by Guan Zi
[61] Buddhism arrived in China from India in 80 AD.
[62] The Buddha was born and raised in southern Nepal as Siddhartha Gautama. His year of birth is uncertain, but is said to be as early as 563 BC, and as late as 400 BC. The factual dates of Daoist timelines are also debated, but may go back to the oracle shamans of the Xia Dynasty (c.2000 BC). Either way, these teachings first existed in China, in indigenous sources, for centuries before Buddhism arrived there in 80 AD.
[63] Translated by Dan G. Reid
[64] The Quan Zhen School of Daoism (founded circa 1167 AD) has long integrated seemingly Buddhist philosophies and practices into its own. As shown throughout Thread of Dao , many of these philosophies and practices existed in China for centuries, before Buddhism arrived there in 80AD, though it may have been their popularity in Buddhism which brought them to the attention of the Quan Zhen Patriarchs. A modern example of this: Quan Zhen Abbot Michael Rinaldini, founder of the American Dragon Gate Sect, teaches use of the ‘break-through question’ (called a hou-tou in Zen) “What is not-two?” He uses this hou-tou to help students, and the Daoist priests that he trains, with Daoist zuowang (“sitting and forgetting”) meditation.
[65] Many scholars have decided, with near unanimity, that this opening phrase does not make sense as it appears, and have therefore made various changes to the characters jian dang li you 建當立有 (see Graziani). There are, however, examples from the same time period which combine these characters. The question of how to establish a stable order, using the same characters ( 建 當 ), appears in the Han Shu when a prince inquires: “ 「建當云何？ 」 How does one establish a stable order? 霸曰：「自大將軍 出 .. The leader of the princes replied: ‘Enlarge yourself by deploying armies…”
“Li you 立 有 ” appears in many texts from the same era, though is usually followed by the subject that is 立 established. You emphasizes li so as to say ‘long-standing’ or ‘well-established.’ Here, li you appears after that which is established, rather than before. Line five also suggests this reading.
[66] Wang Niansun suggests replacing “zheng, 政 political affairs” with “zheng, 正 rectitude,” to say “treat rectitude as a matter of ceremony.”
[67] This sequence of external (behavioural) guidance later revealed to be guidance on internal cultivation is also found in the earliest known complete copy of the Dao De Jing . The “Mawangdui” DDJ (168 BC) presents the De volume, focusing more on the external matters of state and society, before the Dao volume, which focuses more on internal matters, such as purifying and emptying oneself and cultivating Dao and De internally. The Dao volume was moved to the beginning of the text some 300-500 years later.
[68] Heshang Gong comments on this line: “When a superior sings, those below him must harmonize.”
[69] Please see my commentary at the end of Nei Ye for more on “resonance response, ganying.”
[70] Reading yuan 緣 in the sense of “climb,” eg: “ 緣木求 魚 climb a tree to seek for fish”
[71] All excerpts from Heshang Gong’s commentary found in The Thread of Dao are borrowed from:
Reid, Dan G., translator. The Ho-Shang Kung Commentary on Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Montreal: Center Ring Publications, 2015.
[72] Literally “bag-flute.” Heshang Gong’s commentary seems to suggest a musical instrument, perhaps similar to the sheng: “The center of a bagpipe is hollow and empty, yet people can obtain more sound from it.”
[73] See also lines 16-19 of the Xin Shu Shang .
[74] See Nei Ye , lines 154-165
[75] See Bai Xin , lines 35-36
[76] Ke 可 , means “can” as in “may.” Here it suggests “appropriate/deserving,” rather than “capable.” See DDJ67 on spiritual protection of the virtuous. Given its proximity to omens and spirits (line 47), ke takes on a similar meaning to “the mandate of Heaven,” as in “one must never be undeserving.”
[77] See DDJ2, 3, 9, 29, 46, 73, 74, and 76 on “if success is not obtained through Dao.”
[78] Possibly referring to those of high and low rank/authority, with high rank on the left side, that of the junzi (according to DDJ31), and low rank on the right side, that of the soldier (according to Heshang Gong’s commentary on DDJ31). Left signifies yang, and right signifies yin according to Heshang Gong and later Daoist theory.
[79] Guo Songtao suggests moving lines 58-61 so that they follow line 40. I find that they fit the flow of argument better as received.
[80] Reading “virtue” as “attainment,” these lines would be translated:
“Cultivate this in the body and its attainment will be true
Cultivate this in the home and its attainment will be plentiful
Cultivate this in the village and its attainment will be long lasting…”
[81] Chapter 38 is the first chapter of the Dao De Jing ’s “Virtue (De)” volume.
[82] L ines 67-68 could also be read “Those who are effective and capable are nameless, attending to affairs without affair. Investigating and measuring what goes and what comes in, they observe the things that it brings.”
[83] T he same words for “ 出 deploying and 入 being invaded,” used in lines 39-44, are used here, possibly referring to those lines.
[84] Translated by Dan G. Reid
[85] See chapter nine of Heshang Gong’s commentary
[86] ie., none are above this law.
[87] Zhen 貞 often appears in the Yi Jing, translated as sincerity, and contains a number of nuances related to virtue and integrity.
[88] In other words, relying on advice written or spoken when Dao was not profuse is nothing compared to observing the way into which things settle when Dao is profuse, and thereby knowing how they ought to be.
[89] See Cultivating Will in Accordance with the Spirit-Tortoise (technique #2) in the introduction to The Thread of Dao .
[90] “ 濟 to ferry across the rive r ” also means “ to assist . ” Given the context surrounding BX163-164, BX142 may suggest “ assisting the world requires internal harmony. This would mean that “the ultimate goal” is national, if not world, peace, rather than only personal enlightenment.
[91] Bodkins are sewing spikes that were often carried in decorative casings and worn at the waist for emergency fabric repairs
[92] See also DDJ57
[93] Left and right may refer to upper and lower ranks or echelons of government or society. See lines 56-63 of the Bai Xin , and accompanying footnotes, which also discuss the disorder between “left and right,” referred to in these lines.
[94] Please see the comments on BX lines 33-36 for a translation of the Guodian DDJ’s chapter 9.
[95] 刺刺 is a compound word meaning “talkative.” 筴 , a type of grass, means “plan; urge.”
[96] The final character here “make the world Zhou 周 ” (as in Zhou dynasty, also meaning circle; cycle; complete) is debated by scholars to be a typo for various words. However, given the context of ‘making things fit,’ I’ve maintained the original character with perhaps moderate flexibility in its usage. The text’s proceeding comment on unification also suggests the utility of this word choice.
[97] See also DDJ16 on knowing the eternal and thereby knowing the way of the king and lengthening life.
[98] Likely referring King Wu ( 武 王 ), the first King of the Zhou Dynasty who wrested power from the Shang Dynasty. This may suggest references to the Duke of Zhou in (unspecified) songs about King Wu. The Duke of Zhou took power from King Wu’s heir, the teenage King Cheng, to protect the Dynasty from Cheng’s inexperience. The Duke of Zhou is highly revered as a Chinese cultural hero, and so the usurpation here may, in fact, be spoken of in a positive light, and as a metaphor for energetic transformations described in directly preceding lines.
This reference may otherwise refer to King Wu ( 武 王 ) of Chu (740-690 BC), the first king of Chu. Wu usurped power from the legitimate Zhou Dynasty viscount of Chu State, and later declared independence for Chu, with himself as
King.
[99] The surface meaning of this being that they maintain order by acting virtuously (taking care of the people’s needs; not overtaxing; serving the people rather than the aristocracy), and so have no need for complicated strategies.
[100] This saying appears in various forms in the DDJ, though appearing here, it shows how it is tied to “names,” and perhaps knowledge of “everything in the six directions.” The Bai Xin seems to have a view which accords closely with Buddhism, in that, returning from the attachments and trappings of life, the wise sages also detached from the need to be recognized, accepting that they are a part of the whole, though acting and appearing separate and distinct. “Returning to the nameless” is to return to the state before distinction, and before the competition and desires of the “named.”
[101] Literally, “yet none can wear it.”
[102] See BX27-32 for an example of how the art of purifying the heart-mind reveals the true nature of “names.”
[103] See Nei Jing Su Wen, chapter eight, in the Introduction: Internal Cutlivation in the Guan Zi, Xin Shu Shang:
The heart holds the office of the ruler;
It brings forth spiritual intelligence.
The lungs hold the office of the grand tutor;
They bring forth order and moderation.
The liver holds the office of the general;
It brings forth ambitions and planning…
[104] “Undivided,” more commonly meant “ 無貳爾 心 without doubt (undivided) in your heart,” but its literal meaning is emphasized within the context of these lines of the Bai Xin .
[105] Literally “clothed, covered, by it”
[106] This goes back to the opening lines of the Bai Xin which speak of the importance of timing.
[107] There are conflicting theories as to why the lowest student laughs – that he is actually a sage, laughing at attempts to describe Dao; or that he is simply arrogant. Either way, it appears that the following descriptions of the Dao are so seemingly topsy turvy that they make the lowest student laugh; yet, if they were not like this, they would not describe the Dao .
[108] Chang Po-Tuan, commentary by Liu I-Ming. The Inner Teachings of Taoism. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Shambhala Publications Inc. Boston: 1986.
[109] Heshang Gong also interpreted DDJ12 in this way, suggesting that the desires of the senses inhibit and damage them .
[110] 是故須菩 提。 諸菩薩摩訶 薩。 應如是生清淨 心。 不應住色生 心。 不應住聲香味觸法生 心。 應無所住而生其 心 。 Translated by Dan G. Reid.
[111] From Xun Zi (c. 250 BC), by Xun Zi, chapter 21. Translated by Dan G. Reid.
[112] Please also see the section on the Xin Shu Shang in the Introduction (“Internal Cultivation in the Guan Zi”) where similarities are shown between XSS1-11 and The Yellow Emperor’s Classic on Internal Medicine , chapter eight. For more on spiritual intelligence, please see the section on the Nei Ye in the Introduction.
[113] Translated by Dan G. Reid
[114] One must sweep out the temple to invite spiritual lights. One must sweep the dust out of the heart-mind in order to invite spiritual light. Feng Shui advocates this as well, saying that a clean and tidy house invites fresh energy.
[115] Please also see DDJ41, quoted in the commentary for the Bai Xin , lines 208-211.
[116] See the excerpt from the Ling Shu Jing, found in the commentary on lines 1-22 of the Nei Ye: “Qi Bo replied: That which Heaven gives an individual is De (intrinsic virtue). That which Earth gives an individual is qi (energy-breath). When De and qi intermingle, there is life…”
[117] See also DDJ47: “Without going out the door, know all under heaven…”
[118] HSG’s commentary on DDJ27 is provided, in part, in my comments on lines 297-316 of the Nei Ye.
[119] According to Heshang Gong “Heaven’s gate opens and closes” refers to both an area near the North Star, and also to inhalation (opening) and exhalation (closing) in the body. “Can you act the part of the female?” would appear to refer to receiving primordial essence from Heaven, spoken of in the beginning of the Nei Ye .
[120] Mikhail Bakunin, Sam Dolgoff (editor, translator?). Bakunin on Anarchism. Black Rose Books, 1980.
[121] For a further similarity in the continuity of thought between DDJ19 and the Xin Shu Shang , please also note the resemblance between the four following lines in DDJ19, and XSS lines 39-40: “Purify the temple, open the gates, eradicate egotism, and do not speak.“
[122] Translated by Dan G. Reid
[123] See XSS line 210, below “If not empty, one becomes the same as other ‘things’.”
[124] DDJ47 is translated above, in the commentary on Bai Xin , lines 196-200.
[125] A person of character, more literally “the noble”
[126] 仲尼曰：「若一志，无聽之以耳而聽之以心，无聽之以心而聽之以氣。聽止於耳，心止於符。氣也者，虛而待物者也。唯道集虛。虛者，心齋也。」
[127] From Zhuang Zi , chapter four. Translated by Dan G. Reid.
[128] This quote is not from the texts in the Guan Zi, suggesting perhaps a common oral teaching, or simply a paraphrase of the Xin Shu Shang .
[129] The author paraphrases line 23 here, suggesting that this commentary was written from memory.
[130] The exact quote, above, is “All people desire wisdom (智 ), yet none can find it through wisdom”
[131] In the Dao De Jing , “this” versus “that” commonly suggests internal and external reality, respectively. See, for example, chapters 12, 38, and 72.
On this topic, the Bai Xin , line 196, “By rejecting what is close and chasing after what is far, how can one but squander their power?”
[132] Similar to chapter 81 of the Dao De Jing , “The skilled are not argumentative; the argumentative are not skilled. Those who (presume to) know do not remain open-minded. The open-minded do not (presume to) know. Sages do not hoard. Having helped others, oneself gains more.” This describes “the beginner’s mind” often spoken of in Zen.
[133] See DDJ12, “the intensity of the hunt drives the mind mad.” Perhaps this line in DDJ12 also alluded to an over-reliance on knowledge.
[134] The quote in lines 105-106 does not appear in the Xin Shu , possibly suggesting a different copy, a different text, or an oral tradition.
[135] Discussions of emptiness take on various forms in the DDJ. Compare, for example, chapters 5, 9, 10, and 11. Chapter 9 speaks of “gold filling the halls” which could be understood as thoughts and knowledge which can overtake and burden the mind, or pleasant feelings widely sought after which can turn into burdens of craving and desires.
[136] See DDJ5 虛而不屈, 動而愈 出 “Empty yet not exhausted. It moves and again more is pushed forth.”
[137] See the excerpt from chapter 8 of the Ling Shu Jing, found in the commentary on lines 1-22 of the Nei Ye: “Qi Bo replied: That which Heaven gives an individual is De (intrinsic virtue). That which Earth gives an individual is qi (energy-breath). When De and qi intermingle, there is life…”
[138] “Virtue” and “obtain,” Dé, are homonyms and sometimes used as synonyms.
[139] 所以然 means “the reason why”
[140] Very similar to “the Mysterious Pass,” a principle in Daoist Nei Dan meditation
[141] Scholar Guo Moruo suggests replacing “ 宜 appropriateness,” here, with “ 道 Dao.” “Appropriateness” also makes sense here, however.
[142] “ 法 Law,” here appears to refer to something more akin to “the laws of physics” rather than written and agreed upon laws of right conduct. Such usage of “fa 法 law” may provide context for its later, Buddhist, usage as “Dharma 法 ,” a term which could be explained as the Buddhist equivalent of Dao, meaning both teachings and universal laws and principles.
[143] As Lu Dongbin stated “one cannot achieve Dao without observing precepts.” As this stanza shows, these principles ultimately come from Dao.
[144] In the principle text, “yet it cannot be explained” is followed by 直人之 言 . Thus, the received copy of the Xin Shu Shang , which here reads 莫 人 , 言至 也 , has been adjusted to fit the principle text. See also, Wang Niansun.
[145] The principle text reads “ 不義 not (refer to) righteousness” rather than “ 不宜 not (refer to) propriety.” As the author of this commentary may have had an alternate copy of principle text, I have retained “propriety” here.
[146] Heshang Gong comments on DDJ38:
“People are taken by the arm and forced to obey”
Etiquette causes many unnecessary tensions. When people are taken by the arm and forced to obey these rules, it creates hostility and competition between authorities and subordinates.