《太平經》Vol. 86

A plain-language interpretation of the Taiping Jing

Disasters and upheavals on earth make it impossible to communicate upward: Calamities and strange events break out all at once. The people and officials cannot send their information or sincere intentions up to Heaven, and Heaven cannot come down to protect them. Heaven and earth are cut off from each other. This is clear proof that those above and below are deceiving one another and committing wrongful acts.

The Celestial Master sighed, “Well said! I have nothing to add to what the Six Sons have said.”

The Celestial Master continued, “Though the road is difficult, we must still explain the third matter clearly.” The Six Sons replied, “Yes.”

The third matter: The listed stars—the stars of the celestial lodges, which govern upright energy and good administration—have actually fallen into the Heavenly Prison.

The listed stars are upright and auspicious. The Heavenly Prison is where Heaven punishes offenses and determines people’s status. The meaning is that worthy men and good people may wish to serve the ruler, presenting memorials to explain the principles of Heaven and earth and the people’s hardships. Yet distant senior officials in frontier commanderies, far from the capital, may resent them and harm them under some other pretext. Thus the image of the listed stars entering prison represents good people being suppressed; the signs of the Dao of Heaven show the same thing.

The Celestial Master said, “Precisely put! I have nothing to add.” The Six Sons asked, “Why are you angry on your own? Are you not tired?” They replied, “We dare not be. We have often heard the Celestial Master say that Real Persons come on Heaven’s behalf to ask about matters. If we do not speak, we fear Heaven’s intent will not get through. The lives of ordinary people depend on Heaven and earth. If Heaven and earth are displeased, they may harm the sick, and their allotted lifespans may not be fulfilled.”

The Celestial Master said, “What the Real Persons say is right; it must not be neglected. I am speaking for all the Real Persons, and I too dare not grow weary and stop. Like the Real Persons, my life is in Heaven and earth’s hands. If I keep silent or stop halfway through, Heaven and earth may both bring harm, so I dare not stop carelessly. I will now explain this fully to the six Real Persons.”

The six Real Persons have only recently appeared. They ponder how to cure Heaven’s illness and how a virtuous ruler might dispel calamities and keep himself safe. The Celestial Master commanded, “Say all that you wish to say with your whole heart. Do not fall silent.” The Six Sons replied, “We obey your command. We will use all the small wisdom we possess and say everything.”

What people throughout the world fear is having their mouths shut—that is, not daring to speak freely. The sun, moon, and stars should be close to the spirits of the celestial lodges in Heaven, yet even they are afraid. So when the sun rises, the stars hide and dare not show themselves, fearing its might. If a powerful and imposing ruler is within a state’s borders, the whole realm is frightened. Even far from the capital, people dare not speak freely when an imperial decree arrives. If a province has a fierce provincial official, no one in the province dares to speak. If a commandery has a fierce commandery official, no one in the commandery dares to speak. The same holds true in a county. This chain of suppression follows the same pattern as the listed stars entering prison and memorials failing to get through.

Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

If a county magistrate is cruel and domineering, no one in the whole county dares to speak. Even when a village has only one tyrannical ting chief—a low-level local official responsible for roughly ten li—all the households under his jurisdiction dare not utter a word. The ting chief is already the lowest rank among officials, so how much more fearful must people be of those above him? Everyone fears being punished and thinks only of escaping blame. Even when they have good intentions or sound advice, they dare not report it to their superiors. In this way, the Dao (the right path, the Way of Heaven) is cut off.

Today, if a cruel and overbearing person holds sway even in a li, a smaller local district, no one there dares to speak, for fear of later retaliation or harm. If a forceful, quarrelsome person rules a household through violence, even the rest of the family dare not speak in his presence. A family shares the same bloodline and clan, yet its members still fear one another; how much more so must people fear those of another generation or those outside the family?

From antiquity through the middle ages, people in the world have often lost the Dao and De (Virtue/Power), relying instead on intimidation to govern others and using force to coerce them. Anyone who refuses to submit will surely suffer great harm later, and the calamity will extend even to their descendants. So even when ordinary people witness natural disasters, strange phenomena, or calamities, and feel afraid, they still dare not speak recklessly about them to those in authority nearby, for fear of bringing trouble upon themselves. This situation accumulated from one generation to the next and became even worse in later antiquity. If someone so much as considered submitting a petition or appealing directly to the emperor, those in charge around him would immediately kill him. Even if they did not harm him at once, they would later use their connections to implicate and injure him. Thus the people and the ministers alike clenched their tongues and sealed their mouths, like the mute. Though they saw injustice and evil, they dared not report them to those above. So no matter how wise the emperor of today may be, he is as good as cut off from the truth. The ever more frequent anomalies in Heaven are clear proof of this.

The lives of the people are bestowed by Heaven and Earth, which are their parents. When Heaven and Earth send calamities and transformations, or reveal signs of good and ill fortune, they are “speaking” in the hope that someone will convey their message. Yet people remain afraid, and those under whose authority they live have harmed them before, so they dare not speak or reveal what they know. Instead, they warn one another: do not communicate with Heaven and Earth. They sever their connection with Heaven and Earth, preventing what the August Heaven and the Sovereign Earth—the deities of Heaven and Earth—wish to say from reaching those above. Injustice is suppressed by everyone together, and Heaven and Earth’s words cannot get through. Heaven and Earth remain resentful and troubled for a long time, unable to make their voices heard.

Even if the emperor is sacred, he is still only one person. Though he stands at the highest source of authority, he is trapped behind layer upon layer of human barriers. From ten thousand li away and behind a hundred tiers of government offices, he wants people to bring him the truth. But those nearby intimidate them and block their way, so the truth never reaches the emperor’s ears.

Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing

Even if an emperor possesses the benevolence of ten thousand people, even sages are each compelled and filled with awe to serve Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth alone are the most sacred beings. People can only look up or down, and even then they must rely on Heaven and Earth to make sense of things. How, then, could an emperor be more sacred than they are?

We, the six foolish students, often encounter fierce tigers in the distant wilderness. All six of us stop at once: we dare not move our feet, speak, turn our heads, or close our eyes. This is how thoroughly people can be compelled and frightened. Well said, well said! Only now, on hearing the six Perfected Ones speak, do we understand that Heaven has long been ill and aggrieved, unable to make its words heard. Though it has made the emperor’s many strange transformations into a subject for discussion, what lies below remains obstructed and cannot reach above; Heaven has been left alone in prolonged distress. Now it has expressly instructed the Perfected Ones to deliver these commands and write this document. That is why the Perfected Ones are so anxious and weary: they are messengers of Heaven. Yes, yes. I revere Heaven’s might and am now reflecting on the essential points for you all, which I will explain in detail.

The six Perfected Ones now ask: In ordinary times, what is the most pressing matter here? We six foolish students pondered this document for seven days and seven nights. We met three times to discuss it, and three times we saw shooting stars. We took them as Heaven’s announcement to humanity, a command for people to come and ask. Then all six of us practiced breathing exercises together, but none of us could swallow. Our Qi became obstructed and surged upward. At that moment, our ears and eyes grew dizzy and dim; we could see nothing. We all found it strange and discussed it among ourselves, not knowing what great matter this could be. We were terrified. Only the Celestial Master could explain it to us. Well said: the Perfected Ones have fully understood the meaning of these ancient transformations. From what the Perfected Ones have said, I now understand that the Perfected Ones of the Three Daoist Books have gathered, and that they too have encountered obstruction. Why? I ask you to explain the meaning clearly.

The nine apertures—the nine openings of the human body, such as the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth—are modeled on the divisions of the nine provinces. The Perfected Ones have said that they all practiced breathing exercises, yet became choked and unable to breathe freely; they grew dizzy and their vision dimmed. This represents the provinces, great and small, pressing upon one another, so that urgent matters below cannot be communicated above. Qi is what enables the lives of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things to flow and connect. Heaven and Earth use the wind of Qi to transform and give life to the myriad things. When Qi is choked and cannot flow, this is clear proof that the Way of Heaven is obstructed and cannot reach its full expression. Heaven wants the Perfected Ones to explain this matter carefully, so it has stirred them through this movement of Qi. Do you understand? Yes, yes. Good. You understand now. Yes.

Heaven said to the six Perfected Persons (zhenren)—those commissioned to transmit the Dao (the Way): “May I say all that I wish to say from my heart? You six, please be seated, and explain these principles clearly for the disciples.

“Because people fear the governors of the provinces and commanderies, they dare not speak up. So the good and worthy of an entire province seek one another out, deliberate together, and then send their opinions on to another province. Because they fear the officials of the commandery, they send their opinions to another commandery; fearing the officials of the county, they send them to another county; fearing the officials of the township and the local post, they send them to another township and post; fearing the officials of the village, they send them to another village. Whoever reports an opinion upward is pursued under the prohibitions and charged according to the gravity of what is reported, the offense even being raised one degree above the original charge. How heavy this punishment is! By rights it ought not to be so heavy, and yet there are still those who worry that the punishment will be made lighter.

“Now Heaven and Earth cherish persons of De (Virtue/Power), and the sovereign too wishes to make these principles clear. Human beings are born between Heaven and Earth, yet they turn their backs on Heaven and Earth and cut off the transmission of Heaven’s will, so that Heaven is as if fallen ill: matters pile up and cannot be resolved, and in stifled distress it cannot freely pass its words on to the people. This is a crime of the most extreme rebellion. The common people and the ministers are properly the sovereign’s envoys, like the ruler’s own hands and feet. They ought to help the ruler keep his ears and eyes clear, so that the ruler may be secure and free of care; together they should accord with Heaven’s will and bring joy to Heaven above. Only thus can the ruler’s years be prolonged. Now, instead, they occupy lower stations and yet fail in loyalty. They turn against Heaven and Earth, block the sovereign’s ears and eyes, and leave the ruler anxious and afflicted, forever blaming himself for misgovernment, while disasters and upheavals follow one upon another and the state is endangered and unsettled. All such conduct may be called unfilial, disloyal, and faithless. It is the crime of great rebellion and ought not to be pardoned. How could such an offense be merely heavy? When Heaven’s will cannot be conveyed, Heaven and Earth burst into great wrath and harm the myriad beings. Heaven and Earth are thereby ruined, the year becomes extremely malign, and the state loses enlightened governance and falls into the gravest peril. This guilt is beyond description; it truly merits death.

“Do the Perfected Persons understand?” The Perfected Persons replied: “Yes, yes, we understand. You dared to speak out because you saw the six of us come to inquire, and knew that we had come under Heaven’s mandate; that is why you dared to speak plainly. We understand.”

“Not daring to speak plainly nowadays is called deceiving those above. When a worthy ruler of De sees these writings, he ought to decree that all who submit memorials and offer counsel shall be publicly commended, and that those with merit shall be granted rewards as well. Then everyone under Heaven will rejoice and gladly exert their utmost strength, joining together to submit memorials on the affairs of government. Do not let only one person offer counsel all alone. The many should gather to deliberate, and one of them should speak as their representative.”

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

On whether memorials reporting affairs are truthful

Sometimes deceitful flatterers, pretending to speak in the name of officials, deceive the ruler and keep him from knowing the truth. This is a grave offense that cannot be forgiven.

In recent years, people have submitted memorials year after year. Looking back over them, those who truly have integrity and have rendered great service have all been worthy men of the highest rank.

But when people gather to submit a memorial, there is often a problem: too few of them. When just two or three join together, it is hard to prevent someone among them from being deceitful and false.

Why, then, is there no deceit when the group is large? I would like to hear the reason.

When many people submit a memorial together, they keep watch over one another and are wary of one another, afraid that the matter will leak out and their faults be exposed, and that they will be accused of deceiving the ruler. With others there to observe them, they have to verify the facts before they dare to speak. Without verification, they dare not speak; nor do they dare conceal anything, for they fear the consequences later. Their words can therefore be trusted. It is like a whole village of a hundred households trying to conceal something. When men and women, young and old, gather together, someone is bound to let it slip. People in neighboring villages will surely find out. The village’s wise and conscientious people would not dare cover it up, for fear of being implicated themselves. How much more so in a province, commandery, county, township, or postal station? If something extraordinary happens in a commandery, how could it possibly be hidden? Others will still learn what happened and who was at fault. Thus good and evil alike are fully exposed. Heaven then rejoices, and calamities are swept away as smoothly as flowing water. Do you understand?

Reply: Yes, yes.

Furthermore, when everyone gathers to deliberate, no one dares deceive. If one or two people want to deceive, the others will not go along with them. If someone tries to deceive but the others do not believe him, the assembly will immediately record his actions and report them. By law, he should be judged a traitor to Heaven and Earth, one who deceives the emperor, a deceitful fraud, and a great rebel who defies all moral order. Heaven resents such a person, and the people despise him; his offense cannot be pardoned. Do you understand, Perfected Ones?

Reply: Yes, yes.

Go and carry this out. You have understood. You have already submitted your memorial. When you return, if anyone in your household resents your having submitted it and wants to harm you, write that person’s name on the left-hand “Register of Resentment”; their offense will not be cleared. In this way, the three channels for submitting memorials are now open, and no one dares block or cut them off. Heaven and Earth are pleased. The calamities borne by the emperor have been greatly dispelled, and all under Heaven is at peace. The vital energy of the High Sovereign has fully arrived to assist the virtuous ruler in governing. The six Perfected Ones have not been let down.

Reply: Yes, yes.

Go. The six Perfected Ones’ sincerity and vital essence have advanced greatly. You have cured Heaven’s ills and relieved the emperor of calamities. Your merit is now clearly displayed before Heaven. The ruler is growing ever stronger and wiser, and the six Perfected Ones have learned the proper measure for doing good. You must strive diligently and be cautious—be cautious.

Reply: Yes, yes.

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

The disciple asked: “I would like to ask about the most important secret. Celestial Master, please make it clear to us. To truly understand these documents, must one be completely in communion with the spirits? Can ordinary people hear of such things and carry them out? Yet the Way of Heaven truly does not deceive: all things respond to one another according to their kind. If a virtuous ruler repeatedly sends trusted officials among the people to ask whether anyone has boils, epidemic sores, or scabies, and how many suffer from these illnesses, then the presence of such diseases shows that the documents and decrees have not yet aligned with the spirits, and the people are suffering as a result—as though ‘leftover worms’ were still biting them. When worms bite people, it is as if ‘worms are governing people.’ The immoral officials and subjects below are like worms: they gnaw at the people. This is precisely what ‘worms governing people’ means in practice. If there are no boils, epidemic sores, or scabies among the people, it shows that good people hold office and the harm of worms has ended. This is a sure way to understand the principle. Excellent, excellent! But can boils, epidemic sores, and scabies alone explain it? Are there other signs?”

The Celestial Master replied: “Every calamity and anomaly in the world arises in response to political rule and instruction, and each points to something that can be done. Reflect carefully on the principles, and you will understand them for yourselves. Why speak especially of boils, epidemic sores, and scabies? Other calamities appear among the myriad things, but ‘worms feeding on people’ is the most terrible, so this is used as a test. Excellent, excellent! Without earnestly questioning the Celestial Master, there would be no way to know. Look at you, perfected ones: the matter has now been explained fully. You already understand it; you are merely too modest to say so.”

The six foolish students bowed again. “Having received the Celestial Master’s stern instruction once more, we will each return to our homes and reflect quietly on its central meaning. Today, the Celestial Master’s documents have even brought together people of every rank, from the great to the humble, including servants, to discuss and jointly submit writings on calamities and anomalies, good and evil. Is this not overly complicated?”

The Celestial Master said: “You six have asked carefully about the affairs of Heaven. These are the words conveyed by Heaven’s messengers to the perfected ones. The reason commoners and servants must also take part is that the conditions of our time require it. Beyond ten thousand li, the energies of Heaven and Earth are already different; beyond five thousand li, they differ somewhat; a thousand li away, the local winds and influences change again; five hundred li away, the rain and cloud conditions differ; and a hundred li away, there are further variations. Even within a single county, calamities, strange phenomena, good and evil all vary from place to place. The disasters and transformations sent by August Heaven do not always appear in the imperial palace, before the county offices, or in front of senior officials. They often arise in open country, and it is the lowly people among the common folk who notice them first. Officials at each level conceal them, afraid to speak; and officials conceal them from the ruler and fail to report them…”

(The passage continues with “each conceals it for the sake of their ruler and does not…” and discusses how concealment at successive levels leads Heaven to reveal anomalies among the people.)

Some people even dare to join together in turning away from and blocking the discourse between Heaven and Earth. Each of them wants to praise his own superior, making that superior’s reputation illustrious and his achievements rise swiftly. Together they therefore do what runs counter to the Dao (the Way) of Heaven, bringing on the disasters and strange changes of Heaven and Earth, so that the intentions of Heaven and Earth cannot reach the emperor. In this way the emperor is, without cause, cut off from Heaven and Earth and loses the ability to discern clearly the mind and will of Heaven and Earth. The governing of the state then falls into crisis and disorder and is hard to settle, causing worry and pain.

The emperor is the Son of Heaven, established and brought forth by Heaven. If the common people and the officials jointly commit acts that lack the Dao, this is the same as blocking the exchange of words between parents and children, and it is a very great offense. Together they cut off the speech of Heaven and Earth and deceive their sovereign. As subjects they are neither loyal nor trustworthy. Their guilt is so grave—how could it be weighed merely by reputation? Do you understand? “Yes, yes.”

Furthermore, all the common people, officials, and servants receive life from Heaven, grow upon the earth, and are governed and provided for by the emperor. Only by means of these three can a person live, grow, and be nurtured. If any one of them is lacking, there is no way to grow, nor is it easy to sustain oneself. Yet people instead join in deceiving their sovereign. They fail to understand the intentions of Heaven and Earth, cause the emperor to lose the power of clear discernment, and obstruct the will of Heaven and Earth. Such an offense is enough to merit death ten thousand times over, and even that would not be enough—how profound it is!

Why is the True Person (Zhenren) so foolish as not to understand this principle? Human beings are born of Heaven and grow upon the earth. When Heaven and Earth are sorrowful and ailing, they manifest strange changes in order to inform their children, hoping that people will gladly accept being governed. Foolish commoners, however, turn about and jointly block the words of Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth therefore become greatly angry. The emperor is the parent of the common people and of his subjects, yet the subjects deceive that parent, leaving the emperor long in worry and hardship and unable to govern smoothly. There is no fault greater than this.

Since Heaven and Earth were first opened, the disasters and afflictions that successive generations have endured and accumulated have all arisen from this. That is why some among the common folk have come to submit writings and offer counsel. Now the Yangming Lord of De (Virtue/Power) governs all under Heaven. Out of sorrow and hardship, Heaven and Earth have sent down these words for me to convey. Well said, well said. I shall now explain this Dao clearly for the True Person.

Take a solar eclipse, for instance: it is one of the greatest anomalies under Heaven. Some places can see it, and some cannot. All the various calamities, prodigies, and strange changes under Heaven are words sent forth by the transformations of the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth. Sometimes one kingdom cannot see them while one province can; sometimes one province cannot see them while one commandery can; sometimes one commandery cannot see them while one county can; sometimes one county cannot see them while the townships, villages, stations, and towns can; and sometimes the townships, villages, stations, and towns cannot see them while the common folk can.

Plain-Language Interpretation

What some people have not seen in their own village may have been seen by people in another. That is why the ancient sages, when governing the world, welcomed even ordinary people’s accounts of different things they had witnessed and heard. These accounts helped them follow Heaven’s intent, put people’s minds at ease, and secure their own position. Their rule was therefore often peaceful and in accord with the Dao (the Way).

Now, in an age when the qi of peace has descended, even one matter handled improperly can disrupt harmony, and Heaven’s righteous qi may fail to reach the human world. It is like foolish people draining a lake to catch fish until even the dragons disappear: that is the meaning. So people should be encouraged to report everything they see and hear, so as not to go against Heaven’s intent. Only when even the smallest details are attended to can the world be at peace. People in each locality should work together to write reports and submit them to officials at every level. Officials, too, fearing they might fall behind, should send people among the populace to ask about events and urge reports to be submitted. In this way, no disaster or unusual event will go unreported or be reported inaccurately.

Then the August Heaven and Sovereign Earth will rejoice greatly and protect the ruler. How do we know? There are signs: when Heaven rejoices, the sun and moon shine with unusual brightness, and the stars keep to their proper courses without disorder. When Earth rejoices, the rivers flow smoothly without overflowing chaotically, and all things are nourished and flourish. These are signs that Earth rejoices.

Does the Perfected One understand? “Yes, yes.” The Celestial Master has taken pity on this ignorant student, who is fortunate to have received such instruction. May I ask one more question? If people are to record disasters, portents, and strange events, how should this be done?

“You ask well. It should be done as follows: on the designated days, at the appointed hours of evening and morning—at dusk and dawn—people should write down what they have seen. At the end of the month, everyone should gather to discuss the reports. Those ready to submit should be sent up; those not yet ready can be supplemented when further unusual events occur in the following month. The chief officials of counties and towns should select times in the morning and evening to listen to people’s accounts and record them. Only then can we say that no disaster from Heaven has been missed, not even by the slightest amount.

“Officials fear the people, and the people fear officials; because each is wary of the other, every report will be truthful and accurate to the smallest measure. The ruler can then live in peace within his palace, free of worry. Subjects and common people, high and low, can all be loyal and trustworthy, and the facts can reach those above. The whole world will rejoice. If anyone tries to obstruct this—to prevent people from speaking or recording—everyone should record that person’s actions. Such conduct often points to treacherous ministers, or disloyal and unfilial people who, ignorant of Heaven’s mandate, conspire to deceive their ruler and keep him from judging matters clearly. This is a grave offense. Therefore, everyone should be diligent in recording it.”

Does the Perfected One understand? “Yes, yes.” The student takes leave. If I have questions, I will return to ask.

After the six Perfected Ones returned, they repeatedly considered the Celestial Master’s instructions that officials and common people record events together. They then asked, “Which disasters, omens, and various changes should be recorded? How should they be recorded properly?”

The Celestial Master said, “Excellent! Your questions are careful and comprehensive. You have not failed Heaven’s will or a virtuous ruler, and this is a great service to Heaven, Earth, and all things. Your service lies in asking Heaven clearly and thoroughly about what you seek to know, leaving nothing uncertain. You understand what Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—the Five Phases, the four seasons, the spirits, and all things wish to express. Your merit is therefore great. Do you understand?” The Perfected Ones answered again and again, “Yes, yes.”

The Celestial Master continued, “I will now explain this in detail to you six Perfected Ones. Follow along and write it down.” The Perfected Ones replied, “Yes, yes.”

The Celestial Master said, “Great disasters, omens, and changes are Heaven and Earth ‘speaking at great length.’ Medium disasters, omens, and changes are Heaven and Earth ‘speaking at some length.’ Small disasters, omens, and changes are Heaven and Earth ‘speaking briefly.’ To understand the general idea, compare this to human beings: great matters call for great words, medium matters for medium words, and small matters for small words. There is something to say about matters of every size; they do not arise from nowhere. Heaven and Earth do not deceive people at random.

“When you see great auspicious signs, Heaven and Earth are exceedingly pleased; when you see medium auspicious signs, they are moderately pleased; when you see small auspicious signs, they are slightly pleased. When you see great evil and ill omens, Heaven and Earth are greatly angered; when you see medium evil and ill omens, they are moderately angered; when you see small evil and ill omens, they are slightly angered. If things remain ordinary, with neither good nor bad changes, that is the normal state: there is no particular joy or anger. Do you understand?” The Perfected Ones answered, “Yes, yes.” The Celestial Master stressed, “Disasters, omens, and changes, whether great or small, must all be recorded without the slightest error.”

The Perfected Ones asked, “Why must the records be so detailed?” The Celestial Master said, “How foolish you Perfected Ones are! Changes both great and small should be known, and good and evil, great and small, should all be known. When there is something good, give thanks for its merit and repay it with good deeds that surpass the omen. When there is wrongdoing, repeatedly take responsibility and reproach yourselves, so as to accord with the intentions of Heaven and Earth. If you want to know the consequences, Heaven is like a ruler among human beings. If a ruler’s small request goes unheeded, a little resentment follows. If a medium request is made and still goes unheeded, the resentment grows. If a greater request is then made, harm will result. That is why matters great and small must all be recorded, so that Heaven and Earth are not left resentful and angry.” The Perfected Ones exclaimed, “Excellent! Excellent! We wish to hear what should be recorded.” The Celestial Master said, “Record changes and disasters…” The original text breaks off here.

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

General Meaning of the Scripture

All diseases and calamities, whether great or small, numerous or few, should be gathered together and recorded. Abnormal winds and rains, and the hardships suffered by the people and all living things, whether severe or slight, should also be recorded. The reason for having everyone keep records together is so that officials can learn about conditions in one another’s jurisdictions, and people can learn about one another’s circumstances.

Those who live near mountains and hills know what changes occur there. Those who live near markets and walled towns know what changes occur there. Those who live on level ground know what changes occur there. Those who live near waterways and low-lying fields know what changes occur there. In this way, conditions at high and low elevations, within and beyond the borders, can all be understood fully, and nothing will be overlooked. This is the way to bring about Great Peace, and the principle rulers should follow without violating the great heart. Do you understand, Perfected One? (The disciple replies:) Yes. I understand.

Since Heaven and Earth were first opened, calamities of inherited burden have been common because records could not keep pace with the collection of accounts of the people’s affairs, great and small. Sometimes strange and abnormal events occurred, but officials sent from elsewhere were assigned to handle them. Each official managed their own jurisdiction; officials concealed matters from one another and hid them together. As a result, communication between Heaven and Earth was cut off and could not reach upward, deeply harming the ruler. This caused Heaven to grow stifled and calamities to worsen. The fault lies here.

When officials sent from elsewhere investigate a matter, how can they know what the people have long suffered? Some people are on good terms with one another and so conceal things together. Others have long been at odds with a household, and so add to its calamities and falsely inflate the account of its troubles. Concealing things together cuts off the people’s appeals between Heaven and Earth; it also wrongs the innocent, and then those below collude in the pursuit of wealth. These three things cause great harm. The Qi of grievance and injustice then further increases calamity, making it especially difficult for governance to achieve peace.

Now the Sun is rising, harmonious Qi is flourishing, and the ruler of De is due to govern. All under Heaven is at peace, and everything has its proper place. Therefore the Six Perfected Ones have come to ask fully about these matters, and I will explain them all. Do you understand? (The disciple replies:) Yes. Therefore, when Heaven is about to raise up and aid a ruler, it gives that ruler ideas of their own. From ancient times to the present, whenever Heaven has intended to raise up and aid someone, it has provided them with wondrous writings and unusual plans, so they can govern by consulting them; thus whatever they undertake brings great good fortune. When Heaven does not intend to aid and benefit someone, it cuts off all wondrous writings and unusual plans so that they cannot obtain them. If they do obtain them, it also makes their heart…

Summary of the Core Ideas

1. Recording and knowing together: Disasters, suffering, and changes in mountains, rivers, and markets should be recorded jointly by local people and officials and communicated among them. When people at every level, inside and outside the administration, know what is happening, nothing is overlooked. This is a method for bringing about Great Peace.

2. The source of calamities of inherited burden: Calamities have often occurred since ancient times because “records could not keep pace with the people’s shared collection of accounts of affairs, great and small.” Those above do not know the truth of conditions below, or officials conceal matters and hide them together. Communication between Heaven and Earth is cut off and cannot reach the ruler; Heaven becomes stifled, and calamities increase.

3. Three great harms: Concealing the truth together, wronging the innocent, and colluding below in the pursuit of wealth all deepen grievance and injustice, increase calamity, and make peaceful governance impossible.

4. The ruler of De and the Six Perfected Ones: When the Sun is rising, harmonious Qi is flourishing, and the ruler of De is due to govern, the Six Perfected Ones come to inquire fully about these matters. Heaven then provides wondrous writings and unusual plans that can guide governance and bring great good fortune; when Heaven does not intend to aid someone, it cuts off those writings and plans.

The passage as a whole emphasizes that clear communication between those above and below, and the shared recording of people’s hardships and unusual events, without concealment or injustice, are essential for a ruler to bring about Great Peace and resolve calamities of inherited burden.

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

Foolish people do not understand the principles of governing the state, yet insist on misusing them. They may intend to promote prosperity and benefit the people, but instead make people restless, indulgent, and frivolous, while continuing to act recklessly. This is a law set by Heaven; Heaven does not deceive.

So when people are about to flourish, they are generally inclined toward goodness; when they are about to decline, they are generally inclined toward evil. Those headed for good fortune are easy to guide, while those headed for danger like to contradict others and are difficult to guide.

Does the Perfected One understand? — I do.

Heaven therefore constantly protects good people, and the Dao (the Way) is willing to dwell with those who possess De (Virtue/Power). Heaven will not protect evil people, and the Dao will not attach itself to the foolish and closed-minded. That is why I often instruct the Perfected One: entrust these principles to a virtuous ruler.

Record every portent and strange occurrence, great or small, good or bad, within or beyond, near or far. The purpose is to let a virtuous ruler and all the worthy officials investigate together where these portents come from.

Strange occurrences and portents throughout the world resemble the events and follow the conduct that give rise to them; they arise according to their kind. When the worthy officials gather to discuss them, they will suddenly understand. Then, by questioning and examining matters according to their categories, they can clarify what has happened. Heaven and Earth will rejoice day after day, and the ruler will be at peace day after day. In this way, virtuous governance reaches the spirits, and nothing fails to respond.

The clearest proof is this: suffering and portents throughout the world have disappeared; the people and officials are all good; they carry out the ruler’s commands without the slightest deviation, and those below do not deceive those above. This is manifest evidence.

Harm may be great or small, and it often corresponds to the amount of deception: much deception brings great harm, little deception brings little harm. Where there is no deception, there is no additional harm; where there is absolutely no deception, there is lasting peace.

By examining the documents that the people submit to those above them, one can judge whether officials and people, high or low, are loyal and trustworthy. Verify their claims against actual events, as if looking into a clear mirror and speaking face to face. This is a truly wondrous way to follow the Dao! It is Heaven’s mirror for protecting virtuous rulers and governing the world.

Does the Perfected One understand? — I do. Go quickly and deliver this to a ruler of the highest virtue. Do not delay.

On the number of people submitting a memorial:

• When one person submits a memorial alone, it is called “submitting a document to handle affairs and entrusting it to one person.” This is great deception, creating a grave grievance with August Heaven; as a result, the Way of Heaven is often thrown into disorder.
• When two people submit a memorial together, it is called “joining in secret collusion under Great Yin to deceive.” The two crafty people urge one another on, perhaps concealing together some matter that deserves censure or fabricating a false account. This incurs blame against Earth, and the Way of Earth is thrown into great disorder.
• When three people submit a memorial together, it is often still untruthful. In the text, “firmly, firmly, still not truthful” conveys roughly this idea.

(The passage as a whole says that Heaven records portents to warn virtuous rulers; when ruler and officials verify claims against events and avoid deception, the state is at peace. The more people join in submitting a memorial, the easier it is for them to conspire to deceive those above them, hence the warnings given here.)

If three people close ranks and encourage one another, concealing illness or private matters together, then jointly report to their superiors; or if they use public business to settle private grudges and conspire to deceive their superiors, they are setting themselves against “harmony and balance” (the proper concord between Heaven and Earth and human affairs), and will throw the qi of peace into disorder.

When four people jointly submit a report, one of them may have spoken falsely out of fear. Once someone else seizes on that as evidence, it can become a charge against them. Are they still conspiring to fabricate a story? At times, it can look very much like the truth. False accusations that are not believed will disrupt the “Four Seasons” (the ordered cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter).

When five people jointly submit a report, it may seem true, yet still cannot be fully trusted; some are merely agreeing aloud. Reports that are not believed will disrupt the “Five Phases” (the principles by which Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth generate and overcome one another).

When six people jointly submit a report, it comes closer to the truth, yet still cannot be fully trusted. Reports that are not believed will disrupt the “Six Directions” (the overall order of above and below, the four cardinal directions, and the space between Heaven and Earth).

When seven people jointly submit a report, it seems credible; eight bring it close to the truth; nine bring it close to the facts; ten merely make it sound complete on the surface. Why, then, is the Celestial Master still so suspicious today? I wish to hear the essential point. The reason for such suspicion may be that cunning people in the five regions, each harboring private grudges, use public business to take private revenge. They can even conspire to become consummate rogues and villains, disrupting the Dao of Heaven and Earth and misleading the sovereign. That is why one dares not readily believe them all, but can only accept part of what they say. So everyone—old and young, worthy and unworthy, men and women, even servants—should gather in large and small assemblies to discuss matters, so that those who use public business for private ends and fabricate stories cannot succeed. If, at such a gathering, someone troubled in conscience speaks plainly; if an unworthy person speaks; if careless words escape concealment; if an elderly person, whose life may end at any moment, no longer has reason to hold back; or if women, children, or the weak cannot hide what they say—and they expose the wrongdoing together—the matter will come to light. Deceit and fraud can then no longer be concealed, and what is learned will be true. When the truth is known, the heart of Heaven and Earth is brought into harmony. Does the True Person understand this? Yes, indeed.

The emperors of our dynasty have taken on this responsibility from generation to generation, yet their governance has often failed to accord with the will of Heaven, and calamities have continued without end. When one calamity has passed, another arises; August Heaven is unsettled, baleful qi brings much illness, and people cannot long enjoy great happiness. A brief moment of joy is followed by grave misfortune. This misfortune stems precisely from these cunning villains, who turn their backs on Heaven and Earth and deceive the sovereign. People receive their lives from Heaven and Earth and regard the sovereign as their parent, yet fools turn against the source of their lives and conspire to deceive their parent. Therefore Heaven and Earth both despise them, and the sovereign abhors them. The law treats death as the harshest punishment, while lesser offenses are passed down to later generations. Thus calamities do not cease, harm grows day by day, people’s lives grow shorter, and all things remain in disorder. This is where calamity comes from.

A Plain-Language Reading of the Taiping Jing

(The Perfected One): That is how things are. Have you, Perfected One, already reached full awakening and understood their principles deeply?

(Disciple): Yes, yes. You could say I understand now.

(The Perfected One): I know, then, how deeply August Heaven hates evil. That is why I have people pass this scripture on orally again and again, so that not a single point is left out. If something is missed at first, it can still be supplied later. This matter is especially important: Heaven abhors negligence. I have memorized the entire text to instruct the Perfected One, then entrust it to an accomplished ruler of virtue to put into practice. Its effects will be no different from those of the spirits. An age of Great Peace and the upright Qi of the August Sovereign will also take shape of their own accord.

I dare not let my scripture fail Heaven and Earth, a ruler of supreme virtue, the people of later generations, or the myriad things. Put it into practice, and its effects will be seen at once. Excellent!

(Disciple): I would like to ask: why does a memorial submitted by one person disturb the Way of Heaven, while one submitted by two people disturbs the Way of Earth?

(The Perfected One): Because each party starts from its own position. Only when the contents of their written reports correspond and resonate with one another do they accord with the Way of Heaven. Do you understand?

(Disciple): I do. Everything in the world belongs to its own kind.

(Disciple): Celestial Master, if people follow this scripture, can the facts be thoroughly verified so that everyone under Heaven will believe them?

(The Perfected One): Yes. Everyone under Heaven will believe them. The general idea is this:

• Local officials fear that the people will expose their misdeeds and bring down the punishment of the “Six Examinations,” so they dare speak truthfully only when they report to their superiors.
• The people fear that county officials hold evidence against them, so they too dare not speak carelessly.
• County officials, village headmen, and residents fear that people arriving from elsewhere to submit reports will expose their shortcomings.
• Those who travel elsewhere to submit reports also fear that local officials and residents will learn of their shortcomings.

Because they watch one another warily, no one dares to make things up, and nothing can be concealed. So the county officials, residents, and travelers should all submit reports at the same time, then compare them with one another at dawn. They must match down to the smallest detail—only then do they accord with the Way!

(Disciple): When should those taking part in the deliberation meet?

(The Perfected One): Good. Simply arrange it under the heading “Abode of Great Peace and Welcome Goodness.” There is no need to fix it in one place. If there are special ritual methods or documents, they can be submitted to the Abode of Great Peace and Welcome Goodness. People can gather beneath it to deliberate on good and evil, then report together from all four directions. If someone regrets taking part halfway through and stops, or is prevented by someone else, the report should still follow the original route…

Note: This section describes the Taiping Jing’s system of threefold cross-checking through submitted reports: officials, commoners, and travelers verify one another’s accounts. The idea is that having compromising information on one another compels people to tell the truth. It is an early Daoist political ideal for a system of oversight. “Six Examinations” refers to Heaven’s assessment of officials. The “Abode of Great Peace and Welcome Goodness” is a place set up among the people to gather deliberations on good and reports.

The Taiping Jing, Fascicle 86: A Plain-Language Interpretation

On Concealing One’s Thoughts and Responsibility for Wrongdoing

To put an end to wicked thoughts and selfish motives, anything kept hidden in one’s heart and left unsaid should be treated as an offense and investigated, as the scripture instructs. Only then can people throughout the realm benefit, and the ruler enjoy lasting peace.

The Celestial Master and the Scriptures

“Good! Good! The Celestial Master has now prepared many scriptures, which should have been fully written down and widely circulated. Why send up only some of the documents as reports, stopping them at Heaven, instead of distributing everything that should be made available to the people? Whatever concerns public affairs throughout the realm and ought to be announced should be made public in full. Do you understand?”

The disciples replied, “We understand, we understand.”

A Ruler of Great Virtue and the Laws of Heaven

“Go now. Heaven will naturally grant a ruler of great Virtue a clear and wise mind. And because he already has good intentions, good policies, and exemplary conduct, he accords with the laws of Heaven, which cannot be violated in the slightest. The affairs of the world are too numerous to write down completely; I am often troubled by the sheer volume of documents.”

The disciples replied again, “We understand, we understand.”

Colophon at the End of the Section

(Right column) Heaven instructs the six Perfected Ones to learn once more the principles and formulas for the “three channels of document transmission.”

Notes

• Celestial Master: An honorific in Daoism for someone who transmits heavenly writings and speaks on Heaven’s behalf. Here, it seems to refer to the transmitter of the Taiping Jing.
• Six Perfected Ones: Six immortals or disciples in the scripture who receive Heaven’s mandate and instruction.
• “Three channels of document transmission”: A phrase often used in the Taiping Jing. It broadly refers to the methods and rules for conveying documents, directives, and teachings among Heaven, the ruler, and the people. The specific channels should be checked against the surrounding passages in the same fascicle.
• “Sent upward” / “stopping at the top”: Refers to submitting documents only to Heaven or the upper levels of the court, without passing them down or circulating them widely among the people. The passage criticizes this practice and argues that official documents and teachings meant for public release should be spread throughout the realm.
• “We understand”: The disciples’ repeated reply renders weiwei, a traditional response meaning “Yes, yes” or “As you command.”

This passage takes the form of a dialogue in which Heaven or the Celestial Master questions the disciples, who reply “Yes, yes,” alongside reflections on rulers, documents, and the laws of Heaven. The surviving manuscript has many unclear divisions and corrupted characters, so some phrases can only be interpreted from context. Where other editions differ, a critically edited text should be consulted.