Zuo Wang Lun (坐忘論)

夫人之所貴者，生也；生之所貴者，道也。人之有道，如魚之有水。涸轍之魚，猶希升水。弱喪之俗，無心造道。惡生死之苦，愛生死之業。重道德之名，輕道德之行。喜色味為得志，鄙恬素為窮辱。竭難得之貨，市來生之福。縱易染之情，喪今身之道。自雲智巧，如夢如迷。生來死去，循環萬劫。審惟倒置，何甚如之！故《妙真經》云：人常失道，非道失人；人常去生，非生去道。故養生者慎勿失道，為道者慎勿失生。使道與生相守，生與道相保，二者不相離，然後乃長久。言長久者，得道之質也。經云：生者，天之大德也，地之大樂也，人之大福也。道人致之，非命祿也。又《西升經》云：我命在我，不屬於天。由此言之，修短在己，得非天與，失非人奪。捫心苦晚，時不少留。所恨朝菌之年，已過知命，歸道之要，猶未精通。為惜寸陰，速如景燭。勉尋經旨，事簡理直，其事易行。與心病相應者，約著安心坐忌之法，略成七條，修道階次，兼其樞翼，以編敘之。

What people value is life, and what life values is the Way. For a person to have the Way is like a fish having water. A fish in a dried-up cart rut still hopes for a pint of water to save it; yet people who have wandered far from home so long that they have forgotten their native place have no heart to seek the Way. They hate the suffering of birth and death, yet love the very deeds that bring birth and death; they prize the reputation of virtue, yet make light of practicing it. They count it success to crave sounds, sights, and flavors, and regard simplicity and plainness as poverty and humiliation. They use up rare wealth to buy blessings for a future life, and indulge the desires that most easily stain people, losing the Way that they might have gained in this very life. They think themselves clever and skillful, yet they are as if in a dream or lost on the road. Born and dying, they cycle on through ten thousand kalpas. When one thinks it over, with the root and the branch turned upside down, what could be worse than this! Therefore the Miaozhen Jing says: It is always people who lose the Way, never the Way that loses people; it is always people who abandon life, never life that abandons the Way. So those who nourish life must not lose the Way, and those who cultivate the Way must not lose life; let the Way and life guard each other, let life and the Way preserve each other, so that the two are not separated, and only then can there be long duration. What is called long duration is precisely the substance of attaining the Way. The scripture says: Life is the great virtue of Heaven, the great joy of Earth, and the great blessing of humankind; one who cultivates the Way obtains it through his own effort, and it does not depend on fate or allotment. The Xisheng Jing also says: My life is in my own hands and does not belong to Heaven. Seen this way, length of life lies with oneself; gaining it is not a gift from Heaven, and losing it is not something others take away. When I examine my own heart, I regret only that I awoke so late, and that time will not stay for even a moment. What I lament is that my brief years, short as a mushroom that lives from morning to evening, have already passed the age of fifty when one knows one's fate, and I have not yet mastered the essentials of taking refuge in the great Way. To cherish this inch of shadow, which vanishes as fast as a candle's flicker, I have striven to trace out the meaning of the scriptures. I have gathered those teachings that are simple in matter, direct in principle, and easy to practice, whatever answers to the ailments of the mind, and compiled them into a method of calming the mind and sitting in forgetfulness, roughly in seven sections, setting out the order of cultivating the Way together with its essentials and its supports, arranged and described below. (The base text reads a different character for “forgetfulness,” which is a miswriting of the character for “forget”; it should read “Zuowang,” sitting in forgetfulness, and the same applies below.)

夫信者道之根，敬者德之蒂。根深則道可長，蒂固則德可茂。然則璧耀連城之彩，卞和致刖；言開保國之效，伍子從誅。斯乃形器著而心緒迷，理事萌而情思忽。況至道超於色味，真性隔於可欲，而能聞希微以懸信，聽罔象而不惑者哉！如人有聞坐忌之法，信是修道之要，敬仰尊重，決定無疑者，加之勤行，得道必矣。故莊周云：隳肢體，黜聰明，離形去智，同於大通，是謂坐忌。夫坐忌者，何所不忌哉！內不覺其一身，外不知乎宇宙，與道冥一，萬慮皆遺，故莊子云，同於大通。此則言淺而意深，惑者聞而不信，懷寶求寶，其如之何？故經云：信不足，有不信。謂信道之心不足者，乃有不信之禍及之，何道之可望乎？

Faith is the root of the Way, and reverence is the stem of virtue. Only when the root is planted deep can the Way grow; only when the stem is set firm can virtue flourish. Yet in the old story, though the jade disc of He had a brilliance worth a string of cities, Bian He had both his feet cut off for presenting it; and though Wu Zixu's counsel had the power to preserve the state, he was in the end granted death. This is because when a visible object is set before them, people's minds are all the more confused, and when a matter has only just begun to stir, people's thoughts are all the more careless. How much more so when the ultimate Way lies beyond sound, sight, and flavor, and true nature is cut off by all manner of desirable things. How many are there who, hearing of the faint and formless principle, believe in it without wavering, or who hear the hazy and shapeless teaching without being confused! If someone hears of the method of sitting in forgetfulness, firmly believes it is the essential of cultivating the Way, honors and reveres it, has no doubts at all, and in addition practices it diligently, then attaining the Way is certain. Therefore Zhuang Zhou said: To discard the limbs, dismiss intelligence, leave the body and cast off cleverness, and become one with the great Way, this is called sitting in forgetfulness. As for sitting in forgetfulness, what is there that cannot be forgotten! Inwardly one does not feel one has a self, outwardly one does not know there are heaven, earth, and the universe; one merges silently with the Way as one, and all anxious thoughts are dropped; so Zhuangzi said, “become the same as the Great Thoroughfare.” These words seem shallow but their meaning is deep. Deluded people hear them and refuse to believe, carrying treasure in their bosom while still searching everywhere for treasure; what is to be done about them? Therefore the scripture says: When trust is insufficient, there will be things that are not trusted. This means that for one whose faith in the Way is insufficient, the misfortune that comes of disbelief will fall upon him, and how can he then hope for any Way?

斷緣者，謂斷有為俗事之緣也。棄事則形不勞，無為則心自安。恬簡日就，塵累日薄，跡彌遠俗，心彌近道，至神至聖，孰不由此乎？故經云：塞其兌，閉其門，終身不勤。或顯德露能，來人保己；或遺問慶弔，以事往還；或假修隱逸，情希升進；或酒食邀致，以望後恩。斯乃巧蘊機心，以干時利，既非順道，深妨正業。凡此之類，皆應絕之。故經云：開其兌，濟其事，終身不救。我但不唱，彼自不和；彼雖有唱，我不和之。舊緣漸斷，新緣莫結。醴交勢合，自致日疏，無事安閒，方可修道。故莊子云：不將不迎。為無交俗之情故也。又云：無為名屍，無為謀府，無為事任，無為知主。若事有不可廢者，不得已而行之，勿遂生愛，繫心為業。

“Cutting off ties” means severing the entanglements of worldly affairs that involve conscious striving. Set worldly business aside and the body is not wearied; without forced action the mind naturally settles. Tranquility and simplicity grow day by day, worldly burdens lighten day by day, one's tracks move ever farther from the common crowd and one's mind ever nearer to the Way. Of those who have reached the state of utmost spirit and sagehood, who did not climb up by this road? Therefore the scripture says: Stop up the openings of desire and close its doors, and to the end of your life you will have no trouble. Some display their virtue and talent to draw others to recommend them; some pay diligent visits and exchange condolences and congratulations, keeping up connections through such occasions; some pretend to practice reclusion while secretly hoping for promotion; some invite and entertain others with wine and food, hoping for favors later. All these cleverly conceal scheming hearts in pursuit of momentary gain; they neither accord with the Way nor seriously hinder one's proper work. Every such thing should be cut off. Therefore the scripture says: Open the openings of desire and carry on its affairs, and to the end of your life you are beyond help. If I simply do not sing first, the other will naturally not join in; and if the other sings first, I will not respond. Old entanglements are gradually severed, and new ones are no longer tied. Friendships of honeyed words and alliances of fawning on the powerful naturally grow more distant day by day; being at leisure with nothing to do is when one can speak of cultivating the Way. So Zhuangzi said: Neither send off nor welcome. This is because there is no thought of dealing with the common world. He also said: Do not be the vehicle of fame, the storehouse of schemes, the bearer of affairs, or the master of cleverness. If there are some matters that truly cannot be abandoned, then do them because you have no choice, and when done, let them be; do not develop attachment to them or bind your mind to them as if they were the real business.

夫心者，一身之主，百神之帥。靜則生慧，動則成昏。欣迷幻境之中，唯言實是；甘宴有為之內，誰悟虛非？心識顛痴，良由所託之地。且卜鄰而居，猶從改操；擇交而友，尚能致益。況身離生死之境，心居至道之中，安不捨彼乎？能不得此乎？所以學道之初，要須安坐，收心離境，住無所有，不著一物，自入虛無，心乃合道。故經云：至道之中，寂無所有，神用無方，心體亦然。源其心體，以道為本。但為心神被染，矇蔽漸深，流浪日久，遂與道隔。今若能淨除心垢，開釋神本，名曰修道。無復流浪，與道冥合，安在道中，名曰歸根。守根不離，名曰靜定。靜定日久，病消命復。復而又續，自得知常。知則無所不明，常則永無變滅。出離生死，實由於此。是故法道安心，貴無所著。故經云：夫物芸芸，各歸其根。歸根曰靜，靜曰覆命。覆命曰常，知常曰明。若執心住空，還是有所，非謂無所。凡住有所，則自令人心勞氣發，既不合理，又反成疾。但心不著物，又得不動，此是真定正基。用此為定，心氣調和，久益輕爽。以此為驗，則邪正可知。若心起皆滅，不簡是非，永斷知覺，入於盲定。若任心所起，一無收制，則與凡人元來不別。若唯斷善惡，心無指歸，肆意浮游，待自定者，徒自誤耳。若遍行諸事，言心無染者，於言甚美，於行甚非，真學之流，特宜戒此。今則息亂而不滅照，守靜而不著空，行之有常，自得真見。如有時事，或法有要疑者，且任思量，令事得濟，所疑復悟，此亦生慧正根。事訖則止，實莫多思，多思則以知害恬，為子傷本，雖騁一時之俊，終虧萬代之業。若煩邪亂想，隨覺則除。若聞譭譽之名，善惡等事，皆即撥去，莫將心受。若心受之即心滿，心滿則道無所居。所有聞見，如不聞見，則是非美惡不入於心。心不受外，名曰虛心；心不逐外，名曰安心。心安而虛，則道自來止。

The mind is the master of the whole body and the commander of the hundred spirits. When still, it gives rise to wisdom; when moved, it turns to confusion. People happily sink into illusory realms, saying only that these are real; they are content to dwell within conscious striving, and who awakens to the fact that it is all false? The reason the mind's awareness is upside down and deluded lies truly in the place on which it relies being wrong. Know that choosing good neighbors before settling can still change a person's conduct, and picking good friends before befriending them can still bring one benefit. How much more, when it is a matter of freeing the body from the realm of birth and death and letting the mind rest in the ultimate Way, how can one fail to abandon the one and take up the other? Therefore at the start of studying the Way one must sit down in stillness, gather in the spirit and detach from outer conditions, rest in a place where nothing exists, cling to nothing at all, and naturally enter emptiness, so that the mind comes into accord with the Way. Therefore the scripture says: In the ultimate Way, all is still and there is nothing; the workings of spirit have no fixed direction, and so it is with the very substance of the mind. If one traces the substance of the mind, it has the Way as its root from the beginning. It is only because the mind's spirit has been stained, its obscuration deepening day by day and its drifting growing longer by the day, that it has become cut off from the Way. Now if one can wash away the dirt of the mind and reveal the mind's original face, this is called cultivating the Way; no longer drifting, silently uniting with the Way and resting in it, this is called returning to the root; holding to the root without leaving it is called stillness and concentration; when stillness has lasted long, illness is dispelled and one's original life is restored; having been restored and then continuing on, one naturally understands what is constant. Having understood, there is nothing one does not comprehend, and the constant never perishes. Departing from birth and death truly depends on this. Therefore, in calming the mind by modeling oneself on the Way, what is precious is not clinging to anything. Therefore the scripture says: The myriad things are many and varied, and each returns to its root; returning to the root is called stillness, stillness is called returning to one's destiny, returning to one's destiny is called constancy, and knowing constancy is called clarity. If one stubbornly fixes the mind on “emptiness,” it still has something it dwells on, and that does not count as dwelling on nothing. Whatever has a dwelling place naturally tires the mind's strength and stirs up the energy, and since it does not accord with principle, it only produces illness. As long as the mind does not cling to outer things and also does not move, this is the proper foundation of true concentration. Use this to enter concentration, and the mind and breath harmonize, and over time grow lighter and clearer. Use this as a test, and right and wrong can be distinguished. If, whenever a thought arises, one extinguishes it outright without distinguishing right from wrong and cuts off awareness forever, then one falls into blind, dead concentration. If one lets thoughts arise as they will, with no gathering or restraint at all, then one is no different from ordinary people to begin with. If one merely cuts off thoughts of good and evil but the mind has no direction to return to, floating about at random and waiting for it to settle by itself, that is just wasting oneself. If one does all manner of things while insisting that the mind is not stained, the words are splendid but the practice is utterly wrong; those who sincerely study should be especially wary of this. The method now is: stop scattering without extinguishing observation, hold to stillness without clinging to emptiness, and keep at it constantly, and one will naturally gain true insight. If one meets an important matter, or has a significant doubt about some teaching, then for the time being go ahead and think it over, so that the matter can be settled and the difficulty resolved; this too is a proper seed for giving rise to wisdom. When the matter is finished, stop; truly do not think more, for too much thinking harms tranquility with knowledge and views, injures the root for the sake of the branches, and though it may win a moment of brilliance, it ultimately loses merit of ten thousand generations. If there are disturbing or perverse stray thoughts, remove them as soon as you notice them. If you hear of slander or praise, or of good and evil and the like, push them aside at once and do not accept them with the mind. Once the mind accepts them, the mind is filled; when the mind is filled, the Way has nowhere to dwell. Treat all you see and hear as though you had not seen or heard, and then right and wrong, beauty and ugliness cannot enter the mind. When the mind does not accept outer things, this is called emptying the mind; when the mind does not chase outer things, this is called calming the mind. When the mind is calm and also empty, the Way naturally comes to rest there.

故經云：人能虛心無為，非欲於道，道自歸之。內心既無所著，外行亦無所為。非靜非穢，故譭譽無從生；非智非愚，故利害無由至。實則順中為常，權可與時消息，苟免諸累，是其智也。若非時非事，役思強為者，自雲不著，終非真覺。何邪？心法如眼也。纖毫入眼，眼則不安；小事開心，心必動亂。既有動病，難入定門。是故修道之要，急在除病。病若不除，終不得定。又如良田，荊棘未誅，雖下種子，嘉苗不成。愛見思慮，是心荊棘。若不除翦，定慧不生。或身居富貴，或學備經史，言則慈儉，行乃貪殘。辯足以飾非，勢足以威物，得則名己，過必尤人。此病最深，雖學無益。所以然者，為自是故。然此心由來依境，未慣獨立，乍無所託，難以自安。縱得暫安，還復散亂。隨起隨制，務令不動，久久調熟，自得安閒。無問晝夜，行立坐臥，及應事之時，常須作意安之。若心得定，但須贍養，莫有惱觸。少得定分，則堪自樂。漸漸馴狎，唯覺清遠。平生所重，已嫌弊漏，況因定生慧，深違真假乎！牛馬，家畜也，放縱不收，猶自生鯁，不受駕御；鷹鸇，野鳥也，被人擊絆，終日在手，自然調熟。況心之放逸，縱任不收，唯益粗疏，何能觀妙？故經云：雖有拱璧，以先駟馬，不如坐進此道。夫法之妙者，其在能行，不在能言。行之則此言為當，不行則此言為妄。又時人所學，貴難賤易。若深論法，惟廣說虛無，思慮所不達，行用所無階者，則嘆不可思議，而下風盡禮。如其信言不美，指事陳情，聞則心解，言則可行者，此實不可思議，而人不信。故經云：吾言甚易知，甚易行。天下莫能知，莫能行。夫唯不知，是以不吾知也。或有言火不熱，燈不照暗，稱為妙義。夫火以熱為用，燈以照為功。今則盛言火不熱，未嘗一時廢火；空言燈不照暗，必須終夜然燈。言行相違，理實無取。

Therefore the scripture says: If a person can empty the mind and practice non-action, without deliberately seeking the Way, the Way will return to him of itself. When the mind has nothing to cling to within, outward conduct likewise has nothing it forces. Neither deliberately seeking stillness nor willingly sinking into filth, slander and praise have no way to arise; neither showing off cleverness nor feigning foolishness, gain and loss have no way to come. In terms of constant principle, following the middle path is the rule; in terms of expedient adaptation, one may adjust according to the time. As long as one can be free of all manner of burdens, that is his wisdom. If the time is not ripe and the matter is not one that should be done, yet one forces the mind to carry it out, claiming not to cling, this is in the end not true awakening. Why? The principle of the mind is like the eye: when even a tiny thing gets into the eye, the eye cannot rest; when a small matter lies across the mind, the mind is sure to be disturbed. Once the ailment of restlessness is there, it is hard to enter the gate of concentration. Therefore the essential of cultivating the Way is to hurry and remove the ailment; if the ailment is not removed, one will never attain concentration. It is also like a good field: if the brambles have not been cleared, even if seed is sown, good seedlings will not grow. Love and desire, opinions, and anxious thoughts are the brambles of the mind; if they are not cut away, concentration and wisdom cannot be born. Some live in wealth and rank, some are widely versed in the classics and histories; their mouths speak of kindness and thrift, but what they do is greedy and harsh; their eloquence is enough to gloss over faults, and their power is enough to intimidate others; when there is success they claim it for themselves, and when there is a fault they are sure to blame others. This ailment is the most severe, and though such people read books and study the Way, it brings them no benefit. The reason is that they consider themselves in the right. Yet the mind has always leaned on outer conditions and is not used to standing alone; when suddenly it has nothing to lean on, it is hard for it to be at ease, and even if it settles for a while, it scatters again afterward. Rein it in as it arises, making sure that it does not move; after long taming and ripening, ease is naturally obtained. Day or night, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, and when dealing with affairs, constantly keep it in mind to settle it. If the mind has gained concentration, it only needs to be nourished well, without disturbing or offending it. When one has gained even a small portion of concentration, it is enough for one to take delight in it; as it gradually grows tame and familiar, one feels only a clear and lofty serenity. The things one valued all one's life one now finds shabby and full of holes, and how much more so when wisdom is born from concentration and one sees through the distinction between true and false still more deeply! Oxen and horses are domestic animals; if let loose without being kept in hand, they become stubborn and refuse to be driven. Hawks and falcons are wild birds; if tied with cords and carried on the hand all day, they naturally become tame and practiced. How much more so the mind, which is so unrestrained; if left to run free without being gathered in, it only grows coarser, so how can it observe the profound and subtle? Therefore the scripture says: Though one had a jade disc big enough to embrace in the arms before him and a carriage with four horses behind, it would not compare with sitting still and offering up this Way. The marvel of every teaching lies in being able to practice it, not in being able to speak of it. If it is practiced, these words count as having hit the mark; if not practiced, these words become empty talk. Moreover, people of the present day pursue learning valuing the difficult and profound and despising the plain and easy. If one discusses the meaning of the teaching in depth, merely speaking broadly of emptiness and nothingness, of things thought cannot reach and practice cannot get hold of, people marvel at its inconceivability and bow in reverence. As for words that are real but not showy, that point to concrete matters and state the facts directly, that can be understood on hearing and done as soon as spoken, these are truly the inconceivable ones, yet people do not believe them. Therefore the scripture says: My words are very easy to understand and very easy to practice, yet no one in the world can understand them or practice them; precisely because people do not understand, they do not understand me. Others say that fire is not hot and a lamp does not light the dark, and call this a subtle meaning. Fire by nature works by heat, and a lamp by nature does its work by shining; yet someone loudly declares that fire is not hot without ever giving up the use of fire for a moment, and says in empty words that a lamp does not light darkness while certainly lighting lamps all night. When words and deeds contradict each other, there is truly nothing in the reasoning worth adopting.

此只破相之言，而人反以為深元之妙。雖則惠子之宏辯，莊生以為不堪。膚受之流，誰能科簡？至學之士，庶不留心。或曰：夫為大道者，在物而心不染，處動而神不亂，無事而不為，無時而不寂。今猶避事而取靜，離動而之定，勞於控制，乃有動靜二心，滯於住守，是成取捨兩病。不覺其所執，仍自謂道之階要，何其謬耶！述曰：總物而稱大，道物之謂道，在物而不染，處事而不亂，真為大矣！實為妙矣！然謂吾子之鑑有所未明。何則？徒見貝錦之輝煥，未曉始抽於素絲；才聞鳴鶴之沖天，詎織先資於穀食？蔽日之幹，起於毫末；神凝之聖，積習而成。今徒學語其聖德，而不知聖之所以德。可謂見卯而求時夜，見彈而求鴞炙。何其造次哉！故經云：玄德深矣遠矣！與物反矣！然後乃至大順。

This is no more than the talk of breaking down names and forms, yet people take it for a deep and mysterious principle. (The base text has a variant character for “mysterious,” altered to avoid a taboo; it should read “deep and mysterious principle.”) Even the grand eloquence of Hui Shi was considered by Zhuangzi not worth adopting; as for those who have grasped only a bit of the surface, who can tell and choose among them? Those who sincerely study should hope not to dwell on this. Someone objects: One who cultivates the great Way, though among the myriad things, has a mind that is not stained, and though among changes, has a spirit that does not scatter; there is nothing he does not do, and yet there is no moment he is not still. Now you avoid affairs to seek stillness and leave change to enter concentration; you waste effort on control, and so have two minds, of movement and of stillness, and by lingering on settling and holding you develop the two faults of taking and rejecting. You do not notice where you are attached, and yet you claim this is the stairway and essential of entering the Way; how absurd! The answer: To be able to encompass the myriad things is what makes one great, and to be able to make the Way of the myriad things is what makes one a Way; to be among the myriad things without being stained, and among affairs without being disturbed, is indeed great and truly subtle! But I must say that your view still has something unclear. Why? You see only the brilliance of the patterned shell-brocade, without knowing that it was drawn at first from plain silk; you have only heard that the crane can cry out to the heavens, and how could you imagine that it must first be fed on grain? A great tree whose trunk shades the sky grows from the tip of a hair; the state of concentrating the spirit and entering sagehood is achieved through accumulated practice. Now you merely learn to talk about the virtue of the sage, without knowing by what means the sage perfected that virtue. This may be called seeing an egg and expecting it to crow at night, or seeing a pellet and expecting roast owl. (The base text reads a different character for “egg,” a miswriting of the character for “egg,” and the phrase comes from the chapter on equalizing things in Zhuangzi.) How rash! Therefore the scripture says: Profound and far-reaching is mysterious virtue, going the opposite way from concrete things, and only then does it arrive at the greatest accord.

夫人之生也，必營於事物。事物稱萬，不獨委於一人。巢林一枝，鳥見遺於叢葦；飲河滿腹，獸不吝於洪波。外求諸物，內明諸己。知生之有分，不務分之所無；識事之有當，不任非當之事。事非當則傷於智力，務過分則斃於形神。身且不安，何情及道？是以修道之人，要須斷簡事物，知其閒要，較量輕重，識其去取，非要非重，皆應絕之。猶人食有酒肉，衣有羅綺，身有名位，財有金玉。此並情慾之餘好，非益生之良藥，眾皆徇之，自致亡敗。靜而思之，何迷之甚！故莊子云：達生之情者，不務生之所無。以為生之所無生之所無以為者，分之外物也。蔬食弊衣，足延性命，豈待酒食羅綺，然後為生哉！是故於生無要用者，並須去之；於生雖用，有餘者，亦須舍之。財有害氣，積則傷人。雖少猶累，而況多乎！今以隨侯之珠，彈千仞之雀，人猶笑之。況棄道德，忽性命，而從非要，以自促伐者乎！夫以名位比於道德，則名位假而賤，道德真而貴。能知貴賤，應須去取。不以名害身，不以位易道。故《莊子》云：行名失己，非士也。《西升經》云：抱元守一，至度神仙，子未能守，但坐榮官。若不簡擇，觸事皆為，則身勞智昏，修道事闕。若處事安閒，在物無累者，自屬證成之人。若實未成，而言無累者，誠自誑耳。

To live in the world, a person must manage all sorts of things. Things number in the tens of thousands, and they are not entrusted to one person alone. A bird nesting in a forest takes only a single branch and leaves the rest of the thicket alone; a beast drinking at the river takes only enough to fill its belly and does not begrudge the vast expanse of water. Seeking outward from outer things, one must inwardly understand oneself: knowing that life has its proper portion, one does not pursue what lies beyond that portion; recognizing that each matter has its proper limit, one does not take on what should not be done. Doing what should not be done injures the intellect, and pursuing what exceeds one's portion destroys body and spirit. If one's own self cannot yet be at peace, how can there be any mind left to attend to the Way? Therefore one who cultivates the Way must cut off and select among things, distinguishing which are idle and which are essential, weighing the light and the heavy, and recognizing what to give up and what to take; whatever is not essential or important should all be cut off. For example, in eating one wants wine and meat, in dress one wants silk and gauze, one wants rank and title for oneself, and one wants gold and jade for wealth; these are all surplus tastes outside of what is truly desired, not good medicine that benefits life. The crowd all chase after them and bring about their own ruin. Think it over in stillness: how deluded! Therefore Zhuangzi said: One who comprehends the true nature of life does not pursue what life has no need of. What is called what life has no need of, yet people go after, is just outside things beyond one's portion. Coarse food and worn clothes are enough to sustain life; why must one wait for wine, meat, and fine silks before one counts as alive! So whatever has no essential use for life should be removed entirely; and whatever has some use for life but is already in surplus should also be given up. Wealth harms a person's vital energy, and when accumulated it injures a person; even a little is a burden, let alone a lot! If one now used the pearl of the Marquis of Sui to shoot at a sparrow flying a thousand fathoms high, people would still laugh at him; how much more when, abandoning virtue and making light of life, one chases after unimportant things and harms oneself! Compare rank and title with the Way and virtue: rank and title are false and lowly, while the Way and virtue are real and noble. If one can distinguish the noble from the lowly, one should know what to take and what to leave: do not let fame harm your person, and do not trade the great Way for position. Therefore Zhuangzi says: One who loses himself in pursuit of fame is not a true scholar. The Xisheng Jing says: Hold fast to the primal One and you can reach the realm of the immortals; if you cannot hold fast, you merely sit idly enjoying glory and office. If one does not select but does whatever comes along, the body will be wearied and the mind confused, and the work of cultivating the Way must be abandoned. If one can handle affairs at ease and be without entanglement among the myriad things, then he naturally belongs to those who have already attained; but if one has truly not yet attained, yet keeps saying one is without entanglement, that is merely deceiving oneself. (In the base text, this passage reads with the four characters “what life lacks” repeated, which is suspected to be an interpolation; it is reproduced as it stands.)

夫觀者，智士之先鑑，能人之善察。究儻來之禍福，詳動靜之吉凶。得見機前，因之造適。深祈衛定，功務全生。自始之末，行無遺累。理不違此，故謂之真觀。然則一餐一寢，居為損益之源，一言一行，堪成禍福之本。雖則巧持其末，不如拙戒其本。觀本知末，又非躁競之情。是故收心簡事，日損有為。體靜心閒，方能觀見真理。故經云：常無慾，以觀其妙。然於修道之身，必資衣食。事有不可廢，物有不可棄者，當須虛襟而受之，明目而當之，勿以為妨，心生煩躁。若見事為事而煩躁者，心病已動，何名安心？夫人事衣食者，我之船舫。我欲渡海，事資船舫。渡海若訖，理自不留。何因未渡，先欲廢船？衣食虛幻，實不足營。為欲出離虛幻，故求衣食。雖有營求之事，莫生得失之心。則有事無事，心常安泰。與物同求，而不同貪；與物同得，而不同積。不貪故無憂，不積故無失。跡每同人，心常異俗。此實行之宗要，可力為之。

“Observation” is the prior discernment of the wise and the careful examination of the capable: investigating the fortune and misfortune that arrive unexpectedly, carefully weighing the good and ill in movement and in stillness, being able to see before the moment of opportunity has come, and following it to make a fitting response. Earnestly pray to guard concentration, with effort applied to preserving life; from beginning to end, let one's conduct leave behind no burden. Since the principle does not go against this, it is called true observation. Know that a single meal or a single sleep can become a source of gain or loss; a single word or a single movement can be the root of fortune or misfortune. Though one cleverly manages the branches, it is better to be clumsy and careful about the root. Observing the root and knowing the branches is no longer the restless mind that rushes about competing. So one must gather in the spirit and select among things, letting conscious striving diminish day by day; only when the body is still and the mind at leisure can one observe and see the true principle. Therefore the scripture says: Always view things from the standpoint of having no desire, and so observe its subtlety. Yet as for the body of one who cultivates the Way, in the end it must rely on food and clothing. Some matters cannot be abandoned, and some things cannot be thrown away; one should then receive them with an empty heart and meet them with open eyes, and not regard them as hindrances and grow irritated. If whenever one meets a matter one is vexed by the matter, then the ailment of the mind has already been stirred, and how can one speak of calming the mind? Human affairs and food and clothing are my boat. If I wish to cross the sea, I must rely on the boat; when the sea has been crossed, the boat naturally need not be kept. But why, before I have crossed, should I want to discard the boat? Food and clothing are illusory and unreal and are not worth managing; precisely because one wishes to leave this illusion, one seeks food and clothing. Although there is the business of managing and seeking, do not develop a mind that calculates gain and loss, and then whether there is business or none, the mind is always at ease. Seek together with the crowd, but do not be greedy together with them; obtain together with the crowd, but do not hoard together with them. Not being greedy, there is no sorrow; not hoarding, there is no loss. One's outward conduct is always the same as ordinary people's, while the mind is always different from the common world. This is truly the essential point of practice, and one can work hard at it.

前雖斷簡，病有難除者，且依法觀之。若色病重者，當觀染色，都由想耳。想若不生，終無色事。若知色想外空，色心內妄，妄心空想，誰為色主？經云：色者，全是想耳！想悉是空，何有色耶？又思妖妍美色，甚於狐魅。狐魅惑人，令人厭患。身雖致死，不入惡道，為厭患故，永離邪淫。妖豔惑人，令人愛著，乃至身死，留戀彌深。為邪念故，死墮地獄，永夫人道，福路長乖。故經云：今世發心為夫妻，死後不得俱生人道。所以者何？為邪念故。又觀色若定是美，何故魚見深入，鳥見高飛？仙人以為穢濁，賢士喻之刀斧？一生之命，七日不食，便至於死。百年無色，芃免夭傷。故知色者，非身心之切要，適為性命之讎賊，何乃擊戀，自取銷燬？若見他人為惡，心生嫌惡者，猶如見人自殺己身，引項，承取他刃，以自害命。他自為惡，不遣伐當，何故引取他惡，以為己病？又見為惡者若可嫌，見為善者亦須惡。夫何故？同障道故。若苦貧者，則審觀之，誰與我貧？天地平等，覆載無私，我今貧苦，非天地也。父母生子，欲令富貴，我今貧賤，非由父母。人及鬼神，自救無暇，何能有力，將貧與我？進退尋察，無所從來，乃知我業也，乃知天命也。業由我造，命由天賦。業命之有，猶影響之逐形聲，既不可逃，又不可怨。唯有智者，因而善之，樂天知命，不覺貧之可苦。故莊子云：業入而不可舍。為自業。故貧病來入，不可舍止。經云：天地不能改其操，陰陽不能回其業。由此言之，故知真命非假物也；有何怨焉？又如勇士逢賊，無所畏懼，揮劍當前，群寇皆潰，功勳一立，榮祿終身。今有貧病惱害我者，則寇賊也；我有正心，則勇士也；用智觀察，則揮劍也；惱累消除，則戰勝也；湛然常樂，則榮祿也。凡有苦事，來迫我心，不作此觀，而生憂惱者，如人逢賊，不立功勳，棄甲背軍，以受逃亡之罪。

Although cutting off ties and simplifying affairs have been discussed above, some ailments are still hard to remove, and one should then observe them according to the method. If the ailment of sexual desire is severe, one should observe: the sexual attraction one clings to comes entirely from thought. If thought does not arise, there is in the end no such thing as sexual attraction. If one understands that the thought of sex is empty outwardly and the mind attached to sex is false inwardly, then of false mind and empty thought, who is the master of sex? The scripture says: What is called sex is entirely thought; thought is entirely empty, so where is there any sex? Think further of seductive beauty: it is worse than a fox spirit. A fox spirit deluding people makes them hate and dread it; though their bodies may die from it, they do not fall into evil paths, because of that revulsion they are forever far from lewdness. Seductive beauty deluding people makes them love and cling; even when the body has died, the attachment grows deeper, and because of that evil thought they fall into hell after death, forever losing the chance to be human, and the road of blessing is long estranged. (The base text reads a different character for “lose,” a miswriting of the character for “lose,” so it should read “forever lose the human path.”) Therefore the scripture says: Those who vowed in this life to become husband and wife cannot be reborn together as humans after death. Why? Precisely because of evil thought. Observe further: if sexual beauty were certainly beautiful, why do fish dive deep and birds fly high when they see it? Why do immortals regard it as filth and the worthy compare it to axes and knives? A person's life will end if he goes seven days without food, but a hundred years without women will not necessarily bring early death or injury. (In the base text one character in this phrase is corrupted and cannot be identified, so it is reproduced as it stands.) So sex is not an essential of body and mind, but rather the enemy of life; why should one cling to it and bring about one's own destruction? If one sees others do evil and feels disgust, this is like seeing someone commit suicide and stretching out one's own neck to receive his blade, using it to harm one's own life. He commits his own evil, and it should not fall to me to punish it. (In the base text the phrase here is unclear in meaning and is reproduced as it stands.) Why draw another's evil onto oneself and treat it as one's own ailment? Moreover, if one finds evildoers disgusting, then one should find those who do good disgusting too. Why? Because both alike obstruct the cultivation of the Way. If one is troubled by poverty, one should observe carefully: who gave me this poverty? Heaven and earth are impartial, covering and bearing all things without favoritism, so my present hardship was not made by heaven and earth; parents who bear children always hope they will be wealthy and honored, so my present poverty and lowliness were not made by my parents either; as for others and the ghosts and spirits, they can hardly save themselves, so how would they have the strength to hand poverty over to me? Searching and examining back and forth, I cannot find where it comes from, and only then I know that it is my own karma, which is what is called fate. Karma is made by myself, and fate is bestowed by Heaven. The existence of karma and fate is like a shadow following a form or an echo following a sound; one can neither escape it nor blame anyone for it. Only the wise can accept it and handle it well, delighting in Heaven and knowing fate, and feeling no distress at poverty. Therefore Zhuangzi said: Once karma enters, it cannot be cast off. Because it is one's own karma, poverty and illness come knocking, and there is no way to set them aside. The scripture says: Heaven and earth cannot change one's conduct, and yin and yang cannot turn aside one's karma. Seen this way, we know that true fate does not depend on outer things, so what is there to resent? It is also like a brave warrior who meets bandits and, without any fear, charges forward with his sword; the whole band of bandits scatters, and once the merit is made, honor and emolument are enjoyed for life. Now poverty and illness come to trouble me, and they are the bandits; I have a right mind, and that is the warrior; observing with wisdom is brandishing the sword; when disturbances and burdens are eliminated, that is victory in battle; and clear, constant joy is honor and emolument. Whenever something painful presses on my mind and I do not make such an observation but give rise to sorrow and vexation, it is like a man who meets bandits and, instead of earning merit, throws down his armor and deserts his army, ending with the crime of fleeing.

去樂就苦，何可愍焉！若病者，當觀此病，由有我身，我若無身，患無所託。故經云：及吾無身，吾有何患？次觀於心，亦無真宰，內外求覓，無能受者。所有計念，從妄心生，若枯體灰心，則萬病俱泯。若惡死者，應念我身，是神之舍。身今老病，氣力衰微，如屋朽壞，不堪居止，自須舍離，別處求安。身死神逝，亦復如是。若戀生惡死，拒違變化，則神識錯亂，自失正業。以此託生，受氣之際，不感清秀，多逢濁辱。蓋下愚貪鄙，實此之由。是故當生不悅，順死無惡者，一為生死理齊，二為後身成業。若貪愛萬境，一愛一病。一肢有疾，猶令舉體不安，而況一心萬疾，身欲長生，豈可得乎？凡有愛惡，皆是妄生。積妄不除，何以見道？是故心舍諸欲，住無所有，除情正信，然後返觀舊所痴愛，自生厭薄。若以合境之心觀境，終身不覺有惡；如將離境之心觀境，方能了見是非。譬如醒人，能知醉者為惡；如其自醉，不覺他非。故經云：吾本棄俗，厭離人間。又云：耳目聲色，為子留愆，鼻口所喜，香味是怨。老君厭世棄俗，猶見香味為怨。嗜慾之流焉知鮑肆為臭哉！

To abandon peace and joy and run toward suffering, what is there to pity in that! If one is sick, one should observe this illness: it exists because I have this body; if I had no body, misfortune would have nowhere to lodge. Therefore the scripture says: When I have no body, what misfortune can I have? Next observe one's own mind, which also has no true master; seeking within and without, one cannot find anything that receives. All calculating thoughts arise from the false mind; if one can make the body like a withered tree and the mind like dead ashes, then all ailments vanish. If one hates death, one should think: this body of mine is the house in which the spirit lodges. Now the body is old and sick, its strength has declined, like a house that has rotted and can no longer be lived in; naturally it should be left behind, to find another place to settle. When the body dies and the spirit departs, that is just what it is. If one clings to life and hates death, resisting and opposing this natural change, then the consciousness will be confused and one will lose one's proper work; carrying such a mind to be reborn, one will not receive the pure and fine energy when taking on one's endowment, and will mostly meet with a turbid and humiliating portion. In general, the foolish, greedy, and base are truly produced in just this way. Therefore while alive one need not rejoice, and when dying one need not loathe it: first, because the principle of life and death is by nature equal, and second, so that the later self may accomplish good karma. If one is fond of all sorts of realms, each thing one loves adds one more ailment. When one limb has a defect, it still makes the whole body uneasy; how much more when a single mind has ten thousand ailments, and one still hopes the body will live long, how could that be possible? Whatever is loved and whatever is hated is born from falsehood; if falsehood accumulates and is not removed, by what means can one see the Way? Therefore make the mind give up all desires and rest where there is nothing, remove emotional attachment and set faith right, and then turn back to look at what one formerly loved so foolishly, and a sense of loathing and contempt will naturally arise. If one looks at outer conditions with a mind that is in accord with them, one will to the end of life not notice anything wrong with them; if one looks at them with a mind that is about to leave them, one can see right and wrong clearly. For example, a sober person can see the ugliness of a drunk, but if he himself is drunk, he will not notice the faults of others. Therefore the scripture says: I have abandoned the world from the beginning and am weary of human society. It also says: The sounds and sights your ears and eyes crave leave you with sins; the fragrance and flavors your nose and mouth enjoy are your enemies. Laozi, weary of the world, regarded fragrances as enemies; how then could those sunk in desires smell that the dried-fish shop stinks!

夫定者，盡俗之極地，致道之初基，習靜之成功，持安之畢事。形如槁木，心若死灰，無感無求，寂泊之至。無心於定而無所不定，故曰泰定。莊子云：宇泰定者，發乎天光。宇則心也，天光則慧也。心為道之器宇，虛靜至極，則道居而慧生。慧出本性，非適今有，故曰天光。但以貪愛濁亂，遂至昏迷，澡雪柔挺，復歸純靜。本真神識，稍稍自明，非謂今時，別生他慧。慧既生已，寶而懷之，勿為多知，以傷於定。非生慧之難，慧而不用為難。自古忘形者眾，忘名者寡。慧而不用，是忘名者也，天下希及之，是故為難。貴能不驕，富能不奢，為無俗過，故得長守富貴。定而不動，慧而不用，德而不恃，為無道過，故得深證常道。故《莊子》云：知道易，勿言難。知而不言，所以之天；知而言之，所以之人。古之人，天而不人。慧能知道，非得道也。人知得慧之利，未知得道之益。因慧以明至理，縱辯以感物情。與心徇事，觸類而長，自雲處動，而心常寂焉。知寂者，寂以待物乎？此行此言，俱非泰定。智雖出眾，彌不近道。本期逐鹿，獲兔而歸。所得蓋微，良由局小。故《莊子》云：古之修道者，以恬養智。智生而無以知為也，謂之以智養恬。智與恬交相養，而和理出其性。恬智則定慧也，和理則道德也。有智不用，以安其恬。養而久之，自成道德。然論此定，因為而得成。或因觀利而見害，懼禍而息心；或因損舍滌除，積習心熟，同歸於定，鹹若自然。疾雷破山而不驚，白刃交前而無懼。視名利如過隙，知生死若潰癰。故知用志不分，乃凝神也。心之虛妙，不可思也。夫心之為物，即體非有，隨用非無；不馳而速，不召而至；怒則玄石飲羽，怨則朱夏殞霜；縱惡則九幽匪遙，積善則三清何遠？忽來忽往，動寂不能名；時可時否，蓍龜莫能測；其為調御，豈鹿馬比其難乎！

“Concentration” is the farthest limit of exhausting the worldly, the first foundation for reaching the great Way, the fruit of practicing stillness, and the final effort of holding to tranquility. The body is like withered wood and the mind like dead ashes; nothing is felt and nothing is sought, in stillness and plainness carried to the utmost. The mind does not deliberately seek concentration, yet there is nowhere it is not concentrated, and so it is called Great Concentration. Zhuangzi said: One whose heart-dwelling is at peace and settled will emit the light of Heaven. The “dwelling” is the mind, and the light of Heaven is wisdom. The mind is the house in which the Way lives; when emptiness and stillness reach the utmost, the Way moves in and wisdom is born. Wisdom comes out of one's original nature and has not come into being only today, so it is called the light of Heaven. It is only because craving has stirred it muddy and disturbed that it fell into dimness; now when it is washed and polished, made soft yet standing upright, and returns to pure stillness, the original true consciousness gradually brightens of itself; it is not that some other kind of wisdom is born today. Once wisdom has been born, treasure it as something held close to the heart, and do not use it to seek more knowledge, lest it damage concentration. Giving birth to wisdom is not difficult; having wisdom and not using it is difficult. Since ancient times many have forgotten the body but few have forgotten fame; to have wisdom and not use it is of the type who have forgotten fame, which few in the world can do, and so it is said to be difficult. To be noble yet not arrogant, to be rich yet not extravagant: these are being without worldly faults, and so one can long keep wealth and honor; to enter concentration without acting rashly, to have wisdom without using it, to have virtue without relying on it: these are being without faults in the practice of the Way, and so one can deeply attain the constant Way. Therefore Zhuangzi says: To know is easy, but not to speak is hard; to know and not speak is to follow the path of Heaven; to know and speak is to follow the path of humans; the ancients followed the path of Heaven and not the path of humans. Wisdom can recognize the Way, but this is not the same as having attained the Way. People know only the benefit of gaining wisdom and do not yet know the benefit of gaining the Way: relying on wisdom to expound the ultimate principle, letting loose eloquence to move people's feelings, letting the mind chase after affairs, reasoning by analogy and extending without end, and still claiming that though one is amid change, one's mind is always still. But is one who is said to know stillness one who uses stillness to deal with outer things? Such conduct and such talk do not count as Great Concentration. Though one's cleverness may stand out, it only takes one farther from the Way. One originally hoped to chase a deer, yet came home carrying a single hare, so little was gained, precisely because the scope was too small. Therefore Zhuangzi says: The ancients who cultivated the Way used tranquility to nurture knowing; when knowing was born, they did not use it to indulge in knowledge, which is called using knowing to nurture tranquility. When knowing and tranquility nurture each other, the harmonious order emerges from one's nature. Tranquility and knowing are concentration and wisdom, and the harmonious order is the Way and virtue. To have wisdom without using it, and to use it to settle one's own tranquility, nurtured in this way for a long time, naturally brings about the Way and virtue. But as for this concentration, it is achieved through some effort: some, seeing the harm hidden in profit and fearing calamity, stop the mind that runs outward; some, through constantly reducing, giving up, washing, and sweeping away, ripen their habits until they likewise arrive at concentration, and it all seems spontaneous. At this point, a sudden thunderclap that shatters the mountains does not startle them, and bare blades crossing before them do not frighten them; they see fame and gain as a white colt flashing past a crack, and life and death as a boil bursting. Thus using the mind with undivided focus is true concentration of spirit. The empty responsiveness and subtlety of the mind are truly inconceivable. The mind, with respect to its substance, is not something real, and with respect to its function, is not nothing at all; it need not gallop yet is swift beyond measure, need not be summoned yet comes at once; when it grows angry, it can send an arrow deep into a stone; when it harbors resentment, it can bring frost in midsummer; indulged in evil, the nine hells are not far; stored up with good deeds, the realms of the Three Pure Ones are not distant. Now coming, now going, movement and stillness cannot name it; sometimes right, sometimes wrong, even yarrow stalks and tortoise shells cannot predict it. To subdue and master such a thing, how could it be compared to the difficulty of taming deer or horses!

太上老君運常善以救人，升靈臺而演妙，略二乘之因果，廣萬有之自然。漸之以日損，頓之以不學。喻則張弓鑿戶，法則挫銳解紛。修之有途，習以成性。黜聰隳體，嗒焉坐忘，不動於寂，幾微入照。履殊方者，了義無日，由斯道者，觀妙可期。力少功多，要矣！妙矣！

The Supreme Lord Lao practiced his constant goodness to save the people of the world, and ascended the Spirit Terrace to expound the profound: he passed over the doctrines of cause and effect of the Two Vehicles and opened wide the principle that the myriad things are so of themselves. On the gradual side, it lets conscious striving diminish day by day; on the sudden side, it lets people dispense with seeking learning from outside. For analogies it uses the images of drawing a bow and cutting out a doorway, and for rules it uses the practices of blunting sharpness and untying tangles. When one cultivates it, there is a path to follow; when one has practiced it long, it becomes one's nature. Dismiss intelligence, discard the body, forget the self wholly and sit in forgetfulness, unmoved in stillness, and the slightest subtle stirring is seen. For those who go by another road, understanding the principle is a distant, unfixed day; for those who follow this road, observing the mysterious is a matter of days. With little effort and great result, how essential it is, how profound!

夫道者，神異之物，靈而有性，虛而無象，隨迎莫測，影響莫求，不知所以不然而然之。通生無匱，謂之道。至聖得之於古，妙法傳之於今。循名究理，全然有實。上士純信，克己勤行。空心谷神，唯道來集。道有至力，染易形神。形隨道通，與神為一。形神合一，謂之神人。神性虛融，體無變滅。形與之同，故無生死。隱則形同於神，顯則神同於形。所以蹈水火而無害，對日月而無影，存亡在己，出入無間。身為滓質，猶至虛妙，況其靈智益深益遠乎！故《靈寶經》云：身神共一則為真身。又《西升經》云：形神合同，故能長久。然虛心之道，力有深淺，深則兼被於形，淺則唯及其心。被形者，則神人也；及心者，但得慧覺而已。身不免謝，何則？慧是心用，用多則體勞。初得小慧，悅而多辯，神氣散洩，無靈潤身，生致早終，道故難備。經云尸解，此之謂也。是故大人舍光藏暉，以期全備。凝神寶氣，學道無心，神與道合，謂之得道。故經云：同於道者，道亦得之。又云：古之所以貴此道者，何不日求以得，有罪以免耶？山有玉，草木因之不凋，人懷道，形體得之永固。資燻日久，變質同神。練神入微，與道冥一。散一身為萬法，混萬法為一身。智照無邊，形超有際。總色空以為用，合造化以為功。真應無方，信惟道德。故《西升經》云：與天同心而無知，與道同身而無體，然後大道盛矣。而言盛者，謂證得其極。又云：神不出身，與道同久。且身與道同，則無時而不存。心與道同，則無法而不通。耳則道耳，無聲而不聞；眼則道眼，無色而不見。六根洞達，良由於此。至論玄教，為利深廣，循文究理，嘗試言之。夫上清隱秘，精修在感，假神丹以煉質，智識為之洞忘；《道德》開宗，勤信唯一，蘊虛心以滌累，形骸得之絕影。方便善巧，俱會道源；心體相資，理逾車室。從外因內，異軌同歸。

The so-called Dao is something wondrous and numinous: it is spirit-bearing and has a nature, empty and without form; greet it or follow it and you cannot measure it, shadow and echo cannot be sought out; no one knows why it is not otherwise and yet is just so. It runs through the coming-to-be of all things and never runs dry; this is what is called the Dao. The utmost sages obtained it in ancient times, and its subtle gate has been handed down to the present. Follow the names and trace the principle, and it is thoroughly real. People of the highest endowment accept it wholly in faith, restrain themselves and practice diligently; their minds are empty and clear like the spirit of the hollow valley, and only the Dao comes to gather there. The Dao has very great power and can steep and transform a person's form and spirit: the form follows the Dao and becomes free-flowing, joined as one with the spirit. When form and spirit are one, this is called a divine person. The spirit's nature is empty, numinous and round, and its substance has no change or extinction; the form is thus together with it, so there is no birth or death. When hidden, the form is the same as the spirit; when manifest, the spirit is the same as the form. So such a person can walk on water and enter fire without harm, face the sun and moon and cast no shadow, decide life and death for himself, and go in and out without hindrance. The body is by nature dregs and material form, yet it can reach such subtle emptiness; how much more the numinous and bright wisdom, which is deeper and more far-reaching! So the Lingbao Scripture says: when body and spirit are joined as one, one becomes a true body. The Xisheng Scripture also says: when form and spirit are united, one can last long. But the Way of the empty mind varies in depth of attainment: at its deepest, even the form is steeped in it; at its shallowest, it reaches only the mind. Those whose form is steeped in it are divine persons; those whose mind alone is reached merely gain wisdom and insight, and the body cannot avoid withering. Why? Wisdom is a function of the mind, and when overused the substance grows weary. Having barely gained a little wisdom, one is delighted and talkative and fond of debate, so that spirit and breath leak away; there is no numinous energy to moisten the body, and living only invites an early death, so the Dao is hard to bring to completeness. The "corpse liberation" spoken of in the scriptures refers to just this. Therefore people of great insight draw in their brilliance and hide their radiance, hoping to be wholly complete; they gather their spirit and cherish their breath, learn the Dao without scheming in the heart, and their spirit unites with the Dao; this is called attaining the Dao. So the scripture says: one who accords with the Dao, the Dao is glad to receive. It also says: why did the ancients value this Dao so? Is it not that by it one who seeks can obtain, and one who has sinned can be spared? (The base text here reads differently from the received text of the Laozi, and may be corrupt or inverted; it is copied as it stands and left unchanged.) Where there is jade in the mountain, the grass and trees do not wither; where a person holds the Dao in the heart, the form is forever firm. Steeped and practiced day by day and month by month, the material form changes until it is the same as the spirit; temper the spirit until it enters the subtle, and it merges silently with the Dao. Scatter this one body and it can turn into the myriad dharmas; combine the myriad dharmas and they are still this one body. Wisdom shines without limit, and the form goes beyond the bounds of the formed; taking form and emptiness together as its function, and joining with creation and transformation as its work. True response has no fixed direction, and relies in truth on the Dao and De. So the Xisheng Scripture says: be of one mind with heaven and know nothing, be of one body with the Dao and have no form, and only then does the Great Dao flourish. By "flourish" is meant realizing its utmost. It also says: when the spirit does not leave the body, it lasts as long as the Dao. Moreover, if the body is the same as the Dao, there is no time when it does not exist; if the mind is the same as the Dao, there is no gate of teaching it does not penetrate. The ear becomes the Dao's ear, and there is no sound it does not hear; the eye becomes the Dao's eye, and there is no form or color it does not see. That the six faculties are thoroughly open and free is precisely for this reason. As for the subtle teachings, their benefit is deep and wide; I shall follow the texts, trace the principle, and try to speak of it. The secret methods of the Highest Clarity school depend wholly on response through careful practice, using divine cinnabar to temper the physical form, so that knowledge is thoroughly forgotten; the purport shown in the Daodejing is diligent faith and single-mindedness, storing up emptiness of mind to wash away encumbrances, so that the body leaves not even a shadow. All the various skillful means return to the source of the Dao; mind and body rely on each other, and this principle is closer than the interdependence of wheel and carriage. One works from the outside and the other from within; the roads differ but the destination is the same.

該通奧賾，議默無逮。二者之妙，故非孔釋之所能鄰。其餘不知，蓋是常耳。

To penetrate these deep and subtle principles is beyond reach, whether in speech or in silence. The wonder of these two paths is by nature not something the Confucian and Buddhist gates can stand beside. As for the rest, I do not know it; I suppose it is all just ordinary talk.