Taoist Texts

Despite jing being first thing mentioned, it occurs in NY 12 times only. It might be an important concept there but not redundantly defined. i agree that a seed is a bit of a stretch. luckily there is a text that explicitly defines jing in relation to qi. its the same with the qi duct: the Huangdi neijing 《阴阳应象大论》 which says 味归形，形归气，气归精，精归化，精食气，形食味，化生精，气生形。味伤形，气伤精，精化为气，气伤于味。 精jing 化transforms为 to become 气 qi，

yes it would not because essence etymologically is not connected to seed jing is different. it is literally seed. Apech's quote says By essence is meant the essence of qi. When qi follows the Dao there is birth. which is a naive translation. in fact the quote says 精也者this seed，气之精者也 is the seed of qi。气道the duct of qi乃 from it 生grows There is no dao in this quote, instead there is the duct or channel of qi, an archaic anatomical term used in Huangdi neijing. https://ctext.org/pre-qin-and-han/ens?searchu=气道

my point exactly)

yes, jing is the seed from which qi grows in the human body.

if by people you mean 'the nation' then yes

good for him https://ctext.org/pre-qin-and-han/ens?searchu=民氣

this is an ignorant statement

exactly the natural state is the standard precisely. the Taoist king keeps his people well fed and free of temptations.

Fantasies are usually quite safe to begin with. Daydreaming about things that do not exist is also quite efficient. By definition.

Actually as an homage to the trailblazer Linnel lets do this: Linnell: 凡 心 之 刑 the common heart has a standard 自 充 自 盈 Naturally full, naturally overflowing, 自 生 自 成 Naturally born, naturally complete. 其 所 以 失 之 The reason that it loses the standard 必 以 憂 樂 喜 怒 欲 利 Is certainly due to worries and happiness, love and anger, desire for profit. 能 去 憂 樂 喜 怒 欲 利 If the heart can leave behind worries and happiness, love and anger, desire for profit, 心 乃 反 濟 the heart then returns to being useful. 彼 心 之 情 The nature of that heart 利 安 以 寧 is profitable and peaceful hence tranquil. 勿 煩 勿 亂 when not troubled, not confused, 和 乃 自 成 then harmonious (so the standard) is naturally achieved.

None) Chinese really do not care much about understanding. This link just brushes the discrepancy away, saying that 刑 is 形 and that it. http://202.107.212.154:8088/datalib/2003/Life/DL/DL-20031212132414 they don't ask why these homonyms are used in different places differently. Because they are amateurs.) I will try to post a correct transl.

also this heart it is not the ordinary heart, but the one within the ordinary (according to NY people have 2 hearts). Again the depth of meaning is lost on the translators.

here the keyword is 形 which is an external form, but in ctext it is 刑 (both xing, interchangable) which is normally punishment, but in this case it has a rarer meaning of a (moral) standard. In verse 1 it was jing animating the world, in verse 2 it is xing providing a moral compass. Translators misunderstand this verse as an instruction to reach a personal harmony (your heart), but it is the moral standard of the nation meant here.

yes just like that

certainly. 节欲 restrict desires v.10 节其五欲 restrict 5 desires v.7 心之刑(形) to cut heart v.1, 3

which one exactly?)

well, we know a thing by what it does. A table supports, a hammer hits, a stone just sits on the ground. What does Dao do? Maybe it creates the world, may be it manages it, maybe it makes plants grow. What is its function?

because there is no other way) maybe it is, after all)

It is simple. Working. What is it that Dao does?

修 xiu is cleaning and the thing is, unfortunately there is no method to clean heart from desires in Neye. You just do it, simply forcing yourself to desire less and less. Sorry, there is no qigong in Neye apart from that.

of course. far it be from me to hog a term. lets just make sure what we are talking about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavana

the issue is how the heart is regulated. With qigong or with commonplace morality, such as reducing desires? If the latter then its not 'cultivation'.

That might be the case but spiritual development is not the same as "cultivation" which is a qigong-like practice. Yes, may be. But my point was to correct a mistranslation by translators who are not familiar with the vocabulary and the historical context.

The objective of governance is seizing and holding the power in a state. The objective of cultivation is becoming a better person. No, you do not, because we really do not know when these practices have been created. As to Section 1, there are 2 ways to read it. The 1st one is what all translators do: "there is some kind of mystical jing/qi, I (a random person) will take it, keep it, become virtuous, wise, and understand everything". Which is a naive reading, mistaking a statecraft text for a cultivation manual. The 2nd one is : "there is some kind of mystical jing/qi, which is the energy of the people, I (the king) will attune myself to it, rule according to it, then the virtuous ones and the wise ones among the nation will become my officers, and everything will be in my power". This is a correct reading of a governance manual.

But everybody wants it to be that so much! You are right its a governance manual.