《太平經》Vol. 113

Taiping Jing, Scroll 113, Part Five

The First Hundred and Ninety-First Determination of the Auspicious and Inauspicious Effects of Joy and Anger

The disciple asked, “When the Qi (vital energy) of Great Peace has fully descended among humanity, the people need only gather each day for recreation, accompanying one another with musical instruments as a regular practice, and thereby harmonize and transform society. In this way, the weather can become favorable, the state can flourish, and all under Heaven can receive the teaching of De (Virtue/Power) without suffering calamity. But what clear signs show whether music is pleasing or displeasing, harmonious or discordant? What results can confirm its effects? I beg the Celestial Master to explain this in detail. Fearing that something may remain unclear, I ask again and again and dare not slacken, lest I incur Heaven’s displeasure.”

The Celestial Master praised him: “Excellent! You grow ever more adept at asking about the Way of Heaven. With Heaven’s favor protecting you, the perfected one will surely enjoy long life. Sit at ease. I will explain this further to all the disciples, so that they may understand completely.

“Small-scale music, when it accords with what people desire on a small scale, can delight individuals. Medium-scale music, when it accords with what people desire on a medium scale, can govern the state. Great music, when it accords with what people desire on a great scale, can harmonize Heaven and Earth.

“When one knows how to delight people, everyone is joyful; when one knows how to delight the state through good government, public affairs are peaceful; when one knows how to delight Heaven and Earth, Heaven and Earth are harmonious. When Heaven and Earth are harmonious, the myriad things suffer no illness, and the many spirits are always joyful and never angry. This is precisely the time when the Qi of Great Peace arrives and all the people rejoice!”

A detailed account of the signs and effects:

When the great Jiao tone, the upper Jiao, is attained, the Azure Emperor of the East is greatly pleased, and benevolence and De become manifest. All things delight in life; the Azure Emperor goes forth on a tour; the Qi of the liver is free from illness; and the liver spirit, the guardian deity of the East, appears in the east to dispel evil and aid the good. A jade maiden dressed in blue brings a medicinal prescription and bestows it upon the people. This is the effect of transformation at the highest level.

When the middle Jiao tone is attained, its transforming influence reaches the middle level: medium-scale music governs the state.

When the lower Jiao tone is attained, its transforming influence reaches the lower level: small-scale music brings peace to the people.

When all three Zheng tones—great, middle, and small—are harmonious, the myriad things flourish. The Way and De of the South are joyful; red Qi, the power of Fire, grows strong; the red spirit, the guardian deity of the South, roams freely; the spirit of the heart is free from illness; and a jade maiden dressed in red brings a medicinal prescription and bestows it upon the people. This is the effect of transformation on a great scale.

The perfected one must ponder this principle deeply and follow it faithfully!

A Modern Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

The harmony of yellow Qi and the Gong note—the beneficial aspect of the Gong note as well—will all arrive; what is harmful will dissipate.

When the harmony of the Shang note is attained, its beneficial aspects will also come, while its harmful aspects will dissipate. When the harmony of the Yu note is attained, its beneficial aspects will come as well, and its harmful aspects will fade away.

A perfected person should carefully grasp the essentials here, along with the results they bring and the fundamental practices involved. The teaching about the Five Directions is not explained in full because it is too profound. Those of the highest capacity can understand it for themselves and infer the many from the one. If everything were spelled out for those of middling capacity, they might become excessively excited; if people of low character learned it, they might speak of it recklessly. So the teaching is not fully disclosed, leaving each person to reflect on its meaning. In this way, people at every level can communicate without making mistakes. A perfected person understands these principles.

Those of the highest capacity cultivate their nature through music and follow the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) to guide the world. Those of middling capacity use music to bring harmony to society. Those of the lowest capacity use music to gather people and host them with food and drink. Each acts according to their own purpose. When the Qi of Great Peace arrives, observe what they do and follow the music they use on the qin and se. They must never be forbidden; otherwise, the Qi of harmony cannot arise, and peace will be impossible throughout the world. When peace is impossible, Qi gives rise to contention and lawsuits, and punishments become frequent.

Music is used to stop anger, while anger is used to stop joy: the two restrain one another. When joy arises, anger ceases; when anger arises, joy ceases. Anger is the root of punishment and conflict; joy is the gateway to virtue. Let joy unfold so that the root of virtue can grow; do not suppress it. Suppression instead opens the door to calamity and punishment. This is where good and ill fortune, safety and danger, have their origin.

Joy belongs to Yang, and punishment belongs to Yin. Yin and Yang wax and wane in relation to one another: when Yang rises, Yin declines; when Yin rises, Yang declines. Yang is like the ruler, and Yin is like the minister.

Notes on terms: A zhenren is a perfected person who has attained the Dao. “Qi of Great Peace” refers to the auspicious, harmonious Qi upheld in the Taiping Jing. The Gong, Shang, and Yu notes are pitches among the Five Tones, associated here with directions and kinds of Qi. The Five Directions are east, south, west, north, and center, along with their corresponding notes and Qi. Wuwei means following the natural course of things and avoiding forced action in one’s conduct and cultivation.

The Taiping Jing: A Plain-Language Interpretation

When the ruler’s Qi is strong and he holds to the center without wavering, his ministers and people submit, and the common people are easy to govern. But if the ministers grow too powerful, the ruler is held in check; those above and below turn against one another, and the realm falls into chaos. This is the natural law of the Dao.

Therefore, people should follow the ruler’s example in cultivating joy—a harmonious, gentle, and unhurried Qi—so that the people may be content. Ministers, too, should put an end to their repeated outbursts of anger. People in later antiquity were ignorant and could not grasp the deeper meaning. Instead, they often cut off the Qi of joy, allowing Yin Qi to flourish and Yang Qi to decline.

When Yin Qi flourishes, thieves and criminals appear in ever greater numbers, living things struggle to grow, and people suffer harm from Yin Qi. This is the source of great calamity. When the Qi of joy rises, Yang Qi flourishes and can put an end to these evils. When the ruler’s Qi is strong, he can prolong his life and may hope to attain a long lifespan. Gentleness and joy belong to Heaven and are above; impatience, anger, and punishment belong to Earth and are below. Following the way of Heaven brings order to all things; following the way of Earth brings confusion to all things. The Perfected One warns: how could these words be left unexamined?

The disciple replied, “Yes.” The Perfected One said, “You may be called someone who understands deeply. Pass this on to people in later antiquity, so that each may reflect on its meaning. Take care never to block or cut off the Qi of joy.”

When there is joy, the Dao and De of the Five Directions are all revealed; when there is anger, the evils of the Five Directions are all revealed. When there is joy, the Dao and De of Heaven and Earth emerge in full; when there is anger, the evils of Heaven and Earth emerge in full. Thus, when Heaven and Earth are joyful, auspicious responses appear; when they are not joyful, inauspicious responses appear. When the Five Directions are harmonious and joyful, their auspicious responses appear; when they are not joyful but angry, their inauspicious responses appear. This is no small matter. That is why it is said: do not cut off the Qi of joy.

Let all people reflect together on its meaning, awaken with one mind, and give themselves fully to joy. Then the Qi of delight and joy will arrive, and impatience and anger will depart.

Excellent, excellent! Go now; you understand.

[Above: A heavenly formula distinguishing the good and ill fortunes produced by joy and anger]