Volume 14: Diligent Pursuit

Baopuzi said, "The greatest virtue of heaven and earth is to give birth, to produce good things." Therefore, the most esoteric and important aspect of Taoism lies in the approach to immortality. Therefore, the blood alliance is passed down; if it is not passed down to the right person, the warning lies in the punishment of heaven. The master dares not teach others with light conduct. If one needs to seek the most diligent, one should still select the most proficient and teach them. Moreover, if one does not seek the best and does not seek it earnestly, how can one show off their achievements to inform them? Those who are not destined to be immortals, even if they see immortals living in groups every day, will still say that they are of a different kind, that there is such a thing in the world, or call it a transformation of ghosts and spirits, or say it is worth it in nature. How could they say it is the result of cultivation? If one does not believe it, even if the King of Red Pine, Qiao Yan, mentions it to him, he will still take it as a false accusation. However, those who have considerable knowledge and faith are troubled by their inability to diligently seek a wise teacher. Those who truly understand the truth are indeed very rare and cannot be achieved through hasty efforts. Those who know it, however, should just keep a low ear; it is not completely out of the world. Since those who seek it are neither broad nor earnest, those with a celestial destiny should naturally be worthy of it. However, there are those who seek but fail to obtain, but there is no such thing as obtaining without seeking. In the idle world, there are countless treacherous and money-hungry children who steal the name of a Taoist priest. However, this is not to say that they are completely ignorant. They all start with rough corners, or blindly seek fame. Moreover, they disguise themselves with false pretenses. Those who are fond of doing good deeds and do not recognize the truth or falsehood merely ask questions, deceive themselves, and restrain them, not allowing them to act. They seek out extraordinary people and tell them that the way has ended here. It is truly lamentable and infuriating that many people have been misled by those with lofty aspirations. Some people have heard of those who know how to dissolve five clouds, fly eight stones, transform nine elixirs, smelt yellow and white, water and jade, turn vermilion and green, condense frost and snow in the divine furnace, and collect Lingzhi mushrooms on Mount Song. However, many of them have criticized them, saying that only King Qiao of Red Pine knew this method. Those who claim to know it in this world are all false. Then, those with shallow views do not realize that this statement is insincere and thus give up the intention of seeking further. It is truly a matter of lamentation to grieve over one's husband! Ling Sundial soared into the sky, suddenly growing young and then old. It was so swift that it was said to have nothing. It lived for a hundred years, or more than thirty thousand days. When young and weak, one knows nothing; when in decline, joy fades away. Childhood, ignorance, twilight and old age, after several decades, and dangers, worries, and illnesses occur every generation. The years of life are only half of them. Those who are destined to live for a hundred years, with joy, laughter, and peace, do not last for more than fifty or sixty years, 咄嗟 all disappear. Sorrow, worry, twilight and old age, six or seven thousand days, 顾眄 all come to an end. How much more so for those who live for a hundred years, how could there not be a single one? Even if I think of it carefully, I still cannot laugh at the summer insects and the mushrooms. It is truly a pity for those who do not know. There is a saying in the inner monologue: When people are idle in this world, they drift away day by day, just like leading cattle and sheep to the slaughterhouse. With each step forward, death approaches. This parable, though ugly, is the truth. The reason why a wise person does not worry about death is not because they do not desire it, but because they do not know the art to avoid death. Thus, they only worry and worry themselves, which is of no benefit to the matter. Therefore, it is said that one should be content with one's destiny and not worry about one's ears. This is not because one does not wish to live long. Ji Gong asked to act on behalf of King Wu. Zhongni held his staff with deep sorrow, knowing that even a sage would not be happy to die soon. The common people, seeing that Zhuang Zhou had a great dream, thus re-challenged Zhang Qi's theory of life and death. The powerful and forceful way of deception and the unrestrained words of Yang are all what Zhongni did to break the law and respond to evil. Nowadays, I have noticed that among those who have such remarks, when they are ill, they rush to receive acupuncture; when they take risks, they are extremely afraid of death. However, the common people are prone to corruption and do not Revere true faith. They study the classics by referring to the imperial edicts. If they do not express the ingenious discrimination against the principles, they can be called naive and unorthodox, and are not the learning of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Therefore, those who have no descendants but take vulgar people drift away to other theories and cannot return on their own. Laozi regarded longevity and longevity as his karma, while Zhuangzi and Zhouzi valued the practice of wagging the tail and painting, not being like a turtle in a net or an ox embroidered, begging for grain from the river Lord when hungry. From this, they knew that they could not live and die together. Isn't it wrong to insist that late study cannot test the truth or falsehood? And when one delves deep into the netherworld, in the vast expanse of the night, one begins as the food of an ant but eventually merges with the dust and soil, making one feel a burning sensation in the heart without realizing 咄嗟. If one has the will to survive, how could one not abandon the urgent matters and cultivate the profound deeds? If he doesn't believe it, that's enough. Those who believe in it often suffer from the fact that the mundane emotions have not been completely eradicated, and thus they cannot focus solely on health preservation and do it in their spare time from worldly affairs. Therefore, those who may have made efforts often fall ill late and often fail to do so. What ordinary people are eager for is their greed and desire. If I am not perfect, even if I hold high official positions and great power, and even if there are mountains of gold and jade and countless beauties, I do not possess them. Therefore, Senior Sergeant should first handle Changsheng's affairs. Changsheng will surely be able to do as he pleases. If one has not yet ascended to the realm of immortality and passed away, then the immortals can rest in peace. If Peng Zu Laozi, at the age of several hundred, did not lose the joy of human principles and then slowly ascended to a distant place, it would also be a grand event. However, one must have a good teacher. Without a teacher to serve, there is no way to achieve success. In ancient times, the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty received the title of Minister from Xiahou Sheng and bestowed upon him a hundred jin of gold and countless other items. When Ji Sheng died, he was given two million coins to the Sheng family and dressed in plain clothes for a hundred days. When Emperor Cheng was in the Eastern Palace, he received the Analects of Confucius from Zhang Yu. Immediately after that, he was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei, a fief of a thousand households, the position of Guanglu Daifu, and a hundred jin of gold. He was promoted to prime minister and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Anchang. When the elderly beg for bones, they will be given an chariot 驷马, a hundred jin of gold, tens of thousands of coins. When Yu Ji was ill, the emperor himself came to examine him and personally paid his respects at Yu's bedside. When Emperor Zhang was in the Eastern Palace, he received the Classic of Filial Piety from Huan Rong. When Emperor Ji ascended the throne, he appointed Rong as a senior minister of the Imperial Household. The emperor Xing Rong lived in his residence and ordered Rong to sit on the east side, setting up several staffs. Hundreds of officials and students of the Rong Sect attended the meeting, and the emperor himself presided over the preaching. He was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei and a fief of five thousand households. When Ji Rong was ill, the emperor, in favor of his family, entered the alley, got off the carriage, carried the scroll and came towards him, as if he were a disciple. When Ji Rong passed away, the emperor wore plain clothes in honor. All these gentlemen are not capable of attacking cities and fighting in the wild, breaking through and expanding the territory, hanging banners to show respect, praying to unite the directions, transforming the primordial achievements, or charging ahead and transcending the realm. Just by promoting the words and phrases of the classics, one can show respect. This is so grand, but it can only speak the remaining words of the dead. The honor of an emperor should be humbled and treated with respect. There are those who are idle in the world and wish to try to cultivate the path of immortality, but they are unwilling to humble themselves to those who are capable of teaching them. Directly, from seeking to wanting, would they rather obtain it? If the arrogance of scholars is driven away, how can it benefit the propriety of teachers? But if not, then that heart is not fully fulfilled. If one's heart is not fully expressed, it will be difficult to inform others. If one fails to inform effectively, how can one possibly grasp the secret? If there is no alternative, it should be shown in a superficial way. How could it be enough to achieve immortality? Some people have a fondness for their skin, but their sincerity in faith does not follow their hearts. They have desires, and their Yang is overly respectful. After days of idleness, they have become negligent. If one is a wise teacher and wishes to closely observe the person who is abnormal, it is advisable to wait for a long time. Therefore, one should not inform him to test his will. Then, if such a person is insincere and acts openly, it is ultimately impossible to teach them. Even if they are taught, they cannot fully express the truth. If they cannot express themselves, it will be of no benefit to do so. Chen Anshi, at the age of thirteen, was a guest of Guan Shuben and was the first to attain immortality. This year, I am seventy years old. Day and night, I pay my respects to An Shi, saying, "The Tao is respected and virtue is precious. Only those who first attain the Tao can be regarded as teachers. I dare not be weary of the rites of a disciple." Thus, An Shi informed him of the essential prescription, and he passed away again. The lady first received her spirit from heaven and earth, and later inherited her vital energy and blood from her parents. However, without a wise teacher to teach her the way to save the world, she had no reason to avoid death. When she chiseled a stone, there was still flame left, and her life was already in decline. From this perspective, the kindness of a wise teacher is truly greater than that of heaven and earth and much more important than that of one's parents. How can we not respect them? "Why not ask for it?" " Baopuzi said, "The ancients were upright in character, valuing conduct over speech. Therefore, those in power did not value literary criticism, and those in the pursuit of the Tao did not Revere rhetoric." With the decline of customs and the increasing complexity of external adornment, policies and strategies are concentrated in the Confucian school, while internal writing is also in the hands of scholars. For beginners, it is not appropriate to impart general principles. It is also true that in human nature, those who are rich and prosperous are the most favored. Therefore, later on, it was known that Gan Ji was well-versed in various schools of thought, each writing a thousand treatises. However, most of his teachings were admonishing and he was reluctant to offer broad guidance to others. The most genuine key may be passed down orally or merely a matter of following a ruler. It lies within a tie and cannot be mastered by one who has been with a teacher for a long time and has diligently tested. The disciples of the humble disciples, each according to the density of their minds, the length of their hardships, the extent of their intelligence and their ability to discern, each imparted their knowledge. Over the course of a thousand years, they would often have exhausted the secret and essential truths in their pockets and under their elbows and armpits. Or, when combined with medicine, the medicinal components are sufficient to make it immortal, and it is never passed down in its prescription throughout the year. Among the idle Taoists of this age, there is not a single one who knows about golden elixirs. In my opinion, the essence of the immortal arts lies merely in the numerous books and the leisure of worship and prostration. The longevity is made in the large medicinal ear and is not obtained through sacrificial ceremonies. During the Qin and Han dynasties in ancient times, there was a great practice of prayer. The worship of the five deities of Taiyi and the eight deities of Chenbao involved the use of cattle, sheep, grains and silk, with a cost of billions of dollars, but to no avail. Moreover, for an ordinary person, lacking in virtue and physical health, to wish to offer three kinds of sacrificial animals, wine and food to the ghosts and gods in order to prolong life is even more perplexing. Or there are quite a few people who sincerely desire to pursue the Tao but fail to diligently seek a wise teacher or cooperate with different medicines. Instead, they merely recite and expound on unwanted books day and night, for thousands or even hundreds of volumes, but their efforts are of no avail. They then claim that there is no immortal Dharma in the world. Some raise the door and bow their heads to sit in emptiness, cook and sacrifice, burn incense and seek blessings, but the sick do not recover, death and sorrow follow one after another, bankruptcy and wealth are exhausted, nothing strange is achieved, and they never repent, thinking they have not been sincere enough. If with such diligence, one seeks a teacher of knowledge, and with such expense, one buys medicine with integrity, one will surely achieve immortality and save the world. How extraordinary is it that old Kong tills the stone fields and hopes to harvest a thousand granaries? Even though he has exerted all his strength, he still cannot find the right place. It is said that when one is in the state of Chu, the way is swift. Even if the horse is fine, it does not arrive. This is not because it is not fast enough, but because it has lost its way. Some people who have sexual trust and are glad to trust others are not intelligent enough to verify the truth or falsehood and to speculate on the depth. One's knowledge is limited and one cannot appreciate things. In later generations, the mischievous and shallow found a man who praised himself as his son. He said, "I have a secretary," and thus he served him. However, mediocre children often claim to be virtuous in external affairs, but their claims are exaggerated. Due to exaggeration and deception, they are greedy and corrupt inside, seeking only profit and making requests for something. They often force their voices to be silent and their intonation to be exaggerated. If the knowledge of treasures and secrets is profound and unattainable. When he made a request, he responded to it with a smile. Perhaps after a while, he was not aware of it. He wanted to stop but was unable to do so, and he himself said that he had not been diligent in his work and that his courtesy was still light. So, with a heart full of firm belief, he became even more respectful and solemn, treating others with great courtesy, taking on the duties of a servant, not shirking heavy burdens and traveling far, not avoiding dangers and perils, hoping to achieve the effect of accumulated labor, enduring hardship and seeking sorrow, so as to gain extraordinary news. However, by squandering the years and merely entrusting the support of one's two relatives, donating to one's wife without showing any compassion, one follows through year after year, without sacrificing one's resources and efforts, and eventually achieves nothing. At first, he sincerely deceived him, and later, he even felt ashamed. In a state of confusion, he was truly empty, short and lacking, and had no method to teach him. How could he use any method to become a person? I saw that there were quite a few of them, about ten or so. Some people claim to have a high name and have lived in the world for a long time. The world may say they are three or four hundred years old, but they change their names and pretend to be sages. They take advantage of others' leisure time and often have people to serve them. The rest do not like to write their names. Rather idle and leisurely, ordinary people do not recognize the beauty of the world. For the sake of sharing the praise, they increase the delusions and falsehoods. For those who are cunning and false, they falsely generate splendid praise, 歙 their habits are so extensive that they cannot be distinguished. Therefore, it is often the case that some wise people do not pay attention to observing carefully but only focus on their ears, thus misleading scholars. This kind of behavior often makes people sigh. Every time I see this Cao, deceiving the world and regulating the powerful, I will be punished sooner or later. Although the net of heaven is loose, it will never slip through. But those with determination can recite it. Most people in the world chase after empty sounds and seldom verify the truth. Hearing that Jia Yi had many disciples, up to a hundred or so, there must be differences among them. So they set off to compete and join the group of disciples, sparing no effort to show respect to those who are ignorant. And no longer seeking the essence, it is the power of Peter's disciples. Even if one pursues wealth for a long time, there is still no way to become an adult. A foolish person thus does not know that this person is not worth achieving. How could one not understand this? How pitiful! One searches for the high ridges, seeking the trees that dry up the sky. Among the traces of the ox, if we search for the scales of the swallowed boat, how could we possibly find them after a long time? Alas! Future scholars, although they should take seeking a teacher as their top priority, should not choose it as an urgent matter. A narrow-minded person, with shallow conduct and weak virtue, has little merit and few connections. He is not qualified to become a mature person and has no practice to bestow great kindness upon others. Think deeply about its charm and don't let it be in vain." Baopuzi said, "All the Taoists with false reputations are good at deception and fraud to deceive scholars." Many people cover up their shortcomings and hide their ignorance, feeling ashamed of not knowing. If Yang is already well-versed in knowledge, he will never seek advice from those who surpass him. The foolish remain poor and stand by the wall. Not only does it offer silent advice, but it also detests and slanders those who are truly virtuous, fearing that their reputation might exceed its own. Is this not intended for the method of immortality? It is merely to please the disciples, to gain wealth and to satisfy their desires. And if one does not know that the heavens are high and the ears are low, one will surely suffer such misfortune afterwards. The poor should not falsely claim that they are rich, nor should the humble falsely claim that they are noble. How much more so when there is no moral reality, how can one merely cultivate students and disciples? Ordinary people should not have a jealous and kind heart. Especially for Taoists, they should live by being loyal, trustworthy, and cheerful. Why should they keep their hearts and minds idle with such things? Man cannot hear the divine, but it is very easy for the divine to hear oneself. This is no different from being outside the veil and unable to observe the interior of the pavilion, yet being arrogant and presumptuous, which is said to be a sign that others do not see oneself. This is also like stealing a crossbar, making a resounding sound, to prevent others from hearing it, and thus covering their ears. Those who are deaf and blind but still have a spirit only desire to monopolate a good reputation, gather a large number of disciples alone, seek fame externally, regulate wealth internally, and overcome themselves when ill. This is a kind of power struggle among the common people. So, with lips and kisses as the sharp edge and praise and criticism as the cliques, they are close in words but distant in heart, and their appearances are in harmony but their actions are apart. Comrade Yang Dun's words carry the poison of a wasp and a nymph. This is a common evil of both heaven and man, a 符檄 that brings disaster. When reading the Five Classics, one should not be ashamed to ask questions of those below them, so as to improve one's virtue and cultivate one's skills, and make progress day by day. As for the rough techniques of archery and control, the shallow skills of writing and counting, the basic affairs of farming and sericulture, and the minor skills of rules and regulations, they all need to be taught by a master to fully understand their principles. Moreover, the methods of sustaining life are no different from the matter of saving the dead. How can one cherish the name of acceptance and remain trapped in ignorance until old age without change or regret at the end of life? This is also a manifestation of the darkness of heaven and the people. It makes one feel ashamed and alarmed. Those who do it simply ignore their own figures. As a Confucian scholar, one should always remain simple and honest, entrust quality to others, know but not deny, exist but not exist, so that the common people cannot fully express their opinions. It is wrong to express without asking, and when correct, one must yield before speaking. How many Taoists insist on taking what they don't know as knowledge, doing what they don't have as something, showing off themselves in vain, and seeking treacherous benefits? Those who are lost and do not know how to return, the more they go, the more they will go. If anyone has done this, they should not be ashamed to change. I do not say this casually. It is truly because of action that one thrives. As the saying goes, "When one is in a hurry, one cannot remain silent." Out of pity for the fool, I cannot bear to see a baby fall into a well. If one reads it and comprehends it, it is also one of the elixirs of immortality. What should I do then? If one does not resist the bitter taste, danger will come. It can be known without waiting for a pulse diagnosis. Baopuzi said, "If there is a death penalty, but people can save them, they will not be reluctant to endure hardship and humiliation or be afraid to speak humbly. They will surely achieve the merit of rebirth." Nowadays, those who are vulgar Taoists and do not master the Golden Elixir technique will surely not be able to achieve immortality. Although treating diseases can bring about death, cutting off food means not going hungry for years. To command ghosts and gods, to sit or stand in death, to look a thousand miles ahead, to know the rise and fall of people, to be trapped in gloom, to know fortune and misfortune before they arise, is still not beneficial to one's life. To be ashamed to make requests and to be ashamed to reach them in advance is to regret a single day's humiliation and to be content with extreme pain is to be oblivious to the circumstances. The ancients said, "To be born is of great benefit to me." In terms of their status, even if they were honored as emperors, they could not be compared in this way. In terms of its significance, even if one is rich throughout the world, it cannot be easily replaced by this technique. Therefore, there is the saying that a dead king delights in a living rat. When a country is governed, it will be peaceful; when it is governed, it will thrive. This is not self-imposed but self-imposed. I am ashamed of the empty reputation of being short and lacking, and I am ashamed to have been given it by my teacher. Even if I am not foolish every day, I will not Those who now save people from certain death and punish them are still glad to be relieved of the heavy and then the light, to be relieved of the scorching and rotting and still be able to see and rest, to be content with the pain, which is better than rebirth. One does not know the day of death, so one does not worry for the time being. If it is truly known that the matter of yue 劓 can be postponed, it will surely be carried out. Even if one personally sweeps and sweeps, holding a towel and striving to surpass oneself, one can see the way of immortality that is taught. Why should it be regarded as suffering and be feared by those who are blinded? If someone were to be ashamed to rush away and wait for the wildfire to burn 爇, or to flee from the wind and drown in the deep abyss, the world would surely call him ignorant, and everyone would laugh at him for not avoiding disaster and danger, but not blame him for not fearing real disaster. What is that? Baopuzi said, "In the past, there were many books on the Tao, all of which focused on grandiose and ingenious words, aiming to Revere the profound and the abstract. They did not delve into the steps of immortality or criticize the ailments of the Tao, just like my diligent ones." To make the confused know the opposite, to lose in the east and gain in the west, to fall into the well and start 绠, the more one will lose. But those who are beautiful 疢 and far from evil stones should not be treated with any mercy. Who is without faults? Faults can be corrected. The eclipse of the sun and the moon. Youdaoplaceholder0 the son of yan. And those who wish to lead a good life in the future, when entrusted, will spare no effort to offer good advice and refrain from embellishing it with lustful words. When they speak, their fingers will be sharp; when they write, their words will be painful. The only pity is to suppress evil ears for longevity. What is there to ask for? Baopuzi said, "Those who deeply aspire to learn the Dao and art for health preservation cannot achieve anything when they follow their teachers. This makes those who later have aspirations see that they cannot achieve immortality because there is no immortal method in the world." Those who save themselves must not discipline themselves to cultivate the profound and mysterious. In this way, they will only advance and lose the achievements of their own destiny, retreat and fail to achieve success in old age, and harm their own health internally and hinder their future externally. The immortals can be learned and comprehended just as millet and sorghum can be sown and harvested. This is truly self-evident. However, there is no such thing as reaping a bountiful harvest without plowing, nor is there any such thing as achieving immortality and saving the world without diligence.