Ch'ihwen.pdf

赤文洞 Ch'ih-wen T'ung The Red-Streaked Cave Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour

Contents Translation Chinese Text Bilingual Text Bibliography

2 3 4 5

The Red-Streaked Cave Where there is motion, that motion proceeds from immobility; where there is action, that action proceeds from inactivity. Where there is inactivity, the spirit reverts to its original; and when the spirit thus reverts, all things become still. Where there is no motion, the vital force becomes extinct; and the vital force being extinct, all things are produced, all spirits maintain each other; all objects depend upon or help each other, causing the rudiment [of all things] to revert to its primary source. By silent contemplation this will become clear. I myself bear it constantly in mind; [the doctrine], entering uninterruptedly, does away with all distinctions between life and death, and makes me one with Heaven and Earth. When the sense of sight is forgotten, the Light becomes infinitely copious; when the sense of hearing is annihilated, the heart becomes concentrated upon the Eternal Depths. If these two organs of perception be both forgotten, the man will be able to shut himself off from the allurements of the world – pure, guileless, and complete, in perfect unison with the Universe – vast, limitless, like a vivifying aura, subject to no distinctions of mankind. The greatness of Heaven and Earth is that with which I am linked; the multitude of created things is what I direct, or grasp. How can it be said that, to the very furthest limit whither we can penetrate, there are any faults or imperfections? If a man cherishes the Invisible, he will be able to maintain for ever the Visible – that which has a semblance; if he cherishes the Incorporeal, the Corporeal will attain to perfection and purity; and if perfection and purity co-operate to promote each other, the result will be the acquisition of perpetuity. It is because Heaven has obtained this original purity that it lasts for ever; it is because Earth has obtained it that it is enduring; it is when Man obtains it that he achieves immortality. The reason that the vulgar are unable to attain to prolonged existence is that they lose their hold of the Invisible and suffer the Incorporeal to escape them; thus they are unable to preserve their bodily organs and nine apertures together with the pure essence they received at birth, as one whole, and therefore it is they die.

赤文洞 Ch'ih-wen T'ung 操眞章上 有動之動出於不動有爲之爲出於無爲無爲則神歸神歸則萬物云寂不動則氣泯氣泯則萬物無生神神相守物物相 資厥本其根黙而悟之我自識之入乎無間不死不生與天地爲一 入聖章中 忘於目則光溢無極泯於耳則心識常淵兩機倶忘絶衆妙之門純純全全合乎大方溟溟涬涬合乎無倫天地之大我之 所維萬物之衆我之所持曷有窮終以語其弊哉 住世章下 養其無象象故常存守其無體體故全眞全眞相濟可以長久天得其眞故長地得其眞故久人得其眞故壽世人所以不 能長久者爲喪其無象散其无體不能使百骸九竅與眞體並存故死矣 Punctuated Text 操眞章上 有動之動、出於不動；有爲之爲、出於無爲。無爲則神歸、神歸則萬物云寂；不動則氣泯、氣泯則萬物無生。 神神相守、物物相資、厥本其根。黙而悟之、我自識之、入乎無間。不死不生、與天地爲一。 入聖章中 忘於目則光溢無極、泯於耳則心識常淵。兩機倶忘絶衆妙之門。純純全全、合乎大方、溟溟涬涬、合乎無倫。 天地之大、我之所維。萬物之衆、我之所持。曷有窮終、以語其弊哉。 住世章下 養其無象、象故常存。守其無體、體故全眞。全眞相濟、可以長久。天得其眞故長、地得其眞故久。人得其 眞故壽。世人所以不能長久者、爲喪其無象、散其无體、不能使百骸九竅、與眞體並存、故死矣。

赤文洞 The Red-Streaked Cave 操眞章上 1. Practicing the Truth 有動之動 出於不動 Where there is motion, that motion proceeds from immobility; 有爲之爲 出於無爲 where there is action, that action proceeds from inactivity. 無爲則神歸 神歸則萬物云寂 Where there is inactivity, the spirit reverts to its original; and when the spirit thus reverts, all things become still. 不動則氣泯 氣泯則萬物無生 Where there is no motion, the vital force becomes extinct; and the vital force being extinct, all things are produced, 神神相守 物物相資 厥本其根 all spirits maintain each other; all objects depend upon or help each other, causing the rudiment [of all things] to revert to its primary source. 黙而悟之 我自識之 By silent contemplation this will become clear. I myself bear it constantly in mind; 入乎無間 不死不生 與天地爲一 [the doctrine], entering uninterruptedly, does away with all distinctions between life and death, and makes me one with Heaven and Earth. 入聖章中 2. Entry into Sagehood 忘於目則光溢無極 When the sense of sight is forgotten, the Light becomes infinitely copious; 泯於耳則心識常淵 when the sense of hearing is annihilated, the heart becomes concentrated upon the Eternal Depths. 兩機倶忘絶衆妙之門 If these two organs of perception be both forgotten, the man will be able to shut himself off from the allurements of the world – 純純全全合乎大方 pure, guileless, and complete, in perfect unison with the Universe – 溟溟涬涬 合乎無倫 vast, limitless, like a vivifying aura, subject to no distinctions of mankind. 天地之大 我之所維 The greatness of Heaven and Earth is that with which I am linked; 萬物之衆 我之所持 the multitude of created things is what I direct, or grasp. 曷有窮終以語其弊哉 How can it be said that, to the very furthest limit whither we can penetrate, there are any faults or imperfections?

住世章下 3. Dwelling in the World 養其無象 象故常存 If a man cherishes the Invisible, he will be able to maintain for ever the Visible – 守其無體 體故全眞 that which has a semblance; if he cherishes the Incorporeal, the Corporeal will attain to perfection and purity; 全眞相濟 可以長久 and if perfection and purity co-operate to promote each other, the result will be the acquisition of perpetuity. 天得其眞故長 It is because Heaven has obtained this original purity that it lasts for ever; 地得其眞故久 it is because Earth has obtained it that it is enduring; 人得其眞故壽 it is when Man obtains it that he achieves immortality. 世人所以不能長久者 爲喪其無象 散其无體 The reason that the vulgar are unable to attain to prolonged existence is that they lose their hold of the Invisible and suffer the Incorporeal to escape them; 不能使百骸九竅 與眞體並存 故死矣 thus they are unable to preserve their bodily organs and nine apertures together with the pure essence they received at birth, as one whole, and therefore it is they die.

Bibliography Balfour, Fredrick. Taoist Texts: Ethical, Political and Speculative. London/Shanghai: Trübner and Co./Kelly and Walsh, 1894: 69.