Shen Guohua and Wu Danfeng were sent to the school.

Selected by Layman Kangfeng

Qiu Chuji: *Panxi Collection*,
*Inscription on the Primordial Beginning*: Great indeed is the boundless and mysterious Dao, what is not swayed by its spiritual elixir? It illuminates the three luminaries, turning the azure sky, nourishing all things, blossoming and flourishing. Soaring through the past and present, it has never decayed, enduring peril and hardship with unwavering strength. The vast torrent surges forth, who can fathom the myriad transformations? The primordial primordial energy is the first to cause change, the supreme being above all is evil. It shatters the void, emerging from the darkness, splitting open chaos to create boundless splendor. Yin and Yang rise and fall, forming the gateway; the sun and moon, crisscrossing, are the key. Summer goes and winter comes, day and night are divided; time flows and stagnates, rise and fall, each with its own rhythm. Then, the gate of Heaven and Earth is established above, and the bell of the teacher resounds below. Establishing virtue according to the seasons, it adapts to the times, teaching according to the people’s joy. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are all ancestors, the six realms and four forms of life all obey. Even the most sage’s literary talent enlightens the ignorant, his virtue and morality are as vast as the dragon’s.

Heaven and earth endure, past and present remain the same. A true message resides in the spirit platform. Everywhere one looks, mountains and rivers radiate beauty, and people display their elegance and grace. Lofty peaks reach the clouds, and ten thousand ancient cypress trees stand in stark contrast. Auspicious herbs are not to be seen by ordinary visitors, and only the Taoist calls forth the spirit birds.

The valley beside the terrace
is especially clear and open, the mountain home in the wilderness is extremely desolate, the clouds in the remote pass have dispersed and the sky is bright, the empty forest is quiet at night and the moon is bleak. I raise my eyebrows and blink my eyes, my heart is open, my hair is loose and my robe is loose, I go far away from the city and the court.

“Self-composed poem”:
Drunk, I lie on a rock with my robe open; waking, I wander through the woods, arms outstretched. Every night, when the snow has cleared, I learn to play the sheng (a type of reed pipe) in the moonlight. The vast rivers and lakes are my old occupation; I let life take its course, draped in a straw raincoat amidst the misty rain.

“Presented to Liu Jieyuan, the Retired Physician of Jingzhou”
My extraordinarily idle sorrows have all vanished, I come from the clouds to hear a high-pitched recitation.

“Expressing My Feelings”
A wild crane and a lone cloud, a leisurely life; a clear breeze and a bright moon, a way of life. A thousand mountains stand tall, gathering the clouds; the four seas shine brightly, illuminating the sun’s brilliance.

The song “Pine Trees of Longshan” sings of returning to a life beyond worldly concerns, and enlightenment is gained even in the secluded world.

“Gazing at the Sea” Penglai
, sheltered in the eastern corner, boasts a magnificent sight unparalleled in the world. Its land borders the city of immortals and saints, its mountains nestled in the caves of fish and dragons. Gazing upon Xihe from its heights, even the furthest gaze cannot penetrate its depths. The vast sky and waters converge, the floating clouds and rosy mists spill forth. A long wind stirs the waves, rolling up frost and snow for ten thousand miles. Leaning on the railing to the islands, the boundless expanse loses its hills and slopes. Sometimes, when the spiritual energy is harmonious, the changes are extraordinary. The myriad scenes are endless, difficult to discern and beyond words. Great indeed is the king of all valleys, deep and clear. It is steadfast with the tides, and through countless droughts, it has never run dry. Human ponds, covering acres, are everywhere, vast and expansive. Compared to the waves of a whale, they seem like the insignificant frog in a well. Gazing at the ocean, its end is unseen, its purity pervading the heavens. May all streams remain undisturbed, transcending birth and death for eternity.

Day and night, the tide surges and the wind rolls like snow; in the depths of the colorful clouds, immortals fly. Standing high, I gaze upon the vast sea, serene and peaceful amidst the white clouds.
Cultivating truth is like climbing a mountain, each step difficult, each step higher. If one’s will is not strengthened, one will retreat, and
one will ascend straight to heaven to pluck the peaches of immortality. Mountains and rivers all belong to the path of the Dao; all things in the universe are one family. Without the subtle control of sages, how could the universe maintain its lasting glory?
Alas, the magnificent work of creation! Mountains and rivers stand in the void. How much of the eight wastelands and four seas are contained within the
primordial energy? —Qiu Zu, *Xi Ji* (Collection of Qiu Chuji),
first advocated by Wang Chongyang: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are interconnected; the three teachings have always shared the same ancestral spirit.

“Master Shi Lu has a place for banquets and rests, marked ‘Zhong Shi,’ from which I request a poem.”
The interplay of Yin and Yang is called the Dao; excess or deficiency both lead to loss of balance. The Dao pervades the three vehicles, its mystery unfathomable; it encompasses all things, its essence boundless
. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are the origins of the three teachings, their origins shared by countless sages throughout history (page 815). From beginning to end, it is like the pure Dao; when man can achieve this, heaven and earth will all return to it.
Without emotion, one cannot dream of the world; with ambition, one must become a transcendent immortal (page 811). How can one compare
to the resting place of immortals, where body and mind remain still to reach the immortal realm (page 813)?
Traveling the world without moving the body, one’s mind is useless in the human realm (page 839)
. No need for mental strain or self-inflicted suffering; letting go of everything brings clarity, why choose flower streets and willow markets? The void is originally one thing, without stagnation (page 839).
Existence and non-existence are both self-determined; what is the point of greed and love? (page 830)

The *Da Dan Zhi Zhi* states: “If one can maintain constant purity and tranquility, all things in heaven and earth will return to their source. For purity and tranquility lead to harmonious qi, harmonious qi leads to divine dominance, and divine dominance is the foundation of cultivating immortality. Establishing this foundation leads to the Dao. This is internal cultivation, but it also requires external cultivation. Generally, external cultivation brings blessings and good deeds, while internal cultivation strengthens the spirit. When both internal and external cultivation are profound, one can advance on the path to immortality and travel to the celestial realms.
Those who have attained the Dao throughout history have all relied on a combination of blessings and wisdom… Aside from this foolish act of mine, I know nothing else.”

Those who diligently practice good deeds in their daily lives, with humble hearts and simple lives, are like dust in the world (page 814).
They forget worldly concerns, do not suffer hardship, and live a simple and pure life. Why should a great hermit dwell in a small hut? (page 815)

A thousand years of awakening are but a dream, a hundred years of affairs
are but an empty void. (Page 817) The mountains and rivers stretch to the heavens, the immortals in their secluded caves live far away from the world.
White jade and gold cannot be kept, spring flowers and autumn moon are hard to capture.
A hundred years is but a fleeting dream, ten thousand years are all gone, leaving only desolation. (Page 815)

Creation’s workings are graceful and majestic, the three lights (sun, moon, and stars) revolve day and night in the primordial chaos.
In the darkness, yin and yang unite, their wondrous transformations arising in all their splendor.
Spring goes and autumn comes, life and death are different, yet heaven and earth endure, the same throughout history.
There is a true message in the mind’s eye; if one does not understand it, how can one remain ignorant? (Page 816)

Mountains and rivers all belong to the Dao, and all phenomena are one family.
If not for the subtle control of sages, how could Heaven and Earth maintain their lasting glory?
Alas, the magnificent work of Creation! Mountains and rivers stand in the void.
How much of the eight directions and four seas are there? All are contained within the primordial Qi. (Page 820)

Gazing at the pale clouds in the blue sky, I feel carefree and at ease amidst the azure heavens. (Page 813)

The root of entering the Tao lies solely in self-affirmation; who knows the secrets of transcending the mundane world?

“Mountain Dwelling – Three Paths”
The waters of Longmen Gorge are clear and surging, the southern surge of Zhuque Mountain is high like snowy waves.
Ten thousand springs from the ravines rush forth, a thousand cliffs echo with their cries.
The flowing water cuts off the worldly realm, turning and unfolding like white jade.
The beauty is boundless, indescribable; facing the wind, one can wield a brush.
I do not complain of gathering firewood in the deep mountains, for the mountains hold a unique and pure spirit.
My secluded stone chamber is near the immortal realm, needing no walls to keep worldly affairs at bay.
I eat and drink, calling out to the cranes beyond the heavens, gazing up at the eagles in the gorge.
Often, the morning light floats and sinks, revealing the emptiness and comforting my loneliness.
When I first opened the gates, heaven and earth were clear, and ten thousand households sang of peace.
Sometimes, a dark cloud rises, disturbing all the nine orifices and bones.
Therefore, I teach the wind of wisdom to blow fiercely, sweeping through the three realms and ten directions.
The clouds disperse, the void is revealed, and naturally, the moon appears in every house.
Only under the moon can one play the flute, its resounding sound shaking the land.
Startling the jade boy of the east, he rides a white deer backwards like a shooting star.
A different kind of joy, neither born nor horned.
Three feet tall, cloud-borne, twelve frets, carved through countless ages, a primordial chaos.
Jade-like melody, clear and melodious, surpasses even the finest Zheng dialect, its light and pure notes resonating with the heart.
From this one, I received divine assistance, transcending time and space, entering the earth and heaven.
Free and unrestrained, my heart neither craves glory nor suffers disgrace.
Leisurely singing the song of white clouds in a wine pot, quietly playing the melody of spring in a secluded world
. This music of my family is all natural, the pipe without holes, the zither without strings.
Upon receiving it, I was startled awake from the dream of fleeting life, its clear sound filling the heavens day and night. (Page 821)

The mind is the Tao, and the Tao is the mind. There is no Tao outside the mind, and no mind outside the Tao.

Sun Chuo’s “Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion”:
A gentle breeze caresses the winding streams, clouds linger to shade the marshes. Orioles sing among the tall bamboos, fish frolic in the surging waves. I take up my brush and let it fall upon the cloud-like algae, my subtle words dissecting a thousand strokes. How could I not find the finest delicacies sweet? I forget the taste of the music while listening to the music.

Wang Bin’s ”
Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion”: Fresh blossoms reflect in the sparse woods, swimming fish frolic in the clear stream. I happily cast my line by the river, my joy not in the fish.
Wang Xizhi’s “Reply to Xu Xun’s Poem”
: Striving for first place is not my concern; tranquility lies in forgetting worldly desires. I find joy in benevolence and wisdom, finding solace in the shade of mountains and waters.
Zuo Si’s “Invitation to Reclusion” (Part 1):
It doesn’t necessarily require silk and bamboo instruments; mountains and waters possess their own clear sounds.

Zhi Daolin’s second poem in “Poems of My Feelings”: ”
Poems inspired by the clear breeze bring me tranquility and joy.”

Poems on Immortals and Metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties

Ji Kang:
“A Poem on
Wandering Immortals” – Drifting and playing in the Mysterious Garden, I met them on the Yellow Dragon Road. They taught me the Way of Nature, as if enlightening a child.
“A Four-Character Poem” –
Graceful and beautiful mountains, the True Man is the essence. Harmonizing all things and nourishing life, I roam freely with the Way.

Ruan Ji’s “Biography of the Great Man” is
one with the creation of nature, born together with heaven and earth, living freely in the floating world, becoming one with the Dao, changing and gathering, and never having a fixed form.

Zhong Rong, in his preface to “The Classification of Poets”: ”
I casually came to the pine tree, and slept soundly, my head resting on a stone. In the mountains, there is no calendar; when the cold ends, I know not the year.”

Volume Two of “Chongyang Quanzhen Collection,” in the section “On Feelings,” reads: ”
For several years I wandered the rivers and lakes, drunk at Huang Gong’s old wine shop. When I awoke, I was unaware that the bright moon had risen, and my body was covered in flower shadows, requiring someone to help me up.”

Do not heed the sound of rain pattering through the trees; why not chant and stroll leisurely?

Li Bai’s “Questions and Answers in the Mountains”
: “Why do you dwell in these green mountains? I smile but do not answer, my heart is at ease. Peach blossoms drift on flowing water, and then I depart; there lies another world, not of this earth.”

The profound meaning and subtle principles in Wang Chongyang’s “Expressing My Feelings”
are not difficult to fathom, but lie only in silent contemplation.

”
The willows outside Qiantang Gate are like gold; after three days without coming, they become green shade. I broke off a branch and went into the city, only then did I realize that spring was already in full bloom outside the city.”

Yao He’s “Mountain Dwelling”
Delighted to find joy in the mountains, I sleep soundly, undisturbed. A hidden spring mingles with the rain, autumn grasses grow on the wall. A guest has just bought wine, and I’ve only just arrived in the city to borrow books. These new poems are merely a way to amuse myself; they are hardly for fame or recognition.

Sikong Tu’s “Poetry Categories”
is readily available, not borrowed from others. All paths lead to the right destination, and with a single stroke, spring arrives. Like encountering blooming flowers, like witnessing the new year. True gifts cannot be taken away, while forced possession easily leads to poverty. A recluse in the empty mountains gathers herbs after the rain. A brief expression of understanding, a boundless and tranquil understanding of the universe.

Zhang Zhihe’s “Fisherman’s Song”:
White egrets fly before Xisai Mountain, peach blossoms float on the flowing water, and mandarin fish are plump. Wearing a green bamboo hat and a green raincoat, I don’t need to go home in the slanting wind and fine rain.

The shepherd boy’s
grass stretches for six or seven miles across the fields, his flute plays a few notes in the evening breeze. After a hearty meal at dusk, he lies down under the bright moon without taking off his raincoat.

*The Five Lamps Compendium*, Volume 20,
contains a verse by Zen Master Shaowu of Nengren Motang in Jiaozhou: “One mountain after another, I sit and carefully observe the solitary peak. The mist rolls away, the clouds disperse, and the mountains disappear; the sky over Chu is vast, and a cold moon shines.”
*The Five Lamps Compendium*, Volume 6,
contains a verse by the boatman monk (Zen Master Decheng) of Huating, Xiuzhou: “A thousand fishing lines hang straight down; one wave stirs, and ten thousand follow. The night is still, the water cold, and the fish do not bite; the boat returns empty, laden only with the bright moonlight.”
Wang Changling’s *Poetic Principles* states:
“Poetry has three realms. First, the realm of objects. To write landscape poetry, one must depict the realm of springs, rocks, clouds, and peaks, finding the most beautiful and exquisite. One must imbue this realm with one’s spirit, immerse oneself in it, and perceive it in one’s heart, holding it clearly in one’s palm. Then, one uses thought to fully understand the imagery, thus achieving a likeness. Second, the realm of emotions. Joy and sorrow are both expressed in the mind and experienced by the body. Then, one’s thoughts roam freely, deeply grasping the emotion. Third, the realm of ideas. This too is expressed in the mind and contemplated in the heart; then, one obtains its true essence.”

Wang Fuzhi:
Scenery is united with emotion, and emotion arises from scenery; they are inseparable from the beginning, depending on the poet’s intention. If these two are separated, the emotion will be insufficient to evoke the scene, and the scene will cease to be a scene.
Scenery and emotion are nominally two, but in reality, they are inseparable. Those who are skilled in poetry achieve a boundless and wondrous fusion, and with skill, they create scenery within emotion and emotion within scenery.

Qiu Chuji’s “Without Worldly Thoughts – Living by the Stream,” Part Two: “Staying True to One’s Will in the Cold of Winter”:
Like clouds and auspicious snow, in the depths of winter, a time of oppressive stillness and chill. The lonely mountain home is quiet and still, with no one to talk to all day. I put on my tattered robe again, sit alone in the cold, the long night filled with unbearable sorrow. Sleepless through the long night, the north wind howls through the door. I repeatedly warm my frozen hands, yet still feel resentment, for my mortal body is inferior. Day and night are in disarray, hunger and cold loom ever closer, morning and evening are fleeting. I must rely on my will to break through the eternal moon of my heart.

Li Qi’s “Inscription on the Hermitage of Taoist Lu”:
The autumn pestle thuds as leaves fall, we sit together in your thatched cottage. Only two boys are there, drawing water from the well before the woods. The empty altar stands still in the bright sunlight, the divine cauldron scatters cinnabar. A whisk brushes the frosty grass, a golden bell sways in the clear sunset. We are separated from the mortal world, watching the chess game played under the slanting shade of the paulownia tree. I bow my head and inquire about the secrets of immortality, the essence of which can be used to fertilize flowers.

Lü Dongbin’s “Hundred-Character Stele”:
Cultivate your will by forgetting words and guarding your principles; subdue your mind by acting without acting. Know the origin of movement and stillness; in times of peace, who else is there to seek? True constancy must respond to things; responding to things requires not being confused. Without confusion, your nature naturally abides; with your nature abiding, your qi naturally returns. When qi gathers, the elixir naturally forms; drink it from the cauldron. Yin and Yang arise and reverse; universal transformation is uttered with a single thunderclap. White clouds rise to the summit; sweet dew sprinkles Mount Sumeru. Drinking the elixir of immortality, who can know the joy of this carefree existence? Sitting and listening to the music without strings, clearly understanding the mechanism of transformation. All twelve lines are truly the ladder to heaven.

Ma Yu’s “Man Ting Fang – A Gift to Wang Zhixuan”:
Children and grandchildren are shackled, wives and concubines are at war. The cunning and cunning are like demons. Fame and fortune are like snail’s horns and fly’s heads, favor and disgrace are numerous and startling. Thinking of the shoes and shoes on the bed, what will the future hold? Even life itself is uncertain, what is there to fight for? Better to be with the immortal Ma Yu. Wandering freely under the pine breeze, drunkenly dancing and singing wildly. Playing the jade zither on my lap, the melody is harmonious. The great elixir is nurtured in the furnace, manifesting as an immortal, its sleeves swaying gracefully. At that time, I will pay homage to the phoenix immortal, and ascend together to the Great Luo.

Deng Xueke’s poem “[Zheng Gong] Duan Zheng Hao? Le Dao”:
[Sui Sha] Don’t say when your merits will be achieved, who says the Xuanmen (mysterious gate) is undesirable? We rush about in vain in the arena of self and others, we turn back early from the sea of ​​suffering, what talk of the four great divine journeys, the three islands and ten continents? These immortals hide their traces and names, daring to walk only before our eyes.

Yin Zhiping’s “Ten Admonitions from Changchun Palace”:
A righteous person speaks frankly, a biased heart leads to falsehoods. Right and wrong are determined by themselves; what use are arguments? (Second poem) Those
who love to argue are cunning and malicious; those who do not contend find lasting joy. Deception is hell; equality is heaven. (Fifth poem)

Zhang Sanfeng’s “Attending the Immortal Gathering at the Western Pool”:
Heroes from ten continents and three islands gather, riding cranes and phoenixes to the Jade City. The sound of swords flying echoes far and wide, the smoke from incense burners swirling around the pure palace. Golden halls abound, jade flutes play before the white jade hall. Thousands of bright pearls illuminate the room; those who cultivate life are fortunate to attain longevity.

Qiu Chuji’s “The Crane”:
A noble bird, with cinnabar on its crown and snow-white feathers. It roams the vast ocean to the three islands, and soars high in the long wind, its cry echoing through the nine marshes. Its spirit transcends the mundane, and its ambition reaches the heavens. It flaps its wings and soars into the clouds, effortlessly traversing ten thousand miles of rugged terrain.

[Shuangdiaozi] Narcissus – Zhang Guolao:
A hunchback, his spine arched six fathoms high, his white hair and beard mark his advanced age. He has wandered the mortal world, riding a donkey laden with white clouds. He even pierced the stone bridge of Zhao Prefecture. Leaning on a mottled bamboo staff, wearing an old cloth robe, he too once drunkenly attended the Peach Banquet.

Du Xunhe’s “Visiting the Daoist in Vain”: The secluded White Cloud Gate, I sought truth but found none. Only the crane on the pine tree, that is the man of the cave. The herb garden’s flowers exude a unique fragrance, the sandy spring’s deer tracks are fresh. I inscribe a poem, leaving my name, hoping to one day befriend him here.

Introduction of the students: Shen Guohua (1983- , female, from Huzhou, Zhejiang) and Wu Danfeng (1983- , female, from Haining, Zhejiang), students of the Department of Law and Politics, School of Law and Business, Huzhou University, Zhejiang, Class of 2002.

Sources:
1. Academic papers on Daoist poetry from CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure);
2. Kong Linghong, *A Study of Daoist Thought in the Song and Ming Dynasties*, Religious Culture Press, 2002.

3. Ge Guolong, *A Preliminary Exploration of Taoist Internal Alchemy*, Bashu Publishing House, 2001.

author By Dr. You-Sheng Li

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