太

上
感
應
篇
Tài Shàng Gǎn Yìng Piān
by Lǎo Zi 老子
Commentary by Xīng Dé 興德
 Disclaimer
__________________________________________________

We have exercised due diligence in the translation of

Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response [tai shang lao
jun gan ying pian太上老君感应篇] and take full
responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors and
omissions. To the best of our knowledge, the cover
image of Tai Shang Lao Jun [太上老君] is in the public
domain.

Copyright © 2020 by Johan Hausen (Purple Cloud

Press)

ISBN: 9798619522068

This work is for free distribution only. You may print

copies of this work for your personal use. You may
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Otherwise, all rights are reserved. Please contact
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声明:
此书非卖品，赠送有缘，功德天见。自己印刷送人
者，名字可自己加入善捐助印名单内。
如有印刷成本外谋利者，视为侵犯版权。
Announcement:
This book is not a commodity for sale; it is to be
presented as a gift to those who are predestined [to
receive it]. One’s merit and virtue will be seen by the
Heavens. Those who print it themselves in order to
give it as a present to others, can enter their own
names onto the list of those who kind-heartedly
donated to help print [this treatise]. If one were to
make profits aside from [covering] the printing costs,
it is considered infringement of copyrights.

讲解；白马山兴德
Explanations: White Horse Mountain, Xing De 兴德
(Li Shi Fu).

翻译：
德国；诚材。爱尔兰；诚良。加拿大；诚繁，
诚得。
美国；诚通。 瑞典；诚恩。葡萄牙；诚芝。

Translation:
Germany: Johan Hausen [诚材]. Ireland: Alan
Kavanagh [诚良]; Canada: Chad Maraj [诚得] and
Celine Tsang [诚繁]; USA: James Manning [诚通];
Sweden: Linus Bergström [诚恩]; and Portugal: Sara
Faustino [诚芝].

Editing:
Allen Tsaur ([email protected])
Mark Offord ([email protected])
Front cover image Tai Shang Lao Jun [太上老君]

Photograph of Xing De (Li Shi Fu) during scripture

service by Christina Chandler [诚信]
www.smallcircleway.com

Cover Design: Hermitage Creative Lab

([email protected])

Layout Design: Tanya Steklova-Lawson [诚静]

([email protected])

善捐助印名单；
List of names of those who kind-heartedly donated
for this print:

爱尔兰；诚良，德国；诚材，加拿大；诚繁，诚得，
英国；诚强，法国；诚羽. 美国；
诚通. 澳大利亚；诚顺。瑞典；诚恩。葡萄牙；
诚芝。波兰；诚波，诚达。意大利；诚久。

Ireland: Alan Kavanagh [诚良]; Germany: Johan

Hausen [诚材]; Canada: Celine Tsang [诚繁] and Chad
Maraj [诚得]; England: Tam Byrne [诚强]; France:
Benoit Amoyel [诚羽], USA: James Manning [诚通];
Australia: Daniel Spigelman [诚顺]; Sweden: Linus
Bergström [诚恩]; Portugal: Sara Faustino [诚芝];
Poland: Piotr Nowak [诚波] and Dariusz Pesta [诚达];
and Italy: Giulio Saltelli [诚久].
Published by Purple Cloud Press:
purplecouldinstitute.com

[email protected]

Five Immortals Temple:

Fiveimmortals.com
[email protected]
Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response has had a
continuously powerful impact on Chinese civilization
from the outset. For many centuries, this treatise has
been disseminated among hundreds of millions of
Chinese people and printed more than both the Bible
and the Dao De Jing. While scholars have attributed
the treatise to various authors, legend has it that Lao
Zi himself explained and wrote it more than 2,000
years ago.

It ranks among the Daoist classics of cultivating one’s

Inner Nature, and can be considered ‘China’s Ancient
Law of Attraction’. The purpose of the treatise is to
urge all people firstly to repent their past mistakes and
bad conduct and then to establish good thoughts,
meritorious deeds and virtue as their standard. It
points out that if people wish to live a long life and
want to obtain good fortune, they must perform
benevolent and charitable deeds and accumulate
virtue. The underlying principle is clear: nothing in
this world happens by chance and human destiny and
fate are determined by one’s own Heart-Mind,
one’s conduct and actions, and one’s speech and
words.

善有善报, 恶有恶报。
Kind-heartedness has kind-hearted recompenses,
whereas evil [behaviour] has evil recompenses.

This publication consists of extensive commentaries

on the treatise by the Daoist renunciant Xing De (Li
Shi Fu), which will enable the reader to contemplate
the deeper meanings hidden within it.
 CONTENTS

Xing De (Li Shi Fu) ..................................................... i

Preface 序言 ............................................................... v

1. Origin 缘起 ................................................................. 2

2. Original Text 原本................................................... 13

3. Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response:

…..Vernacular Text . ................................
x.《太上感应篇》白 话文 ....................................... 16

4. Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response:

…..Kind-hearted Recompenses ..
...《太上感应篇》善报 ........................…38

Notes ........................................................................... 43
興德

i
俗名；杜松峰，道名；兴德（别名；理丰、诚道、
宗常、大家都称他理师傅）1964 年出生在河南省
商丘，从 12 岁就开始先后学习外家少林功夫，
内家武当太极功夫和佛教、天主教、基督教、伊
斯兰教经典，他去了中国的很多的大山寻找高人
老师，拜了很多师傅所以他有很多名字。1991 年
起他正式成为一个道教信徒，1996 年他离开家在
武当山成为一个正式出家人，并在湖北省十堰市
张湾区白马山找到了他自己的路，在艰苦的状况
下经历了许多磨难，跟随他的师傅继续习修炼内
丹、学习传统道医、道教符法、咒语等道术。自
2000 年起他成为五仙庙的住持，是三十代武当山
龙门派和二十代纯阳派的高功经忏法师。现任张
湾区道协会长。师傅说；

不要宣传我，我就是一个要饭人，能活着
就已经非常感谢上帝了，名利荣辱已经看
淡了，全世界 70 亿人能够有缘相见的能
有几个，是天大的因缘，你们能够把所教
的内容学好，用好，能够帮助别人，我就
很高兴了。

ii
Li Shi Fu’s (1964- ) common name is Du Song Feng
and his Daoist name is Xing De or Flourishing Virtue.
His other names are Li Feng, Cheng Dao and Zong
Chang, but everyone calls him Li Shi Fu. He was born
in 1964 in Shang Qiu city, He Nan Province, China.
At the age of twelve, Xing De began to study the
external martial arts of Shaolin and the internal
martial arts of Wu Dang Tai Ji Gong Fu, as well as
the classical scriptures of Buddhism, Christianity and
Islam. He travelled to many high mountains in China
in order to seek out grandmasters. He was accepted as
a disciple by many of these masters and has therefore
received many names.1
In 1991, Xing De officially became a devotee
and follower of the Dao. In 1996, he left his home
and formally became a renunciant in Wudang, and
later found his own path at White Horse Mountain in
Shi Yan city, Zhang Wang District, Hu Bei province,
where he experienced a great deal of suffering and
hardship in very harsh conditions. He learned
cultivation practices in internal alchemy from his
master and received the transmissions of Daoist
Medicine and Daoist talismans, rituals, incantations
and other Daoist Arts. In 2000, he became the abbot
of the Five Immortals Temple. Li Shi Fu is a 30th
generation high priest of the Wu Dang Dragon Gate
Sect and also a master of Scriptural Repentance
ceremonies:

iii
I don’t want to advertise myself, as I’m only a
beggar. Being alive I’m already very grateful to
the Gods. I look indifferently at fame, wealth,
honour and glory.
Of the seven billion people in the
entire world, how many of them are you
destined to meet? This certainly must be a
predestined relationship as vast as the
Heavens. If students learn the transmitted
content well, apply it well, and are capable of
helping other people, I’m already completely
happy.

—Li Shi Fu

iv
 序言

by Xing De (Li Shi Fu)

了解中国和中国人的思想教育从这里开始。

To comprehend fully the thoughts and education of

China and the Chinese, begin with this [treatise].2

中国是文明古国，五千年文明史从远古的三皇五
帝开创，伏羲氏、神农氏、蚩尤，轩辕氏，少昊、
颛顼、帝喾、唐尧、虞舜，都有其文明史实记载，
其中“尧舜禅让”，便表明了中华文明“以人为
本”、“任人唯贤”、“厚德载物”的高尚品格。

China is a country with an ancient civilization.3 The

five-millennia history of its civilization began with the
Three August Ones4 and Five Emperors5 of antiquity,
followed by the clans of Fu Xi, Shen Nong, Chi You,
Xuan Yuan,6 Shao Hao, Zhuan Xu, Di Ku, Tang Yao,
and Yu Shun. They are all recorded as historical facts
of this culture and civilization.7

v
Amongst these [historical facts], ‘the abdication of
Yao in favour of Shun’ clearly demonstrates the high
and exquisite morals of China’s civilization, which
‘considers people as its root’,8 ‘appoints people solely
based on their virtuousness’9and ‘with great virtue
takes charge of the world’.10

司马迁《史记》载：“尧知子丹朱之不肖，不足授
天下，于是乃权授舜。授舜则天下得其利而丹朱
病；授丹朱，则天下病而丹朱得其利。尧曰：
‘终不以天下之病而利一人’，而卒授舜以天下。”

Si Ma Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian note:

Yao knew that his son Dan Zhu11 was

inadequate and unworthy of being entrusted
with all under the Heavens, thereupon Yao
gave the powers and authority to Shun. By
conferring [power] to Shun, while all under
the Heavens would obtain benefits, it would
be disadvantageous to Dan Zhu. By
conferring [power] to Dan Zhu, while it
would be disadvantageous12 to all under the
Heavens, Dan Zhu would obtain benefits.
Yao said:

In the end one [must] not benefit one

person to the disadvantage of all
under the Heavens.

And [Yao] finally conferred and granted Shun

[the powers] over all under the Heavens.13

vi
这种天下为公的无私精神，孔子赞叹：“大哉！尧
之为君也。”历经几千年，文明的基因在中国一直
流传不断，直到孙中山“天下为公”的格言，乃
至毛泽东“全心全意为人民服务”的思想和实
践，以及今天习近平提出“人类命运共同体”的
思想，莫不体现中华文明、中国文化的博大深
远。真是“问渠那得清如许，为有源头活水来。”
莫不体现中华文明、中国文化的博大深远。真是
“问渠那得清如许，为有源头活水来。”

Confucius exclaimed in admiration of this kind of

unselfish consciousness14 – all under the Heavens is
for the public good:

Great! Yao acted as a sovereign.15

The gene of civilization has been passed down and

transmitted without interruption in China through
several thousand years, all the way to Sun Yatsen’s16
maxim of ‘all under Heavens is for the public good’,
and even to Mao Ze Dong’s ideology and practice of
‘being of service to the people with one’s whole
Heart-Mind and one’s whole Intent’,17 along with
today’s ideology of ‘a community of common destiny
for the human race’,18 as put forward by Xi Jin Ping.19
There is none [of the above-mentioned] which
does not embody China’s civilization and its culture’s
vastness, depth and far-reaching [character]. It is truly
like asking:

vii
 How the stream could obtain such clarity –
for there is a source from which vivid waters
appear.20

并且还在不断地丰富和发展。他的宗旨就是扬善
弃恶，诚信无欺，道法自然，天地人一体的理念，
合道理顺天意，所以才能几千年不灭流传至今。
他不是撒谎，欺骗，偷盗的教育，更没有恃强凌
弱霸权优先的强盗思维理念。这不仅使中国人充
满自信和正能量，而且可为世界人民精神文明的
提升自身震动频率的提升，提供长久的动力。

Moreover, [China’s culture] is still being enriched and

developed unceasingly. Its purpose is to disseminate
kind-heartedness and to abandon evil, along with the
notions of sincerity and faith, the absence of deceit
and taking unfair advantage of people, the Dao that
abides by the inherent Thus-So,21 and Heavens, Earth
and Humanity being of one body. By unifying with
the principles of the Dao and complying with
Heavens’ Intent,22 therefore, China has been able to
transmit [its culture] for several thousand years to this
day without going extinct. It does not educate people
to tell lies, deceive, cheat or steal, does not have an
ideology of theft that encourages the strong to
mistreat the meek,23 and does not take power and
supremacy as its priority.24
This not only enables the Chinese to be full of self-
confidence and positive energy, but it can also provide
a permanent impetus for the elevation of the common
people’s spiritual culture and one’s own vibrational
frequencies.25
viii
The Eastern Ancient Law of Attraction

太
上
感
應
篇
东方古老的吸引力法则
 (一)缘起

The Theory of Cause and Effect and

the Law of Attraction
by Xing De (Li Shi Fu)

2
《太上感应篇》早在春秋时期就已出现，为道教
入门经典。传说是老子自己讲写，有的说是 2 千
年前老子用通道者所写。是几个世纪以来，一本
散布在数亿中国人中间的书，它印刷的量甚至超
过了圣经，道德经和莎士比亚的书。内容主要是
劝人遵守道德规范，时刻止恶修善自利利他。本
书特别强调承负法则，道经中系统的提出承负论
的观点，是在东汉的《太平经》中。

Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response had already

emerged early on during the Spring and Autumn
period (722 to 481 BC) and is considered a Daoist
classic on entering the Gate. Legend has it that Lao Zi
himself expounded and wrote it. Some say that Lao
Zi wrote it two thousand years ago [through séances]
by those who were in communion with the Dao. For
centuries, this one book has been disseminated
amongst hundreds of millions of Chinese people, and
the quantity of its printings has even surpassed the
Bible, the Dao De Jing and Shakespeare.
Its principal theme is the urging of people to
abide by the regulations and rules of the Dao and
virtues, and at any given moment and instant to put a
stop to evil and cultivate kind-heartedness to benefit
oneself and others. This book especially emphasizes
the Law of Reciprocity.26 This view of reciprocity was
first proposed within the system of Daoist scriptures
by the Scripture of Great Peace of the Eastern-Han:27

3
 行善积德福庇子孙，作恶受罚殃及子孙。
积善之家，必有余庆，积不善之家，必有
余殃。

When one practices kind-heartedness, one will

accumulate virtues, and its good fortune will
protect one’s children and grandchildren.
When one does evil, one will receive
punishment and bring disaster to one’s
children and grandchildren.
Families which accumulate kind-
heartedness will certainly experience a surplus
of [reasons to] celebrate, while families which
accumulate non kind-heartedness will
certainly experience a surplus of disasters.28

《太上感应篇》篇幅不长，计一千二百多字。主
要借太上之名，阐述 "天人感应"和"道教承负思
想"。太上感应篇里"太上"是指太上老君，道门
至尊之称，"太上"是无上之上的意思，是最尊贵
的称呼。"感应。由此动彼谓之感，由彼答此谓之
应，善恶感动天地，必有报应也。《太上感应
篇》被誉为"古今第一善书"。上至朝廷，下至民
间，刊印传播者众多，到明清时期达到高峰。
旨在劝世人，树立正确的思想道德行为规范，许
多内容至今仍然具有导人向善积极意义。

4
The length of Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response
[tai shang gan ying pian 太上感应篇] is not extensive,
as it contains only 1200 or so Chinese characters. It
primarily borrows the name of Tai Shang [太上] in
order to explain the ‘interactions between Heavens
and Humanity’ and ‘the idea of reciprocity in
Daoism’. The ‘Tai Shang’ of Tai Shang's Treatise on
Action and Reponse refers to the Supreme Sovereign
Lao, which is the highest and most reverent title
[accorded to Lao Zi] within the gate of the Dao. Tai
Shang also bears the meaning of unsurpassed
exaltation,29 as the appellation of the most honourable
and respected one.
[The words] Gan Ying [感应] [in the title]
mean: from this [act], another is moved, which is
called ‘Action’ [gan 感]; then that other responds in
turn to this action, which is called ‘Response’ [ying 应
].30 Kind-heartedness and evil move Heavens and
Earth, thus there certainly must be returns and
retributions.
Tai Shang's Treatise on Action and Response has
been acclaimed as ‘the principal book of kind-
heartedness31 from the past to present times’. From
the high and prestigious court to the mundane and
lowly people, it was printed and disseminated in great
numbers, reaching its peak in the Ming (1368-1644)
and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Its purpose is to urge
common people to establish correct thoughts, the
Dao and virtues as one’s standard. To this day, a great
part of its contents is still positive enough in meaning
to lead people towards kind-heartedness.

5
《太上感应篇》认为，天地神根据世上人们的所
作所为给以相应的奖惩。因此，开篇即以十六字
"祸福无门，唯人自召，善恶之报，如影随形"为
纲，宣扬"善有善报、恶有恶报"的因果观念。接
着指出人要长生多福，必须行善积德，并列举了
二十六条善行和一百七十条恶行，作趋善避恶的
标准，最后的"诸恶莫作，众善奉行"、"一日有三
善，三年天必降之福;一日有三恶，三年天必降
之祸"作结果。"

Tai Shang’ s Treatise on Action and Response believes that

Heavens, Earth and Spirits grant rewards and
penalties in response to the conduct of common
people. Consequently, the treatise opens with these
sixteen Chinese characters as its underlying principle:

Fortune and misfortune are [not allotted paths

with] gates [that you enter],32 but only you
invite them in yourselves. The reciprocations
of kind-heartedness and evil are like a shadow
following its form.

This proclaims the notion of cause and effect, in

which kind-heartedness has kind-hearted
reciprocations, whereas evil [behaviour] has evil
reciprocations.33 After that, [the text] points out that if
people want to live a long life and enjoy a great deal
of good fortune, they certainly must commit good
deeds and accumulate virtues. Furthermore, it lists 26
types of meritorious deed and 170 types of evil action,
to form a standard that tends towards good deeds and
avoids evil. Finally, it concludes that:

6
 诸恶莫作，众善奉行。一日有三善，三年
天必降之福; 一日有三恶，三年天必降之
祸"作结果。

One [should] not practise any evil, [but instead]

perform countless meritorious deeds. If every
day there are three good deeds, then in three
years good fortune from Heavens will
certainly descend. If every day there are three
evil actions, then in three years misfortune
from Heavens will certainly descend.

又有三台北斗神君在人头上，录人罪恶，夺其纪
算"，"又有三尸神，在人身中，每到庚申日，上诣
天曹，言人善恶"，由天地神来裁决。当人非义而
动、背理而行时，就会"大则夺纪、小则夺算"，
而算减则贫耗，多逢忧患"，最终"算尽则死"，人
就离开了人世;如果死有余辜，还将殃及子孙。
所谓"是道则进，非道则退"，则"天道佑之，福禄
随之，众邪避之，神灵卫之，所作必成，神仙可
冀。"若改恶从善，则将转祸为福。

Furthermore, the Three Terraces34 and the Big

Dipper35 Spirit Sovereigns are situated above people’s
heads. They record people’s wrongdoings and evils
and reduce [one’s life according to] the chronicles and
calculations.36 There are also the Three Corpse Spirits37
inside the human body. At each Geng-Shen day,38
they rise up to the Heavenly Government to speak

7
about each person’s wrongdoings and faults.
Thereafter, the conduct of people is judged by
Heavens, Earth, and the Spirits. When people act
without righteousness or perform deeds having turned
their back on the principles, [their lives] will be reduced
by a Chronicle for major [offences] and reduced by a
Calculation for a minor [offences]. In addition, to be
reduced by a Calculation also means poverty and ruin,
and many encounters with grief and misery. At the
very end, when the Calculations have been exhausted,
there will be death and departure from the human
world. If, at death, there has been a surplus of crimes
[in one’s life], this will continue to bring disaster to
one’s children and grandchildren [and vice versa with
good fortune if there has been a surplus of good
deeds].
This is what is meant by the saying ‘when it is
the Dao, advance; when it is not the Dao, withdraw’.
Then the Heavenly Dao gives support, good fortune39
follows, multitudes of evil [fates] are averted, and the
Spirits and Divinities are one’s protection. What one
does will certainly be successful and one may hope
for Spirit immortality. If one corrects one’s evil
[tendencies] and engages in kind-hearted [actions],
then one will turn misfortune into good fortune.

有过失和作恶的人最直接后果就是各种灾难和肉
体的消亡。修身保生是道教的哲学，它更加重视
现世，活在当下，更加珍惜现在存在的生命肉
体。所以"欲求长生者"，就必须回避大大小小"有
数百事"的过错，而与避恶相统一的是趋善，"善"
能使人从思想上达到更高的人生境界，是得道成

8
仙的基础。所以道教说"夫欲求天仙者，当立一
千三百善，欲求地仙者，当立三百善"。这里的"
善"，是从家庭、社会人际伦理关系出发的生活准
则。"不履邪径，不欺暗室"、"悯人之凶，乐人之
善，济人之急，救人之危"、"受辱不怨，受宠不
惊"、"施恩不求报，与人不追悔"等等。

The most immediate and direct consequence for

people who have faults and commit evil [deeds] is
precisely various kinds of disaster and hardship, as
well as the demise of their physical body. To cultivate
the body and protect one’s life is the philosophy of
Daoism. It places even more emphasis on this life and
this world, living in the now, and even more so, it
appreciates the living, physical flesh that exist in this
very moment.40
Therefore, ‘for those who wish to seek long-
lasting life’, they must avoid major and minor
wrongdoings, the ‘several hundred kinds of error and
fault’,41 and along with the avoidance of evil actions,
they must also tend towards kind-heartedness [in their
behaviour]. Kind-heartedness can allow people to
reach an even higher thought-realm42 of the human.
It is the foundation of attaining the Dao and
becoming an immortal.
Therefore, Daoism states:
Those who wish to seek Heavenly
Immortality should establish themselves [by
performing] one thousand three hundred
meritorious [deeds].

9
 Those who wish to seek Earthly Immortality
should establish themselves [by performing]
three hundred meritorious [deeds].43

[This principle of] kind-heartedness or merits is the

guideline for one’s daily life, as it emerges in one’s
interpersonal ethics and one’s relationships in the
family and with society.

Do not tread evil paths and do not deceive

[others] within the dark chamber.44
Sympathize with people’s inauspicious
[circumstances] and take joy in people’s
goodness, as well as give assistance to people
in pressing need and rescue people in danger.
When subjected to humiliation, do not resent
others; and when receiving favours, be
unsurprised.45 Grant favours without seeking
recompense and give to people without
regrets,46 and so forth.

《太上感应篇》充分体现了对神权威的敬畏。
该书认为天上、地上和人体内都有录人罪过、降
祸福于人的神，如大地上的司过之神，天上的三
台北斗神君和人身上的三尸神，它们对人的规范
和约束是时刻存在的，人应该敬畏他们，日、
月，星，虹等都有神明，不可不敬，故而把"唾流
星，指虹霓，指三光，久视日月，咒骂晴雨等等，
视作恶行;而"无故杀龟打蛇"伤害各种动物，就

10
会引起"夺其纪算，算尽则死，死有余责,乃殃及
子孙。"

Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response amply

embodies a reverence towards the power and
authority of Spirits. This book believes that there are
Spirits in the Heavens above, on Earth and within the
human body, all of whom record humans’ wrong-
doings and faults, and make fortune and misfortune
descend on people. These include the Spirit of the
Great Earth in charge of people’s faults, the Three
Terraces and Big Dipper Spirit Sovereigns [who
reside] above in the Heavens, and the Three Corpse
Spirits within the body. Their regulations and
constraints for humans are present in every instant
and at every moment. Humans ought to revere them.
The sun, moon, stars and rainbows all have Spirit
Illuminaries,47 and one must not desecrate them.
That is the reason why it is considered evil
conduct to spit in the direction of shooting stars, to
point at rainbows or the Three Luminaries,48 to stare
at the sun and moon for too long, and to curse at rain
or the sun.49 Furthermore, ‘killing turtles and beating
snakes for no reason’50 and harming any type of
animal will also lead to:

A deduction [in one’s lifespan] by chronicles

and calculations. Once all the calculations
have been exhausted, there is death. If at
death there remains a surplus of responsibility
and blame, this will subsequently bring
disaster on one's children and grandchildren.

11
《太上感应篇》最初只在民间流传，南宋时始获
官方重视，历经宋、元、明、清而久盛不衰。
有利于规范人们的言行，特别是有助于保证国
家、社会、家庭的严谨秩序，同时，那些诚心炼
丹修道者也推崇它，因为它可以去掉自身的因果
循环，使大脑更容易安静下来，从而达到得道成
仙的人生境界和愿望。

Tai Shang's Treatise on Action and Response was initially

only circulated and spread among the populace. In the
Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), it started to
catch the keen attention of the government, and it
continued to flourish all the way through the Song,
Yuan, Ming and Qing [dynasties] without decline.
It is beneficial to regulate people’s speech and
conduct. It is especially helpful for safeguarding the
strict social order of one’s country, society and family
homes. At the same time, the ones who refine the elixir
and cultivate the Dao with a sincere Heart-Mind also
esteem and think highly of it, because it is able to
remove one’s own cycles of cause and effect and makes
it easier for the mind to calm down and quieten,
thereby enabling one to achieve one’s wish and the
realm of life where one attains the Dao and becomes
an immortal.51

12
 (二) 原本

by the Supreme Sovereign Lao

太上曰。祸福无门。惟人自召。善恶之报。如影随
形。是以天地有司过之神。依人所犯轻重。以夺人
算。算减则贫耗。多逢忧患。人皆恶之。刑祸随
之。吉庆避之。恶星灾之。算尽则死。又有三台北
斗神君。在人头上。录人罪恶。夺其纪算。又有三
尸神。在人身中。每到庚申日。辄上诣天曹。言人
罪过。月晦之日。灶神亦然。凡人有过。大则夺
纪。小则夺算。其过大小。有数百事。欲求长生
者。先须避之。是道则进。非道则退。不履邪径。
不欺暗室。积德累功。慈心于物。忠孝友悌。正己
化人。矜孤恤寡。敬老怀幼。昆虫草木。犹不可
伤。宜悯人之凶。乐人之善。济人之急。救人之
危。见人之得。如己之得。见人之失。如己之失。
不彰人短。不炫己长。遏恶扬善。推多取少。受辱
不怨。受宠若惊。施恩不求报。与人不追悔。所谓
善人。人皆敬之。天道佑之。福禄随之。众邪远
之。神灵卫之。所作必成。神仙可冀。欲求天仙
者。当立一千三百善。欲求地仙者。当立三百善。

13
苟或非义而动。背理而行。以恶为能。忍作残害。
阴贼良善。暗侮君亲。慢其先生。叛其所事。诳诸
无识。谤诸同学。虚诬诈伪。攻讦宗亲。刚强不
仁。狠戾自用。是非不当。向背乖宜。虐下取功。
谄上希旨。受恩不感。念怨不休。轻蔑天民。扰乱
国政。赏及非义。刑及无辜。杀人取财。倾人取
位。诛降戮服。贬正排贤。凌孤逼寡。弃法受赂。
以直为曲。以曲为直。入轻为重。见杀加怒。知过
不改。见善不为。自罪引他。壅塞方术。讪谤圣
贤。侵凌道德。射飞逐走。发蛰惊栖。填穴覆巢。
伤胎破卵。愿人有失。毁人成功。危人自安。减人
自益。以恶易好。以私废公。窃人之能。蔽人之
善。形人之丑。讦人之私。耗人货财。离人骨肉。
侵人所爱。助人为非。逞志作威。辱人求胜。败人
苗稼。破人婚姻。苟富而骄。苟免无耻。认恩推
过。嫁祸卖恶。沽买虚誉。包贮险心。挫人所长。
护己所短。乘威迫胁。纵暴杀伤。无故剪裁。非礼
烹宰。散弃五谷。劳扰众生。破人之家。取其财
宝。决水放火。以害民居。紊乱规模。以败人功。
损人器物。以穷人用。见他荣贵。愿他流贬。见他
富有。愿他破散。见他色美。起心私之。负他货
财。愿他身死。干求不遂。便生咒恨。见他失便。
便说他过。见他体相不具而笑之。见他才能可称而
抑之。埋蛊厌人。用药杀树。恚怒师傅。抵触父
兄。强取强求。好侵好夺。掳掠致富。巧诈求迁。
赏罚不平。逸乐过节。苛虐其下。恐吓于他。怨天
尤人。呵风骂雨。斗合争讼。妄逐朋党。用妻妾
语。违父母训。得新忘故。口是心非。贪冒于财。
欺罔其上。造作恶语。谗毁平人。毁人称直。骂神

14
称正。弃顺效逆。背亲向疏。指天地以证鄙怀。引
神明而鉴猥事。施与后悔。假借不还。分外营求。
力上施设。淫欲过度。心毒貌慈。秽食餧人。左道
惑众。短尺狭度。轻称小升。以伪杂真。采取奸
利。压良为贱。谩蓦愚人。贪婪无厌。咒诅求直。
嗜酒悖乱。骨肉忿争。男不忠良。女不柔顺。不和
其室。不敬其夫。每好矜夸。常行妒忌。无行于妻
子。失礼于舅姑。轻慢先灵。违逆上命。作为无
益。怀挟外心。自咒咒他。偏憎偏爱。越井越灶。
跳食跳人。损子堕胎。行多隐僻。晦腊歌舞。朔旦
号怒。对北涕唾及溺。对灶吟咏及哭。又以灶火烧
香。秽柴作食。夜起裸露。八节行刑。唾流星。指
虹霓。辄指三光。久视日月。春月燎猎。对北恶
骂。无故杀龟打蛇。如是等罪。司命随其轻重。夺
其纪算。算尽则死。死有余责。乃殃及子孙。又诸
横取人财者。乃计其妻子家口以当之。渐至死丧。
若不死丧。则有水火盗贼。遗亡器物。疾病口舌诸
事。以当妄取之值。又枉杀人者。是易刀兵而相杀
也。取非义之财者。譬如漏脯救饥。鸩酒止渴。非
不暂饱。死亦及之。夫心起于善。善虽未为。而吉
神已随之。或心起于恶。恶虽未为。而凶神已随
之。其有曾行恶事。后自改悔。诸恶莫作。众善奉
行。久久必获吉庆。所谓转祸为福也。故吉人。语
善。视善。行善。一日有三善。三年天必降之福。
凶人。语恶。视恶。行恶。一日有三恶。三年天必
降之祸。胡不勉而行之。

15
 (三)《太上感应篇》白话文

Vernacular Text52

by Xing De (Li Shi Fu)

太上老君说:人的祸福没有固定的，完全是由自
己招来。善有善报，恶有恶报。就像人影紧跟着
形体一样，绝不差错。

The Supreme Sovereign Lao said:

The fortune and misfortune of people is not
fixed, since people themselves wholly beckon
it towards them. Kind-heartedness has kind-
hearted recompenses, while wickedness has
wicked recompenses, just as a human shadow
closely follows the physical form and
structure, and there is not the slightest
deviation from this principle.53

16
所以天地之间，有专管过错的神明，按照犯罪的
轻重，来削减年寿。(人活一百天叫一算，十二年
叫一纪)。不但年寿被减，而且罚他贫困损耗。
患难的事情纷至沓来，大家都厌恨他，刑罚祸害
跟着而来。吉祥之事，没有他的份儿。凶煞恶煞
使他受灾殃。到了年寿已减尽时，就是死期。

Therefore, between Heavens and Earth, there are

Spirit Illuminaries in charge of the faults [of human
beings]. In proportion to whether the violations be
light or severe, they appear in order to reduce and cut
back one’s lifespan.
Not only are the years of one’s life reduced,
but one is also punished by impoverishment and
affliction. Trials and tribulations appear in a continual
stream, as everyone will hate such a person, which
thus leads to punishments and disasters. Nothing
auspicious is allotted to this person. Inauspiciousness
and demons54 subject that person to disaster and
calamity. At the time when one’s lifespan has been
completely reduced, this is precisely the time of
death.55

还有三台神君、北斗神君，他们在人的头上，记
录人的罪恶，夺其纪算。又有三尸神在人的身体
中，每到庚申日(每六十天有一日)时常进见天
曹，检举人的罪过。每月最后一天，灶神也会检
举一家的罪过。罪过较大的就被夺除寿命十二
年，罪过较小的削减百天。大小罪过，共有一百
多种。想延年益寿的人，先要避免大小过错。

17
There are also the Three Terraces and the Big Dipper
Spirit Sovereigns56 located above people’s heads. They
record people’s wrongdoings and evils and reduce
[one’s life by] the chronicles and calculations. There
are also the Three Corpse Spirits inside the human
body. At each Geng-Shen day (one day every sixty
days), they routinely advance to the Heavenly
Government to report a person’s wrongdoings and
faults. On the last day of every lunar month, the Stove
Deity57 will also report the wrongdoings and faults of
a family household.
If the wrongdoings and faults are relatively
major, then one’s lifespan is reduced by twelve years;
if they are relatively minor, one hundred days are cut
off. Altogether, there are one hundred types of major
and minor wrongdoings and offences. People who
would like to prolong their years and lengthen their
lifespan must firstly avoid major and minor faults.

合乎道理的就要前进去做，不合乎道理的就必须
退避不为。不走邪恶之途，不在暗处欺人。积聚
德业，累进功绩。要将慈悲心扩及万物。对君长
要尽忠，对父母要尽孝。兄长友爱弟弟，弟弟尊
敬兄长。端正自己，劝化别人。怜悯孤独者，周
济鳏寡者，尊敬衰老者，关怀年幼者。昆虫和草
木，仍然不可以伤害。应该怜悯他人因作恶所招
得的凶祸，赞叹他人因行善所获得的福报。帮助
他人的急难，救助他人的危困。看见别人有所
得，就如同自己得到一样高兴;看见他人有所损
失，就如同自己损失一样难过。不要彰扬别人的
短处，不要炫耀自己的长处。阻止恶行，赞扬善

18
行。把多的推让他人，自己则取少的部分。受到
侮辱也不怨恨。得到过分的宠爱待遇，不要感到
意外，而不知所措，要把名利心放下。布施恩
惠，不求回报;赠送给他人后，不再后悔。这里所
说的善人，人人都尊敬他，上天也会保佑他，福
报官禄会跟随他，众邪恶凶神都远离他，善神也
会保卫他。所作的事必定会成功，就有可能达到
成仙的目标。想要求证天仙的人，应当积集一千
三百件善事;想要求证地仙的人，应当积集三百
件善事。

[Activities] that conform with these principles must

be put into effect and carried out at once. [Activities]
that do not conform with these principles must be
refrained from and avoided at once. Do not walk on
wicked and evil paths. Do not deceive people in dark
places.58 Accumulate virtuous deeds and meritorious
achievements [in order to progress]. One must extend
a Heart-Mind of compassion and mercy59 to the ten
thousand beings. One must have the utmost loyalty
towards one’s sovereign and elders,60 and one must
have the utmost filial piety towards one’s father and
mother. Elder brothers must love their younger
brothers, while younger brothers [must] respect their
elder brothers. Rectify yourself and urge others to
transform themselves.61 Sympathize with the lonely
and solitary and give relief and charity to widows and
widowers. Venerate the elders who have declined
with age and show care for the young.
Moreover, one must not hurt or injure insects, grasses
and trees. One should sympathize with the
inauspicious misfortunes that others have invited by
their own evil deeds, and praise highly the fortunate

19
recompenses that others have reaped from their good
deeds.62 One [must] help other people in pressing
difficulties, and give assistance to people in grave
situations. On seeing the gains of others, one should
be as happy as one would be if one had gained it
oneself. On seeing the losses of other people, one
should be as sad as one would be if one had suffered
such a loss oneself. Do not conspicuously make
known the weak points of others,63 and do not flaunt
your own strong points. Stand in the way of, and put
a stop to wicked deeds, and praise and spread good
deeds. Yield for the most part to other people, and
take the lesser part for yourself.64 In addition, do not
feel resentment when subjected to humiliation. On
gaining extravagant favours [from superiors] and
being spoiled, one should not feel as though this is
unexpected and not know what to do.65 One must let
go of a Heart-Mind of fame and gain.66 Do not seek
to be reciprocated when giving in charity67 and
bestowing favours. After presenting something as a
gift to others, have no regrets [over having done so].
The kind-hearted people described here are
respected by everyone, and are protected and blessed
by the Heavens. Fortunate recompenses, official
positions and an official salary will follow these
people, while myriads of evils will stay far away from
such people and kind-hearted Spirits will also defend
them. Whatever affairs they undertake will certainly
be successful, hence they are likely to be successful in
their goal of becoming an immortal. If one wishes to
seek verification68 as a Heavenly Immortal, one ought
to accumulate 1300 good deeds. If one wishes to seek
verification as an Earthly Immortal, one ought to
accumulate 300 good deeds.69

20
如果对不正当的事动念头，违反道理做事，做了
坏事，反说自己能干了不起，不以为耻反以为
荣，忍心残杀人或动物，暗中加害好人，背后欺
满有德的官长或双亲，对教师傲慢，对自己的职
务不尽责，哄骗外行人，诽谤同学，以说假话做
假证冤枉好人，以假充真，以次充好骗人，挑剔
同族亲戚。攻其阴私，性格气质刚暴无慈爱心，
性情凶狠乖戾，一意孤行，不听善劝。

Such [people], who set their intention upon improper

matters, violate the principles in their activities, and
commit bad deeds, brag on the contrary of their
competence and great ability.70 They feel no shame
[at their conduct], but on the contrary feel proud.
They have the Heart-Mind of someone who ruins or
kills people and animals. They injure good people in
the dark, and they hoodwink the virtuous head of
state71 or their parents behind their backs. They are
arrogant towards their teachers, and do not take full
responsibility for their duty. They deceive outsiders
and slander their fellow students. By speaking
dishonest words, they give false testimonies that
wrongly accuse good people. By presenting the false
as the genuine, and by presenting the inferior as the
good, they defraud people.72 They are fastidious [in
their fault-finding] with relatives of the same clan, and
attack their shameful secrets. Their temperament73 is
unyielding and cruel. They are without a Heart-Mind
of compassion and love, their disposition is vengeful
and disagreeable, and they are obstinately set in their
ways,74 not listening to any advice [that encourages
them to do] good.

21
以非为是，以是为非，颠倒黑白。亲近恶人歹
事，远离善人好事。为争取功赏，不顾民间疾
苦，为求得宠，不惜用尽欺巧方法拍马屁，去迎
合上峰的意思。接受别人恩惠不感谢不报答，受
别人欺辱，怀恨于心，念念不休。看不起百姓，
不重视民情。不为国为民，反而违法乱纪。奖赏
不义之人，惩罚无罪的人。谋财害命，用计谋使
上司人丢官职，然后乘机取而代之。杀死投城降
服的人，驱逐正善良直人，排拒有能力的贤良
人。凌辱孤儿，逼迫寡妇。接受贿赂，不遵照法
律道德处理事件，是非曲直不明辨，只因贿赂瞎
了眼。轻罪重判，重罪轻判。看到临死刑的人，
不哀怜，反而嗔怒他。不知廉耻，丧失天良，自
己的罪过，故意牵扯别人，把济世养生的技艺，
保密不公开。对圣贤讥笑又诽谤，迫害有道德的
人。

They regard the wrong as the right, and the right as

the wrong, reversing the black and white. They keep
close to wicked people and vicious activities, yet keep
far away from kind-hearted people and good
activities. In fighting for the rewards of achievement,
they do not care about the diseases and hardships of
the populace.75 In seeking to obtain favours, they do
not hesitate to employ all methods of deception and
cunning in fawning upon others,76 and catering to the
opinion of the higher authorities.
When they receive the favours of others, they
are not grateful and they do not repay [the favour].
When they receive humiliation from others, they
harbour resentment in their Heart-Mind unceasingly,
[dwelling on this through] thought after thought.77

22
They despise the common people, and place no
importance on popular sentiment.78 They do not
[serve] the country or the people;79 on the contrary,
they violate the laws and throw [the country] into
disorder and disturbance. They reward unrighteous
people and punish innocent people. They plot against
and kill people for their property.80 They employ
schemes to make their superior lose his official post
and afterwards seize the opportunity to take his place
as a substitute.81 They kill those who have sought
shelter in the city walls and have surrendered [in war],
banish upright, good and honest people, and remove
by force and repel worthy and able people.82 They
humiliate orphans, and force widows [into slavery].83
They receive bribes, do not handle affairs in
accordance with the laws, the Dao and virtues, and do
not clearly differentiate between right and wrong, and
the crooked and straight. They turn a blind eye [to
misdemeanours] only when they have been bribed.84
For mild wrongdoings, they sentence severely. For
severe wrongdoings, they sentence mildly.85 On seeing
people who face the death penalty, they have no
sympathy for them, but on the contrary they get angry
at that person. They are oblivious to honour and
shame,86 forfeit their Heavenly conscience, and
deliberately implicate others for their own wrong-
doings and offences. They keep secret the skills for
relieving the world and nourishing life,87 and do not
disclose them to the public. They ridicule and slander
the sages and worthies, and persecute those who are
imbued with the Dao and virtues.

23
射杀飞禽，赶捉走兽，掘挖蛰虫，吓惊栖鸟，毁损
洞穴鸟巢，使虫鸟走兽无法居住，伤害怀孕的动
物，弄破它们的幼子和蛋。希望别人有过失，怕
别人成功，百般破坏，使别人陷于危险境地，以
求得自己的安稳，扣减别人财物，增加自己利
益，用自己不好的，换取别人好的，为了图谋私
利，不惜妨害公益。偷取别人技能，如作品，设
计图案，专利品等，掩盖别人的优点，宣扬别人
的丑事，指摘别人的阴私秘密，消耗或浪费别人
的财物，搬弄是非，使人与亲友反目分离。侵夺
别人心爱之物。帮助别人为非作歹，放纵欲望，
作威作福。侮辱他人以求自己胜利。损伤别人农
作物，破坏人家的婚姻。

They shoot and kill birds, drive and capture wild

beasts, dig out hibernating insects, and startle perched
birds.88 They damage the holes, dens and nests of
birds [and other creatures], so these insects, birds, and
beasts have no place of dwelling. They harm and
injure pregnant animals, destroying their infants and
breaking their eggs.
They hope that others will have faults, and are
afraid of other people succeeding. In a hundred ways
they sabotage others, leading them to be trapped in
dangerous circumstances, just to seek their own
security. They take from and diminish other people’s
wealth to increase their own gain and profit. They use
their own bad [products] to exchange for other
people’s good ones. Conspiring for selfish gains, they
do not hesitate or scruple to impair the public welfare.
They steal [what has been created by] the skills of
others, such as works of art, patterned designs,

24
patented goods and so forth. They conceal other
people’s strong points, yet spread about scandals
concerning them, and they criticize other people’s
shameful and personal secrets. They consume or
waste other people’s property. They incite quarrels,89
causing people and next of kin to fall out90 and
separate from each other. They encroach on and seize
other people’s beloved objects. They help others to
break the law and commit crimes, to unleash their
desires and cravings,91 and [to behave with] tyrannical
abuse.92 They humiliate other people in order to seek
triumph and victory for themselves. They harm other
people’s agricultural crops, and destroy other family’s
marriages.93

取不义之财致富，不知行善反而骄奢，侥幸逃过
刑罚或难关，竟还敢继续做出没廉耻的事。别人
所做的恩德善行，硬说是自己的功劳，自己有过
犯，则推到别人身上。自己该受的灾祸，自己的
罪恶，移嫁他人。不能实事求是，凭财势奸巧争
得地位奖赏等美名，包藏奸诈害人之心。让有才
能的人产生挫折混乱，使人精神失落事业失败，
掩饰自己短处，不肯认错，仗著权势，强迫他人，
顺己之所为。放纵暴戾心性，或纵容恶人杀伤人
物生命。为了时髦而裁制衣着，为自己的口腹，
宰杀动物烹煮来吃，把养人的谷物，任意抛弃不
珍惜。劳役人民，扰害百姓。使人破产，乘机夺
取他的财宝，破坏堤防或放起大火，造成别人家
宅毁坏，生命死伤。别人的事业具有规模，故意
弄乱它，使之前功尽弃不能成功。损坏别人的器
具物品，使他无法使用。

25
They accumulate unrighteous wealth in order to
become rich. They do not know to practise good
deeds, but on the contrary are arrogant and
extravagant.94 Even when they escape punishment or
difficulties by sheer good fortune, they still dare to
continue their dishonourable and shameless affairs.
The favours and virtues of other people are strongly
claimed by them as their own contribution.95 Their
own transgressions and violations are transferred by
them onto other people.96 The calamity to which they
ought to be subjected on account of their own
wrongdoing and evils, they move and shift onto other
people. Unable to be practical and realistic,97 they rely
on wealth and influence to craftily and opportunely
strive for a good name which comes with position,
status, and rewards, while harbouring a treacherous
and pernicious98 Heart-Mind.
They cause people with talent to experience
setbacks and confusion, making them low and lost in
spirit99 and failed in their career.100 They conceal their
shortcomings, and are unwilling to admit their faults.
They rely on their power and influence, compelling
and coercing other people to comply with what they
themselves do.101 They give vent to a ruthless dispo-
sition,102 such as by giving free rein to evil people who
kill or inflict harm on other people. For the sake of
fashionable and tailored clothing,103 and to fulfil the
[desires of] their mouth and belly, they slaughter
animals, and cook and boil them to be eaten. They
throw away for no reason and do not cherish the
grains and cereals which nourish humans. They force
labour onto, and disturb and harm the common
people. They reduce people to poverty, and seize the
opportunity to take their money and valuables. They

26
break dykes and start large fires in order to ruin other
people’s residences and to kill and injure life. When
other people advance in their careers, they deliberately
bring this into disorder, laying waste to all their
previous efforts104 so they are unable to succeed. They
break other people’s instruments, equipment, and
goods, rendering them unusable to others.

看到别人荣华贵显，希望他被降免。别人发财，
希望他破产亡家。看到他人妻女貌美，便起了邪
淫之心。欠人财物，希望他死，不必还债。非分
的奢求，不能遂心，就咒骂怀恨他人。人家有不
如意时，就议论他平日的过错。见外貌丑怪的人，
不怜悯，反而讥笑，见人有才能，不称赞反而贬
抑他。

When they see other people’s glory, splendour and

high eminence, they hope that they will be vanquished
and dismissed [from office]. When other people
become rich, they hope that their property will be
destroyed and their families will perish. When they
see the beautiful appearance of other people’s wives
and daughters, a Heart-Mind of evil lust at once
arises. When they owe people money and goods, they
hope for their death, so they will have no need to
settle their debts. After making presumptuous and
superfluous demands, if things do not go according to
their liking, they will curse and harbour grudges
against others. When others are facing difficult and
miserable times, they remark and comment on their
everyday faults [that may have caused the calamity].
When they see people with a grotesque appearance,

27
they do not show sympathy, but on the contrary
ridicule them. When they see that other people have
talent, they do not commend them, but on the
contrary belittle them.

暗地里埋下蛊毒，用邪术妖法魇魅人，用毒药无
故杀除花草树木。对老师怀恨，发怒，无礼。不
孝双亲，不敬兄妹。取求之时诉诸强权，不讲情
理法，喜欢用奸计暗取或恃强夺取。为求财富而
掳人劫夺财物。不脚踏实地，以奸巧弄假的手段
求得升迁。赏罚偏私，不公平，安逸享乐，放纵
欲望不节制。对部属佣人，刻薄残暴，虚张声
势，使人害怕。

They secretly bury Gu-Poison,105 use evil arts and

demonic methods to place nightmare charms on
people,106 and employ poisonous medicine to kill and
injure flowers, grasses, trees and woods for no reason.
They harbour resentment and display anger and
extreme rudeness towards their teachers. They do not
[show] filial piety to their parents and are not reverent
towards their elder brothers and younger sisters.
When seeking to seize [things from others], they
resort to power and might.107 They do not talk about
the principles of reason,108 and like to employ evil
schemes to seize [things] in darkness, or they rely on
strength to take things by force. In their pursuit of
wealth and riches, they abduct people and seize their
belongings. Their feet are not firmly planted on the
ground.109 By means of crafty wickedness and
falsehood, they seek to obtain promotions. They

28
practise favouritism and inequality in giving rewards
and punishments
They enjoy a easy and comfortable life. They
give free rein to debauchery, without restraint or
moderation.110 They are unkind and vicious toward
their subordinates and servants. They bluff and
display false bravado, making people afraid.

不如意的事，一味怨尤。风雨不调顺，就诃责怒
骂。搬弄是非，使人打斗诉讼，从中取乐取利，
盲目加入不法的盟帮，会，社，随声附和。采纳
别人不合道理的建议，违背父母的教训。喜新厌
旧，口是心非，贪污钱财，欺瞒上司。捏造不利
人的坏话，造谣毁谤平白无辜的人。毁坏别人的
名誉和人格，自以为正直，污骂神明自以为公
正。离弃顺天理的事，去效法逆天理的事，背离
亲人。做事存心不良，反叫天地做见证，做邪法
污秽事，请神明照察。

When affairs are not as they wish, invariably they feel

resentment.111 When the wind and rain do not
harmonize and obey [their will],112 they at once scold,
reproach and verbally abuse [the weather]. They sow
discord among people, causing them to fight in
lawsuits, in which they take joy and take advantage of.
They blindly participate in illegal gangs, assemblies,
and societies, and parrot their words.
They adopt the suggestions of others that are
not at one with the principles of the Dao. They
violate the instructions and lessons of their father and
mother. They like the new and hate the old. They are

29
hypocritical.113 Greedily, they embezzle money and
deceive their superiors.
They fabricate malicious gossip that is
disadvantageous to people, starting rumours and
libelling innocent people for no reason. In destroying
the reputations and dignity of other people, they
believe themselves to be upright. In defiling and
scolding the Spirit Illuminaries, they believe
themselves to be just and fair. They reject activities
that follow the Heavenly Principles, and they pursue
those which contravene the Heavenly Principles.
They turn their backs on and separate from their next
of kin. When they handle matters, they harbour evil
intentions, while on the contrary they call on Heavens
and Earth to be their witness. When they practise evil
and sordid activities, they ask the Spirit Illuminaries to
examine them.114

施舍财物，后又懊悔，欠人财物不肯偿还。不守
本分，妄想钻谋名利富贵。把精力都放在奢侈豪
华布置上。邪淫过分，纵欲不节。内心恶毒，外
貌慈和。把变质脏腐的食物，拿给人吃。以妖法
邪术迷惑大众采人补己。尺度不公，买入量长，
卖出量短，秤升不平，卖出称轻，买入称重，以假
货掺杂在真货内卖出。以不正当方法获取利益。
仗势恃财强迫贫穷清白人家操守贱业，欺骗愚笨
的人。对名利财势，贪得无厌。对天地神祗咒
诅，证明自己理直。

When they give money and goods in charity, they

later again feel regret over this. When they owe
people money and goods, they are not willing to repay

30
them. They do not maintain their role and duties [in
society]. With wishful thinking, they scheme to find a
way to obtain reputation, name, riches and honour.
They put all their energy into [constructing] an
extravagant and luxuriant façade.115 They are
exceedingly wicked in their lusts, and indulge in
debauchery without restraint. Inside their Heart-Mind
there is evil poison, but their external appearance is
compassionate and harmonious. They give dirty, gone
off or rotten food to other people to eat.
By means of demonic methods and evil arts,
they delude the great masses, and then pick from
people to supplement and replenish themselves.116
Their scales and yardsticks are inexact. When buying,
the measurement is longer; when selling, the
measurement is shorter. The steelyard does not raise
evenly. When selling, the weight is lighter; when
buying, the weight is heavier.117 They sell by means of
mixing and intermingling counterfeit products with
the genuine article. They gain benefit by using
improper methods. They rely on influence and wealth
to coerce a pure and innocent family in poverty to run
and uphold low-status occupations.118 They cheat
dim-witted and dull people. They are insatiably greedy
for reputation, gain, wealth and influence. They curse
Heavens and Earth, Spirits and Deities, to confirm
and prove to themselves that justice is on their side.119

嗜酒如命的人，容易做出违反德性的事。与家人
怨忿争执不忍让，男人不忠实，不行善。女人不
温柔和顺。丈夫不善待妻子，造成家庭失和，太
太对丈夫不敬重。夫妻之间，说话往往夸张隐瞒
不实。并且时常起嫉妒疑忌之心。先生对妻子儿

31
女有不得体的言行，媳妇对公公婆婆不孝敬。对
去世的父母祖宗祭祀不虔诚。违背长上的教令。
平日所作所为，尽是对别人社会国家无益的事，
暗中怀有私心。心有怨恨，自咒又咒人，待人不
公，偏袒自己喜欢的人，排斥自己讨厌的人。

It is easy for people who love alcohol as if it were

their own life to practise deeds which violate moral
integrity. They are resentful and argue opinionatedly
with their family members, without showing any
tolerance. The men are unfaithful and dishonest, and
do not perform good deeds. The women are not
gentle, soft and acquiescent. The husbands do not
treat their wives and children well, causing their
households to lose harmony and grow estranged.
The married women do not deeply revere their
husbands. Communication between husband and wife
is frequently exaggerated, dissembling and dishonest.
Moreover, they often raise a Heart-Mind of envy,
jealousy, and suspicion.120 Towards his wife, son and
daughter, the husband is perverse in speech and
conduct. The wife does not have filial piety and
reverence towards her father-in-law and mother-in-
law. The sacrificial offering to the ancestors, and the
deceased father and mother, is not [performed] with
piety and sincerity. They violate the instructions and
lessons of the elders and superiors.
From day to day, their conduct is completely
unbeneficial to others, and to their society and
country. Within darkness, they harbour a selfish
Heart-Mind. Their Heart-Mind is resentful, and they
curse themselves and also curse others. They treat

32
people unfairly, as they side with the people they like
and reject the people they dislike.

跨越水源水井或炉灶。跳过食物或人身。溺婴打
胎。行为不能光明正大。迷恋歌舞会误了正经
事。每月初一怨恨气恼，每天清晨日出而号哭，
面向北方，口出恶言，擤鼻涕，吐痰，大小便。面
向炉灶歌唱哭泣。用灶火点香。用污秽不洁净之
木柴烧饭菜，夜间起来赤身露体，一年八大节气:
四立二分二至，施行刑罚。对流星吐口液，手指
彩虹，常常以手指日月星，以眼长时间注视日
月。春季烧山林猎捕走兽。无缘无故，杀龟打
蛇。

They step over springs, water wells or stoves.121

They jump over food or human bodies. They drown a
newborn baby or have an abortion. Their conduct
cannot be fair and honourable. They are infatuated
with singing and dancing and neglect and delay
serious matters.122
On the first day of each lunar month, they are
hateful and annoyed.123 Every day in the early morning,
they complain and cry [over things]. While facing
North,124 vicious words emerge from their mouths,
and they blow their noses, spit phlegm, urinate and
defecate. Facing the stove, they sing and weep. They
use the stove fires to light the incense. They use filthy,
dirty and unclean firewood to cook food.125 In the
night, they get up completely in the nude. They
impose punishments on the Eight Great Qi-nodes of
one year – the four beginnings [of the seasons], the
two equinoxes and the two solstices.126 They spit

33
saliva towards shooting stars. Their hands point at
rainbows, and frequently at the sun and the moon.
Their eyes gaze at the sun and the moon for a long
time. In the spring season, they burn down the forest
to hunt the animals and wild beasts. Without cause
and reason, they kill and injure turtles and snakes.

以上的这些罪过，司命之神会随著所犯的轻重，
夺除他的寿命，寿命夺尽就死了。如果死后还有
未完的罪责，就会殃及子孙。又有各种蛮横霸占
他人财物的人，司命之神就会估算他的妻子和家
人的情况，来让他遭受相等的报应，渐渐至于死
丧;如果罪恶还不至于死丧，就会有水灾、火灾、
盗贼、遗失器物、疾病、口舌等灾祸，来作为妄
取的等量报应。又有故意杀人的，就像互换刀具
还报相杀一样。夺取不义之财的人，自己就像是
吃有毒的肉来饥饿，喝有毒的酒来止渴一样，不
但不能暂时填饱肚子，死亡也会随即到来。

With regard to the wrongdoings and offences

mentioned above, the Spirits in Charge of Life127 will
in accordance with the severity of the violations
deduct from that person’s lifespan. When there are no
more years left to be deducted from a lifespan,128
there is death. If their responsibility for some
wrongdoings has still not yet been punished when
they die, this will bring disaster onto their children
and grandchildren. Furthermore, for people who
unreasonably occupy by force and seize other
people’s property, money and goods, the Spirits in
Charge of Life will at once assess the situation of that
person’s wife and family members and cause that

34
person to suffer from equal retribution, gradually to
the point of death.
If the wrongdoings and offences do not go
so far as [to warrant] death, then there will be
disasters from fire and water, robbery and theft, loss
of objects and articles, illness, quarrels129 and other
calamities, in order to serve as retribution in equal
measure to the taking without permission. For people
who deliberately kill human beings, this will resemble
an exchange of the knives and weapons, so it is they
who are killed in retribution.130 People who seize
wealth unjustly are just like those who eat poisonous
meat to save themselves from hunger or who drink
poisonous wine to quench their thirst. Not only are
they unable temporarily to fill their belly, but death
will also immediately arrive.

心中起了善念，善事虽然还没有做，但吉神已经
跟随著他;如果心中起了恶念，恶事虽然还没有
做，但凶神已经跟随著他。有人曾经做过坏事，
后来自己忏悔改过，各种坏事都不再做，愿去做
一切善事，久而久之，必定获得吉祥喜庆，这就
是所谓的转祸为福。现在所说的吸引力法则。所
以下功夫从口讲、眼观、行动三样开始，吉祥的
人，语善、视善、行善，一天有三件善行，积满
三年，上天必定降给他福报。凶恶的人，语恶、
视恶、行恶，一天有三件恶行，积满了三年，上
天必定会降给他灾祸。明白了这个大道理。为什
么还不勤勉努力地去行善止恶呢?

When meritorious thoughts arise in a person’s Heart-

Mind, even though good deeds have not yet been

35
performed, the auspicious Spirits are already
following that person. When evil thoughts arise in
one’s Heart-Mind, even though evil deeds have not
yet been carried out, the inauspicious Spirits are
already following that person. There are people who
committed bad deeds in the past, but afterwards
repented and corrected their mistakes, and who will
never perform any kind of bad deed again, wishing
only to practise meritorious deeds. As time passes,
they are bound to reap auspicious fortune and have
[reason for] jubilation. This is exactly what is called
‘Turning Misfortune into Fortune’ and what is now
called the ‘Law of Attraction’.
Therefore, [it is imperative to] concentrate
one’s efforts through speaking from the mouth,
observing through the eyes, and putting into action.
It starts in these three ways. With regard to auspicious
people, their speech is kind-hearted, their vision is
kind-hearted and their actions are kind-hearted. If, in
each day, there are three good actions, and one
accumulates these to the point of fullness over three
years, then the Heavens above are bound to bestow a
fortunate recompense on that person. With regard to
inauspicious and evil people, their speech is evil, their
vision is evil and their actions are evil. If, in each day
there are three evil deeds, and one accumulates these
to the point of fullness over three years. Then the
Heavens above are bound to bestow calamitous
misfortune and disaster on that person.

36
Once one has understood this great
principle,131 why does one still not diligently
and with effort perform good deeds and put a
stop to evil ones?

37
（四）《太上感应篇》善报

by Xing De (Li Shi Fu)

38
1.常诵念太上感应篇，自有护法之神保护。心境
开阔，恶念不生，不受烦恼，常得清净。
2.各种恶因，灾果会慢慢消失，获得平静，安宁。
3.智慧，知识都会得到提升。
4.善心，积极心，爱心，感恩心，进取心，谦卑心，
会不断强化，生长壮大！
5.傲慢，消极，抱怨心，恶言，自卑心，等会慢慢
消除。
6.人际关系将会兴旺。与人相处融洽。
7.会变得非常幸运。机遇巧合更多，是由于纯正
的心念，会使宇宙快速响应你的祈愿。
8.灵性悟性层面的能量会增加！会有更多的创
意、灵感
9.身体会健康，安康，稳定美好。如果你看过
[水知道，水的智慧] 视频，你就会明白你的思维
意念能让至善的水结晶替换掉过去的负能量形态
的水结晶。让您的身体处于完全健康的状态。人
的命运际遇，是由其自身的心念思维决定的，动
作，语言，思想的每一个瞬间都会不断地创造自
己命运。所以，只要改变自己的思维意识行为，
你身体内的百分之 75 的水就会改变，就会有健
康的体质，你的慈悲心爱心这些思维都会不断地
吸引好的事件，好的际遇来到你的身边。
10.出钱助印者随功抵过。大善消大过，小善消
小过。

这个世界上，没有任何事情是偶然的。一切都是
必然的，但是，如果你不小心陷入各种困境，灾
难，用什么方法改变呢？先改变自己吧！

39
1. By frequently reading and reciting Tai Shang’s
Treatise on Action and Response, one will naturally be
protected by guardian Spirits.132 It will open wide
one’s frame of mind,133 evil thoughts will not be
created, one will not be subjected to annoyance and
vexation, and will frequently obtain peacefulness and
purity.

2. Any type of evil cause and disastrous outcome will

steadily be eliminated. One will reap serenity and
tranquillity.

3. One’s wisdom and knowledge will all be elevated.

4. It will unceasingly strengthen, transform and

expand a kind-hearted Heart-Mind, a positive Heart-
Mind, a loving Heart-Mind, a grateful Heart-Mind, an
enterprising Heart-Mind and a humble Heart-Mind.

5. It will slowly eliminate an arrogant, negative Heart-

Mind, a complaining Heart-Mind, evil words and a
self-abased Heart-Mind, and so on.

6. Interpersonal relationships will prosper and one

will get along with other people and be on good terms
with one another.

7. One will become extremely fortunate. There will be

more favourable opportunities and encounters. This
is due to the pure and upright thoughts of one’s
Heart-Mind, which makes the universe respond to
and answer promptly one’s prayers and wishes.

40
8. The power of one’s Divine inner nature and
comprehension will increase! One will possess even
greater creativity and Divine perception.134

9. One’s body will be healthy, and [enjoy] well-being,

stability and beauty. If you have seen the video
entitled ‘Water Knows’ or ‘Water’s Wisdom’ [by
Masaru Emoto], then you will understand perfectly
how your thoughts and thinking can enable the
utmost kind-hearted water135 crystals to replace a
hitherto negatively-charged crystals. [In this way,]
your body can be in a completely healthy state and
condition. Human destiny and fate are determined by
the thoughts and thinking of the Heart-Mind. One’s
movement and actions, one’s speech and words, and
one’s thinking – through all of these, one is able
unceasingly to create one’s own destiny in every single
flash of time. Therefore, by simply changing one’s
thoughts, mentality, consciousness and conduct, the
water that makes up 75% of your body will at once
alter and transform. You will have a healthy physique.
These thoughts from your compassionate and loving
Heart-Mind will all unceasingly attract good things.
Good opportunities will accompany you.

10. Those who expend money to help print [this

treatise] are followed by merit and balance out their
mistakes. Great [acts of] kind-heartedness remove
great mistakes, while small [acts of] kind-heartedness
remove small mistakes.
In this world, no affair or matter is accidental or by
chance, as they are all inevitable. But if you are not
cautious and fall into any kind of predicament or
disaster, what method can you use to alter and

41
transform [the situation]? Firstly, alter and transform
your own self!

祸福无门，惟人自召。善恶之报，如影随
形。诸恶莫作，众善奉行。举头三尺帝常
在，暗室欺心神不容。

Fortune and misfortune are [not allotted paths

with] gates [that you enter], 136but only you
invite them in yourselves. The reciprocations
of kind-heartedness and evil are like a shadow
following its form.
Refrain from all wicked deeds and
pursue myriads of kind-hearted deeds. When
one lifts one’s head three Chinese feet, the
Sovereigns are constantly present. [Do not
attempt] in the dark chamber to deceive the
Heart-Mind [of yourself and others], as the
Spirits will not allow it.

42
All full or partial endnotes marked with an asterisk * indicate
commentary by Li Shi Fu.
1 A new renunciate or lay practitioner is not only named once
with a religious appellation at the time of entering the Gate [ru
men 入 门 ] , but each time they enter a religious sect and even
within one sect they might be given different generation [bei
辈] names by different masters within that sect.
2
From this very treatise, one should fully comprehend Chinese
culture, the thoughts of the Chinese, the education they have
received from a young age, as well the rational concepts of the
Chinese people. One should correlate the immediate meaning
of the Chinese characters with their wider meaning, to explain
and extend the deeper significance.*
When certain quotes, passages, and notions are
repeated, as often happens in oral circular discourse, they may
seem slightly jarring in a written text. This is not due to
negligent editing. On the contrary, such repetitions have been
retained in order to underscore the importance and emphasis
placed on specific notions and views that were consciously
reiterated by Li Shi Fu.
3 Furthermore, a 7,800 year-old ancient flute has been found in

China, and the oldest unearthed musical instrument is a 10,000

year-old earthen ocarina made from clay.*
4 The Three August Ones [san huang 三皇] are Shen Nong [神农],

Fu Xi [伏羲] and the Yellow Emperor [黄帝].

5 The Five Emperors [wu di 五帝] are Shao Hao [少昊], Zhuan

Xu [颛顼], Di Ku [帝喾], Tang Shao [唐尧][, and Yu Shun [虞舜].

43
6 Xuan Yuan [轩辕] is an alternative name for the Yellow
Emperor [huang di 黄帝], which is allegedly also the name of
the hill on which the Yellow Emperor was born. It is also the
Chinese name for Regulus, one of brightest star in the night in
the constellation of Leo.
7 Many teachers have spoken on this culture’s origin before the

Yellow Emperor, when it was called ‘Spirit Culture’ [shen wen

hua 神文化] or ‘Spirit Transmission Culture’ [shen chuan wen
hua 神传文化].*
Those readers familiar with the Book of Changes will
know about the dragon-horse which lifted itself up and
emerged with a map of patterned dots [this map is called He
Tu [河图] or River Map which Fu Xi utilized to design the pre-
Heaven arrangement of the eight trigrams and the turtle which
appeared with fire, and was radiant and round, whose shell
markings are known as the Luo Scroll [洛书] and served as the
basis for the post-Heaven arrangement of the eight trigrams.
Does such a turtle exist? It could be argued, therefore, that
China be considered a culture from a different planet, or from
entities beyond planet Earth.
The duty of historians or historiographers is purely to
record what happened and not to superimpose their own
meanings. They are obliged to record the facts, with which they
must comply with diligence even if threatened – even if the
Yellow Emperor ordered them to embellish or omit any events,
they must not do so.*
8
To consider people as one’s root is to be of service to all
sentient and living beings.
9 Appointing people solely based on their virtuousness [ren ren

wei xian 任人唯贤] could also be rendered as appointing people

according to their merits. Only the virtuous and worthy are able to
to attain a position. If one's cultivation is not sufficient, one is
not allowed to stand in this position.*
10 ‘With great virtue one can take charge of the world’ [hou de

zai wu 厚德载物] literally means that with ‘dense’ virtue one

carries objects. Taking charge of the world with great virtue
means to behave with a mother's compassion. This statement
is derived from the Dao De Jing and implies that only when one
is able to be of service to all living beings, and one’s virtue and
compassion have become extremely great, like the Earth

44
 bearing equally both good and bad people, including even the
ones who hurt it, can one govern the world.
With such a supreme moral integrity, one can become a
high shaman. To whom would you give the position of
shaman? To whom would you give a position that requires the
Dao and its virtues? You would give it to a person with high
morals.*
This line also appears in the entry on the ‘Overall
Image’ [xiang zhuan 象傳] of the hexagram Kun [坤卦] in the
Book of Changes [yi jing 易经].
11 His son’s name literally translates as Cinnabar [dan zhu 丹朱].
12 To be disadvantageous [bing 病] literally means sickness or

illness.
13 Since Dan Zhu was without high virtue and morality, and did

not meet the requirements for being a ruler, as he managed

affairs badly, and was without ability, he could not be
entrusted with authority. All living beings would have suffered
from illness if he had come to power, because Dan Zhu was
unable to lead the masses, and this would have been
disadvantageous to them.
Moreover, he was arrogant and complacent, with a
selfish Heart-Mind, and behaved extravagantly. Shun
considered his own son and child inauspicious for the
common people, as it would not bring good fortune to all
living beings. All under the Heavens should be for the public
good, and not just the matter of one household or family.
Consequently, Shao gave his power and the responsibility for
the common people to Shun, because he had high virtues,
morality, perceptiveness and knowledge. All under Heavens
represents the common people [bai xing 百姓]. Shun also
received the favour and gratitude of the common people.*
14 Consciousness [jing shen 精神] literally is Essence and Spirit.
15 Yao was admired as a shaman; his wisdom was high and his

Dao and virtues were deep.*

16 Sun Yatsen (1866-1925), or Sun Zhong Shan [孙中山] in

Chinese, was the first President of the Republic of China.

17 Mao Ze Dong gave land to those without land and he

allocated property to those without property.

Who else has ever done anything like this? And where did the
land come from? It was confiscated by the government from

45
 the one per cent who owned it all. Of course, the landowners
were not happy about having their lands taken away without
compensation.
This policy was called ‘to overthrow the local tyrants
and divide the land’ [da tu hao fen tian di 打土豪分田地].
Mao Ze Dong was the only person in the world ever to have
conducted such a policy of taking the land from the rich
property owners and lords for the sake of its redistribution to
the poor peasants on such a large scale. Any government
official able to achieve such a feat could be considered an
angel. Who would be able to do it?*
18 This ideology ties in with the concept that there is one earth,

and we are all brothers and sisters – one family living in

equality, so there should be no despot or head of any family.*
19 Xi Jin Ping [习近平] is the current President of People’s

Republic of China.
20 Chinese culture and civilization have been bequeathed

continuously all the way down to today. Where do the ancient

prophets’ education and the concept of the Dao and virtues
come from? Where does clear and pure water, being close to
the Dao, come from? Its source is several thousand years old,
and it accumulates energy and transmits the culture.
Because there is a source of the water, there is spring
water. It is dynamic, hence it travels and flows far and distant
without interruption and without ceasing. This is where it
originally comes from.*
21 This statement [dao fa zi ran 道法自然] is commonly translated

as ‘the Dao [follows] the laws of naturalness’. To translate the

term ‘Zi Ran’ [自然] as nature or naturalness is a very modern
interpretation. This translation is believed to have been first
coined by Japanese scholars who were translating Western
scientific terms into Japanese Kan Ji. It was later adopted by
Chinese scholars in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Another way to render it would be:
The Dao abides by the inherent Thus-So.
The term ‘inherent Thus-So’ may refer to the universal
element that permeates everywhere, and makes up all objects,
from the self to the greater universe. Brahmins call it brahman
or breath; Daoists call it Qi or Dao. The greater universe (e.g.

46
 Dao and Brahman) is the purest and thus closest to such a
universal element. This is what is meant by 道法自然 [dao fa zi
ran].
For practitioners, then, to attain sainthood or sagehood
is not to change anything, but to recognize and realize the
universal element within themselves, and let it be its own
nature (i.e. inherent Thus-So), which is Dao or Brahman. By
doing such, the practitioners bring themselves closer to the
Brahman or to the Dao. Thus, at their attainment of the goal,
a Brahmin would utter, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I am Brahman),
whereas the Daoists would formulate their goal as ‘to become
One with the Dao’ [he dao 合道] or to ‘become the Dao’
[cheng dao 成道].
22 Heavens’ Intent [tian yi 天意] is interchangeable with the

Heavenly Will or Heavenly Mandate.

23 In Chinese, 恃强凌弱 [shi qiang ling ruo] is commonly written as

恃强欺弱 [shi qiang qi ruo].

24
One should adhere to the higher orders and mandate of
Heavens, and not to a human hierarchy or human views even if
someone as sagacious as the Yellow Emperor.
Recently, the Secretary of State of the United States,
Mike Pompeo admitted that lying was a means to an end in
many government agencies such as the CIA. That is the concept
of the supremacy of great armies and troops. The one whose
muscles are bigger is the one who is right. Is the policy of the
United States of America not a policy of invasion? The native
indigenous Americans were granted human rights only in 1997.
How could there be great peace and tranquillity with this point
of view?
China has allies or dependent countries such as North
Korea, Japan and Vietnam. They are considered neighbours and
friends and are not invaded through war. Otherwise, there would
be no Vietnam, Japan or North Korea anymore. But at times
China had to enter wars, such as in the Song dynasty, in which
they fought with the Mongols, because they sought to conquer
the Chinese territory. That is why the Chinese erected the Great
Wall, which was built at the time of Qin Shi Huang, the first
emperor, in order to avoid wars. It is a Wall of Peace. Who would
erect a wall, if they wanted to launch wars? Who would create a

47
 boundary, if they deemed their scope and limit to be only other
people’s countries? Hence, the Great Wall is a symbol of peace.*
25 Positive energy is peace, and compassion is a Heart-Mind of love

and not bullying others or stealing from others. The culture of

Egypt has already disappeared and so have the cultures of many
other societies, but Chinese culture still exists to this day,
because it has positive powers.*
26 The Law of Reciprocity [cheng fu 承负] is also called the

‘Inherited Burden’, with reference to the liability for

wrongdoings and transgressions that one inherits from one’s
predecessors.
27 The Scripture of Great Peace [tai ping jing 太平经] is also called the

Book of the Azure Leadership of Great Peace [tai shang qing ling shu 太
上青靈书]. It contains 170 scrolls and can exert an influence on this
life as well as later on generations.*
This means that good deeds and merits will also have
positive and auspicious repercussions for one’s offspring and
descendants. The scripture has been translated by B. Hendrischke
(2006), The Scripture on Great Peace: the Taiping Jing and the Beginnings of
Daoism, Berkeley: University of California Press.
28 Kind-hearted people and people with kindness in their Heart-

Minds must abide by this principle, as evil people will affect their
own households in return. The purpose is to encourage people
at first to repent all their mistakes and bad conduct, and later on
not to repeat them, but instead become good people and do
good deeds. The Method Masters [fang shi 士方] [occultists and
shamans during the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE) and Han
Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)] at that time, and later Daoists, used
incantations and verbal talks in order to heal the people. They
were around before Daoism appeared as a religion and
cultivators back then and now use this method likewise.*
See also Barrier 44 in the 49 Barriers of Cultivating the Dao by Xing
De (Li Shi Fu), by Purple Cloud Press forthcoming.
29 Unsurpassed Exaltation [wu shang zhi shang 无上之上] can also

be rendered as Unparalleled Heights.

30 The concept of action and response can be explained in the

following way: someone calls you and you reply. This is

straightforward and an example on the level of matter and form
– there is a physical call, which yields a physical response.

48
 The call is moving [gan 感], thus, where there is movement, there
must be response [you dong bi ying 又动必应].
However, on the level of the insubstantial and formless, the
response or what is here denoted as perception [gan zhi 感知]
comes from one’s Heart-Mind divinity [xin ling 心灵], from one’s
thoughts and from one’s thinking. The word Ying [应] means to
communicate, to connect or to commune. Once you have
perceived it, you communicate and respond on the basis of your
perception. (translator’s note)
There is a similar saying in Daoism:

有求必应。
Where there is seeking,
there must be a response.
When you seek something, everything hinges on what it is
exactly that you seek. Are you seeking a high official position or
vast amounts of money? What is the action and what is the
response? What is the call and what is the reply? What is it that is
moving and what is the perception? One must accord with the
requirements of the perception and the response, as those are
inevitable.*
31 ‘Books of Kind-heartedness’ [shan shu 善书] or books of merit

are a form of writing characterized by stories or adages

concerning morality, which are composed in simple language to
reach the widest audience possible. Their main message is that
good actions bring benefits to the individual and their family,
whereas evil deeds will lead to punishment. This notion is highly
reminiscent of the concept of karma in Buddhism.
32 Alternatively, the first statement reads more freely, ‘there is no

specific way to seek fortune and misfortune, other than to invite

them yourself’.
33 Good fortune and misfortune are summoned from within one’s

own Heart-Mind’s attitude, and are called upon by one’s own

speech and conduct.
34 The Three Terraces [san tai 三台] is a Chinese constellation

consisting of three pairs of stars directly below the Great Dipper

(Ursa Major). The Upper Terrace [shang tai 上台] is comprised of
Iota Ursae Majoris and Chi Ursae Majoris, the Central Terrace
[zhong tai 中台] of Lambda Ursae Majoris and Upsilon Ursae
Majoris, and lastly the Lower Terrace [xia ti 下台] of Nu Ursae
49
 Majoris and Xi Ursae Majoris.
35 The constellation of the Big Dipper is also called the Plow, the
Great Bear, or literally the Northern Dipper.
36 One hundred days of a human life is called one Calculation,

while twelve years are called one Chronicle.*

37
The Three Corpse Spirits [san shi 三尸] in Daoist belief are
considered to be three parasites which reside in the three Elixir
Fields [dan tian 丹田] and are held responsible for shortening a
person’s lifespan. In the Scripture on Expelling the Three Corpse
Spirits and the Nine Worms to Protect Life [chu san shi jiu chong bao
sheng jing 除三尸九虫保生经], they are named as Peng Ju [彭琚],
who resides in the Upper Elxir Field as the Upper Corpse Spirit,
Peng Zhi [彭瓚], who is the Centre Corpse Spirit living in the
Middle Elixir Field, and lastly Peng Jiao [彭矯], the Lower Corpse
Spirit, who dwells in the Lower Elixir Field.
38 A Geng-Shen [庚申] day occurs every 60 days in the sexagenary

cycle, which is used in China to measure time. This system

resorts to Ten Heavenly Stems [tian gan 天干] and Twelve
Earthly Branches [di zhi 地支].
39 Good fortune [fu lu 福禄] as a two-word compound is comprised

of good luck and emoluments, which represent the salary of an

official.
40 In other words, Daoism emphasizes that there is nothing more

important as a basis than to exist. With regard to errors and

faults, one should not consider a wicked action to be a small
thing. Thus, one should commit neither minor nor major wicked
deeds. *
41 One must not think that a small misdeed is a not a misdeed or

that it does not matter. This applies to the several hundreds of

misdeeds stated in this text. In turn, one must not believe that a
small good deed is not a good deed or that it is not worth
doing.*
42 The Thought-Realm [yi jie 意界] refers to the level of one’s

spiritual cultivation, the level of one’s understanding of life and

the level of one’s state of consciousness.
43 Following the path of meritorious deeds and kind-heartedness

thus enables humans to attain a higher realm of life, and to reach

higher vibrational frequencies, yet this happens on the basis of
thought as a foundation. For one to arrive at a certain level of
Immortality – the text mentions the stipulations for Heavenly

50
 and Earthly Immortality only – one must accumulate a minimum
number of meritorious deeds.*
44 When you are by yourself your thoughts and conduct should still

be proper and correct.

45 When one is spoiled, and is the recipient of favouritism or even

karmic reward, one should act and deal with matters indifferently
and as if they were nothing special, in order to avoid being
overwhelmed by any of the privileges bestowed by one’s
superiors.*
46 After giving things away, one should not remain preoccupied by

them in one’s mind, or worry about them, but should thoroughly

let go.
47 There is a common saying about the Spirit Illuminaries [shen

ming 神明] in China:

举头三尺有神明，不畏人知畏己知。
There are Spirit Illuminaries three Chinese feet above
one’s lifted head.
This indicates that wherever one might be, the Spirit
Illuminaries, or Spirit Lights, are watching over one from three
Chinese feet above one’s head. Thus, no one should believe that
they can commit bad deeds when alone.*
48 The Three Luminaries [san guang 三光] are the sun, moon and

stars.
49 Since all planets and stars are inhabited by Spirits or Spirit

Illuminaries, one ought to face them with etiquette and respect.

Only then can one gaze at the moon.*
50 Snakes and turtles [gui she 龟蛇] are specifically mentioned here

as they represent the True Warrior [zhen wu 真武], also known as

Mysterious Warrior [xuan wu 玄武], who is the patron sage of
Mount Wu Dang. His appellation is intimately connected with
this mountain range, a Daoist centre known across China:
武当山，古名太和山。相传混沌初分之时，镇守九州北
方之神真武在此修行，得成正果，遂有“非真武不足以
当之”之说，武当山因此而得名。

Mount Wu Dang‘s ancient name is ‘Great Peace‘.

Legend has it that at the time of the initial parting of

51
 the Primeval Chaos, the Spiritual Being True Warrior
was practising cultivation here and achieved the
upright fruits [of self-cultivation]. Following this, he
said:
If it be not the True Warrior [wu 武], it will
not be enough to undertake [dang 当] [the
important role of this mountain].

Wu Dang obtained its name for this reason.

51 To clarify, the treatise is venerated by those who cultivate the
Dao and aspire to become immortals, since one’s state of mind,
thoughts and consciousness obtain a deeper tranquillity and
serenity through it. Thus, it enables cultivators to rid themselves
of the entanglements and involvements of Cause and Effect and
to achieve a sublimation of the spirit and one’s consciousness, as
well as the sublimation of energy. One will be capable of
attaining the Dao and it will be easier to calm down one’s brain
waves. One’s energies will accumulate faster and will be
sublimated.*
52 Vernacular Text means that this commentary is written by Li Shi

Fu in colloquial speech as opposed to a literary, classical Chinese

style in a treatise or scripture.
53 Fortune and misfortune are not set in stone, but are completely

attracted by oneself and arise from one’s own conduct.

Kind-heartedness attracts kind-heartedness, while evil attracts
evil. This is the recompense and reciprocation of Cause and
Effect, and there is not even the slightest deviation from this
principle.*
54 The word demons [sha 煞] usually appears in the compound

Murderous Qi [sha qi 煞气]. Sha Qi [煞气], which is often

misspelled as 杀气, could be translated as Wicked Qi. It plays a
major role in geomancy [feng shui 风水] and the practice of
Gong Fu. Sha Qi always bears negative connotations. In Feng
Shui, for instance, it is to be avoided when choosing one’s abode
as it will have detrimental effects on the resident’s health. In
Gong Fu, however, Sha Qi is necessary when visualising one’s
opponent while training, in order to develop the ability not to
hold back when this is warranted in self-defence. Furthermore, it
can unleash unprecedented powers during a fight for survival. In

52
 this case, it denotes negative energies and energy fields.
55 These Spirits in Heavens and Earth supervise and control
humans. Apart from the deduction of lifespan, good fortune will
not manifest and negative powers will be created. Once the
deduction of one’s lifespan has reached its limit (every year
according to one’s deeds a portion of one’s life is taken away),
death ensues.
56 The Three Terraces and the Big Dipper Sovereign Spirits are like

leaders or rulers.*
57 The Stove Deity [zao jun 灶君], sometimes called the ‘Kitchen

Lord’, is the de facto lord or head of the household.

58 Do not think that within darkness, when there is no light that no

one knows what you are doing.*

59 A Heart-Mind of compassion and mercy includes a Heart-Mind

of love and forgiveness. The terms compassion and mercy [ci bei
慈悲] are borrowed from Buddhist teachings, where they are
defined as two of the four qualities of the Divine Abodes
(brahmavihara).
Ci [慈] is metta or loving-kindness, which actively wishes
for the wellbeing of others, as with a mother’s unconditional
love for her newborn son. The second is karuna (悲) or
compassion, which identifies and responds to the suffering of
others and wishes that they be relieved of their unfavourable
condition, for example a mother’s urgent wish for her son to
recover from sickness.
Interestingly, the word for compassion in Chinese,
German and English alike incorporates the word suffering. In
Chinese, 悲 literally means sadness or sorrow. ‘Leiden’ in
Germans means to suffer, while compassion is ‘Mit-
Leidenschaft’, literally to suffer with someone or share their
suffering. Com-passion draws on the Latin ‘passio’ or suffering.
60 One should be loyal to the king and the emperor. This refers to

a sovereign who is imbued with the Dao and virtues. *

61 In rectifying the Self, be strict with yourself first, and only then

teach others.*
62 Fortunate rewards [fu bao 福报] are also karmic rewards.
63 Do not comment on or reveal the shortcomings of others.*
64 Leave reputation and material things to others, and do your best

to reduce what you have and use to the bare minimum, taking
the smallest part possible.*

53
65 Not knowing what to do [bu zhi suo cuo 不知所措] is an idiom
which also signifies to be at one’s wits’ end or to be embarrassed
and at a complete loss.
66 When receiving favours, do not place them within your Heart-

Mind and do not become attached to them. Treat them with a

settled Heart-Mind and a sense of their ordinariness. Inwardly
let go of the things you gain and let go of fame.*
67 Giving alms [bu shi 布施] is also the Buddhist practice of ‘dana’

or giving.
68 Wanting to seek verification [yao qiu zheng 要求证] is to want to

become.*
69 The requirements for Heavenly Immortality and Earthly

Immortality are minimum numbers, i.e. one must amass at least

1300 and 300 good deeds respectively.*
70 Do not think highly of yourself.*
71 The head of state is also symbolic of leaders and government

officials.*
72 Do not pass off secondary goods as quality goods.
73 Temperament [qi zhi 气质] literally means Qi-quality, but

represents one’s character or disposition.

74 Obstinately to be set in one’s ways [yi yi gu xing 一意孤行] is to

be driven by dogmatic views.

75 They do not care about the suffering of the people but only

about official merits.

76 To fawn on others [pai ma pi 拍马屁] literally reads to slap the

horse’s posterior.
77 Their thoughts do not rest, because they are unforgiving and do

not forget.*
78 The popular sentiment [min qing 民情] also includes the

circumstances and situation of the people.

79 They do not take into consideration the situation and hardships

of the people or the country.*

80 To plot and kill somebody for their property [mou cai hai ming

谋财害命] also means to murder for money. They desire and are
greedy for other people’s wealth, and injure other people.*
81 They make others lose their jobs and court cases for their own

benefit, as when the superiors need to step down they are ready
to replace them.*
82 With power, they push aside the sages, the able and virtuous.*

54
83 They humiliate and insult the lonely ones without father and
mother, and widowed women.*
84 Turning a blind eye [xia yan 瞎眼] word-for-word means to blind

one's eyes.
85 They manipulate punishments for people without faults and

blame, but reward people without the Dao.*

86 In Chinese, lian chi [廉耻], are two of Guan Zhong’s [管仲] four

[virtues] that tie the kingdom together [guo zhi si wei 国之四维],
namely propriety, justice, honour, and a sense of shame [li yi lian
chi 礼义廉耻].
87 They hide the arts which help and give relief to society, such as

the art of longevity.*

88 Perching birds [xi niao 栖鸟] are birds at rest or asleep.*
89 To incite a quarrel [ban nong shi fei 搬弄是非] is to shift right and

wrong and to sow discord between people.

90 To fall out [fan mu 反目] is literally to reverse eyes.
91 Desires and cravings represent debauchery, thus such people are

unrestrained or laissez faire in their indulgence in sexual

activities.*
92 Tyrannical abuse [zuo wei zuo fu 作威作福] is also to ride

roughshod over people.

93 They destroy other families’ marriages by seizing other peoples’

wives or loved ones.*

94 Some people become successful without needing to perform

good deeds or accumulate merits. Such people might believe that

there is no such thing as karmic retribution, and that money is
God. For them, practicing good deeds is simply a waste of effort
that stands in the way of further success.
95 They only speak about their own deeds and abilities, ignoring the

meritorious Inner Nature of others.*

96 Their own evil, wickedness and consequent disaster is

transferred by them onto others if possible.*

97 Literally ‘unable to seek the truth from facts’.
98 Pernicious [hai ren 害人] is that which harms people.
99 Spirit [jing shen 精神], or consciousness in Western terms,

literally means Essence and Spirit.

100 They make others suffer setbacks and in fact decline and lose

their job and work. They make people lose their spiritual
connection and get lost on the spiritual level.*
101 They do things according to their own opinion.*

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102 Disposition [xin xing 心性] is literally the Inner Nature of the
Heart-Mind.
103 For fine clothing, such as in exquisite French fashion shows,

they take the lives of animals.*

104 To waste all their previous efforts [qian gong jin qi 前功尽弃] can

alternatively be translated as all that has been achieved goes

down the drain.
105 Gu-Poison [gu du 蛊毒] is a heterodox way of killing a person

over a distance, so the perpetrator will be undetected. Gu-

poisoning is shrouded in mystery and its exact constituents and
application remain unknown. Gu-poisoning was utilized to yield
not only material but also immaterial gain on energetic levels.
For more information see Fruehauf, H. (2009). Driving out
Demons and Snakes: Gu syndrome.
Retrieved from https://classicalchinesemedicine.org/driving-
out-demons-and-snakes-gu-syndrome-a-forgotten-clinical-
approach-to-chronic-parasitism/
It is interesting to note that one of the 64 hexagrams of
the Book of Changes is also called ‘Gu’ [蛊].
106 They stab people in the back, using incantations to injure

others.*
107 They use their superiority and armed forces.*
108 The principles of reason include the Chinese concept of owing

favours as well as laws.

109 To have one’s feet firmly planted on the ground [jiao ta shi di 脚

踏实地] is also to be realistic without flights of fancy and to be

of steady and serious character. This idiom literally means that
one’s feet tread on real ground.
110 They indulge in their sex drive and desires without inhibition.*
111 They blame others when things do not go their way.*
112 Regardless of whether there be clear skies or rain, they find fault

with the weather.*

113 To be hypocritical [kou shi xin fei 口是心非] literally is mouth

yes - Heart-Mind no.

114 They are actually non-believers who merely use the higher

power to justify or cover up their misdeeds.

115 This can be interpreted literally to mean that they decorate

themselves and places, as well as figuratively to signify that they

are concerned only with superficial appearances.

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116 This sentence alludes to what in the West is called the
‘bedchamber art’ [fang zhong shu 房中术] or male-female
cultivation, which in Chinese is called ‘to pick the Yin to
supplement the Yang’ [cai yin bu yang 采阴补阳]. This deviation
from upright principles is theorized at length in the 48 th Barrier
of the 49 Barriers of Cultivating the Dao, Purple Cloud Press
forthcoming.
117 They sell a little less and buy a little more.*
118 The bad occupations represent brothels and whorehouses.*
119 These tend to be people who either do not have reverence

towards Heavens, Earth, Spirits and deities, or who pretend to

be upright by going against the socially accepted norm.*
120 In idiomatic English this sentence means ‘their Heart-Mind is

often filled with envy, jealousy, and suspicion’. It is worth

noting that in Chinese the person is the active agent who
generates and creates emotions, as opposed to the Western view
in which a person is tormented and haunted by emotions, taking
a very passive stance.
121 They step also over water springs, which is against precepts.

The kitchen is an important place because it houses the Stove

Deity [zao jun 灶君].*
122 They amuse themselves in an insatiable manner.*
123 The beginning of the month is when the moon slowly grows its

light from within darkness. It is the beginning of the moon’s

filling with radiance and brightness.*
124 The North is venerated because it is the direction of the Great

Dipper and the North Star. In many precepts for Daoist

cultivators this plays an important role.*
125 Dirty and filthy firewood encompasses wood on which cats and

dogs have defecated.*

126 According to Chinese custom, it is prohibited to pass legal

sentences and judgements, as well as to implement penalties, on

these eight festival days, which follow the lunar calendar.
127 The Spirits in Charge of Life [si ming 司命] refers to a Chinese

deity which manages human lives in terms of their lifespan. It is

sometimes called Master of Fate, Controller of Fate, or Arbiter
of Fate. It also corresponds to a stellar constellation, namely 24
Aquarii and 26 Aquarii.
128 See endnote 55.

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129 Quarrel [kou she 口舌] literally is mouths and tongues.
130 Mutual killing [xiang sha 相杀] is the concept of a life for a life,
i.e. if you kill a person, that person will transmigrate and kill you
in the future. What someone does is received back in equality
and the same quantity, such as a life for a life.
131 The great principles [da dao li 大道理] could also be interpreted

as the principle of the Great Dao.

132 The Guardian Spirits [hu fa zhi shen 护法之神] are the Spirits

who protect the Dharma or the Laws. This indicates that if one
were practicing the dharma, these deities appear to protect one
in one’s training.
133 Frame of mind [xin jing 心境] literally is the environment of the

Heart-Mind.
134 The Divine Perception [ling gan 灵感] alludes to the 6th sense in

Li Shi Fu’s teachings.

135 Water here also incorporates water crystals.
136 Alternatively, the first sentence reads more freely, ‘there is no

specific way to seek fortune and misfortune, other than to invite

them yourself’.

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