《太平經》Vol. 70

Plain-Language Interpretation

Scroll Seventy (in the same scroll as Scroll Seventy-One) · Transmission Six

“A Guide to the Gains and Losses of Students,” No. 106

The Perfected One, a transmitter who had attained the Dao, respectfully asked: “I would still like to ask you to bring together the various scriptures written down earlier and handed down by our master over time, so that those who study the Dao will not dare to speak recklessly. Is it right to say this?”

The Master said: “A good question! How is it that you understand these matters more clearly with each passing day? My methods of the Dao are arranged as follows: outwardly, rules govern Yang, the visible and external aspect; inwardly, rules govern Yin, the hidden and internal aspect. Outwardly, they govern conduct; inwardly, they govern the heart and spirit. Outwardly, they are measured against various classical texts; inwardly, against various prophetic diagrams and writings. Their outward use is to avert calamity and resolve difficulties; their inward use is to set oneself aright. Outwardly, they govern learning in the court and society; inwardly, they govern the practice of entering the inner chamber. In all things there must be boundaries and limits. Encourage those eager to learn to use their abilities, but do not let them depart from established methods.

“Those who study outwardly can easily slide into ostentation and fail to restrain themselves. Those who study inwardly can stray from the right path and fall instead into great heresy. Students of the Dao often have serious faults without realizing it:

• Those who favor outer learning and have excessive cleverness often fall into ostentation. They make the Great Dao seem profoundly heretical and devoid of proper teachings, yet claim that theirs is the true Dao and deceive one another.
• Those who favor inner learning and have excessive cleverness often fall into great heresy. They believe they have already attained the truth, refuse to consult others, abandon proper standards, and pass on false teachings.

“You have come to ask again because you have doubts. Seeing how sincere and cautious you are, I will lay down rules for you, setting boundaries that can be used to distinguish and uphold what is proper. The writings of past and present are too numerous to list without end. The general principle is this:

“Anyone who studies the Dao and delights in attaining the truth must not violate its foundations. Anyone who studies with a master to receive oral instructions and the mind-to-mind formula must not violate the master’s words. This is the first and greatest principle.

“The great harms in studying the Dao are these: those who conform only to the phrases and passages of the outer works grow increasingly shallow and delight in composing writings and speaking falsely; those who conform only to inner writings and prophetic diagrams cannot truly grasp their essential meaning and instead speak wrongly; those who study longevity but conform to ostentation deceive one another; and those who conform to inner writings but fail to grasp their intended meaning fall into great heresy.

“You have asked me again and again, so I will set out the rules and mark their boundaries for you: what conforms to the proper standards is right; what does not is wrong. This is laid out plainly so that you can judge the difference. In any book that speaks of the Heavenly Dao, only words that accord with it throughout are orthodox teachings.”

The Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) here discusses methods to distinguish authentic cultivation from false practices. Nineteen signs indicate minor demonic disturbances, while eighteen correspond to small-scale chaos—exceeding these numbers signifies major disruptions to cosmic order that throw Yin-Yang into disharmony, provoke conflict among all beings, and bring suffering to the people.

Authentic cultivation focuses on inner transformation: when heart-mind cultivation is proper, the natural manifestation of clarity is correct; pursuing external psychic phenomena and sensory marvels is misguided. Learning must grasp fundamental principles—seeking confirmation from sages is right, whereas rote memorization of scriptures while forgetting their essential purpose is wrong, constituting a violation of heavenly Dao (the Way).

Regarding the path to divinity: spiritual metamorphosis through personal cultivation is authentic; those who haven't cultivated yet boast of commanding deities are practicing mere spirit-summoning techniques. Judging any matter requires examining consistency between beginning and end—contradictions reveal falsehood.

Verification methods for cultivation: gradually reducing food intake during initial practice until sustaining oneself through Qi (vital energy) absorption (Daoist bigu fasting technique) is correct; self-proclaimed adepts who cannot answer questions are imposters. Genuine practitioners repeatedly seek guidance—those lacking this attitude will ultimately fail. Achieving refinement through quiet chamber meditation is authentic; those claiming enlightenment yet speaking violently have lost their Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit).

In learning attitude: progressive improvement after entering study indicates alignment with Dao; conversely, growing deceitful and corrupt signals straying into heterodoxy. Understanding true meaning through scripture study and master-disciple dialogue is right; those who claim profound insight without consultation are wrong, having deviated from Dao. Even authentic adepts continue humbly consulting various masters—this demonstrates true refinement. Ancient sages maintained their teacher-disciple relationships after attaining realization.

The text concludes: all things follow complete life cycles—only what begins and ends properly constitutes authentic existence. Just as plants must complete their growth cycle to be considered real (where premature withering signifies illusion), only good deeds yielding tangible blessings reflect true cosmic principles.

A person who fails to grasp the true meaning and acts improperly is right only on the surface, while inwardly being false. Those who read my book according to its rules, without going beyond them, and thereby grasp its true meaning are the ones who are right. Those who read it in novel ways, devising many approaches yet missing its essential point, are wrong.

It is right that all things grow in season through the wind and rain of Heaven. It is wrong when wind and rain instead harm all things; that is poisonous and destructive. It is right to follow the Way according to the scripture and prosper day by day. It is wrong to decline instead of prospering, and to act against the scripture’s meaning in one’s heart.

This is the nature of Heaven and Earth: good deeds may not bring immediate recognition to the doer, but they extend to later generations and make that person’s Virtue clear. Evil deeds, too, do not end with the person who commits them: they extend to later generations, where their harm becomes evident and reveals the wrongdoing. Thus good and evil will eventually be made manifest. The good are like the morning sun rising, growing ever brighter; the evil are like the sun sinking toward evening, growing ever darker. This is the natural character of Yin-Yang in Heaven and Earth. Heaven brings forth all things, and each reveals itself through its own conduct, concealing nothing. The good rise upward, their fate belonging to Heaven, just as the living belong to Heaven. The evil descend, their fate belonging to Earth, just as the dead and the wicked descend to the Yellow Springs. That is what this means.

Whoever receives my book should pass it on to a ruler of highest Virtue. Since I possess this book, how could I dare to withhold it and prevent people from reading it? The Dao of Heaven governs Heaven; it cannot be fully known, and one person’s words alone cannot be trusted. Therefore, I have now arranged for you the writings of the ancient sages, then drawn out their essential points and set them down clearly in an ordered text, linking what comes before and after so that each part confirms the others. From the creation of Heaven and Earth onward, worthy sages have been born in different ages, separated by long stretches of time. Yet they shared the same aversions and joined in discussing Heaven’s teachings, the gains and losses involved in saving the world. Their words are alike, as if matching compass and square; each passage turns to illuminate the others. It could not be otherwise.

Things of the same kind gather and flourish; their workings summon one another through likeness and image. This is clear evidence. Since people have made mistakes in the past and found the right path later, I have compared their agreements and differences and brought them together in writing. By examining the past, we can understand the present and discuss these matters together. What is set out within clarifies what is expressed outside; what is expressed outside can in turn be examined to trace its connection to what is within. In this way, the text can be passed down for ten thousand generations, without anything surpassing Heaven. A single person’s words should not be followed on their own; from the words of many, one must carefully select the deepest counsel.

The classical texts left by ancient sages embody principles that perfectly align with the Dao of Heaven (cosmic order). These scriptures were jointly established by the sages and Heaven itself, specifically designed to guide rulers in governing the nation and bringing peace to the land.

If rulers can comprehend and put into practice the essential teachings of these classics, they will be able to resolve chaos and disputes while dispelling calamities. In this way, Heaven will no longer bear profound concerns. Those who willingly join in practicing these principles will see their nations flourish, while those who resist and defy them will never be free from disaster.

This passage records the crucial distinction between those who cultivate the Dao (referring to students of the classics) by embracing the true path and those who deviate from it. It originates from the 70th scroll of the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace).