The Classic of Purity and Stillness

[Simple_Jack]

This is a translation from Nan Huai Chins The Story of Chinese Taoism. It is a work attributed to Taoism. Even though it wasn't actually composed until the Tang dynasty, and that it borrows some terms from Buddhism: I think it shouldn't be read with a sectarian mindset. As the Fifth Patriarch of Zen said of this: "Later generations can enter the Tao through practice based on this."

 

The Classic of Purity and Stillness:

 

Lao Tzu said: The Great Tao is without form, and gave birth to the Heaven and earth. The Great Tao is obdurate, the sun and moon moving back and forth. The Great Tao is nameless, it rears and nourishes the ten thousand things. I do not know it's name and so call it the Tao. The Tao possess both purity and turbidity, movement and stillness. Heaven moves and the earth stays still, the male is pure and the female turbid, the male moves and the female stays still. It continuously flows giving birth to the ten thousand things. Purity is the source of turbidity, and movement is the basis of stillness. Those who are constantly able to be pure and still belong to Heaven and earth. The human spirit is fond of purity but the mind disturbs it. The human mind is fond of stillness but desires obstruct it. If one is able to constantly drive out desires, their mind will naturally be still. Settle the mind and the spirit will naturally become still. Settle the mind and the spirit will naturally become pure, the six desires will naturally not be produced, and the three poisons will be extinguished. Therefore, the mind of those who are unable to accomplish this are not-settled nor are their desires driven away. When one who has driven away desire looks into his mind, there is no mind, when he looks externally at form, there is no form, and when he observes things from afar, there are no things. He realizes that all three are empty, and sees that emptiness is also empty. Emptiness has nothing which is empty, and that which is empty is also non-existent. Without non-existence is also non-existent, and since without non-existence is non-existent, one is clear and constantly tranquil, but tranquility is without that which is tranquil. How then can desire be produced? Since desire is not produced, there is then true stillness, true and constant response to things, and true and constant realization and abiding. With constant responses and constant stillness, there is constant purity and stillness. Possessing such purity and stillness, one gradually enters into the true Tao, and since one has entered the true Tao, it is called realizing the Tao. Although it is called realizing the Tao, in reality there is nothing that is realized. However, in order to save sentient beings, it is called realizing the Tao. Those who are able to awaken to this can transmit the sagely Tao. Lao Tzu said: The superior man does not contend, but the inferior man is fond of contending. The highest virtue is not virtue, and the lowest virtue is to cling to virtue. Those who cling do not posses the Tao and virtue. The reason why sentient beings do not realize the true Tao, is that they possess deluded minds, and Since they possess deluded minds, their spirits are frightened. Since their spirits are frightened, they cling to the ten thousand things and produce greed and desire. Since they produce greed and desire, they have mental distress. Mental distress and deluded thoughts bring worry and suffering to body and mind. They then suffer defilement and disgrace in the waves of birth and death, forever sunk in the sea of suffering and forever having lost the true Tao. those who awaken to the true and constant Tao are self-realized, and those who have realized the Tao are constantly pure and still.

[Mig]

Any opinions about this translation? Personally, I find it a little far from the original and the more I read other translations with explanations, the better I understand.