Écriture de la clarté et de la quiétude

1. Lâo the Master said, The Great Tâo has no bodily form, but It produced and nourishes heaven and earth. The Great Tâo has no passions, but It causes the sun and moon to revolve as they do.

The Great Tâo has no name, but It effects the growth and maintenance of all things.

I do not know its name, but I make an effort, and call It the Tâo.

2. Now, the Tâo (shows itself in two forms); the Pure and the Turbid, and has (the two conditions of) Motion and Rest. Heaven is pure and earth is turbid; heaven moves and earth is at rest. The masculine is pure and the feminine is turbid; the masculine moves and the feminine is still. The radical (Purity) descended, and the (turbid) issue flowed abroad; and thus all things were produced.

The pure is the source of the turbid, and motion is the foundation of rest.

If man could always be pure and still, heaven and earth would both revert (to non-existence).

3. Now the spirit of man loves Purity, but his mind disturbs it. The mind of man loves stillness, but his desires draw it away. If he could always send his desires away, his mind would of itself become still. Let his mind be made clean, and his spirit will of itself become pure.

As a matter of course the six desires will not arise, and the three poisons will be taken away and disappear.

4. The reason why men are not able to attain to this, is because their minds have not been cleansed, and their desires have not been sent away.

If one is able to send the desires away, when he then looks in at his mind, it is no longer his; when he looks out at his body, it is no longer his; and when he looks farther off at external things, they are things which he has nothing to do with.

When he understands these three things, there will appear to him only vacancy. This contemplation of vacancy will awaken the idea of vacuity. Without such vacuity there is no vacancy.

The idea of vacuous space having vanished, that of nothingness itself also disappears; and when the idea of nothingness has disappeared, there ensues serenely the condition of constant stillness.

5. In that condition of rest independently of place how can any desire arise? And when no desire any longer arises, there is the True stillness and rest.

That True (stillness) becomes (a) constant quality, and responds to external things (without error); yea, that True and Constant quality holds possession of the nature.

In such constant response and constant stillness there is the constant Purity and Rest.

He who has this absolute Purity enters gradually into the (inspiration of the) True Tâo. And having entered thereinto, he is styled Possessor of the Tâo.

Although he is styled Possessor of the Tâo, in reality he does not think that he has become possessed of anything. It is as accomplishing the transformation of all living things, that he is styled Possessor of the Tâo.

He who is able to understand this may transmit to others the Sacred Tâo.

1. Lâo the Master said, Scholars of the highest class do not strive (for anything); those of the lowest class are fond of striving. Those who possess in the highest degree the attributes (of the Tâo) do not show them; those who possess them in a low degree hold them fast (and display them). Those who so hold them fast and display them are not styled (Possessors of) the Tâo and Its attributes.

2. The reason why all men do not obtain the True Tâo is because their minds are perverted. Their minds being perverted, their spirits become perturbed. Their minds being perturbed, they are attracted towards external things. Being attracted towards external things, they begin to seek for them greedily. This greedy quest leads to perplexities and annoyances; and these again result in disordered thoughts, which cause anxiety and trouble to both body and mind. The parties then meet with foul disgraces, flow wildly on through the phases of life and death, are liable constantly to sink in the sea of bitterness, and for ever lose the True Tâo.

3. The True and Abiding Tâo! They who understand it naturally obtain it. And they who come to understand the Tâo abide in Purity and Stillness.

The Words of Lao Chün. Although the Great Principle of Nature—TAO—has no form, it brought forth and nourishes Heaven and Earth; though it has no passions, it causes the Sun and Moon to revolve; though it has no name, it produces the growth and nurture of all things. As I do not know its name, I am compelled to call it simply TAO. Now this Principle includes the pure and the turbid, the active and the motionless. For instance, Heaven is pure and Earth turbid; Heaven moves and the Earth is still. The Masculine is pure, the feminine turbid; the Masculine is active and the Feminine at rest. Emerging from its source and flowing on to all its developments, it produced the visible creation. The pure is the origin of the turbid, and the active of the motionless. If a man is able to remain permanently pure and motionless, Heaven and Earth will both at once come and dwell in him. Now the spirit of man loves purity, but his passions cause disturbance. The heart of man loves rest; but his desires draw him into motion. If he can without intermission abjure his desires, his heart will become naturally quiescent; if he can cleanse his heart, his spirit will become naturally pure. He may then be sure that the Six Desires will arise no more, and that the Three Curses—lust, folly, and wrath—will be annihilated. Therefore those who are incapable of arriving at this state have never cleansed their hearts, or abjured their bodily desires. If a man who is thus able to abjure his desires looks within himself at his own heart, he will see that it is passionless; if he looks outward, at his own body, he will regard it as though it were not his; if he looks abroad at things around him, they will be to him as though they did not exist. If he truly understands the nature of these three things, he will see that they are mere emptiness; vacuity itself he sees to be empty also. But there can be no emptiness in vacuity; for vacuity being non-existent, the very absence of nothing thus non-existing [to him], his serenity will be permanent and undisturbed; and this immoveable tranquillity being so deep as not to admit of any further tranquillity, how can any desires arise within him? Although the true essence of man be constantly in relation with outside matters, it must ever remain in possession of his original nature; constantly responding to externals, he must still be constant in quiescence; then his state of purity and rest will be permanent. If one is able in this way to preserve his state of purity and quiescence, he will gradually enter the ideal phase of the Principle of Nature; and having entered this ideal phase, he may then be called one who has obtained possession of it. Yet although he may be said to possess the Principle of Nature, he has actually not obtained anything at all; it is only that he is able to unravel all the mysteries connected with living things. Those who thus fully understand may spread this Holy Doctrine all abroad.

The Words of Lao Chün, Prince of the Sublime. Scholars of eminence never wrangle; those of low attainments love wrangling. Men of high Virtue make nothing whatever of their virtue; those of Inferior virtue cling to it [as of great value]. Those who plume themselves upon their attainments cannot be called in possession of the two principles of TAO and Virtue; and the reason why all mankind are unable to attain the ideal phase of TAO is to be found in their misguided hearts. Their hearts being thus misguided, their spirits become unsettled or perturbed; being in this state of perturbation, they follow after worldly objects; pursuing worldly objects, they become a prey to desires and lusts, and desires and lusts arising within them, disappointments and trouble ensue. Now disappointments in the attainment of what they long for lead to unruly and disordered thoughts, and the result is bitterness and misery to both mind and body. Then they will inevitably incur disgrace and shame; the successive births and deaths they will have to pass through will flow on and on like ocean waves, and they will sink for ever in a Sea of Bitterness—the ideal goal they might have reached being lost to them eternally. Those who fully understand all this, will obtain the True and Constant Principle of Nature of themselves; and those who are able to understand the Principle of Nature will be for ever in a state of purity and rest.

The Words of Ko Hsuän, the Immortal. I have obtained this Principle. Formerly I conned this book ten thousand times. It is only men of Heaven who can learn it, and it should not be imparted to those of inferior calibre. I received it in the first instance from the Divine Prince of Eastern Glory; he received it from the Divine Prince of the Golden Gate, and he from the Royal Mother of the West. The Royal Mother imparted it to him entirely by word of mouth, not committing it to paper; I now give it to the world, having written it down and then transcribing it with care. Scholars of eminence who thoroughly comprehend it will ascend on high and receive authority in Heaven; those of medium grade who strive to put it into practice will have their name inscribed on the roll of Immortals in the Southern Palace; while those of the lowest order who obtain it will live long years on earth, roam through the Three Spheres of Being, and, mounting on high, pass through the Golden Gate.

The Words of Tso Hsuän, the Divine Man. Among students of the Principle of Nature,—TAO—he who resolutely cons this book will secure the guardianship of multitudes of good spirits from the Tenth Heaven; after which his soul will be placed under the protection of the Jewelled Seal, and his body permeated with the Elixir of Gold. Then both body and soul will become robed in supernatural beauty, and be in perfect harmony with the subtle Principle of Nature.

The Words of Cheng I, the Divine Man. If this book be in anyone's family, those who fully understand its meaning will not be exposed to any adversities or obstacles; their door will be guarded by all the Holy Ones, and their souls ascend to the Higher World, where they will be admitted to the presence of those lofty beings who have attained to perfect purity, and bow before them,—their merit all-sufficient, their virtue all-complete; and where reciprocal influences will exist between them and the Deva-princes. All who are unwearied in the study of this book will ascend bodily to the Purple Clouds—where the Immortals live.