Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 vital essence
a hand supporting your back
2 lifeforce energy
a hand cradling your abdomen
3 human spirit
a hand touching your heart
4 when these are balanced, poised, and equal you become spontaneous and full of life
5 when they are cultivated with ease, relaxation,
and naturalness
you resonate harmonically with the tao
6 when you stay loose and playful reaching out to
embrace the world
you become an invincible child impervious to harm
7 you will see
8 but if you allow them to compete with each other
one of them will exhaust the other two and you will surely die young
9 what is dying
dying is walking away from the tao way of life
1-3 HAND and MIND: During the direct transmission of the classic, the Master touches the student's bodymind as a way of focusing the student's attention on the specific "seat" of each of the Three Treasures:
a.The essence is experienced in the area of the kidneys,
b. The life-force is experienced in the dantien,
c. The spirit is experienced underneath the breastbone.
4-5 HAND and MIND: This refers to a dynamic balance of activity between the Three Treasures.
When this dynamic balance is actively cultivated, you begin to contact the Tao Source.
6 MIND and BODY: Extend your powers into the world around you in a relaxed, understated, and innocent way.
7 MIND: You will mystically see into the true nature of all facets of life.
8 MIND: If the Three Treasures do not work in harmony, they can become disorganized and contentious. This spiritual contentiousness damages and drains the power of each causing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dis-eases [sic].
9 HEART: This stanza clearly defines spiritual death from a Taoist perspective.