by Guan Zi
297 凡食之 道 ,
Invariably, the Dao of eating
298 大充
Is that to over-fill
299 傷而形不臧 。 [281]
Causes injury, and for the form to be misshaped.
300 大攝骨枯
Being overly conservative in one’s diet causes the bones to dry out
301 而血沍 。
And the blood flow to weaken.
302 充攝之 間 ,
To be between filling and conserving
303 此謂和成 。
Is called “achieving harmony.”
304 精之所 舍 ,
This is where vital essence resides,
305 而知之所生 。
And knowledge flourishes.
306 飢飽之失 度 ,
When hunger and fullness lose their proper balance,
307 乃為之圖 。
Enact the following plan:
308 飽則疾 動 ,
If you eat to capacity, expend effort;
309 飢則廣 思 ,
If you are hungry, broaden your thoughts (to think about something else).
310 老則長 慮 ,
If you are elderly, be even more careful in this.
311 飽不 疾 動 ,
If you eat to capacity but do not expend effort,
312 氣不通於四 末 ,
Energy-breath will not circulate within your limbs.
313 飢不廣 思 ,
If, when hungry, you do not broaden your thoughts –
314 飽而不廢 。
You will satiate yourself without leaving a scrap.
315 老不長 慮 ,
If you are elderly and do not take extra care in these matters,
316 困乃遬竭 。
An onset of illness will exhaust you.
NY297-316 contradicts a common misconception about Daoism and proto-Daoism which purports that their philosophies would advocate indulgence before limiting one’s whims, mistakenly believing that limiting whim is limiting nature. To the contrary, indulging in whims is viewed as extreme behaviour leading to imbalance and confusion. As the proto-Daoist texts show, it is through balance and harmony that pure nature is realized. Thus, strategies to avoid extremes may also be employed in Daoist self-cultivation. Strategies for moderation can also be seen earlier in the Nei Ye , applied to the emotions, in lines 285-296. So, cultivating awareness and moderation of one’s emotions, while taking command of impulses, should not be seen as an unnatural or un-Daoist thing to do. Of course, at a certain level, one might transcend these emotions and impulses, and thereby any need to moderate them. For those still seeking such a level of attainment, however, techniques may be relied upon as important components of self-cultivation. Another example of self-moderation is taking an upright posture to aid in inner stabilization, regarded in the Bai Xin (BX201-203) as a necessary technique for people who have unavoidably become caught up in the busyness of society. [282]
Regardless, while techniques are sometimes necessary, it should not be forgotten that Daoists still cherish simplicity. As Heshang Gong comments on DDJ27, the best method is not complicated, and the work of seeking balance and harmony does not take place only in isolation:
“Excellent walking leaves no trail of footprints”
Those who are excellent at walking the Dao seek it in themselves, and do not go down to the hall or out of the gates. Thus, they leave no trail of footprints.
…
“Excellent counting does not use counting devices”
Those who are excellent at finding a strategy to attain Dao simply guard Oneness within and do not shift from it. Their strategies are not numerous, and so they do not use counting devices to know them all.
“Excellent closing requires no bolts yet the seal cannot be broken”
For excellence in the way of sealing off desires and strong emotions, guard the vital spirits within and do not be like gates and doors. Locked bolts can be opened.
“Excellent binding requires no rope to secure it, yet cannot be unbound”
Achieve excellence by tying Dao into your usual affairs. Then you can tie it to your heart. This will then not be like ropes and cords, which can be untied.
The Nei Ye ’s suggestion that “knowledge flourishes” when food intake is regulated, is supported by a November 2014 article in the Journal of Neuroscience, which states:
Recent findings .. provide a window into the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which exercise and IERs [intermittent energy restrictions/fasting] bolster brainpower, protect neurons against injury and neurodegenerative disorders, and improve systemic energy metabolism and function of the autonomic nervous system. [283]
317 大心而 敢 , [284]
Boldly expand the heart and mind;
318 寬氣而 廣 ,
Broadly expand the energy-breath.
319 其形安而不移 。
With your body peaceful and unmoving,
320 能守一而棄萬 苛 ,
You can preserve unification, [285] and reject 10,000 annoyances.
321 見利不 誘 ,
Seeing profit, it will not seduce you;
322 見害不懼 。
Seeing danger, it will not frighten you.
323 寬舒而 仁 ,
(You will remain) spacious, comfortable, yet attentive and considerate.
324 獨樂 其 身 ,
When in solitude, enjoying yourself:
325 是謂雲 氣 ;
This is called “qi floating like clouds.”
326 意行似天 。
Your intention then functions like that of Heaven
A similar teaching to NY317-326 can be found in XSX1-20, which also suggests that a pleasant feeling of qi is greatly beneficial:
When the body is not aligned, Virtue does not approach.
When the center is not pure and clear, the heart-mind is not stable.
An aligned body is adorned with Virtue
And the myriad things attain completion.
When these wings (of Virtue and the heart-mind) naturally come together,
The spirit knows no limits.
Illuminated, it’s comprehension of the world
Spans throughout the four directions.
Therefore it is said: “When things do not confuse the senses,
And the senses do not confuse the heart-mind
This is called ‘inner Virtue’.”
Thereby, the energy of intention is settled;
Having (settled), it returns to alignment.
Energy-breath then fills the body,
And one’s conduct is righteous and upright.
If this fullness (of energy-breath) is not pleasant, the heart-mind does not benefit.
If one’s conduct is not upright, the people will not be provided for.
Therefore, Sages resemble Heaven during such times. They are without thought of self when sitting above all.
They resemble Earth during such times. They are without thought of self when supporting all.
As for thought of self, it puts the world in chaos.
Another excerpt worth contrasting here is Xin Shu Shang , lines 51-59:
Therefore, the junzi does not dwell on what he likes, nor is he coerced by what he dislikes.
Tranquil, pleasant, and effortless, he abandons wisdom, and it abides in him as a result.
He responds, but does not initiate;
Moves but does not possess.
If one is excessively headstrong, they will err when adapting to changes.
Thus, the ruler who has Dao
Remains as though without any knowledge.
He responds to things as though by coincidence.
This is the Dao of tranquil means.
See also DD20 [286] , on which Heshang Gong comments:
“ Drifting! As though without any place to stop ”
I alone am drifting and floating about, as though high, spreading out, and without any
place to stop. My will and intent are in the land of the gods.
327 凡人之生 也 ,
The lives of all people
328 必以其歡 。
Must have happiness.
329 憂則失 紀 ,
When anxious, they lose their reason;
330 怒則失端 。
When angry, they lose their direction.
331 憂悲喜 怒 ,
(If people are hindered by) anxiety, grief, euphoria, and anger,
332 道乃無處 。
Dao is then without any (empty) place to abide.
333 愛慾靜 之 ,
Attachment and lust: quiet them;
334 遇 [287] 亂正之 。
Encountering confusion, correct it.
335 勿引勿 推 ,
Do not pull, do not push.
336 福將自歸 。
Then good fortune will approach and naturally return.
337 彼道自來
This Dao of (allowing good fortune to) approach spontaneously
338 可藉與謀 。
Can be relied on by following this strategy:
339 靜則得 之 ,
If tranquil, you will attain it;
340 躁則失之 。
If agitated, you will lose it;
341 靈氣在 心 ,
The magical energy-breath (ling qi) [288] within the heart-mind:
342 一來一逝 。
For a moment it draws near, and the next it disperses.
343 其細無 內 ,
So thin, there is nothing inside of it;
344 其大無外 。
So wide, there is nothing outside of it.
345 所以失 之 ,
The reason you lose it
346 以躁為害 。
Is that agitation obstructs it.
347 心能執 靜 ,
If the heart-mind can remain quiet,
348 道將自定 。
Dao will approach and (ling qi will) naturally affix itself.
349 得道之 人 ,
People who attain Dao
350 理丞 而屯 泄 ,
Are aided by its principles, which fill [289] and flow through them.
351 匈中無敗 。
Within the breast, they are not defeated (by pleasure, anger, sadness, or worry).
352 節欲之 道 ,
Applying the dao of restraining the desires (of the five senses), [290]
353 萬物不害 。
The myriad things do not harm them.
It should be understood, that the Nei Ye is not simply a manual for improving one’s emotional state, cultivating better interpersonal relationships, and thereby improving one’s sense of overall wellbeing. While it may have remained limited to these elements were it fully entrenched in Confucianism, the Nei Ye was born of the proto-Daoist culture found in the 4 th century B.C., and so largely concerns the cultivation of humanity’s Heaven-endowed life force, pure nature, jing, qi, shen, intrinsic virtue, inner and outer reflections of Heaven and Earth, and of course, aligning all of these things with their origin: Dao. Ancient China was a world of mysticism, spirits, ghosts, gods, divine power, rituals, and spiritual influence that could predict and change the future. Though modern readers may leave these elements of the text behind, the Nei Ye should not be misrepresented as simply a manual for emotional regulation. In actuality, this facet holds the means to the text’s higher goals of Daoist internal cultivation, energy transmutation, and spiritual awakening.
In speaking of attracting the spontaneous approach of good fortune, lines 327-353 reflect another concept that might be easily absorbed by modern terminology, where “ the law of attraction ” describes what was called ganying , 感應 “feeling response,” often translated as “resonance response,” in ancient China. Ganying is the phenomenon of mutual attraction that exists between things of the same type, much as a ruler who is chaotic in his heart-mind will bring chaos to his realm. This principle was likely observed while playing the imperial bells when bells of the same tonal frequency would mysteriously resonate after only one of them had been struck. [291]
The earliest explanation of this principle is found in the 文言 Wen Yan commentary (from the “10 Wings”) on the Yi Jing (I Ching) chapter one (Qian), line five.
What is the meaning of the words under the fifth yang line, “A dragon is flying through the sky – it will be advantageous to see a great man?” The Master said: “Identical notes resonate together; identical energies seek each other; water drifts towards what is wet; fire approaches what is dry; clouds follow the dragon; wind follows the tiger; the Sage comes forth and all things look to him; what originates in heaven is drawn towards what is above; what originates in the earth is drawn towards what is below. So does everything follow its kind.” [292]
Heshang Gong helps to illustrate that DDJ23 speaks to the same principle as in the Nei Ye – that anger and frustration hinder good fortune. In doing so, he also illustrates that this occurrence comes about through the spontaneous attraction of identical types. Note that he also repeats much of the Wenyan commentary, above:
“Those who are one with Dao, Dao is also happy to have them”
Those who encounter Dao, and are one with it, Dao is also happy to have them.
“Those who are one with Virtue, Virtue is also happy to have them”
Those who encounter Virtue, and are one with it, Virtue is also happy to have them.
“Those who are one with loss, loss is also happy to have them”
Those who encounter loss, and are one with it, loss is also happy to lose them.
“Where faith and trust is not satisfactory”
Rulers who do not sufficiently trust those below them are not trusted by those below them.
“There will be no faith and trust”
This explains that things which are of the same type return to each other. Identical notes resonate together; identical energies seek each other; clouds follow the dragon; wind follows the tiger; water drifts towards what is wet; fire approaches what it is dry. This is the spontaneous nature of types.
Heshang Gong’s comment “Those who encounter loss, and are one with it, loss is also happy to lose them,” suggests that by not dwelling on loss in frustration and thereby internalizing it, loss will eventually detach itself. The beginning lines of DDJ23 (see below) seem to refer to this dwelling on loss, and bringing it up again and again rather than letting it go. By, instead, watering the seeds of Dao and Virtue, Dao and Virtue can take root and reach throughout one’s life. The closing lines of DDJ23 explain that one must have faith and trust in Dao and Virtue so that they can restore themselves in one’s life.
DDJ23:
To speak rarely is natural
Gusting wind does not last in the early morning
Sudden rainstorms do not last all day
Who acts in this way? Heaven and Earth
If Heaven and Earth cannot continue in such a way
What then, should be the case for men?
They should follow the method of Dao!
(To be a person of) Dao, be one with Dao
(To be a person of) Virtue, be one with Virtue
(To be a person of) loss, be one with loss
Those who are one with Dao
Dao is also happy to have them
Those who are one with Virtue
Virtue is also happy to have them
Those who are one with loss
Loss is also happy to have them
Where faith and trust is not satisfactory
There will be no faith and trust
So, this silent faith – that returning to tranquility will draw harmony into one’s circumstances – is connected to the strategy in the Nei Ye for attracting good fortune ( lines 337-353).
Lines 337-353 also illustrate an important concept, translated here as “magical qi”: ling qi . Ling takes on a number of definitions including the efficacy of spirits and the potency of Dao. Attained in a
similar way to the spiritual vitality (jing-shen [293] ) and genuine qi (zhen qi) referred to in Zhuang Zi’s chapter 15 and chapter one of the Huang Di Nei Jing, Su Wen , [294] ling qi “fills the spacious emptiness of calm cheerfulness” [295] and is nourished by “the Dao of pure naturalness.” [296] The Nei Ye recognizes a similar basis for accommodating these vital energies in speaking of a happiness (歡 , huan ) that is neither pleasure (樂 , le ), nor euphoria (喜 , xi ), but the sort of joy and happiness that accompanies the fulfillment and enjoyment of life. While pleasure, euphoria, lust, and attachment may simply result in sluggishness and idleness, leading to anxiety (see line 255) and further emotional obstacles to one’s full expression of Dao, this is the happiness of self-expression and living out one’s destiny (ming).
The place that the Nei Ye gives to huan (happiness, 歡 ), here, as distinct from pleasure and euphoria, is later subsumed in Chinese medicine by le (pleasure, 樂 ), translated as joy and differentiated from euphoria as a pleasant and harmonious happiness, like a thriving symphony of fulfillment and connectedness, rather than the erratic, oblivious, impulsiveness of elation and euphoria. [297] This sense of fulfillment, of inner and outer harmony, like one is part of a beautiful symphony between nature and destiny, Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, and all the many interweaving facets of life, is akin to the state of a nation that the great sages of antiquity could bring about and disappear within. It assures the smooth functioning of the nation’s many facets, and makes it nearly impossible to attack, let alone defeat, for even opposing soldiers would come to its defence. As Lao Zi said in chapter 67, by upholding kindness and moderation, and refraining from putting oneself ahead of all others, the nation remains secure in perpetuity. This allows one to become part of the symphony of life, and not upset its harmony by allowing the desires to close one’s ears, ensnaring them in a life lived, instead, only for self-gratification.
