A Casual Talk on the Zhouyi Cantong Qi (22): The Gentleman Dwells in His Chamber, and His Words Are Good

The gentleman dwells in his chamber; if his words are good, those a thousand li away respond to him.

This comes from the Commentary on the Judgments, Appended Treatise of the Zhouyi.

The original text says: "The gentleman dwells in his chamber; if his words are good, those a thousand li away respond to him—how much more those nearby? If he dwells in his chamber and his words are not good, those a thousand li away turn from him—how much more those nearby? Words issue from the person and reach the people; actions begin nearby and appear at a distance. Words and actions are the gentleman's hinge and trigger; the triggering of hinge and trigger determines honor and disgrace. Words and actions are that by which the gentleman moves heaven and earth—how could one not be careful?"

Even when a gentleman is in his own courtyard, if the words he utters are beneficial, those a thousand li away can respond—let alone those nearby. If the words he utters from his own courtyard are without benefit, then even those a thousand li away will turn away from them—let alone those nearby. Words issue from the person and influence the people; actions begin nearby yet appear at a distance. Words and actions, for the gentleman, are like the pivot of a door or the trigger on a crossbow. The triggering of the pivot and the trigger directly determines whether one receives praise or shame. Therefore words and actions are the factors by which the gentleman can move heaven and the ten thousand things—how could one not be careful?

It is said of the lord of a thousand chariots, dwelling in the chamber of nine stories. When issuing proclamations and commands, follow the measures of yin and yang.

Therefore the lord of a thousand chariots, in the chamber of nine stories, must also follow the seasons of yin and yang when issuing commands.

What is meant by lord of a thousand chariots or lord of ten thousand chariots is an ancient distinction of status. The term junzi (gentleman) originally referred to one of elevated political standing, a leader among a certain class of people. However, since Confucius of the Ru school, the gentleman has been understood as one of noble moral character—only such a person can influence and transform the people, and one of higher political standing should all the more possess this excellent quality.

Here lord and master are used as metaphors for the person: the heart is the lord, and the spirit is the master, because the spirits and luminaries are silently stored within the heart. The gentleman's speaking of words actually refers to intention (xin); for example, taking the heart chamber as one's courtyard—when a person uses intention to convey a concept to some part of the body, that part will have a corresponding sensation.

This is also called intentional focus (yinian). When intention concentrates between the eyebrows, that area will feel distended; when it concentrates in the lower dantian, the lower dantian will feel warm; when it concentrates in the fingers, the fingertips will warm, and so on—wherever intention goes, a response follows.

Another example: stretch both hands open as palms, fingers pointing forward, palms facing each other at a certain distance. Then slowly bring the palms together, imagining a repulsive force between them, as if squeezing a balloon. When they are about to touch but have not fully closed, slowly open the palms and draw them apart again, imagining an attractive force between them, as if each held a magnet. After repeating this several times, even without intentional focus, one can feel attractive or repulsive forces arise naturally in the palms.

This is the body producing feedback through the nerves after intention is transmitted to various parts. Even in parts one usually thinks intention cannot affect, the feedback is merely weak; repeat a few times and this feedback will greatly strengthen.

This felt feedback is a slight qi-sensation. Although it is a feedback of the nerve endings, it is actually caused by blood and qi surging into the palms after intention concentrates—and even after the intention is withdrawn, the blood and qi have not yet dispersed.

There is an entertaining trick often used in popular circles to dazzle people: first align both hands, compare finger lengths to make sure they are roughly equal. Then raise one hand alone before the face and use intention to imagine the fingers growing longer and longer. After three to five minutes, bring the palms together again—and one will find the fingers have indeed grown longer.

Intention originates from the heart; where intention is, blood and qi gather—this is what the spirit commands. Yet at this time heart and spirit are separated.

If one is only practicing qigong, this is no problem. But in alchemical cultivation, heart and intention must be unified. How, then, can heart and spirit be unified?

Be clear and free of desire yet not apart from the heart; let thought abide between movement and non-movement—thus heart and spirit can be one.

On this the Buddhist saying is wonderfully put: "One should give rise to that mind which abides nowhere."

Only when heart and spirit are one is the original spirit identical with the self, with no distinction of heart and spirit; then one can achieve true unity with the original spirit.

After heart and spirit are joined, what the original spirit can accomplish far exceeds intention, and its control over body, hun and po is far stronger than intention. But this does not mean the original spirit can be used casually—that would be like a monarch wantonly issuing decrees, which would not only harm cultivation but throw everything into chaos.

Cultivating the Dao of the elixir is exactly this principle. When fire should be applied and when it should be stopped must follow a certain rhythm. Acting carelessly and randomly will cause great disorder.

Therefore the lord of ten thousand chariots, whose proclamations and commands have enormous influence, must follow the seasons of yin and yang to reduce negative impact. The application of the original spirit follows the same principle.

This is also what was said earlier: "The sun and moon serve as the measure; movement and stillness have their early and late. In spring and summer, according to the inner body, from Zi to Chen and Si. In autumn and winter for outer use, from Wu to Xu and Hai. Reward and punishment respond to spring and autumn; darkness and brightness follow cold and heat. The line statements have benevolence and righteousness, releasing joy and anger according to the time. Thus responding to the four seasons, the Five Phases obtain their principle."

Hide the tool and await the time; do not violate the hexagram months. Zhun uses Zi and Shen; Meng uses Yin and Xu. The remaining sixty hexagrams each have their days. Here I casually present two images—I cannot exhaust them all.

Therefore one must "hide the tool"—meaning to first hide and not act—awaiting the proper opportunity, and not violating the hexagram months.

"Zhun uses Zi and Shen; Meng uses Yin and Xu" refers to the na-zhi (stem-branch reception) within the na-jia method.

Water over Thunder is the Zhun hexagram: Zi and Shen—the first nine of Zhen is the Gengzi line; the six-four of Kan is the Wushen line.

Mountain over Water is the Meng hexagram: Yin and Xu—the first six of Kan is the Wuyin line; the six-four of Gen is the Bingxu line.

Together the two hexagrams have twelve lines, each line corresponding to a double-hour. Morning is Zhun, evening is Meng; as stated earlier: "On morning of the new moon, Zhun holds the office; at dusk Meng receives its turn. Day and night each use one hexagram, applied in their proper sequence."

Thus from the first day of the month, one uses the Zhun and Meng hexagrams; on days two and three one uses Xu and Song—Xu using Zi and Shen, Song using Yin and Wu; on day three one uses Shi and Bi—Shi using Yin and Chou, Bi using Wei and Shen.

"Here I casually present two images—I cannot exhaust them all" means that one proceeds directly onward by inference, without enumerating every case one by one.

Establish righteousness and set punishment; toward the benevolent, bestow virtue. Those who go against it meet misfortune; those who follow it meet good fortune. According to the calendar and the laws of the seasons, be utmost sincere, concentrated, and secret.

"Establish righteousness and set punishment; toward the benevolent, bestow virtue"—this is the way of punishment and virtue. As Han Feizi said: "Of punishment and virtue: killing and executing is called punishment; celebration and reward is called virtue."

How to follow punishment and virtue? Precisely: "Reward and punishment respond to spring and autumn; darkness and brightness follow cold and heat. The line statements have benevolence and righteousness, releasing joy and anger according to the time." Lines have the distinction of benevolence and righteousness: benevolence bestows virtue, righteousness carries out punishment. Within fire-tempo, this is the way of advance and retreat—meeting benevolence, advance; meeting righteousness, retreat.

The Huainanzi, Treatise on Heaven says: "Yin and yang, punishment and virtue have seven residences. What are the seven residences? Chamber, hall, courtyard, gate, lane, path, and wild. In the twelve months, virtue dwells in the chamber for thirty days—fifteen days before the solstice and fifteen days after—and then moves to its next abode for thirty days each. When virtue is in the chamber, punishment is in the wild; when virtue is in the hall, punishment is on the path; when virtue is in the courtyard, punishment is in the lane. When yin and yang match in virtue, punishment and virtue join at the gate. In the second and eighth months, yin and yang qi are equal, and day and night are evenly divided—this is called punishment and virtue joining at the gate. When virtue is to the south, there is life; when punishment is to the south, there is killing. Hence it is said: in the second month they meet and the ten thousand things are born; in the eighth month they meet and grass and trees die."

Following this order all goes smoothly; otherwise misfortune reverses upon one. And to proceed according to the calendar—this is the greatest secret.

Attend carefully to the days and branches; carefully examine the ebb and flow. If a hair's breadth is off, regret and shame become thieves. At the two solstices the degrees change; error and deviation become twisted. In the height of winter, great heat; in the height of summer, frost and snow. Drought and flood attack each other; locusts surge and boil; strange anomalies appear all around; heaven shows its portents; mountains collapse and the earth splits.

"A hair's breadth" refers to something minute; here it means that "even the slightest error" will cause "regret and shame"—here meaning distress and worry.

Wait patiently for the proper days and branches, carefully examining the ebb and flow—only then is there assurance. In general, even the slightest error will lead to worrying events. For example, the times of the two solstices will shift; then winter brings great heat and summer brings heavy snow, so the seasons are incorrect. Then floods and droughts will arise, locust plagues will break out everywhere, celestial phenomena will become bizarre, and earthquakes will occur in many places.

Cultivation actually carries risks. External alchemy in the physical world consumes medicinal materials; internal cultivation is the same. Every failure is a great loss. If one cannot grasp the core principles of fire-tempo, even a slight error can cause problems within the body. So one must carefully assess circumstances and adopt different strategies for different changes.

In ordinary qigong practice, people often go astray; but ordinary qigong deviations can usually be corrected. Alchemical Dao is not like that. Simply not straying into wrong paths is already not easy; even walking the right path does not guarantee success. A moment's inattention can bring failure, and failure often brings great harm to body and mind.

That is why many practitioners, who merely nourish qi and store spirit, can enjoy physical and mental health and long life—while many who cultivate the Dao of the elixir have short lives, often dying prematurely at forty or fifty. This is the reason.

Those who seek the Dao are as numerous as ox hair; those who achieve it are as rare as phoenix feathers. To seek this single thread of vital opportunity, one must first avoid the killing mechanisms everywhere.

The filial son, with heartfelt sincerity, moves the august ultimate. Nearby, it issues from his own mouth; far away, it flows to distant regions. Thereby some summon disaster, some bring blessing; some usher in great peace, some create warfare. The coming of these four arises from the breast.

The filial son, with true sincerity, can move the august ultimate. Nearby, it issues from his own mouth; far away, it influences distant frontiers. Either disaster is summoned, or blessing is brought; either an age of great peace is ushered in, or warfare is created in the world. All of these arise from what the breast releases.

From the standpoint of Daoist methods, what Perfected Ge says here can in fact have another explanation: the name of the person's heart-spirit is Danyuan, which communicates with Danyuan within the Dipper. What a person seeks can thus reach up to the Northern Dipper and fulfill their wishes.

Once one can communicate with the original spirit, one can set wind and rain in motion outside; open the mouth and speak of rain, and in an instant the rain falls in torrents. Say "stop the rain," and in a moment it can stop dripping. This is not impossible.

This is also why the ancients often said the spirit is within the heart. The saying that "the Dao is transmitted by the heart" does not mean it is thought up—it has always been there.

So if one reads the orthodox Shangqing Daoist method texts transmitted from the Tang, one finds certain features: all the spirits and luminaries transform out from within one's own heart, cooperating with the other body-spirits to accomplish various Daoist methods.

Moreover, most Daoist methods transmitted in the early Tang and Song were simple and easy to practice. But if one looks at the methods of the Ming and Qing, setting aside the various talismanic secrets of extraordinary complexity—even a simple method might use dozens or hundreds of talismans, with all kinds of strange memorial documents burned away like spirit money, extraordinarily cumbersome.

The fundamental reason is: besides the fact that in some settings delay was meant for performance, the less one's own power, the more one needs external forms to compensate—and only so can one reinforce one's confidence.

The same thing happened in alchemical Dao. When Ming and Qing alchemy was popular, to fill the sense of unease, people had to rely on planchette writing (fuji) for corroboration, hoping to prove the existence of celestial immortals and Buddhas. This in fact took a wrong path.

Planchette writing can only communicate with the yin spirit. The direct result was that some Daoist alchemical theories were also tampered with. For example, the Wuliu Xianzong says: "In time the light of nature transforms into the light of śarīra, bursting forth from the sea of nature, transforming into myriads of rays that pierce the great void and meet the ancient Buddhas and Tathāgatas." And it says that thereby "the fruits of both Buddhism and Dao are realized."

If one knows the earlier analysis, it is clear that merely by light one can never realize the states the ancients spoke of. After the Ming and Qing, such Daoist texts became ever more popular, yet those who achieved results in cultivation became fewer and fewer—and in the end, there were almost none at all.