What are Movement and Stillness in Taoism? 道教中动静的含义

It is a concept used to illustrate the relationship between The Dao and its derivatives.

Motion refers to change and fluctuation; stillness denotes immutability and tranquility. The discourse on motion and stillness originated with Laozi.

What are Movement and Stillness in Taoism?

Chapter 16 of the Dao De Jing states: All things flourish, yet each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness, and stillness is called the fulfillment of destiny. Laozi valued stillness above all. Stillness is the fundamental nature of The Dao; all things change endlessly, yet ultimately revert to emptiness and stillness, returning to the primal state from which all things emerged, and uniting with The Dao. Being arises from non-being, and motion (i.e., restlessness) originates from stillness. Stillness is absolute, for stillness is the ruler of restlessness.

Taoism inherited Laozi’s idea of primacy of stillness and further extended it into both religious doctrine and spiritual practice, making the relationship between motion and stillness an important tenet of Taoist thought. In Taoist doctrine, motion and stillness embody the meaning of cosmic generation and transformation. Li Rong noted in his Annotations on the Laozi: The Ultimate Dao is profound and tranquil, clear and unchanging. In terms of the generation of all things, being emerges from non-being and ceaselessly changes—this is motion. The Dao generates all things, meaning motion arises from stillness (tranquility); all things return to their root, meaning motion ceases and tranquility is restored. Regarding motion and stillness themselves, motion is not perpetual motion, and tranquility is not perpetual tranquility. Both motion and stillness are relative. The Dao is inherently profound, tranquil and unchanging, eternal and immutable. Yet for the enlightenment of all living beings, it is said that The Dao contains both tranquility and motion. In essence, motion and immobility (stillness) should be regarded as neither motion nor immobility—this is the true meaning of expounding The Dao in the Twofold Mystery school. Ultimately, only when both tranquility and motion cease completely can one attain the Twofold Mystery realm of ultimate emptiness and non-being.

The Seven Bamboo Slips in the Cloudy Satchel quotes the Pure Heart Scripture of Lord Laozi: The Dao is both pure and turbid, both still and moving—purity and stillness are the foundation, while turbidity and motion are the derivative. Yang is pure and Yin is turbid; Yang is active and Yin is still; man is pure and woman is turbid; man is active and woman is still. The Dao descends from its foundation and flows into the derivative, thus generating all things. Purity is the source of turbidity, and stillness is the foundation of motion.

The core tenet of Taoism is cultivating immortality, and the relationship between motion and stillness is fully elaborated in its health cultivation theories. The Taiping Scripture states: Humans are inherently endowed with Yin and Yang; motion and stillness, joy and anger all follow their proper timing, and timing governs the union of male and female. Heaven and earth also possess Yin and Yang—heaven is Yang and presides over motion, earth is Yin and presides over stillness. Nurturance comes from stillness, and the conjunction of Yin and Yang generates all things. The essence of health cultivation lies in the balance of Yin and Yang, by which one may attain longevity and eternal vision.

Wei Boyang closely integrated the generation of all things with Taoist health cultivation. The Zhouyi Cantong Qi states: Motion and stillness abide by constant laws; uphold these norms, align with the seasons, and harmonize with the vital energy. The motion and stillness of heaven and earth follow discernible laws; mastering these laws allows one to harmonize inner alchemical cultivation with the changes of the four seasons and be unimpeded in communion with the Qi of Yin and Yang. Wei Boyang also interpreted the relationship between motion and stillness through the Qian and Kun trigrams of the I Ching to expound the meaning of alchemical refinement: Qian moves with uprightness, sending forth subtle Qi and flowing essence; Kun is still and receptive, serving as the abode of The Dao.

After the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, the relationship between motion and stillness was highly valued by alchemists and became the foundation of meditative health cultivation theories. Sima Chengzhen stated in his Treatise on Sitting and Forgetting: The mind is the ruler of the body and the vessel of The Dao; when emptiness and stillness reach their utmost, The Dao dwells within and wisdom arises. Stillness of the mind begets wisdom, while motion begets muddle. The essence of health cultivation lies in calming the mind, abiding in stillness and renouncing desire. At the beginning of Taoist practice, one must sit in peace, calm the mind and free oneself from worldly attachments, abide in nothingness, cling to no thing, and enter emptiness by oneself—only then can the mind unite with The Dao.

Internal Alchemy emphasizes that cultivation proceeds from motion to stillness and transformation from being to non-being, through which one comprehends The Dao, unites with it, and achieves the goal of longevity and eternal vision.