From unity there is qi, from qi there is will, from will there is plan, from plan there is name, from name there is form, from form there are affairs, and from affairs there are agreements. When agreements are made, time comes into being; when time is established, things come into existence. Therefore, when qi accumulates it becomes time; when agreements accumulate they become expectations; when expectations accumulate they become achievements; when achievements accumulate they become gains and losses; when gains and losses accumulate they become auspiciousness or misfortune; and when all things accumulate they become victory or defeat. None of these does not originate from qi, connect to the Dao, agree with affairs, align with time, detach from name, and complete through law.

The law that is present here is called near; its transformation outward to there is called far. What is near and reaches therefore is called shen (spirit); what is far and returns therefore is called ming (clarity). Clarity exists here; its light shines there, its affairs take form here, and its achievements are realized there. To transform from here to there is law; the one who gives rise to law is I; the one who completes law is that (there). The one who gives rise to law, is he who resides in the sun and never becomes weary. To generate and complete within oneself is called a sage. Only the sage understands the essence of the Dao; only by following the law of the Dao can public governance be made clear.

When the handle of the Dipper points east, all under heaven is spring; when it points south, all under heaven is summer; when it points west, all under heaven is autumn; and when it points north, all under heaven is winter. When the handle of the Dipper moves above, affairs are established below; when the handle points to one direction, all four quarters become complete. This is the application of law according to the Dao. Therefore, the sun and moon are insufficient to speak of clarity, and the four seasons are insufficient to speak of achievement. Unity is the law that accomplishes its undertaking; therefore, nothing is not Dao. When the law of unity is established, all things come to belong to it. Law is as precious as words; words are the source of all things. That which is correct, law associates with closely; that which is incorrect, law separates from. What is correct becomes strong because it is close to law; what is incorrect perishes because it is separated from law. Law does not measure up to words, hence the source of confusion is disturbed.

Therefore, he who gives rise to law follows destiny; and he who arises from law also follows destiny. Destiny is what is natural. Where destiny is established, the worthy need not necessarily gain, and the unworthy need not necessarily lose. Destiny is the written record that carries oneself. Therefore, there are destinies for one day, for one year, for a moment in time, and for an entire lifetime. The destiny of a whole life is never completed at one moment; therefore, destiny is everywhere present, exerted in all things, and reaches without exception. When time lags and the destiny is still attained, since there are both time and destiny, drawing forth its sound to harmonize with a name, one who attains the right time achieves harmony in destiny; drawing forth its sound to match a name, one who misses the right time loses both spirit and vitality—this is called discordant destiny. Only a sage can determine the relationship between time and destiny. The way of former kings was complete, yet there were in later generations rulers who faced difficulties—this is what it means to have lost the path.

Therefore, what is called the Dao is that which never ceases; and what is called virtue (de) is the ability to gain people’s trust. The law of Dao and De enables all things to attain their undertakings. Formless yet with distinctions, it is named Da Shu (Great Maturity). Therefore, the Dao of east, west, south, and north is clearly defined; these are its distinctions and gradations. Yin and Yang do not share the same qi, yet they harmonize as one; Sour, salty, sweet, and bitter flavors are opposite, yet in their balance they all contribute to goodness; The five colors differ in hue, yet together they achieve harmony of beauty; The five tones differ in pitch, yet all are pleasing in one unified way. Therefore, nothing exists that is not of a kind; no movement or stillness exists that does not involve qi. Thus, when there is a leader for a person who gains the qi of one person, it brings auspiciousness; when there is a leader for a family who gains the qi of a household, it brings auspiciousness; and when there is a leader for the state who gains the qi of the nation, it brings auspiciousness. Those whose leaders bring misfortune are the opposite of this. Therefore, sameness is called unity (yi), and difference is called Dao. To overcome one another is called shi (trend or momentum); auspiciousness and misfortune are called success and failure. The worthy may make ten thousand endeavors with only one failure, while the unworthy may make ten thousand endeavors and achieve success in but one. Their aspiration for goodness is the same; yet thus it follows that their ways of acting cannot be identical. Knowing that unity (yi) cannot be uniform, therefore Dao is valued. Emptiness is called yi; the state of being complete in all things is called Dao; to establish it is called qi; and to connect it is called classification (lei). Qi that harms people is called disharmony; flavors that harm people are called poison. If the earth deity (she) is not honored, then mist cannot be formed. Qi therefore mutually benefits and harms; classifications therefore mutually complete and defeat one another. Accumulated past gives rise to aspirations; the skilled take it as a teacher. Accumulated poisons form medicine; the skilled use it as healing. Beauty and ugliness embellish each other; this is called “Fu Zhou” (reciprocal cycle). When things reach their extreme, they turn back; this is called “Huan Liu” (circular flow).