Suwen · Heavenly Truth in High Antiquity

The text

In high antiquity there was the Yellow Emperor. He was spirit-bright from birth, could speak while still small, was keen and quick in youth, earnest and alert as he grew, and when he came of age he ascended to Heaven. He asked the Heavenly Teacher: "I have heard that people of high antiquity all passed a hundred years, and their movements did not fail. People of this age, at fifty, already fail in movement. Has the age itself changed? Or have people lost the way?" Qi Bo answered: "Those among the people of high antiquity who knew the Dao took yin and yang as their pattern, kept accord with the arts of number, ate and drank with measure, rose and rested at regular times, and did not labor in vain. Thus form and spirit stayed together. They completed their allotted years, and left only after a hundred. People of this age are not so. They take wine as water, take the reckless as the usual, enter the chamber drunk, exhaust their jing through desire, scatter their true store, do not know how to hold what is full, do not govern the spirit in season, chase the pleasure of the heart, go against the joy of life, and have no measure in rising and rest. Thus at fifty they are already in decline. When the sages of high antiquity taught those below, they all said: vacant pathogens and thief winds — avoid them in their time; be quiet, plain, and empty, and true qi follows; keep jing and spirit guarded within — from where would illness come? Thus the will was at ease and desire was few; the heart was quiet and without fear; the form labored and was not worn; qi followed and was in accord. Each followed what they wished, and each obtained what they sought. They found their food sweet, their clothes sufficient, their customs a joy; high and low did not envy one another. The people were therefore called simple. Thus craving could not wear their eyes, nor excess confuse their hearts. Foolish and wise, worthy and unworthy — none feared things. They were therefore in accord with the Dao. They could all pass a hundred years with movements that did not fail because their virtue was complete and they were not in danger." The Emperor said: "When a person grows old and has no child — is the stuff of their strength spent? Or is it the number of Heaven?" Qi Bo said: "In a girl at seven, kidney qi is abundant; the teeth change and the hair grows. At twice seven, heavenly gui arrives; the ren vessel opens, the great chong vessel is full, the monthly affair descends in its time, and thus she can have a child. At three times seven, kidney qi is even; the true teeth come in and growth reaches its height. At four times seven, sinew and bone are firm, the hair is at its longest, the body is full and strong. At five times seven, the yangming vessels decline; the face begins to wither, the hair begins to fall. At six times seven, the three yang vessels decline above; the face is wholly withered, the hair begins to whiten. At seven times seven, the ren vessel is vacant, the great chong vessel is diminished, heavenly gui is exhausted, the earthly way no longer opens — thus the form decays and she has no child. In a man at eight, kidney qi is full; the hair grows and the teeth change. At twice eight, kidney qi is abundant, heavenly gui arrives, jing-qi overflows, yin and yang meet — thus he can have a child. At three times eight, kidney qi is even, sinew and bone are strong; the true teeth come in and growth reaches its height. At four times eight, sinew and bone rise in fullness, the flesh is ample and strong. At five times eight, kidney qi declines; the hair falls, the teeth wither. At six times eight, yang qi fails above; the face withers, the hair at the temples turns white. At seven times eight, liver qi declines, the sinews cannot move, heavenly gui is exhausted, jing is scant, the kidney zang declines, the form is at its limit. At eight times eight, the teeth and hair depart. The kidney governs water. It receives the jing of the five zang and six fu and stores it; only when the five zang are full can it overflow. Now the five zang have all declined, sinew and bone are slack, heavenly gui is spent. Thus the hair at the temples is white, the body is heavy, the step is uneven, and there is no child." The Emperor said: "There are those already old who still have children. Why?" Qi Bo said: "Their heavenly span has gone beyond the measure; qi and the vessels remain open, and kidney qi has a surplus. Though they have a child, a man does not pass eight times eight, a woman does not pass seven times seven, before the jing-qi of heaven and earth is exhausted." The Emperor said: "Those of the Dao all live to a hundred. Can they have children?" Qi Bo said: "Those of the Dao can turn aging back and keep the form whole. Though the years of the body are many, they can still bring forth a child." The Yellow Emperor said: "I have heard that in high antiquity there were the true persons. They lifted heaven and earth, held yin and yang, breathed jing-qi, stood alone and guarded the spirit, flesh and muscle as one. Thus their years wore out heaven and earth and had no end. This was the Dao giving them life. In middle antiquity there were the utmost persons. Their virtue was pure, their Dao complete; they were in accord with yin and yang, attuned to the four seasons, left the world and its customs, gathered jing and completed the spirit, wandered between heaven and earth, saw and heard beyond the eight directions. These were ones who added to their years and grew strong. They too return to the true persons. Next were the sages. They dwelt in the harmony of heaven and earth, followed the pattern of the eight winds, and fitted desire to the ways of the world. They had no heart of anger. They did not wish their conduct to leave the world; they wore the robes of rank; they did not wish their acts to be a show for custom. Outwardly they did not wear the form with affairs; inwardly they had no trouble of thought. They took quiet joy as their work, self-content as their achievement. The form was not worn, jing and spirit did not scatter. They too could reach a hundred. Next were the worthy persons. They took heaven and earth as law, resembled sun and moon, distinguished the stars in their ranks, went with and against yin and yang, set the four seasons apart, and sought to join the Dao as those of high antiquity had done. They too could add to their years — yet there was still a limit."

The line

When the sages of high antiquity taught those below, they all said: vacant pathogens and thief winds — avoid them in their time; be quiet, plain, and empty, and true qi follows; keep jing and spirit guarded within — from where would illness come?

The note

People of high antiquity were not more skilled at the arts of nourishing life. They first closed with their own rhythm, then spoke of long years. To take yin and yang as pattern is to see clearly first, not to push first.