《太平經》Vol. 72

This scripture records disciples inquiring of the Celestial Master (Tianshi, a senior Daoist practitioner) about eliminating calamities through fasting rituals (zhaijie, purification practices) and visualization of divine beings. The perplexed disciples asked: "Why does the Celestial Master say the qi of Great Peace (symbolizing harmonious energy) is about to descend, and that the key to balancing yin-yang lies in communion with the divine? Can those Daoist masters who truly perceive the radiance of truth and illuminate reality actually gather such power?"

The Celestial Master praised this excellent question, explaining that Heaven was preparing to send down the purest Huangji qi (Supreme Ultimate energy). A ruler need only govern through wuwei (non-action, effortless action) in accordance with the Dao. Heaven dispatches Zhenren (Perfected Persons) to transmit the fundamental Dao precisely to assist enlightened rulers in eliminating accumulated calamities across generations, cleansing the world of disruptive evil qi, ghosts, and malevolent spirits. Though the disciples didn't yet fully comprehend these mysteries, they recognized the need to seek the Celestial Master's wisdom.

The Celestial Master elaborated: "Between Heaven and Earth exists sacred jing (essence) that manifests in different colors according to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and waxes and wanes with the seasons. It is this very energy that nurtures all living things. Those who understand how to work with these cosmic yin-yang patterns witness miraculous effects immediately; those who miss the essence face closed gates they cannot pass. Masters of these core principles can eliminate worldly suffering, while those unskilled cannot summon divine assistance even with effort."

Finally, the Celestial Master emphasized that true mastery of these arts requires alignment with the cyclical movements of seasonal and Five Phase qi. This dialogue reveals the core Daoist concept of "Heaven-human resonance," stressing how understanding natural laws enables disaster prevention, governance, and societal harmony.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

The pure essence of Heaven and Earth’s four seasons enters a person’s abdomen and becomes the spirits of the person’s five viscera. Its colors correspond to the Qi of the four seasons. When painting a human figure, depict three layers of Qi: the royal Qi, or governing Qi, on the outside; the assisting Qi, or secondary Qi, in the middle; and the subtle Qi, the finest and most delicate, at the center. Before allowing the leader, or officiant, to see these images, first observe a purification fast and, in a quiet and pure place, reflect upon and visualize them.

When painting the figures, their height and length are unrestricted. Five people share a five-foot length of plain silk, where virtuous men and women are depicted, each reflecting on their own nature. The scriptures contain many such methods of painting; this is only one of them. Write by grasping the meaning from top to bottom, and pass it on through written documents, so that the principles gradually become clear. Though my heavenly writings are many, they have their own general categories. Bring related things together, and let the meanings of the words illuminate one another; then their essential meaning can be understood.

Only the essence of the four seasons and Five Phases enters to become the spirits of a person’s five viscera; when it emerges, it becomes the spirits and essences of the four seasons and Five Phases. Those close to people are called the spirits of the Five Virtues, and resemble the spirits of the human viscera. Those farther away are called the Yang Calendar, with the designation “troops and horses of the four seasons.” They can stand guard and ward off evil, and they also carry out their methods according to the waxing and waning of the Qi of each season. To paint their images, give them three layers of clothing as well: the royal Qi on the outside, the assisting Qi next, and the subtle Qi deepest within. All wear caps and headcloths and ride horses; the horses, too, take on the colors of their respective phases.

First paint their images on one side of a length of plain silk, two zhang and five chi long, sparsely depicting twenty-five mounted figures in five groups of five. Make the images skillfully: the spirits of the East hold spears, those of the South hold halberds, those of the West hold bows, crossbows, and axes, those of the North hold shields and knives, and those of the Center hold swords and drums. In visualization, one should first see these inner spirits, and then the outer spirits. One may also first see the Yang spirits and afterward the inner spirits; seeing them in this way is auspicious on the right. This is a method for what has no visible form, and it too requires a teacher’s oral instructions and demonstration. Those who know the relevant matters at the head of the tradition eventually exchange teachings, saying: because this method is easy to summon and easy to accomplish, it should be performed away from people, in a convenient secluded place, where the spirits are easy to gather. Near people, it will surely be difficult to accomplish.

When the Dao is realized, it is called “Illumination, Great Severance, Returning, and Penetrating.” When the forms of illness gather, a small number is not a problem, but a great number is auspicious; a small number is inauspicious. Sometimes the treatment does not go far enough and the matter remains unresolved. For an explanation and recovery, one must have the teacher’s guidance or the necessary conditions.

A Plain Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

Main meaning of the original: How many people skilled at curing illness and dispelling harmful forces are needed, in the end? Those of the highest ability can manage the affairs of ten thousand people; those of middling ability, four or five thousand; and those of lower ability, only dozens or hundreds. Why is there such a great difference? True Ones, are you going to return to dullness once again? Sit quietly and still: this is the essence of the Great Dao that I am explaining to you.

In this age of inherited burdens, calamities from Heaven and Earth are now numerous. There are ghosts, old spirits, baleful disasters, and afflictions attributed to the dead, in all kinds; there are also wind-damp illnesses, abscesses, scabies, and countless other calamities passed down from antiquity. Some people suffer a hundred illnesses in one body; others have dozens. Some even say they have every illness under the sun and can hardly bear their suffering.

Suppose each of the skilled practitioners among you treats one illness: the diviner, the famous physician skilled in prescriptions, the needle worker who treats the meridians, the expert in moxibustion, the practitioner skilled in exorcistic rites, the specialist in sacrifice, and the one who can summon spirits and see ghosts. If these seven people each remove one illness, people in this degenerate age will still have many illnesses. Remove seven, and all the rest remain. The seven practitioners will have exhausted their strength, while people remain afflicted; in time, they will be reduced to poverty and die, unable to save themselves.

How much shorter is a human life than the full span allotted by Heaven? How many illnesses does a person encounter? The waxing and waning, advance and retreat that people undergo are all governed by the patterns of Heaven, just as the Four Seasons and Five Phases rise and decline. The Eight Trigrams, Qian and Kun, form the body of Heaven and Earth, yet even they have times of rest, decline, and exhaustion, when their Qi is weak. How much more so for human beings? People mirror Heaven and Earth, the Four Seasons, the Five Phases, the Six Harmonies, and the eight directions. They rise and decline together, and cannot escape these patterns. Therefore, one must prepare in advance, address the roots of good fortune and calamity, remain mindful of danger in times of peace, and mindful of ruin amid prosperity. If order is maintained and disorder prevented, life can endure.

This, then, is the way to dispel harmful forces: Daoist practitioners need not be numerous to treat illness. Suppose one person can remove one illness, ten people can remove ten, a hundred can remove a hundred, a thousand can remove a thousand, and ten thousand can remove ten thousand.

Note: “Inherited burdens” refers to the idea that later generations inherit the transgressions of earlier generations. “Exorcistic rites” generally refers to ritual techniques for expelling ghosts and harmful spirits. The text uses the example of “seven practitioners each removing one illness, yet still failing to remove them all” to show that scattered, specialized skills are not enough. One must instead take the Great Dao, prevention, and comprehensive governance as one’s point of departure.

On Treating Illness and Taking Precautions

Question: How can a person have ten thousand kinds of illness?

Answer: Precisely because there are so many illnesses, they can still all be treated and completely cured.

Do you understand?

—I understand. So we should first teach people to take precautions in advance and keep the precepts. Those who can attain the Dao should gather together.

—I understand. Go and put this into practice. Do you know what to do?

As a Perfected Person—someone who has attained the Dao—you must explain the principle clearly: the “illnesses” discussed here are actually ghosts and great evils of various kinds. They band together and harm people like robbers.

Even in peaceful times, emperors must keep an army ready, in case people rise in rebellion. But if an army loses its sense of righteousness, it too can become a gang of criminals. One person who dares to fight to the death cannot be stopped by ten; ten who dare to fight to the death cannot be stopped by a hundred; and so on. When ten thousand dare to fight to the death, they can run rampant in every direction. An army must also prepare for losses through injury and illness. In a force of twelve thousand, two thousand are set aside to replace those resting or pursuing deserters. This is how the whole army can obey orders and remain effective. Perfected Person, do you understand?

—I understand. Go and put this into practice. You know what to do.

No Empty Talk: What Matters Is Effectiveness—The One Hundred Tenth Instruction

May I ask about something, Celestial Master? The Qi of Great Peace—the auspicious energy of an era of peace—is about to arrive. Shouldn’t evil Qi also be expected to settle down and disappear completely?

The Celestial Master said: You are right, but not entirely. When the Qi of Great Peace arrives, evil Qi should naturally dissipate. Yet ever since Heaven and Earth were created, evil Qi has accumulated for too long and in too great a quantity, passing continuously from one generation to the next. Even when the Qi of a peaceful order arrives, how could it all be eliminated at once? So people must prepare in advance and take precautions according to the rules. If you wait until you are in the utmost distress before seeking a learned master, it will already be too late.

In ancient times, everyone still knew the true Dao, and there was little evil Qi. From the time of the Great Antiquity and the Middle Antiquity onward, people became ignorant, prized extravagance, and strayed from the true Dao. Evil Qi, frenzied spirits, and calamities multiplied, and many people died young. This was all because their minds were clouded and they did not know to guard against danger at its source.

Now there should be a ruler of great De governing the world. Heaven does not want people to remain so ignorant and die in poverty; it wants them eventually to attain great De and accord with Heaven’s will. So Heaven has sent a company of Perfected Persons to ask their questions, and has told me to explain methods for subduing evil, misfortune, and wicked spirits. I have explained everything to the Perfected Persons.

Yet the Perfected Persons turn around and say, “Evil should disappear on its own; there is no need to prepare”—

(The main point of this instruction is that the Qi of Great Peace is approaching, but it is empty talk to say that “evil Qi will disappear on its own.” As with treating every illness and preparing an army, people must establish the precepts in advance and gather those who have attained the Dao. Only then can they protect people and govern society while evil Qi still remains.)

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

“This statement is wrong. It is a grave mistake, and not something a gentleman should say. Your words are of no use. Why do I say this? If you wait until a real emergency before seeking help, and cannot get it at once, people will be left in utter hardship. So the Perfected One says: ‘A grave mistake—it is of no use.’”

“People now fill their granaries with grain to guard against famine. The Perfected One has carefully examined the Great Dao so that people may remember it for generations to come.”

(The other person) “Yes, yes.”

“If people wait until they are hungry before being taught to grow grain, and are told to plow and tend the fields, then wait for the millet to ripen before lighting a fire to cook—will there still be time? By then, people will already have starved to death. Suppose someone waits until winter, too hungry to wait for spring, and then tries to plant. The seeds will not sprout. Can that save anyone’s life? It is not only the person who is left in hardship; the whole family has perished. This is the first great folly spoken of by the Perfected One, a terrible consequence brought on by ignorance and confusion.”

The Perfected One also spoke of another matter: people today dig wells so that they will have water to drink when they are thirsty. They should also build their homes near a water source, as a safeguard against thirst. If they wait until they are nearly dying of thirst before digging a well and looking for water, how could they hope to drink in time? They would already be at the end of their rope. This is the Perfected One’s second folly.

The Perfected One also spoke of another matter: in ancient times, people had simple dwellings; today, people build huts and houses to shelter themselves from wind and rain. When the weather is clear and mild, living outdoors can be pleasant. But if they wait until dark clouds gather and wind and rain are on the way before building a home, they will already be cold, wet, and in distress. This is the Perfected One’s third folly.

The Perfected One also spoke of another matter: since the middle antiquity, sages have established county offices, built city walls, and dug deep moats to guard against unforeseen events. In ordinary times, all is peaceful. But if people wait until disaster strikes and petty men begin to disrupt the gentlemen before ordering the people to build walls and dig moats, how could there be time? This is proof of the Perfected One’s utter folly and blindness.

The Perfected One also spoke of another matter: military weapons are inauspicious tools, and a gentleman should not possess them. The common people detest them, so they should be kept in their sheaths and stored carefully; they should certainly not be brought out all the time or used carelessly. They are only kept in readiness against unforeseen events. If a real emergency comes, people would then have to send workers to mine stone and extract the iron, smelt it into molten iron, and have skilled craftsmen hammer and refine it again and again until it became Moye, a famous sword fit for battle and urgent defense. Would there be time for that?

Note: Throughout the passage, advance preparation—storing grain, living near water, building a house early, constructing city walls, and storing weapons—is contrasted with acting only when disaster is imminent: planting only when hungry, digging a well only when thirsty, building a house only when rain is coming, raising walls only when disorder breaks out, and forging a sword only when war is at hand. The argument builds step by step to criticize the other person’s reasoning as a “grave mistake” and to emphasize the Taiping Jing’s enduring teaching: prepare for trouble before it comes, and use the Dao to prevent calamity.

A Plain-Language Reading of the Taiping Jing

The other party has reached a dead end, submitted completely, and even handed over their life. Is this not the kind of grave error the Six Perfected Ones spoke of, one that falls far short of the right way? There is nothing but wrongdoing and nothing done correctly. When something happens, weigh it carefully in your heart and examine it from every angle. Speak only after you have thought it through. From now on, do not speak carelessly or at random. —Yes, yes.

When the Perfected One speaks to you about “deciding small matters,” he is using small matters to make the great principles clear.

In ancient times, the sages made combs and fine-toothed combs so people could put their hair in order when it became tangled or infested with lice. If someone never combed their hair from childhood, and it became matted beyond repair, the lice could never be cleared away. Only when they were in dire straits would they go searching everywhere for good timber from the Southern Mountains, ivory, animal bone, or other materials for making combs, and ask skilled craftsmen to shape them. But by then the hair could no longer be combed out. Countless lice were biting the scalp, sores had appeared, and only then did they think to use a comb. It was already too late.

The Perfected One uses this small matter as an example to help you understand great matters. Near rivers, seas, and the Five Lakes, there are many mosquitoes and gnats. If people do not prepare things in advance to shield themselves and keep the insects away, the swarms will rise and bite people and their cattle and horses. The animals will toss their heads and stamp their hooves, unable to eat grass; people will be so distressed they can hardly bear it. Only then will they seek ways to drive the insects off and protect themselves—again, when they have already reached a dead end. Surely the Perfected One understands this. —Yes, yes. We disciples understand now.

Good medicines are for dealing with itch mites; good clothes and good shelter are for keeping away fleas and lice. If you do not take precautions beforehand, and wait until the parasites are on you before seeking something to remove them, you are again at a dead end. Do you understand? —Yes, yes.

These are only the smallest things in the world: a few possessions and utensils that can be prepared at hand. How much more does this apply to matters that are greater and more urgent?

Between Heaven and Earth there are always violent ghosts, malign beings, baleful calamities, corpse-related afflictions, and murderous spirits. When they attach themselves to a person, it is like being struck by weapons or poisoned arrows. The resulting pain and illness are unbearable. Those that are especially fierce and violent leave no time even to breathe or speak; the whole person goes mad. It is like being trapped by a corrupt official in a distant county who blocks a case from being heard: you cannot even explain your grievance. When things have reached this point, only then do people seek out a skilled physician or a virtuous elder to save them. Again, there is no way out, and they cannot even speak. Do you understand? —Yes, yes. We disciples understand now.

That is why the Perfected One is especially urgent in explaining these things: make preparations early, and do not wait until you have reached the end of your strength before seeking help.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

Death is the greatest calamity in the world. That is why the scripture repeatedly and earnestly teaches virtuous rulers to prepare in advance.

A sage of the highest caliber sees the truth in this book and, on hearing it, achieves great awakening. A sage of middling caliber achieves some awakening. A fool of the lowest caliber does not awaken but instead laughs at the book. In fact, those who laugh have already cut themselves off at the root. Nothing surpasses the way of Heaven, Earth, and the emperors.

Now the Qi of Great Peace is about to arrive, and a ruler who embodies Yang Virtue will govern, bringing lasting peace. The death of anyone in the world is no small matter: death means an eternal parting, after which one will never again see Heaven, Earth, the sun, or the moon; blood, veins, and bones turn to dust. Life is a weighty matter. Everyone who lives between Heaven and Earth has only one life and cannot be reborn. Those who can die and return to life, or undergo corpse liberation are only those who have attained the Dao. They are cherished by Heaven and Earth, yet among tens of thousands there may not be even one. Ordinary people, then, cannot return to life after death, and must be carefully protected against death.

Even when the Qi of Great Peace arrives and the years are peaceful and prosperous, evil influences remain. It is like a household that is good overall but still has a wicked person in it; people can only put up with one another. This makes it all the more important to gather practitioners skilled in the arts of the Dao. Otherwise, they must be eliminated; if they are not removed quickly, disaster will follow. That is why rulers are taught to gather plenty of such people in advance.

The purpose of higher education—the broad promotion of teaching—is to build up a large reserve of virtuous people. If one prepares and seeks them out, they can be found. Without gathering them beforehand, there will not be enough when an urgent need arises. If a crisis occurs and one must compare the present with the past, without a reserve of people of great virtue, no one will be able to answer and explain matters on the spot. The ruler will be left confused and in the dark. When a difficult question comes up, there will be no way to decide it at once. Only after suffering and worry will the ruler send far afield for wise practitioners. How could that compare with making earnest preparations in advance?

The Perfected One asked, “Do you understand this principle?”

The reply was, “Yes, yes.” The disciple, you have now greatly awakened. Although you have often spoken with mistakes, I have not questioned you. You also say you do not know, and wish to settle one matter: If we now need thousands among the people of middling ability, hundreds among those of lower ability, and even more among those of high ability, how can we gather them all at once and bring this about immediately?”

“A fine question! If you teach a dozen or so people to do good and accomplish things, they can teach one another in turn. Some will show quick results, others will succeed. Then have a Daoist ruler of highest virtue value and care for those who have done well, and reward them. When everyone is willing to take part, many will follow, and they can be set to work.”

Brief notes on terms

• Corpse liberation (shijie): After death, a person who has attained the Dao sheds the body and the spirit ascends; popularly known as becoming an “immortal through corpse liberation.”
• Qi of Great Peace / ruler of Yang Virtue: The Taiping Jing’s terms for the Qi of an age of Great Peace and for a ruler aligned with the Dao.
• People of virtue: A reserve of capable people who possess virtue, can resolve doubts, and can draw comparisons between past and present; the term does not simply mean “good people” in everyday usage.
• Perfected One (zhenren): An honorific used in the scripture by a speaker addressing someone, often a master speaking to a disciple or a perfected being of the highest rank.

Those who obtain these principles will all respect and cherish them together. The subtle Qi of the four seasons, the Five Phases, Heaven and Earth, and the divine beings is respected and cherished by people; all rejoice in it, bringing good fortune. The virtuous rulers and officials all receive this auspicious blessing, and the wise and the foolish alike vie to put it into practice. Once more and more people begin to do so, in time the practice will spread and transform people of every rank, until everyone can take part. Then those with the greatest merit are gathered together: those with great merit are entrusted with office, and those with lesser merit are given rewards. Everyone under Heaven wants to take part, fearing only that too many deeds will be done to keep count of them. Why worry that too few will be done? How ignorant and benighted you are, Perfected One! A matter has already been broadly settled; there is no need to employ people who merely make grand claims. Such people are of no benefit to others and only imitate the outward form. Those who often succeed are the ones who have grasped the meaning of the Dao and are people of great trustworthiness. Those who know only a few words but achieve no substantial results have not grasped the meaning of the Dao and speak recklessly. They are great deceivers and must not be employed; they disrupt the Dao. Do you understand, Perfected One? (Reply:) Yes. Go now, be cautious and vigilant, and recite my book. Reflect only on the meaning of its passages, following what belongs together by category; then use them to verify and supplement one another. You will thereby understand it fully and know the purpose of what I indicate. Yes.

The Instructions Held by the Five Spirits (No. 111)

I would like to ask about a major decision: why does the spirit of the East carry a spear? In truth, there is no need to ask; you, Perfected One, ought to know. I ask because I hope the Celestial Master will take pity on later generations and establish a rule for them. If I do not ask, later generations will not understand the meaning of the Way of Heaven. This is certainly an image of Heaven. All things follow their own kind: in the East, things first begin to sprout and emerge, breaking through the soil; their essence takes the form of a spear, so they are represented by a spear, and the spirit’s attendants use it as their ritual standard when they come. In the South, things hang down branches and spread leaves like a halberd, so its spirit carries a halberd, which its attendants use as their ritual standard when they come. The West is associated with bows, crossbows, and axes: in the West there is the image of the heavenly crossbow that slays, and bows, crossbows, and axes are among the most harmful weapons. Therefore, its spirit uses them as a ritual standard when it comes. The North is associated with shields and knives: in the North, things lie hidden and flee; shields are used to protect oneself while escaping, and knives are carried by petty men, who also often use them to evade and to harm.

The Taiping Jing: A Plain-Language Interpretation

(Continuing the discussion above of the deities of the four directions and the center.) Ordinary people do not belong to the category of “superior gentlemen.” So when the deities of the four directions descend and respond to people, they too must use their own fixed tokens as “tallies.” These must not be confused with one another.

The center corresponds to thunder, the drum, and the sword. The center belongs to Earth, which is the chief of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The drum is also chief among the “five weapons.” The sword is carried by gentlemen and people of De (Virtue/Power), and can likewise be regarded as foremost among the five weapons. Therefore, when the deity of the center descends, thunder, the drum, and the sword serve as its tokens of recognition.

These are the authentic, trustworthy tallies established by the natural order of Heaven and Earth. It is like the fact that a person is born with a head: people should correspond to this order and hold the token of their own direction. When the genuine tally is presented, matching the two reveals whether it is real or false. If it is not this set, then it is not the deity assigned to that direction. If some other deity falsely claims to correspond, the whole order of government will fall into confusion. Over time, it will become difficult to distinguish order from disorder, and peace will be hard to maintain. That is why every direction must use trustworthy tokens and tallies.

Do you understand, perfected person?

(The perfected person replies:) Yes, yes.

These words seem simple on the surface, but their meaning is profound. Though they cannot be said to express the Dao in its entirety, they are precisely what should harmonize with Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, and the Qi of the Five Phases. Excellent, excellent! A perfected person who practices this Dao understands these things.

(Title at the end of the passage:) The method for rejecting and eliminating evil people, transforming everyone so that they attains the Dao, and saving their nature and life.

Note: Here, “tallies” are credentials that establish correspondence between the deities of each direction and human affairs. In ancient texts, “five weapons” often refers broadly to weapons. The drum and sword appearing together as “chiefs” is a common symbolic motif in Daoist ritual arts.