Chapter on Six Senses’ Return 六根归遵篇

The author is unknown.

It was presumably compiled during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

Consisting of one volume, it is included in the Zhengyi Section of The Daozang.

Chapter on Six Senses’ Return

This text synthesizes the doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, expounding the essentials of cultivating the Dao. The author holds that among the people who study the Dao, many fail to attain it, all because they do not know the key to upholding the Dao. To uphold the Dao, one must first guard the mind; when the mind is guarded, thoughts will not be scattered; when thoughts are not scattered, actions and stillness will conform to propriety, advance and retreat will follow measure, and thus the body will be upright. When the mind is upright inwardly and the body is upright outwardly, the ears and eyes will obtain nourishment, and the nose and tongue will not become sources of trouble. When the mind, body, ears, eyes, nose and tongue are all properly guarded, "then the six sense faculties will all be tranquil and the great Dao will abide."

This text seems to be written by the same author as Chapter on the Three Essentials for Attaining the Dao.