Part Eight: The Way of the True Person -- The Ultimate of Cultivation

Chapter 1: "The True Person Is One Who Is the Same as Heaven and United with the Dao"

"The same as Heaven" (tong tian) means being identical with the Heavenly Dao in one's actions, thoughts, and speech. The True Person's deeds are Heaven's deeds; the True Person's thoughts are Heaven's thoughts.

"United with the Dao" (he Dao) emphasizes ontological unity -- the True Person's being merges with the Dao itself.

"Holding fast to the One and nourishing the myriad kinds" -- this is the True Person's function. The True Person is not a recluse withdrawn from the world (though seclusion is possible), but a great person who nourishes all things through the One.

"Harboring the Heart of Heaven and bestowing the nourishment of Virtue" -- the True Person takes Heaven's mind as his own and bestows Virtue's nurturing. This is not deliberate human effort but the natural outflowing of one who is united with Heaven and the Dao.

"Through non-action encompasses will, deliberation, thought, and intention while exercising imposing power" -- this is the quintessence of the entire chapter. "Non-action" does not mean inaction but commanding all mental activities from a posture of non-action, then wielding imposing power. Like the great sea encompassing a hundred rivers -- the rivers (will, deliberation, thought, intention) each have their course, yet the sea (non-action) contains them all without being carried away by any single stream. The True Person has will, deliberation, thought, and intention, yet is not pulled by them -- commanding all through non-action.

This is the supreme realm of Guiguzi's art: internally, non-action, stillness, harmony, the One, enriched spirit; externally, imposing power, transformation of all things, nourishment of all kinds.

Chapter 2: "Only When the Spirit Is Enriched Can One Nourish the Will": The Concluding Summary

The chapter begins: "Within the enriched spirit there are Five Qi." It ends: "Only when the spirit is enriched can one nourish the will."

The beginning speaks of the Five Qi within enriched spirit; the end says that only with enriched spirit can one nourish the will. Will is one of the Five Qi; nourishing will is the beginning of nourishing the Five Qi. Beginning and end echo each other, forming a complete logical circle.

Enriched spirit -> nourish will -> will nourishes thought -> thought nourishes spirit -> spirit nourishes mind -> mind nourishes virtue -> virtue nourishes Qi -> Qi flourishes -> spirit becomes still more enriched -> ...

This is a spiraling upward process of cultivation, without end.

"Only when the spirit is enriched can one nourish the will" is also the introduction to the next chapter, "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Tortoise." The entire book's sequence proceeds: (1) Enriching Spirit by Emulating the Five Dragons, (2) Nourishing Will by Emulating the Numinous Tortoise, (3) Making Intention Substantial by Emulating the Flying Serpent, (4) Apportioning Authority by Emulating the Crouching Bear, (5) Releasing Momentum by Emulating the Raptor, (6) Turning the Circle by Emulating the Fierce Beast, (7) Decreasing and Exchanging by Emulating the Numinous Yarrow. Seven chapters, each modeling one creature, moving from inner cultivation to outer application. "Enriching the Spirit by Emulating the Five Dragons" stands first as the foundation of all.

Why must spirit be enriched before will can be nourished$16 Because will without spirit's support is like a rootless tree -- seemingly having direction but unable to withstand the force of adversity. Spirit is the root; will is the trunk. Only when the root is deep can the trunk stand straight.