Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 bend the waist flex the joints twist the limbs
as pliable yellow gold in the shape of metal as a tree
2 integral growth
3 make yourself an empty vessel
and receive the lifeforce of the universal
4 see yourself as deep and vast yet softly muted to the ordinary world
5 standing alone under the sky this firmament over your accepted perceptions
6 is perpetual renewal in which the smallest piece of wealth
7 is a vast natural fortune unnoticed
unless the heavens are above your head
8 this message is so utterly simple that it is easily confused by over-thinking
9 when heaven is in your head rather than above it
you will be scattered into space without a home
10 but when heaven is in its place in the sky real comprehension and conscious comprehension
remain fixed to the core center in balance
then
you have returned home
12 an insightful person embraces and holds the absolute singularity reflected as the original mind consuming the consummate
13 and becomes a limitless model of plenary usage
14 containing all the possibilities of all that is possible
15 remain esoteric and invite wisdom deny light to ordinary eyes and sound to ordinary ears
16 in order to balance the mind and clear perception
17 though this ongoing quest is a personal endeavor refrain from forcing life to be about yourself
18 do not force the hearts and spirits of others in self-gratification
for this damages your vitality and essence
19 denial of accolades from yourself and others to yourself
is a way to balance the conscious ordinary
comprehension
with real comprehension
20 in this way the ordinary world will be at peace with you and you with it
21 all of this requires you to remain adaptable to the ever-changing present
22 bend
pliable gold
flex shaping metal
twist living tree
23 yes
surely these are watchwords
that preserve the integral gifts of human
existence
24 in that they belong to all
1 HAND: These are actual Qigong instructions. When you bend the waist, you should envision yourself as
"pliable yellow gold." When you flex your joints, you see yourself "in the shape of metal," which, from the Chinese perspective, is round. When you twist your limbs, you see yourself as a firmly rooted tree with limbs twisting and swaying in the breeze.
2 HAND: This is what results when you follow the instructions in stanza 1. "Integral growth" is wellness.
3-5 HAND and HEART: These are specific meditation instructions. "Accepted perceptions" are those beliefs and rationalizations that all human beings create to cope with the demands of everyday life. The Cultivator doesn't feel bad about having created these often false rationalizations; he merely accepts them as an inevitable part of the human experience.
6 HAND and HEART: "Perpetual renewal" is a fundamental Taoist concept. It plainly states that the Cultivator is in charge of the quality of his or her existence, life, and fate. The "smallest piece of wealth" in this case is a small, pure accomplishment.
Think of it as a personal best, the size and shape of which changes at any given moment. There is not a rigid standard of right or wrong when engaged in cultivation. You can only be more or less essentially correct at any given time. While you are fully engaged in your play with the perfection of imperfection, it is an accomplishment to grab just a little bit of something that leans in the direction of perfection. In the land of "perpetual renewal," just that little bit will move mountains.
7 HAND and HEART: The Cultivator must specifically visualize the heavens as being something that is above him. This causes a physiological response in the Cultivator's bodymind that allows the process of perpetual renewal to actually take place.
8 MIND: Avoid looking too closely at the idea of Heaven being above your head. Regard it as an afterthought.
9-11 HAND: These are specific instructions for the Taoist Cultivator. During meditation, normal everyday activity, or any formal cultivation technique, the Cultivator is required to maintain a light, buoyant,
and sensitive energy at the crown of his head. I's as if the stars themselves are about to lift him into the sky. When he does this, turbid, or confused, qi energy sinks and a clear qi rises. This allows profound intuitive thinking to take place.
12 HEART and HAND: This is a specific meditation that is designed to cultivate Taoist insight.
13-14 MIND: These are the results of cultivating
Taoist insight.
15-16 HAND: This is an injunction to remain so completely still in meditation that no one can see you and no one can hear you.
17-21 BODY: These are specific instructions on the best ways to interact with other people.
22-23 HAND: "Bending," "flexing," and "twisting" are specific activities that you physically perform.
"Pliable gold," "shaping metal," and a "living tree" are how you should see yourself as you move.
24 HEART: This is a Taoist concept of the ultimate empowerment of all—not just the rich, the powerful, or the educated.