Scripture of Clarity and Stillness
清静经
A short scripture connecting the cosmos, the heart-mind, desire and stillness. Read it after the Tao Te Ching, paying attention to how responsiveness and quietness can coexist.
Complete Chinese text · main text & three appended sayingsHow to approach this work
The opening “Laojun said” expresses the scripture’s religious attribution; it does not establish historical authorship by Laozi. Three appended sayings are separated from the main text.
Chinese primary texts and reading guides are presented separately.
Dao and stillness
大道与清静
The opening moves from a Dao beyond form, feeling and name to paired qualities. Its ancient cosmological and gender correspondences are historical language, not standards for judging people today.
老君曰：大道無形，生育天地；大道無情，運行日月；大道無名，長養萬物；吾不知其名，強名曰道。夫道者：有清有濁，有動有靜；天清地濁，天動地靜；男清女濁，男動女靜。降本流末，而生萬物。清者濁之源，動者靜之基。人能常清靜，天地悉皆歸。
Desire and the heart-mind
遣欲与观心
Notice the movement beyond attachment even to emptiness, followed by responsiveness within stillness. Quietness here is not simply the absence of contact with the world.
夫人神好清，而心擾之；人心好靜，而慾牽之。常能遣其慾而心自靜，澄其心而神自清。自然六慾不生，三毒消滅。所以不能者，為心未澄，慾未遣也。能遣之者，內觀於心，心無其心；外觀於形，形無其形；遠觀於物，物無其物。三者既悟，唯見於空。觀空亦空，空無所空；所空既無，無無亦無；無無既無，湛然常寂；寂無所寂，慾豈能生？慾既不生，即是真靜。真常應物，真常得性；常應常靜，常清靜矣。如此清靜，漸入真道；既入真道，名謂得道，雖名得道，實無所得；為化眾生，名謂得道；能悟之者，可傳聖道。
Non-contention and attachment
无争与得道
Read beside chapter 38 of the Tao Te Ching. Observe how the language of highest virtue is brought into a discussion of contention and the unsettled mind.
老君曰：上士無爭，下士好爭；上德不德，下德執德；執著之者，不名道德。眾生所以不得真道者，為有妄心。既有妄心，即驚其神；既驚其神，即著萬物；既著萬物，即生貪求；既生貪求，即是煩惱；煩惱妄想，憂苦身心；便遭濁辱，流浪生死，常沉苦海，永失真道。真常之道，悟者自得。得悟道者，常清靜矣。
Appended saying: Ge Xuan
附说：葛玄
This appended passage presents a sacred transmission account. It is distinguished here from the main discourse voiced by Laojun.
仙人葛玄曰：吾得真道，曾誦此經萬遍。此經是天人所習，不傳下士。吾昔受之於東華帝君。東華帝君受之於金闕帝君，金闕帝君受之於西王母。西王母皆口口相傳，不記文字。吾今於世書而錄之。上士悟之，昇為天官。中士修之，南宮列仙。下士得之，在世長年，遊行三界，昇入金門。
Appended saying: Zuoxuan zhenren
附说：左玄真人
Divine protection and the union of form and spirit place recitation within a religious setting.
左玄真人曰：學道之士，持誦此經，即得十天善神擁護其人。然後玉符寶神，金液鍊形，形神俱妙，與道合真。
Appended saying: Zhengyi zhenren
附说：正一真人
The final appended saying connects keeping a scripture at home, understanding it and reciting it. Its promised benefits express religious belief.
正一真人曰：人家有此經，悟解之者，災障不干，眾聖護門，神昇上界，朝拜高尊。功滿德就，相感帝君。誦持不退，身騰紫雲。
Edition & sources
Based on the horizontal Wikisource transcription: three main paragraphs and three appended sayings. The duplicate vertical version is omitted. Section headings are editorial.
Guides are written for this site. Read divine beings, bodily imagery and longevity in their religious setting.