Xue (Blood)
BLOOD XUE I. Definition A. Red liquid, rich in nutrition, circulates in blood vessels. B. Form of Qi, more concentrated; dense form of Qi; inseparable from Qi. C. Blood carries Qi; Qi attached on Blood; Qi moves and pushes Blood to circulate. II. Formation A. Food and water / B. Nutritive Qi, Kidney Essence and […]
Continue readingJīn – 金 – Metal
Dominates Qi and controls respirationRegulates the water passagesDominates skin and hair, Wei Qi, Body fluids, Food essenceOpens into the nosePaired with: Large IntestineReceives waste material from Small IntestineAbsorbs fluids and excretes feces Metal (Chinese: 金; pinyin: jīn), the fourth phase of the Chinese philosophy of Wu Xing, is the decline of the matter, or the […]
Continue readingChapter 18 The decay of manners
大道廢，有仁義；智慧出，有大偽；六親不和，有孝慈；國家昏亂，有忠臣。 1. When the Great Tao (Way or Method) ceased to be observed, benevolence and righteousness came into vogue. (Then) appeared wisdom and shrewdness, and there ensued great hypocrisy. 2. When harmony no longer prevailed throughout the six kinships, filial sons found their manifestation; when the states and clans fell into disorder, loyal ministers appeared. […]
Continue readingChapter 30 A caveat against war
以道佐人主者，不以兵強天下。其事好還。師之所處，荊棘生焉。大軍之後，必有凶年。善有果而已，不敢以取強。果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿驕。果而不得已，果而勿強。物壯則老，是謂不道，不道早已。 1. He who would assist a lord of men in harmony with the Tao will not assert his mastery in the kingdom by force of arms. Such a course is sure to meet with its proper return. 2. Wherever a host is stationed, briars and thorns spring up. In the sequence of great armies […]
Continue readingChapter 39 The origin of the law
昔之得一者：天得一以清；地得一以寧；神得一以靈；谷得一以盈；萬物得一以生；侯 王得一以為天下貞。其致之，天無以清，將恐裂；地無以寧，將恐發；神無以靈，將恐歇；谷無以盈，將恐竭；萬物無以生，將恐滅；侯王無以貴高將恐蹶。故貴以 賤為本，高以下為基。是以侯王自稱孤、寡、不穀。此非以賤為本耶？非乎？故致數譽無譽。不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。 1. The things which from of old have got the One (the Tao) are — Heaven which by it is bright and pure; Earth rendered thereby firm and sure; Spirits with powers by it supplied; Valleys kept full throughout their void All creatures which through it do live Princes and kings who […]
Continue readingFive Arts of Chinese Metaphysics
Thus I have heard, from various sources:- The Chinese divide Chinese Metaphysics into five main subjects of study call Wu Shu (五 术) or the Five Arts. They are Mountain 山, Medicine 医, Life 命, Divination 扑 and Appearance 相. The first of the Five Arts are Mountain (Shan). It is also called the Philosophical […]
Continue readingChapter 43 The universal use (of the action in weakness of the Dao)
天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。無有入無間，吾是以知無為之有益。不言之教，無為之益，天下希及之。 1. The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest; that which has no (substantial) existence enters where there is no crevice. I know hereby what advantage belongs to doing nothing (with a purpose). 2. There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage […]
Continue readingChapter 16 Returning to the root
致虛極，守靜篤。萬物並作，吾以觀復。夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命。復命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，沒身不殆。 1. The (state of) vacancy should be brought to the utmost degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying vigor. All things alike go through their processes of activity, and (then) we see them return (to their original state). When things (in the vegetable world) have displayed their luxuriant growth, we see each of […]
Continue readingIV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS
IV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS 1. Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. 2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. 3. […]
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