Chapter 5: Nature and Emotions of the Treatise on the Profound Outline by Mr. Zongxuan
If one acquires the five arts but does not cultivate the Dao, disasters and misfortunes are all self-summoned.
By constantly cultivating a pure and tranquil body, one realizes that ancient immortals all participated in the Profound.
Chapter 5: Nature and Emotions
The Dao gives birth to me, and the Spirit endows me, yet longevity and brevity of life, departure and staying, are not up to oneself. Why? Because when nature moves, it becomes emotion; when emotion goes against the Dao, one is thus driven by the mechanisms of transformation and cannot hold oneself. To transcend the realm of existence and non-existence, and to rest the heart in the land of self-contentment, the Dao can be a teacher, and the Spirit a friend. Why is this so? The Dao and the Spirit, without action, transform qi naturally; without worry, things form themselves. Entering among the myriad things, yet emerging beyond life and death. Therefore, the gentleman discards desires, destroys cleverness, sees no colors, hears no sounds, remains tranquil, pure, and simple, embodies harmony, and keeps the spirit clear. Empty and calm, forgetting the self, one then unites with the utmost essence. This is called returning to the root of oneself, restoring unity with the Dao. United with the Dao, creation cannot change him, spirits and ghosts cannot know him, let alone humans.Rough Explanation
Since the Dao gave birth to me and the Spirit endowed me, why is it that human lifespan, how long one lives and when one dies, is not up to oneself? Why? Because when nature moves, it becomes emotion; when emotion goes against the Dao, one is thus driven by the "mechanisms of transformation," and thus cannot control oneself. If one goes beyond these, resting the heart in a place of self-contentment, then the Dao can be a teacher and the Spirit a friend. Why is this so? Because the Dao and the Spirit, doing nothing, transform qi naturally, and without thought or intent, things form themselves, transcending life and death. Therefore, the gentleman should abandon desires, not pursue cleverness, see no colors, hear no sounds, remain calm and pure, naturally embody peace with a clear spirit, and thus, by emptying and forgetting the self, unite with the utmost essence. This is called returning to the root of oneself, becoming one with the Dao. Once united with the Dao, creation cannot change him, spirits and ghosts cannot know him, let alone humans. Practical Cultivation Interpretation There is much in the Daoist tradition that causes people to question. "Seeing but not perceiving, hearing but not listening, abandoning desires"—is this really correct? If one does this, how can one stand out in modern fierce competition? If one cannot stand out, how can one improve one's situation? If one cannot improve one's situation, how can one bring happiness to one's family? Back then, the Emperor asked Mr. Zongxuan about the path of cultivation. Mr. Zongxuan replied: "This is the business of rustic people. It should be sought through years of effort and practice; it is not suitable for a ruler to pursue for personal pleasure." This is expressed very clearly: the matter of cultivation is not suitable for a ruler, because Daoist cultivation emphasizes having no desires and no attachments. The Emperor is unsuitable because he needs to manage state affairs every day. If he spends time on cultivation, he will inevitably neglect court affairs. One move will stir the whole world, affecting too many people. Therefore, even basic cultivation is not advisable. In other words, this is actually a specific case, the price of being an emperor, not applicable to the general public. Daoist cultivation, upon reaching a certain level, requires one to be in a state of cultivation everywhere in life, not just during sitting meditation or practicing exercises. Objectively speaking, the basic cultivation of Daoism conflicts with secular life. But fortunately, this is Daoism. Therefore, to address secular problems, the Five Arts of the Dao Gate were created. The Five Arts of the Dao Gate are specifically designed to solve problems for the world. Many say Daoism is not ultimate. But before saying so, they often bring up a specific method of Daoism, say that method is good, and then add "but it is not ultimate." Usually, these people do not truly understand Daoist arts, because their thinking mode often remains at the observation of "arts" (techniques), failing to recognize the "Dao" aspect of Daoism. Arts are the manifestation of the Dao; the Dao is the foundation of the arts. And Daoist arts do not mean picking up a chicken, sticking a straw man on a bamboo pole, waiting for the chicken to crow, casting hexagrams, and summoning the soul. That is not what is meant by Daoist arts. At best, this can only be called "arts," which can be practiced without the Dao. Even some religions steal parts of the arts. When the effect is poor or influenced by external factors, leading to inauspicious events, they then say Daoist arts are nothing more than this. More self-proclaimed clever people steal parts of the arts, mistakenly believing that worshipping gods is actually sacrificing to ghosts. They draw talismans and perform rituals, rejoicing when they occasionally work, but eventually suffering misfortune and tragedy, and then claiming this is caused by the Dao. Picking up a police baton and pretending to be a police officer to beat people randomly—shouldn't you be the one arrested? The reason is simply having arts without the Dao, thus inviting disaster upon oneself. In reality, Daoist arts are extremely profound and extremely safe. For example, the key secret of talismanic methods: "Unite my essence with the essence of heaven, earth, and all things; unite my spirit with the spirit of heaven, earth, and all things. Essence attaches to essence, spirit relies on spirit." But how to unite my essence with the essence of heaven, earth, and all things? "Discard desires, destroy cleverness, see no colors, hear no sounds, remain tranquil, pure, and simple, embody harmony with a clear spirit, empty and calm, forgetting the self, then unite with the utmost essence." This is the key secret. If one does not do this, one does not unite with the utmost essence. If one does not unite with the utmost essence, what does one unite with? Think for yourself. If one unites with the utmost essence, the utmost essence contains compassion, and the world naturally receives boundless blessings. How could there be misfortune? Therefore, it is not that Daoist arts are mistaken. In the world, most people who practice methods do not follow the right path, thus attracting misfortune and ultimately disaster. For example, in this world, if one constantly follows the key secret, ordinary people naturally find it difficult to practice at first. Hence the saying of cultivation: sitting in meditation, with no thoughts, no desires, no attachments, eyes observing eyes, nose observing nose, heart observing heart, letting everything be observed. Thereafter, gather ten thousand thoughts into one breath, gather one breath into nothingness, silent and traceless. Naturally契合 the true essence. Once the true essence is united, Taiji naturally divides, and heaven and earth begin to be born. The realization within this should be achieved through quiet sitting. When the Mysterious Pass appears, one will thoroughly realize: Since ancient times, the Great Dao has never been empty talk; it turns out that Zhong and Lü all participated in the Profound.