Sex, 9ealth,

a
n
d
.
o
n
g
L
i
e
MANUALS OF
TAOIST PRACTICE
TRANSLATED BY
THOMAS CLEARY
bHAMBHALA
Boston qLondon
1
999
Contents
Translator's Introducton 1
Ten Questons I
Joing Yi and Yag Z 3
Talk on Supreme Gudance for te World 3 3
Courses in Effecveness and Guidance I
Notes I 07
Biblioeraphy I I 3
Translator's Introduction
"The huan body," according to an old Taoist book "consist
of vtit, energ, and spirit." In Taoist healt science, vtip,
energ, and spit ae caed the Tree Treasures, and thei care
and ctvaton are considered the basis of healt, happiness,
ad lon life.
In simple ters, ntmg refers to sexalt, cnet_ refers to
steng, spirt rctcrs to itelgence. Te Taoist alchemy of
wel-beig is te science of combing these tee element i
such a way to mae te benefts of natral potental,
harong instnct, emoton, ad reason.
Wit the broad spect of Taoist tadtons, whch in
clude a ver wide range of iterests and stdes, one of te
earliest movements to emphasize conscious exercise of the
conecton beteen physica and ment well-being is found i
te so-caled Huang-Lo school.
Te name of ts school is takn fom te names of Huag
Di, te legendar Yelow Emperor of the late-mdde drd mi
lenu HCE to whom a lot of healt and sex lore is attbuted,
and Lo Tz, te "Acient Mster," legenda autor of te
work kow as De Dac}ina, later recast as !ao !: China.
Rcent archeologcal fds in China have uearthed htero
Vlli Translator's Introduction
uow tex of tis tadton, presented here to
g
ether for
te fst tme i English, showing te comprehensive scope of
te Huang-Lo approach to physica and mentl hygene.
Te fve tex tanslated here were part of the famous Ma
wangdui fnds of 1973-74. Te frst thee, Tn Questions, Join
ina Yin and Yan9, and Talk on Supreme Guidance for the World,
dea specifcally wt physical healt and sex lore, includng
diet, exercise, sleep, and lovemang techique. Te last to,
entted A Curse in Ectveness and A Curse in Guidance, con
centate on the pschologcal factors of good health and wel
beig, especia te reducon of stess and cultvaton of
wholesome socia relatons.
n Quetons tes te for of questons and aswers on
healt lore beneen legendary ruers and Taoist adepts. General
recommendatons iclude prolonged sexual intercourse and
contol of ejacaton; exercises in mndf breating; enhance
ment of te diet wt items such as mi egs, nut, leek, and
spices; adequate sleep; and moderate inte of wne.
JoininB Yin and Yane is devoted to sexa techiques and te
heat beneft of blissfl intercouse. The impornce of
mood, sensitve foreplay, thorough arousal, ad complete satis
facon of te femae are given parcar emphasis. While con
tol of te male ejacaton is considered essental, te forced
metods later devsed by Taoist sexologst for ts purpose are
not represented in ts text, which instead implies a more gen
era approach ivolvng cltvaton of atenton, carefness,
ad pacing.
Translatr's Introducton IX
Talk on Supreme Guidance for te '0rld goes into more de
tailed reasoning on te relatonship beteen sex and heat.
Ain te emphasis is on physical and ment energaton by
multple complete acts of love witout mae ej aclaton. Nu
merous successive stges of physical and ment bliss are iden
tfed and described, and general outines of sexal fcton
ad dysfcton are folowed by recapitatons of techques,
metods, and s
t
les of sexal intercourse.
A Curse in Efctiveness (De }ina) and A Curse in Guidance
(Dao }ina) are tted sepaately, in ts maner, ad aso as a
set: Cures in Eevenes and Guidance (De Dao }ina). Ts
is a long-lost version of te famous Tao China; bot are
interprettons of even older lore, but tat of te De Dao }ina,
in te Huag-Lo tadition of Taoism, is more dow-to-ea
ta te comparatvely abstact and mystca interpretatons of
ancient lore in te Tao Te China.
Te teachings of Curses in Eciveness and Guidance ap
proach healt ad long life tough radical relief of harmf
stess resutng fom habits such as compusive anet, para
noia, agression. Moods of serent, buoyac, compassion,
and feedom are prescribed for both direct and idirec bene
bu, as tey enhance indvidual wel-being ad also iterer
sonal and professional relationshps. Mentl postures ad
contemplatve exercises conducive to te elinaton of toxc
feelings and te development of therapeutc feelings are out
lined toughout bot courses of ths revered text.
TEN QuESTIONs
1
1ns TsLLOv EmzRcR asked a Celestial Teacher, "How do
beings operate? How do plants and tees grow? How are the
su and the moon brght?"
The Celestial Teacher said, "Obsere te condtions of the
sk. Yin and yag are te standards of order; when beings lose
tis, they do not propagate, but when they have it, tey tve.
Ingest yn to solidif yang, and you reach clarit of spirt.
"The way to igest yn is to fortf you interal organs,
stengen your metabolic fctons, so that energ cannot es
cape the body. Vhen ingesting yn, it is impoant to be calm,
yet sexally aroused. Embrace at the peak of excitement, pene
tate repeatedly wthout ejacaton, and sexual arousal grows,
answered by moans and sighs.
"Take deep breats, no more than fve, breathing though
te mouth and tng energ ito the hear, so that it fls the
limbs, whereupon pure saliva is prOduced. Swa ow tis, no
more tan fve tmes, mang sue the tste is sweet, directg
it to te interal organs, and te body w qucky become
passive.
"Drive te energy into your fesh and skn, even to te tips
of your hairs, and you pores and circlator channels wll

Se, Heat, and Lne Lf

open. Te sexa lquid is then present, causig the male
erec
ton to stand up m and unwtng.
"Eat ad to suit the body.
"Ts is caed te method of restorg what has
bee
n
de
pleted, leadng to clarit of spirit."
Ts is a Celesta Teacher's method of ingestng te energ
of te spirt.
2
THE YELLOW EMPE
R
OR asked Dacheng, "\at lack causes
people's compl
eons to become coarse and dusk, dul and
sow: \at can people get that w make te texe of te
sk beautf, clear, and lustous?"
Dacheng repled, ''If you wat clear skin, obsere te cater
pila. Te way te caterpilar eats is directly conected to yn
ad yg, hen teat geener it ts geen, and when it eat
yelow it ts yellow. It is you det that alters colors.
"You must eat y on a regua basis; add cedar nut, which
ae excellent, and dn te mi of rnng aimals. Then you
c fend off old age, restore steng, and glow with vtit.
"Engage i plent of sexal intercourse. Eat of fying birds,
such a sparow egs and roosters. Rosters have male hor
mones in tem; if you consue this, you 'jade rod' w std
up again. Ven erect, its steng is suffcient and ready for
te 'jade openg'; when flly aroused, go ahead.
"Encouage it wt sparow egs; but if you do not get a
stong enough erecon, put te egs i wheat gel or mat. lt
you eat tis, you can recover from impotence."
This is Dacheng' s way of curing impotence by ingestng te
vtit of birds.
3
1nzYcOw EMrzROs asked Cao Ao, "Wat is the lack hom
whiCh people de? Wat enables tem to live?"
Cao Ao replied, "Te matng of femae and male, and te
tg of tat vitlit.
"Wen you engage i sexal intercourse, make gente physi
cal movement. \en you can aouse te woman's body and
make her pant, ggle, sigh, moan, and cr out, ten you ejac
late into her. Tose who are dained can thus be rcucd,
tose who are robust can tus be enabled to prolong teir
vtlit, whe tose who ae old L tus be enabled to exend
teir lives.
"Te way to etend lie involves watchg over te closig
off of te fow of semen. Wen te semen is locked up ad
stored in tely maner, ten spirtua clat comes and
buds up; and when it buds up, tncvtabybecomes evdent.
Lckg up te semen to stabilie vtit ensures tat te sup
ply of sexal fuid is never exausted. Ten diseases do not
afict you, so you can live a long tme.
''Te way to embrace a woman rcgmes peacef serenit
of heag so te body and te mood ca one aOotCr.
"So it is said, embrace once wtout ejacatng, ad y
o
u
Tn Questons
1
ees ad eas w be clea; embrace tice without ejacuatng,
ad you voice wbe clear. Embrace tee tes wtout ejac
ulatng, and you sk w be lustous; embrace fou tmes
wtout ejacatng, and you back and sides won't be suscepti
ble to inju. Embrace fve tmes wtout ejaculatng, and your
gluteus and tghs w be stong ad muscuar; embrace si
tes wthout ejacatg, and a you energ chanels wil
fow feely. Embrace seven tes witout ejacatg, and you
w neer de ahead of you tme; embrace eight tmes witout
ejacatng, and you can enjoy long lie. Embrace nine tes
wtout ejacatg, ad you atin to clat of spiit."
Ts is Cao Ao's way of embracing women to ctvate spir
ta cncr

.
1nc YcOw EMrzROR asked Rong Cheng, "\en people
orgnaly propagate, tng on fors, what do te have tat
enables tem to live? Once tey tke on physica for, what
loss makes them die? In what epoch dd huanit come to
have likes and dislies, to have early deat or long lie? I woud
lie to hear the reasons why people's energ exads ad con
tacts, slackens ad t_htenba
Rng Cheng replied, "If you want to lve a long te, ten
atentvely exne te wys of heaven ad ea. Te ener
g
of
hcavcn is used up mont and replenshed mondy; tus it C
|vc long. Te ener@ of e has cold ad hot seons ech
yea, and complement teras; thus te e C endue
and not dsite@ate. You must exe te condton of heven
ad ea, ten put tem ito opeton i you ow bo.
"Jcrc c intelligible ndiCatonsg but even sa
g
es ae not
capable oI understanding tem; ony masters of dc Way L
kow mcm.
"The guinte5scncc of hca\cn ad ea ases "'here dcn
|s no sig, gows whcrc dcrc is no for, and mates where
mcrc |s no body. 1bosc \'ho reaize it live long, tose who
mss it dic young.
Tn Qcstions
V
"Terefore, those o skllmy govcm cncr
Q
nd O55
vitait buid them up imperceptbly. Jhc fountin of vtal spirit
fll,
y
ou collect seet dev to build it up reglaly dHnkng oI
pure sprng and specia vnes, gctng rd of bad bchavor d
iDprovng habit. Ten the spirt wll reman in te bod
y
.
"Te wy to collect energ is to cause it to reach the ex
temtes, so that vitlit ases wtout defcienc. Wen mc
u
pp
er ad lower body are both vtlized, how can chils or
fevers occ? The breathing should be dee
p
and prolonged so
tat fesh energ is easil
y
maintined.
"Ste ener
g
maes for agg, fesh energ makes for lon
gevit. Terefore, those who are sklled at governg their en
erg cause ste energ to dsperse nighty, and gater fesh
energ i the morngs, so as to clear the aperres of the bod
y
ad replensh te intera orgas.
"Tere ae
p
rohibitons in ingest energ. In sprg, avoid
polluted wa va
p
ors. In sU er, avoid hot, huid ai. In au
V avoid fost mst. In winter, avoid eeme cold. Avoid
tese foU probleD, ad deep breatng w make for longevt.
"Te aim of moring breating is tat te exalatons
shoud confor to nature, whie te inhalatons shoud f te
lugs, as if being stored in a profoud abyss. Then old ener
g
w be used up daily and new energ w be replenished dail
y
.
Ten te physical body wil be lustous and radiant, flled wu
vtit, and tus able to live long.
"Te a of dayme breating is tat te exalation and
inaaton shoud be gente, ears and eyes clea, wt a vc
l C Sex, Health, and Ln9 Li
subuc mood otjoy, not sufferng interl degencratong so g
body does not die premaOrcly fom illness.
"The aim olnightme breating is tat res
p
iraton be dccp,
|ong, and slow, causing te ears not to hear, so one can s|ccp
pcaccm||y. The higher and lower souls rest i te bodyg so one
can live long-
"A tor midnight breating, do not change sleeping
|
osi-
nons evcn uyou wc up; breate deeply and slowly, wuout
force, so tat te interal organs are al enivened, tng long
breats as re.
'IIyou want to mae te spit live long, you must bretC
wd the stce of te sk. Te way to gover energ is to
eject te stale and absorb te hesh, blissfly enjoyg te
good, flling the body wt it. Tis is called aOassing vtIip.
"Tere are nors for governg energ. Te tsk is to bud
u
|
vtit; when vtt is m to overowing, it is ievtbly
emited, and hen vtlit has been ejacated it must be re
plenished- Rplenishment of ejaclate is done "'hile i bed.
"Flavor wes and foods ae usefl for regatg energ.
"The eyes become brght, te ears become clear, te sk
becomes lustous, te energ channels are fl ed; sexual vgor
arises, enabling one to stnd for a long tme and jouey |or
long distnCes, and tus be able to live long."
YaO asxo Suuu, "\at is most vauable in the world?"
Shu replied, "Lfe is most valuable."
Yao asked, "How does one manage life?"
Shu replied, "By close examination and thorough uder
stnd of yn ad yang."
Yao asked, "Hua beigs have nne apertes and telve
man joit, each set i its place; why is it tat the sexa
organs ae tere when people are bor but lose teir fncton
before the body dies?"
Shu replied, "Tey ae not needed for eatng and drining,
ad not used for planng and thinkng. We avoid teir names
ad concea te orgas themselves. They are used very much,
wthout relaton or moderaton; ths is why they are bor
wd te bod but 'die' before the body dies."
Yao asked, "How do we manage them?"
Shun replied, "By care, educaton, consideraton, and nut
ton, makg te erecton stong yet going about the act in
slow and relaed maner, not being premature when fll of
desie, not ejacatng at te peak of pleasure. Vitlity wll buid
up, energ wl be stored up, and even though one lives to be
hundred one w be healtier than ever."
Ts is Shu's wa
y
of mastering energ through sexa inter
couse.
Wa~o Zttnc asked Peng Zu, "Wat is the essence of human
energ?''
Peng Zu replied, "No human energ is more essenta ta
sexa energ. Wen sexual energ is stifled, the hunded
channels become m, if sexual energ is undeveloped, it is im
possible to propagate. Therefore longevit is all a matter of
sexual energ.
"The preseraton of sexual energ goes along with its de
velopment. Terefore masters of te \Vay discovered exercises
such as extending the hands dowward, massaging the as,
and rbbing the belly to follow yn and yang. First exae stle
energ, then collect energ for the genitals, breating it into
te sexal organ, nourishing the generative organ, nurg it
like a baby.
"Wen that baby stnds up stongly and repeatedy, be
caref to avoid impulsive intercourse, so as to develop a good
body. When te intcm organs are fr, how can iless
occr
"Those who suffer fom chonic ailments invariably have
|cgc oI sex"a vtait, congestion of energ channels, and
cmouonal instability. 1hey do not understnd the Great Way,
so |vng cnc_ leaves dcm.
Ten Qestions I
3
"Ordar people, bor in ignorance, rely on shamanic C-
ers. by te age of sevent tey are bent over; complaining of
teir problems, they kll themselves. Wat a pit!
"Werein lie death and life? Adepts gover tem, f ing the
lower body, da ng te vitit so that energ does not leak
out. Wen te mnd govers deat and life, who can cause
my loss? Carefly presere energ, avoiding loss, and you can
prolong life for ages, enjoyg happiness and longevt for ages.
"Lngevit comes fom storage and acculaton. Those
who are f of life obsere heaven above and apply it on ear
below. Tose who can do ts uaiingly evolve, so they can
be liberated fom te body. Tose who understand the Great
Way soar beond te clouds and rise to dc imor realms,
able to tavel far as fowing water and high as a fyng dagon,
going at hgh speed wthout ting.
". . . Wu Chengao made the four seasons his helpers and
heaven and ear hs constant. Wu Chengao lived together
wmyin and yang; yn and yang do not die, and Wu Chenghao
was on a par wth them. So it is wit those who have attained
the Way.''
EMrzROR Fa~ Gc~o asked a ver old man, "I have heard that
you use sexa contac for steng, and gather te vitlit of
natre for long le. Wat should I do to make it possible to
practce te Way?"
The old man replied, "You shoud vaue tat whch comes
wt te body at birt but ages before the body. Tis wl
stengen te wea, exend te life of te shor-lived, and
cause te poor to have plent of food.
"Te act consists of aterate emptng and replenshing.
Tere are rues for masterg ts. First is extendng te libs,
staightenig te back and cg te butocks. Second is
relan te tghs, movng te genitls, and tighteng te
anus. Tid is closig te eyes and not hearng, gaterg en
erg to m te brain. Four is swalowg saliva and dnng
milk. Fif is all vtaites rsing and massing into a great lui
nous clat. Stop when you reach te ff, and your vtl spirit
w gow happier day by day."
Ths is a ver old man's way of ingestng spirta energ
trough sexal contct.
u ASKED buI Gu:, "I have clarfed the cognition of my ears
and eyes to gover the land. Leveling the flooded lands
above, followng te Long River below to te Mountain of
Accounts, I spent ten years on waterorks. Now my limbs
are useless and my home is broken up. How should I take
care of tis?"
Shi Gu replied, "Te stcte of
g
overent always be
gs wth oneself. 'en blood and energ do not circulate as
tey should, ts is called pathological blockge, which is the
source of si exeme affictons.
"Te contnuit of blood and energ, te coordinaton of
te muscles and vessels, ae not to be negleced. Lt te brai
rela, eat a vared diet; use inteligence for gidance, use work
for exercise. Witout food, there is no way to f the stomach
and develop the fame. Witout inteligence, tere is no way
of discering whether one is inwardly empt or m. Witout
work tere is no way to exercise te limbs to get rd of their
affictons.
"So, when you are goig to sleep, draw you energ into
you gents; ts is caled exercisig te tendons. Stetch and
scch; tis is called exercising te bones. Lt your actons
r b Sex, Heat, and Lne Lf
and fnctons be appropriate, and vtit v fow forth like a
sprg. In what age woud this method not work?"
Now Yu took to dnkng mi, and comored hs wife, s
o
tanquillit was restored to his home.
This is Shi Gu's metod of managng mind and energ.
9
Wzu ZHI VISITED Kng Wei of Qi. Kg Wei asked m about
te Way in tese ters: "I have heard you are versed in the
Way. Since I aready chief of state, I don't have tme to
listen to it a; I ony want to hear one or to words about the
essentas of te Way. "
Wen Z replied, ''I have composed three huded essays
on te Way, and sleeping is fst and foremost. ''
Kg Wei asked, "Explain tis. Wat shoud I eat at bed-
te?"
Wen Zh replied, "Fine wine and leek. "
Kg \Vei asked, "Why do you recommend leek?"
Wen Zh replied, "Wen our ancestors pracced agicul
te, tey found leek the only perenial herb, so they desig
nated it as such. Lek receive te energ of heaven early, and
tey receive te energ of ear fly. Terefore, if wealy and
tid people eat leek, tey w be robust; u people whose
ees do not see well eat tem, tey w have clear vsion. If
people whose ears do not hear well eat tem, tey w have
clear hearng. If you eat tem for te tree monts of spring,
sickesses won't develop, and you tendons and bones wl in
crease in steng. Ts is cal ed te kng of herbs. "
1 Sex, Health, and LonB Li
Kng Wei said, ''Good. Ad hy do
y
ou recommend wne?"
Wen Zhi replied, "Wine is the vita energ of te fve gais.
Wen it enters te stomach, it disperses throughout te circ
latory system, penetatng the physical stctre and pedng
it. It goes deeply mto dc system wtout reguirng you to
lie dow and sleep. Terefore it is a vehicle for a hUdrCd
medicines."
Kng Wei said, "Good. But tere is soOetng tat is not as
you have said. \en people suffering fom dysente in sprng
are given leek, why are they gven egs instead of wne?"
Wen Zhi replied, "That w also do. Chickens are yang a
mals; tei ca at da\r is clear as they stetch their neck
and spread teir wngs. During te tree monms ot sUer,
chickens and leek alike convey positve (yang) energ; tat is
whv Taoist eat tem."
J
Kn
g
Wei said, "Good. Now why do you recomOend
sleep?
Wen Zhi repliedg "Sleep is not ony a huan acvt. A
birds, reptes, fshg amphibians, and insect need food i order
to live, ad Iood needs sleep to work. Sleep enables food to
bc digested and disperses medicines to circate tough mc
body.
usleep is to food as fre is to golde Therefore, if you do not
sleep |or onc n|ght, you ,vll not recover for a hunded days. lI
tood is not digested, t vl bc like havng a bal in your gt.
This produLes listessness and Lonstpatong degeneraton =9
dcbil. Thcrctorc Taoist rCspCLt sleep."
Tn Questons l
Kng Wei said, "Good. If I ahvays enjoy dnng from CVC~
ning on into te night, w I not get sick?"
Wen Zh replied, "No problem. Be lie te birds and uc
beasts: tose tat go to sleep early rise early, tose uat go to
sleep late rise late. The sk gets light, the ea gets dark;
Taoist investgte tose phenomena and go no frer.
"The energ of food is absorbed subtly and circated si-
lenty; durg te night . . . energ is sent into al par of te
body. Wen al part of te body are stably vtized, you are
iwardly sold whe outrdly peacef, so you don't get erp
tons or tors. Ths is te consUaton of te V'ay."
Kg Wei said, "Good."
10
WHEN WANG QI made an appearance at cour, Kg Zhao ol
Qin asked him about the Way in tese ters: "I hear you
igest y for actve steng, and collect energ for vtlit and
can. What should l do to prolong my life?"
\Vang Qi replied, "You must face the 5UO and the moon and
collec ter vt ghu. Lat pine and cedar nut, ad mmmc
muk of rn g beast. By tese means you can fend off agc
and restore robustess, glowng wt heath. Avoid fre dmng
te summer monts, using a solar miror to cook. Ten mc
mind wl be itelligent and brght.
"As for te wa
y
to engage in sexa intercouse, camcss
makes for steng. Mae te miOd as cam as water, con-
sere the spirtal dew within. Kock at te jade door wu
Uc jade rod, te mind neither too tense nor too |oosc.
You can tell what is best by hov' te woman sighs i
lcs

onse. Collect dc spirita mist, dm te celestal brot,

scndng tem to dc |nterna| organs in order to store mcm
dcc

y.
'brcadc gcndy |n dc morings, and your ene
r
ad bo0
wi| bc hm . . . , vmq vv be stble ad long lastng. P
e
ace
Tn Questons 7 l
of mind s ated wt, te higher and lower thrive, the
itera orgas are stble, te complexon is lustous. Life last
long sm and moon, and you become a fower of heaven
and ea."
K Zhao sad, "Good."
JoiNING YIN
AND YANG
1
GENERLLY SPEAKING, te way to initate sexal itercouse is
as folows. Hold hands, and beg stokng from the wists,
folowg te as up to te pit, then up to the shouders
ad to te nec area. Stoke aroud te neck, then dow to
te hollow of the colabone, over the npples, across te bely,
ad up to the rbs. Reachg te vva, massage the clitoris.
Suck in energ to vitie the spirit, and you ca see forever
and suve as long as te unverse.
The clitors is te vessel of intercouse iside the vva;
stoke it fom below upwad, causing te whole body to be
pleasUably excted and te feelings to be joyy delghted.
Even though you wat to, do not perfor te act yet; hug and
kss, to loosen up and have f.
The way to play is as folows. First, when energ rses and
te face gets hot, slowly exale. Second, when te woman's
npples become erect and her nose begs to f slowly em
brace. Tid, wen your tonges are seet and slipper, slowly
tonge kss. Fou, when her tghs are wct wid her secre
tons, slowly move. Fif, when her thoat get d and she
keeps salowg saliva, slowly rock. Tese are called thc hvc
sigs of desire.
2 b Se, Heath, and Lana Li
\'hen te fve sigs are all tere, mount her and
p
enetate
her, but do not go te way in, so as to bring te cner_.
Once te energ comes, penetate deeply and tst u
p
ward
into her, so as to dsperse te heat. Rpeat up and down movc-
ment, not letng te energ stop, and te woma wll ati d
geat clima.
Aer that, peror ten sets of movement, contnue wu
the ten stles of intercouse, ad mx te ten manners of pene
taton. \en sexal intercourse is fnshng, concentate me
energ in te genitals, ten watch te eight movement, listen
to the fve souds, and obsere te ten sigs oIconsummation.
TEN SETS LI MOVEMENTS means ten times ten stokes: frst
ten, ten tent, then thi, for, ff, six, sevent, eight,
nnet, one hundred. Withdraw and penetate without ejac
latng. Do one set without ejacatng, and you eyes ad ears
w be cear. Two sets, ad you voice w be clear. Tee, and
you skn w be lustous. Fou, and your back and sides C
stengened. Five, and your buttock and thighs get shaped
up. Si, and your uary tact will be clear. Seven, and you
erecton w be exemely fr and stong. Eigt, and your
skn w glow. Nine, and you join in a spirtal glow. Ten set
mae the body endure.
Te ten stles are as follows. First is called the tger roaring.
Second is called the cicada clingg. Trd is called the inch
wor. Four is caed te deer nudgg wt hs antlers. Fif
is caled te phoeni stetching. Six is caled the monkey
clibing. Seventh is called the toad. Eight is called the rabbit
rg. Nit is caed te dagomy. Tent is caled te fsh
feedig.
THE 1EM m?MEH of penetaton are as folows. First is stmu
latg te upper part of te femae genitia. Second is stmu
latg the lower par of te genitaia. Td is stulatng the
lef. Four is stmuatng the right. Fif is doing it rapidy.
Si is doing it slowly. Seventh is doig it wit low fequenc.
Eighth is doing it wt high fequenc. Nint is doig it shal
lowly. Tent is doing it deeply.
The eight movement are as folow. First is hugg, second
is extending te ars, thrd is stai
g
htening the legs. Fourth is
hookng the parer fom te side wt the legs, ff is hook
ing te top, si is enting te tighs. Sevent is level
boucing, eight is vbraton.
Hugng is for when you wat you be
l
ies touchig. Ex
tendg te ars is done to stmuate te upper pa of te
woman's gentia and contnue for a long tme. Staighten
te legs is for when penetaton is not deep enough. Te
woman hook her leg around the man fom te side when shc
want stmulaton of te sides of her genitalia; when she hook
her legs around te ma above, she want deep stmulaton.
Enting dc tghs is done when penetation is too deep.
Level boucing is for when sha ow penetaton is desired. Vi-
joinn
B
Yin and Yan
9
7
brat
on occs \rhen te woman wants her man to contnue
for a long tme.
Rpid breatg indicates inward urgency. Rough breathing
indicates clima. Sighing indcates the pleasure has begn
afer inseron of the j ade rod. Heav breathng indicates ec
sts. Nibblig ad vbraton of te body indicate that a woman
wat her man to contnue longer.
lN THE EVENI NGS, male vitit is stong; i te morgs,
femae vtt has accmuated. Wen a mae nues mc
femae's vtit wt hs ow vtt, te font vessels a
g
et
excited, te level of energ ad blood i te skin rises; tus it
is possible to open u what is closed and clear blockge, so mc
interal organs receive ision and are replenished.
THE TEN SIGNS of consU aton ae as follow. At te fst
consumaton, cooless emerges. At te second consUa
ton, a smell lie cha ed bone appears. Te third consum
maton is caractered by heat. At te four consU aton,
tere is oi-lie secreton. At te m consumaton, a
cereal-lie fagance appears. At the six consU aton, there
is so much lubrcaton as to be slpper. At te seventh con
sumaton, tere is prolongaton. At te eighth consuma
ton, te woman's secreton is lie gease. At te nnt
consummaton, her secreton is stck. At te tenth consu
maton, tere is weaenng, weakenng folowed by a ret of
slpperiess ad a renewal of coolness. Ts is cal ed te fal
fish.
S@s of te fal fsh ae the woman's nose rng ad
lips becomig pale, hands and feet temblig, butock rsing
off te bed. Te man shoud stop now; it is harf to wat
mu te erecon dsappears. At tis tme, te vva is dis
tended wt energ, ad te vt spirit enters the interal or
gans, where it produces an ucany glow.
TALK ON
SuPREME GuiDANCE
FOR THE WoRLD
1
1ns sLtcW LmrsRcR asked te Spirit of the Lf, "Yin and
yang, the nine openings of te body, and the telve major
point ae all bor together, but te gentals alone 'de' or lose
their fncton fst. \Vy is this?"
Te Spiit of te Lf said, "Because te genitls are not
employed in doing work. Tey are not instmenta i emo
ton, they do not help in eatng ad dinng; teir abode is
very hidden and not exposed to the sun, they are hasty and
roughy used, they do not wait for matt and cannot endure
the fcion of intercouse-terefore they wear out early. We
avoid their names and hide their members, we use them most
wthout restaint and witout propriet; therefore they are
bomwth the body but lose their individual fcton frst. "
IF AN ERECTION does not become lage, that meas te fesh
is not energed. If an erecon is not m, tat means te
muscles are not energed. If it is fr but not hot, tat means
dc mnd is not energed.
If
y
ou use it when te fesh is not energed, the erecon
wt. If
y
ou use it when the mind is not energed, te erecon
dsa
pp
ears. Wen a tee are energed, tat is cal ed tple
readiess.
(SECTION 3-NO TEX]
Lxs waTsR, daky penrasive, lie te energies of spring and
aut, as "'hat has gone is not perceived, one canot tc
advntge tereof; as what is yet to come is useen, we look to
wat it presents. Be caref! 1s matter of te spirtua glow
lies i stopping ejaculaton. Operate te precious lock care
fly, ad te spiital glow w arrive.
In genera, physical ctvaton calls for accmulaton of vi
tt'. Wen vtit is replete, it shoud be spent; and when
vtit' is wantg, it should be replenished. Replenshment of
spent vtit is done when vitlit is wanting.
In this practce, sit togeter, wt your loins, noses, ad
mouts close together. If you go ahead suddenly and come
precipittely, you w ejacate uselessly ad your vitait wh
be lost. Ho"' ca one stop ths? Emptg ad fling have nor
ma constt; employ tem carefly and do not forget them.
Avoid excessive fatge, avoid exauston, and your sinew ad
bones w be stong. To contnue, swaow saliva and te in
fesh air. Exae and inae ver genty, as a rle utl you feel
fled. Wen te energ of tese tee in harony peak, te
resut is mess and steng.
If you want to master tis, you must pay caref atenton
3
Sex, Healt, and Lne Lf
to te insOctons. By stoppig the emission of semen, you
C3 atn unC y longevt. Aer one te, you eyes and
eas are bright. A second te, and you voice is clear. A dd
tme, and your skn is lustous. A fou tme, and your spine
is stengened. A ff tme, and you butock and tighs C
shaped up. A si tme, and your urary tact is clear. A
seventh tme, and your mind is fr and stong. A eigbm
tme, and you are hgh-spirited. A nint te, and you haro
nize wt heavCD ad eah. The tent tme produces te un
canny spiritua glow.
ENERGY HAS eight pluses and seven minuses. If you cannot
employ te eight pluses ad get rd of the seven minuses, ten
phyica energ w dimnsh by half by the tme you are fort;
by ff, your actvites w decline; by si your hearing and
vsion wl be uclea; ad by sevent you w be wthered
below and debilitated above; sexal energ w not fctong
tears and mucs w r.
There is a way to restore stengt: elimiate the seven mi
nuses to quel afictons, and use te eight pluses to enhance
energ. Tus the agng can be restored to robustess, whie te
robust can avoid deterioration.
Educated people live in comfor and eat and dm what
tey want; their skn texe is fne, their energ and blood arc
m, teir bodie are readily mobie. If tey are too hast in
sexal itercourse, they canot folow the proper couse; tis
produces iness, seatng, gasping, interal dstbance, and
mentl confsion.
If you canot cure ts, you develop interal fever. 1c
herbs d moxcauter teatent to induce energ, mc di
etr supplements to enhance physica steng. If you |orcc
intercourse, wtout bcng able to follow te propcr coursc,
qO Se, Heat, and Lone L!
tat w produce hemorhoids and scotl selig; tere is
distenton wth energ and blood, dysfcton of body open
ings, debilit in te upper and lower libs, pies and ucers.
So use te eight pluses skilfl
y
, elimate te seven minuses,
and tese aiment wl not occr.
THE EIGHT PLUSES are as folow. First is masterig energ.
SeCoDd is producing moiste. Tird is kowg the right t
ig. Fou is acCulatg energ. Fif is gentle moistenig.
So is buidng up energ. Sevent is maintin flness.
Eight is stabiing te erecton.
THE SEVEN MINUSES are as folow. First is shutng. Second
is leang. Tid is exhauston. Fou is impotence. Fif is
emotona dstrbance. Six is aienaton. Seventh is wa5te.
1O MASTER THE eight pluses, rse at d, sit up, staighten
you spine, rela your butocks, contact your perinea Inus
des, and conduct energ to you sexual organs. This is caled
producing moistre.
Wen foIeply is mutaly satsfactor, and both \Vant to do
it, tat is caed kowng te rght tming.
Durg intercourse, let you back be relaed, contact your
perea muscles, ad exert pressure do\ward; tis is caled
acCuatig energ.
Do not go i ad out too rapidy, or wit too high fe
quenc; glide in and out gently and wit contol . Tis is caled
gente Ooisteng.
Wen you ae going to get out of bed, witdaw whie you
stl have a erecon; this is called buldng up energ.
Wen about fnished, breate deeply, avoid agtation, gather
energ and press it do\, waitg in a state of physica calm;
tis is caed maiting flness.
Wen fished, wash off; witdaw while stll erect. Tis i s
called stbiizng te erecon.
Tese are caled the eight pluses.
THE SEVEN MINUSES are as folows. \en intercouse is paiO
m, tat is caled iner shutng. Heav perspiraton and pre
mate ejacaton dung intercourse are refered to as
exteral leakng. Hyperactvit means exauston. Inabilit in
spite of desire is caed impotence. Doing it breathessly ad
inwardy out of contol is called emotonal dstbance. Forc
ing it when there is no desire means alienaton. Doing it too
fast means waste. These are caled the seven minuses.
Therefore, if you sklfl y employ the eight pluses and elm
inate te seven mnuses, your eyes and ears wil be bright ad
clear, you body wll be light and nble, you sexal energ
w gow stonger and stonger, you w exend your yeas,
increasing your life span, and w live in lastng happiness.
1 0
HuMAN BEINGS are bor able to do to things without lear
i how: one is breatig, the oter is feedng. Evering
oter tan tese to tings has to be leaed and practced.
So, sice nutton enances healt while sensualit under
mnes heat, wse people necessarily have rues for intercourse
beteen men and women.
1 1
So, Oc t "tgers rollickg, " anoter is "cicada cligng, "
conscious of breatng exteral
y
. A tird is "ichwor, " d
four is "deer raising antlers. " Fif is "phoenix spreadg
wngs, " conscious of breathg iteral y; sixt is "mones
squatg, " conscious of breatg exeral
y
. Sevent is
"toads, " eight is "rabbit boudg. " Nint is "dagonfies, "
conscious of breatn exterally, tent i s "fsh feedig. "
Tese ae cled te ten postes.
Te ten refement are energng, sallowng saliva, con
tolling the pens, stmulatig the clitors, mag sure of
proper tmg, comung in intercouse, movng genty,
awaitng fless, climang together, and physicaly restng.
The eight ways are hgh, low, lef, rght, deep, shalow, fast,
and slow.
Once you are ready for the ten refnement and prepaed
for te ten postes, have itercouse at night, using a varet
of the eight wa
y
s. Before sweat flows, drve your energ into
you genitls, hold your breath and mae you pudenda vibrate,
clearng te vessels and enhancing te ligaent. Watch for mc
woman' s eight movements, obsere where her energ is, an
note how she moans and sighs, to decide what to do next.
HER EIGHT MOVEMENTS ae hugng, pushg, stetching fat,
staighteng her legs, crossing tghs, vbratg, sideways
hookg, upwad hookng.
Her souds ae throat breatg, pantng, sighng, groan
ig, and nibblng. Obsere her sounds caref y, to ko' her
heart; obsere her eight movements caref y, to kow what
she enjoys and what is efecve.
\Ven she hugs, she wants belies touchng; when she
pushes, she wants isolated stulaton of the mons veneris.
Wen she hook her legs aroud the man fom the side, she
wu latera stmulaton. 'en she crosses her tghs, it
means penetaton is too deep; when she staightens her legs,
it is not deep enough. 'en she hook her legs aroud te
man above, it means he had't penetated a te way i. Wen
she vbrates, it is supremely good. Tese are caled the eight
obseratons.
Wen energ rises and you faces get hot, slowly kss. Wen
her npples erect and her nose rs, slowly embrace. Wen
you tonges are thnly coated and slipper, slowly get to
geter. Wen her tighs are wet wt her secretons, slowly
move. Wen her toat is d and she S'aows saliva, slowly
q Se, Healt, and Lon
9
L!
rock. Tese are called the fve signs. These refer to fve crcs-
sonsoldesire. Wen fve are present ten youmay nuatc
n tercourse.
\Vhen an erecton is not fl-size, tat means the fesh is UO
energized. Wen it is f-size but not hard, that meas tbc
muscle is not energized. Wen it is hard but not hot, tbat
means the mood is not tere. Wen a thee ae energizedg
ten penetaton is possibl e-
With one consummaton, there appears a clea cooless.
Wit the second consumation, there is a smell like chared
bone. Wit te thrd consUaton, tere is a bung heat.
Wm the fou consumaton, tere is oily secreton.
Wit te hm consumaton, tere is a grainie aroma. Wm
the si consumaton, te sexual secreton s vscous. Wm
te sevent consumaton, it becomes stck. Wit te eighm
consumaton, it becomes greas. \it te nint consUa
ton, it tickens. \ith the tent consmaton, tere is a cli
ma, clima and retur of slipperCss; refeshed energ ten
emergess
The opening and anteror Lhamber of te vva, te outer
and inner lips, te clitoris, te nuscular entance of te vaginag
te vagna wls, front and back, rght and lef, te entace o|
te ccrx. hnd tem and keep tem stmuated, fnishng be
|orc |os|n

erecton. Drve mc energy nto te flesh and skn,

and
[
|acc it n dcvvast and | nsdc of the body. Jhc lips pc,
sweat fows to dc back of dc kees; you are QOV` comung
suokcsbv te huded.
AMN WHO IS a good lover does not precede te woman; ony
when te woman has te desie ca a good lover make love.
Do not be precipitous, do not be domeerig; do not force,
but do not be hesitt. Make sure to be slow to prolong te
act, and mae sure to be gente to maiti self-contol, so
you do not clma when on te bri of clima; then te
woman w be geaty delighted.
Breatng tough the open mout expels negatve energ
and icreases positve energ. Patng means respiraton be
comes rapid; now femae gentaia open up. Sighg is accom
paed by rapid movement of te butocks to stmulate the
labia. Groag signas itense pleasure and te begnnng of
preorgasmc tension. Nibbling means she has climaed ad
want to go on longer.
So te mae is categoried as yang, and yag is associated
wt the exeral, whe te femae is categored as y, ad
yin is associated wth the itera. Te stuaton of te male
is on te outide, wile te stmuaton of te female is on te
inide; tis is caed the logc of yn and yang, the reason of
femae and male. If it is done wong, te fault is simply in the
metodolog.
_ C Sex, Healt, and Lon
a
L
Wat is essental in the pleasure beteen femaes and maes
is a mater of tng it slowly ad contnuing for a long tme.
It the D3 can go slowly and continue for a long tme, dc
woman w be geat
y
delighted, feelg more fendly towad
him than siblings do toward each oter and more lovng
toward him tan are parent toward tei chiden. Tose wo
are able to master te science are caled celesta kght.
CouRsEs IN
EFFECTI VENESS
AND GuiDANCE
A Course in Effectveness
Higher efectveness i s not ambitous;
that is why it is efectve.
Lwer efectveness does not forget reward,
so it lack effcacy.
\hen hgher efectveness is ucontved,
it has no uterior motve;
hgher benevolence is actvely done,
but has no ulteror motve.
\hen hgher effectiveness is deliberately exercised,
it is done for a puose.
\en hgher couresies are perfored,
yet no one responds to tem,
then they are repeated in an exagerated maner.
Tus effectveness is needed afer gdance is lost,
benevolence is needed afer effcac is lost,
dut is needed afer benevolence is lost,
rital is needed afer dut is lost.
Rtal is tness of faithness,
and te begnng of disorder.
5 4
Se, Healt, and Lne Lf
Advance kowledge is a result of guidance,
but also te beginng of igorance.
Terefore geat people live by the thck
not te thin;
tey liVe by the substanta,
not the superfcia.
1us dte one and leave te oter.
Te imemorial atinent of ut was tus:
te sk atined unit,
whereby it became clear;
dc eah atied uni
t
,
whereby it became steady;
te spirt atined unit,
whereby it became quickened;
te valeys atined unit,
whereby tey were fled;
leaders and rers atined ut,
whereby they became gides for te world.
Such is the exent of ds dat
if dc sk had no way to be clear,
it woud probably split;
if dc eart had no wy to be steady,
it \voud
p
robably er
p
t;
i f mc spirt had no wa
}
to b

quckened,
A Curse in E ctvness
) )
it woud probably wear out;
if te vales had no way to be flled,
te woud probably d up;
i leaders and rers had no way to be noble and lof,
te woud probably stble.
So dyou want to be noble,
it is rooted i hut;
if you want to be elevated,
it is based on lowerg youself.
Ts is wy leaders and rers cal temselves
orphned, isolated, and uuck;
ts is thei use of hut as a basis, is it not?
Tus repeated elevaton is no elevaton,
so te don't want to be
shy as jeels
but had as stones.
Wen superor people hea gidance,
t diligenty and ably c it out.
Wen middig people hear gdance,
it is vage and uceri.
Wcn |csscrpeople hear gidance,
d laugh.
l|d did't laugh at it,
it wouldn' t be wor ukng |or gidance.
g o Sex, Health, and Lna L!f
So there are estblished sayngs:
Guidance to enlightenment seems like nonsense,
gdance to progess seems regessive,
guidance to equait seems to classif.
Higher effectveness seems at a loss,
geat purit seems like disgace,
broad-rangng effectiveness seems isufcent,
constctve effectveness seems to be casua.
Basic reait seems changeable,
geat exase ha no shores.
A great vessel is completed late,
a great soud is rarely heard.
Te for of Natre is foress;
gudace is conceaed unamed.
But only gidace makes a good beging
ad a good completon.
Gudance ac by ret and renewa,
and fncons wtout force or agression.
Everng in te world arises from beig,
being arses from nonbeing.
Guidance produces unit,
ut produces divsiong
. i Cure in Ecivnes
7
division produces sytesisg
sthesis produces | ting.
A| things bear te negatve ad embrace te positve,
wt a ting energ to haronize tem.
Everyone dsles being orphaed, isolated, ad uuck,
yet kg ad lords refer to temselves ths way.
So people may beneft fom less,
ad may be hared by more.
Wat oters have to teach me
is also what I have to teach others.
So even the power ad clever cannot choose their deat;
I consider ths te father of learig.
Wat is sofest in te world
drves what is hardest i te word;
nonbeig penetates even where there is no gap:
by ths I kow the beneft of noncontivance.
Unspoken istcon and uncontved beneft
are rarely reached in the world.
Wch is dearer to you,
your name or you body?
Wch means more to you,
you body or your goods?
Wch mc you more,
gai or loss?
) 8 Sex, Heat, and Lna Li
Ven there is exteme cravng,
there is much expense;
when tere is much hoarded,
there is a lot to lose.
Terefore, if you kow \vhen you have enough,
you won' t be disgraced;
and if you kow when to stop,
you won' t be endangered.
In tis way you can live a long tme.
Great achevement seems to be missing sometg,
but it use is inexaustble.
Great fflment seems empty,
but it fncton is endess.
Great staightoradess seems iarcate,
great skilfness seems clus,
geat suplus is kept out of sight.
Movement overcomes cold,
stlness overcomes heat;
by clear cam,
you can be corect in \'orld tngs.
Wen te world has @idancCg
chargers are sent back to maue the felds;
when te world lack gidace,
war horses C bred |n te coutside.
, 4 G1ure in lctl t'ncss
?
No miste is worse tan geed,
no calamt is \VOrse dandscontcnt,
no faut is more vvonsomc than
desie for gain.
Terefore, te sufciency of contentTent
is a eOough.
Ko\v te world
wtout going out te door,
kow te weater
wtout lookg out te vdov.
Te fer out it goes,
te less ko,vledge is;
so sages kow without going,
name wtout seeing,
create wthout contrvng.
\e those who stve to lear gain daily
those who practce gidance lose daily,
losing and even losing tat,
ut tey reach feedom fom arfciality .
Having no arfcialit,
te
y
can do anyg.
Those who woud tae te world
are alwa
y
s dsinterested;
b O Sex, Healt, and Lne Lie
had te a ste m |t,
te woud be inadequate
to te te world.
Sage leaders ae aways midess,
using conscousness of a perceptons for md.
Te see te good i te good,
ad even i tose who do not do well,
tey stl see some good:
ts is fdg the good.
Te tst te tstory,
ad as for te ueliable,
te tt them to be so:
tat is efecve tst.
Te presence of sage leaders in te world is conciator;
tey cloud tei mds for the world,
so a people ae in teir sight ad hearg,
and sage leaders include everyone,
wit a inocent sme.
We go for into lie and ret in deat.
Tere are tteen associates of lie,
and thiteen associates of deat.
But te life of the people ceates a fss
and a of ten1 go
A. Cure in .cti\'ness
b 1
to te thirteen grounds of deat.
\y? Because tey tae living to be life.
It is said tat tose who hold on to life wel
do not avoid rhinos and tgers when taveling
te highads,
do not don aor i the a
y
;
rhios have no way to gore tem,
tgers have no way to claw tem,
weapons have no 'vay to pierce tem.
Wy? Because tere is no fat spot in tem.
Guidace creates, effectveness nures,
beings give shape, implements com
p
lete.
Tat is why al beigs honor gidance and vaue
effectveness.
The nobiit of gidance and the vaue of effectveness
are not bestowed by an
y
one,
but nataly so of themselves.
Guidance creates, nues, develops, matres,
brings to friton, nourshes, sustains, and shelters.
It is creatve witout posse5sivenessg
constctve wtout conceit,
developmentl wtout coerciveness;
tis is caled uobtsive efectveness.
b 7 Se, Healt, and Lone Li
Te wor|d ha a begn ing
that is dc souce of te world.
Once you fd te souCe,
you tereby kow te producte
Once you kow te produc,
go back to presere te soucCg
and you'l never be endangered.
Shut te opengs, cIose the doors,
ad you' l never be belabored.
Open up the opengs ad manage affairs,
and you'l never be savede
Notcing te sma is caled clait,
keeping fexble is caled stengt.
Usig te light,
ten ret to clat,
and you leave notng har.
Tis is caled folowg the constant.
If we have ay kowledge
to practce @eat gdaceg
ony devaton is to be feared.
Guidace is eas,
but peop|e are ver obstate.
Wcn dc cou ac vc
Q
tdy
but te heIds ae vc

weedy
A Cure in Ectlness b g
and the graaies very empty,
to wea color cloting
and car shap SVords,
to eat to sataton
ad possess ecess wealth,
is caled te arogce of tieves.
The arogace of teves is no gide!
Wat is well built does not fa apa,
,vhat is ''ell wapped does not come loose;
their iertors pay tem honor no end.
Develop it in te idivdua,
and effectiveness is real ;
develop it in te home,
ad efecveness is more than enough.
Develop it in te community,
and effecveness gows;
develop it i the state,
and effecveness abouds.
Develop it al over the world,
and chccuvcncss isuversal.
See the indivdua as an idvdual,
see the famiy a a famiy,
scc te coOut as a coOut,
scc dc smtc as a stte,
see te world as a world.
bq Se, Healt, and Lne Lie
How do I kow te world is thus ?
Tat's how!
The dept of inner effecveness
is comparable to 3 infant,
which bees, bugs, and snakes
do not stng or bite,
predator birds and wld beasts
do not snatch.
It bones and tendons are weak and sof,
yet it gp is m,
it kow notg of sexua itercouse,
yet its organ erec:
ts is te epitome of vitlit.
It can cr all day
wtout getng hoarse;
ts is te epitome of haIony.
Harony is caled te constant;
kowg te constt
is caled enightenment.
Enhancing m is caled auspicious;
when te mind eOploys energ,
that is caled stength.
Wen beings peak in power, tey age;
tis is caled ungided.
Te unguided soon persh.
A Cure in letl'eness b 5
Tose who kow do not say,
tose who say do not know.
Shut the opening, close the entways;
sofen te light, merge wth te dust;
blunt te shaness, unavel te complicatons.
Ts is cled mystc saeness,
by vire of whch you cannot be approached,
yet canot be estaged;
you cannot be helped,
and canot be hared;
you canot be valued
ad caot be despised,
and thus are noblest in te world.
Use conventon to gover a state,
use surprse in mitr acton,
use disinterest to te the world.
How do I kow it is so?
Wen there are many tboos i the world,
te people gow poorer and poorer.
\en the people have may weapons,
te naton gows more benghted.
Wcn te people are ve
r
craf,
weird tngs arse more and more.
Tc geater dc aricaton of mcs of law,
dc morc brgands and oudaws ucrc arc.
b b Se, Heat, and Lona Lie
Therefore a wse ruer says,
' ' If I do noting,
the people v natrally be civied.
If I am fond of quietde,
te people w natrally be uprght.
If I am disinterested,
the people will naturally become rich.
I f I wat not to want,
te people wl natrally be innocent. "
\Ven the adistaton is nonivasive,
mc people arc pure and simple.
Wen te adinistaton is intsive,
the people are lackng and \ratng.
Di saster rest on fortne,
forne is concealed in disaster.
Wo kows te end? Is tere nothing noIal ?
Wen te nora has becon1e exceptonal ,
te good aso becomes bad;
people' s Lonfsion i s sure longstanding!
So be correct wtout being cutng,
bc pure 'vthout bei ng critical ,
be staightforrrd wtout being oppressive,
be enlightened without being daig.
A Coure in fccin:ness o )
I n govefment and rCligion hoth,
it' s best to be economica.
Only by bein
g
economica
ca order be prompty achieved.
This is caled double buildup of effectveness.
y double buldup of efCctvenessg
noting is impossible.
\Vhen notng is impossible,
no limit can be deterined.
Wen no liit C be deterined,
it is possible to have a state.
The mam of havn
g
a stte
Oakes it possible to last.
Tis is called deepening te root.
ad solidifng te stem,
te way to long life
and endurng vision.
Gover d large state like cookng sma fsh;
use gidace to constct the world.
Ten spirt are not sacred.
Not tat they are not sacred,
but teir superatral powers
do not hu people.
b Sex, Helt, and Ln
e
L!e
Wise leaders also cause no har.
Since neither hur te oter,
thei effcaces combie to reach te goal .
A great naton fows dowward;
female to the world,
it is a meetg place for te world.
Te female always overcomes te male by stlness.
Wen beig stl, it is approprate to be lower.
Terefore, a great naton,
by lowerg itself to a small stte,
tes a smal stte.
A smal stte,
by lowerg itelf to a geat naton,
tes fom a great naton.
So one may te by being lower,
or one may be taen from by te lower.
Tus a geat naton
ony want to include
and nue people;
a small stte
only want to join
and sere people.
For bot to anam their desire,
te
g
eat one should be lower.
A Curse in Fctveness b
Gudace is what keeps a|| tings togeter;
the teasue of good people,
it is what protec people who are not good.
Fine work can be sold,
reverental acons can burden people;
een if people are no good,
why woud they abandon tese?
Terefore when the ruler of a
set up te iner cabinet,
tough tere be presentton
of ceremona j ade insiga
and teams of four horses,
that i s not as good
as cahy proceedg
wm ts gidance.
Wy was tis gidance valued of yore?
Is it not said that seekers fnd thereby,
whe those i eIor get fee of it tereby?
Terefore it is what is most valuab| e i te world.
Ac wtout contivance,
work wthout serit,
savor te Ufavored.
M te small geat,
mkc dc lite much.
Ks
|
ond to hated wd gaCcg
p|an for the d|bct
wbIc i ti s stl cay.
} o Se, Healt, and Lne lj
Te geatest tngs i te world
are done whle stl slight;
so wse leaders neer do big tgs,
ad thus can achieve geatess.
Those who agree too easily
are ievtably little tsted;
tose who mae tngs too easy
ae sue to have a lot of hardshp.
Therefore wise leaders
end up wthout dfcut
by considering tngs hard.
It is eas to holdwhat' s at rcst,
eas to plan for what hasn't come up.
It is eas to split what is fai,
easy to dissolve what is slight.
Do it before it exst,
gover it before it goes wld.
Enorous tees gow fom sprout,
m building rise from piles of eart,
the lofest height strt at you feet.
To contve to do tis is to spoil it;
to t to cling to it is to lose it.
Therefore sages do not contve aying,
and tus do not spoil ayng;
dc
}
do not cling to aying,
and tus do not lose anyn
.
A Cure in ectreness } l
People always fail in teir business
just as tey are about to succeed;
so be as caefl of te end
as you are of mc begnng,
ad no business w fa.
Tereore sas wat not to wnt,
ad do not vue had-to-get goods;
they lea not to imtate,
ad refor te mstaes of the crowd.
Tey are able to assist te nata spontaneit of albCings_
ad do not dare to contve arfciaites.
Te practce of gdace in ancient tes
ws not to mae people intelecta,
but to mae tem iOocCnt.
Wat maes people uny
is thei cng;
so to gover a stte by C ing
is to uderne te stte,
whe to gover a stte by iOocencC
s a blessin for te stte.
To ways be Cogt of these to
s so a model for reheCton;
to aways be Cognt of models for refecton
is caed hdden efectveness.
Hidden efectiveness is deep, far-reaching;
it is te oppositC of dngs,
but dus aves at great ccord;
] 2 Se, Healt, and Lone Lie
1c reason rvers and oceans
ca be kngs of all valeys
is because they are lower;
that is how the can be kgs
of valeys.
Therefore, when sages wsh to rse above people,
te lower themselves to tem i teir speech;
when te want to lead people,
te put temselves afer tem in sttus.
Thus people do not hurt them
even tough the are ahead;
people do not consider tem a burden
CVCD tough tey are on top.
Everone in te world gladly promotes tem
wtout wearg of tem.
Is it not because tey are not contentous,
so no one in dc world can contend wt tem?
A smal stte has few people;
it let tem have ars,
but no one uses tem;
it lets tem respect deat
and avoid moving away.
They have boats and chariot
but do not ride tem;
tey have aror and weapons
but do not deploy tem.
A Cure in fctleness
1
3
It lets people go back to simplt teChnolo@:
tey enjoy teir food, lke teir Clotng,
enjoy teir cstoms, are at peace in teir homes.
The neighboring state may be so near
tat te cries of te Lhickens and dogs
ca be head,
yet te people have never been tere
in al tei lives.
Trtf words are not pretfed,
pretifed words are not ttf.
Those who kow do not generalieg
tose who generaize do not kow.
Quait is not quantt,
quatt is not qualit.
Sages do not accumuate anying_
since tey use it to help people;
te more they themselves have,
since it is given to oters,
the more tei ow abudance.
So te gdance of Nate
is to help ad not ha;
guidance for people
is to act benefcia y
and not be contentous.
Al in te vvorld dmtemselves great,
but te great do not care;
1
4
Se, Healt, and Lone Lie
indeed, only by not carng
can te be great-
if tey caed about it,
eventally tey'd become pet.
I always have tee teasues,
which I keep and value:
frst is kndness,
second is economy,
tird is not presuing
to be at te head of te world.
By vrtue of kndess, one can be brave;
by vre of economy, one ca be versate;
by vc oInot prcsmn
g
to be
at te head of te world,
one can become foremost
of successfl fnctonaes.
Now, if you gve up tat kndess and couage,
|Iyou gve up tat economy d veIbamit,
if you gve up tat huit ad preemence,
ten you die.
If you go into bate wt kndncss,
ten you vW previl;
use it for defense,
and you wl be secre.
Whcn Natre is going to estblish people,
it seen1s to suround tem wt kndess.
A Course l D fcti rcncss
J 5
So
it is tat good \''arrors Ft not n:i| i tanst| c,
good fghters don' t gct @,
and tose who ae good at beati ng opponents
do not get caught up in it.
Those Yo are good at employng people
act as if tey \'ere under them;
ts is caled te efectveness
of noncontenton.
Ths is caled employng people,
ts is caled compaOionship wt Natre;
it is te ultimate atinment of time immemorial .
Tere are sayngs about militar operatons :
"We do not presume to initiate action,
but we wl defend. "
"We do not presue to advance an inch,
ad are wling to wthdraw a foot. "
Ths is caled carng out no maeuvers,
shang no fst, grabbing no weapons;
tat is how you get to have no enemies!
No calamity is
g
eater tan ignoring enemies;
igore enemies, and you are close
to losin
g
what you value.
So a warrior is unaffected by victorg
and te compassionate one w| prevail .
} o Sex, Healt, and LnB Li
My saying
s are very eas to recognize
and eas to put into practce;
yet no one in te world can recognize them,
and no one can put them into practce.
The sayngs have a souce,
te task have a master,
ony no one kows;
tat is why they don' t kow me.
Those who kow me are rare;
tus 3 I valuable.
So it is tat \se people
wear rough clothng
conceaing a teasure.
It is excellent to kow innocenty;
it is sick to feig kowledge igoraty.
The reason \se people ae not sick
is tat tey consider sickess sick;
ts is how they avoid sickess.
When people are not overawed,
ten is
g
eat awesomeness
on dc vcrgc of perfecton.
They do not havc contcm
[
t for teir houses,
tey do not tre of teir livelihood.
S|mp|y because thc
}
do not tre of tem,
tey are not treson1e.
A Curse in lecticness
1 1
So |t is dat dc \se kow temselves
but do not see themselves;
thcv tc carc of thetnselves

but do not exalt temselves.
Thus dcy leave one and te the other.
Courage in darng is muderous,
couragc in nonpresUption is l ife-givng;
eiter may bc helpf or harfl .
Wo kows te rcason
for what Mamrc dislikes ?
So the guidancc of Natre
is to v1n wc \tout fghtng,
to respond well \thout anying being saidg
to come spontaneously 'ithout being callcdg
to rebound wth good stategies.
1c network of Natre is vast,
wdlarge OpCningsg
yet let notng slipa
If the people were constant and conscientous
but did not fear deadg
how coud execton intimidate tem?
If dc people were constnt and feared deat,
and whoever did anying eccentc
you coud capture and kl,
who would dare?
) Se, Helth, and Lne Lje
Wen the people are constnt
y
and i ncvmb|y
fearf of deat,
ten tere are always exectoners.
Those wo k in place of exectoners
ae ctg in the Crenter' s stead;
and those who ct i the carpenter's stead
rarely avoid hurng teir hands.
Wen the people are string,
it is becuse te arc too heavy txed;
this is why tey stre.
Wen te peasant are uy,
it is because the leaders
act for tei ow puroses;
tat is why tere is dsorder.
Wen people slight deat,
it is because of te intenit
of teir quest for life;
this is why te slight death.
Only tose who do not use life
as a reason for afciates
are intelligently valuing life.
People are supple when they are bor,
and rigd when tey de.
A beigs, even plat and tees,
are tender when bor
and brte when tey die.
A. Curse in Ectl-ness
1

So rgdit is d

as5ociatC of death,
suppleness is de associate of li fe.
Wen miitaists C stong,
they do not win;
when tees C stong,
they C resistt.
So the powerfl giat are lower,
while fexble weakings are higher.
Nate' s gidance is lie drawng a bow:
it lowers the high
ad raises the low,
reduces sulus
and increases what is lackng.
The way of humans
is to te fom the have-nots
and gve it to te haves.
\o can have a surlus
ad have a way to derive fom it
serce of Nate?
Only one who is gided, it seems.
Therefore sages act wtout possessiveness
ad succeed wtout conceit.
They are tus because
tey do not want to appea wse.
Noting in te world
is more yeldig tan water,
O Se, Health, and Lana Li
yet noting can outstp it
in atackng the hard and the stong;
that is because nothing C3 change it.
Everone in te world knows
d
water can overcome what is hard,
and yelding can overcome streng,
yet no one can practce tis.
Therefore sages say
tat one who accepts
te critcism of the nation
is lord of dc land;
one who accepts
te fore of dc naton
is lord of te world.
Tre sayng seem paradoxical .
When you harmonize great enemies
yet bitteress is sure to remain,
how can tat be considered good?
So wse people keep teir end of d ageement
and do not put te pressure on odCrs;
te effectve tae responsibil qfor promises,
te ineffectve te chage of exctons.
The @idance of Nature is imparia;
it is always tere for good people.
A Course in Guidance
Guidance can be arcated,
but not in a uchangng course;
ters ca be defned,
but not a fed tenolog.
Nonbeig is caled the begnning of all thigs,
being is caed te moter of U dings.
Terefore, constant passionessness
is used to obsere te subte,
while constt intent
is used to obsere what it cals.
Tese to come fom the same souce
but have dfferent names;
tis is caed the mystery of mysteres,
te gateway of subtetes.
Wen everone recogies "beaut"
as beaut, tis is bad.
Wen eeryone recogzes ' 'good, ' '
tis is not good.
Afaton and negaton produCC cach omcr,
dffct and ease complement cach omcr,
d 2 Sex, Health, and Lon9 Li
long and short for each oter,
high and low ffl each oter,
thought and voice conform to each oter,
before and afer follow each other
tese are constnts.
Therefore wse people live wtout arfcialit
and act on unspoken teachg;
everying starts witout teir initatve,
they act witout dependence,
succeed wtout conceit.
Only by not being conceited about it
do tey tereby avoid it loss.
To refain fom exalting cleveress
gets the people not to compete.
To refain hom valuing hard-to-get goods
gets te people not to be teves.
To refrain from seeing te desirable
gets dc people not to go wd.
So te governn1ent of wse leaders
emptes te mind and fls te Oidde,
weakens amb|t|ons and stengens bones,
always makngte people innocent, not geedy.
Thcy causc d

sophisticated not to be da;

tey do not contve arfciaites,
mat |s al-so noding is out of order.
Guidace is open-ended,
A Curse in Guidance 8 _
so it applicaton has no limt;
it is so deep it seems to be
te souce of a thngs.
Blut shap edges,
uavel tan
g
les,
haone en
g
htenment,
assimiate to the world.
Submerged in the depts,
it seems it may be tere;
I don' t kow whose offsprng it is,
before the ceaton of fors.
Sk and ear are inuman;
to tem, a beigs are staw dogs.
Wen rers are not huane,
te teat te peasant lie staw dogs.
Te space beteen sk and ear, mc belows,
is empt yet never exausted,
producing more wt movement.
Fora learing rs out of resouces
te and tme again;
it does not com
p
are
to keeping to te center.
Puf dc spiHt,
and
)
ou won

t bc morb| d,
8
4
Sex, Health, and Ln
9
L!
tis is caled te opening
of te mystc feminine.
Te mystc feminine is called
te root of the uiverse;
a subte contnut,
it is indeed there;
apply it wthout stess.
Te sk last,
the ear endues.
The reason sk and ear
are lastng and enduring
is tat they do not foster themselves;
therefore they can lve long.
So sages wthdraw themselves
and thereby tae the lead;
they exclude themselves
and thereby surve.
Is it not because of teir uselfshess
tat they are able to atti tei ow interest?
Higher good is lie water:
water beneft a beiQg_
ad aso rest quety
where most people dslike to be;
tus it approxmates gdance.
A Coure in Guidance
Goodess of abode is location;
goodness of heat |s dept;
goodess of foresight |s natra;
goodness of speech is tustortiness.
Goodess of goverment is order;
goodess of work is capabilit;
goodess of acon is tmeliness.
But ony by noncontenton
can you be impeccable.
To keep flng is not as good as stoppng;
a sharened point can't be kept permanent;
tough gold and j ade f teir houses,
no one can keep teO securea
Te upper-class rich who are haught
leave a legac of blame;
to retre when you work is done
is te giding way of Nate.
Honorng te ceatve spirt,
yet embracig onenessg
C you avoid aienaton?
Concentatg energ,
mang it hcxbIc,
can you be chdie?
Cleanng te mr or
b Se, Heat, and Lne Lf
of subtle percepton,
can you mae it fawless?
Caring for the people,
goverg the naton,
can you do it without cn g?
A the doors of Natue
open and close,
can you be receptve?
A clear understndg
reaches everyhere,
can you remai inocent?
Creatg and developing,
creatg wtout possessiveness,
promotg wthout domeerg;
ts is cled uobtsive efecveness.
Tr spokes, te sae one hub;
where tere is noting
is te fcton of te wheel .
Wen you work clay into a vessel,
where tere is notng
is te fcton of te clay vessel .
Wen you open up doors ad wdow,
it is where tere is notg
that te room is fcona.
A Cure in Guidance

So you hav sometg for it beneft,
and have notgess for it fcton.
Colors mae people' s eyes blid,
racg ad hutng
cae people' s mnds.
Had-to-get goods
mae people' s behavor eratc,
spices conse people' s paates,
souds deafen people' s ears.
So te goveIent of sages
is for te gt,
not for te ee:
te leave te later
ad te te forer.
Favor ad ds@ace stre you;
high stts greaty afc your person.
Wt does it mea to say
tat favor and dsgace stre you?
Favor is te lower:
gam it, and youare stared;
lose it, and youare stred.
Ts mcans Iavor and dsgace stre you.
Wt does |t mean to say
that mgh smms gcauy a|h|cu yourpcrson/
8 8 Se, Heat, and Lna Li
Te reason we have so much touble
is because we are so persona;
if we were impersona,
what toubles woud we have?
So how can the world be entsted
to those \vho hope to work for te world
for thei ow personal interests?
How can the world be entsted
to tose who like to work for the world
for teir ow personal reasons?
Wat is invsible when
)
ou ook
is caed subtle.
Wat is inaudible when
)
ou listen
is caled rarefed.
Wat is un
g
aspable to the touch
is caled forever constnt.
Tese tree are incacabl e,
so tey are combined into one.
Te one is not confsed above
and not idistnct below;
an unbroken continuit,
|t cot be naed,
reverng again to abstacton.
Ts is caled
te foress stte,
.4 Cure in Guidanc
te iage of te abstact.
Ts is caled undefned:
even if you gae follovs it,
you canot see it bac
evn if you go out to meet it,
you do not see it head.
Hold to gdace for te present
to contol what presently exst,
tus to kow te perenna orig;
ts is caled te gding rue.
Tose who applied gudance wel of yore
were subte, mysterious,
wt iexlicable mastery,
so deep tey were inscrtble.
Ony because of teir inscrtabiit
were tey powerf.
To descrbe tem, I woud say
te were hesitt,
as if crossin
g
a river in wter;
tey were prdent,
as if war of a aromd,
g O Se, Health, and Lon9 L!fe
te were digifed,
as if te were gest;
t
ey were diffse,
like seepin
g
moiste;
te were simple,
like ucared wood;
t
ey were deep,
le impenetable waters;
t
e were wde o
p
en,
like enorous vaes.
Wen ts are muk
,
quiet dow,
and
t
ey w gadualy clear;
p
roceed,
and momentum gradualy buids.
Tose who keep ths gidance
do not want oversatiaton;
so tey can use thngs to the m
and not keep ma tem.
Achievg openess is atinent,
keepig ca is mastery:
as everyng acs i concer,
I use tese to watch their ret.
,1 Curse in Guidance
For beings, n teir vcp , eaCh lCOI5
going back to te root s called cam
this s caed retur to life.
Ret to life i s perenial;
to know te perenial is enightenent.
Not to kow the perennia is consion;
te consed cause harm.
Kow te perenial, and you are openminded;
openidedess is impartal fairess,
impaal fairess is the highest nobilit,
te highest nobilit s lamc ucll
Nate is gidance uc,
gudance is eteral ,
never exausted in al your life.
Great leaders are ony kow to cxst,
te next best are fondy praised;
nex afer tose are feared,
whie te lowest are despised,
for tey are not tsted enough.
Ven tere is dstst,
it stems fom the hi

h value
tat is placed on tl.
Accomplishg work,
conductg their affais
,
y l
g Z Se, Healt, and Ln
9
Li
te comon people d
it happens by natre.
So it is when universal gdance is abadoned
tat there are "huanit" ad "dut. "
'en kowledge emerges,
then there is great arfcialit.
'en relatves are out of harony,
ten there are "obedence" and "kindess . "
'en a stte is benighted and consed,
then there are "viruous mnsters. "
Elimnate repute ad abadon recogiton,
and te people beneft a hudredfold.
Elate "humanitarasm" and abandon "dut, "
and the people ret to obedence ad kdess.
Eliinate cleveress and abandon profteerig,
and tieves ad robbers w not exst.
Even these tree sayngs
are due to lack m the cte,
to which reference must be Oade.
Seeing the basic,
embrace sim
p
licit,
reduce selfshess,
and minme cravngs.
A Curse in Guidance
7
3
Even wtout foral leaing tere is no touble:
How fa apar are "helo" d "hey"?
How fa apa are lie ad dislike?
Tose V'hom oters fear
canot but fea others;
how shamefl thei imbaance!
Most people ae raucous,
lie when the barbece
and sightsee in spring.
I am quiet, givg no sign,
le a baby tat hasn' t smledg
restaed, as if belonging nowhere
Most people have exa;
I have the hear of a simpleton,
witout elaboraton, unCOm
p
liC3tcd.
Most people are bright;
I one 3 d.
Most people ae nos;
I alone am resered,
unfatomable as te occ,
wd endess perspecve.
Most
p
eople have motves;
I aIonc sInd by dcdoorof potental
wt nomingto cause abaement:
my desire is unique, different homomcrs,
I va| uc Iccdinghom mc sourcc.
7
4
Se, Healt, and Lna Li
Te capacit for geat effectveness
on goes along wt guidance.
Concretely, gidace is udefnable,
but tough it is udefnable,
there ae images m it;
though it is undefnable,
tere is sometg to it.
Mysterious ad ipenetable,
there is vitlit in it;
that vtt is very rea,
havig tth m it.
Hencefor and forever,
ts is called udeparg,
as it goes along wt a begnngs.
How do I kow al begnngs ae so?
By this.
Blowhards canot stnd;
tose who look at temselves
are not ilustious,
tose who see temselves
are not enightened.
The a ogat are usuccessf,
te conceited do not gow.
In te couse of life,
A Cure in Guidance
9 s
tese are caled excess consumpton
and exagerated behavor;
people may dslie tat,
so one who has cravng
should not del on them.
Be idect for safet,
be roudabout for accacy;
when depressed, you w be replenished,
"'hen exausted, you w be renewed.
Lss is gain, more is confsion;
terefore sage leaders hold to oneness
in praccig goverorship of the world:
Tey do not look at themselves,
so they are distgished;
tey do not see temselves,
so tey are enghtened.
Tey are not arogant,
so tey are successf;
they are not conceited,
so the can gow.
Siply because tey do not contend,
no one can contend wd dem.
Te ancient sayng,
"Be indrec for safet
g o
Se, Healt, and Lne Lf
is a subtle sayng ideed
that's what sincert is about.
It is natal to spea litle;
a gale does not last a moring,
a rainstor does not last a day.
Wo does this? Sk and ear.
Ad even they cannot keep it up forever;
how much less can huans!
So those who work on gidance
identf wit gidance;
the effectve identif wth effectveness,
losers identf wd losing.
Tose who ident \t effectveness
are also rewaded by gidance,
whle tose who identf wth losing
are aso lost to guidance.
There is sotneting undifferentiated
prior to te orgin of sk and earth;
inaccessible, uterly silent,
independent and unchangng,
it can be considered
dc mamx of te universe.
I do not kow |ts nae;
I enttc |t dc gidg wy.
I isist on cal g it geat,
A Cure in Gudance
7 1
in te sense of havg outeach,
outeach i te sense of vde applicaton,
vde applicaton that get back to basics.
Guidace is iport,
the mental atosphere is impornt,
te physic envonent is impornt,
ad leadership is iport.
Tere are four import tgs to a naton,
ad leadershp is one of tem.
People are condtoned by te physica envonent,
te physical envronment is condtoned
by te ment atosphere-
Te mentl atosphere is condtoned by gdance,
gidance is condtoned by ierent adaptveness.
Gravit is te root of let,
ca is te rer of excitement;
by tese meas, cted people
may tavel a day
wtout leavng teir equipment behd.
Evcn |lte have a high o|hcc
and a sccrc abodeg
d rcmin oo|
Wat can bc done
about momrchs o|
Q
cat powcr
y 8 Sex, Helt, and Lng Li
who slight the world
on teir ow personal account?
By levt,
te lose te root;
by excitement,
tey lose sovereignt.
A skled taveler leaves no tack,
a sked speaker makes no mstes,
a sked caculator needs no markers.
Wat is skllflly closed
has no lock
yet canot be opened.
Wat is sklfl y bound
canot be uted
tough tere is no binding rope.
So sages always sklfl y save people
and never abandon people,
and never abadon what' s usef i tigs;
ts is caled exension of enightenent.
So good people are teachers of good people,
d people who are not good
are te raw materal of good people.
If you do not vaue te teachers
and do not care for te raw materal ,
A Curse in Guidance
even if you are knowledgeable
you are ver confsed;
this is caled an essenta subtlet.
Kowing te tnascine,
presere te feminine;
be receptive to te world,
and consistent effectveness remains,
retrng to innocence.
Kowng purt,
. .
presere 1gomm
y
;
be always open to te world,
and consistent effecveness 'll be sufcient,
retg again to simplicit.
Kowing te white,
presere te black,
as a model for the world,
and consistent effectveness
wl not go away,
reting again to infnit.
Wen a whole is diversifed,
there are specifc fctons;
when sages are employed,
they become offcers and leaders.
But tere is no divsiveness
in te overal system.
J V
1 o o Se, Helt, and Lne Lf
Generals want to tke te world,
and even ty to do it;
as I see it, tey cnot.
For the world is a subtle instment,
not sometg for which one C t.
Tose who pfor it spoil it;
those who gasp it lose it.
Tgs may go and may folow,
may heat ad may shater,
may expad ad may collapse;
so the sage avoids te exteme,
avoids te gandose,
avoids the extavagant.
Tose who assist human leaders wt gidace
do not coerce te world wt weapon;
tese thgs are apt to backre-
where aries dVrell, brambles gow.
Exper are efecve, that is all;
they do not use it to te power.
Efectve wtout a ogance,
efectve wtout conceit,
efectve wtout prde,
tey are efecve fom havng no choice.
To abide i ts is caled
efecveness wtout coercivness.
A Cure D Guidanc
Wen beng peak in steng,
they ag; ds s caled ungided.
The u@ided die prcmamrc|y.
Weapons are inauspcous tools;
people may dislie them,
so those with desires
do not dwel on tem.
At home, ctred people esteem de lefg
at they esteem te rght;
so weapons ae not te tools
of cted people.
Weapons are il-stared implement;
usig tem only when unavoidable,
it is best to remain aoof
and not glorif warare.
If you glorf waae,
you are gladly kling people;
ilyou glady k people,
you cannot tereby
gain your w in the world.
So aus

icious event elevate dclef,

wmc mom events elevate te right;
tus te assistnt comandcrs arc on te lef
wmIc thc to

cncraIs arc on the r

ht_
meang thcirposidons are as at mcrs.
I 0 I
1 o 2 Se, Het, ad Lne Lf
Wen the slain are many,
weep for tem wt sadess;
when you have won a wa,
obsere the occasion
wt rites of moung.
Guidance is always anon
y
ous;
it is ucomplicated and mial,
but no one in te world
dares presue to admster it.
If lords and kgs could obsere it,
everyone woud resort to them.
Sk and ear combie
to rai sweet dew;
wthout te people causing it,
it is natally even.
Begn organing, and you have ttes;
once you even have ttes,
you shoud kow when to btop;
kowng when to stop
is how to avoid endngCfent.
The exstence of gidance
|n te world
is like the lite ravne
feeding the rivers and seas.
A Cure in Guidance 1 o
3
Tose who kow oters ae itelligent,
tose who kow temselves ae enightened.
Those who overcome others are forcef,
tose who overcome themselves ae stong.
Those who ae content are rc,
tose who act wt stengt have w.
-
Those who do not lose thei place ndure,
tose wo die but aen' t forgoten ae imor.
Gudance is unversa;
it C be adapted
to hgher or lower as.
Wen it has completed accomplshent
ad fshed a tsk
it is no longer said to be there.
Everone resor to it,
but it does not pto contol tem,
so it is consistent witout desire;
ts C be caed m.
Everone resor to it,
but it does notp to contol tem;
ths C be caled magamous.
So te reaon wse people
ae able to acheve geatess
is tat te don't consider it big;
tt enbles them to accomp||sh lot.
1 o
4
Sex, Heath, and Lona L!
When it holds to universa images,
te world goes on and on wtout har,
its sect ad peace are great.
Were there is music and food
is where passig toursts stop;
so te uteraces of gidace
are plai and favorless.
Wen you look at it,
it cannot be seen;
when you listen for it,
it caot be heard;
when you apply it,
it canot be exausted.
Wen you wnt to contain sometig,
you should puosely let it exand;
when you want to weaen someting,
you shoud puposely let it
g
ow stong.
Wen you want to get rd of sometng,
you shoud purosely go aon wt it;
vvhen you wt to tae sometig away,
you should delibefately cede it.
Jhis scaled subt|c emighteOent

flexbiit ad yeldg overcome steng.

Fish C not to be ten fom te pond,
effcient tools of a naton
A Curse in Guidance 1 o
are not to be show to others.
Guidace is consistent,
tough undefnable;
if lords ad monarchs coud keep to it,
everyig woud be sponteously orderly.
Though orderly,
utey craved acon,
I would cam tem dow
wt undefnable simplicit.
Undefable simplicit is a means
of avoidng dsgrace.
Be serene by avoidng disgace,
and heaven and ear w rght temselves.
Notes
TEN QuESTI ONS
1 Te Yellow Emperor is believed to have assumed leader
ship i Z697 BCE. Ce

tio och

r refers to a Taoist adept; later

it cae to be used as a tte for te head of a certain Taoi st
sect.
Wen tese tex speak of tng or sending or divng en
erg ito specifc places, such as te skn or oter organs, the
reference is to coordnatng breathng, feeling, 1ovement, and
attenton in vsuton or sensing exercises desiged to en
hace plesue ad healt beneft.
3 . Closing off te fow of semen is not peranent; it is
done temporariy to avoid depleton and loss of sexal energ,
thus enancing potency and te abiit to prolong te act. The
lockng up may here refer to muscar contaction to pre
vcntejacuaton, as it later undoubtedy did; te emphasis here
onte "watchng over may indicate, however, more focus on
self-contol tough mindness and relaaton. Te method
of mtcnscmuscular contacton aso has te fncton of iniuat-
ing te ascent of ener@ up te s
p
ine in te standard Taoist
"brain repar" exercise utiliing mc orgasmic energy of sexa
1 o Notes
intercouse; te tg of its applicaton, however, is more
problematc tan mndfness and relaaton, and m omcr
physical exercises can have harmf side effec if pracced too
intensely. In view of te absence of menton of more radc
metods of "lockng up" such as were later deeloped, and mc
presence of the specifc recommendaton of "peacefl serent
of hear" in the same conecton, one guess is tat the tex
here refers to a balanced combinaton of menta and muscuar
contol .
4 "Sweet dew" is comonly tought to mean saliva, which
is highly valued in Taoist hygiene and health lore. One exercise
ivolves accuatg a mout of saliva, ten swalowg it
i thee swalows, each te visuag the saiva as a seet
dew or precious elixr batng and nung te inner organs.
Te colecg of sweet de can aso refer to conseraton of
sexa energ tough te scrpulous obserance of te bed
room ar; tis is sugested by te associaton wt vtit.
s . Yao ad Shun were both legendar wse kgs of old. Yao
is supposed to have reigned for a hunded years, fom Z3 57 to
Z Zs 7 BCE; Shun, who succeeded him, is supposed to have
reiged fom Z Zs s to Z Zo 7 BCE. "Cae, education, conside
r
aton, ad nutiton" is a good sUar of te Huang-Lo
approach to sexuat.
6. Peng Zu is believed to have lived eight hundred years; his
name is associated wit ar of longevit, especial y seal arts
connected wt longevt.
7 . Pan Geng was a legenda prehistoric chief.
Notes l O
8 . Yu was a sge kng \ho succeeded Shun; bc i s supposed
to have reiged fom Zo s to 1 9 7 ULL.
9 Kng Vi red te state of Qi from 3 5 6 to 3 7 O BLL.
1
o. Kg Zhao red the state of Qi n fom 3 06 to 7 5 1 BLE.
j oi NI NG YI N AND YANG
Z . Te ten stles of sexal intercoUse mentoned here and
aga in te following teatse do not .exacty corespond to
tose descrbed in later lore, and ae not al quite clear. In te
tger stle, te woman crouches on hads and kees like a
tger, wit arched back whe te man crouches on his kees
behd her, embracig her around te waist and penetatg
her fom behind. In te cicada stle, the woman lies fat on
her belly wt her legs outstetched; the man kneels betveen
her tighs and enters her fom behind. The ichwor stle
apparently refers to a imtaton of te inchwor' s alterate
bendng and staightening. In te deer nudgg wit hs anters,
te ma sit wt his legs out, while te woman sits on his
tghs wt her back to his chest; as he holds her around te
wast, he tst up into bcr fom belo. In the phoeni
stetching sp|c, the woman lies on her back and draws up her
|cgs, te man keels beteen her tighs, wit his hands on te
bed, and penetates dee
p
ly
into her. In te money climbing
st|c, te man siU wt hs legs out, while mc woman sit on
hs tghs facing him; wt onc hand on te bed for balancc,
r I O Notes
he holds te woman' s buttock wth the other as he enters her.
Te rabbit and toad stles are not clear. In the dagonfy stle,
the woman lies face dow wit the man lyg face dow on
top of her. In te fsh feeding stle, the man lies on his back,
while the woma crouches on top of hm, drawg his pens
inside her the way an infat sucks the moter' s nipple.
3 "Exendng the ars is done to stmulate te upper part
of te woman' s genitia ad contue for a long tme" meas
that te woman exends her ars, pushng te man' s upper
torso away fom her, or tat the man exends his ars, pushg
his upper body away fom her, resutn in a more acte agle
of contct beteen pudenda. Tis pressue not only intensifes
te woma' s pleasure tough greater stulaton of te ente
area but also helps te man contol himself Inceased musc
lar exertion i tis postre also helps mae contol, tus facili
tatng "contnuing for a long tme. "
"Entnng te tighs is done when penetaton is too
deep, " to restct te degree of penetaton. If te woman has
a relatvely promnent or highy placed mons, she may ente
her ow tghs to acheve this effect. If te woma' s mons is
not prominent, or it locaton on her body is low i compa
son to te rse of her tghs fom te torso, te efec of limt
ing penetaton may be achieved more comfortbly by
entnin
g
her legs around te ma' s calves wtout spreading
her tighs very much. In eiter case, te efect is to concen
tate te stmulaton in te area of te woman' s mons, labia,
and vagina opening.
Notes I I I
In "level bouncing, " te man and woman may be thigh to
tgh, wt legs ony slighty spread, genty pushng or "bounc
ig" agaist one anoter wdbodies outstetched as tey cou
ple; or te man may suspend hself over te woman by hs
elbows and toes, mang hs body lie a sprg tat lighty
"bounces" i such a way as to stuate the mons wt a re
peated massagng acon whe mainting a contnuous shal
low penetaton.
. "Consumaton" here involves a female clima but not
d male orgasm; each clima or consUaton refers to com
plete act of love, whe te man's orgasm is resered for te
"fa fish. "
JALK LD bURM |Ul DANC
FOR ORLD
1 . Te Spirt of the Lh wa evdenty a tte for a wird
employed by a royal court.
Bibliogaphy
Lung Yi-y. Chune-kuo ku- ta hsinB hsueh hi-chene. Hong
Kong: Pa-lug Ch'u-pan Wen-hua Fu-w Yu-hsien Kug-ssu,
1 99 1 .
M Huaichin. Lao-tzu t 'a-shuo. Taipei : Lo-k Wen-hua Shi
yeh Kug-ssu, 1 9 8 8 .
Zhou Yimou. Mawanadui Han mu chu tu Fanazhone Yaneshene
zuozo shiao. Beij ing: Jinri Zhongo Chubanshe, 1 990.