文始真經 — attributed to Yin Xi (尹喜)

The True Classic of Wenshi (Wenshi Zhenjing, 文始真經) is a Daoist philosophical text attributed to Yin Xi (尹喜), the Guardian of Hangu Pass who, according to tradition, persuaded Laozi to write the Dao De Jing before departing westward. Yin Xi is honoured in the Daoist tradition as Wenshi (文始, "Origin of Culture") — the one who initiated the transmission of the Way through the written word. While the historical Yin Xi is a figure of legend, the text bearing his name is a genuine classic of Daoist philosophy, likely composed during the Tang dynasty and incorporated into the Orthodox Daoist Canon (正統道藏, DZ 669).

The work comprises nine chapters (九篇), each named with a number and a governing image: Space, Pillar, Ultimates, Tally, Mirror, Spoon, Cauldron, Tally-Stick, and Remedy. Together they form a complete philosophical system — moving from the ineffable nature of the Way (Chapter 1), through cosmology and creation (Chapter 2), governance and the sage (Chapter 3), the mechanics of essence and spirit (Chapter 4), the nature of perception and mind (Chapter 5), the mystery of selfhood and the body (Chapter 6), transformation and change (Chapter 7), the subtle patterns of nature (Chapter 8), to practical wisdom for living in the world (Chapter 9).

The text is aphoristic — each passage opens with "Master Guanyin said" (關尹子曰) and delivers a compact philosophical insight through imagery, paradox, and direct statement. The voice is compressed and luminous, closer to the Zhuangzi than to the Dao De Jing, with a distinctive fondness for concrete metaphors drawn from everyday life — pots, mirrors, drums, fish, archers, chess players, dreams. No freely available English translation of the complete text has existed until now.

I. Space — 一宇

Master Guanyin said: "It is not that the Way cannot be spoken of — what cannot be spoken of is itself the Way. It is not that the Way cannot be thought about — what cannot be thought about is itself the Way. The things of heaven rush and flow; the affairs of humankind tangle upon themselves. Swirling as though turning back, clashing as though in battle, restless as though alike yet not alike. You contend with it, you wedge yourself into it, you spit at it, you scold it, you abandon it, you seize it. To speak of it is to blow at shadows; to think of it is to carve in dust. The wisdom of sages creates confusion; ghosts and spirits cannot recognise it. Only what cannot be done, cannot be attained, cannot be fathomed, cannot be divided — this is called Heaven, called Fate, called Spirit, called Mystery. Together, it is called the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "No thing is not Heaven; no thing is not Fate; no thing is not Spirit; no thing is not Mystery. If things are so, how can people be otherwise? Every person may be called Heaven; every person may be called Spirit; every person may achieve Fate and penetrate Mystery. One cannot say: that is Heaven and this is not Heaven; that is Spirit and this is not Spirit; that is Fate and this is not Fate; that is Mystery and this is not Mystery. Therefore the one who is good at my Way can, within a single thing, know Heaven, exhaust Spirit, achieve Fate, and create Mystery. In study, if you chase after differences, you split one reality into separate names. In attainment, if you meet the same, you forget different names within a single reality."

Master Guanyin said: "Observing the Way is like observing water. If observing a pond seems insufficient, you go to the river, then the Yangtze, then the sea, and say: 'Now this is water at its fullest!' But you do not realise that your own saliva, fluids, tears, and sweat are also water."

Master Guanyin said: "The Way has no person. The sage does not see that this person has the Way and that person does not. The Way has no self. The sage does not see himself advancing in the Way or retreating from it. Because the Way is not possessed, it is not without. Because the Way is not gained, it is not lost."

Master Guanyin said: "To not know the Way and guess at it by divination is like the game of guessing what lies under a covered bowl. Above: perhaps gold, perhaps jade. In the middle: perhaps horn, perhaps feather. Below: perhaps tile, perhaps stone. Is it so? Is it not? Only the one who placed the object knows."

Master Guanyin said: "One potter can make ten thousand vessels, yet no vessel can make a potter or harm a potter. One Way can make ten thousand things, yet no thing can make the Way or harm the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "Is the Way vast and unknowing? Is the heart-mind free and unbound? Are things layered upon each other endlessly? Flashing like lightning? Scattered like sand? The sage knows: the heart-mind is one, things are one, the Way is one. These three are yet again one. He does not use oneness to constrain what is not one, nor use what is not one to harm oneness."

Master Guanyin said: "Take a basin for a lake, a stone for an island, and let a fish swim in circles. It does not know how many thousands or ten thousands of miles it swims, yet it never reaches an end. Why? Because the water has no source and no destination. The Way of the sage: its beginning has no head, its ending has no tail — and so its response to things is inexhaustible."

Master Guanyin said: "Do not love the Way — love is water. Do not observe the Way — observation is fire. Do not pursue the Way — pursuit is wood. Do not speak of the Way — speech is gold. Do not think about the Way — thought is earth. Only the sage, without departing from his original nature, ascends to the great Way. When the heart-mind has not yet sprouted, the Way borrows even this."

Master Guanyin said: "Heavy clouds cover heaven; rivers and lakes grow dark; fish swim blindly. Suddenly a gleam appears on the waves and the fish stirs toward food, thinking it a gift from heaven — and a hook kills it. Those who do not know that the Way has no self and pursue the Way — it is the same."

Master Guanyin said: "The methods and arts in the world are many. Some favour darkness, some favour light; some favour strength, some favour weakness. Cling to any and it becomes merely an affair. Release all and it becomes the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "The Way can never be gained. What can be gained is called Virtue, not the Way. The Way can never be practised. What can be practised is called Conduct, not the Way. The sage uses what can be gained and practised to nourish his life well. He uses what cannot be gained and cannot be practised to nourish his death well."

Master Guanyin said: "After hearing the Way, those who do things and cling to things return to the human realm. Those who do nothing and cling to nothing return to Heaven. Those who act will certainly fail; those who cling will certainly lose. Therefore one who hears the Way in the morning may die content in the evening."

Master Guanyin said: "When all feelings merge into darkness — that is the sage. When a single feeling tends toward good — that is the worthy person. When a single feeling tends toward evil — that is the petty person. The feeling that merges into darkness moves from having into nothing, and cannot be revealed. The feeling that is good or evil moves from nothing into having, and cannot be hidden. Good and evil feelings belong to knowing — only moving creatures possess them. The merged feeling of unknowing is everywhere under heaven — the Way is present in all."

Master Guanyin said: "Do not see the sage toiling without rest and say: the Way is achieved through diligence. Do not see the sage holding firm without change and say: the Way is gained through persistence. When the sage acts, it is like releasing an arrow — it moves because of another force, not from itself. When the sage holds firm, it is like gripping an arrow — it stays because of another force, not from itself."

Master Guanyin said: "If you seek the Way through words and deeds, study and knowledge, you will spin in circles and never arrive. Know that words are like the sound of a spring; know that deeds are like the flight of birds; know that study is like grasping at shadows; know that knowledge is like calculating a dream. Let one breath not remain — and the Way comes of its own accord."

Master Guanyin said: "Building things from affairs is hard; discarding things through the Way is easy. Nothing in the world is harder to make than to destroy."

Master Guanyin said: "A single spark can burn ten thousand things — and when things are gone, where does the fire remain? A single breath of the Way can merge ten thousand things into darkness — and when things are gone, where does the Way abide?"

Master Guanyin said: "People live in the world. Some die after a day, some after ten years, some after a hundred years. To die after one day is like grasping the Way in one breath. To die after ten or a hundred years is like grasping the Way over a long road. Those who have not yet died — though they move and act with clear intelligence, it is only called living, not dying. Those who have not yet met the Way — though they move and act with clear intelligence, it is only called doing, not the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "Not knowing that my Way is without words and without deeds, those who seek the Way through words and deeds stumble upon strange things and seize them as the Way. They do not know that abandoning the source to chase the stream, you will never find the source; abandoning the root to grasp the branch, you will never find the root."

Master Guanyin said: "Practising archery, practising chariot-driving, practising the lute, practising chess — there is not a single affair that can be mastered in one breath. Only the Way, having no form and no direction, can be grasped in one breath."

Master Guanyin said: "When two archers meet, skill and clumsiness are revealed. When two chess players meet, victory and defeat are revealed. When two persons of the Way meet, there is nothing to reveal. Where there is nothing to reveal, there is no skill, no clumsiness, no victory, no defeat."

Master Guanyin said: "My Way is like the sea. Cast a hundred million pieces of gold into it — they vanish. Cast a hundred million stones into it — they vanish. Cast a hundred million pollutions into it — they vanish. It can carry the smallest shrimp and the greatest whale. Gather all waters into it and it is not too full; scatter all waters from it and it is not diminished."

Master Guanyin said: "My Way is like dwelling in darkness. Those who dwell in brightness cannot see a single thing in the dark — but those who dwell in darkness can see everything that happens in the light."

Master Guanyin said: "The petty person's expedience returns to evil. The noble person's expedience returns to good. The sage's expedience returns to gaining nothing. Only in gaining nothing does one attain the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "My Way is like a blade. Cut with the edge and it serves you. Grasp the edge with your hand and it wounds you."

Master Guanyin said: "The ritual vessel does not ask the bean dish; the bean dish does not answer the ritual vessel. Tile does not ask stone; stone does not answer tile. Yet the Way is not lost. Asking and answering are one breath going and returning — where is the Way in that?"

Master Guanyin said: "Those who look up to the Way tiptoe; those who follow the Way gallop. Both know the affairs of the Way but not the Way of the Way. Therefore the sage does not look toward the Way and feel lacking, does not rely on the Way and feel full, does not hoard the Way among sages, and does not sell the Way to fools."

II. Pillar — 二柱

Master Guanyin said: "Whether bowl or cup, bottle or jug, urn or basin — all can establish heaven and earth. The cracked tortoiseshell, the counted yarrow stalks, the broken tile, the patterned stone — all can reveal fortune and misfortune. This shows that the complete pattern of heaven, earth, and all things is contained in a single thing. Every thing contains it; none borrows from another. Bring my essence into accord with another's essence — two essences clasp together, and spirit responds. One female, one male: an egg is born. One bull, one cow: a calf is born. Form belongs to that essence; pattern belongs to that spirit. Love belongs to my essence; observation belongs to my spirit. Love is water; observation is fire. When love holds fast and observation follows, it becomes water. When observation abides and love draws in, it becomes gold. First imagine the qi of the One Origin present in a single thing: hold it with love to accord with that thing's form; observe it in the dark to accord with that thing's pattern — and the image exists.

"The image of one cycle fills all of great emptiness. What rises from the centre becomes heaven; what descends from the centre becomes earth. Nothing rises without descending; nothing descends without rising. What rises is fire; what descends is water. What strives to rise but cannot is wood; what strives to descend but cannot is gold.

"Wood: drill it and fire emerges; wring it and water emerges. Gold: strike it and fire emerges; melt it and water emerges. Gold and wood are the crossing of water and fire. Water is essence and heaven; fire is spirit and earth; wood is the cloud-soul and the human; gold is the white-soul and the thing. What circulates without ceasing is time; what contains and has location is space. Only earth begins and completes them all. Some explain it; some reveal it."

Master Guanyin said: "The people of the world cannot be counted even in hundreds of millions. Each person's dream is different; each night's dream is different. There is heaven, there is earth, there are people, there are things — all created by thought, beyond numbering by grains of dust. How do you know that the present heaven and earth were not created by something that thinks?"

Master Guanyin said: "The heart corresponds to the jujube; the liver corresponds to the elm. I penetrate heaven and earth. Before rain I dream of water; before fair weather I dream of fire. Heaven and earth penetrate me. I and heaven and earth seem joined, seem separate — purely, purely, each returns to itself."

Master Guanyin said: "Heaven and earth are vast, yet they have colour, form, number, and direction. I possess what has no colour, no form, no number, no direction — and what makes heaven heaven and earth earth abides within."

Master Guanyin said: "Those who die in the womb, those who die in the egg — whether human or creature, though heaven and earth are vast, they are utterly unknown to such beings. Those who measure heaven and earth do so entirely through our own limited awareness. It is as though the hand does not touch the blade — then the blade cannot cut the person."

Master Guanyin said: "In dreams, in mirrors, in water — all contain a heaven and earth. To remove the heaven and earth of dreams, you must sleep without sleeping. To remove the heaven and earth of mirrors, the spirit must cease to reflect. To remove the heaven and earth of water, the basin must not be filled. Whether those worlds exist or not depends on this side, not on that. Therefore the sage does not remove heaven and earth — he removes awareness."

Master Guanyin said: "Heaven is not heaven of itself — something makes it heaven. Earth is not earth of itself — something makes it earth. Like a house or a boat or a cart, they need a person to make them — they do not make themselves. Know that all those things depend on something else; know that this depends on nothing. Look up and see no heaven. Look down and see no earth. Look inward and see no self. Look outward and see no other."

Master Guanyin said: "What has time is qi. What is not qi has never had day or night. What has direction is form. What is not form has never had north or south. What is not-qi? It is what qi itself is born from. Like fanning the air to produce wind — before you fan, it is not the qi of wind; once you fan, it is called qi. What is not-form? It is what form itself is born from. Like drilling wood to produce fire — before you drill, it is not the form of fire; once you drill, it is called form."

Master Guanyin said: "The changes of cold and heat, warmth and cool, are like tiles and stones: place them in fire and they become hot; place them in water and they become cold; breathe on them and they grow warm; blow on them and they grow cool. These changes are only due to external things coming and going — the tiles and stones themselves truly have no coming or going. It is like reflections in water: they come and go, but the water itself truly neither comes nor goes."

Master Guanyin said: "Shake a garment in emptiness and wind arises. Breathe on a thing and moisture appears. Pour water upon water and it sounds. Strike stone upon stone and it sparks. Know this, and wind, rain, thunder, and lightning can all be created. For wind, rain, thunder, and lightning all arise from qi, and qi arises from the heart-mind. Just as thinking of a great fire, after a long while you feel heat; thinking of a great flood, after a long while you feel cold. Know this, and all the powers of heaven and earth can be shared."

Master Guanyin said: "The five kinds of cloud formations can divine the year's harvest or famine. The eight directional winds can divine the season's fortune or disaster. This shows that all blessings and calamities are merely the circulation of one qi. Merge self and other; unify heaven and earth — yet those with their private awareness claim it as their own."

Master Guanyin said: "Heaven and earth are a temporary dwelling. All things are a temporary dwelling. I am a temporary dwelling. The Way itself is a temporary dwelling. If you depart from the temporary dwelling, even the Way does not stand."

III. Ultimates — 三極

Master Guanyin said: "When the sage governs the world, he does not distinguish his own wisdom from foolishness, and so he follows the wisdom of the wise and the folly of the foolish. He does not impose his own right and wrong, and so he follows the rightness of what is right and the wrongness of what is wrong. He knows the great sameness of past and present, so sometimes he puts the past first and sometimes the present. He knows the great sameness of inner and outer, so sometimes he puts the inner first and sometimes the outer. Nothing in the world can encumber him, so he grounds himself in humility. Nothing in the world can exclude him, so he embraces all in emptiness. Nothing in the world can stump him, so he proceeds with ease. Nothing in the world can obstruct him, so he transforms through expediency. With this he centres the world and creates ritual. With this he harmonises the world and composes music. With this he makes the world fair and orders wealth. With this he encircles the world and defends against insult. With this he follows the world and establishes law. With this he observes the world and fashions tools. The sage does not govern the world by himself alone — he governs the world through the world. The world credits the sage, but the sage credits the world. This is why the governance of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang seemed to the world nothing but what happens naturally."

Master Guanyin said: "Heaven covers all without exception. It brings life and brings death, yet heaven has no love or hate. The sun shines on all without exception. It reveals beauty and ugliness, yet the sun shows no favouritism."

Master Guanyin said: "The Way of the sage is Heaven's mandate, not something the sage can produce from himself. The virtue of the sage meets its time, not something the sage can create from himself. The affairs of the sage are human making, not something the sage can accomplish from himself. Therefore the sage does not possess the Way, does not possess virtue, does not possess affairs."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage knows that the self has no self, and so he unifies all through benevolence. He knows that affairs have no self, and so he weighs them with righteousness. He knows the heart-mind has no self, and so he regulates it with propriety. He knows that knowledge has no self, and so he illuminates it with wisdom. He knows that words have no self, and so he guards them with faithfulness."

Master Guanyin said: "The Way of the sage: sometimes benevolence serves as benevolence; sometimes righteousness serves as benevolence; sometimes propriety, wisdom, or faithfulness serves as benevolence. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness each contain all five. The sage unifies them without rigidity; the world names them without capture."

Master Guanyin said: "Do not observe the sage by his conduct — the Way leaves no traces. Do not observe the sage by his words — the Way has no words. Do not observe the sage by his ability — the Way does nothing. Do not observe the sage by his appearance — the Way has no form."

Master Guanyin said: "Conduct, however lofty, cannot escape high and low. Words, however fair, cannot escape right and wrong. Ability, however divine, cannot escape skill and clumsiness. Appearance, however remarkable, cannot escape beauty and ugliness. The sage borrows these to show the world. When the world forgets these, only then does it see the sage."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage takes the bee as his teacher and establishes ruler and minister. He takes the spider as his teacher and establishes nets and snares. He takes the burrowing rat as his teacher and creates ritual. He takes the warring ant as his teacher and organises armies. Common people learn from the worthy; the worthy learn from the sage; the sage learns from all things. Only the sage identifies with all things — therefore he has no self."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage calls it the Way. He views heaven, earth, people, and things as all his Way — harmonising them, beginning and ending them, colouring them, sheltering them. He does not prize the Way or discard things; he does not honour the noble person or despise the petty person. The worthy person calls it Things. Things differ from one another; day by day he removes some, day by day he adds others; he shortens some and lengthens others, straightens some and squares others — this is the changing of things. Yet the worthy does not know that the sage separates and arranges for the sake of others, not for himself."

Master Guanyin said: "Between the sage and ordinary people, food and clothing are the same, houses and boats are the same, wealth and poverty are the same. Ordinary people always try to resemble the sage; the sage always tries to resemble ordinary people. Those who look up at his height and marvel at his greatness — are they right? Are they not?"

Master Guanyin said: "A fish that tries to be different from other fish, leaving the water to leap onto the bank — dies. A tiger that tries to be different from other tigers, leaving the mountain to enter the marketplace — is captured. The sage is no different from ordinary people; only, things cannot confine him."

Master Guanyin said: "The Way creates nothing. To respond to the world through the Way — this is affairs, not the Way. The Way has no place. To lodge things in the Way — these are things, not the Way. The sage ultimately cannot bring out the Way and show it to people."

Master Guanyin said: "Like a bell struck with a bell: it sounds one way. Like a bell struck with a drum: it sounds another. So it is with the sage's words. Like a cart carrying a cart: it moves one way. Like a cart carrying a boat: it moves another. So it is with the sage's conduct. Only what cannot be named can silence all the world's words. Only what cannot be known can overcome all the world's cleverness."

Master Guanyin said: "The centipede eats the snake; the snake eats the frog; the frog eats the centipede — each devours the other in turn. The sage's words are the same: he speaks of the fault of being and nothing, then speaks of the fault of neither being nor nothing, then speaks of the fault of removing neither-being-nor-nothing. Words are like pulling a saw back and forth. Only the one who is good at the sage discards every word."

Master Guanyin said: "Dragon, serpent-dragon, snake, tortoise, fish, clam — the dragon can become any of them. The serpent-dragon can only be a serpent-dragon; it cannot become a dragon, nor a snake, nor a tortoise, nor a fish, nor a clam. The sage is a dragon; the worthy is a serpent-dragon."

Master Guanyin said: "In himself there is no fixed place. Forms and things reveal themselves. His movement is like water; his stillness is like a mirror; his response is like an echo. Hazy as if absent; silent as if clear. Those who are alike with him find harmony; those who grasp him lose him. He never goes before others but always follows them."

Master Guanyin said: "Vast and boundless — he wanders in the Great Beginning! Now he is gold; now he is jade. Now he is dung; now he is earth. Now he soars with things; now he pursues things. Now he stands like mountains among things; now he dives like depths among things. Upright or expedient! Mad or foolish!"

Master Guanyin said: "When a person plays the lute well and holds sorrow in his heart, the sound is forlorn. When he holds longing, the sound is slow. When he holds resentment, the sound circles back. When he holds desire, the sound flows outward. What makes it sorrowful, longing, resentful, or desirous is not the hand, not the bamboo, not the string, not the paulownia wood. It is found in the heart-mind and matched by the hand; found in the hand and matched by the instrument. A person who has the Way — everything he does accords with the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage has words, deeds, and thoughts — this is how he is the same as other people. He has never spoken, never acted, never thought — this is how he differs from them."

Master Guanyin said: "The more keenly you see profit and harm, the less your family is at peace. The more keenly you distinguish wise from foolish, the fewer friends you keep. The more keenly you judge right from wrong, the less your affairs succeed. The more keenly you separate beautiful from ugly, the less things accord with you. Therefore the sage blends them all."

Master Guanyin said: "The foolish and clumsy of the world falsely invoke the sage's foolishness and clumsiness to excuse themselves. They do not know that the sage is sometimes foolish, sometimes brilliant; sometimes clumsy, sometimes ingenious."

Master Guanyin said: "To take a sage as teacher of a sage — that is the worthy person. To take a worthy person as teacher of a sage — that is the sage. For taking a sage as teacher of a sage means chasing traces and forgetting the Way; taking a worthy person as teacher of a sage means reversing traces and meeting the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "The worthy person strives upward and does not see below. The common person strives downward and does not see above. The sage penetrates both above and below, using only what is fitting. He does not separate from worthy people and common people to become some other kind of sage."

Master Guanyin said: "The pattern of the world: the husband leads and the wife follows; the bull charges and the cow pursues; the rooster crows and the hen answers. Thus the sage sets the standard in words and conduct, and the worthy person takes it up."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage's Way may transform like a tiger, but his affairs proceed like a tortoise. His Way may spin fine as silk, but his affairs are laid out like pieces on a board."

Master Guanyin said: "What is called the Way of the sage — solitary, luminous, open, excellent. Only because it can match all things while no single thing can match it, it can treasure all things."

Master Guanyin said: "The rolling and unrolling of clouds, the flight and gliding of birds — all take place in empty space, and so their transformations are without end. The Way of the sage is the same."

IV. Tally — 四符

Master Guanyin said: "Water can be split and merged — essence has no other. Fire depends on oil and wood — spirit has no self. The ear, blocked front and back, still hears — no other. Wisdom ascends — no other. The odd number, one — no other. Winter withers autumn's things — no other. Black cannot be changed — no other. The north has longevity — no other. All these are essence. The tongue uses the teeth and lips to form speech — no self. Ritual is humble — no self. The even number, two — no self. Summer grows from spring's things — no self. Red can be changed — no self. The south has brevity — no self. All these are spirit. Because essence has no self, husk the rice and the essence remains. Because spirit has no self, a ghost possesses a thing and the spirit appears. The one who preserves essence whole forgets right and wrong, forgets gain and loss — what is here is not there. The one who embraces spirit shifts between dark and bright, between strong and weak — what is there is not here."

Master Guanyin said: "Essence and spirit are water and fire. The five phases generate and extinguish one another endlessly; their coming has no beginning, their going has no end. Then my essence is one drop with no birth or death; my spirit is one flash with no arising or cessation. Only with no self, no other, no beginning, no end — this is how one merges with heaven and earth."

Master Guanyin said: "Essence is water; the white-soul is gold. Spirit is fire; the cloud-soul is wood. Essence governs water; the white-soul governs gold. Gold gives birth to water, so the white-soul stores the essence. Spirit governs fire; the cloud-soul governs wood. Wood gives birth to fire, so the cloud-soul stores the spirit. Only fire, among all things, can melt gold and consume it, can burn wood and destroy it — and so it merges the cloud-soul and white-soul. Essence in heaven is cold; on earth, water; in humans, essence. Spirit in heaven is heat; on earth, fire; in humans, spirit. The white-soul in heaven is dryness; on earth, gold; in humans, the white-soul. The cloud-soul in heaven is wind; on earth, wood; in humans, the cloud-soul. Merge my essence with the essence of heaven, earth, and all things — as all waters can be merged into one water. Merge my spirit with the spirit of heaven, earth, and all things — as all fires can be merged into one fire. Merge my white-soul with the white-soul of all things — as gold can be melted with other gold into one gold. Merge my cloud-soul with the cloud-soul of all things — as wood can be grafted with other wood into one wood. Then heaven, earth, and all things are all my essence, my spirit, my white-soul, my cloud-soul. What dies? What is born?"

Master Guanyin said: "The circulation of the five phases: from essence arises the cloud-soul; from the cloud-soul arises spirit; from spirit arises intention; from intention arises the white-soul; from the white-soul arises essence. The five phases cycle without ceasing — this is why my false heart-mind has been flowing and turning through creation for hundreds of millions of years without end. Yet a seed generates a sprout, and sprouts generate seeds — who knows how many ten thousands of trees? But though heaven and earth are vast, they cannot sprout a seed suspended in air. An egg hatches a bird, and birds lay eggs — who knows how many ten thousands of birds? But though yin and yang are subtle, they cannot hatch an egg from a hen without a rooster. Only by gathering everything that comes to me in a single breath can I transform things into myself — and nothing is not me. The so-called five phases — who can transform them then?"

Master Guanyin said: "Common people use the white-soul to control the cloud-soul — gold is in excess and wood falls short. The sage uses the cloud-soul to direct the white-soul — wood is in excess and gold falls short. When the white-soul stores, the cloud-soul accompanies it. When the cloud-soul wanders, the white-soul follows. By day the cloud-soul lodges in the eyes; by night the white-soul dwells in the liver. Lodging in the eyes, it sees. Dwelling in the liver, it dreams. What sees is the cloud-soul — it does not of itself distinguish and analyse. What distinguishes and analyses, saying 'this is heaven' and 'this is earth,' is the cloud-soul's acquired habit. What dreams is the white-soul — it does not of itself distinguish and analyse. What distinguishes and analyses, saying 'that is other' and 'this is self,' is the white-soul's acquired habit. Earth generates gold, so intention generates the white-soul. When spirit moves, it is no longer called spirit but intention. When intention moves, it is no longer called intention but the white-soul. Only the sage knows there is no self in the self and no thing in things — all exist because thought calculates them into being. Therefore when all things come to him, he meets them with his nature, not with his heart-mind. Nature is the heart-mind before it has sprouted. With no heart-mind, there is no intention; with no fire, there is no earth. With no intention, there is no white-soul; with no earth, there is no gold. If one does not exist, all five collapse. Once you can merge heaven, earth, and all things into your cloud-soul, you can merge them into your white-soul. Then all that creation makes wondrous is your cloud-soul, and all that creation possesses is your white-soul — and nothing can enslave you."

Master Guanyin said: "The character for cloud-soul is ghost with a cloud radical; the character for white-soul is ghost with a white radical — so it is in writing. Ghost is what a person becomes after death. Cloud means wind; wind means wood. White means breath; breath means gold. Wind scatters, so it is light and clear; what is light and clear ascends to heaven. Gold is solid, so it is heavy and turbid; what is heavy and turbid enters the earth. In the light and clear, the white-soul follows the cloud-soul upward. In the heavy and turbid, the cloud-soul follows the white-soul downward. Those who ascend through benevolence become auxiliaries of the Wood Star. Those through righteousness, auxiliaries of the Gold Star. Through propriety, the Fire Star. Through wisdom, the Water Star. Through faithfulness, the Earth Star. Those who sink through lack of benevolence are devoured by wood. Through lack of righteousness, devoured by gold. Through lack of propriety, devoured by fire. Through lack of wisdom, devoured by water. Through lack of faithfulness, devoured by earth.

"When cloud-soul and white-soul are half-and-half, one dwells in the human realm. A rising cloud-soul brings honour; a sinking white-soul brings lowliness. A luminous cloud-soul brings wisdom; a fierce cloud-soul brings stupidity. A light cloud-soul brings clarity; a heavy white-soul brings darkness. A soaring cloud-soul is feathered; a dull white-soul is furred. A bright cloud-soul is spirit; a dark white-soul is ghost. Their form, their dwelling, their awareness, their inclinations — all correspond to the five phases. Only because the numbers of the five phases are uneven, the multitude of things fills heaven and earth and is still not exhausted. To attribute the five natures to the five phases, and the five phases to the five kinds of creature — words could never suffice! It is like divining with a tortoiseshell or counting yarrow stalks: when sincerity is perfect, the five phases respond. When sincerity falls short, no divination yields a single answer. The sage borrows things to wander through the world — the five phases cannot help but correspond."

Master Guanyin said: "All five possess cloud-soul. The cloud-soul is awareness. The eye gives essence; colour gives spirit; what sees them is cloud-soul. Ears, eyes, mouth, nose, heart-mind — all belong to this. In this life, love is the seed of the father of the next life; observation is the seed of the mother. Though love and observation differ, awareness is born — and the next life is born. In that next life, the father is first, so qi is received from the father, and qi is water. The mother is second, so blood is received from the mother, and blood is fire. With father and mother together, that life is born. Only when love has no awareness, like the closing of a lock; when observation has no awareness, like the shining of a lamp — then my awareness does not sprout, and my birth does not exist."

Master Guanyin said: "It is like a mallet striking a drum. The drum's form is my possession. The drum's sound is my response. The mallet has already passed — a lingering sound remains, but even that finally fades away. The drum's form is like my essence. The drum's sound is like my spirit. The lingering sound is like the cloud-soul and white-soul. Know that everything arrives and departs in a flash — then what do the five phases have to do with me?"

Master Guanyin said: "A fruit has a seed. It needs water, fire, and earth — all three present — before it can reproduce without end. Without all three — in great drought, great flood, or great barrenness — nothing can grow. Essence is water; spirit is fire; intention is earth. The three do not naturally mix — only people use their root to combine them, and so within that mixture affairs appear crosswise. It is like a sorcerer who can make many things appear from nothing at all."

Master Guanyin said: "The cloud-soul is wood. Wood is rooted in winter, which is water, and flowers in summer, which is fire. So a person's cloud-soul is stored in the night, which is essence, and manifests in the day, which is spirit. When it accords with essence, what one sees is private — for essence has never had another person. When it accords with spirit, what one sees is shared — for spirit has never had a self."

Master Guanyin said: "Know that this body is like a body in a dream, following feeling wherever it appears — and you can send your spirit flying to create a self that wanders in the Great Clarity. Know that these things are like things in a dream, following feeling wherever they appear — and you can concentrate your essence to create things and ride across the eight directions. This is the Way: those who can perceive essence and spirit gain long life; those who can forget essence and spirit transcend life. Inhaling qi to nourish essence is like gold generating water. Inhaling wind to nourish spirit is like wood generating fire. These borrow the outside to extend essence and spirit. Rinsing with water to nourish essence — essence never runs dry. Rubbing with fire to nourish spirit — spirit never runs dry. These borrow the inside to extend essence and spirit. As for forgetting essence and spirit to transcend life — I have already spoken of it."

Master Guanyin said: "The dung beetle rolls its ball. When the ball is complete, it concentrates its thought upon it, and a wriggling white grub appears within the ball. Soon it sheds the shell and becomes a cicada. If the beetle did not think, how would the grub become white?"

Master Guanyin said: "A cook boils a crab and forgets one leg on the table. The crab is already soup, yet the forgotten leg still moves. This shows that life and death are simply the gathering and scattering of one qi. There is no birth and no death — people merely calculate them crosswise and call them birth and death."

Master Guanyin said: "A person who is diligent in propriety prevents the spirit from roaming outward — this is how to gather spirit. A person who is diligent in wisdom prevents the essence from shifting outward — this is how to draw in essence. Benevolence is bright and yang — it can lighten the cloud-soul. Righteousness is dark and yin — it can govern the white-soul."

Master Guanyin said: "Some die standing; some die sitting; some die lying down; some die of illness; some die of medicine. All deaths are equal — there is no ranking. But the one who knows the Way does not see birth, and therefore does not see death."

Master Guanyin said: "Those who are weary of birth and death, and those who seek to transcend birth and death — both suffer from the same great affliction. Imagine a person made by transformation: if that person were weary of birth and death or wished to transcend it, he would merely be called a phantom, not one who has the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "Those who calculate about death say: after death there is existence. Or: after death there is nothing. Or: after death there is both existence and nothing. Or: after death there is neither existence nor nothing. Some say we should rejoice; some say we should fear; some say we should accept; some say we should transcend. The more they twist their awareness and feelings, the more they gallop without rest. They do not know that my birth and death are like a hand on a horse or wings on an ox — fundamentally there is no having, and again, no not-having. It is like water and fire: though you enter water and fire, they cannot drown you and cannot burn you."

V. Mirror — 五鑑

Master Guanyin said: "When the heart-mind is veiled by fortune and misfortune, spectral ghosts seize it. When veiled by lust, lustful ghosts seize it. When veiled by melancholy, drowning ghosts seize it. When veiled by reckless indulgence, manic ghosts seize it. When veiled by oaths and curses, uncanny ghosts seize it. When veiled by medicines and elixirs, material ghosts seize it. Such ghosts may take shade for a body, or darkness; wind for a body, or breath; a clay idol for a body, or a painted image; an old beast for a body, or a broken vessel. When that essence meets this essence, two essences clasp, and spirit responds. Those seized by ghosts may understand rare matters, strange matters, auspicious matters. Such people grow proud and say not 'a ghost is upon me' but 'the Way is upon me.' In time they die by tree, by metal, by rope, by well. Only the sage can spirit the spirit without being spirited by spirits. He commands all things and holds their mechanism. He can gather them, scatter them, govern them. Each day he responds to ten thousand things, yet his heart-mind is utterly still."

Master Guanyin said: "There is no single heart-mind: the five awarenesses race together and the heart-mind cannot be unified. There is no empty heart-mind: the five phases all dwell within and the heart-mind cannot be emptied. There is no still heart-mind: all transformations move in secret and the heart-mind cannot be stilled. If you could unify it, duality would pair it. If you could empty it, fullness would fill it. If you could still it, motion would shake it. Only the sage can gather all that exists into a single breath — and not one thing can command his clarity. He can scatter a single breath into all that exists — and not one thing can interrupt his work."

Master Guanyin said: "A fire of a thousand years can be extinguished in an instant. An awareness of a thousand years can be removed in an instant."

Master Guanyin said: "What flows is a boat; what makes it flow is the water, not the boat. What carries is a cart; what makes it carry is the ox, not the cart. What thinks is the heart-mind; what makes it think is intention, not the heart-mind. I do not know why it is so — yet it is so. Because I do not know why it is so yet it is so, its coming has no origin and its going has no place. Because its coming has no origin and its going has no place, it can share the original source with heaven and earth — not ancient, not modern."

Master Guanyin said: "Know the heart-mind has no things, and you will know things have no things. Know things have no things, and you will know the Way has no things. Know the Way has no things — then do not revere extraordinary conduct, do not marvel at subtle words."

Master Guanyin said: "When things meet the self, the heart-mind is born; when two sticks rub, fire is born. You cannot say it is in me; you cannot say it is in the other. You cannot say it is not in me; you cannot say it is not in the other. To seize upon self and other — that is foolish."

Master Guanyin said: "Do not rely on what you call profit, harm, right, and wrong. What you call profit, harm, right, and wrong — have they truly captured profit, harm, right, and wrong? The sage does not even know or recognise — how much less can you!"

Master Guanyin said: "What the night's dream lasts may be longer than the night — the heart-mind has no time. One born in Qi sees only the state of Qi; then travelling to Song, Wei, Jin, and Chu, the heart-mind's contents differ in each place — the heart-mind has no direction."

Master Guanyin said: "The one who is good at archery takes the bow as teacher, not the legendary Yi. The one who is good at boats takes the boat as teacher, not the legendary Ao. The one who is good at the heart-mind takes the heart-mind as teacher, not the sage."

Master Guanyin said: "Right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, success and failure, fullness and emptiness — the creator of things turns them. All exist because private awareness seizes on them. Attempt to dismiss them with nothing — they persist. Attempt to dismiss them with neither-being-nor-nothing — they persist. Say there is nothing left, say everything is merged — they persist. It is like revisiting a place once seen: the memory is vivid. This cannot be forgotten, cannot be dismissed."

Master Guanyin said: "The one who is good at removing awareness transforms awareness into wisdom. Do you understand how to transform awareness into wisdom? Consider imagination: thinking of a ghost, the heart-mind shivers; thinking of a thief, the heart-mind panics — this is imagination. Consider awareness: mistaking millet for grain, mistaking jade for stone — floating and drifting with no ground beneath — this is awareness. Seeing a rare thing, a rare image arises, and a rare awareness is born. This image and this awareness have no root in me. Today is today, nothing more. Tomorrow's images and awareness cannot yet be reckoned. And when tomorrow comes, images and awareness spring from conditions. Image and awareness are like the rhinoceros looking at the moon — the moon's form enters the horn. The form only exists because of awareness. But the real moon was never in the horn. The heaven, earth, and ten thousand things within your breast are the same. Know this, and you see no things outside and no feelings inside."

Master Guanyin said: "Things are born from earth and in the end return to earth. Affairs are born from intention and in the end return to intention. Know that there is only intention — then you affirm something for a moment and deny it the next; approve it for a moment and condemn it the next. Intention changes, but the heart-mind does not change. Intention is aware, but the heart-mind is unaware. There is only the one heart-mind — and intention is dust going and coming; affairs are flashes arising and vanishing. My heart-mind holds a great constancy."

Master Guanyin said: "Feelings are born from the heart-mind; the heart-mind is born from nature. Feelings are waves; the heart-mind is a stream; nature is water. What comes to me, even for a moment as brief as a spark — if I receive it with nature, then the heart-mind does not produce things, and everything floats gently."

Master Guanyin said: "Wise and foolish, true and false — some recognise them, some do not. Though there may be real wisdom and real foolishness, real truth and real falsity, the one who calls them wise, foolish, true, or false is only my own awareness striking. Know that all are made by awareness, and even what is true becomes false."

Master Guanyin said: "The heart-mind responds to things: it does not produce the heart-mind, it produces feelings. Things encounter the heart-mind: they do not produce things, they produce awareness. Things are not even real — how much less awareness? Awareness is not even real — how much less feelings? Yet the deluded person, from the midst of absolute nothing, seizes what he calls existence. From the midst of absolute change, seizes what he calls permanence. One feeling claims it, and it accumulates into ten thousand feelings. Ten thousand feelings claim them, and they accumulate into ten thousand things. Things come without end; my heart-mind has a boundary. So my true heart-mind is ruled by feelings, and my original feelings are ruled by things. You can send them away, you can summon them back — yet their coming and going were never in me. Creation commands them ceaselessly. But you do not know: though heaven and earth are vast, they can only command what has form, not what is formless. Though yin and yang are subtle, they can only command what has qi, not what is without qi. Where the heart-mind goes, qi follows. Where qi goes, form responds. It is like the great void: within one qi, all things are born. But that one qi is not called the great void. My one heart-mind can become qi, can become form — yet my heart-mind has no qi, no form. Know that my one heart-mind has no qi, no form — and heaven, earth, yin, and yang cannot command it."

Master Guanyin said: "On an ordinary day, the eye suddenly sees an uncanny thing — this is because the essence has knotted and made it so. On a sick day, the eye suddenly sees an uncanny thing — this is because the heart-mind has a deficiency and made it so. If you know that your heart-mind can manifest what exists from nothing, then you know it can manifest nothing from what exists. Simply do not believe in it, and it naturally loses its power. Someone may say: once awareness is darkened, who can not believe? I answer: like a snake-charmer whose heart-mind does not fear snakes — even when he dreams of snakes, he feels no terror. Therefore the Yellow Emperor said: the Way has no ghosts or spirits; it walks alone and comes alone."

Master Guanyin said: "My thoughts and ponderings change daily — something directs them, yet it is not me; it is fate. If you know it is only fate, you see no self outside, no heart-mind inside."

Master Guanyin said: "It is like two eyes that can see all of heaven, earth, and the ten thousand things. Turn the light inward for a moment — and nothing is seen at all."

Master Guanyin said: "The eye that gazes at carved ornaments — sight grows more injured. The ear that hears clashing sounds — hearing grows more injured. The heart-mind that ponders subtle marvels — the heart-mind grows more injured."

Master Guanyin said: "Do not measure others by your own heart-mind. Measure others by their own heart-mind. Know this, and you can accomplish affairs, you can practise virtue, you can penetrate the Way, you can meet people, you can forget yourself."

Master Guanyin said: "Among all the principles of the world: if you do not govern the small, it grows large. If you do not govern the large, it becomes ungovernable. Therefore the one who can govern a single feeling can perfect his virtue. The one who can forget a single feeling can join the Way."

VI. Spoon — 六匕

Master Guanyin said: "People of the world distinguish self from other by saying: my thoughts differ from your thoughts, your thoughts differ from mine. But in a dream, the dream-people also think their thoughts differ from mine and mine from theirs. Which is self? Which is other? People distinguish self from other by saying: my pain differs from your pain, your pain differs from mine. But in a dream, the dream-people also feel their pain differs from mine and mine from theirs. Which is self? Which is other? Nails and hair feel no pain; hands and feet do not think — yet they too are me. Shall we separate them by thought and pain? People say what is seen by one alone is a dream, and what is seen by many together is waking. But there are times when one person alone sees things in daylight — the essence having knotted. And there are times when two people share the same dream at night — their spirits having merged. Both arise from my own essence and spirit. Which is dream? Which is waking? People say what is seen briefly is a dream, and what is seen for a long time is waking. But what is seen briefly is just yin and yang qi; what is seen for a long time is also yin and yang qi. Both arise from my own yin and yang. Which is dream? Which is waking?"

Master Guanyin said: "The one who loves benevolence dreams often of pine, cypress, peach, and plum. The one who loves righteousness dreams often of blades, swords, gold, and iron. The one who loves propriety dreams often of ritual vessels, offering bowls, and platters. The one who loves wisdom dreams often of rivers, lakes, streams, and marshes. The one who loves faithfulness dreams often of mountains, peaks, plains, and fields. Ruled by the five phases — it is always so. Yet in a dream, if you happen to hear of some affair or think of some affair, the dream shifts accordingly — the five phases cannot constrain it. The sage responds to things with the heart-mind and governs the heart-mind with nature. Then the heart-mind equals creation — and the five phases cannot constrain it."

Master Guanyin said: "You see a being with a snake's head and a human body; another with a bull's arms and fish scales; another with a ghostly form and bird wings — do not be amazed. This strangeness does not compare with dreams; the strangeness of dreams does not compare with waking. Having ears, eyes, hands, arms — that is even stranger. Great speech cannot speak; great wisdom cannot think."

Master Guanyin said: "Someone asked me: 'What is your clan? What is your name? Your courtesy name? What do you eat, what do you wear? Who are your friends, your servants? What lute, what books? What past, what present?' I was silent and did not answer a single word. The person pressed me endlessly. I could not help myself, and answered: 'I have not yet even seen myself — what could there be that is mine?'"

Master Guanyin said: "Form can be divided and combined, extended and hidden. One man and one woman can produce two children — form can be divided. One man and one woman, two people produce one child — form can be combined. Eating sesame brings longevity — form can be extended. On a moonless, fireless night, no one sees me — form can be hidden. By one qi all things are produced; like cut hair that can be reattached — this is how to divide form. By one qi all things are merged; like a split lip that can be mended — this is how to combine form. By storing spirit in qi and qi in form — this is how to extend form. By merging form into spirit and spirit into nothing — this is how to hide form. Do you wish to know this? Do you wish to do it?"

Master Guanyin said: "There is nothing that cannot be seen — then nothing is not my seeing. There is nothing that cannot be heard — then nothing is not my hearing. The five substances can nourish the form — then nothing is not my form. The five flavours can nourish the qi — then nothing is not my qi. Therefore my form and my qi are heaven, earth, and all things."

Master Guanyin said: "The ploughman who works with oxen grows rough. The hunter who works with tigers grows brave. The fisherman who works with water grows calm. The soldier who works with horses grows hardy. All things can become me. Within my own body, inside, nematodes and roundworms transform; outside, lice and fleas breed. A growth becomes tortoise or fish; a fistula becomes rat or ant. I can become all things."

Master Guanyin said: "My being myself is like gold in ashes — not like gold in ore or sand. Break the ore and you find gold. Wash the sand and you find gold. But scatter ashes — you will never in your whole life find gold."

Master Guanyin said: "A single bee, small as it is, can roam and observe all of heaven and earth. A single shrimp, small as it is, can range freely through the great ocean."

Master Guanyin said: "When clay figures are made, there are nobles and commoners, gentlemen and ladies. But their substance is clay, their core is clay. People!"

Master Guanyin said: "The eye looks at itself — the eye has no colour. The ear listens to itself — the ear has no sound. The tongue tastes itself — the tongue has no flavour. The heart-mind measures itself — the heart-mind has no thing. Common people chase after the outer. Worthy people grasp the inner. The sage considers both false."

Master Guanyin said: "My body is the qi of the five phases, and the nature of the five phases is a single thing. Take a single place: you can draw water from it, strike fire from it, grow wood from it, congeal gold from it, transform earth from it. Its nature holds all without distinction. When feathered creatures abound, furred creatures do not thrive. When furred creatures abound, scaled creatures do not thrive. Know the five phases in their interplay — and you can forget the self."

Master Guanyin said: "A dead tortoise has no self — yet it can reveal great knowledge. A lodestone has no self — yet it can reveal great power. A bell and drum have no self — yet they can reveal great sound. A boat and cart have no self — yet they can reveal far-reaching travel. My single body may have wisdom, power, motion, and sound — yet it has never had a self."

Master Guanyin said: "The water-spirit shoots at shadows and can destroy me. Know that what lacks awareness is also me — then everywhere under heaven, I am present without exception."

Master Guanyin said: "When the heart-mind dwells on desire, one forgets hunger. When the heart-mind dwells on anger, one forgets cold. When the heart-mind dwells on nourishment, one forgets illness. When the heart-mind dwells on passion, one forgets pain. If you inhale qi to nourish harmony — what can make you hungry? If you store spirit to nourish warmth — what can make you cold? If you nourish the five organs by the five phases — no injury is possible; what can make you ill? If you return the five organs to the five phases — no awareness is possible; what can cause you pain?"

Master Guanyin said: "Do not think that those who have no knowledge and no action are without self. Even with knowledge and action, the self is not harmed. Consider fire: restless and ceaseless, it has never had a self."

VII. Cauldron — 七釜

Master Guanyin said: "The one who attains the Way in its eminence can assist the world. The one who attains the Way in its solitude can establish the self. The one who knows the Way is not bound by time can make one day into a hundred years, or a hundred years into one day. The one who knows the Way is not blocked by space can make one mile into a hundred miles, or a hundred miles into one mile. The one who knows the Way has no qi yet moves the qi that exists can summon wind and rain. The one who knows the Way has no form yet transforms what has form can change into birds and beasts. The one who attains the Way in its clarity — nothing can encumber him, the body grows light; he may ride the phoenix and crane. The one who attains the Way in its wholeness — nothing can drown him, the body grows dark; he may sit upon the whale and the sea-serpent. What exists is what does not exist; what does not exist is what exists — know this and you can command ghosts and spirits. What is solid is what is empty; what is empty is what is solid — know this and you can enter gold and stone. What is above is what is below; what is below is what is above — know this and you can attend the stars. What is ancient is what is present; what is present is what is ancient — know this and you can divine with tortoise and yarrow. Others are myself; I am others — know this and you can see into another person's lungs and liver. Things are myself; I am things — know this and you can bring forth the dragon and tiger within your belly. Know that images change according to the heart-mind, and by this observe the heart-mind — you can create the infant girl. Know that qi is born from the heart-mind, and by this draw in the spirit — you can create the furnace and crucible. With this, overcome things — and tigers and leopards submit. With this, become things — and water and fire may be entered. Only the one who has the Way can do all this — and also, having the power, choose not to do it."

Master Guanyin said: "The power of human beings can seize from heaven and earth the work of creation: raising thunder in winter, making ice in summer, making a dead corpse walk, making a withered tree bloom, capturing ghosts in a bean, fishing in a cup, opening a painted door, making a clay ghost speak. All of these are the work of pure qi — and so it can transform all things. Our ordinary feelings that churn without ceasing are also the work of qi. But the nature of qi is to gather and scatter. The way I cultivate qi has never gathered, has never scattered. What gathers is born; what scatters dies. What has never gathered and never scattered has no birth and no death. Guests come and go, but the inn stays as it was."

Master Guanyin said: "Some chant spells; some serve spirits; some use ink-written characters; some use hand-signs. All of these can command spirits, direct qi, and transform the ten thousand things. But those who are not sincere find it hard to believe in themselves, and easy to believe in external things — so they use these as crutches. If you know that only sincerity matters, there are results that come without any of these."

Master Guanyin said: "In one breath and one heartbeat, a person travels forty thousand miles. Transformation can be called swift. Only the sage neither preserves nor transforms."

Master Guanyin said: "The blue phoenix lives a thousand years and transforms every thousand years. The peach seed holds five offices and its heart-mind transforms five times. The sage receives affairs and releases things — does he not wish to establish something in the world? But form and number terrify him — he fears transformations that cannot be foreseen."

Master Guanyin said: "All things change and shift, appearing and disappearing in turn — yet qi is one and that is all. Only the sage knows the one and does not change."

Master Guanyin said: "The growth of nails, the lengthening of hair, the circulation of blood and nourishment — none pause for an instant. Common people only notice the obvious; they cannot perceive the subtle. The sage yields to transformation — and therefore does not transform."

Master Guanyin said: "Within a room you have seen and heard what you have seen and heard. Then you go to the door, to the neighbours, to the village, to the district, to the outskirts, to the mountains, to the rivers — and what you see and hear differs in each place. Liking and disliking follow; contention and harmony arise; gain and loss take shape. Therefore the sage is careful in every movement and stillness."

Master Guanyin said: "Consider the great ocean: it transforms into hundreds of millions of serpent-dragons and fish. But the water is one, and that is all. I and all things — lush and tangled, there in the midst of the great transformation — yet nature is one, and that is all. Know that nature is one: there is no other, no self, no death, no birth."

Master Guanyin said: "Among the principles of the world: what is right may transform into wrong; what is wrong may transform into right. Kindness may transform into enmity; enmity may transform into kindness. Therefore the sage dwells in the ordinary and anticipates change."

Master Guanyin said: "In youth, one should wear the teachings of one's father and elders. In prime, one should heed the counsel of one's friends. In old age, one should be wary of the advice of the young. Let all transformation move — it cannot trap me."

Master Guanyin said: "Among the principles of the world, what is light transforms easily; what is heavy transforms with difficulty. Wind and cloud vanish in an instant; but the nature of gold and jade endures unchanged through ages. The person who is light and bright can transform together with creation without clinging — and perhaps there is something that has already been transformed and abides."

Master Guanyin said: "Two children who are fond of each other — when they grow up and meet again, they do not recognise each other. Two adults who are fond of each other — when they grow old and meet again, they do not recognise each other. It is like the transformation of sparrow into pigeon and pigeon into goose — there is no past, no present."

VIII. Tally-Stick — 八籌

Master Guanyin said: "The ancients who were skilled at casting the yarrow and cracking the tortoiseshell could show the ancient within the present and the present within the ancient, the high within the low and the low within the high, the small within the great and the great within the small, the one within the many and the many within the one, the human within the thing and the thing within the human, the self within the other and the other within the self. This is the Way: its coming has no present; its going has no past. Its height has no roof; its depth has no floor. Its greatness has no outside; its smallness has no inside. Its exterior has no thing; its interior has no person. Its nearness has no self; its distance has no other. It cannot be split; it cannot be joined; it cannot be compared; it cannot be thought. Only in its wholeness is it called the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "Water hides, and so it brews the five essences. Fire soars, and so it releases the five scents. Wood flourishes, and so it blooms into the five colours. Gold endures, and so it solidifies into the five sounds. Earth harmonises, and so it nourishes the five flavours. Their constants are five; their variations are beyond count. Their substances are five; their mixtures are beyond count. Then among all things between heaven and earth, you cannot insist they are ten thousand, cannot insist they are five, cannot insist they are one. You cannot insist they are not ten thousand, not five, not one. Whether you join them or separate them — by form, by number, by qi — you only weary yourself. Things do not know me; I do not know things."

Master Guanyin said: "Within my heart-mind I can create all things. For the heart-mind has a direction, and love follows it; love follows, and essence follows. When the heart-mind holds a knot, it first congeals into water. The heart-mind craves a thing and saliva flows; the heart-mind grieves a thing and tears flow; the heart-mind is ashamed of a thing and sweat flows. No instant does not endure; no enduring thing does not transform. Water gives birth to wood; wood gives birth to fire; fire gives birth to earth; earth gives birth to gold; gold gives birth to water. Attacking and overcoming each other without end. The infant boy and the maiden, the golden tower and the crimson palace, the azure dragon and the white tiger, the jeweled cauldron and the red furnace — all are this. But there is something that is not this, and it abides."

Master Guanyin said: "Birds and beasts now cry 'youyou,' now pace 'xunxun,' now flee in terror. Grasses and trees now sprout, now rest, now wither. Heaven and earth cannot keep them; the sage cannot hold them. Something that turns them exists, and that is all. The having is on that side; the not-having is on this side — a drum without a mallet does not sound. The pair is on that side; the single is on this side — a mallet without a hand does not strike."

Master Guanyin said: "With one single thing, all people are confused by its name: they see the thing, not the Way. The worthy person analyses its principle: he sees the Way, not the thing. The sage harmonises with its heaven: he sees neither Way nor thing. One Way is all Way. Do not seize it, and it is the Way. Seize it, and it is a thing."

Master Guanyin said: "The one who knows that things are false need not remove things. It is like seeing a clay ox or a wooden horse: though the awareness registers 'ox' and 'horse,' the heart-mind has already forgotten the reality of ox and horse."

IX. Remedy — 九藥

Master Guanyin said: "Do not think small affairs beneath you — a small leak sinks a boat. Do not think small creatures beneath you — a small insect can poison a body. Do not think small people beneath you — a small person can ruin a nation. Master the small affairs, and only then can you accomplish the great. Gather the small things, and only then can you build the great. Treat the small person well, and only then can you meet the great. Heaven has nothing that can be guaranteed to people, and people have nothing that can guarantee affairs. Only release affairs and leave people behind — then I am in myself. Only whatever fits, fits. Do not, when you should bind, think loafing will do. Do not, when you should guard, think indulgence will do. Do not, when you should work, think laziness will do."

Master Guanyin said: "At the extremity of wisdom, you know that wisdom cannot encompass things — and so you become foolish. At the extremity of eloquence, you know that eloquence cannot communicate things — and so you fall silent. At the extremity of courage, you know that courage cannot overcome things — and so you become timid."

Master Guanyin said: "Heaven, earth, and all things — not one thing is truly mine. Things are not me, yet I cannot help but respond to them. I am not me, yet I cannot help but nourish myself. Though I respond to things, there have never been things. Though I nourish myself, there has never been a self. Do not say: first remove things, then remove self. Do not say: first remove form, then remove the heart-mind. The Way is one, and that is all. It cannot be approached in sequence."

Master Guanyin said: "Those who scrutinise the tip of a hair cannot see the vastness of heaven and earth. Those who listen for the faintest sound cannot hear the crash of thunder. See the great, and you miss the small. See what is near, and you miss what is far. Hear the great, and you miss the small. Hear what is near, and you miss what is far. The sage sees nothing — and therefore sees everything. He hears nothing — and therefore hears everything."

Master Guanyin said: "What the eye sees is beyond counting, yet some love gold and some love jade — this is making one colour the eye. What the ear hears is beyond counting, yet some love the bell and some love the drum — this is making one sound the ear. Only the sage neither desires nor refuses nor settles."

Master Guanyin said: "The one who is good at the present can practise the ancient. The one who is good at the branch can establish the root."

Master Guanyin said: "Cunning defeats the thief and so can capture the thief. Courage defeats the tiger and so can capture the tiger. Overcome yourself, and only then can you perfect yourself. Overcome things, and only then can you benefit things. Forget the Way, and only then can you possess the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "A box too strong will be broken; the stiff will snap. A blade too sharp will be dulled; the keen edge will be blunted. The sacred phoenix, by being rarely seen, is held divine — the sage takes depth for his root. The musk deer, by leaving its scent behind, avoids the hunter — the sage takes restraint for his rule."

Master Guanyin said: "A bottle has two holes. Fill it with water and turn it upside down: block one hole and the water does not descend — for what does not rise cannot descend. A well may be a thousand fathoms deep, yet drawing from it, the water rises — for what does not descend cannot rise. Therefore the sage does not go before things."

Master Guanyin said: "When a person has made a mistake, though it is over, the harm from that mistake reaches him afterward. In time, people will quietly discuss it even before the mistake was made. Only by not relying on your own intelligence and borrowing the intelligence of others — by having no self and borrowing all the world's selves — can you practise this your whole life and never err."

Master Guanyin said: "The customs of past and present are not the same; the customs of east, west, north, and south are not the same; the good of one household, one person, is not the same. How can I cling to one rule and determine all future ages? Only by following the customs of the time, anticipating events before they arise, releasing anger, blocking desire, simplifying affairs, forgiving people, weighing the light and heavy before acting — naturally you will accord with spirit beyond reckoning and join the Way beyond direction."

Master Guanyin said: "There is friendship through the Way, friendship through virtue, and friendship through affairs. Friendship through the Way is like that of father and child — it stands beyond right and wrong, beyond wise and foolish. Friendship through virtue enters right and wrong, wise and foolish — and so it sometimes joins and sometimes parts. Friendship through affairs: when joined, it parts."

Master Guanyin said: "Do not say clumsiness and coarseness are the substance of the Way and then delight in sharpness. Do not say dullness and obscurity are the darkness of the Way and then delight in brightness. Do not say arrogance and ease are the height of the Way and then delight in harmony. Do not say vagueness and boundlessness are the breadth of the Way and then delight in urgency. Do not say gloom and worry are the stillness of the Way and then delight in cheerfulness. The words of the ancients were studied much with many errors — they must be corrected."

Master Guanyin said: "You may not condemn the world and approve yourself. You may not demean others and exalt yourself. You may not slight and dismiss the Way of others to glorify your own. You may not slander the virtue of others to credit your own. You may not belittle the talent of others to flaunt your own."

Master Guanyin said: "What exhausts all the cleverness in the world is not cleverness but simplicity. What exhausts all the eloquence in the world is not eloquence but silence."

Master Guanyin said: "Heaven cannot make lotuses bloom in winter or chrysanthemums in spring — the sage does not oppose the season. The earth cannot grow tangerines in the north or badgers in the south — the sage does not oppose custom. The sage cannot make the hand walk or the foot grasp — the sage does not oppose what he is good at. The sage cannot make fish fly or birds run — the sage does not oppose what others are good at. Thus he can move and stop, hide and shine — only he cannot be confined. This is the Way."

Master Guanyin said: "Speak little, and you will not be resented. Act little, and you will not be faulted. Know little, and you will not be burdened. Have few abilities, and you will not be used."

Master Guanyin said: "Hold it in sincerity. Walk it in simplicity. Wait for it with forgiveness. Answer it with silence. My Way does not fail."

Master Guanyin said: "Plan your affairs; decide by principle; rely on others to act; rely on heaven to complete. Affairs take the present as teacher; principle takes the past as teacher. Affairs are shared with others; the Way is kept by oneself alone."

Master Guanyin said: "Gold and jade are hard to part with; earth and stone are easy to discard. Those who study the Way, encountering subtle words and marvellous conduct, must take care not to seize on them. These are things to practise, not to grasp. If you grasp them, they become a disease of the belly and heart-mind that no medicine can cure."

Master Guanyin said: "Those who are not clear about urgent matters and occupy themselves with many matters, others' matters, and exotic matters — hardship, disaster, and catastrophe will find them. They do not know that the Way is everywhere and you cannot abandon this to pursue that."

Master Guanyin said: "Among the principles of the world: to abandon the near and pursue the distant, abandon the root and pursue the branch, abandon the wise and pursue the foolish, abandon the close and pursue the far — this may last a moment, but not long. In time, harm will come."

Master Guanyin said: "In the past, those who discussed the Way called it frozen stillness, or fathomless depth, or pellucid clarity, or vacant sameness, or dark obscurity. Take care not to meet these words and recoil in dread. The ultimate principle of the world is in the end not a matter of words or concepts. If you know it is beyond words, beyond concepts — above even subtle words and marvellous concepts — then you meet my teaching."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage's great words are gold and jade. His small words are balloon-flower root and plantain seed. Used rightly, even balloon-flower and plantain give life. Used wrongly, even gold and jade bring death."

Master Guanyin said: "When someone discusses an affair, the first speaker sees profit, the second sees harm, the third sees either profit or harm, the fourth sees both profit and harm. One of these must be right. Yet the one who understands the Way does not speak."

Master Guanyin said: "An affair exists in a place; a spoken affair has a principle. The Way exists in no place; the spoken Way has no principle. Know that the spoken Way has no principle, and then every word is the Way. Not knowing that the spoken Way has no principle — even holding to the most perfect words, they become obstacles, they become veils."

Master Guanyin said: "Not trusting a foolish person is easy. Not trusting a worthy person is hard. Not trusting a worthy person is easy. Not trusting a sage is hard. Not trusting one sage is easy. Not trusting a thousand sages is hard. The one who does not trust a thousand sages: outside, he sees no person; inside, he sees no self; above, he sees no Way; below, he sees no affairs."

Master Guanyin said: "The sage speaks murkily — to make people deaf. The sage speaks darkly — to make people blind. The sage speaks heavily — to make people mute. Only the deaf do not hear sound. Only the blind do not see colour. Only the mute do not utter words. Not hearing sound: you do not hear the Way, do not hear affairs, do not hear the self. Not seeing colour: you do not see the Way, do not see affairs, do not see the self. Not uttering words: you do not speak the Way, do not speak affairs, do not speak the self."

Master Guanyin said: "People know that within false gain there is true loss, but do not know that within true gain there is also true loss. People know that within false rightness there is true wrongness, but do not know that within true rightness there is also true wrongness."

Master Guanyin said: "Speaking of the Way is like speaking of a dream. When someone speaks of a dream, he says: such-and-such gold and jade, such-and-such vessels, such-and-such birds and beasts. The speaker can speak of them but cannot take them out and give them. The listener can hear of them but cannot receive and possess them. Only the one who listens well does not cling and does not argue."

Master Guanyin said: "Round your Way. Square your virtue. Level your conduct. Sharp your affairs."

Colophon

The True Classic of Wenshi (文始真經, Wenshi Zhenjing) is a Daoist philosophical text attributed to Yin Xi (尹喜), the Guardian of Hangu Pass, and also known as the Guanyin Zi (關尹子, "Master Guanyin"). According to tradition, Yin Xi persuaded Laozi to write the Dao De Jing before his departure westward, and himself composed this text as a companion scripture. The historical Yin Xi is a legendary figure; the text as it survives was likely composed during the Tang dynasty and is preserved in the Orthodox Daoist Canon (正統道藏, Zhengtong Daozang, 1444 CE) as DZ 669.

The work comprises nine chapters, each named with a number and a governing metaphor: Space (宇), Pillar (柱), Ultimates (極), Tally (符), Mirror (鑑), Spoon (匕), Cauldron (釜), Tally-Stick (籌), and Remedy (藥). The nine chapters form a complete philosophical system moving from metaphysics through cosmology and psychology to practical ethics. The text is aphoristic — each passage opens with "Master Guanyin said" and delivers a compressed philosophical insight through paradox, metaphor, and direct assertion. The voice is closer to the Zhuangzi than to the Dao De Jing, with a distinctive concreteness: bowls and basins, drums and bells, archers and chess players, beetles and crabs, ploughmen and fishermen.

Good Works Translation from Classical Chinese by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated from the Sibu Congkan (四部叢刊) edition of the Wenshi Zhenjing, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project (ctext.org). No reference English translation was consulted. This translation is independently derived from the Classical Chinese.

Gospel register. 173 passages across nine chapters.

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Source Text: 文始真經

Classical Chinese source text from the Sibu Congkan (四部叢刊) edition, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project (ctext.org). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

一宇

关尹子曰：“非有道不可言，不可言即道；非有道不可思，不可思即道。天物怒流，人事错错然。若若乎回也，戛戛乎鬭也。勿勿乎似而非也。而争之，而介之；而哯之，而啧之；而去之，而要之。言之如吹影，思之如镂尘，圣智造迷，鬼神不识。惟不可为，不可致，不可测，不可分。故曰天、曰命、曰神、曰玄；合曰道。”

关尹子曰：“无一物非天，无一物非命，无一物非神，无一物非玄。物既如此，人岂不然？人皆可曰天，人皆可曰神，人皆可致命通玄。不可彼天，此非天；彼神，此非神；彼命，此非命；彼玄，此非玄。是以善吾道者，即一物中知天、尽神、致命、造玄。学之徇异，名析同实；得之契同，实忘异名。”

关尹子曰：“观道者如观水，以观沼为未足，则之河，之江，之海，曰：‘水至也。’殊不知我之津、液、涎、泪皆水。”

关尹子曰：“道无人。圣人不见甲是道，乙非道。道无我。圣人不见己进道，己退道。以不有道，故不无道；以不得道，故不失道。”

关尹子曰：“不知道，妄意卜者，如射覆盂：高之存金、存玉，中之存角、存羽，卑之存瓦、存石。是乎？非是乎？惟置物者知之。”

关尹子曰：“一陶能作万器，终无有一器能作陶者，能害陶者。一道能作万物，终无有一物能作道者，能害道者。”

关尹子曰：“道茫茫而无知乎？心傥傥而无羁乎？物迭迭而无非乎？电之逸乎？沙之飞乎？圣人以知：心一，物一，道一。三者、又合为一。不以一格不一，不以不一害一。”

关尹子曰：“以盆为沼，以石为岛，鱼环游之，不知其几千万里而不穷也。夫何故？水无源无归。圣人之道：本无首，末无尾，所以应物不穷。”

关尹子曰：“无爱道，爱者、水也；无观道，观者、火也；无逐道，逐者、木也；无言道，言者、金也；无思道，思者、土也。惟圣人不离本情，而登大道；心既未萌，道亦假之。”

关尹子曰：“重云蔽天，江湖黯然，游鱼茫然。忽望波明食动，幸赐于天，即而就之，渔钓毙焉。不知我无我而逐道者，亦然。”

关尹子曰：“方术之在天下多矣。或尚晦，或尚明；或尚强，或尚弱。执之皆事，不执之皆道。”

关尹子曰：“道终不可得，彼可得者，名德不名道；道终不可行，彼可行者，名行不名道。圣人以可得可行者，所以善吾生；以不可得、不可行者，所以善吾死。”

关尹子曰：“闻道之后，有所为、有所执者，所以之人；无所为、无所执者，所以之天。为者必败，执者必失；故闻道于朝，可死于夕。”

关尹子曰：“一情冥，为圣人；一情善，为贤人；一情恶，为小人。一情冥者、自有之无，不可得而示；一情善恶者、自无起有，不可得而秘。一情善恶为有知，惟动物有之。一情冥者为无知，溥天之下，道无不在。”

关尹子曰：“勿以圣人力行不怠，则曰道以勤成；勿以圣人坚守不易，则曰道以执得。圣人力行，犹之发矢，因彼而行，我不自行；圣人坚守，犹之握矢，因彼而守，我不自守。”

关尹子曰：“若以言行、学识求道，互相展转，无有得时。知言如泉鸣，知行如禽飞；知学如撷影；知识如计梦。一息不存，道将来契。”

关尹子曰：“以事建物则难，以道弃物则易。天下之物无不成之难而坏之易也。”

关尹子曰：“一灼之火，能烧万物；物亡而火何存？一息之道，能冥万物；物亡而道何在？”

关尹子曰：“人生在世。有生一日死者，有生十年死者，有生百年死者。一日死者，如一息得道；十年、百年死者，如历久得道。彼未死者，虽动作昭智，止名为生，不名为死；彼未契道者，虽动作昭智，止名为事，不名为道。”

关尹子曰：“不知吾道无言无行，而即有言有行者求道、忽遇异物，横执为道，殊不知舍源求流，无时得源；舍本就末，无时得本。”

关尹子曰：“习射、习御、习琴、习奕、终无一事可以一息得者。惟道无形无方，故可得之于一息。”

关尹子曰：“两人射，相遇则巧拙见；两人奕，相遇则胜负见；两人道，相遇则无可示。无可示者，无巧、无拙、无胜、无负。”

关尹子曰：“吾道如海：有亿万金，投之不见；有亿万石，投之不见；有亿万污秽，投之不见。能运小鰕、小鱼，能运大鲲、大鲸。合众水而受之，不为有馀；散众水而分之，不为不足。”

关尹子曰：“吾道如处暗。夫处明者，不见暗中一物，而处暗者，能见明中区事。”

关尹子曰：“小人之权，归于恶；君子之权，归于善；圣人之权，归于无所得。惟无所得，所以为道。”

关尹子曰：“吾道如剑：以刀割物，即利；以手握刃，即伤。”

关尹子曰：“笾不问豆，豆不荅笾；瓦不问石，石不荅瓦；道亦不失。问欤荅欤，一气往来，道何在？”

关尹子曰：“仰道者跂，如道者駸；皆知道之事，不知道之道。是以圣人不望道而歉，不恃道而丰；不惜道于圣，不贾道于愚。”

二柱

关尹子曰：“若椀若盂，若瓶若壼，若瓮若盎，皆能建天地；兆龟，数蓍，破瓦，文石，皆能告吉凶。是知天地万物成理，一物包焉。物物皆包之，各不相借。以我之精，合彼之精，两精相搏，而神应之。一雌一雄，卵生；一牡一牝，胎生。形者、彼之精，理者、彼之神。爱者、我之精，观者、我之神。爱为水，观为火。爱执而观，因之为水。观存而爱，摄之为金。先想乎一元之气，具乎一物，执爱之以合彼之形，冥观之以合彼之理，则象存焉。

“一运之象，周乎太空。自中而升为天，自中而降为地。无有升而不降；无有降而不升。升者为火，降者为水。欲升而不能升者为木，欲降而不能降者为金。

“木之为物，钻之得火，绞之得水。金之为物，击之得火，熔之得水。金木者、水火之交也，水为精为天，火为神为地，木为魂为人，金为魄为物。运而不已者为时，包而有在者为方。惟土终始之，有解之者，有示之者。”

关尹子曰：“天下之人，盖不可以亿兆计，人人之梦各异，夜夜之梦各异。有天、有地，有人、有物，皆思成之；盖不可以尘计。安知今之天地，非有思者乎？”

关尹子曰：“心应枣，肝应榆，我通天地。将阴梦水，将晴梦火，天地通我。我与天地，似契似离，纯纯各归。”

关尹子曰：“天地虽大，有色、有形，有数、有方。吾有非色、非形，非数、非方，而天天地地者存。”

关尹子曰：“死胎中者，死卵1中者，亦人亦物，天地虽大，彼固不知。计天地者，皆我区识。譬如手不触刃，刃不伤人。”

关尹子曰：“梦中、鉴中、水中，皆有天地存焉。欲去梦天地者，寝不寐；欲去鉴天地者，神不照；欲去水天地者，盎不汲。彼之有无，在此，不在彼。是以圣人不去天地，去识。”

关尹子曰：“天非自天，有为天者；地非自地，有为地者。譬如屋宇舟车，待人而成，彼不自成。知彼有待，知此无待。上不见天，下不见地；内不见我，外不见人。”

关尹子曰：“有时者气；彼非气者，未尝有昼夜。有方者形；彼非形者，未尝有南北。何谓非气？气之所自生者。如摇箑得风，彼未摇时，非风之气；彼已摇时，即名为气。何谓非形？形之所自生者。如钻木得火，彼未钻时，非火之形；彼已钻时，即名为形。”

关尹子曰：“寒暑温凉之变，如瓦石之类，置之火即热，置之水即寒；呵之即温，吸之即凉，特因外物，有去有来，而彼瓦石实无去来。譬如水中之影，有去有来，所谓水者，实无去来。”

关尹子曰：“衣摇空得风，气呵物得水，水注水即鸣，石击石即光。知此说者，风、雨、雷、电，皆可为之。盖风、雨、雷、电皆缘气而生，而气缘心生，犹如内想大火，久之觉热；内想大1水，久之觉寒。知此说者，天地之德，皆可同之。”

关尹子曰：“五云之变，可以卜当年之丰歉；八风之朝，可以卜当时之吉凶。是知休咎灾祥，一气之运耳。浑人我，同天地，而彼私智，认而已之。”

关尹子曰：“天地寓，万物寓，我寓，道寓。苟离于1寓，道亦不立。”

三極

关尹子曰：“圣人之治天下：不我贤愚，故因人之贤而贤之，因人之愚而愚之；不我是非，故因事之是而是之，因事之非而非之。知古今之大同，故或先古，或先今；知内外之大同，故或先内，或先外。天下之物，无得以累之，故本之以谦；天下之物，无得以外之，故含之以虚；天下之物，无得以难之，故行之以易；天下之物，无得以窒之，故变之以权。以此中天下，可以制礼；以此和天下，可以作乐；以此公天下，可以理财；以此周天下，可以御侮；以此因天下，可以立法；以此观天下，可以制器。圣人不以一己治天下，而以天下治天下。天下归功于圣人，圣人任功于天下。所以尧、舜、禹、汤之治天下，天下皆曰自然。”

关尹子曰：“天无不覆，有生有杀，而天无爱恶。日无不照，有妍有丑，而日无厚薄。”

关尹子曰：“圣人之道，天命，非圣人能自道。圣人之德，时苻，非圣人能自德。圣人之事，人为，非圣人能自事。是以圣人不有道，不有德，不有事。”

关尹子曰：“圣人知我无我，故同之以仁；知事无我，故权之以义；知心无我，故戒之以礼；知识无我，故照之以智。知言无我，故守之以信。”

关尹子曰：“圣人之道，或以仁为仁，或以义为仁，或以礼、以智、以信为仁。仁、义、礼、智、信，各兼五者；圣人一之不胶，天下名之不得。”

关尹子曰：“勿以行观圣人，道无迹；勿以言观圣人，道无言；勿以能观圣人，道无为；勿以貌观圣人，道无形。”

关尹子曰：“行虽至卓，不离高下；言虽至公，不离是非；能虽至神，不离巧拙；貌虽至殊，不离妍丑。圣人假此，以示天下。天下冥此，乃见圣人。”

关尹子曰：“圣人师蜂，立君臣；师蜘蛛，立网罟；师拱鼠，制礼；师战蚁，置兵。众人师贤人，贤人师圣人，圣人师万物。惟圣人同物，所以无我。”

关尹子曰：“圣人曰道。观天地人物皆吾道：倡和之，始终之，青黄之，卵翼之；不爱道，不弃物；不尊君子，不贱小人。贤人曰物。物物不同，旦旦去之，旦旦与之；短之，长之，直之，方之，是为物易也。殊不知圣人鄙杂厕，别分居，所以为人，不以此为己。”

关尹子曰：“圣人之于众人，饮食衣服同也，屋室舟车同也，富贵贫贱同也。众人每同圣人，圣人每同众人。彼仰其高、侈其大者，其然乎？其不然乎？”

关尹子曰：“鱼欲异群鱼，舍水跃岸即死；虎欲异群虎，舍山入市即擒。圣人不异众人，特物不能拘尔。”

关尹子曰：“道无作。以道应世者，是事非道。道无方。以道寓物者，是物非道。圣人竟不能出道以示人。”

关尹子曰：“如钟钟然，如钟鼓然，圣人之言则然。如车车然，如车舟然，圣人之行则然。惟莫能名，所以退天下之言；惟莫能知，所以夺天下之智。”

关尹子曰：“蝍蛆食蛇，蛇食哇，哇食蝍蛆，互相食也。圣人之言亦然，言有无之弊，又言非有非无之弊，又言去非有非无之弊；言之如引锯然。惟善圣者，不留一言。”

关尹子曰：“若龙、若蛟。若蛇、若龟、若鱼、若蛤，龙皆能之，蛟、蛟而已，不能为龙，亦不能为蛇、为龟、为鱼、为蛤。圣人龙之，贤人蛟之。”

关尹子曰：“在己无居，形物自著；其动若水，其静若镜，其应若响。芒乎若亡，寂乎若清。同焉者和，得焉者失。未尝先人而尝随人。”

关尹子曰：“浑乎洋乎！游太初乎！时金已，时玉已；时粪已，时土已。时翔物，时逐物，时山物，时渊物。端乎权乎！狂乎愚乎！”

关尹子曰：“人之善琴者，有悲心，则声凄凄然；有思心，则声迟迟然；有怨心，则心回回然；有慕心，则声裴裴然。所以悲、思、怨、慕者，非手，非竹，非丝，非桐；得之心，苻之手；得之手，苻之物。人之有道者，莫不中道。”

关尹子曰：“圣人以有言、有为、有思者，所以同乎人；未尝言、未尝为、未尝思者，所以异乎人。”

关尹子曰：“利害心愈明，则亲不睦；贤愚心愈明，则友不交；是非心愈明，则事不成；好丑心愈明，则物不契；是以圣人浑之。”

关尹子曰：“世之愚拙者，妄援圣人之愚拙自解，殊不知圣人时愚、时明，时拙、时巧。”

关尹子曰：“以圣师圣者，贤人；以贤师圣者，圣人。盖以圣师圣者，徇迹而忘道。以贤师圣者，反迹而合道。”

关尹子曰：“贤人趋上而不见下，众人趋下而不见上。圣人通乎上下，惟其宜之；岂曰离贤人、众人，别有圣人哉。”

关尹子曰：“天下之理：夫者倡，妇者随；牡者驰，牝者逐；雄者鸣，雌者应。是以圣人制言行，而贤人拘之。”

关尹子曰：“圣人道虽虎变，事则鳖行；道虽丝纷，事则棊布。”

关尹子曰：“所谓圣人之道者，胡然孑孑尔，胡然彻彻尔，胡然唐唐尔，胡然臧臧尔。惟其能偏偶万物，而无一物能偶之，故能贵万物。”

关尹子曰：“云之卷舒，禽之飞翔，皆在虚空中，所以变化不穷。圣人之道则然。”

四符

关尹子曰：“水可析可合，精、无人也。火因膏因薪、神、无我也。故耳蔽前后皆可闻，无人；智崇、无人；一奇、无人；冬凋秋物，无人；黑不可变，无人；北寿，无人；皆精。舌即齿牙，成言，无我；礼卑，无我；二偶，无我；夏因春物，无我；赤可变，无我；南夭，无我；皆神。以精无我，故米去壳，则精存；以神无我，故鬼凭物，则神见。全精者、忘是非，忘得失；在此者非彼。抱神者，时晦明，时强弱；在彼者非此。”

关尹子曰：“精、神，水、火也，五行互生灭之，其来无首，其往无尾。则吾之精，一滴无存亡尔；吾之神，一欻无起灭尔。惟无我无人，无首无尾，所以与天地冥。”

关尹子曰：“精者水，魄者金，神者火，魂者木。精主水，魄主金，金生水，故精者、魄藏之。神主火，魄主木，木生火，故神者、魂藏之。惟火之为物，能熔金而销之，能燔木而烧之；所以冥魂魄。惟精在天为寒，在地为水，在人为精；神在天为热，在地为火，在人为神；魄在天为燥，在地为金，在人为魄；魂在天为风，在地为木，在人为魂。惟以我之精，合天地万物之精，譬如万水可合为一水；以我之神，合天地万物之神，譬如万火，可合为一火；以我之魄，合天地万物之魄，譬如金之为物，可合异金而熔之为一金；以我之魂，合天地万物之魂，譬如木之为物，可接异木而生之为一木，则天地万物，皆吾精、吾神、吾魄、吾魂。何者死？何者生？”

关尹子曰：“五行之运：因精有魂，因魂有神，因神有意，因意有魄，因魄有精。五行回环不已，所以我之伪心流转造化，几亿万岁，未有穷极。然核芽相生，不知其几万株；天地虽大，不能芽空中之核。雌卵相生，不知其几万禽；阴阳虽妙，不能卵无雄之雌。惟其来干我者，皆摄之以一息，则变物为我；无物非我。所谓五行者，孰能变之？”

关尹子曰：“众人以魄摄魂者，金有馀则木不足也。圣人以魂运魄者，木有馀则金不足也。盖魄之藏，魂俱之；魂之游，魄因之。魂昼寓目，魄夜舍肝。寓目能见，舍肝能梦。见者魂，无分别析之者。分别析之，曰天地者，魂狃习也。梦者魄，无分别析之者，分别析之，曰彼我者，魄狃习也。土生金，故意生魄。神之所动，不名神，名意；意之所动，不名意，名魄。惟圣人知我无我，知物无物，皆因思虑计之而有。是以万物之来，我皆对之以性，而不对之以心。性者、心未萌也，无心，则无意矣；盖无火则无土，无意则无魄矣。盖无土则无金，一者不存，五者皆废。既能浑天地万物以为魂，斯能浑天地万物以为魄。凡造化所妙，皆吾魂；凡造化所有，皆吾魄，则无有一物可役我者。”

关尹子曰：“鬼云为魂，鬼白为魄，于文则然。鬼者、人死所变，云者、风，风者、木；白者、气，气、者金。风散，故轻清；轻清者上天。金坚，故重浊；重浊者入地。轻清者，魄从魂升；重浊者，魂从魄降。有以仁升者，为木星佐；有以义升者，为金星佐；有以礼升者，为火星佐；有以智升者，为水星佐；有以信升者，为土星佐。有以不仁沉者，木贼之；不义沉者，金贼之；不礼沉者，火贼之；不智沉者，水贼之；不信沉者，土贼之。

“魂魄半之，则在人间。升魂为贵，降魄为贱；灵魂为贤，厉魂为愚；轻魂为明，重魄为暗，扬魂为羽，钝魄为毛；明魂为神，幽魄为鬼；其形其居，其识其好，皆以五行契之。惟五行之数参差不一，所以万物之多，盈天地间犹未已也。以五事归五行，以五行作五虫，可胜言哉！譬犹兆龟数蓍，至诚自契，五行应之。诚苟不至，兆之数之，无一应者。圣人假物以游世，五行不得不对。”

关尹子曰：“五者具有魂。魂者识，目者精，色者神，见之者为魂。耳、目、口、鼻、心之类。在此生者，爱为精，为彼生父本；观为神，为彼生母本。爱观虽异，识生。彼生生本，在彼生者，一为父，故受气于父，气为水；二为母，故受血于母，血为火。有父有母，彼生生矣。惟其爱之无识，如锁之交；观之无识，如灯之照。吾识不萌，吾生何有？”

关尹子曰：“如桴扣鼓。鼓之形者，我之有也；鼓之声者，我之感也。桴已往矣，馀声尚在，终亦不存而已矣。鼓之形，如我之精；鼓之声，如我之神；其馀声者，犹之魂魄。知夫倏往倏来，则五行之气，我何有焉？”

关尹子曰：“夫菓之有核，必待水、火、土三者具矣，然后相生不穷。三者不具，如大旱、大潦、大块，皆不足以生物。夫精、水，神、火，意、土，三者、本不交，惟人以根合之，故能于其中横见有事；犹如术呪者。能于至无中见多有事。”

关尹子曰：“魂者、木也，木根于冬、水，而华于夏、火。故人之魂藏于夜、精，而见于昼、神。合乎精，故所见我独；盖精未尝有人。合乎神，故所见人同；盖神未尝有我。”

关尹子曰：“知夫此身如梦中身随情所见者，可以飞神作我而游太清。知夫此物如梦中物随情所见者，可以凝精作物而驾八荒。是道也，能见精神而久生，能忘精神而超生。吸气以养精，如金生水；吸风以养神，如木生火；所以假外以延精神。漱水以养精，精之所以不穷；摩火以养神，神之所以不穷。所以假内以延精神。若夫忘精神而超生者，吾尝言之矣。”

关尹子曰：“蜣蜋转丸，丸成而精思之，而有蝡白者存丸中，俄去壳而蝉。彼蜣不思，彼蝡奚白？”

关尹子曰：“庖人羹蟹，遗一足几上，蟹已羹，而遗足尚动。是生死者，一气聚散尔。不生不死，而人横计曰生死。”

关尹子曰：“人勤于礼者，神不外驰；可以集神。人勤于智者，精不外移；可以摄精。仁则阳而明，可以轻魂；义则阴而冥，可以御魄。”

关尹子曰：“有死立者，有死坐者，有死卧者，有死病者，有死药者。等死，无甲乙之殊。若知道之士，不见生，故不见死。”

关尹子曰：“人之厌生死、超生死者，皆是大患也。譬如化人，若有厌生死心、超生死心，止名为妖，不名为道。”

关尹子曰：“计生死者，或曰死已、有；或曰死已、无；或曰死已、亦有亦无；或曰死已、不有不无；或曰当幸者；或曰当惧者；或曰当任者；或曰当超者。愈变识情，驰鹜不已。殊不知我之生死，如马之手，如牛之翼，本无有，复无无。譬如水火，虽犯水火，不能烧之，不能溺之。”

五鑑

关尹子曰：“心蔽吉凶者，灵鬼摄之；心蔽男女者，淫鬼摄之；心蔽幽忧者，沉鬼摄之；心蔽放逸者，狂鬼摄之；心蔽盟诅者，奇鬼摄之；心蔽药饵者，物鬼摄之。如是之鬼，或以阴为身，或以幽为身；或以风为身，或以气为身；或以土偶为身，或以彩画为身；或以老畜为身；或以败器为身。彼以其精，此以其精，两精相搏，则神应之。为鬼所摄者，或解奇事，或解异事，或解瑞事。其人傲然，不曰鬼于躬，惟曰道于躬；久之，或死木，或死金，或死绳，或死井。惟圣人能神神而不神于神，役万物而执其机。可以会之，可以散之，可以御之；日应万物，其心寂然。”

关尹子曰：“无一心：五识并驰，心不可一；无虚心，五行皆具，心不可虚；无静心：万化密移，心不可静。借能一则二偶之，借能虚则实满之，借能静则动摇之。惟圣人能敛万有于一息，无有一物可役吾之明彻，散一息于万有，无有一物可间吾之云为。”

关尹子曰：“火千年，俄可灭；识千年，俄可去。”

关尹子曰：“流者、舟也，所以流之者，是水、非舟。运者、车也，所以运之者，是牛、非车。思者、心也，所以思之者，是意、非心，不知所以然而然。惟不知所以然而然，故其来无从，其往无在。其来无从，其往无在，故能与天地本原，不古不今。”

关尹子曰：“知心无物，则知物无物；知物无物，则知道无物。知道无物，故不尊卓绝之行，不惊微妙之言。”

关尹子曰：“物我交，心生；两木摩，火生。不可谓之在我，不可谓之在彼；不可谓之非我，不可谓之非彼；执而彼我之，则愚。”

关尹子曰：“无恃尔所谓利、害、是、非。尔所谓利、害、是、非者，果得利、害、是、非之乎？圣人方且不识不知，而况于尔！”

关尹子曰：“夜之所梦，或长于夜，心无时。生于齐者，心之所见，皆齐国也；既而之宋、之魏、之晋、之，心之所存各异，心无方。”

关尹子曰：“善弓者、师弓，不师羿；善舟者、师舟，不师奡；善心者、师心，不师圣。”

关尹子曰：“是非、好丑、成败、盈虚，造物者运矣，皆因私识执之而有。于是以无遣之犹存，以非有、非无遣之犹存。无曰莫莫尔，无曰浑浑尔，犹存。譬犹昔游再到，记忆宛然。此不可忘、不可遣。

“善去识者，变识为智。变识为智之说，汝知之乎？曰：想如：思鬼心栗，思盗心怖。曰：识如：认黍为稷、认玉为石者，浮游罔象，无所底止。譬覩奇物，生奇物想，生奇物识；此想、此识，根不在我。譬如今日，今日而已；至于来日想、识，殊未可卜。及至来日，纷纷想、识，皆缘有生。曰想、曰识，譬犀望月，月形入角，特因识生，始有月形。而彼真月，初不在角。胸中之天地万物亦然。知此说者，外不见物，内不见情。”

关尹子曰：“物生于土，终变于土；事生于意，终变于意。知夫惟意，则俄是之，俄非之；俄善之，俄恶之。意有变，心无变；意有觉，心无觉。惟一我心，则意者、尘往来尔，事者、欻起灭尔。吾心有大常者存。”

关尹子曰：“情生于心，心生于性。情、波也，心、流也，性、水也。来于我者，如石火顷；以性受之，则心不生物，浮浮然。”

关尹子曰：“贤、愚、真、伪，有识者，有不识者。彼虽有贤、愚，彼虽有真、伪，而谓之贤、愚、真、伪者，击我之识。知夫皆识所成，故虽真者亦伪之。”

关尹子曰：“心感物，不生心，生情。物交心，不生物，生识。物尚非真，何况于识？识尚非真，何况于情？而彼妄人，子至无中，执以为有；于至变中，执以为常。一情认之，积为万情；万情认之，积为万物。物来无穷，我心有际；故我之良心，受制于情；我之本情，受制于物。可使之去，可使之来。而彼去来，初不在我。造化役之，固无休息。殊不知天地虽大，能役有形，而不能役无形；阴阳虽妙，能役有气，而不能役无气。心之所之，则气从之；气之所之，则形应之。犹如太虚，于一气中变成万物，而彼一气，不名太虚；我之一心，能变为气，能变为形，而我之心无气无形。知夫我之一心无气无形，则天地阴阳不能役之。”

关尹子曰：“人之平日，目忽见非常之物者，皆精有所结而使之然。人之病日，目忽见非常之物者，皆心有所歉而使之然。苟知吾心能于无中示有，则知吾心能于有中示无。但不信之，自然不神。或曰：厥识既昏，孰能不信？我应之曰：如捕蛇师，心不怖蛇；彼虽梦蛇，而不怖畏。故黄帝曰：道无鬼神，独往独来。”

关尹子曰：“我之思虑日变，有使之者，非我也，命也。苟知惟命，外不见我，内不见心。”

关尹子曰：“譬如两目，能见天地万物，暂时回光，一时不见。”

关尹子曰：“目视雕琢者，明愈伤；耳闻交响者，聪愈伤；心思玄妙者，心愈伤。”

关尹子曰：“勿以我心揆彼，当以彼心揆彼。知此说者，可以周事，可以行德，可以贯道，可以交人，可以忘我。”

关尹子曰：“天下之理，小不制，而至于大；大不制，而至于不可制。故能制一情者，可以成德；能忘一情者，可以契道。”

六匕

关尹子曰：“世之人以我思异彼思、彼思异我思分人我者，殊不知梦中人，亦我思异彼思，彼思异我思。孰为我？孰为人？世之人以我痛异彼痛、彼痛异我痛分人我者，殊不知梦中人，亦我痛异彼痛，彼痛异我痛。孰为我？孰为人？爪发不痛，手足不思，亦我也，岂可以思、痛异之？世之人以独见者为梦，同见者为觉，殊不知精之所结，亦有一人独见于昼者，神之所合，亦有两人同梦于夜者；二者皆我精神。孰为梦？孰为觉？世之人以暂见者为梦，久见者为觉，殊不知暂之所见者，阴阳之气；久之所见者，亦阴阳之气；二者皆我阴阳。孰为梦？孰为觉？”

关尹子曰：“好仁者多梦松、柏、桃、李，好义者多梦兵、刀、金、铁，好礼者多梦簠、簋、笾、豆，好智者多梦江、湖、川、泽，好信者多梦山、岳、原、野，役于五行，未有不然者。然梦中或闻某事，或思某事，梦亦随变，五行不可拘。圣人仰物以心，摄心以性，则心同造化，五行亦不可拘。”

关尹子曰：“汝见蛇首人身者，牛臂鱼鳞者，鬼形禽翼者，汝勿怪。此怪不及梦，梦怪不及觉。有耳有目，有手有臂，怪尤矣。大言不能言，大智不能思。”

关尹子曰：“有人问于我曰：‘尔族何氏？何名？何字？何食何衣？何友何仆？何琴何书？何古何今？’我时默然不对一字。或人扣之不已，我不得已而应之曰：‘尚自不见我，将何为我所！’”

关尹子曰：“形可分可合，可延可隐。一夫一妇，可生二子。形可分一夫一妇，二人成一子，形可合。食巨胜则寿，形可延。夜无月火，人不见我，形可隐。以一气生万物，犹弃发可换，所以分形。以一气合万物，犹破唇可补，所以合形。以神存气，以气存形，所以延形。合形于神，合神于无，所以隐形。汝欲知之乎？汝欲为之乎？”

关尹子曰：“无有一物不可见，则无一物非吾之见；无有一物不可闻，则无一物非吾之闻。五物可以养形，无一物非吾之形；五味可以养气，无一物非吾之气。是故吾之形气、天地万物。”

关尹子曰：“耕夫习牛则犷，猎夫习虎则勇，渔夫习水则沈，战夫习马则健，万物可为我。我之一身，内变蛲、蛔，外烝虱、蚤，瘕则龟、鱼，瘻则鼠、蚁。我可为万物。”

关尹子曰：“我之为我，如灰中金；而不若矿砂之金。破矿得金，淘沙得金。扬灰，终身无得金者。”

关尹子曰：“一蜂至微，亦能游观乎天地；一鰕至微，亦能放肆乎大海。”

关尹子曰：“土偶之成也，有贵有贱，有士有女；其质土，其怀土，人哉！”

关尹子曰：“目自观，目无色；耳自听，耳无声；舌自尝，舌无味；心自揆，心无物。众人逐于外，贤人执于内，圣人皆伪之。”

关尹子曰：“我身、五行之气，而五行之气，其性一物。借如一所，可以取水，可以取火，可以生木，可以凝金，可以变土。其性含摄，元无差殊。故羽虫盛者，毛虫不育；毛虫盛者，鳞虫不育。知五行互用者，可以忘我。”

关尹子曰：“枯龟无我，能见大知；磁石无我，能见大力；钟鼓无我，能见大音；舟车无我，能见远行。故我一身，虽有智、有力、有行、有音，未尝有我。”

关尹子曰：“蜮射影，能毙我。知夫无知者亦我，则溥天之下，我无不在。”

关尹子曰：“心忆者、犹忘饥，心忿者、犹忘寒，心养者、犹忘病，心激者、犹忘痛。苟吸气以养其和，孰能饥之？存神以滋其暖，孰能寒之？养五藏以五行，则无伤也，孰能病之？归五藏于五行，则无知也，孰则痛之？”

关尹子曰：“人无以无知、无为者为无我，虽有知、有为，不害其为无我。譬如火也，躁动不停，未尝有我。”

七釜

关尹子曰：“道本至无，以事归道者，得之一息。事本至有，以道运事者，周之百为。得道之尊者，可以辅世；得道之独者，可以立我。知道非时之所能拘者，能以一日为百年，能以百年为一日。知道非方之所能碍者，能以一里为百里，能以百里为一里。知道无气、能运有气者，可以召风雨；知道无形、能变有形者，可以易鸟兽。得道之清者，物莫能累，身轻矣；可以骑凤鹤。得道之浑者，物莫能溺，身冥矣；可以席蛟鲸。有即无，无即有；知此道者，可以制鬼神。实即虚，虚即实；知此道者，可以入金石。上即下，下即上；知此道者，可以侍星辰。古即今，今即古；知此道者，可以卜龟筮。人即我，我即人；知此道者，可以窥他人之肺肝。物即我，我即物；知此道者，可以成腹中之龙虎。知象由心变，以此观心，可以成女婴。知气由心生，以此吸神，可以成炉冶。以此胜物，虎豹可伏；以此同物，水火可入。惟有道之士能为之，亦能能之而不为之。”

关尹子曰：“人之力有可以夺天地造物者，如冬起雷，夏起冰，死尸能行，枯木能华，豆中摄鬼，杯中钓鱼，画门可开，土鬼可语，皆纯气所为，故能化万物。今之情情不停，亦气所为，而气之为物，有合有散。我之所以行气者，本未尝合，亦未尝散。有合者生，有散者死。彼未尝合，未尝散者，无生无死，客有去来，邮尝自若。”

关尹子曰：“有诵呪者，有事神者，有墨字者，有变指者，皆可以役神御气，变化万物。惟不诚之人难于自信，而易于信物。故假此为之。苟知惟诚，有不待彼而然者。”

关尹子曰：“人之一呼一吸，日行四十万里，化可谓速矣。惟圣人不存、不变。”

关尹子曰：“青鸾子千岁而千岁化；桃子五仕而心五化。圣人宾事去物，岂不欲建立于世哉？有形数者惧化之不可知也。”

关尹子曰：“万物变迁，虽互隐见，气一而已。惟圣人知一而不化。”

关尹子曰：“爪之生，发之长，荣卫之行，无顷刻止。众人皆见之于著，不能见之于微。圣人任化，所以不化。”

关尹子曰：“室中有尝见闻矣。既而之门，之邻，之里，之党；既而之郊，之山，之川，见闻各异；好恶随之，和竞从之，得失成之。是以圣人动止有戒。”

关尹子曰：“譬如大海，变化亿万蛟鱼，水、一而已。我之与物，蓊然蔚然，在大化中，性、一而已。知夫性一者，无人无我，无死无生。”

关尹子曰：“天下之理，是或化为非，非或化为是；恩或化为雠，雠或化为恩。是以圣人居常虑变。”

关尹子曰：“人之少也，当佩乎父兄之教；人之壮也，当达乎朋友之箴；人之老也，当警乎少壮之说。万化虽移，不能厄我。”

关尹子曰：“天下之理，轻者易化，重者难化。譬如风云，须臾变灭；金玉之性，历久不渝。人之轻明者，能与造化俱化而不留，殆有盖尝化者存。”

关尹子曰：“二幼相好，及其壮也，相遇则不相识。二壮相好，及其老也，相遇则不相识。如雀鸽雁鸠之化，无昔无今。”

八籌

关尹子曰：“古之善揲蓍灼龟者，能于今中示古，古中示今；高中示下，下中示高；小中示大，大中示小；一中示多，多中示一；人中示物，物中示人；我中示彼，彼中示我。是道也，其来无今，其往无古；其高无盖，其低无载；其大无外，其小无内；其外无物，其内无人；其近无我，其远无彼。不可析，不可合，不可喻，不可思。惟其浑沦，所以为道。”

关尹子曰：“水潜，故蕴为五精；火飞，故达为五臭；木茂，故华为五色；金坚，故实为五声；土和，故滋为五味。其常五，其变不可计；其物五，其杂不可计。然则万物在天地间，不可执谓之万，不可执谓之五，不可执谓之一；不可执谓之非万，不可执谓之非五，不可执谓之非一。或合之，或离之。以此必形，以此必数，以此必气。徒自劳尔！物不知我，我不知物。”

关尹子曰：“即吾心中，可作万物。盖心有所之，则爱从之；爱从之，则精从之。盖心有所结，先凝为水，心慕物，涎出；心悲物，泪出；心愧物，汗出。无暂而不久，无久而不变。水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金，金生水。相攻相克，不可胜数。婴儿、蘂女、金楼、绛宫、青蛟、白虎、宝鼎、红炉，皆此物。有非此物存者。”

关尹子曰：“鸟兽俄呦呦，俄旬旬，俄逃逃。草木俄茁茁，俄停停，俄萧萧。天地不能留，圣人不能系。有运者存焉尔。有之在彼，无之在此；鼓不桴，则不鸣。偶之在彼，奇之在此，桴不手，则不击。”

关尹子曰：“均一物也，众人惑其名，见物、不见道；贤人析其理，见道、不见物。圣人合其天，不见道，不见物。一道皆道，不执之即道，执之则物。”

关尹子曰：“知物之伪者，不必去物。譬如见土牛、木马，虽情存牛、马之名，而心忘牛、马之实。”

九藥

关尹子曰：“勿轻小事，小隙沉舟；勿轻小物，小虫毒身；勿轻小人，小人贼国。能周小事，然后能成大事；能积小物，然后能成大物；能善小人，然后能契大人。天既无可必者、人，人无能必者、事，惟去事离人，则我在我；惟可即可。未有当系，蕳可；当戒，忍可；当勤，隋可。”

关尹子曰：“智之极者，知智果不足以周物；故愚。辩之极者，知辩果不足以喻物；故讷。勇之极者，知勇果不足以胜物；故怯。”

关尹子曰：“天地万物，无一物是吾之物。物非我，物不得不应，我非我，我不得不养。虽应物，未尝有物；虽养我，未尝有我。勿曰外物，然后外我；勿曰外形，然后外心。道、一而已，不可序进。”

关尹子曰：“谛毫末者，不见天地之大；审小音者，不闻雷霆之声。见大者，亦不见小；见迩者，亦不见远；闻大者，亦不闻小；闻迩者，亦不闻远。圣人无所见，故能无不见；无所闻，故能无不闻。”

关尹子曰：“目之所见，不知其几何，或爱金，或爱玉，是执一色为目也。耳之所闻，不知其几何，或爱锺，或爱鼓，是执一声为耳也。惟圣人不慕之，不拒之，不处之。”

关尹子曰：“善今者、可以行古，善末者、可以立本。”

关尹子曰：“狡胜贼，能捕贼；勇胜虎，能捕虎；能克己，乃能成己；能胜物，乃能利物；能忘道，乃能有道。”

关尹子曰：“函坚，则物必毁之；刚斯折矣。刀利，则物必摧之；锐斯挫矣。威凤以难见为神，是以圣人以深为根；走麝以遗香不捕，是以圣人以约为纪。”

关尹子曰：“瓶有二窍，以水实之，倒泻闭一，则水不下，盖不升则不降。井虽千仞，汲之水上，盖不降则不升。是以圣人不先物。”

关尹子曰：“人之有失，虽已，受害于已失之后；久之，窃议于未失之前。惟其不恃己聪明，而兼人之聪明；惟其无我，而兼天下之我，终身行之，可以不失。”

关尹子曰：“古今之俗不同，东西南北之俗又不同，至于一家、一身之善又不同。吾岂执一，豫格后世哉？惟随时同俗，先机后事，捐忿塞欲，蕳物恕人，权其轻重而为之，自然合神不测，契道无方。”

关尹子曰：“有道交者，有德交者，有事交者。道交者、父子也，出于是非、贤愚之外，故道。德交者、则有是非贤愚矣，故或合或离。事交者、合则离。”

关尹子曰：“勿以拙陋曰道之质，当乐敏捷。勿以愚暗曰道之晦，当乐轻明。勿以傲易曰道之高，当乐和同。勿以汗漫曰道之广，当乐急要。勿以幽忧曰道之寂，当乐悦豫。古人之言，学之多弊，不可不救。”

关尹子曰：“不可非世，是己；不可卑人，尊己；不可以轻忽，道己；不可以讪谤，德己；不可以鄙猥，才己。”

关尹子曰：“困天下之智者，不在智，而在愚；穷天下之辩者，不在辩，而在讷。”

关尹子曰：“天不能冬莲春菊，是以圣人不违时；地不能洛橘汶貉，是以圣人不违俗。圣人不能使手步足握，是以圣人不违我所长。圣人不能使鱼飞鸟驰，是以圣人不违人所长。夫如是者可动、可止、可晦、可明，惟不可拘，所以为道。”

关尹子曰：“少言者，不为人所忌；少行者，不为人所短；少智者，不为人所劳；少能者，不为人所役。”

关尹子曰：“操之以诚，行之以蕳；待之以恕，应之以默。吾道不穷。”

关尹子曰：“谋之于事，断之于理，作之于人，成之于天。事、师于今，理、师于古；事、同于人，道、独于己。”

关尹子曰：“金玉难捐，土石易舍。学道之士，遇微言妙行，慎勿执之；是可为而不可执。若执之，则腹心之疾，无药可疗。”

关尹子曰：“人不明于急务，而从事于多务、他务、奇务者，穷困灾厄及之。殊不知道无不在，不可舍此就彼。”

关尹子曰：“天下之理，舍亲就踈，舍本就末，舍贤就愚，舍近就远，可暂而已。久则害生。”

关尹子曰：“昔之论道者，或曰凝寂，或曰邃深，或曰澄彻，或曰空同，或曰晦冥。慎勿遇此而生怖退。天下至理，竟非言意。苟知非言非意，在彼微言妙意之上，乃契吾说。”

关尹子曰：“圣人大言金玉，小言桔梗、芣苢。用之当，桔梗、芣苢生之；不当，金玉毙之。”

关尹子曰：“言某事者，甲言利，乙言害，丙言或利或害，丁言俱利俱害。必居一于此矣。喻道者不言。”

关尹子曰：“事有在，事言有理。道无在，道言无理。知言无理，则言言皆道。不知言无理，虽执至言，为梗为翳。”

关尹子曰：“不信愚人易，不信贤人难；不信贤人易，不信圣人难；不信一圣人易，不信千圣人难。夫不信千圣人者，外不见人，内不见我，上不见道，下不见事。”

关尹子曰：“圣人言蒙蒙，所以使人聋；圣人言冥冥，所以使人盲；圣人言沈沈，所以使人喑。惟聋、则不闻声，惟盲、则不见色，惟喑、则不音言。不闻声者，不闻道，不闻事，不闻我；不见色者，不见道，不见事，不见我；不音言者，不言道，不言事，不言我。”

关尹子曰：“人徒知伪得之中有真失，殊不知真得之中有真失；徒知伪是之中有真非，殊不知真是之中有真非。”

关尹子曰：“言道者如言梦。夫言梦者曰：如此金玉，如此器皿，如此禽兽。言者能言之，不能取而与之；听者能闻之，不能受而得之。惟善听者不泥不辩。”

关尹子曰：“圆尔道，方尔德，平尔行，锐尔事。”

Source text colophon: Classical Chinese from the Sibu Congkan (四部叢刊三編) edition of the Wenshi Zhenjing (文始真經), as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project (ctext.org, accessed 2026-03-26). The Sibu Congkan edition is based on the Zhengtong Daozang (正統道藏, Orthodox Daoist Canon, 1444 CE) text (DZ 669).

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