Collected Poems of Waters and Clouds 水云集

Composed by Tan Chuduan in the Jin Dynasty.

It consists of three scrolls and is included in the Taiping Section of The Daozang.

This work is a collection of poems and prose by Tan Chuduan, a great master of The Quanzhen Dao, containing more than 240 poems and eulogies, as well as one record of discourses for his disciples. The poetic themes are mostly works of dedication and response, and expressing heartfelt emotions, interspersed with poems chanting things and recording travels. All propagate the doctrines of the Quanzhen Dao, stating that life is fleeting and the sea of mortal suffering is perilous; one should cut the bonds of fame and fortune, abandon the entanglements of love and affection, renounce secular life to comprehend the Dao and cultivate the true self.

Collected Poems of Waters and Clouds

The essential of cultivation expounded herein lies in maintaining a pure and tranquil mind in every thought, recognizing the spiritual origin, and illuminating the mind to perceive one’s innate nature. It holds that all living beings are deluded about their true origin, arousing ignorant thoughts such as greed, anger and delusion amid all worldly circumstances, with their thoughts arising and ceasing incessantly, thus failing to attain liberation. Those who cultivate the Dao must sever emotions and abandon love, subdue arrogance and blunt sharpness, overcome and eliminate unwholesome thoughts, and keep their mind pure and tranquil in every moment of the day. In this way, their spirit and Qi will naturally be in a harmonious and flourishing state, allowing them to behold "the original true face of their innate nature before their parents gave them birth".

This view bears a strong resemblance to the teachings of Chan Buddhism. For lay believers, he exhorts them to practice loyalty and filial piety, and to uphold benevolence at all times, proclaiming: "Governing with integrity as an official is akin to cultivating the Dao; practicing loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and kindness is better than renouncing secular life to become a monk." He also advocates the unity of the three teachings, and a poem in the book reads: "The three teachings have always been one family; the purity and tranquility of the Dao and Chan are no different. Confucius’ hundreds of virtues penetrate the profound principles of the universe, and all who attain enlightenment shall ride the colorful clouds to transcend the mortal world."