《太平經》Vol. 118

The Taiping Jing, Scroll 118: “Instructions on Forbidding the Burning of Mountains and Forests” (Chapter 209), in a modern interpretation

Someone asked the Master of the Highest Cavern of Heaven: “You have graciously instructed us about heavenly affairs, matters I, a foolish person, would never dare presume to ask about. Now that I have received your teaching, I wish to learn what Heaven approves and what it forbids, so that I may keep it in mind day and night, never transgress, and pass it on to future generations.”

The Perfected One told him to sit at ease and said, “This teaching may be passed down for ten thousand generations.” The student accepted the instruction again and again. The Perfected One continued: “You have brought your questions about Heaven and Earth, and I speak on Heaven’s behalf. There is no need to thank me; to do so would seem to slight the Great Dao (the Way).”

He went on: “In Heaven, the qi of the Supreme Sovereign’s Cavern of Peace is now flourishing. Yang qi grows brighter by the day, evil qi subsides, upright qi moves through the world, and what is in decline fades away. For this reason, Heaven has issued a strict command: Do not light fires among the trees and thickets of the mountains. Why? I would like to hear the reason.”

The Perfected One replied: “Mountains belong to the sun. They are the ‘net’ on earth and its ruler. Plants and trees, with wood as their leader, are also rulers, and they belong to Yang. Fire is the foremost of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and it too belongs to Yang. When these three Yang rulers meet, they harm one another and decline. That is why Heaven urgently forbids burning mountains and forests. If wood is not burned, the Yin within Yin can be preserved. Yin is called the mother and rests below.

“Heaven’s commands set Zi, Chou, and Yin in motion first. When there is much ‘rising,’ fire grows strong; when fire grows strong, the sun shines more brightly. What, then, does it mean that Bing and Ding rise, while Ji and Wu rejoice? I would like to hear.”

The reply was: “This is the pattern and nature of Heaven. When the mother flourishes and rules, the child follows. When the child follows, it receives qi for a long time and gains longevity. That is why Heaven forbids burning mountains. When Yang is strong, Yin evils diminish day by day; when Yang is weak, Yin evils arise. The fact that crafty and treacherous people often become active at dusk and night is clear proof that when Yang declines, treachery rises. Thus Heaven forbids burning mountains, forests, and thickets in order to protect the three Yang rulers and prolong upright qi.”

Note: This chapter uses the Five Phases (Wood and Fire), Yin-Yang, the Earthly Branches (Zi, Chou, Yin, Bing, Ding, Ji, and Wu), and a cosmology in which mountains, wood, and fire all belong to Yang, while the meeting of the three Yang forces weakens them. It connects the prohibition on burning forests with the weather, longevity, and the prevention of treachery. The “Perfected One” and “Heavenly Master” are attributed speakers through whom the teaching is presented; neither refers to a specific historical figure.

Removing Treachery and the Three Yangs

Certain practices must be forbidden in order to eliminate treachery and disorder. This is a natural law. What happens in Heaven happens on Earth as well.

The Perfected One asked, “When the Three Yangs respond to one another and come together, why does this bring misfortune and decline?”

A good question—you have reached the heart of the matter. Here, the Three Yangs mean the Yang of Heaven, the Yang of Earth, and the Yang of humanity: all three realms are Yang, with not a trace of Yin. It is like having rulers but no subjects, or men but no women. This is called “the path to extinction” and “the way of having no descendants”: there is no passing on the seed or continuing the lineage, and nothing can come into being through mutual generation. That is why it is ominous. As people say, there is Heaven but no Earth, the sun but no moon, an exterior but no interior, a surface but no inner substance. In Heaven, this condition is called “the law of establishing and then perishing”—once established, it leads to ruin. That is why Heaven abhors and forbids it.

The answer: Knowing fear is the root of life; not knowing fear is the gateway to calamity. Yes, indeed.

Instructions for Burning Weeds in the Lower Field (210)

Question: Can weeds in the lower field be burned? Heaven does not forbid burning them, so does that mean they should be burned? I would like to hear an explanation.

Answer: Yes, they may be burned, and they should be. Weeds are the Yin of Wood and correspond to the Heavenly Stem Yi. Trees correspond to the Heavenly Stem Jia. Jia is Yang and belongs to the same category as trees, so they correspond to each other. Yi is Yin and belongs to the same category as weeds, so weeds correspond to Yi. Yi fears Metal, which can injure Wood. When Wood is injured, it declines; when Yang qi declines, falsehood and treachery can readily arise. That is why the weeds should be burned.

Heaven also says that Yi is Yin, weeds are Yin, and the lower field is the Yin of Earth. When these Three Yins come together, they instead encourage treachery. Thus the Black Tortoise dwells at the North Pole, in a place of utmost Yin. When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang arises again. Fire is Yang; when Yin receives Yang and follows its course, the result is auspicious and good things can come forth. Therefore Heaven instructs people to burn weeds in the lower field, delighting Yin and bringing Yang to prominence. That is why they should be burned. Heaven does the same.

Jia is like the Wood of Heaven, and Yi is like the weeds of Heaven. What, then, are Yin and Mao? Yin is also Yang: it is the Wood of Earth. Mao is Yin: it is the weeds of Earth. All four belong to the East. The Yang aspect is called Wood, and the Yin aspect is called weeds. This is the natural order and the canonical teaching of Heaven. I would not dare deceive the Perfected One. You ask Heaven about matters and seek its judgment on your doubts; I speak of these matters on Heaven’s behalf.

Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

Everyone shares responsibility, working together to bring Yin-Yang into balance and heal the afflictions of Heaven and Earth, so that the emperor no longer suffers worry and hardship. The twelve thousand kinds of beings in the world each find their proper place; all are joyful and flourish, and no grievances remain tangled or unresolved. Perfected One, you may truly be said to understand the Great Dao. “I dare not claim that. But what is there to thank me for when I have learned and asked about the Dao?” “Yes, yes. Keep it in your heart and never let it leave you.” “Excellent, excellent. You have grasped the essentials of learning.”

The Celestial Spirits Examine and Verify the Threefold Agreement (211)

Now that the good and peaceful Qi of Heaven is about to arrive, the celestial spirits are constantly concerned that people may violate the seasons and cause harm. The gods of Heaven have made a common record: those who delight in killing and injuring, those who hunt with nets and bows or fish, those who fail to follow the Way of Heaven, do not perform good deeds, and are always eager to kill and injure are severely condemned by Heaven, deeply loathed by Earth, and strongly opposed by the assembled spirits.

The spirits now fear that petty people, sunk in ignorance and difficult to restrain, will corrupt and disrupt the pure, sovereign, and peaceful Qi. So the urgent departments of Heaven’s spirits have jointly recorded their conduct. They review and assess even minor offenses together each day. A middle-level review takes place once every three years, with the leap year included; a major review takes place once every five years. Serious offenses are met with severe punishments; lesser ones are punished by shortening one’s lifespan and reducing one’s allotted years. After three generations comes a great purge; after five generations comes annihilation.

Heaven therefore gathers the documents of the Three Ways, and the assembled spirits jointly record people’s transgressions, bringing an end to the love of killing and injury and to punishments. The same applies on Earth. May people in the world be fortunate enough to do good, and may they always wish to show De before august Heaven and ease the emperor’s distress. When the Qi of the times is out of balance, the true fault lies with people who delight in killing and injury, hunting and fishing, and imposing punishments together. They continually defy the intentions of Heaven and Earth, causing prolonged disorder and imbalance, and bringing the emperor repeated worry and hardship. This is a grave offense.

Perfected One, may you be fortunate enough to serve Heaven and show kindness to the emperor. The gathered spirits in Heaven, burdened by illness and malice, have instructed me to speak. So I now entrust this document to you: take it to a virtuous ruler and show it to the people of the world. Whoever receives this text should reflect deeply on their own transgressions and take its words to heart.

Heaven’s good and peaceful Qi is now arriving in full. Heaven does not delight in people’s envy and malice. I know Heaven has spoken in this way. How could I dare fail to pass down the Dao? If I remain silent, I fear that envy and malice will harm me. I dare not transgress, so I report this matter to the people of the world. Take care. Perfected One, take care.

A Plain Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace)

First passage

If people do not clearly explain the harm, that harm will instead fall on them. This teaching is for ordinary, foolish people: whoever wishes to harm others harms their own person. Heaven will no longer punish the Perfected (a practitioner who has attained the Dao) excessively. From now on, Heaven will raise up and appoint the many gods, charging them to inspect and govern the human realm. In Heaven there are also documents that bring together the records of the Three Ways—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and use them to record transgressions. The gods, too, have documents of the Three Ways for recording offenses. People, therefore, should also use documents of the Three Ways to record transgressions.

People take Heaven as their model, and Heaven takes people as its model. Heaven, Earth, and humanity each have their own affairs, and the gods likewise act in accordance with those affairs. Thus ghosts and spirits, Jing and Qi, offer counsel to people, and they often operate at the same time as Heaven, Earth, and humanity. The gods act in response to Heavenly Qi; vital beings arise in response to Earthly Qi; ghosts contend and struggle in response to human governance. These three are driven by the harmonizing Qi of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. They move with the Qi of the gods, appear and depart in response to the times, and connect without interruption. Because it is hard to know where they go and come from, the transmission and governance of the Way of Heaven today differ greatly from those of ancient times. Using the present to judge the past is mostly unreliable; using the past to judge the present no longer proves true. Ancient texts have therefore declined and are difficult to put to use again; even when used, they do not fit. This is also connected with the matter of collected passages and true, authentic writings (true texts and orthodox canons).

Heaven therefore says: Examine and compare what came before and after, and from the Threefold Concordance—the convergence of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—select what is good. In this way, make the principles of affairs clear and accord with Heaven’s intent. Then the Way above will be properly ordered, the royal Way will be complete, evil will be entirely removed, the emperor will rejoice greatly, the world will be at peace, and each person will take care to act with restraint. To grasp Heaven’s intent: Perfected One, you know how important this principle is! “Yes, yes. Well done—you understand its meaning.”

Second passage (heading in the right column)

Heaven forbids the use of fire that destroys life, puts an end to punishments that injure and kill, and halts hunting and shooting. Those who fail to follow the Qi of the seasons are hated by Heaven. The events are recorded in the writings called Knowing What Is Seen, Receiving the Talisman at the Beginning of Red, and Writings of a New Beginning.

(The general meaning: Heaven forbids the reckless use of fire and the wanton killing of living beings, and prohibits hunting and shooting out of season. Heaven hates those who go against its timing; their actions are recorded in heavenly texts such as Knowing What Is Seen, Receiving the Talisman at the Beginning of Red, and Writings of a New Beginning.)

Notes

• Perfected: In the Taiping Jing, this refers to someone who understands Heaven’s intent and can transmit the Way of Heaven, in contrast to a “foolish person.”
• Three Ways: Often refers to the documents and assessments of the Three Ways of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, emphasizing the correspondence between Heaven and humanity, the recording of transgressions, and their correction.
• Threefold Concordance: Selecting what is good and in accord among Heaven, Earth, and humanity, to establish governance, teaching, and the Way of Heaven.
• The final heading concerns Heaven’s prohibitions on fire, the ending of killing and hunting, and following the seasons. It is linked with texts such as Receiving the Talisman at the Beginning of Red and Writings of a New Beginning, which express ideals of Great Peace and institutional change.