<< 三茅真經 >> A translation

[exorcist_1699]

" 谷虛應聲，心虛應神，神虛應氣，氣虛應精，虛極則明，明極則瑩，超乎精神，而無死生。精從內守，氣自外生，以氣取精，可以長生。"

 

Translation :

 

"  The valley is empty it echoes with sound , the mind is empty it  echoes with shen,   the shen is empty it echoes with qi,  the qi is empty it echoes with jing . When emptiness  reaches its limit, spiritual clarity emerges;  when spiritual clarity reaches its limit , crystal brightness appears.  It transcends both jing and shen, and goes beyond life and death .  Guard the jing from within,  then qi will come from the outside ,  and by using  qi to grip  jing , one achieves everlasting life .  "

Edited July 31, 2023 by exorcist_1699

[ChiDragon]

I think the translation is obfuscated with the misuse of many English words. 神(shen) doesn't mean spirit nor spiritual in TCM.
According to the TCM definitions for 精氣神(Jing  Chi Shen) are defined as follow:

精(Jing) Is the nutritional substances that nourish the body. It's also considered to be the main element of the body structure.
氣(Chi) is the micro substance that vitalize and activate the functional performance of all the organs in the body.
神 (Shen) is the mental consciousness that initiates and controls all the activities of the body.

In order to have a healthy body, the TCM Taoists are considered these are the three treasures. They must be maintained and fine tuned to the maximum capacity to sustain life for longevity.

[whocoulditbe?]

What does the title mean, three-grass treatise?

[exorcist_1699]

44 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

I think the translation is obfuscated with the misuse of many English words. 神(shen) doesn't mean spirit nor spiritual in TCM.
According to the TCM definitions for 精氣神(Jing  Chi Shen) are defined as follow:

精(Jing) Is the nutritional substances that nourish the body. It's also considered to be the main element of the body structure.
氣(Chi) is the micro substance that vitalize and activate the functional performance of all the organs in the body.
神 (Shen) is the mental consciousness that initiates and controls all the activities of the body.

In order to have a healthy body, the TCM Taoists are considered these are the three treasures. They must be maintained and fine tuned to the maximum capacity to sustain life for longevity.

 

People who are familiar  with Taoist literature  can  , at a glimpse , know any  document they are reading  be  from the TCM's perspective , or from Taoist alchemical  perspective  ,  to talk  about  those  terms of  精, 氣  or  神  ( jing , qi  or shen) in it  ;   of course this one is a Taoist alchemical  piece of  literature .

Edited July 31, 2023 by exorcist_1699

[ChiDragon]

I grant you it's a

18 minutes ago, exorcist_1699 said:

  of course this one is a Taoist alchemical  piece of  literature .

I grant you that it is a Taoist literature. However, any mistranslation of those terms will throw it off. Peace!

Edited July 31, 2023 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

30 minutes ago, whocoulditbe? said:

What does the title mean, three-grass treatise?

The original name for the title is very long. So, it was cut short for simplicity.

[exorcist_1699]

34 minutes ago, whocoulditbe? said:

What does the title mean, three-grass treatise?

 

San Mao  (三茅) refers to the three immortals of Taoism who lived in the Han Dynasty . According to legend, they are the three brothers Mao Ying, Mao Gu and Mao Zhong .

[Cobie]

2 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

The original name for the title is very long. So, it was cut short for simplicity.

 

Do you know the original title?

[Taoist Texts]

3 hours ago, exorcist_1699 said:

of course this one is a Taoist alchemical  piece of  literature .

of course it is not. alchemy is determined by elixir  丹. no elixir - no alchemy.

48 minutes ago, Cobie said:

Do you know the original title?

《九天灵宝金华冲慧度人保命茅君真经》
“Jiǔtiān líng bǎo jīnhuá chōng huì duó rén bǎomìng máojūnzhēn jīng” 

[whocoulditbe?]

Interesting that this emptiness 虛 xu is not the same 空 kong that translates sunyata in Buddhist texts. Are there different connotations?

[Taoist Texts]

28 minutes ago, whocoulditbe? said:

emptiness 虛 xu

is porous 

29 minutes ago, whocoulditbe? said:

空 kong

is a void

29 minutes ago, whocoulditbe? said:

sunyata

The root of the word śūnya means “to swell,

[whocoulditbe?]

1 minute ago, Taoist Texts said:

emptiness 虛 xu

is porous

The valley is porous?

Edited July 31, 2023 by whocoulditbe?

[Taoist Texts]

32 minutes ago, whocoulditbe? said:

The valley is porous?

no it is hollow