Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 to be firmly rooted in the tao way of lite a bodymind must stand upright
placing a portion of itself beneath the surface of the planet
2 standing naturally in this way enlivens the spirit preventing confusion and disturbance
3 the ancient child asks
what are the watchwords for standing rooted in
the tao
4 balanced poised equilibrium
ease relaxation naturalness loose playful embrace
5 hold these nine and stand
6 you will not be shaken
7 your thoughts and their offspring will become ordered and finely tuned
possessed of an endless clarity
ritualistically conforming to the flux and flow of the
seasons
8 this is authenticity born of higher intuition resting on the shoulders of one truly alive
9 when a person holds the nine he becomes genuine influencing his family
10 when a family holds the nine they manifest abundance
influencing their town and immediate locality
11 when a town and immediate locality hold the nine they are filled with inner strength and wise force influencing the entire country
12 when a country holds the nine it extends its blessings worldwide cultivating pervasive goodness everywhere
13 can you see it
14 a single person standing in the tao way of lite brings the life of the tao way to the world
15 for each of you
16 guided by higher intuition and taoist sight identify every one you meet as part of your self identify every thing you meet as part of your self
17 then you will see deeply into the truth of your self
as you see deeply into the truth of others
1-2 HAND: This describes a Qigong exercise. The Cultivator assumes a balanced standing posture, induces a state of quiescence, and places part of his yi, or mind, beneath the surface of the ground.
3-6 MIND and HAND: The Taoist Cultivator must bring these qualities to his practice of standing firmly rooted in the Tao.
7 MIND and HAND: This stanza describes the results of Taoist contemplative standing. Eventually, your organism becomes so sensitive that you can sense lunar and solar activity, as well as impending seasonal and climate changes.
8 BODY: A Genuine Life is one that is lived in accord with the natural flux, flow, and movements of the stars, planets, and the seasons. This profoundly affects the bodymind of the Cultivator and, by extension, the world around him. According to Taoist tradition, for example, individuals living a genuine life made the discoveries of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the compass, astronomy, gunpowder, binomial coefficients, and the seismograph, among others.
9 MIND and HAND: In this case, family refers to inner family of the Cultivator's bodymind-its spirits, energies, and internal organs.
10-12 MIND and BODY: A Cultivator of the Tao leading a Genuine Life manifests elevated levels of love, wisdom, wealth, and strength that overflows into the lives and community around him.
13 MIND: An alternate translation might be:
is it possible to imagine such a wonderful chain of events?
14-15 HEART: This is a fundamental Taoist belief.
16-17 HAND: The spiritual exercise of seeing and reacting to everyone and everything you encounter as an extension of yourself is a powerful Taoist meditation into the truth of yourself and all of existence.