Qingjing Jing – Translated by Livia Kohn

Chapter 1

老君曰﹕- Lao Jun Yue : – Master Laozi says :
大道無形，生育天地。- Da Dao wu xing , sheng yu tian di .- The Great Dao has no form; it brings forth and raises heaven and earth.
大道無情，運行日月。- Da Dao wu qing . yun xing ri yue .- The Great Dao has no feelings; it regulates the course of the sun and moon.
大道無名，長養萬物。- Da Dao wu ming , chang yang wan wu .- The Great Dao has no name; it raises and nourishes the myriad beings.
吾不知其名，強名曰道。- Wu bu zhi qi ming , qiang ming yue Dao .- I do not know its name, so the name I give it is Dao.
夫道者 ﹕- Fu Dao zhe: – As for this Dao:
有清有濁，有動有靜；- You qing you zhuo , you dong you jing; – It has clarity and turbidity; it has movement and tranquility ;
天清地濁，天動地靜；- tian qing di zhuo , tian dong di jing ; – heaven is clear, earth is turbid; heaven moves, earth is tranquil ;
男清女濁，男動女靜；- nan qing nü zhuo , nan dong nü jing ; – the male is clear, the female is turbid; the male moves, the female is tranquil ;
降本流末。- jiang ben liu mo .- (this all) descending from the origin and flowing toward the end.
而生萬物，- Er sheng wan wu , – (But) as it gives birth to all things.
清者濁之源，靜者動之基。- qing zhe zhuo zhi yuan , jing zhe dong zhi ji . – Purity is turbidity’s source, tranquility is movement’s root.
人能常清靜，天地悉皆歸。- Ren neng chang qing jing , tian di xi jie gui .- If people can always be pure and tranquil, heaven and earth return to the primordial.

Chapter 2

夫人神好清，而情撓之。- Fu ren shen hao qing , er qing nao zhi .- The human spirit is fond of purity, but feelings disturb it.
人心好靜，而慾牽之。- Ren xin hao jing , er yu qian zhi .- The human mind loves tranquility, but desires drag us from it.
常能遣其慾，而心自靜。- Chang neng qian qi yu , er xin zi jing .- If one can always discard one’s desires, then the mind calms itself.
澄其心，而神自清。- Cheng qi xin , er shen zi qing .- Cleanse the mind, and the spirit clears itself.
自然六慾不生，三毒消滅。- Zi ran liu yu bu sheng , san du xiao mie . – Naturally the six desires won’t arise, and the three poisons are destroyed.
所以不能者，謂心未澄者，- Suo yi bu neng zhe , wei xin wei cheng zhe , – Whoever cannot do this has a mind not yet cleansed.
慾未遣也。- yu wei qian ye .- and his desires are not yet driven out.
能遣之者﹕- Neng qian zhi zhe : – Those who can abandon these (desires) :
內觀於心，心無其心；- nei guan qi xin , xin wu qi xin ;- through introspection observe their minds, and see there is no mind ;
外觀其形，形無其形；- wai guan qi xing , xing wu qi xing ;- from outside observe the body, and see there is no body ;
遠觀其物，物無其物。- yuan guan qi wu , wu wu qi wu .- then observe other things by glancing afar, and see there are no other things.
三者既悟，唯見於空。- San zhe ji wu , wei jian yu kong .- Once you have realized these three, you observe emptiness.

Chapter 3

觀空以空，空無所空。- Guan kong yi kong , kong wu suo kong .- Observe emptiness using emptiness, and see there is no emptiness.
所空既無，無無亦無。- Suo kong ji wu , wu wu yi wu . – When even emptiness is no more, there is no more nonbeing either.
無無既無，湛然常寂。- Wu wu ji wu , zhan ran chang ji .- Without the existence even of non-being, profound and everlasting all is serenity.
寂無所寂，慾豈能生。- Ji wu suo ji , yu qi neng sheng ? – When serenity dissolves in nothingness, how can desire arise?
慾既不生，即是真靜。- Yu ji bu sheng , ji shi zhen jing .- When no desire arises, there is true tranquility.
真靜應物，真常 得 (德?)性。- Zhen jing ying wu , zhen chang de xing .- True tranquility goes along with other beings; true permanence realizes inner nature.
常應常靜﹕常清靜矣。- Chang ying chang jing : chang qing jing yi .- Forever going along, forever tranquil : this is permanent purity and tranquility.

Chapter 4

如此清靜，漸入真道。- Ru ci qing jing , jian ru zhen Dao . – Like this in purity and tranquility, gradually enter the true Dao.
既入真道，名為得道。- Ji ru zhen Dao , ming wei de Dao .- When one has entered the true Dao, one can say this is “realization”.
雖名得道，實無所得。- Sui ming de Dao , shi wu suo de . – Though one speaks of “realization”, actually there is nothing to attain.
為化眾生，名為得道。- Wei hua zhong sheng , ming wei de Dao .- The so-called transformation of the myriad beings is what is called “realization”.
能悟之者，可傳聖道。- Neng wu zhi zhe , ke chuan sheng Dao .- Only one who can properly understood this is worthy to transmit the sages’ Dao.

Chapter 5

老君曰﹕- Lao Jun yue : – Master Laozi says :
上士無爭，下士好爭。- Shang shi wu zheng , xia shi hao zheng .- The highest gentleman does not fight; the lesser gentleman loves to fight.
上德不德，下德執德。- Shang De bu De , xia De zhi De . – Highest virtue is free from Virtue; lesser Virtue clings to Virtue.
執著之者，不名道德。- Zhi zhuo zhi zhe , bu ming Dao De . – All clinging and attachments have nothing to do with the Dao or Virtue.
眾生所以不得真道者，- Zhong sheng suo yi bu de zhen Dao zhe , – The reason people do not attain realization of the Dao
為見妄心。- wei jian wang xin . – is because they have deviant minds.
既見妄心，即矜其身。 – Ji jian wang xin , ji jin qi shen . – Deviance in the mind means pride in the body.
既矜其身，即著萬物。- Ji jin qi shen , ji zhuo wan wu . – Pride in the body means there is clinging to things.
既著萬物，即生貪求。- Ji zhuo wan wu , ji sheng tan qiu . – Clinging to things, means there is searching and coveting.
既生貪求，即是煩惱。 – Ji sheng [tan qiu , ji shi fan nao .] – Searching and coveting means there are passions and afflictions.
煩惱妄想憂苦身心。- Fan nao wang xiang you ku shen xin . – Passions, afflictions, deviance, and imaginings trouble and pester body and mind.

Chapter 6

便遭濁辱，流浪生死。- Bian zao zhuo ru , liu lang si sheng . – Then one falls into turbidity and shame ups and downs, life and death.
常沉苦海，永失真道。- Chang chen ku hai , yong shi zhen Dao . – Forever immersed in the sea of misery, one is in eternity lost to the true Dao.
真常之道，悟者自得。- Zhen chang zhi Dao , wu zhe zi de . – The Dao of true permanence: those who understand naturally achieve it.
得悟道者，常清靜矣。- De wu Dao zhe , chang [ qin jing yi ] .- Those who achieve realization of the Dao will rest forever in the pure and tranquil.