《太平經》Vol. 48

The forty-eighth scroll of the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) records a dialogue concerning the "Supreme August Great Peace Qi (Shanghuang Taiping Qi)." A man named Chunjin reverently inquired of the Zhenren (Perfected Person, an accomplished Daoist master): "What is the 'Supreme August Great Peace Qi'?" He had been contemplating this question morning and evening in quiet solitude, yet remained unable to grasp its essential meaning.

The Zhenren explained: "The character 'shang' (上, above) is quite meaningful. It is written by first drawing a horizontal stroke, then adding a vertical stroke in the middle that extends upward. This symbolizes a state of continuous ascension that never ceases, hence it is called 'shang' (above). Conversely, the character 'xia' (下, below) extends downward, representing a descending state—just as turbid qi sinks to form the earth.

'Huang' (皇) refers to the supreme deity, 'tai' (太) signifies the ultimate greatness, 'ping' (平) denotes balance and harmony, while 'qi' (炁/气) is the fundamental energy that constitutes all things. Combined, 'Shanghuang Taiping Qi' means the harmonious energy bestowed by the supreme deity that permeates the entire cosmos."

The Zhenren further elaborated: "The movement of the Dao of Heaven follows its own principles, just as the character 'shang' always ascends and 'xia' always descends—both are unshakably certain. When sages establish laws, they emulate the will of Heaven, maintaining single-minded focus (shouyi, 守一) while aspiring to an upward-moving state. They continuously seek higher wisdom through divination (buwen, 卜问), which is the most auspicious path. The writing of 'shang' shows a vertical stroke extending upward, while 'xia' extends downward—symbolizing two entirely different directions of cultivation."

The disciple constantly reflects on and questions those who “go downward.” The utmost is without anything below it, and so delights in being below; what increases can no longer rise. Thus, the word “above”—the word “above” is always absent, for it means that governance should advance upward day by day, accord with Heaven’s heart, and have nothing further above it. Excellent, excellent! May the enlightened master kindly take pity and explain the word “above.”

I would also like to hear about the characters that make up “August Sovereign.” “One day and becoming king”: “day” is Heaven, and Heaven is counted as one. When Heaven receives the sun and shines with brilliant light, it becomes king. Thus the character “one” and the characters “sun” and “king” are joined together to form “August Sovereign.” “One” is Heaven, and Heaven is also a ruler and chief; the sun is also a ruler and chief, and a king is also a ruler and chief. When these three rulers and chiefs come together, they form the character “August Sovereign.” The word refers to the radiance of the spirit shining in its full splendor, which is why it is called “August Sovereign.” The August Sovereign is first in all under Heaven, and nothing can surpass it. Excellent, excellent! May the master kindly take pity and illuminate the meaning of “August Sovereign.”

I would like to hear about the words “Great Peace Qi.” “Great” means large: it refers to an accumulation that grows as vast as Heaven. In all things, it is great, and nothing is greater than Heaven. “Peace” refers to governance that is perfectly balanced: everything is rightly ordered, with no deceit or selfishness. Peace is like the Earth below, which holds and maintains fairness. The Earth’s fairness is like the way people sow: those who plant good reap good; those who plant evil reap evil. When people apply their effort well, their harvest is abundant and good; when they apply little effort, their harvest is poor. “Qi” refers to this: Heaven’s Qi gladly descends to bring forth the Earth, and the Earth’s Qi gladly rises to nourish. The pattern of Qi operates throughout Heaven and Earth. Yin and Yang meet and mingle to form harmony, and together with the Qi of central harmony, these three nurture all things. The three Qis cherish and communicate with one another, and so nothing is harmed.

“Great” means vast; “peace” means upright; “Qi” governs nourishment through harmony and communication. To govern by means of this is to bring about Great Peace: harmonious, vast, and perfectly upright. This is why it is said that the Qi of Great Peace has arrived. Excellent, excellent! Does this refer only to the harmonious Qi within Heaven and Earth joining and communicating to govern together? Should everything be done through the cooperation of all three? Excellent, excellent! Your words have already grasped Heaven’s pattern. If emperors and kings modeled their rule on it, it would be like that of the spirits. Now explain it fully to the perfected person, who will follow along and take notes. Yes, yes. Primordial Qi communicates with the Qi of natural great harmony; they join forces and act with one heart. At that time, they are still indistinct and without form. The three Qis condense and together give birth to Heaven.

The Great Peace Scripture: A Plain-Language Interpretation

Heaven and Earth communicate with the Qi of Central Harmony, working together with one heart to bring forth all things. All things, in turn, communicate with the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—and work together with one heart to illuminate Heaven and Earth. The hard and yielding qualities of the Five Phases communicate with Central Harmony, working together with one heart to bring all things to completion. The Qi of the four seasons and Yin-Yang communicate with Heaven and Earth and with Central Harmony, working together with one heart to bring forth and nurture all things between Heaven and Earth.

The first, middle, and final parts of the seasons—spring, summer, and autumn, or the three seasons of the year—communicate with one another and work together with one heart, each fulfilling its part. The land has high, low, and level places; they communicate with one another and work together with one heart to nurture all things between Heaven and Earth. Creeping creatures can reproduce together only when male and female join. Men and women must come together and work together with one heart to have children. Three people can govern one household together only if they communicate and work together with one heart. Ruler, ministers, and people can make a state succeed together only if they communicate and work together with one heart. All this stems from the natural workings of primordial Qi and the mandate bestowed by Heaven and Earth: in every undertaking, “three things must communicate with one another” for the Dao to be accomplished.

These three things—living together, harmony, and their mutual action—must continually communicate and work together with one heart if they are to share a role and accomplish a task. If one is missing, the undertaking will meet with misfortune. Thus, with Yang but no Yin, nothing can come to completion or be governed on its own, and it will become extinct; with Yin but no Yang, nothing can come to completion or be governed on its own, and it too will become extinct. If Yin and Yang are present but “harmony” is absent, their kind cannot continue, and it will become extinct.

Therefore, if there is Heaven but no Earth, there is nowhere for things to rest; if there is Earth but no Heaven, nothing can arise. If Heaven and Earth are joined but “harmony” is absent, things cannot coexist or sustain themselves. A man cannot reproduce by himself, nor can a woman raise children by herself. If man and woman cannot unite to have children, how can they form a household and be called parents?

Heaven’s laws therefore bring things to completion by requiring “three things to come together.” The sages of antiquity understood Heaven’s intent deeply and governed by taking it as their model: the ruler corresponds to the father and to Heaven; the minister corresponds to the mother and to Earth; the people correspond to the child and to harmony. Heaven’s mandate is this law: all kinds of things caught up in disorder must “come together as three” and work together with one heart before they can govern and complete a task, form a household, or make a whole. Heaven makes them depend on and act with one another; none can be missing. If an undertaking is bound by grievance and left without resolution, it suffers “three destructions and three misfortunes.” The ruler therefore needs ministers, ministers need the people, the people need ministers, and ministers need the ruler; only then can they accomplish a task together.

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

If one is lacking, the three cannot be complete. If any one of the three is missing, the whole cannot stand. A ruler without the people and ministers is a ruler in name only; subjects and ministers without a ruler cannot be proper subjects and ministers. Without a ruler, they will fall into disorder, be unable to govern themselves, and find it difficult to become good people. The three depend on one another to stand, and come together through mutual cooperation. Thus ruler, ministers, and people should follow Heaven’s model of the three: unite and communicate as one, joining their efforts and intentions to form a single family. It is like a husband, wife, and child making a family together; none can be missing. This is an important principle of Heaven’s Way.

It is also like the human body, which needs a head, feet, and abdomen to be whole. No part can simply be removed: without it, the body is incomplete and no longer truly human. This is a natural constant of Heaven and Earth. The ancient sages therefore took Heaven as their model. A man should share a household with a kind and virtuous woman, and they should have a good and virtuous son. The man is like the ruler, the woman like the minister, and the son like the people. Thus, the way of governing ordained by Heaven is to take a wise minister as a trusted friend and a good woman as one’s partner; only then can one bring up a harmonious son. A good minister can bring harmony to the people; a good woman can give birth to and raise a good son; and a good minister can guide the people toward goodness. When both people and ministers incline toward goodness, those above can remain secure for a long time. If a perfected person wishes to see how this works, they need only look at Heaven as ruler and Earth as minister: Heaven’s rain flows everywhere. When the rain is good, Earth produces good things; when it is harmful, Earth produces harmful things. That is the principle.

Nowadays, parents and rulers, ministers and subjects, may seem to do no more than uphold the basic order. In reality, however, they still rely on their children and people for food and clothing. A person without children leaves no descendants; a ruler with too few people lacks food and clothing, and is often troubled and distressed. Therefore, the people are the foundation of good government. Without them, there is nothing for ruler and ministers to govern or put in order. In ancient times, the great sages who governed affairs treated the people as their most urgent concern, day and night. They worried for the people just as parents worry about having no children: without children, how can they be called parents? Without people, how can someone be called a ruler? Heaven’s law therefore always binds ruler, ministers, and people to share the same fate and the same good or ill fortune, and to share one duty. If any part of this order goes wrong, great calamity follows.

Since the middle antiquity, the principles of good government have often been lost. These failings have been passed down, and later generations have suffered their consequences, with calamities becoming especially severe. The root of the problem is that rulers, ministers, and people have failed to plan wisely and act rightly.

If people sincerely turn toward goodness, care for one another, share their thoughts, and work together, peace can prevail. But if they instead grow suspicious of one another and sink into distress, disaster follows. Though a ruler stands alone, if he remains secluded in the palace and cut off from the four quarters, grievances will fester and government orders will fail to reach the people. He will then lack the “Heart of Heaven”—that is, Heaven’s approval—and strange calamities will accumulate without end. The ruler does not know what Heaven and Earth or the people have in mind. This is often where great calamity begins: the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and humanity fail to “join their strength,” and evil influences are not dispelled through clear judgment. If those above and below do not communicate, they invite great enmity from Heaven above and grave blame from Earth below. The emperor is troubled, the people suffer, and all things fall ill. This failure did not begin in a single day; it has been with us since ancient times. The Perfected One knows how long it has endured, yet does not understand its cause, and so asks: What should be done? Now the Qi of Great Peace is about to arrive. The Heart of Heaven must be obtained, and only then can such evils naturally be dispelled. Heaven has therefore commanded me to explain this in detail, to remedy these failings, present the proper canons, and let the Perfected One ask everything he wishes. Misfortune arises when people fail to follow the natural “threefold communication and united effort” of the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth. If the three realms truly communicate and join their strength and purpose, great joy can be established and calamities avoided. To learn how to govern, one must promptly follow Heaven’s model.

Heaven’s model is that in all matters, the three realms must join their strength and purpose. Heaven therefore takes the “Three Luminaries”—the sun, moon, and stars—as its pattern. The Three Luminaries are always in communication and shine together, never ceasing. Since the “Heavenly Warrant”—the mandate and confirming signs bestowed by Heaven—appeared in the world, people have used written characters to establish order, following the pattern of Heaven’s Three Luminaries. Heaven has now caused the “Writings of the Yellow River and Luo River”—heavenly diagrams and prophetic texts such as the River Chart and the Luo Writing—to appear again, reaffirming its command through documents written in human script. Its purpose is to have people follow the standards of divine governance at Heaven’s summit, so that goodness may flourish day by day and evil be brought to an end. The way of written communication is to put documents into circulation through “threefold communication”: the ruler should guide ministers and people with care, issue clear orders and instructions, and let everyone live in peace where they are. In their petitions, people should fully describe the good and evil they have heard of. They may also send them through a convenient messenger or have them carried by a merchant’s cart, and should clearly state their names. In this way, all the good and evil in the realm will be brought to light. The ruler guides the Qi of Heaven downward and opens communication below; ministers guide the Qi of Earth upward; the people guide the Qi of harmony upward; and the Perfected One transmits… (the text continues in the following section of the original scroll).

This passage from the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) contains celestial admonitions to virtuous rulers. The essence is as follows:

Heaven solemnly entrusts this scripture to wise rulers, demanding their earnest attention to its teachings. By establishing an era of Great Peace and implementing governance through De (Virtue/Power) as described in the text, calamities can be precisely averted. This scripture contains absolute truth, not empty words. Those who defy celestial will shall inevitably face divine retribution.

The scripture's validity can be easily verified: implement its methods of virtuous governance, and Heaven-and-Earth will respond immediately—like receiving celestial confirmation of human-divine dialogue. My repeated admonitions (speaking as Heaven) stem from genuine desire to assist worthy rulers in establishing meritorious governance.

The crux of statecraft lies in aligning with the celestial will. Henceforth, officials and commoners must fulfill their respective duties, truthfully reporting good and evil deeds to the ruler, thus connecting governance with heavenly principles. No one may obstruct truthful counsel—violators will face three years' retribution. Those submitting memorials should receive official posts commensurate with their abilities.

Heaven appoints personnel according to capability. Forcing incompetent individuals into positions not only fails to accomplish tasks but creates grievances that spawn further disasters. It resembles stretching desperately for gold and silver yet remaining empty-handed. A ruler misassigning personnel is like binding ministers' limbs while demanding work—this only disrupts governance and oppresses the people.

When officials become chaotic and people suffer, they cry grievances to Heaven, triggering further portents. Therefore, ancient sages carefully selected officials to align human affairs with both popular sentiment and celestial will. To follow Heaven's intent means to govern precisely in this manner.

Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

If officials and common people do good each day, keep their word, and serve faithfully, government directives will take effect. Such people should be promoted at the proper time: they support the state and accord with Heaven’s intent.

But some people seek only pleasure, fame, and office. Once appointed, they accomplish nothing; they do not accord with Heaven’s intent, and their efforts bring no results. The ruler governs the world by carrying out Heaven’s intent, so everything should accord with it. To act against Heaven’s intent is a fault. Those who govern poorly should be dismissed and made to reflect on their conduct. Then Heaven will be pleased, and people throughout the land will devote themselves to keeping their word and using their abilities. Even people in distant, secluded places, hearing of this, will no longer dare to hide their talents and leave them unused.

Urgent appeals concerning people’s lives are of the greatest importance and must not be delayed for even a moment. If they are put off, the people will cry out again against injustice, and calamities, strange disturbances, and illness will follow as retribution. Matters that can wait may be handled in autumn or winter—but why must they wait until then? Because in autumn all things ripen, and in winter they are stored away; the timing set by Heaven has been fulfilled.

In the eighth month, the middle of autumn, all things ripen, and fruits and seeds can be distinguished. Therefore, following the order of Heaven and Earth, assessments should begin in the eighth month. The ninth month marks the end of the season: by then, all things are tending toward withering and death. So in the ninth month, conduct should be reviewed thoroughly, and the measure of good and evil weighed. Ten is the final number; in the tenth month, things return to their beginning.

Heaven’s calendar counts the eighth month as the tenth, and so all things are fully formed. Earth’s calendar counts the ninth month as the tenth, and so all things have fully aged. The human calendar counts the month of Hai as the tenth, and so all things have reached the end of life. Once the three calendars have run their course, things should be born anew. Qian lies in the northwest, and in Hai all things first form their seeds. Heaven’s rule is this: distinguish in the eighth month, bring matters to completion in the ninth, and form the seeds in the tenth. The three orders of Heaven, Earth, and humanity all come to an end in the month of Hai, when things bear fruit and form seeds. After the seeds have formed in the tenth month, they are handed over and returned to storage. This refers to the three months of the eighth, ninth, and tenth.

When the three calendars of Heaven, Earth, and humanity have run their course, things should return to their beginnings. If they do not ripen and form seeds, they do not accord with Heaven’s intent. Heaven and Earth will not be pleased, calamities will not cease, and the next year will suffer harm. Therefore, assessments should be made in the eighth month, reviews completed in the ninth, and matters brought to completion and returned to storage in the tenth. Officials and common people should all reflect again on their faults and dare not repeat them. In the coming year, they will act with greater care, and all things will improve. If they are not brought back into proper order in this way, they must be made to reflect on their faults.

The Heavenly Dao takes Jiazi as the beginning of the year. Yin and Yang are counted from this point, with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches paired in sequence, making a cycle of sixty. When the year reaches its beginning again, the cycle renews and starts with Jiazi; the succeeding cycles are also paired in sequence and used to correspond to the eight directions, each according to its own method. Therefore, each section comprises one hundred units for recording events, linking the methods together. Why are texts divided into sections of one hundred? So that each method has its corresponding place: to bring peace and harmony to the people, accord with the transformations of Heaven, follow the commands of government, prevent banditry, and harmonize the images of Shang, King, and Wu.

Excessive documents are revised and falsified back and forth, each deceiving the other, while people prize empty show. Worthy scholars are all led astray, and the Heart of Heaven (Heaven’s intent) is lost.

Since Heaven has bestowed writing, rumors should no longer be allowed to spread unchecked. Matters should be verified and their truth established. When the three are in communication, the weather will be harmonious.

The laws of Heaven (Heaven’s principles) number in the hundreds or thousands. Different times call for different forms of governance, and different methods of practice. Now that the qi of Great Peace is about to arrive, genuine texts and correct characters should be used to accord with Heaven’s intent.

Those unable to distinguish among the many forms of governance since Heaven and Earth first established things should understand this: what is done with Heaven’s response is right; what receives no response from Heaven is wrong. This is the clear proof and verification of the Heavenly Warrant (Heaven’s credential).

“Would you explain further?” “Yes, yes. Go on your way; do not ask again.” It is not that I cannot distinguish and explain every matter, or interpret all the world’s writings, from the time Heaven and Earth first established things. It is simply that adding more text would be impossible to remember and would do nothing to help a ruler govern. So I offer only the essential teachings. Reflect on them. Yes, yes.

Right column (outline)

Embrace the primordial qi, and Heaven and Earth arise naturally. In all affairs, the three should join and communicate, combining their strength and acting with one heart. The Heavenly Warrant will be clear and harmonious; the sovereign will govern the realm by the law of peace.