inferior learning (superficial, lesser learning). These arise before mind-nature and understanding and become the beginning of frivolous customs; attached to the aftermath of the loss of the Dao, they become the root of disorder. They cause Li Zhu and Shi Kuang—those known in antiquity for their keen intelligence—to fall under the ridicule of “extra toes and branching fingers” (the superfluous and useless), and make Zeng Shen and Shi Yu—worthies of antiquity—fall into the calamity of “warts and tumors” (attached growths, a metaphor for the superfluous). Is this not harming plain simplicity while blaming the craftsman, and laying the ills of benevolence and righteousness at the sage’s door?

“The Chapter on Losing the Dao” discusses the consequences of losing the Dao. The wondrous root is spontaneous; its essence is empty and void, and originally there is nothing to attain and nothing to lose. As for human beings, they receive harmonious Qi (vital energy), contain the Dao within, and thereby become human. In high antiquity, human nature was pure and plain; since the Three August Ones and Five Emperors (ancient sovereigns), people have lost their plain and true nature. When emperors and kings act with deliberate effort, the people’s nature changes accordingly. Once the Dao and De (Virtue/Power) are lost, benevolence and righteousness, ritual propriety and wisdom, and power and authority appear in their wake. The movement and stillness of Heaven and Earth are manifest in their functions: if Heaven did not move, it could not advance the sun, moon, stars, and constellations, or the Five Phases and four seasons, and so could not fulfill its De of sheltering and nurturing the myriad things; if Earth were not tranquil, it could not bear all things thickly, grow animals and plants, and support the myriad things, mountains, and rivers, and so could not fulfill the De on which they rely. All this is the transformative nurturing received from the spontaneity of the great Dao. The Book of Changes says: Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) generates the two modes (Yin-Yang); the two modes generate the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity); the Three Powers generate the myriad things. That the myriad things take form and flourish in accordance with their functions and uses is precisely the working of the Dao. Where the Dao is present, there is life; where it departs, there is death. The Dao cannot be separated from; what can be separated from is not the Dao. When a person is first born, they are still—this is the nature of Heaven and Earth; the original nature is inherently pure and still. If one indulges in the six dusts (forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental objects) and races about in the three karmas (body, speech, and mind), then the numinous terrace (the mind) is not established, the heavenly light (the radiance of original nature) is not bright, and one loses one’s original nature and sinks into birth and death. Doing evil openly, one is punished by humans; doing evil in secret, one is punished by ghosts—both are cases of losing the Dao. Therefore, when Heaven loses the Dao, Yang Qi becomes violently disordered; when Earth loses the Dao, Yin Qi leaks away and scatters; when Shen (spirit) loses the Dao, numinous blessings are cut off; when valleys lose the Dao, their water sources dry up; when the myriad things lose the Dao, they cannot grow; when the Son of Heaven loses the Dao, he loses the world; when lords and kings lose the Dao, they lose their states; when people lose the Dao, they lose their lives. The Dao is empty and penetrating yet exerts its function, appearing as harmonious Qi. Because it is empty and penetrating, it becomes the functioning of the Dao; harmonious emptiness abides in the middle way and does not lose its nature of harmonious emptiness.

“The Chapter on Mind and Conduct” discusses the cultivation of the mind. The mind has four kinds: the deluded mind, the awakened mind, the cultivated mind, and the realized mind. The deluded mind has ten kinds: delusion regarding affairs, delusion regarding principle, delusion regarding teachings, delusion regarding realms, delusion regarding Qi, delusion regarding the body, delusion regarding Shen, delusion regarding immortals, delusion regarding the true, and delusion regarding sages. “Delusion regarding affairs” means that when facing all purposeful affairs, if one follows circumstances and becomes attached, one is deluded.

One cannot clearly distinguish and thoroughly comprehend good and evil, and so an inverted, stagnant, and deluded mind arises.

Because of a lack of wisdom, one relies on mind-nature to pick and choose, accept and reject, which leads to the cycle of birth and death and prevents one from reaching the true source.

The Xisheng Jing (a Daoist classic) says: The Dao (the Way) is profound, distant, and wondrous; it is the deep abyss of emptiness and non-being.

The Laozi says: Deep and abyssal, it seems to be the ancestor and master of the ten thousand things.

The so-called mind deluded about principle means that with respect to the wondrous body of utmost emptiness and the real nature of spontaneity, one cannot hear or see it, awaken to and cultivate it, or realize and comprehend it; therefore it is called the mind deluded about principle.

The mind deluded about teachings means being benighted in the face of the sage’s teachings, which are originally intended to make sentient beings return from the vulgar to the true and to reverse ordinary passions so as to accord with the Dao.

The commentary says: The Dao values Wuwei (non-action), while humans value Youwei (contrived action); the Dao is fundamentally without emotion or desire, while humans still have desires and emotions.

This means that one has not met an enlightened teacher or wise friends to guide and unlock one, to inspire and point out the teachings of the Three Vehicles (the scriptural teachings of Yuqing, Lingbao, Dongshen, and so on).

Even if one encounters the wondrous meaning of the sage’s teachings, one does not give rise to love or delight in it, does not diligently seek and practice it, does not contemplate the meaning of the scriptures, and does not examine the principle; the mind seeking liberation is as if present and as if absent.

The Laozi says: The law of the Dao is originally spontaneous; those who practice it can attain it, those who hear of it can speak of it, but those who merely talk about it do not truly know it.

The sage handles affairs through Wuwei and practices the teaching without words.

The mind deluded about realms is of two kinds: the mind deluded about the true realm and the mind deluded about the delusive realm.

The true realm is the essential nature of the Great Dao’s wondrous root and spontaneity; it is separated from the true source by deluded thoughts and cut off by defiling dust.

The Upper Scripture says: Always without desire, one observes its wonder; always with desire, one observes its boundaries (traces and signs).

The deluded mind is affliction, the six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), the three karmas (body, speech, and mind), and the ten unwholesome actions (killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle speech; greed, anger, and delusion)—false discrimination and the pursuit of Youwei.

The scripture says: Not seeing what is desirable keeps the mind from becoming disordered.

The Xisheng Jing says: Those who accumulate evil cause evil Qi (vital energy) to arrive; those who accumulate good cause good Qi to arrive. When good is accumulated, divine spirits assist and bring it to fulfillment, and the heavenly Dao still protects good people.

The mind deluded about Qi: humans are endowed with the Qi of central harmony, and Qi has clear and turbid aspects.

Those endowed with clear Qi are wise people; those endowed with turbid Qi are foolish people.

The Dingguan Jing says: Prolonging life for several thousand years is called an immortal (xianren); refining the form into Qi is called a Zhenren (True Person); refining Qi into Shen (spirit) is called a Shenren (Spirit Person); refining Shen to unite with the Dao is called a sage.

People lose the primal harmony and true nature, and cannot nurture Shen or cherish Qi.

Therefore the Guangyi says: The Dao is non-being, form is being; being therefore inevitably passes away, non-being therefore endures forever.

People in the world who cultivate the Dao merely cling fixedly to external forms and traces.

Using the physical form to treasure and guard the “being” of life, one stores one’s Shen (spirit) within; taking “non-being” as the root, one accords with non-being and unites with the Dao (the Way), and thereby attains long life. The physical form is the Yin po (corporeal soul), and Shen is the Yang hun (ethereal soul).

As long as a person still has a little Yang Qi (vital energy), they will not die; as long as they still have a little Yin Qi, they will not become an immortal. When Yin Qi is completely extinguished, one ascends to the rank of immortals; immortals are pure Yang. When Yang Qi is completely extinguished, one becomes a ghost; ghosts belong to Yin Qi. The Jing (scripture) says: “Can you concentrate your Qi and attain softness, becoming like an infant?” When Yang Qi is full within, one guards the One—holding fast to the way of undivided focus—and thus has De (Virtue/Power); having De, one can surely have a state; having a state, one can surely have the Dao; having the Dao, one can surely govern and transform; governing and transforming, one can surely bring peace to the people; when the people are at peace, the state is at peace; when the state is at peace, there is naturally great peace. The Jing says: “In loving the people and governing the state, can one practice Wuwei (non-action)?”

Those deluded by the body do not know that within the body there are Qi, Shen, and consciousness; that by cultivating immortal practice one obtains the immortal fruit, by cultivating true practice one obtains the true fruit, and by cultivating sage practice one obtains the sage fruit. The Xisheng Jing (Western Ascension Scripture) says: The sage is always at peace, at peace together with heaven and earth, and thereby communicates with ghosts and spirits; ordinary people all rest in what they themselves find restful, and are unsettled by what they find unsettling. Moreover, for those deluded by the body: if the body is empty, the myriad things come; if the mind is empty, harmonious Qi gathers.

Those skilled in nourishing the body hide the body within the body and do not expose it outwardly; they hide the person within the person and do not reveal it. Therefore the sage puts himself behind and yet is ahead; places himself outside and yet is preserved. Not knowing that the body is the root of calamity—this is called being deluded by the body.

Those deluded by Shen do not know that Shen is the unfathomable operation of Yin-Yang, whose wondrous function has no fixed direction, which is hidden and manifest, alters and penetrates, and cannot be exhausted—this alone is called Shen. In heaven it is called Shen, on earth it is called the earth deity, and in humans it is called ghost. The Shen-consciousness and numinous spirits within the bodies of sentient beings cannot refine Shen to unite with the Dao and ascend to the sage fruit. Zhuangzi says: The myriad things follow nature spontaneously, and each attains its life. Those deluded by immortality do not cultivate immortal practice; those deluded by the true do not cultivate true practice; those deluded by sagehood do not cultivate sage practice.

The awakened mind is the mind that awakens to the Dao; the cultivated mind is the mind that cultivates the Dao; the realized mind is the mind that realizes the Dao. When the mind cuts off external conditions and discursive thought, the intention cuts off delusive thinking, and the intellect cuts off discrimination, this is: true seeing sees all, while false seeing does not see all; true hearing hears all, while false hearing does not hear all; true awareness is aware of all, while false awareness is not aware of all; true knowing knows all, while false knowing does not know all. If both the true and the false are dissolved together, and both knowing and awareness are forgotten, then one returns to the state where true and false are both extinguished and knowing and awareness are both forgotten.

Reach the state of forgetting the mind and forgetting the realm; when both mind and realm are forgotten, one secretly accords with the Dao.

The Neiguan Jing (Scripture of Inner Observation), a Daoist classic, says: The mind is not blue, red, white, or yellow; it is not long or short; it is not round or square. It is great enough to encompass heaven and earth and small enough to enter a hair or the awn of wheat. Restrain it and it becomes calm; indulge it and it becomes wild. With purity and stillness there is life; with turbidity and agitation there is death. When bright, it can illuminate the farthest reaches of the eight directions; when dark, it loses even one direction. What people find hardest to subdue is precisely the mind. Therefore, teaching people to cultivate the Dao is cultivating the mind, and teaching people to cultivate the mind is cultivating the Dao.

The mind cannot be forcibly stilled; one must recollect the Dao to make it still. The mind cannot be seen directly; one must rely on the Dao to make it clearly manifest. The two tendencies of good and evil, and all worldly phenomena, cease because of the mind and arise because of the mind. Those who practice the Dao accord with the Dao when they extinguish mental thoughts; worldly people harm themselves when they indulge mental thoughts. When the mind arises, confusion arises; when the mind ceases, order prevails.

Therefore, when the Son of Heaven establishes officials, clarifies laws and regulations, institutes punishments and rewards, and displays auspicious and inauspicious omens in order to encourage people, it is all because the mind is difficult to govern. No-mind means making it not cling to existence. Stabilizing the mind means making it not be deluded. Resting the mind means making it not act recklessly. Controlling the mind means making it not become disordered. Rectifying the mind means making it not become crooked. Purifying the mind means making it not be defiled. Emptying the mind means making it not become attached. One who understands these seven kinds of mind can be spoken with about the Dao and about cultivating the mind.

Chapter on Cultivating the Dao.

A person who possesses the Dao is like a valley that has an echo. Cultivate the Dao and one will certainly attain it; make a sound and there will certainly be a response. If the sound is urgent, the echo responds urgently; this illustrates the superior adept (a diligent cultivator of the Dao) practicing diligently. If the sound is slow, the echo responds slowly; this illustrates the middling adept (one whose practice advances and retreats) wavering between advance and retreat. If the sound stops, the echo does not respond; this illustrates the inferior adept (a non-cultivator) not cultivating. If one does not cultivate, the Dao is far away.

Therefore the sage takes what is inwardly compassionate and substantial, and knows himself and loves himself. He discards what is delusory, flashy, and shallow, as well as showing off what he sees and displaying his own nobility. The echo in the valley illustrates the inexhaustible wonder of numinous function. It also illustrates long life and enduring vision. Therefore it is said, “The valley spirit does not die; this is called the mysterious female” (the valley spirit not dying is called Xuanpin [Mysterious Female]; Xuanpin refers to the profound gate of generation and transformation).

If a diligent cultivator uses yin to refine yang—a Neidan (internal alchemy) term meaning to use yin Qi (vital energy) to cultivate and refine yang Qi—this will cause yin Qi to become congested, yang Qi to sink and hide, harmonious Qi to scatter, and malevolent influences to come and dwell, so that aging, illness, suffering, and death arrive at once. It is better to use yang to refine yin—meaning to use yang Qi to refine and transform yin Qi—returning from aging to infancy, from delusion to awakening, from crookedness to rectitude, and from non-being to being.

Interpretation of the "Discourse on the Great Dao" in Vernacular Language

The key to cultivation lies in seeking guidance from an enlightened teacher, following their teachings, and choosing secluded mountain forests to contemplate the profound tranquility of the mystical realm. First, one must lay a solid foundation, gradually deepening their practice: beginning with the Dongshen (initial stage of cultivation), then progressing to comprehend the wondrous Lingbao (essential Daoist cultivation principles), and ultimately attaining the pure state of Dongzhen (the highest stage of spiritual refinement). Through various methods such as tuna (breathing exercises), daoyin (guided stretching), and physical movements, one can ultimately achieve the supreme attainment of immortality and sagehood.

Interpretation of the Chapter on Preserving Life:

Human consciousness relies on the physical form, which undergoes birth and death, yet the nature of Shen (spirit) is neither born nor extinguished. Zhuangzi said: "Life and death are like entering and exiting; their form cannot be seen—this is the 'Gate of Heaven' (referring to the gate of natural creation)." The preservation of life is divided into internal and external cultivation: internal cultivation involves penetrating the essence of life and death, while external cultivation entails mastering the laws of all things. External cultivation serves to aid the world, while internal cultivation serves to refine the self. To truly comprehend the state beyond birth and death requires extraordinary practice.

All things are born when Qi (vital energy) gathers and perish when it disperses. Yet while Qi undergoes cycles of gathering and scattering, Shen has no distinction of birth or destruction. Shen can command Qi, and Qi can nourish Shen—when gathered, they act in unison; when dispersed, they operate independently. In Zhuangzi's "Knowledge Wanders North," it is said: "The human body, life, and innate nature are all bestowed by Heaven and Earth." Understanding this principle allows one to see that life and death are merely the gathering and scattering of Qi—in essence, an illusory distinction. True eternity is the "formless and shapeless" Wuti (the transcendent essence beyond physical form).

To "preserve life" means to restrain the arising of desires. When desires emerge, they obscure the true and constant nature. This principle applies equally to governing a state: if one abuses cleverness, expands territory, hoards wealth, undertakes massive construction, and indulges in extravagance, the tranquil nature of governance will be lost. Once the true nature is lost, harmful thoughts will invade, and the authority to govern will slip away. When deceitful officials dominate, not only is the Dao of preserving life violated, but the state also struggles to achieve lasting peace. If one can transcend worldly entanglements, longevity and the flourishing of one's lineage will naturally follow.

(Note: In the text, Dongshen and Dongzhen represent stages of Daoist cultivation; Lingbao refers both to essential cultivation principles and an important Daoist scripture; Wuti denotes the eternal essence beyond physical form.)

The ancestral temple perpetuates its great blessings; the state altars of soil and grain (the state) remain forever secure. To preserve life is to preserve the state; to cultivate the Dao is to preserve life. Make light of right and wrong; remove pride; abstain from cravings and desires; forget fame and gain. Then guard against the five colors (the desire for color) encroaching upon the “color beyond color”; guard against the five sounds (the desire for sound) encroaching upon the “sound beyond sound”; guard against the five flavors (the desire for flavor) encroaching upon the “flavor beyond flavor.” Do not gallop and indulge among the six dusts (the six defiling objects: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental phenomena); do not rush about through the three times (past, present, and future). Once the ears and eyes no longer hear and see outward, the mind cuts off discursive thought, the Qi (vital energy) mechanism is unobstructed and harmonious, the Shen (spirit) does not leave the form, the form does not leave the Shen, and Shen and form guard each other—then the course of the immortal Dao of long life is accomplished, and the way of preserving life is complete. Penetrating that the intrinsic nature of sound and color is emptiness; awakening to the fact that bodily form is not truly existent; with Shen clear and bright, the mind quiet and still, De (Virtue/Power) deep and profound, and Dao-practice lofty and wondrous—one will no longer sink into birth and death, and even when encountering peril will naturally reach the gate of Chongxuan (the realm of deep and mysterious profundity). The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension) says: To pity others is not as good as pitying oneself; to pity oneself is not as good as cherishing Shen; to cherish Shen is not as good as embracing and nurturing Shen; to embrace and nurturing Shen is not as good as guarding the true; only by guarding the true can one long endure and long abide. It also says: Shen loves all people, yet people do not love Shen; therefore Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) teaches people to nurture Shen and nurture Qi; this is the art of preserving life.

The Chapter on Governing the State (the chapter on ordering the country). To govern the world, to govern the fortunes of the state, to govern the family, and to govern oneself—without Dao and De there is no way to rectify and rescue. When the state is governed by Wuwei (non-action), affairs are simplified; when governed by Youwei (active contrivance), affairs multiply. When affairs are simple, people’s hearts are honest and generous; when affairs multiply, the people are chaotic. When hearts are honest, the state is stable; when the people are chaotic, the state is in danger. To leave danger and turn toward stability—quietude is the Dao. Therefore the sage embraces the One (holds fast to the great Dao) and becomes the model for the world; it is also said: knowing brightness yet keeping to obscurity, one becomes the model for the world. Emulate Heaven; take Earth as model; broadly bestow the De of covering and supporting, yet forget the merit; forget the traces; one must not, because of noble and high position, look down on the world. The scripture says: Only one who prizes his person as he prizes the world can have the world entrusted to him; only one who cherishes his person as he cherishes the world can have the world committed to him. It also says: The sage does not consider himself great, and so can accomplish his greatness; he acts but does not presume upon it; he accomplishes merit but does not dwell on the merit. Only one who bears the state’s disgrace can be called lord of the state altars; only one who bears the state’s misfortune can become king of the world. Then he regards the common people as straw dogs (straw offerings, meaning to accord with nature and be without partiality); governing a great state is like cooking a small fish (it must not be overdisturbed); this is Lord Lao’s stern exhortation. Do not exalt the reputation of worthies; do not prize precious treasures; regard all things equally; take humility and lowliness as the foundation; do not toy with weapons or recklessly use force; lighten corvée labor and reduce taxes; do not be deluded by arrogance and self-conceit; do not be extravagant and licentiously luxurious, and do not greedily crave what one likes.

From this it can be known that greedy desires must be privately guarded against with caution, and the capital region carefully protected. To drown in wine banquets and neglect oneself in hunting will lead to conscripting the farming and mulberry-raising common people. One must abstain from exhausting the people by land and water for the sake of distant rare treasures and strange beasts. Therefore it can be known that if the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power) are not esteemed, the state cannot be well governed. If one does not use the principle of the Dao to teach and transform, but simply follows along with the world, the sprouts of disorder will arise within human-made principles and laws. The Taiping Jing (a Daoist Jing) says: If one can be clear and still, one will know the original beginning of the way of governance. Tianzhen Huangren (the Celestial Perfected Sovereign, an immortal) said to the Yellow Emperor (ancestor of the Huaxia): I have never heard of a state being poorly governed when the body has been properly regulated.

The body of one person is the symbol of the state. The positions of the chest and belly are like palaces and chambers. The distinctions of the four limbs are like the outskirts and borders. The divisions of the joints are like the hundred officials. Shen (spirit) is like the ruler. Qi (vital energy) is like the common people. Knowing how to regulate the body, one knows how to govern the state. Cherishing the people, one brings peace to the state. Cherishing Qi, one preserves the whole body. The perished cannot be restored to existence; the dead cannot return to life. Therefore the perfected person eliminates troubles before they arise and treats maladies before they occur. Qi is difficult to nourish and easy to lose; the people are difficult to gather and easy to scatter. The essential point is to govern before trouble arises, not to regret after it has already passed.

The Chapter on the Two Methods (discussing two approaches) refers to the two methods of the coarse and the fine. Shen is fine and Qi is coarse; Qi is fine and form is coarse. In refining one’s practice and cultivating the real in quest of the ultimate Dao, one may refine form until it is like Qi, refine Qi until it is like Shen, and refine Shen until it unites with the Dao. Cultivating Shen without cultivating Qi, when Qi is extinguished the form comes to an end. Cultivating Qi without cultivating Shen, one merely prolongs life in vain and remains far from the Dao. Drawing in Qi and refining the mind, one blends harmoniously with true purity. Through Daoyin (guided exercises) and exhalation-inhalation, one reaches Great Harmony through stillness. Shen and Qi flow freely; the Lingtai (the heart/mind) becomes luminous, pure, empty, and vast. The Danjing (the image of Neidan, internal alchemy) is deeply clear and stabilized; the ordinary form then returns to the true body. Why wait for a future life? Deluded, one is ordinary; awakened, one is a sage.

One may use the small, middle, and great Three Vehicles (three modes of cultivation) to explain in turn their coarse and fine aspects. One may use the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest three realms) to recount successively their coarse and fine aspects. One may use the Nine Heavens (the ninefold heavens) to recount successively their coarse and fine aspects. One may use the Five Qi (the Qi of the Five Phases) to recount successively their coarse and fine aspects. One may use the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) to recount successively their coarse and fine aspects. One may use the Gate of Contemplation (a contemplative cultivation method) to recount successively their coarse and fine aspects. One may use the three—faculties, objects, and consciousness—to distinguish their coarse and fine aspects. One may use Hun and Po to distinguish their coarse and fine aspects. One may take the formed as coarse and the formless as fine. One may take Dao and De as fine and benevolence and righteousness as coarse. The Jing says: The Great Image (the image of the great Dao) is formless. The Xisheng Jing (a Daoist Jing) says: In all under heaven, nothing is softer or weaker than Qi, and Qi is not softer than the Dao; the Dao takes Wuwei (non-action) as its substance, and Qi, through Yin-Yang, completes the Dao.

Thus, it enfolds heaven and earth and penetrates the myriad dharmas. The Nanhua Jing (Zhuangzi) says that it encompasses all without any outside; its subtlety enters the minutest particulars. The “Chapter on Contemplation and Cultivation” marks out the sections on contemplation and practice. “Contemplation” (guan) is the contemplation of the body as illusory and dreamlike. “Cultivation” (xiu) is the practice of conduct in accord with Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power). Forgetting both body and cultivation, one naturally enters the realm of mysterious penetration. Clinging to physical form and to actions, one sinks into the source of death and life.

Contemplation is wisdom. By wisdom one contemplates principle. When wisdom and principle merge indistinguishably, one naturally accords with the Middle Way. The Benji Jing (a Daoist scripture) says: “Fully endowed with all wisdom, one accomplishes the unsurpassed Dao.” To look at things with the eyes is called contemplation; to suspend and illuminate with Shen (spirit) and discern is also called contemplation. Externally eliminating the myriad phenomena and internally stilling the multitude of conditions, cultivating all practices in the mind—this is called contemplation and cultivation. Only then can one enter wondrous nonbeing and gradually ascend to sage conduct. This is the path of cultivation.

The Yebao Jing (a Daoist scripture) says: “Afflicted by manifold sufferings, always because one has a body, one in the cycle of birth and death cannot escape by oneself. By what skillful means can delusive thoughts be removed?” Taishang (the Supreme Lord) said: “Delusive and inverted thoughts all arise from the mind. Forcibly generating discrimination and fixing attention on my body, one becomes deluded upon contact with circumstances; every arising of the mind is delusion. Thus one wanders and sinks into birth and death. One should simply stabilize the will and contemplate the body as entirely false. Once one knows it is false, delusive thoughts gradually disappear. Once delusive thoughts are gone, inside and outside are pure and still; one awakens to the Dao by oneself—this is called forgetting the body. Once the body is forgotten, illusory entanglements naturally cease.”

Zhuangzi says: “Be at ease with the times and abide in accordance; sorrow and joy do not enter.” This is the forgetting of the body by one who has penetrated through. From ordinary person to sage, one does not go beyond the four dharmas of seeing (jian), cultivation (xiu), attainment (cheng), and benefiting (li). “Seeing” is of two kinds. First, encountering a good friend who expounds the true scriptures, or reading the scriptures and teachings oneself, and advancing according to the teaching. Second, inwardly seeing the mysterious and subtle, gradually becoming clearer and stiller until reaching the wondrous ultimate. Cultivation is of three kinds: the Small Vehicle, the Middle Vehicle, and the Great Vehicle. Attainment is of three kinds: immortal fruition, true fruition, and sage fruition. Benefiting is of three kinds: people of the three fruitions each expound teachings, guide the multitude of beings, benefit beings, and rescue the times. These four dharmas arise from the unequaled Dharma (the ultimate Dharma beyond compare) and enter the unequaled Dharma. For the sake of benefit and rescue the four dharmas are taught; when merged back into the wondrous body, they are only one. This “one” cannot be cultivated and realized without correct contemplation. “Dadao Lun” is the chapter title.