Volume 6 "Micro Intent"

Baopuzi said, "When I hear something that is in harmony with it, I believe it without saying a word." Those who are on different paths may be suspicious even with advice. Even the most ordinary and close principles, the trivial matters of human selection and choice, are as elusive as golden feathers and as white as powder and ink. However, those who are confused often fail to distinguish them. How much more so when they are explained beyond the mundane world, revealing even the tiniest meanings and laughing at them in a grand manner? This has been going on for a long time, and is it not unique to this day alone? Even in the place of the dark and gloomy night, even the thick and bright things are not hard to see. If it is beyond one's reach, even the scorching sun, the bright moon and the bright sky, as well as the steep peaks and dry clouds, cannot be observed. Huang Lao Xuan Sheng, with profound insight and unique views, opened up secret texts on famous mountains, received immortal scriptures from divine beings, descended the dust of the earth to relieve fatigue, and reached the heights of the universe to achieve great heights. Even metal and stone cannot match his firmness, and turtles and cranes cannot live as long as him. Thinking of those who are determined to have a future and out of compassion for the lack of literature of believers, he prescribed methods and clearly stated them. Minor practice leads to minor gains, and great achievements lead to great tests. However, the shallow-minded, who merely hold on, are content with the water lily but do not recognize the honey, and are indulged in the 醨 milk but do not appreciate the fine wine. One knows how to love life but is unaware of the way to maintain it; one knows how to fear death but does not believe in the way to avoid it; one knows that overeating can lead to diseases in animals but cannot be content with fat and indulge in it. Knowing that extreme emotions and excessive desires lead to exhaustion and damage, yet not knowing to let go of one's heart to what one desires. Although I say that immortals can be obtained, how can I convince him?" Some people may say, "If a child's body does not reach the state of Wu and understand the principles, his hair does not penetrate his bones, and he does not live as long as Peng Zu did, his eyes do not see immortals, and his ears do not only hear strange tales, how can he know that immortality can be achieved and that there are signs of cultivating his nature?" If one finds the mystery in one's heart and the ease and grace in one's own view, it is something one has never dared to wish for. If a man has no clothes to cover his skin and no resources to store up for the future, but still talks about the techniques of pottery and Zhu, and the strategies of Yi Dun, and takes the criticism, his reasoning must be correct. To talk about the tricks of the magpie with a chronic illness, to repeatedly travel north and claim to investigate the plans of the Sun and Wu, if people do not believe it, it will be of no use. I replied, "If 鮹 is found in the flood, then it is said that the world is not as vast as the four seas." When the scorpions are swirling within the fruit pits, it is said that the boundaries of the eight poles end here. Even if one tells them about the boundless sweat and the vastness of the universe, if they think it's empty talk, they will surely not believe it. If I had square pupils and ears reaching above my head, I would control a flying dragon and ride the clouds of joy, and ride the flowing electricity to create an inverted scene. How could I then question me? If someone were to see me and call me a celestial being or an alien, would that be the result of my learning? Just a few words of foresight to guide comrades, how could I force all my disciples to believe? If there is a celestial being in the household, with eyes on each other, even if my son hides them, I will not doubt them. But when that person's way is accomplished, they will soar through the blue sky and travel to the purple pole. They are not spirituals and have no ability to see or hear. My son will surely be deaf. People believe in their assumptions, rely on their shortsightedness, and claim that what they have saved is without error. They are accustomed to what they have achieved and wonder what they have hoped for. They raise their ears and point their fingers, but in the end, they do not realize that it has come. How could it be only now? Some say: "Having repeatedly received such excellent advice, I have no doubt about the existence of immortals, but I am even more dissatisfied that I cannot hear them." May I ask if there is a more important way? Can there be a lone traveler? Baopuzi said, "When learning the Tao, one should start from the simple and gradually progress to the complex, from the easy to the difficult. With sincerity and perseverance, one can achieve anything. Doubt leads to no success. It is not a single matter." If one's roots 荄 do not penetrate the earth but seek to be like dry clouds, and if one's sources do not flow smoothly 窈 but seek to have a soup flowing for ten thousand miles, such a thing has never been achieved. Therefore, without accumulating good deeds and virtue, one cannot be moved by the gods. Without sincere friendship and agreement, it is impossible to form a teacher-friend relationship. One cannot talk about a major examination without merit. And without encountering a wise teacher, one sought the essential path but failed to attain it. The Nine-elixir Golden Liquid is the most immortal master. However, the matter is of great significance and cost, so it cannot be handled hastily. Bao Jing 'ai 炁 is the most urgent. He will take small medicine to prolong his life and learn close arts to ward off evil. Only in this way can he gradually become more refined. Some say: "There are numerous prescriptions and techniques, and it is truly difficult to master them all. Apart from the golden elixirs, the rest can be cultivated. Which one is good?" Baopuzi said, "If one has not grasped the most essential and significant aspects, then the minor ones must be widely known." It is through the common growth and development of all skills. When it is of great significance, it is like the governance of a ruler. All aspects of civil and military affairs, rites and laws are indispensable. When it comes to small matters, it is like a craftsman making a chariot. The shafts and axes are all in control; there is no such thing as a deficiency. Those who practice martial arts cultivate their inner form and spirit to prolong life and cure diseases, and repel evil and prevent harm. Just like the zither and the lute, one cannot seek the five tones with a single string; just like the armor, one cannot wait for a sharp blade. Why is it that the five tones in harmony cannot be omitted, and the concentration of sharp blades cannot be lacking? For those who wish to maintain their health, if they want to learn widely and understand the essentials, see widely and make good choices, it is necessary to rely on the cultivation of one thing. There are also those who are prone to trouble. Each relies on their own strengths. Those who understand the profound techniques say that only the techniques in the room can save the world. Those who understand the way of breathing in and out say that only by regulating the flow of qi can one prolong life. Those who know how to bend and stretch say that only by guiding and leading can one not grow old. Those who know the ways of plants say that only medicine and bait can be endless. The failure to achieve success in the study of the Tao lies in the fact that it is so one-sided. For those with shallow views, when they occasionally know something, their words are enough and they fail to recognize the truth. Even if they obtain a good solution, they still strive for perfection, wasting their time and effort, and applying it without a definite intention. This is a case of losing both. Some are inherently dull and have very limited knowledge, yet they force themselves into famous mountains, braving poisonous stings and being repeatedly slandered. Feeling ashamed, they seek to return. To be eaten by tigers and wolves, to be killed by evil spirits, to be hungry but have no way to cut off the valley, to be cold but have no way to warm oneself, and to die in the cliff valley, isn't that foolish? It is better to choose a teacher than to focus on learning. The teacher's knowledge is limited and they do not fully devote themselves to teaching. Therefore, it is said that the way does not lie in quantity. To pursue the Tao, one does not need to be numerous. As long as one has the most essential golden elixirs, there is no need to listen to others. However, those who know about this matter are very eager. Would they rather wait idly for something unnecessary than practice the minor art of mutual benefit? Just like a writer, who says he does not use anything else, he claims that gold, silver, pearls and jade are within his grasp and embrace, enough to be consumed for generations to come. If there were no such thing, how could there not be the broadcasting of a hundred grains and the abundance of fruits not be abundant? Therefore, cutting off valleys to build up troops, impeding ghosts and spirits, prohibiting all kinds of poisons, curing all kinds of diseases, keeping fierce beasts from attacking when entering mountains, preventing dragons from harming when crossing rivers, not fearing epidemics, and becoming invisible in times of emergency - these are all minor matters that must be known. How could those who have passed through them not be heard of? Some say, "May I ask, if one desires to cultivate the path of immortality, what are the taboos?" Baopuzi said, "The most urgent taboo lies in not causing harm or damage." According to the Inner Precepts of the I Ching, the Red Pine Zi Jing and the River Chart's divination talisman, there is a deity in heaven and earth who is in charge of faults. Depending on the severity of a person's offense, he will take away their calculation. If the calculation is reduced, the person will become poor, suffer from illness and encounter frequent troubles. If the calculation is exhausted, the person will die. There are countless things that should be taken away, which cannot be summarized. It is also said that there are three corpses within the body. Although these three corpses are formless, they are actually the possessions of souls, spirits, and ghosts. If you want to make a person die early, this corpse must become a ghost, roam freely, and enjoy human sacrifice 酹. Therefore, every year on the day of Gengshen, he would ascend to heaven to reveal the faults of the Taoist priest and the Taoist priest. On another dark moon night, the Kitchen God also ascended to heaven to accuse the white man of his crimes. The most serious ones will be disqualified. The term "ji" refers to three hundred days. The smaller one steals the calculation. The calculation is three days. I am also unable to verify whether this matter exists or not. However, the way of heaven is vast and distant, and ghosts and gods are hard to understand. Zhao Jianzi and Duke Mu of Qin both personally received the strategies of the Jin Dynasty from God, and there were clear signs of land. Mountains, rivers, grass, trees, Wells, stoves, 洿 ponds, all still have vitality; Within a person, there is also a soul. Since heaven and earth are the greatest of all things, they should have a spirit in principle. With a spirit, it is appropriate to reward the good and punish the evil. However, since their bodies are vast and their networks are sparse, there is no need to react with impulse. However, when looking at all the precepts of the Tao, it is said that those who wish to live long must accumulate good deeds and achieve great things, have a kind heart towards all things, be tolerant of themselves and others, be kind to insects, take joy in others' well-being, feel compassion for others' suffering, help others in their distress, save others in their poverty, not harm others with their hands, not advise others of their misfortune with their words, see others' gains as their own, see others' losses as their own, not be self-respecting, not be self-praising, not be jealous of others who are superior to them, and not fawning and flattering the evil. Only in this way can one be considered virtuous and receive blessings from heaven. What one does will surely succeed; seeking immortality is something one can hope for. If one is hateful of the virtuous and fond of killing, says one thing but means another, turns against the other, is hostile and upright, tortures the inferior, deceives the superior, defies what one does, accepts kindness without feeling it, accepts bribes by law, betrayals the upright, disregards the public for personal gain, tortures the innocent, breaks the family, takes the treasure of others, harms the body, takes the position of others, invents the virtuous, slanders the immortals and sages, mends Taoists, shoots birds, 刳 breaks the egg of the embryo, hunts in spring and summer Cursing deities, teaching people to do evil, concealing people's goodness, endangering people's own peace, deceiving people for their own merit, doing good deeds for the wicked, taking what people love, leaving people's flesh and blood, insulting people to seek victory, taking people's long money, returning people's short distance, releasing water and fire, using tricks to harm people, threatening the weak, making evil easy to be good, forcibly taking and demanding, plundering to get rich, being unfair and unjust, indulging in lewdness and corruption, bullying the lonely and the widowed, picking up lost things for alms, deceiving and cheating, talking about people's private affairs, taking advantage of people's strengths and weaknesses, To support heaven and earth, to curse and seek uprightness, to falsely borrow and not repay, to exchange loans and not repay, to seek desires without end, to hate and reject loyalty and trustworthiness, to disobey superiors, to show disrespect to teachers, to laugh at others for doing good deeds, to destroy people's crops, to damage people's possessions, to use the poor, to feed others with unclean drinks, to weigh small buckets lightly, to be narrow and short, to pass off falsehood as truth, to take treacherous benefits, to entice people to take things, to cross Wells and stoves, to sing and cry in the dark. For every single incident, it is a crime. Depending on the severity of the matter, the person in charge will be sentenced to death. However, those who have evil intentions but no evil deeds will be deprived of their fate; those who commit evil deeds and harm others will be deprived of their fate; and those who die before their fate is fulfilled will all be affected by their descendants. Those who rob others of their property or property may count their wives' households and fill them up to cause death or mourning, but they will not arrive immediately. If his evil deeds are not enough to bring disaster to his family, he will eventually be robbed by fire and water, lose his belongings, or when the county magistrate falls ill, the expenses for self-medicating and cooking sacrificial animals should be sufficient to ensure that all the money he has obtained is justified. Therefore, Taoists say that those who falsely kill others do so by using weapons and blades. When they take ill-fated wealth, they do not avoid resentment. It is like using exposed breast to quench hunger or poisoned wine to quench thirst. Even if they are not temporarily full, they will still die. If someone has committed many evil deeds and later repented, and if they have wronged others, they should think of helping those who deserve death to solve the problem. If one takes people, property or goods without permission, one should think of giving them to the poor to solve the problem. If someone is punished with a crime, one should consider recommending a virtuous and capable person to solve it. If everything is twice as good as what one does, one can then enjoy good fortune and turn misfortune into blessing. If one can avoid making such mistakes as much as possible, one will surely prolong one's life and achieve success in learning the Tao quickly. The sky is high and its hearing is low; all things can see through. If one does good deeds without slackening, one will surely be rewarded with good fortune. The sheep accumulated virtue and made alms, reaching their old age, and thus received the gold that fell from heaven. CAI Shun was extremely filial, and the gods responded to him. Guo Jushazi was a relative and was given a generous iron certificate. However, good deeds are hard to do and evil deeds are easy to commit. And the foolish still attribute this to the oxen and the masses, saying that heaven and earth cannot distinguish right from wrong, and they do not know that those with external names may not necessarily have inner conduct, and those with positive praise cannot solve the SINS of Yin. If one doubts the grandeur of Yin and Yang based on the life and death of the millet, it is also not enough to reach far. This is why the senior scholar strictly refrains but only avoids, and the ordinary person does not get what he desires." Some say: "Morality has not yet been established, and there are no extinct famous mountains. The world is different from the past, and there are many bandits. How can we avoid the constant troubles and prevent unexpected disasters?" Baopuzi said, "If one always holds the sun, takes the upper soil of the six GUI, mixes it with the hundred-leaf incense grass, and uses the mud to open the door one foot square, then thieves will not come." One can also take the earth from the south gate of the market, the earth that breaks through the year, and the earth that builds up the moon, to harmonize with people and create a place with red birds, which is also used to suppress thieves. When there is an emergency, one should go to the place of rebirth and stop, and there will be no trouble. There is land of birth in the world, in every prefecture, in every county, in every township, in every mile, in every residence, and in every house. Some say, "If a house has a living space, isn't that too much?" Baopuzi said, "The classic states that when one is in the extreme of great urgency, it is hidden by Che Shi." So, even in a carriage, there is a place of birth. How much more so in a house? Some say: "I have heard of the way to survive. One should know the two mountains, but not the location of these mountains. I hope you can enlighten me and dispel my confusion." Baopuzi said, "There is such a thing, but it is neither Hua Huo nor Song Dai." The mountain of Taiyuan is hard to know but easy to find. It is neither heaven nor earth, neither deep nor floating. It is extremely perilous and vast. The mountain is steep and rugged, with a harmonious and serene atmosphere. The spirit and will flow together. The jade well is deep and deep, providing endless water. There are a hundred and twenty officials. The Cao family's residence is well-arranged. There are ten thousand black mushrooms and red trees growing exceptionally. All the treasures are unique. The gold and jade are towering. The sweet spring flows out of the corner. The young man can draw in the clear water and cultivate it. The tall pines are comparable. This is one mountain. The mountains of Changgu are lofty and majestic, with a mysterious aura wafting and jade liquid drizzling. They are filled with golden pools and purple houses. Fools rush there in vain and all return dead. But the virtuous climb them without ceasing. They gather polygonatum odoratum and fly to the sky. These are the two mountains. All the secrets of ancient sages, you ponder them deeply." Some say: "I wish to hear the true man's art of preserving the body and refining the form." Baopuzi said, "What a profound question!" At the beginning of the blue sky, the moon and the sun rise together in two halves to form one. Stepping out of the jade pool and into the golden room, it is as big as a tiny ball, as yellow as an orange, with a sweet taste like honey inside. If you can obtain it, be cautious and do not miss it. The past, not pursuing the body, is about to perish. The pure white energy is extremely dense. It rises in the secluded pass through three twists and turns. The middle elixir is resplendent and unparalleled. The shape of the life gate it stands at is inexhaustible, deep and profound, hard to fathom. "Those who understand this master's mantra will not fear the ten thousand ghosts or the five soldiers." " Some say: "Those who have heard of the affairs in the room and have fully grasped the essence of it can go it alone to become immortals, and can also avert disasters and SINS, turn misfortune into blessing, rise in official positions, and increase profits in business. Do you believe it?" Baopuzi said, "All these are the false and excessive words of sorcerers and demons. Due to the embellishment of good deeds, they have become inaccurate." Some may falsely fabricate falsehoods to deceive the world, hide their true intentions, seek to serve, and recruit disciples to regulate the world and benefit them. The art of Yin and Yang can at best cure minor illnesses and at least prevent waste. The principle is inherent. How could it bring to immortals and turn misfortune into blessing? One must not be in a state of disharmony between Yin and Yang, as sitting still can lead to illness. If one desires to indulge in unrestrained pleasures without restraint, one's life will be ruined. Those who are good at this art can ride horses to nourish the brain, restore Yin pills to nourish the intestines, collect jade liquid from the golden pool, and guide three or five people to the splendid beam, so as to maintain beauty in old age and live up to their natural age. When the common people heard that the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven with a thousand two hundred daughters, they said that the Yellow Emperor achieved immortality only through this event, but they did not know that the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven by flying nine elixirs at the foot of Jing Mountain and above Ding Lake. The Yellow Emperor could have had a thousand or two hundred female ears, rather than just one. Taking a thousand kinds of medicine and raising three kinds of animals without knowing the techniques in the room will be of no benefit. Therefore, the ancients were afraid that people would be unrestrained and unrestrained in their nature, and thus the theory of beauty should not be fully believed. The Xuan Su oracle of water and fire, water and fire inauspicious people, yet they also give birth to people, depending on whether they can be used or not. Most people know the key points. The more concubines there are, the better. But if one doesn't know the way and uses them, one or two are enough to kill them quickly. Peng Zu's method is the most crucial. Other scriptures are often arduous and difficult to follow, but their benefits do not need to be as beneficial as those in books. Few people can do it. There are also thousands of words in the mnemonic. Those who do not know this, even if they take a hundred medicines, still cannot achieve immortality.