《太平經》Vol. 98
About this page. The original text of 《太平經》 Vol. 98 (Taiping 太平部, 57 volumes) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Kanripo (Kyoto University) edition. An English interpretation of the 12 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Source textInterpretation
Book 98 of the Taiping Jing: Instructions, Part Six
Secret Instructions on Spirits Overseeing People, Guarding Their Roots, and Bestowing Hidden Blessings (156)
Someone asked about a great difficulty: These days, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) has widely opened the gate to the Way of Heaven, carefully checking the words of ancient transmitted Daoist books, line by line, and taking them as the true essentials. Those who write well about the secret Way and the true Way, and whose words accord with the Dao, often manage to “enter the spirit.” They can therefore see spirits and govern by the spirits’ way. If what they govern accords with the spirits, that is the true Way. Such people often achieve this in a quiet chamber. Some, once they have succeeded, can leave the chamber and depart; some go in and out of the chamber but are not yet able to depart; and some see only the spirits, yet remain unable to depart for their entire lives.
Among ten thousand people, there may not be even one who can truly “cross over” and transcend the world. Among a thousand, there may not be one who attains a great lifespan; among a hundred, there may not be one who attains a lesser lifespan. It is much the same for those who live out the full span of their natural years.
People throughout the world pursue learning, yet among ten thousand, there may not be one who attains a high-ranking office; among a thousand, there may not be one who attains a mid-ranking office; and among a hundred, there may not be one who attains a low-ranking office. People farm to support their families and amass wealth, yet among ten thousand, there may not be one who gains a hundred million; among a thousand, there may not be one who gains ten million; and among a hundred, there may not be one who gains a million. Everything is like this: Many people set out from the same starting point, but few transcend the world or attain wealth and rank. I, a foolish student, am deeply troubled. What is the greatest precept one should observe when studying the Dao, so as to mature and succeed? What is the greatest precept one should observe in one’s studies, so as to attain high office? What is the greatest precept one should observe in managing one’s livelihood and accumulating wealth, so as to become rich? I cannot match the Celestial Master’s power, so I dare to ask about these doubts. I fear that to the end of time we will remain in ignorance, the gate of the Way will stay closed, and we will have no means of knowing.
(The Celestial Master replied:) Excellent, excellent! The questions raised by the Perfected Ones are all matters of doubt. Heaven has sent you to ask them—good. Please sit at ease and ask your questions well. Lean in and listen carefully; I will now explain everything to the Perfected Ones, so that it can be passed from mouth to mouth and understood. Make every effort to remember it. Those in later generations who obtain my text will surely open the road to the true Way wide; many who study the true Way will associate with the spirits. The spirits’ Way is devoted entirely to overseeing people: they rejoice in and bless those who are good toward others, but pay no attention to those who are evil. They cause people to be astonished and afraid, yet do not argue with people at their side. Their movements are like flocks of birds coming and going without end—some say that a person is about to transcend the world, others that a person is about to become wealthy and high-ranking, and others that a person is about to become poor and lowly…
A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing
The Main Meaning of the Scripture
Some people enjoy praising others, while others enjoy denigrating them. Some make people especially happy, while others make them especially angry and distressed.
The spirit (Shen) has no fixed form and changes without limit. If people can focus their minds and hold to the One, refuse to listen to confused talk, reflect inwardly before acting, keep silent instead of passing such talk on, and avoid being swept along by reckless joy or anger, they can hold firmly to their roots without wavering. They should do good in private, help others and benefit living things, and have no wish to harm anyone.
Once they know the Dao (the Way), they should keep doing the highest good, seeking only to benefit others and never to injure them. They should pursue the Dao and practice goodness without daring to slacken before the year’s end. In this way, generation after generation can receive great good fortune, with only one misfortune. The gathered spirits will protect and assist people, helping them take joy in doing good each day and stop doing evil.
Those who are Realized Ones and understand these teachings should say, “Yes, yes,” and put them into practice. The Realized Ones have understood.
Causes of Disorder and Ruin
What brings disorder and ruin is that people’s minds and intentions are not single-minded. They are quick to feel joy or anger, easily startled or confused, and also rash, quick-tongued, argumentative, and fond of talking about good and evil. They cannot keep what is in their hearts to themselves: they want to speak, yet cannot restrain themselves. Then the gathered spirits come to deceive them. They may cause people to trust demonic words and die like petty men; to spend all day arguing and talking nonsense; or to be tormented by ghosts and spirits until they go mad.
When people’s minds and intentions are not single-minded, their moods are unpredictable, their conduct is improper, and they are confused and directionless, they lose worthy friends and good advisers, and may even face danger and ruin. The greatest calamities arise when those in high positions do not care for their subordinates or work for their benefit; when they heed evil spirits and seek to harm others; when the worthy depart and good advisers are lost, while petty men are appointed in their place; when people fail to respect those above them and instead listen to the deceitful, false, and demonic words of evil spirits. This is why the Dao cannot be realized and the gate to misfortune is opened. I cannot write everything in advance.
Summary
Ordinary people cannot keep their minds focused and steadfast; even in secret, they are easily swayed. Their actions often bring misfortune and harm, and end in calamity. Their faults pile up too numerous to recount. Here I have given the Dao only in its broad outline and at its starting point for the Realized Ones. Let wise and discerning people read my words closely, and they will be able to examine and understand them in detail.
Have the Realized Ones understood?
The Perfected One said again: “Disciple, you have attained great awakening. Hold firmly to this scripture of mine and take it as the deepest of precepts.
“Those who put the scripture into practice can remain free of calamity and harm for ten thousand generations. Take these words to heart. In later ages, readers of my writings should examine the essential meaning from beginning to end and act according to it; they will not go wrong in any respect. Hold to it without letting go, and you will naturally persevere to the end. Only with single-minded devotion and good intent can one commune with Shen (spirit). With crooked thoughts and ill intent, one will surely lose the Dao.
“If a person of high standing does not listen attentively, they will lose their proper place. If a person of low standing does not listen attentively, they will become entangled with demons and evil forces. Both bring harm to the body, so you must take the greatest care and be extremely cautious. When people make mistakes, they usually bring them upon themselves. Calamity and change arise close at hand, from within the heart and mind; they do not appear from nowhere outside.
“The Perfected One asked, ‘Do you understand?’ The disciple replied, ‘Yes, yes.’ The Perfected One sighed: ‘How frightening! How frightening!’ You know to feel fear and alarm; that may be called having entered the true Dao. If even foolish people attain great awakening, the worthy will follow this example and put it into practice. They will accomplish what they set out to do, enter ever more deeply through the gate of good fortune, and avoid the door of calamity; the paths of life and death will remain clear to them for a long time. If you act this way, can it bring misfortune? Misfortune will gradually recede, and good fortune will come. Since you already understand, I need not admonish you further. Yes, yes.’
“Those who attain high office through following the Dao are unlike ordinary people who seek learning. From the day they enter the school, they devote themselves wholeheartedly to helping and benefiting others, cherish people, and do not speak carelessly. They study from youth into old age, stopping only when poverty makes it impossible to continue. They do not delight in gaining office; they devote themselves to learning and strive to understand the scriptures and the Dao. They accumulate good deeds without pause, establish a reputation, and bring their knowledge of the scriptures and the Dao to completion. They understand deeply the causes of calamities and changes in ancient and present times. Their conduct and learning benefit those above and those below. Their goodness and reputation grow through accumulated good works and cannot be contained; their names become known far and wide. A wise ruler esteems them and summons them to serve. The people all say, ‘How good! How fortunate!’ Such a person is one whom others rejoice in: a good person who learns and helps people pass through the world. The Perfected One asked, ‘Do you understand?’ The disciple replied, ‘Yes, yes.’
157. A Precept Against the Success and Failure of Following the Dao
The Perfected One spoke again to the disciple: “Those who do not help people pass through the world think this way: ‘Today I will enter the school, but I will not consider attaining the true Dao or promoting it well in practice. I only want to know and see widely, so that I can pursue the utmost teachings of the sages.’ They take no delight in promoting the Dao or doing good; instead, they delight in empty display…”
(The passage continues by contrasting those who succeed in learning the Dao with those who fail. In essence, those who succeed uphold the teachings, accumulate good deeds, and remain single-minded; those who fail seek fame and broad learning but neglect genuine practice.)
This chapter interweaves dialogue between the Perfected One and the disciple (“Yes, yes”), and develops several themes: upholding the teachings and putting them into practice; single-minded devotion and communion with Shen; calamity arising from within the heart and mind; good people who help others pass through the world; and those who fail by indulging in empty display.
A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing
Some people use deception and hypocrisy to enter the gate of the scriptures and the Dao, yet their hearts are not devoted. They are always eager to spout nonsense and show off their verbal skills, making a practice of harming others. They neither respect Heaven nor care for those under their authority. Their conduct runs counter to the true meaning of the scriptures and the Dao. Empty within, they are unfit to serve an emperor well. Yet they cling to positions of authority, use other people’s property for their own benefit, and seek high office and fame. They steal and extort wealth, use public resources for private ends, profit at the expense of those above them, and harm those below. Such people undermine good government and bring calamity on Heaven, Earth, and the state. They are tigers and wolves in the eyes of the people, wicked children in the eyes of their parents. Heaven and Earth despise them, and spirits and gods loathe them. Once their crimes are exposed, emperors often put them to death, fulfilling Heaven’s will and relieving the people of a great affliction. These are people who gain office through clever tricks and deceit.
Others are halfhearted, inwardly empty, and without genuine commitment, yet set their hearts on becoming officials. They should understand that official posts are positions among the celestial stars, bestowed to reward those with De and recognize those who have rendered service. They cannot be handed out indiscriminately to people who have achieved nothing. Heaven and Earth pay no heed to such people, and the spirits neither delight in them nor favor them. Those of the lowest understanding cannot see the depth of their own faults, yet still presume to seek a heavenly office—and more besides. Demonic beings then join forces to assault their minds, driving them to speak recklessly and then utter evil words, which they cannot stop themselves from saying. Sometimes they die because of their wicked speech; that is what this refers to. It is not only those who fail to grasp the meaning of cultivating the Dao who meet with misfortune. Ordinary people, too, must not chase pleasure and devote themselves to evil, inviting calamity. True Ones, strive with all your might! If you have good intentions and often think of loving people and benefiting all things, then in this respect you may be said already to have “crossed over.”
Even so, whether True Ones or ordinary people can “cross over” depends on what comes after, not what came before. Most faults lie behind a person: they arise because people do not cherish themselves, treat themselves lightly, and declare that they “will cross over,” while failing to overcome the faults within. That is why I keep speaking and cannot stop. The True One has compelled me to go on. If I wanted to fall silent halfway through, sparing myself the effort of speaking, I would fear the True One’s resentment. If the True One resented me, Heaven might harm me too. So I dare not shirk my duty, fall silent, or stop halfway. Do you understand? The disciple replied, “Yes.”
This is often how ordinary people come to harm: they sometimes achieve something before they have understood it, but because it does not accord with the root principle, they lose it again. Now that you have understood… (The text continues with the meaning of the scripture, discussing the true sense of practice and crossing over.)
A Plain Language Interpretation of the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace)
When someone has rendered great service to Heaven, they become all the more diligent, work harder, and remain respectful and vigilant. They devote themselves to learning the Dao (the Way) and follow the right path. Disciple, you already understand how to save yourself, so I have nothing more to add. I will now explain the matter in detail for the Perfected One.
Some people are devoted to managing their households, building wealth, and attaining riches and honor. In their youth, they work hard at their affairs, think carefully about everything, and stop only when their strength is spent. They promote what is good and conceal what is bad, devote themselves to goodness, respect their superiors, and approach everything with caution and reverence, never daring to act recklessly. They care for those below them and protect them, do not wish to harm others, do not distort the laws of the ruler, and do not follow improper rites. In their daily life, they take no part in anything unnecessary. They conduct themselves this way from the time they become aware of the world until old age and failing strength bring them to a stop. Outwardly they are substantial, while inwardly they are empty and still; they do not speak lightly. Thus they attract precious things, accumulate De (Virtue/Power), and ultimately become fully realized in character.
But people differ in whether they are worthy or unworthy, and their intentions vary. There are also those who are not good: they slight their superiors and harm those below them, readily follow improper rites, frequent the marketplace, speak recklessly, and cannot endure what is wrong. Such people bring about misfortune, disorder, danger, and ruin. This is not the practice of the Dao.
Do you understand? The disciple replied, “Yes, yes.”
Therefore, those who practice the Dao must keep their minds single and their mouths closed; they must not speak recklessly. The sages and worthy people of antiquity understood Heaven’s patterns, and so were able to practice the Dao and uphold De. Heaven remains single-minded: it follows the Dao day and night without speaking, and thus alone prospers. Earth follows the Dao day and night without speaking; it cherishes and nurtures all things, and so alone endures in peace. The four seasons each follow their own course without ceasing, day or night, and so they continually flourish and never stop. The Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—each follow the true Dao without speaking; thus they remain bright and move in accordance with Heaven. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) each follow the true Dao without speaking; thus they endure forever alongside Heaven and Earth. Those in the world who practice the Dao all take these as their model; their number cannot be counted. If you can care for and benefit others, and refrain from speaking recklessly, you can attain the Dao. If you slight these words and go against what I have said, your mouth will surely bring harm upon you through the Dao; there can be no mistake.
Perfected One, you have come from afar to ask about your doubts, so I have given you this admonition. When you receive this book, ponder it deeply and keep it firmly in mind. I will not fail you. I speak on Heaven’s behalf, to admonish the people of virtuous rulers, so that the people may model themselves on their ruler and practice the Dao.
A Plain Language Interpretation
The main meaning of the scripture:
If everyone takes this text as a major set of precepts, they can attain good fortune and keep calamity far away. This book is presented as a warning to those of the lowest understanding; take care not to hide it away. Yes, yes—go and put it into practice.
These precepts may seem small, yet they are in fact great; they may seem slight, yet they are in fact substantial. What does this mean? Consider the wording: it seems small, but the precepts it contains are in fact far-reaching. Its language may seem like the work of a common debating scholar, and so too slight to pass down. But consider how its precepts help people become fully realized: they are substantial indeed.
So consider the Dao I expound for the Perfected Ones: in its vastness, it reaches through to what has no outward boundary; in its subtlety, it penetrates to what has no inner limit. In honor it reaches the highest; in lowliness it reaches the lowest. Why is this so? It is meant to give the great and the small, the worthy and the sages, and the common people alike enough to say and enough to gain from it. Why? I would like to hear what it means.
Excellent question. You have grasped its meaning. I have written this scripture for a ruler of Great Peace. Such a ruler’s governance should model Heaven and take it as its standard; it must not be like that of a small state, confined to a single territory. Heaven, as the model and standard, is supreme above all, yet reaches down to the lowest; it is vast beyond all bounds, yet extends into what is smallest within. It embraces and nourishes the twelve thousand kinds of beings. It benefits and protects them all, good and evil, great and small alike. It endows them with primordial Qi, bringing them to life and bringing their lives to an end, without harming or injuring them. That is why Heaven is most fittingly called divine and most aptly named the ruler without equal.
Now that the Qi of the August Sovereign has arrived, the virtuous ruler’s governance should model this and take it as its standard. That is why my Dao speaks of one thing as high and another as low, one as sinking and another as floating: I want the many worthy people to examine it together. Thus, at the southeast Earth Gate there is water that supports Heaven’s pillar, and it does not resist the force of even the smallest stream. Good and evil, great and small, all return to it. Do the Perfected Ones understand this?
Yes, yes. Go. If I tried to say more, the words would be endless. This great text must now pause; each of you should reflect on it inwardly. If, while studying the Dao, you fail to grasp its meaning, and when shown the south you ask instead about the north, and apply your mind in this way, then even after learning for all time you will not understand—and still you will not dare neglect to put it into practice. You understand now.
Collection title: A method for examining the Dao’s precepts, learning, governance, and the cultivation of life: success and failure, and the origins of good and ill fortune
[Textual note: “The Method for Long Life,” number 158]
I would like to ask about a matter that puzzles me. I now wish to inquire about the method in the Celestial Master’s question-and-answer text.
[Explanatory notes]
This passage comes from the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace), an important early Daoist classic. Its central ideas are as follows:
1. “Small, yet in fact great”: The scripture’s words may appear ordinary, but its precepts reach far and accomplish much for those who put them into practice.
2. “Model Heaven and take it as the standard”: A ruler of Great Peace should govern by following the Dao of Heaven—supreme above all yet reaching down to the lowest, vast beyond all bounds yet extending into what is smallest within—and should embrace all beings, benefiting and protecting them regardless of whether they are good or evil, great or small.
3. Universal relevance: This Dao benefits people regardless of rank. The great and the small, the worthy and the sages, and the common people can all gain from it. That is why “the many worthy people” should examine it together.
4. “One high, another low; one sinking, another floating”: The Dao is expressed in ways that rise and fall, with the aim of prompting students to reflect repeatedly rather than cling to the surface meaning of the words.
5. A way of learning: If you do not grasp the meaning, “when shown the south, ask instead about the north”: consider the matter from the opposite direction. Apply your mind in this way to reach a thorough understanding.
This scripture reveals what truly holds value through a series of contrasts. It states: What meaning does longevity hold if one cannot work harmoniously with others without growing weary even in old age? What use are shelves overflowing with books if they cannot bring stability to society? Of what assistance are courtiers filling the halls if they cannot help the ruler achieve an era of Great Peace? What kind of filial piety is it to raise many children while leaving one's parents cold and hungry? What benefit do mountains of medical prescriptions offer if they cannot prolong life?
True value lies in this: Among vast libraries, only those texts that extend lifespan and bring inner stability qualify as "true scriptures" (authentic classics of value). Among court officials, only those who assist the ruler in realizing Great Peace are "true ministers." Among children, only those who ensure their parents' comfort and security embody true filial devotion. Among countless remedies, only those that genuinely extend life are "true prescriptions" (authentically effective formulas).
The scripture observes that the world overflows with false and useless things—just as heretical teachings invite calamity, while orthodox teachings dispel evil. When all discourse returns to the true Dao, pernicious influences lose their foothold. The author wishes to impart these principles to virtuous rulers, proposing that by collating and rectifying various texts, all worthy individuals may comprehend truth and dispel confusion. When all writings return to the orthodox path, calamities will naturally cease.
The Taiping Jing: “Instructions on the Reversal of Male and Female Forms” (159), A Plain-Language Interpretation
Earlier passage: Heretical writings and words, and practicing the Way of Heaven
Do not settle or make your home in such “heretical writings and words.” Crooked writing and deviant speech are like a treacherous landlord: a thief may once have borrowed the owner’s house for a night, but once the owner dies, the thief can never return to rest there. True Person, do you understand this principle?
“Yes, yes.”
Take practicing the Way of Heaven as your rule, and use “One” to unite the “Ten Thousand.” The principle cannot be fully written down. Once you have received it, True Person, reflect deeply on its essentials for yourself. A wise person, whose nine apertures are clear (the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and other openings of the body, here a metaphor for a clear and perceptive mind), can readily understand the scripture. After reaching full realization, there is no need to ask further.
Zeng Wen: “Yes, yes.”
Too many words only leave people muddled and in darkness. It is better to state one guiding principle, and the myriad details will then arrange and unfold themselves. The turmoil of the many people is no match for the stability of one ruler; the countless stars are no match for the light of the sun; the clamour of petty voices that would prop up the sky is no match for the worthy people of a single state. The Way of Heaven is vast and boundless, yet it is no match for the single original Qi that sustains the thread of life together with Heaven.
If a virtuous ruler reflects deeply on these words, his life will naturally be prolonged. If later generations reflect on them together, fathers will be kind and sons filial; virtue will grow day by day, and clarity will increase. Mothers will be loving and wives compliant; throughout the state, worthy people will appear morning and evening. Great and small alike will compete to do good, and the weak will no longer flaunt their strength. Heretical writings and sycophants will have nowhere to hide. Calamities and upheavals will be swept away, and the two lights of Heaven and Earth will shine clear. This is a natural method, carried out in purity by the gods of Heaven. To follow the Dao in this way brings great joy—what harm could there be? Let it therefore be made the rule: this is the working of Heaven. Who records it? The divine powers of Heaven and Earth. The written signs that attest to it answer in resonance with Heaven and Earth; they are Heaven’s matching tokens of trust. Rulers and worthy people should examine these words together. Put them into practice, and prosperity will grow day by day in step with the times. Since this accords with Heaven’s intent, it will bring good fortune: Yin-Yang will move in harmony, wind and rain will come in season, and every kind of disorder will be dispelled. The verifying text will serve as proof. I do not praise myself; I truly know this. These are no mere embellishments of speech. They should be put to the test without delay.
True Person, do you understand?
“Yes, yes. Go on your way, go on your way. Refine it and examine it in detail, and the Dao will come of itself.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Instructions on the Reversal of Male and Female Forms”: Questions and Doubts
I would like to ask one more question before the Celestial Master. The book text you bestowed on this ignorant student contains the phrase “reversal of male and female forms.” I would be grateful to hear what it means.
(The Celestial Master) “Ah, I have already explained it briefly in the text you received. You can see it there. Why ask again?”
(The disciple) “My mind is dull and closed, and it is hard for me to grasp what you have shown me. I can only understand this much.”
Note: Within the Taiping Jing system, “reversal of male and female forms” is often associated with the “reversal” and “return” of Yin-Yang, hierarchy, and the order of instruction. Its precise interpretation requires comparison with the surrounding passages in this volume.
An Interpretation in Modern Chinese of the Taiping Jing
The Celestial Master agreed to answer the question and asked the disciple to sit quietly before beginning. The basic nature of Heaven and Earth is this: Yang delights in Yin, and Yin delights in Yang. Thus Yang should transform within Yin, and Yin should transform within Yang. This is generally how the principles of Yin and Yang work. Because they attract and draw close to one another, cultivation can progress quickly. But such matters should only be disclosed orally, step by step and according to a person’s level. They must not be shown directly to people or taught indiscriminately. Otherwise, people may easily be led onto a misguided path.
The disciple repeatedly replied, “Yes, yes.” The Celestial Master continued: Though you are listening, Yang appears in the reversed form of Yin, while Yin appears in the reversed form of Yang. You should therefore take your own self as the form of that “person”; you must not use this carelessly or recklessly. The disciple again replied, “Yes, yes,” but remained confused. The Celestial Master sighed: Why is it so hard for you to grasp this at once? Let me put it plainly: take your own body as the form. Yang is like the body of a Yin person, and Yin is like the body of a Yang person. The disciple again replied, “Yes, yes,” and said he now understood a little. As he took his leave, he remarked that the principle could be understood gradually through reflection. The Celestial Master again replied, “Yes, yes.”
The difficult passage gathered on the right concerns methods and formulas. In brief, it discusses the gains and losses of the wise and the foolish, and seeks to attain the true Dao through the principle of Yin and Yang appearing in reversed forms.
Encompassing Heaven and Earth, Keeping Qi Unbroken (Section 160)
“I would like to ask the Celestial Master one more question.” The Celestial Master told him to finish speaking before he left, and asked what puzzled him. “The Great Dao encompasses Heaven and Earth. Who maintains and regulates the Qi within them? How profound and subtle!”
“What you ask is this: why did you single out this question as soon as you saw it?”
“Because I saw it and found clear evidence. I saw that the Dao of Heaven and Earth has no end, and so I was astonished and asked.”
The Celestial Master praised the question for probing deeply. Heaven and Earth endure because they keep Qi unbroken. Heaven uses Qi alone to determine good fortune and misfortune, and all things take this as their model. Without Qi, they would eventually die. If you do not wish to reach an end, you should make Qi your root.
The Mysterious Female (a Daoist image for Heaven and Earth, the source of motherhood and the place of generation and nurture) models herself on Heaven. In this way one may avoid an early death, though the process cannot be rushed. One must enter a secluded chamber (a quiet room or place for retreat and cultivation): enter it to contemplate the Dao, give up food and drink of one’s own accord, and unite with Qi. In doing so, one joins completely with the spirits of Heaven and Earth and takes no further part in governing worldly affairs. Then one ascends to the heavenly Great One (Taiyi, a title for the Celestial Emperor and the root of primordial Qi), pays court at the Central Pole (the center of Heaven and pivot of the Dao), receives a talisman, and travels freely through the six directions and eight distant reaches (the four quarters, above and below, and the farthest reaches of the eight directions), without end. Reflect on what the text says and you will understand it for yourself; the ladder to becoming a spirit is already in view. Once one leaves the world, ascends to Heaven, and governs from above, people on earth can no longer see one. If you wish to know more fully the evident signs of this: one cannot remain long in the world; those who attain the Dao govern alone from above. Thus, one who attains the Dao…
(The text that follows may be incomplete in the versions that have been handed down.)
Note: This passage uses the ideas of Yin and Yang delighting in one another, transforming into one another, and appearing in reversed forms to explain why cultivation should not be taught indiscriminately. It also uses the images of encompassing Heaven and Earth and keeping Qi unbroken to describe entering a secluded chamber, nourishing oneself with Qi, paying court to the Great One, receiving a talisman, and traveling freely through the cosmos. This vocabulary joins early Daoist cultivation practices with cosmology and has connections to later Neidan and Fulu traditions. The passage should be interpreted alongside other sections of the work, as well as Dunhuang manuscripts and lost passages quoted in official histories.
A Plain-Language Reading of the Taiping Jing
The general meaning of the scripture:
Those unwilling to devote themselves fully to practicing the Dao will, after death, ascend to Heaven; this is also where they will go after leaving this life. Those unwilling to give their all for the Dao will, after death, fall below the earth. They cannot remain for long in the human world, this “middle realm.” Thus, ever since Heaven and Earth were created, the scriptures of sages from successive generations have often been kept secret and not passed on. People in the world cannot see those sages themselves: this is clear proof. Those who attain the Dao without dying should ascend to Heaven; the dead should enter beneath the earth and cannot remain long in the human world. This, too, would harm the Way of Central Harmony.
You have received my scripture. Reflect deeply on its meaning. If you wish to dwell happily in Heaven and live for a long time, join your heart and effort with Heaven and follow the four seasons. Those throughout the world who make offerings and provide food should strive to serve the true Dao; this is the right path. If you do not delight in life but instead delight in death, abandoning the Dao to follow common ways, you too will return beneath the earth and will not be able to gaze for long upon Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, stars, and calendar. My scripture is passed on from mouth to mouth, and not one part in ten thousand is lost. Thus, all the sages and worthy people of ancient times have passed away, and we no longer see them. This is compelling proof. Reflect on it yourself: if you delight in what is above, you go above; if you delight in what is below, you go below. No one takes your aspirations from you.
Therefore, I have set out this method for the Lord of De of Great Peace, and I begrudge no one. When the Qi of Great Peace arrives, if even one person feels wronged and unable to obtain what they desire, the balanced Qi of the August Sovereign cannot arrive in full. Therefore, Heaven has instructed me to open the way wide, so that people may freely choose for themselves what they can do. The wise and discerning who wish to delight in life can study my writings and reflect on their meaning; by entering a chamber and attaining the Dao, they can gain long life. The worthy and gentle who wish to assist emperors in governing the world can use my writings to bring about Great Peace. Those who wish to live at home, manage their livelihood, and accumulate wealth can reflect on my writings and fulfill their allotted years before dying. Thus, each person gets what they wish for, and no one is deeply wronged. In this way, the Qi of Great Peace can arrive. “Peace” means that all are balanced and none are wronged; that is why it is called peace. Thus, when the Lord of De governs, the Qi of Great Peace immediately takes hold. This is because no one in the world feels wronged, and each person obtains what they delight in.
This is why the Perfected One was instructed to entrust this teaching to a ruler of supreme De: such a ruler must be benevolent, worthy, and discerning in heart, and must not take away what people desire. In this way, the ruler will surely win the hearts of all under Heaven and, wishing to carry out Heaven’s intent, will bring them back to the Dao. Do you understand, Perfected One? Yes, yes.
Regarding the final title of this section, “The First Essential Instructions on the Gains and Losses in Appointing Officials”: This is the title of a section of the Taiping Jing. It belongs to a set of essential instructions on the appointment of officials and its gains and losses. It connects with the discussion above, which urges people to practice the Dao, describes the arrival of the Qi of Great Peace, and explains the entrusting of the teaching to a ruler of supreme De. These are related, consecutive passages within the same scroll.
[Keep this firmly in mind when practicing as you go about your daily life.] The Perfected One put it plainly: the Way of cultivation should follow the workings of Heaven and Earth. Heaven’s workings do not forcibly deprive people of what they wish to do; Earth’s workings likewise do not deprive them of it. A wise ruler, too, is willing to follow the example of Heaven and Earth, allowing the people to act of their own accord. Because he resembles Heaven and Earth, he can endure for a long time, and may be said to be in harmony with their intent. Do you understand? — The disciple replied, “Yes, yes.”
When Heaven acts evilly, the year brings great calamity: people’s work is often obstructed, and the people have no harvest. A disastrous year brings hunger and cold. When Earth acts evilly, it damages what people have planted and raised; the roots fail to take hold and become diseased, the crops do not mature, and the people suffer great loss, hardship, and poverty.
A benighted and disorderly ruler will face danger. He appoints officials without matching their abilities to their titles, thereby disrupting the offices of Heaven, violating Heaven’s prohibitions, and losing the proper order. Afterwards, he repeatedly holds them to account and adds to their punishment, without considering the limits of human strength and understanding. This is like suddenly ordering a king to walk a hundred miles, then fearing he will not make it and stopping him halfway. Such things are beyond human capacity. To appoint people carelessly to official posts without selecting those who are qualified is called deceiving the people and endangering the state; it is called disorderly and ruinous government.
Heaven and Earth are supremely numinous, yet they do not dare deprive people of what they wish to do. If they did, the year would bring great calamity. How much more so among human beings! Can the Perfected One really still fail to grasp this mystery and understand this principle? — “Indeed, indeed.”
One should indeed teach by passing on the books received from one’s teacher, adapting them to the circumstances of each land, and instructing, explaining, and guiding people in accordance with local customs. The disciple may be said to understand the principle: Heaven gives life without taking away people’s wishes. Follow the right path, and Heaven’s mandate will come to you; your years will increase day by day, with no end in sight. You study the Dao and do not seek rank or honor, so what more could you ask for? Attain Heaven’s intent, and your years will increase. I have now told you this. Can you explain it clearly? — “Yes.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude and joy, I hold no resentment; I fear only that my strength will fail. Even with the teacher’s written teachings, I fear I cannot pass them on everywhere in a single day. — Why must you pass them on everywhere in a single day? Keep at it without stopping, like a boat carried downstream, and you will soon arrive. — “Indeed, indeed.”
I have received your stern instruction and dare not slacken. Mozi already understands its meaning; I have no further admonitions for you. The brief discussion is complete, and the matter is finished. If doubts arise another day, come again. — “Indeed, indeed.”
(Above: “A Great Collection of Difficult Questions”—chapters on Heaven and Earth’s weather and seasons, whether or not to practice the Way, good and ill fortune, the ruler’s Way, and related topics.)
Taiping Jing, Fascicle 98: On the Gains and Losses of Appointing Officials
A Plain-Language Interpretation
Why This Text Was Written
Heaven sends down disasters and strange signs because there are wicked people in the human world. When wicked people gather into groups, disasters and strange signs arise. Heaven sends calamities to warn people, so that they will watch over and admonish one another. This makes wicked people afraid to repeat their misdeeds, allows good people to remain safe, and brings peace to the state.
Heaven sends calamities not to destroy all things, but to make people understand that they must repent. When people repent, the disasters and strange signs will disappear. Heaven’s calamities are like parents disciplining their children: they do not truly wish to harm them, but hope they will mend their ways.
Officials of Heaven and Earth
Heaven has officials who govern the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Earth has officials who govern mountains, rivers, and the growth of all things. When the officials of Heaven and Earth each perform their duties, all things can find their proper place.
If Heaven’s officials neglect their duties, the sun and moon fall out of order and the wind and rain become irregular. If Earth’s officials neglect theirs, mountains and rivers collapse, and all things wither and die. Therefore, when establishing offices and appointing officials, one must choose the worthy and capable, and must not appoint wicked or treacherous people.
Standards for Selecting Officials
What standards should guide the selection of officials? Choose people with De (Virtue/Power), not those without it; choose the capable, not the incapable; choose the loyal and trustworthy, not the deceitful.
People with De can influence the populace and guide them toward goodness. The capable can manage public affairs, allowing government to run smoothly and people to live in harmony. The loyal and trustworthy keep their promises and earn the people’s confidence.
People without De only corrupt customs. The incapable only mishandle affairs and harm the people. The deceitful only mislead those above and below them.
When Officials Are Properly Appointed, the State Is Secure
When offices are held by the right people, the state is stable. When they are held by the wrong people, the state falls into danger and disorder.
What does it mean for an office to be held by the right person? It means matching the post to the person’s abilities: appoint people of virtue to offices that require virtue, capable people to offices that require skill, and trustworthy people to offices that require integrity.
What does it mean for an office to be held by the wrong person? It means appointing someone without virtue to an office that requires virtue, an incapable person to an office that requires skill, or a deceitful person to an office that requires integrity.
The Harm Caused by Wicked Officials
What do wicked and treacherous people do when they become officials? They deceive their superiors and conceal things from their subordinates, take bribes and embezzle, oppress the people, and corrupt the laws.
They deceive their superiors by lying to the ruler and hiding the truth. They mislead their subordinates by concealing the ruler’s instructions from the people and twisting the laws. They take bribes and embezzle by extorting the people’s wealth for their own pockets. They oppress the people by abusing punishments and framing the innocent.
Such officials are more frightening than bandits. Bandits steal property; corrupt officials rob the state, harm the people, and ruin the law.
Good Officials and Bad Officials
How do good officials conduct themselves? They are loyal to the ruler, care for the people, administer affairs according to the law, and remain honest and self-disciplined.
Loyalty to the ruler means reporting circumstances truthfully, without concealment or exaggeration. Caring for the people means easing their burdens and seeking justice for them. Administering affairs according to the law means following established rules and not showing favoritism. Remaining honest means neither taking nor coveting what is not theirs, and setting an example through their own conduct.
When good officials are in office, the people feel at ease. When bad officials are in office, the people live in fear.
How Heaven Monitors Officials
How does Heaven know whether officials are good or bad? Through the voices of the people. When the people praise an official, it shows that the official is good; when they complain and sigh, it shows that the official is bad.
Heaven hears the people’s voices as a person hears with their own ears. If the ears are keen, one can tell where the body is ill. When the people’s voices grow loud, one can tell where the state has a problem.
Therefore, the ruler should regularly listen to the people’s views and not rely only on officials’ reports. An official’s report may be false; the people’s words are often true.
The Relationship Between Disasters and Officials
Disasters and strange signs sent down by Heaven are often connected to officials. Where officials are good, there are fewer disasters; where officials are bad, there are more.
This is not superstition, but cause and effect. When officials are good, the people are at peace, the Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth flows smoothly, and disasters are fewer. When officials are bad, the people suffer, the Qi of Heaven and Earth becomes blocked, and disasters multiply.
Therefore, to address disasters and strange signs, one must first correct the officials. Once the officials are upright, the disasters will disappear of their own accord.
How to Remove Bad Officials
What should be done when a bad official is discovered? Remove them immediately; do not tolerate their misconduct.
Tolerating a bad official is like raising a tiger that will bring trouble. If the official is not removed today, the harm will be greater tomorrow. The people suffer and the state is damaged: all of this comes from indulgence.
When removing a bad official, choose a worthy and capable person to replace them. Do not appoint another bad official in their place; that would only change the appearance while leaving the problem intact.
Recommending Worthy Talent
Where does worthy talent come from? From among the people. Among them are recluses, people of virtue, and people of ability who simply have not been discovered.
The ruler should send people to seek them out, listen to recommendations from among the people, and open the way for examinations so that worthy talent can come to light.
One must not select candidates only from among officials, because there are many wicked people and few worthy and capable ones among them. Nor should one select only from the nobility, because there are many spoiled heirs and few worthy and capable people among them.
Rank and Responsibility
The higher an official’s rank, the greater their responsibility. The Son of Heaven governs all under Heaven, the lords govern their states, the high officers govern their districts, and the lower officers manage particular affairs.
Greater responsibility calls for greater caution. One must not become arrogant because of high position or abuse others because of great power. Arrogance in a high position will lead to ruin; abusing power will bring retribution.
Conclusion: Peace Depends on Appointing the Right People
The peace of the state depends on having the right people in office; having the right people depends on selecting officials well; and selecting officials well depends on judging people carefully.
Judge people by their conduct and virtue, not just their eloquence. Judge them by their actual achievements, not just their outward appearance. Listen to the people, not only to officials.
When the right people hold office, the state is at peace and the people live securely. When the wrong people hold office, the state is endangered and the people suffer.
This is the foundation of governing the state, and it must be carefully considered.
Translator’s Note
This text belongs to the Taiping Jing’s political thought. Framed by the idea of the correspondence between Heaven and humanity, it discusses the relationship between appointing officials, the stability or disorder of the state, and the rise or decline of disasters and strange signs. Its central claim can be summarized as follows: when the right people hold office, the state is secure; when the wrong people hold office, the state is endangered. The ruler should listen to the people to learn whether officials are good or bad, remove the wicked promptly, and recommend worthy talent. The idea that “Heaven sends calamities as warnings” is a characteristic expression of Han dynasty political thought about omens. Its purpose is to restrain the ruler’s power and press officials to govern well, rather than to offer mere superstitious instruction.
Source text: Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（KR5e0002）; Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Report an error / feedback