Treatise on the Mind and Eyes 心目论
Paul PengTreatise on the Mind and Eyes
Written by Wu Yun, a Taoist Priest of the Tang Dynasty, this work was originally included in Volume 2 of Wu Yun’s Collected Works of Mr. Zongxuan.
The version in The Daozang is separated as an independent treatise and included in the Taixuan Section.
Treatise on the Mind and Eyes
Constructed as a hypothetical debate between the mind and the eyes, this text elaborates on the proposition that "the spirit is stirred by the mind, and the mind is disturbed by the eyes". It argues that when people’s gaze wanders outward and they are tempted by external forms and colors, their minds become muddled, their spirits exhausted, and their bodies deteriorate.
Those who cultivate and nourish their form and spirit should uphold tranquility to align with The Dao (the state of non-being), "perceiving existence as if witnessing emptiness and stillness, and hearing beautiful melodies as if listening to the echoing sounds in a valley". By restraining desires to resolve entanglements and keeping the spiritual abode perpetually calm, the spirit will thrive and the body will be harmonious.
