《太平經》Vol. 66

Taiping Jing, Scroll 66: “The Formula for Ranking the Three and Five” (Chapter 102), in Plain Language

Scripture

Scroll 66 · The Formula for Ranking the Three and Five (Chapter 102)

One day, the disciple Daan Yu faced the sun, bowed to the ground, and prostrated himself twice before asking a question:

“My greatest perplexity is this: the scriptures repeatedly say, ‘The Qi of the Supreme Sovereign in Heaven is about to descend,’ yet I still do not understand what this ‘Qi of the Supreme Sovereign’ is. Since you can doubt this so deeply, you may be said to have grasped the true meaning of the Dao. Compose your body and mind, and listen carefully. I, a perfected person, will explain it to you in detail.

“Heaven has its Three Sovereigns, Earth has its Three Sovereigns, and the human realm has its Three Sovereigns. Heaven has its Five Emperors, Earth has its Five Emperors, and the human realm has its Five Emperors. Heaven has its Three Kings, Earth has its Three Kings, and the human realm has its Three Kings. Heaven has its Five Hegemons, Earth has its Five Hegemons, and the human realm has its Five Hegemons. What does this all mean?

“Heaven’s Three Sovereigns may be compared to the three lights: the sun, moon, and stars. Earth’s Three Sovereigns may be compared to high ground, level ground, and low ground. The human realm’s Three Sovereigns may be compared to rulers, ministers, and common people. Heaven’s Five Emperors may be compared to the five major planets; Earth’s Five Emperors, to the Five Sacred Peaks; and the human realm’s Five Emperors, to the Five Phases and the five viscera. Heaven’s Three Kings may likewise be compared to the three lights; Earth’s Three Kings, to high, level, and low ground; and the human realm’s Three Kings, to rulers, ministers, and common people. Heaven’s Five Hegemons may be compared to the five planets; Earth’s Five Hegemons, to the Five Sacred Peaks; and the human realm’s Five Hegemons, to the Five Phases and the five viscera.

“The Celestial Master took pity on his foolish disciple and, having no choice, revealed the laws of Heaven. I would like to know: what are the relative merits and ranks of these Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons?”

The perfected person replied: “That is an excellent question. It accords with Heaven’s intention and concerns the heart of humanity. It can be handed down for countless generations and never be forgotten.

The Three Sovereigns of Heaven: The highest is like the sun, the middle like the moon, and the lowest like the stars. Their relative merits differ greatly.

The Three Sovereigns of Earth: The highest is like the Five Sacred Peaks, the middle like level ground, and the lowest like inferior farmland. Their relative merits differ greatly.

The Three Sovereigns of the human realm: The highest is like a ruler, the middle like a minister, and the lowest like the common people. Their relative merits differ greatly.

The Five Emperors of Heaven: The highest is like taking three quarters of the sun; the middle, like taking three quarters of the moon; and the lowest, like taking three quarters of the stars.

The Five Emperors of Earth: The highest is like taking three quarters of the Five Sacred Peaks; the middle, like taking three quarters of level ground; and the lowest is like… The scripture continues here with the proportions of four parts. Its meaning is that taking three out of four is superior, while the others rank below.”

Notes to Help Understand the Original

Summary of the main point: The disciple does not understand the “Qi of the Supreme Sovereign” or the repeated references in the book to the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons in Heaven, Earth, and the human realm. The perfected person first explains that these titles are metaphors, represented by such things as the sun, moon, and stars; high, level, and low ground; rulers, ministers, and common people; and the five planets, Five Sacred Peaks, Five Phases, and five viscera. Together they divide the order of the cosmos and human society into upper, middle, and lower ranks—or into five ranks. The text then explains how these ranks compare: in Heaven, Earth, and the human realm alike, each level is far superior to the one below it, as the sun surpasses the moon and the moon surpasses the stars, or a ruler stands above a minister and a minister above the common people. The Five Emperors and Five Hegemons are likewise ranked through the comparison of taking three out of four parts with taking fewer, to show how great the differences between levels are. Through symbolic language, the text teaches the layered order of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, and suggests that those who cultivate the Dao or govern should seek the highest rank and the place where the “Qi of the Supreme Sovereign” resides, rather than remain at a lower level.

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

The text uses “four parts” as a metaphor to explain that Heaven, Earth, and humanity each have their own levels of the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons. The proportions assigned to the superior, middle, and inferior levels correspond to the sun, moon, stars, Five Sacred Peaks, farmland, states, officials, and common people.

The Five Emperors: the proportions of the superior, middle, and inferior levels

Among the Five Emperors of Heaven, the superior level is like the sun, accounting for three of four parts. The middle level is like the moon, also accounting for three of four parts. The inferior level is like the great stars, likewise accounting for three of four parts.

Among the Five Emperors of Earth, the superior level is like the Five Sacred Peaks, accounting for three of four parts; the middle level is like level ground, also accounting for three of four parts; and the inferior level is like lower-grade farmland, again accounting for three of four parts.

Among the Five Emperors of humanity, the superior level is like a great state, accounting for three of four parts; the middle level is like high-ranking ministers, also accounting for three of four parts; and the inferior level is like the common people, likewise accounting for three of four parts.

The Three Kings

Among the Three Kings of Heaven, the superior level is like the sun, accounting for two of four parts; the middle level is like the moon, also accounting for two of four parts; and the inferior level is like the great stars, likewise accounting for two of four parts.

Among the Three Kings of Earth, the superior level is like the Five Sacred Peaks, accounting for two of four parts; the middle level is like level ground, also accounting for two of four parts; and the inferior level is like lower-grade fields, likewise accounting for two of four parts.

Among the Three Kings of humanity, the superior level is like a great state, accounting for two of four parts; the middle level is like high-ranking ministers, also accounting for two of four parts; and the inferior level is like the common people, likewise accounting for two of four parts.

The Five Hegemons

Among the Five Hegemons of Heaven, the superior level is like the sun, accounting for only one of four parts; the middle level is like the moon, also accounting for one of four parts; and the inferior level is like the great stars, likewise accounting for one of four parts.

Among the Five Hegemons of Earth, the superior level is like the Five Sacred Peaks, accounting for one of four parts; the middle level is like level ground, also accounting for one of four parts; and the inferior level is like lower-grade fields, likewise accounting for one of four parts.

Among the Five Hegemons of humanity, the superior level is like a great state, accounting for one of four parts; the middle level is like high-ranking ministers, also accounting for one of four parts; and the inferior level is like the common people, likewise accounting for one of four parts.

Overall meaning

This shows that the Dao of Heaven is not remote or mysterious: “three” and “five” each have their correspondences and cycles—“the three and five each return in turn.” Heaven therefore has its own Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons; Earth has them too, as does humanity. Why do the numbers vary among three, four, and five? Because they refer to different levels.

A disciple asks: “May the Celestial Master explain the meaning of this formula?”

The Celestial Master’s explanation may be understood as follows: Heaven, Earth, and humanity share a single Qi (vital energy), the same primordial Qi. It divides into the three forms of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, each with its own founding ancestor and line of succession. Thus, the Three Sovereigns are the founders and starting points of their respective systems; the Five Emperors are rulers who restored their fortunes; the Three Kings are rulers who preserved what had been established and governed with relative stability; and the Five Hegemons belong to the final, depleted, inferior stage of decline and disorder. They relied largely on punishments, legal rules, and political tactics, because their Qi had already weakened. By the time of the Five Hegemons, only one of four parts often remained—a symbol of the final, troubled, and chaotic phase of the Dao of Heaven in human affairs.

Brief notes on key terms

The Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons: The scripture compares levels of rulership to lineages of rulers within the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. These do not correspond entirely to the fixed lists found in later historical works.

The Five Sacred Peaks: Five famous mountains in the east, west, south, north, and center, symbolizing the great pillars of the land.

Three, two, or one of four parts: A metaphor using four equal divisions to represent the share held by different qualities or levels within a whole.

Primordial Qi: The original Qi shared by Heaven, Earth, and humanity, which divides into the three powers.

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

First passage: The breakdown of the governing order and the failure of the weak to restrain the strong

The line of succession has nearly been cut off. Those of lower rank and lesser importance can no longer restrain one another: the weak can no longer control the strong, the yielding the unyielding, or the few the many. The world has fallen into great disorder, and people can no longer govern one another. Thus “those above must rise again.” What does “those above must rise again” mean?

Second passage: The Nine Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, Five Hegemons, and the cardinal directions

The Nine Sovereigns, the nine sage rulers of remote antiquity, all arose in the north; the Five Emperors, the five emperors, first came into being in the east; the Three Kings, the three sage kings, flourished in the south; and the Five Hegemons, the five regional rulers, completed their work through killing in the west. Heaven brings forth the myriad things. Yang Qi, joined with primordial Qi and emerging from Great Yin—the Yin force—begins to sprout. What is born must come forth and grow, so it flourishes in the east. What has grown must reach its fullness, so it flourishes in the south. What has reached its fullness must bear fruit, so it is brought to completion in the west through killing. Such is the cyclical course of Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth.

Third passage: Bearing fruit, dying away, and being born again

Things cannot simply bear fruit and then perish completely. Their roots, seeds, and fruit must be able to give rise to life again. Therefore Yin and Yang are brought together and enter the Gate of Heaven—the Qian position in the northwest—where their Qi unites in Qian and “begins anew from above.” This is the natural way of Heaven and Earth. How wonderful! Why should Heaven, Earth, and humanity not all share in the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons?

Second question: The three families each dwell apart

Excellent—you have understood the meaning deeply. Heaven, Earth, and humanity are divided into three domains, each dwelling in its own place. The way of the sovereign is like having a father in the household; the way of the emperor is like having a mother; the way of the king is like having a son; and the way of the hegemon is like having a wife. Since these three domains each dwell apart, how could they share one father, mother, son, and wife? If people were divided into three families, could they share the same father, mother, son, and wife?

Does the Perfected One understand?

Does the Perfected One understand? “Yes, yes. Be careful, and do not raise challenges recklessly or distort the matter.” The Way of Heaven has its own established and constant laws; one cannot simply oppose them by force. Yet I dare not fail to carry them out, so I exert myself and answer, “Yes, yes.” Although each question touches on matters taboo for the Celestial Master, without asking I have no way to understand. I would like to ask once more for a word of guidance, so that I may proceed in a balanced way.

The conduct of the Forty-Eight Sections

Now there are the Forty-Eight Sections. How do the Forty-Eight Sections conduct themselves? “A fine question—you have asked in great detail. When their conduct accords with Heaven’s intention, calamities and changes cannot arise. When they lose the essential Way of Heaven, calamities and changes will never cease. Thus, across countless generations, those who come before and those who follow bear one another’s burdens and debts. A ruler who governs well can make calamities subside of their own accord and remedy the harm caused by past failures. But those who take the most essential way of self-cultivation and turn it to the wrong end cause deviant Qi to spread throughout the world. This is why such consequences arise.”

Note: This passage pairs the Nine Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons with the directions north, east, south, and west, and with the stages “birth, flourishing, bearing fruit, and completion through killing.” It describes levels of governance and the cyclical movement of Yin and Yang. The analogy “sovereign as father, emperor as mother, king as son, hegemon as wife” suggests that the four ways cannot be conflated within a single household. The final passage discusses the conduct of the Forty-Eight Sections: when it accords with Heaven’s intention, calamities do not arise; when it loses the essential Way, calamities continue without end. It also mentions a good ruler’s ability to subdue calamities, and how misguided “self-cultivation” allows deviant Qi to spread throughout the world. Specialized terms are briefly explained in parentheses at their first mention.

What is the misfortune that arises when calamity is transformed into “chengfu” (the faults accumulated by those who came before, borne by those who come after)? Listen carefully to what I say.

In heaven there are rulers of three grades—upper, middle, and lower—comparable to the sun at mid-heaven, the moon in a lower place, and the stars each in their own positions. On earth there are likewise rulers of three grades—upper, middle, and lower—comparable to those who dwell among the Five Sacred Mountains, upon the plains, or in the low-lying fields. Among humankind there are likewise rulers of three grades—upper, middle, and lower—namely the sovereign, the ministers, and the common people.

If, in a given place, every level from above to below can each fulfill its own goodness, then the people and the myriad things suffer no illness, life is peaceful and settled, and theft, deception, falsehood, and flattery do not occur; heaven and earth likewise show no calamities or anomalies. This is governance of the highest order, because good virtue extends everywhere.

If, out of four parts, three parts of the people are able to be peaceful and kind, loyal and trustworthy, while one part suffers injury or death, or sinks into banditry and commits wicked deeds, then the amount of calamity, anomaly, and strange transformation will rise or fall along with that one part among the four that is not good.

If, out of four parts, only two receive good governance, then half of the people and the myriad things will fall ill and lose honesty and good faith, while the hearts of the other half harbor deceit; celestial phenomena will also display corresponding strange changes.

If, out of four parts, only one receives good governance, then most of the people in the remaining three parts fall ill, act without sincerity, and practice fraud and flattery; everyone becomes a thief, and they no longer have any mind to help one another, with only one part of the people still counting as good. Strange celestial phenomena follow one upon another without cease, and calamitous changes do not remain in a single place but shift elsewhere, continuing to affect their respective regions.

Why is this so? Because however far good virtue extends, the power of the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power) can influence and restrain just that many things. Wherever the Dao and De are able to cover, they cause the myriad things to tend toward goodness, and so the myriad things are at peace. If three of the four parts receive the teaching of the Dao and De, yet one part remains unaffected, that one part will bring inauspicious calamity. If only two parts receive the teaching, the other half will tend toward inauspicious disorder. If only one part receives the teaching, De is weak and can influence only that one part, and the other three parts will bring inauspicious calamity.

Therefore, when the sages and emperors of antiquity wished to know whether governance was good or bad, they observed by this method, and their judgments were never in error. The reason that what they called “places the Dao and De have failed to cover” fall ill is that the power of the Dao and De cannot reach there: there is no governance by Wuwei (non-action), nor are there rulers and elders to lead the myriad things. Order then falls into confusion, illness increases, and treachery, cunning, and thieves appear without end.

The ancients used this method to examine governance, to understand whether De ran deep or shallow, and to observe which celestial and climatic signs corresponded to it, thereby gaining a profound knowledge of the gains and losses, the flourishing and decline, of governance; their judgments could also be confirmed against the courses of the sun and moon.

How, then, are these faults to be remedied? Now that the Perfected Person (zhenren) has already understood the essentials of the Great Dao, he ought to put a stop to this calamity and chengfu that have been handed down, so that the myriad things may all receive due care.

How can calamities be brought to an end? Only when the Celestial Master teaches the worthy, enabling them to connect with the “Qi of the Supreme Sovereign,” can this be done. At that time, each person should discuss the true Dao in depth, and each should reflect and govern themselves on the first day of every month. In this way, illness and hardship will lessen and improve, and good governance can be carried out as fully as possible.

The Perfected One said, “Good, good. Those who practice the true way must act with caution and care.” The disciple respectfully replied, “I will guard myself and reverently accept the forty-eight sets of precepts. Now, the practice of the Dao may be long or short. How exactly does this work?”

The Celestial Master said, “You have asked with great care, so I dare not answer carelessly. The Dao of Heaven is of utmost importance, and the Master’s charge is most solemn; that is why I dare to ask you one or two more questions.” The disciple said, “Good. Knowing oneself to be a disciple, one can repeatedly come to understand the intent of the Dao of Heaven.”

The Celestial Master said, “The Dao of Heaven has three corresponding paths: Greater Yang, Greater Yin, and Central Harmony. The highest is practiced outwardly, the next in the middle, and the next inwardly. Hegemons have no Dao; they merely borrow a path to travel. Among the ‘inner paths’ followed by the Three Kings, the shortest is that of the Heavenly Emperor. The highest and most excellent is practiced farthest outward. The Nine Sovereigns share one path, ranked in sequence, with the lesser ones inward. The most excellent walks without shifting; the next shifts slightly; the next has only a slight understanding. The Five Emperors share one middle path: the most excellent practices it outwardly; the next practices it with understanding; the lesser one practices it in haste. The nine people among the Three Kings share one inner path: they ride as they travel; the next are somewhat swift; the lesser ones gallop. The Fifteen Hegemons make the greatest use of the innermost path: the most excellent seem to fly, yet remain outward; those in the middle seem to fly swiftly; the lesser ones are like arrows. Do you understand, Perfected One?”

The disciple said, “Good, good. Perfected One, why were your earlier questions so detailed? Since I was born, I have wondered why the years grow longer and shorter, and why the days become fuller or thinner, advancing and receding. I cannot match the questions of the Celestial Master, and fear I will never understand. I would like to hear their meaning.”

The Celestial Master said, “You have asked well. The fuller days belong to Heaven; the next fullest belong to Earth; the next to human beings; the thinnest belong to the myriad things. Do you understand, Perfected One?”

The disciple said, “Yes, yes.”

The Celestial Master said, “Go now; do not press these questions further. This is the sort of thing you are curious about personally. It is not too difficult for me to explain fully, but in the end it will not change anything for the world, nor will it help with the calamities and misfortunes borne by emperors and kings or the people’s suffering. That is why I have not explained each path to you; it is not because I am unwilling. The disciple said, “Yes, yes. To repeatedly trespass against the Celestial Master’s prohibitions is a grave offense; it is also impertinent.” The Celestial Master said, “Those who are eager to know what happens in Heaven are acting out of personal curiosity. Since you have come, I will explain it all to you.” The disciple said, “Yes, yes.” The Celestial Master said, “Go now.”

Plain-Language Interpretation

General meaning of the title: It distinguishes the strengths and weaknesses, and the relative merits, of the “Nine Sovereigns, Fifteen Emperors, Nine Kings, and Fifteen Hegemons,” according to the ways they followed and the standards they upheld. It also sets out the principles for judging and weighing them.

Brief explanation

This is the title of a chapter in volume sixty-six of the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace), not a full passage of the text. The scripture often uses numerical systems—such as three, nine, and fifteen—to correspond to celestial patterns, human affairs, and the order of good governance. Here, “sovereigns,” “emperors,” “kings,” and “hegemons” generally refer to different levels and kinds of rulers or forms of governance. They are not simply lists of nine historical sovereigns or fifteen emperors.

“Following the proper measure” can be understood as the paths they followed and the standards they upheld: how they governed, practiced De (Virtue/Power), and whether they aligned with Heaven. “The principles for assessing merits and faults” means the standards and rules used to distinguish degrees of success and failure, goodness and wrongdoing, and gain and loss. In other words, governance has different levels, and ways of following the Dao (the Way) vary in quality. The scripture teaches readers to discern these differences, so they do not mistake hegemony for kingship or inferiority for excellence.