An Interpretation and Inquiry into "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle": The Guiguzi

This article was translated from the original Chinese by AI. Nuances may differ from the source.

Author: Xuanji Editorial Board

General Preface

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" (yang zhi fa ling gui). These five characters appear as a chapter title in the Guiguzi. Though they are but a handful of words, the principles they contain penetrate the relationship between Heaven and humanity, subtle and profound. They stand as a nexus of pre-Qin Zongheng (Strategist) learning, the arts of the Dao, the science of nourishing life, and even the archaic wu-xi shamanic tradition. Modern readers encountering these five characters may dismiss them as minor techniques of self-cultivation or petty arts of the Strategists, unaware of how far their roots extend and how deep their sources run -- ascending to the wisdom of Fuxi observing the celestial signs, the empirical knowledge of Shennong tasting the hundred herbs, and the philosophical inquiries of the Yellow Emperor, while descending to inspire the Most High's (Laozi's) teaching of guarding stillness, Master Zhuang's discourse on nourishing life, and Guiguzi's arts of the Strategists. "Nourishing the will" (yang zhi) does not merely mean cultivating one's aspirations; it is the complete method for nurturing, accumulating, concentrating, and deploying the sovereign force of the human spirit. "Emulating the numinous turtle" (fa ling gui) does not merely borrow the turtle as a casual metaphor; it is the condensation of the entire symbolic system in which, since high antiquity, the turtle has served as a sacred creature connecting the spirit realm, a medium for the resonance between Heaven and humanity, and an exemplar of the supreme virtue of stillness and inner containment. Within these five characters lies the pre-Qin understanding of the essential nature of "will" (zhi), the highest aspiration toward the state of "numinous" (ling), and the meticulous observation of the virtues of the "turtle" (gui). These three fuse into one, constituting a complete methodology of spiritual cultivation.

This essay is written with the aim of providing a comprehensive and profound interpretation of the proposition "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" from multiple dimensions: the archaic wu-xi shamanic tradition, the lineage of pre-Qin Daoist arts, internal textual evidence from the Guiguzi, and cross-references among the Hundred Schools of pre-Qin thought. All texts cited herein are based on pre-Qin sources, and all principles discussed proceed from the perspectives of high antiquity and the pre-Qin period, in hopes of restoring the original face and deeper significance of this proposition within its primordial context.

Part One: Tracing the Sources -- The Archaic Roots of the Way of the Numinous Turtle

Chapter One: The Sacred Status of the Turtle in Archaic Civilization

Section 1: The Turtle and the Image of Heaven and Earth

To understand the meaning of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle," one must first comprehend why the "numinous turtle" is "numinous." Among the creatures of the world, the turtle held a position in the minds of archaic peoples utterly beyond comparison with ordinary animals. Its exalted status, the richness of its symbolism, and the breadth of its functions are abundantly recorded and expounded in pre-Qin texts.

The reason the turtle was regarded as a numinous creature lies first in the image of its physical form. The turtle's carapace is domed and round; its plastron is flat and square. The ancient peoples, gazing upward at the round canopy of Heaven and downward at the square expanse of Earth, saw that the turtle's body united both circular and square forms in one, and thus regarded the turtle as a microcosm of Heaven and Earth, a miniature universe. The Xici commentary of the Yijing (Book of Changes) states:

"Looking up, one observes the patterns of Heaven; looking down, one examines the principles of Earth. Thus one comes to know the reasons behind the hidden and the manifest."

This method of observing Heaven and examining Earth corresponds precisely to the turtle's round back and flat belly. Why did the ancients, from among all creatures, select the turtle alone as the medium connecting Heaven and Earth$1 Precisely because the turtle's body is itself a model of the cosmos -- the back as Heaven, the belly as Earth, and the turtle dwelling between them, just as a human stands between Heaven and Earth.

The Liyun chapter of the Liji (Book of Rites) records the Master's (Kongzi's) words:

"What are the Four Numinous Creatures$2 The qilin, the phoenix, the turtle, and the dragon -- these are called the Four Numinous Creatures."

The turtle is ranked alongside the qilin, the phoenix, and the dragon as one of the Four Numinous Creatures -- beings in which the quintessence of Heaven and Earth, the spiritual essence of yin and yang, are concentrated. The qilin is the numinous one among terrestrial beasts, the phoenix among flying birds, the dragon among scaled creatures, and the turtle among shelled creatures. Each presides over its category. Yet the turtle alone, in its real, visible, tangible, and usable body, penetrates both the hidden and manifest realms, bridging Heaven and humanity. Thus, in actual rites of sacrifice, divination, and ceremonial observance, the turtle's status surpassed that of the other three. Why$3 Because the qilin, the phoenix, and the dragon are sometimes hidden, sometimes manifest, sometimes real, sometimes illusory -- the world rarely catches a glimpse of them. Only the turtle is solidly real and within reach, yet its numinous efficacy in communing with the spirits is no less than that of the other three. Therefore, among the Four Numinous Creatures, the peoples of high antiquity revered the turtle above all.

Section 2: The Origins of Turtle Divination and the Wu-Xi Shamanic Tradition

The most direct manifestation of the turtle's sacred status lies in turtle-shell divination (bu). Turtle divination involves scorching the turtle's plastron to observe the resulting crack patterns (zhao), and interpreting those patterns to determine fortune and misfortune. It was one of the most important means by which the wu-xi shamans of high antiquity communicated with the spirits.

The discovery of the Shang dynasty oracle bones has allowed modern people to glimpse the grandeur of turtle divination more than three thousand years ago. The Shang people divined by turtle for virtually everything -- military campaigns, sacrificial rites, hunts, weather, illness, childbirth. The turtle shells are densely inscribed with divinatory records, documenting the questions posed by the Shang king and his diviners to the spirits, the results revealed by the cracks, and subsequent verifications. The turtle was not merely a tool of divination; it was the communication medium between humans and the spirits -- a person's inquiry was transmitted to the turtle through scorching, and the turtle responded through crack patterns believed to manifest the will of the spirits.

Why did the people of high antiquity choose the turtle alone for divination$4 This question is of paramount importance.

First, the turtle is a creature of great longevity. The Qiushui chapter of the Zhuangzi records:

"I have heard that in Chu there is a sacred turtle that has been dead for three thousand years, and the king wraps it in silk, stores it in a bamboo chest, and keeps it in the ancestral temple."

Though the claim of three thousand years may be hyperbolic, the turtle's longevity was common knowledge among the ancients. Long life means enduring; enduring means extensive experience; extensive experience means understanding the changes in the nature of things. Thus the turtle was regarded as a being that had accumulated the life-wisdom of an extraordinarily long span of time. To consult it on fortune and misfortune was like consulting an elder of infinite experience, and thus it could know the future.

Second, the turtle can withdraw into concealment. When threatened, the turtle retracts its head, tail, and four legs into its shell, and external forces cannot harm it. In the eyes of the archaic peoples, this capacity for concealment was a virtue of "guarding the spirit" -- the turtle can hold fast to its own spirit, not allowing it to be seized by external things, and thus its spirit remains complete and its luminosity undimmed, enabling it to penetrate the realm of the unseen.

Third, the patterns on the turtle's shell possess an inherent beauty of number and image. On the turtle's carapace, there are five vertebral scutes at the center, four costal scutes on each side, and a number of marginal scutes around the edge, displaying a high degree of regularity and symmetry. The ancients, observing these, took them as clear proof that the numbers of Heaven and Earth and the principles of yin and yang were embedded within the turtle's body; therefore, the cracks produced by scorching the shell must also contain information from Heaven, Earth, and the spirits.

The Hongfan chapter of the Shangshu (Book of Documents) records Jizi's words:

"When you have great doubts, consult your own heart, consult your ministers, consult the common people, and consult divination by turtle and yarrow."

And further:

"Select and appoint diviners, and command them to divine. The signs are: rain, clearing, overcast, crossing, conquest, and the upright and the repentant -- seven in all. Five are for the turtle, two are used for the yarrow, and errors are traced."

The "bu" here refers to turtle divination; "shi" refers to divination by yarrow stalks. The Hongfan places turtle and yarrow divination alongside "consulting your own heart," "consulting your ministers," and "consulting the common people" as methods for resolving doubt -- and turtle divination precedes yarrow divination, demonstrating the supreme status of turtle divination in the archaic decision-making system.

The Guiren section of the Zhouguan (Rites of Zhou) records:

"The Turtle Master is in charge of the six kinds of turtles, each with its own name and classification. The Heavenly Turtle is called the Ling (Numinous) class; the Earthly Turtle is called the Yi class; the Eastern Turtle is called the Guo class; the Western Turtle is called the Lei class; the Southern Turtle is called the Lie class; and the Northern Turtle is called the Ruo class. Each is distinguished by the color and form of its respective direction."

Six kinds of turtles are assigned to six directions (Heaven, Earth, East, West, South, North), each with its own name, each distinguished by directional color and body type. The precision of this system demonstrates how meticulously the ancients studied turtles and how earnestly they revered them. And "the Heavenly Turtle is called the Ling class" -- the Heavenly Turtle is named "Ling" (Numinous), directly echoing the "numinous turtle" (ling gui) of the Guiguzi. The Heavenly Turtle stands first among the six, and its name is "Ling" -- numinous, meaning divine, wondrous, penetrating -- the highest character of the turtle.

Section 3: The Numinous Turtle and "Penetrating the Virtue of Spirit Illumination"

Why did the people of high antiquity believe so deeply that the turtle could commune with the spirits$5 The rationale must be understood through the worldview of the archaic wu-xi shamans.

The archaic shamans held that between Heaven and Earth there exist two realms, the hidden and the manifest: the manifest is where humans dwell; the hidden is where spirits reside. Between these two realms there is both separation and communication. To bridge the hidden and manifest requires numinous creatures -- beings endowed with the quintessential qi of Heaven and Earth, partaking of the spiritual essence of both yin and yang. The turtle dwells between water and land, capable of diving and hiding, moving and resting. Water pertains to yin and land to yang; since the turtle inhabits both, it partakes of both yin and yang natures. The turtle's longevity approaches immortality, and what is nearly immortal approaches the transcendent, and what approaches the transcendent approaches the divine -- thus the turtle can penetrate the realm of spirit illumination.

The Xici Shang (Great Commentary, Part One) of the Yijing contains an extremely important passage:

"Heaven produces numinous things, and the sage models himself upon them. Heaven and Earth undergo transformation, and the sage emulates them. Heaven displays images revealing fortune and misfortune, and the sage takes them as patterns. The River produced the Chart, the Luo produced the Writing, and the sage modeled himself upon them."

The so-called "numinous things produced by Heaven" have traditionally been understood as yarrow stalks and turtle shells. "The sage models himself upon them" -- the sage emulates these Heaven-born numinous things in order to know fortune and misfortune. The turtle shell is the foremost among these "numinous things produced by Heaven." The Xici Shang further states:

"To probe what is intricate and search out what is hidden, to hook what is deep and reach what is far, thereby determining the fortune and misfortune of all under Heaven and accomplishing the ceaseless endeavor of all under Heaven -- nothing is greater than the yarrow and the turtle."

"Probing the intricate and searching the hidden, hooking the deep and reaching the far" -- to explore subtle and profound principles, to grasp deep and abstruse meanings, and thereby stabilize the fortune and misfortune of all under Heaven and accomplish its tireless endeavors -- nothing surpasses the yarrow and the turtle. This elevates the turtle's function to the level of "determining the fortune and misfortune of all under Heaven." The turtle is not merely a divination tool; it is the greatest instrument in all creation for penetrating the realm of spirit and numinous power.

The Xici Shang further states:

"Therefore the virtue of the yarrow is round and spiritual; the virtue of the hexagrams is square and knowing; the meaning of the six lines is change and contribution. The sage uses these to wash his heart, withdrawing and storing it in secrecy. Fortune and misfortune he shares in common concern with the people. Through spirit he knows what is to come; through wisdom he stores what has passed. Who can participate in this$6 Only those of antiquity who were brilliant, perceptive, sagely wise, and divinely martial yet did not kill!"

This passage is marvelous. "Withdrawing and storing it in secrecy" (tui cang yu mi) -- retreating and concealing in a hidden place -- is precisely a portrayal of the turtle's virtue. When the turtle encounters something, it withdraws and hides within its shell, guarding itself in that secret space -- this is "withdrawing and storing in secrecy." And "through spirit he knows what is to come; through wisdom he stores what has passed" -- using spiritual intuition to know the future, using the light of wisdom to preserve the past -- this is the core reason why the numinous turtle is numinous: it can know what is to come and store what has passed, penetrating both past and future.

"The sage uses these to wash his heart" -- the sage uses the way of the yarrow and turtle to cleanse his heart-mind. This "washing the heart" is in fact another expression for "nourishing the will." To wash the heart is to remove impurities and restore original luminosity; to nourish the will is to cultivate the root and fill out the numinous clarity. The two are different names for the same substance. The Guiguzi's "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" condenses the spirit of the Yijing's "the sage uses these to wash his heart, withdrawing and storing it in secrecy" into a concise and powerful principle of cultivation.

Section 4: The Turtle's Status in Archaic Ritual

The turtle was not only used in divination; it also held an exalted position in archaic ritual institutions.

The Dabu section of the Zhouguan records:

"The Grand Diviner is in charge of the methods of the three crack-types: the first is the jade crack, the second the pottery crack, the third the field crack. The standard crack-forms for each type number one hundred and twenty, and the odes for each total one thousand two hundred."

And further:

"For all great national prognostications -- divining the installation of a ruler or a great territorial enfeoffment -- one selects the finest turtles for the divination."

The great affairs of the state -- installing a ruler, enfeoffing territory -- must be decided by turtle divination. "Selecting the finest turtles" means choosing turtles of the highest quality for the divination. The quality of the turtle bears upon the rise or fall of the nation's fortune and the security of the altars of state -- how could it be treated lightly$7

The Quli Shang chapter of the Liji records:

"The turtle is for divination; the stalks are for prognostication. Divination and prognostication are the means by which the sage-kings of old caused the people to trust in seasons and days, to revere the spirits, and to stand in awe of laws and commands."

Turtle divination was not merely an art of communing with the spirits; it was an instrument of statecraft. The sage-kings used turtle divination to "cause the people to trust in seasons and days, to revere the spirits, and to stand in awe of laws and commands" -- establishing through turtle divination the credibility of the calendar, the authority of the spirits, and the majesty of law. Here the turtle transcends the level of a divination tool and becomes one of the cornerstones of the archaic political and religious order.

The Quli Shang further states:

"Divination by turtle and divination by yarrow are not to be used in succession for the same matter. The turtle pertains to image (xiang); the yarrow pertains to number (shu)."

"The turtle pertains to image" -- the reason the turtle can divine is because of the "images" in its crack patterns. Image (xiang) means visual form, symbolic representation. The principles of all things in Heaven and Earth are presented not as abstract concepts but as concrete images -- a hallmark of archaic thinking. The patterns formed when the turtle shell is scorched and cracked present various images, and the diviner interprets fortune and misfortune based on these images. This method of "observing images" is directly continuous with the Yijing's mode of thought: "observing images to understand instruments" and "establishing images to exhaust meaning."

The Zuozhuan (Zuo Commentary), in the entry for the ninth year of Duke Xiang, records the words of Mu Jiang:

"The turtle pertains to image; the yarrow pertains to number. Things come into being and then have images; images arise and then multiply; multiplication occurs and then there are numbers."

This statement reveals the philosophical foundation of turtle divination -- "things come into being and then have images": after all things are born, they have their forms, and these forms contain the essence and tendency of things. The images in turtle cracks are microscopic manifestations of the images of all things in Heaven and Earth.

Section 5: The Turtle's "Surviving Without Eating" and Archaic Views on Nourishing Life

Another extremely important characteristic of the turtle as a numinous creature is its ability to survive for long periods without eating (or eating very little). This characteristic holds very great significance in archaic theories of nourishing life.

The Keyi chapter of the Zhuangzi states:

"Puffing and blowing, exhaling and inhaling, expelling the old and taking in the new, hanging like a bear and stretching like a bird -- all this is merely for the sake of longevity. This is what the practitioners of guided breathing, those who nourish the body, and those who admire the longevity of Pengzu delight in."

This speaks of arts for nourishing the body and extending life. But the turtle's longevity does not come from movement (the turtle moves extremely slowly); it comes from stillness, from concealment, from having few desires. The turtle can survive for long periods without eating -- this is the biological basis of what the pre-Qin thinkers called the "turtle-breath" (gui xi) technique. "Turtle-breath" means imitating the turtle's breathing -- extremely slow, extremely subtle, almost imperceptible -- in order to achieve the effect of minimizing desires, preserving vital essence, and extending one's years.

The Xiaoyaoyou chapter of the Zhuangzi records:

"Small knowledge cannot match great knowledge, nor can a short life match a long one. How do we know this is so$8 The morning mushroom knows nothing of twilight and dawn; the summer cicada knows nothing of spring and autumn -- these are instances of short lives. In the south of Chu there is a creature called mingling that counts five hundred years as one spring and five hundred years as one autumn. In high antiquity there was a great tree called the dachun that counted eight thousand years as one spring and eight thousand years as one autumn."

Though the turtle does not appear directly in this passage, the notion of "great years" resonates with the turtle's spirit of longevity. The turtle's lifespan exceeds that of ordinary creatures precisely because it can "nourish" -- nourishing its essence, nourishing its qi, nourishing its spirit, nourishing its will. This "nourishing" is not active but passive; not externally seeking but internally guarding. This meaning accords deeply with the Guiguzi's principle of "nourishing the will."

The Tianwen (Heavenly Questions) in the Chuci (Songs of Chu) also contains references to the turtle:

"The owl-turtle dragged and carried -- what did Gun heed$9"

This question involves the story of Gun, father of the Great Yu, in which the turtle played a certain role. And further:

"Black waters, dark peaks -- where are the Three Dangers$10 To extend one's years and never die -- where does longevity end$11"

This question about "extending one's years and never dying" expresses the archaic peoples' longing for immortality. With its extraordinary longevity, the turtle became the ideal vessel for this aspiration.

The foregoing aims to delineate the turtle's sacred status in archaic civilization. In summary, the turtle's "numinosity" manifests on the following levels:

First, numinosity of form -- the round back and square belly, imaging Heaven and modeling Earth, a microcosm of the universe. Second, numinosity of spirit-communion -- turtle divination was the most important means of communicating with the spirits in high antiquity, and the turtle served as the medium between humans and spirits. Third, numinosity of longevity -- the turtle's lifespan is extraordinarily long, approaching immortality in the minds of the ancients, symbolizing eternal wisdom that transcends time. Fourth, numinosity of concealment -- the turtle can withdraw and hide, guarding its spirit without loss, symbolizing the supreme cultivation state of "withdrawing and storing in secrecy." Fifth, numinosity of image-reading -- the turtle's crack patterns present images containing the principles of all things in Heaven and Earth, symbolizing the epistemological method of "establishing images to exhaust meaning."

It is precisely because the turtle possesses such manifold and rich "numinous" qualities that the Guiguzi takes the "numinous turtle" as the model for "nourishing the will," drawing upon the totality of the turtle's numinous virtues as the paradigm for cultivating the spirit and nurturing the will.

Chapter Two: The Multiple Meanings of "Will" (Zhi) in Pre-Qin Thought

Section 1: The Etymology and Original Meaning of "Will" (Zhi)

To deeply understand the meaning of "nourishing the will," one must first clarify the content of "will" (zhi).

The character zhi is composed of the elements "heart" (xin) and "to go" (zhi). "To go" means to proceed, to arrive -- the image of toes moving forward. Where the heart goes, that is one's "will." Zhi is the direction of the heart-mind, where it tends and inclines. Thus the most basic meaning of "will" is the directionality of the heart-mind -- where one's heart-mind points and tends is where one's "will" resides.

However, in pre-Qin texts, the meaning of "will" extends far beyond this. Zhi encompasses intention, heart-mind, aspiration, spirit, emotion, and memory, with different emphases in different contexts. Let us examine them in turn.

Section 2: "Will" in the Shangshu (Book of Documents)

The Shangshu is among the most ancient of canonical texts, and the uses of "will" found therein reveal how the people of high antiquity understood it.

The Shundian (Canon of Shun) of the Shangshu records Emperor Shun's words:

"Poetry expresses the will (shi yan zhi); song prolongs the words; tones follow the prolongation; pitch-pipes harmonize the tones."

"Poetry expresses the will" -- poetry is used to express the will. Here "will" carries the dual meaning of emotion and intention. When the heart feels, thinks, and desires, and this is expressed in words, it becomes poetry, and what poetry expresses is "will." This "will" is not merely rational volition but also includes an emotional dimension. Thus in high antiquity, "will" was essentially a comprehensive term for the activities of the heart-mind -- all that the heart feels, thinks, desires, and tends toward may be called "will."

The Shuoming Shang (Charge to Yue, Part One) of the Shangshu records:

"The king was sincerely silent. The emperor said: 'He reverently and silently contemplates the Way.'"

And the Shuoming Xia (Charge to Yue, Part Two) records Fu Yue's words:

"In learning, be humble in will (xun zhi); devote yourself to timely diligence, and cultivation will follow."

"Humble in will" (xun zhi) means to make one's will modest. Here "will" approaches the meaning of disposition or temperament. Nourishing the will does not mean inflating it to towering heights, but making it humble, inward, settled, and profound. This accords precisely with the turtle's virtue of withdrawal and inwardness.

The Hongfan chapter records Jizi's words:

"Thought (si) leads to perspicacity (rui); perspicacity makes one a sage."

When thought attains the realm of "perspicacity," one may become a "sage." Perspicacity means deep clarity and thorough comprehension. When the will is nourished to its utmost, it becomes "perspicacious" -- the heart-mind penetrates without obstruction and comprehends all principles. This is precisely the state symbolized by the "numinous" (ling) of the numinous turtle.

Section 3: "Will" in the Yijing (Book of Changes)

In the canonical text and commentaries of the Yijing, the character "will" (zhi) appears frequently, with varying meanings that, taken together, reveal the multifaceted pre-Qin understanding of "will."

The Wenyan commentary on the Qian (Heaven) hexagram states:

"The submerged dragon does not act; the yang qi lies hidden."

And further:

"The first nine says 'the submerged dragon does not act' -- what does this mean$12 The Master said: 'He is one of dragon-virtue who hides himself. He does not change with the age, does not seek fame, withdraws from the world without melancholy, and is not troubled when no one recognizes him. What brings joy, he pursues; what brings sorrow, he avoids. Firm indeed is he, not to be uprooted -- a submerged dragon.'"

"Firm indeed, not to be uprooted" -- this is the steadfastness of will. The submerged dragon lies hidden, like the turtle in concealment, yet its will is firm beyond uprooting -- external things cannot shake it. This accords deeply with the principle of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle": to nourish the will is to be like the submerged dragon's hiding, the numinous turtle's concealment -- outwardly unmoved by things, inwardly guarding the steadfastness of will.

The Wenyan commentary on the Kun (Earth) hexagram states:

"A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings; a family that accumulates evil deeds will surely have abundant calamities. When a minister murders his lord or a son murders his father, it is not the work of a single morning or evening -- the causes have accumulated gradually, through failure to discern them early. The Yijing says: 'Treading on frost, solid ice is coming.' This speaks of the gradual progression."

"The causes have accumulated gradually" -- this too resonates with the logic of "nourishing the will." The formation of will is not the work of a single day; like the gradual accumulation of good deeds, like the gradual progression from frost to ice, it requires daily accumulation and persistent effort. The turtle's longevity is precisely an image of such enduring perseverance.

In the line statements and Image commentaries of the sixty-four hexagrams, the character "will" appears frequently. For example:

The Zhun hexagram, Six in the second place, Image: "The difficulty of Six in the second place comes from riding upon the firm. In ten years she will bear a child -- a return to normalcy."

The Xu hexagram, Nine in the fifth place, Image: "Wine and food bring auspiciousness through correct persistence, because of centrality and correctness."

The Meng hexagram, Six at the beginning, Image: "It is beneficial to use punishment on people, in order to correct the law."

Among the Great Images, many passages concern the cultivation of "will":

The Qian Great Image: "Heaven moves with vigor; the noble person thereby ceaselessly strengthens himself." This spirit of ceaseless self-strengthening is the robust vigor of will.

The Kun Great Image: "The disposition of earth is receptive; the noble person thereby carries all things with thick virtue." This quality of carrying all things with thick virtue is the gentle breadth of will.

The Gen Great Image: "Mountains joined together form Gen; the noble person thereby keeps his thoughts from straying beyond his station." This "keeping thoughts within one's station" is the settled steadiness of will that does not stir rashly -- most fitting the image of the numinous turtle in concealment.

Of especial importance, the fourth line of the Yi (Nourishment) hexagram states:

"Nourishment from above, auspicious. The tiger gazes intently, its desire pursuing and pursuing -- no blame."

And the first line of the Yi hexagram states:

"You abandon your numinous turtle and gaze at my bulging cheeks -- misfortune."

Here the term "numinous turtle" (ling gui) appears directly! The meaning of this line is extremely important and warrants detailed analysis.

"You abandon your numinous turtle and gaze at my bulging cheeks -- misfortune." That is: to cast aside your own numinous turtle (your innate spiritual clarity and self-sufficient virtue) and to gaze enviously at someone else's gorging (craving external desires) -- this is perilous.

This line statement provides the most direct classical support for "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle." What is the "numinous turtle"$13 In the context of this line, the "numinous turtle" symbolizes the inherently complete luminous nature of the heart-mind -- just as the turtle needs no external food to survive long, the luminous nature of the human heart-mind is inherently complete and needs no external seeking. If one can, like the numinous turtle, hold fast to one's innate luminosity without being lured by external things, this is the essential meaning of "nourishing the will." Conversely, to abandon one's "numinous turtle" -- to lose one's innate luminosity -- and to chase after external sensory pleasures ("gazing at my bulging cheeks") means that the will scatters and the spirit perishes. This is greatly perilous.

The Image commentary says: "'You abandon your numinous turtle and gaze at my bulging cheeks' -- such a person is not worthy of esteem." One who abandons the numinous turtle to covet the bulging cheeks is "not worthy of esteem." This judgment is exceedingly severe. A person who has lost inner luminosity and chases after external desires is, in the pre-Qin value system, "not worthy of esteem."

From this we can see that the "numinous turtle" image in the Yijing and the "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" in the Guiguzi are unified in their intellectual lineage. Both point to a core principle: one should emulate the virtue of the numinous turtle, holding fast to one's inner luminosity (will) and not allowing it to be shaken, lured, or dissipated by external things. This is the fundamental law of "nourishing the will."

Section 4: "Will" in the Shijing (Book of Songs)

The Shijing is the great anthology of pre-Qin poetry, and the uses of "will" therein also reveal the pre-Qin understanding of the concept.

Shijing, Xiaoya, "Qiaoyan" (Clever Words):

"When others have intentions in their hearts, I can fathom them."

When the heart has thoughts and inclinations, that is where the will resides. To "fathom" another's heart is to infer another's will. This directly relates to the art of the Guiguzi -- probing the human heart and discerning human will. The core of the Strategist's art lies in discerning the will of others, and to do so accurately, one must first nourish one's own will. If one's own will is unclear, unsettled, or depleted, one cannot illuminate the will of others. This is why "nourishing the will" forms the foundation of the Strategist's art.

Shijing, Xiaoya, "Xiaomin" (Little Admonition):

"My turtle has grown weary and will no longer tell me its counsel."

"My turtle has grown weary" -- the turtle used for divination has become exhausted and will no longer reveal fortune or misfortune. This line carries deep significance. Why has the turtle become "weary"$14 Because the person has repeatedly consulted it, refused to trust its answers, and pestered it ceaselessly, until the turtle has wearied and refuses to respond. This contains an important principle: if a person's will is unsettled, vacillating, and unable to decide, then even a numinous turtle cannot help. The numinousness of the numinous turtle must resonate with the person's will; if the person's will is scattered and unsettled, the turtle's numinous power cannot function. This proves from the opposite direction the necessity of "nourishing the will" -- only when the will is settled can numinous power flow; when the will is scattered, numinous power is blocked.

Shijing, Daya, "Yi" (Admonition):

"Regulate your people, be careful in your standards, and take precautions against the unforeseen. Be cautious in your speech, respectful in your deportment, and let all be gentle and good."

This poem speaks extensively of the way of cautious self-governance, a spirit that resonates with the guarded inwardness of "nourishing the will."

Shijing, Daya, "Zhengmin" (The People Are Born):

"Heaven gives birth to the multitudes of people; where there are things, there are rules. The people hold fast to their constant nature and love admirable virtue."

This says that Heaven gives birth to all people, each with their objects and each with their rules. "The people hold fast to their constant nature" -- the constant principles that people maintain -- is the innate direction of the "will" in human nature. People are inherently inclined toward goodness; this inclination toward goodness is the natural direction of the will. "Nourishing the will" means protecting this inherent good inclination, keeping it from being lost, deflected, or scattered.

Section 5: Pre-Qin Thinkers on "Will"

The pre-Qin masters' discussions of "will" are extremely rich. Here we select the most important.

I. The Master (Kongzi) on Will

Lunyu (Analerta), "Weizheng" (Governing):

"At fifteen I set my will upon learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no doubts; at fifty I knew the Mandate of Heaven; at sixty my ear was attuned; at seventy I could follow what my heart desired without overstepping the bounds."

"I set my will upon learning" -- directing the heart-mind toward "learning." Here "will" carries the dual meaning of establishing a goal and investing one's mental energy. The first step of "nourishing the will" is to determine its direction.

Lunyu, "Zihan":

"The commander of three armies may be captured, but the will of a common person cannot be seized."

This famous statement illustrates the steadfastness of "will" in the most powerful terms -- the commander of three armies can be taken, but the will of a single ordinary person cannot be taken. This unshakable steadfastness of will is like the numinous turtle withdrawing into its shell, guarding it and not coming out -- external force cannot penetrate, cannot destabilize. The meaning of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" is visible here.

Lunyu, "Gongye Chang":

"The Master said to Yan Yuan: 'When employed, then act; when set aside, then withdraw into concealment. Only you and I possess this capacity!'"

"When employed, then act; when set aside, then withdraw into concealment" -- when given a role, one acts; when not, one retreats into hiddenness. The word "concealment" (cang) is exquisitely apt, precisely matching the turtle's act of hiding. The reason the Master and Yan Yuan could "withdraw into concealment when set aside" is that their will had been cultivated to a profound level -- the external circumstances of employment or dismissal, glory or disgrace, could not shake their inner will. To be able to act and to hide, to emerge and to withdraw, moving freely in both directions -- this is the virtue of the numinous turtle.

Lunyu, "Shu'er":

"Set your will upon the Way, base yourself on virtue, rely upon humaneness, and find recreation in the arts."

"Set your will upon the Way" -- making the Way the object of one's will. Here "will" is not merely a goal but the entire orientation of the heart-mind -- taking the Way as the fundamental direction of the heart-mind, virtue as the foundation of one's person, humaneness as the basis for action, and the arts as the path of cultivation. "Nourishing the will" ultimately means reaching the state where will and the Way become one.

Lunyu, "Li Ren":

"A scholar-official who has set his will upon the Way, yet is ashamed of poor clothing and poor food, is not yet worth engaging in discussion."

One who has set their will upon the Way does not concern themselves with the abundance or scarcity of material things. This too is the virtue of the numinous turtle -- the turtle does not eat yet lives long, not depending on external nourishment for life. One who nourishes the will should be the same -- not tying the will to external fame, profit, or sensory pleasures, but making the Way alone the will's destination.

II. Master Meng (Mengzi) on Will

Master Meng's discussions of "will" are particularly profound.

Mengzi, "Gongsun Chou Shang":

"The will is the commander of the qi; the qi is what fills the body. Where the will arrives, the qi follows. Therefore it is said: 'Hold fast to your will, and do not do violence to your qi.'"

This passage is crucial! Master Meng explicitly states: "will" is the commander of "qi," and "qi" is what fills the body. Where the will goes, the qi follows. Therefore one must "hold fast to one's will and not do violence to one's qi."

This deeply echoes "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle." The reason the turtle can live so long is that its qi is not violent -- the turtle's breathing is extremely slow and subtle, its movements extremely calm and unhurried -- this is the ultimate expression of "not doing violence to the qi." And the reason the turtle's qi is not violent is precisely that its "will" is held fast -- the turtle keeps within its shell, not acting rashly, not seeking rashly, not striving rashly -- this is the ultimate expression of "holding fast to the will." The will commands the qi, the qi fills the body; when the will is settled, the qi is harmonious; when the qi is harmonious, the body is healthy; when the body is healthy, life is long -- this chain of cultivation logic is precisely the inner rationale of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

Mengzi, "Gongsun Chou Shang" continues:

"'May I ask what you mean by the flood-like qi$15' 'It is difficult to describe. As a form of qi, it is supremely great and supremely firm. Nourished with uprightness and not injured, it fills the space between Heaven and Earth. As a form of qi, it is matched with righteousness and the Way. Without these, it starves. It is born from the accumulation of righteous deeds, not from a single act of righteousness seized upon. If any action leaves the heart unsatisfied, it starves.'"

The cultivation of "flood-like qi" (haoran zhi qi) lies in "nourishing with uprightness without injury" and in "accumulating righteousness." This cultivation is not the work of a single day but requires the long, slow accumulation of the turtle, day by day and month by month, until it fills all between Heaven and Earth. Moreover, this qi "is matched with righteousness and the Way" -- it must accord with righteousness and the Way. What is nourished in the will must ultimately reach a state of unity with righteousness and the Way.

Mengzi, "Jin Xin Shang":

"One who fully develops the heart-mind knows one's nature. Knowing one's nature, one knows Heaven. Preserving the heart-mind and nourishing one's nature is the way to serve Heaven. Whether one's life is short or long, one does not waver but cultivates oneself and awaits -- this is the way to establish one's destiny."

"Preserving the heart-mind and nourishing one's nature" -- preserving and nourishing the heart-mind and nature -- is another expression for nourishing the will. "Whether one's life is short or long, one does not waver" -- regardless of a short or long life, one does not change one's commitment to self-cultivation. This unwavering steadfastness is like the turtle's imperviousness to external disturbance. "Cultivating oneself and awaiting" -- the word "awaiting" (si) contains the meanings of stillness, patient waiting, and not acting rashly, corresponding to the turtle's act of lying concealed in wait.

III. The Most High (Laozi) on Will

The Most High (Laozi) does not frequently use the word "will" directly, but his thought contains extremely profound discussions of its cultivation.

Laozi, Chapter 16:

"Attain the utmost emptiness; guard the deepest stillness. The myriad things arise together; I thereby observe their return. Things flourish in profusion, and each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; this is called returning to destiny. Returning to destiny is called the constant; knowing the constant is called illumination. Not knowing the constant, one acts recklessly and brings misfortune."

"Attain the utmost emptiness; guard the deepest stillness" -- bring the heart-mind to the extreme point of emptiness, and maintain stillness with the utmost steadfastness. This is the ultimate expression of "nourishing the will" -- when the will is nourished to its utmost, it becomes empty and still. The turtle lying hidden and motionless is precisely the image of "guarding the deepest stillness." The myriad things bustle and swarm, yet the numinous turtle alone guards its stillness, unmoved. In this settled stillness, one can instead "observe their return" -- observe the cyclical patterns of all things. This is the "numinousness" of the numinous turtle -- penetrating the principles of all things through the deepest stillness.

Laozi, Chapter 10:

"Can you carry your bodily soul embracing the One without letting them part$16 Can you concentrate your qi to achieve softness, like an infant$17 Can you cleanse your mysterious mirror without flaw$18 Can you love the people and govern the state through non-knowing$19 Can you play the female role when Heaven's gates open and close$20 Can you understand all within the four directions through non-action$21"

"Carrying the bodily soul embracing the One without letting them part" -- uniting body and spirit as one, without separation. This is the unity of will -- one who nourishes the will keeps the heart-mind from scattering, from disorder, from internal division, maintaining a high degree of inner unity. The turtle's shell encloses its entire body, with head, tail, and four legs all retractable into the shell, forming a complete unified whole -- this is the image of "embracing the One."

"Concentrating the qi to achieve softness, like an infant" -- the turtle's breathing is gentle and slow, its breath continuous and fine, precisely manifesting "concentrating the qi to achieve softness."

"Cleansing the mysterious mirror without flaw" -- polishing the mirror of the heart-mind until it is without dust or stain, limpid and clear. One who nourishes the will should, like polishing a bright mirror, make the heart-mind pure and uncontaminated. This is one of the goals of "nourishing the will" -- making the will clear and unstained.

Laozi, Chapter 33:

"One who knows others is wise; one who knows oneself is illumined. One who conquers others has strength; one who conquers oneself is powerful. One who knows contentment is rich; one who perseveres has will. One who does not lose one's proper place endures long; one who dies but does not perish has longevity."

"One who perseveres has will" -- one who applies effort has will. But at a deeper level, "one who does not lose one's proper place endures long" -- one who does not lose the position where one ought to be can endure. This "not losing one's proper place" is precisely the turtle's virtue -- the turtle stays in its shell, does not leave its place, and thus endures. One who nourishes the will should, like the turtle, not lose one's proper place -- holding to the original position of the heart-mind, not being dragged away by external things.

"One who dies but does not perish has longevity" -- one whose body dies but whose spirit does not perish has true longevity. In the eyes of the archaic peoples, the turtle's long life was precisely because the turtle's spirit does not perish -- the turtle guards its spirit without loss, and thus its lifespan approaches eternity. To nourish the will to its utmost is to bring the spirit to the state of "not perishing."

Laozi, Chapter 26:

"The heavy is the root of the light; the still is the lord of the restless. Therefore the sage travels all day without leaving the baggage wagons. Though there are magnificent sights, he dwells in tranquility above them. How could the lord of ten thousand chariots treat his own person more lightly than the realm$22 Lightness leads to losing the root; restlessness leads to losing the lord."

"The heavy is the root of the light; the still is the lord of the restless" -- gravity is the foundation of levity, and stillness is the master of agitation. This deeply echoes the virtue of the numinous turtle -- the turtle moves with extreme heaviness and slowness ("heavy"), and its temperament is supremely still and serene ("still"). This is the root of the turtle's numinosity. One who nourishes the will should take "heaviness" as the root and "stillness" as the master, neither flighty nor agitated, settled and composed.

"Lightness leads to losing the root; restlessness leads to losing the lord" -- levity loses the foundation, agitation loses the master. "Losing the root" is losing the root of will; "losing the lord" is losing the master of will. If one is flighty and restless, the will scatters and the numinosity is extinguished -- the same ominous state as "abandoning one's numinous turtle and gazing at the bulging cheeks."

IV. Master Zhuang (Zhuangzi) on Will

In Master Zhuang's thought, the cultivation of "will" takes on distinctive dimensions.

The Renjianshi (In the World of Humans) chapter of the Zhuangzi records the Master's (Kongzi's) instruction to Yan Hui:

"Unify your will. Do not listen with your ears, but listen with your heart-mind. Do not listen with your heart-mind, but listen with your qi. Hearing stops at the ears; the heart-mind stops at matching. But qi is empty and waits upon things. Only the Way gathers in emptiness. Emptiness -- this is the fasting of the heart-mind."

This passage is supremely refined! "Unify your will" -- first you must unify your will. "Do not listen with your ears, but listen with your heart-mind" -- do not use the ears to hear but use the heart-mind to perceive. "Do not listen with your heart-mind, but listen with your qi" -- do not use the heart-mind to perceive but use qi to perceive. "Qi is empty and waits upon things" -- qi is that which, in emptiness, awaits the arrival of things. "Only the Way gathers in emptiness" -- the Way assembles only in emptiness. "Emptiness -- this is the fasting of the heart-mind" -- this state of emptiness is called "the fasting of the heart-mind" (xin zhai).

This passage describes the highest method of "nourishing the will." The process is: first "unify the will" (integrate the will), then progress from ears to heart-mind (from the sensory level to the level of the heart-mind), then from heart-mind to qi (from the heart-mind to the more subtle level of qi), and finally arrive at "emptiness." This "emptiness" is the supreme virtue of the numinous turtle -- the interior of the turtle's shell is hollow (empty), and precisely because of this emptiness, the turtle can accommodate its head, tail, and four legs within it, and can, in settled stillness, penetrate to numinous clarity. "Only the Way gathers in emptiness" -- the Way assembles only in emptiness; thus, when the will is nourished to its utmost, it becomes empty -- the heart-mind is empty, the will is empty, and in this emptiness, the Way comes of itself.

The Dasheng (Mastering Life) chapter of the Zhuangzi contains the parable of Ji Xingzi training a fighting cock:

"Though other cocks crowed, it no longer changed. Looking at it, it seemed like a wooden chicken. Its virtue was complete. No other cock dared respond to it; they all turned and fled."

The metaphor of the wooden chicken is precisely the image of will nourished to its utmost. The chicken's virtue is complete -- its spirit is fully sufficient, immovable -- it looks like wood, yet its inner luminosity is perfectly complete. This is the same principle as the numinous turtle's concealment and stillness -- appearing outwardly insensible, yet inwardly possessing complete numinous clarity.

The Yangshengzhu (The Principle of Nourishing Life) chapter of the Zhuangzi tells the story of Cook Ding carving an ox:

"What your servant loves is the Way, which goes beyond mere technique. ... At present, I encounter it with my spirit rather than looking at it with my eyes. Sensory knowledge has stopped, and the spirit moves as it will."

"Encountering it with the spirit rather than looking at it with the eyes" -- using the spirit to apprehend rather than the eyes to observe. This is the expression of will cultivated to a profound level -- the will is concentrated and pure, transcending the sensory level, directly encountering things with the spirit. This capacity for "spiritual encounter" is precisely the "numinous" of the numinous turtle -- penetrating all things without relying on external instruments.

The Qiushui (Autumn Floods) chapter of the Zhuangzi directly involves the numinous turtle:

"Zhuangzi was fishing in the Pu River when the King of Chu sent two grandees to go before him with this message: 'I wish to trouble you with the administration of my realm!' Zhuangzi held his fishing rod and, without turning his head, said: 'I have heard that in Chu there is a sacred turtle, dead now for three thousand years. The king wraps it in silk, stores it in a bamboo chest, and keeps it in the ancestral temple. Would this turtle rather be dead and have its bones honored, or be alive and dragging its tail in the mud$23' The two grandees said: 'It would rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud.' Zhuangzi said: 'Go away! I shall drag my tail in the mud.'"

This is one of the most famous passages in Master Zhuang's thought. The King of Chu wished to burden him with affairs of state; Zhuangzi used the sacred turtle as a metaphor to refuse -- your sacred turtle may be wrapped in silk and stored in a chest and enshrined in the temple, but it has been dead for three thousand years; rather than leaving behind bones to be honored after death, it would be better to be alive and dragging one's tail in the mud, free and at ease.

What is the deeper meaning of this parable$24

First, the true numinosity of the "numinous turtle" lies in its vibrant, living vitality, not in its posthumous remains. The human will should be the same -- the purpose of nourishing the will is to make life vibrant and luminous, not to gain external veneration and glory. To sacrifice the freedom and luminosity of life for external status would be like the dead turtle's preserved bones -- honored, yet truly pitiable.

Second, "dragging its tail in the mud" -- freely crawling in the mire -- is the turtle's natural state of living. Master Zhuang would rather choose this state than be like the dead turtle enshrined in a temple. This implies that the true essence of nourishing the will lies not in elevating the will toward some exalted external goal (such as the heights of the temple) but in letting the will return to its natural state -- at ease, free, self-content, self-sufficient. This is the true meaning of "emulating the numinous turtle" -- emulating the living numinous turtle's ease and self-contentment, not the dead turtle's enshrinement.

Third, this parable contains a profound critique of worldly values. The world thinks that honoring the sacred turtle's bones is reverence for the turtle, not realizing that this precisely violates the turtle's nature. Likewise, the world thinks that pursuing fame and profit shows will, not realizing that this precisely means losing one's true will. True nourishing of the will means letting the will live like a living turtle -- in its natural environment, in its natural way, living its natural life.

Section 6: A Comprehensive Examination of the Essential Nature of "Will"

Synthesizing the foregoing discussions of "will" across pre-Qin texts, we can identify several essential characteristics:

First, directionality. Will is the direction of the heart-mind. "Where the heart goes" is will. A heart-mind without direction is scattered and powerless; a heart-mind with direction is concentrated and powerful. Nourishing the will begins with establishing a direction -- "setting the will upon the Way," "setting the will upon learning."

Second, unity. Will requires the unity of the heart-mind. "Unify your will" -- Master Zhuang's "unifying the will" means the heart-mind does not scatter, does not contradict itself, does not waver, forming a high degree of inner unity.

Third, steadfastness. "The will of a common person cannot be seized" -- the will must be unshakably firm. "Firm indeed, not to be uprooted" -- like bedrock that cannot be moved.

Fourth, interiority. Will is internal and self-sufficient. The "numinous turtle" needs no external food to survive; will likewise needs no external conditions to sustain itself. "One who does not lose one's proper place endures long" -- holding to one's inner position is sufficient for endurance.

Fifth, luminosity. When the will is nourished to its utmost, it becomes luminous -- "perspicacity makes one a sage," "knowing the constant is called illumination." The "numinous" of the numinous turtle symbolizes the luminosity of will -- penetrating the principles of all things without being stuck in any one corner.

Sixth, empty stillness. The highest state of will is empty stillness -- "attain the utmost emptiness, guard the deepest stillness," "emptiness -- this is the fasting of the heart-mind." The numinous turtle's motionless concealment is precisely the image of this empty stillness.

These six characteristics -- directionality, unity, steadfastness, interiority, luminosity, and empty stillness -- together constitute the basic framework of the pre-Qin theory of "nourishing the will." And the symbol of the "numinous turtle" perfectly embodies all six: the turtle's crawling has direction (directionality); the turtle withdrawn into its shell becomes a single whole (unity); the turtle's shell is impervious to destruction (steadfastness); the turtle needs no food to sustain itself (interiority); the turtle communes with spirits and achieves numinous clarity (luminosity); the turtle lies hidden and motionless (empty stillness). Precisely because of this, Guiguzi's choice of the "numinous turtle" as the model for "nourishing the will" is an exquisitely perfect one.

Chapter Three: The Guiguzi -- Its Author, Text, and Intellectual Origins

Section 1: Investigating the Historical Guiguzi

Guiguzi is the grand master of the pre-Qin Zongheng (Strategist) school. His real name, dates of birth and death, and specific deeds are not clearly established in pre-Qin sources, and are shrouded in a layer of mysterious legend.

The name Guiguzi first appears in citations within pre-Qin texts. The Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian), in the "Biography of Su Qin," records:

"Su Qin was a man of Luoyang in the Eastern Zhou. He went east to study under a teacher in Qi, and practiced his learning under Master Guigu."

And in the "Biography of Zhang Yi":

"Zhang Yi was a man of Wei. At first he and Su Qin both studied the arts under Master Guigu. Su Qin considered himself inferior to Zhang Yi."

According to these accounts, Master Guigu was the teacher of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, and must have been active during the middle Warring States period (roughly the fourth century BCE). Yet even in the pre-Qin era, Guiguzi's identity and activities were already wrapped in a strong aura of legend.

The name "Guigu" (Ghost Valley) may derive from a place name. In the pre-Qin period there was a place called Guigu, and Guiguzi, dwelling there, took its name. This is analogous to Laozi being called the Pillar-Base Archivist for residing beneath the pillar, or Zhuangzi having his dream at Hao Bridge because he lived by Hao. The place Guigu was deep and unfathomable, corresponding to Guiguzi's style of learning -- subtle, profound, and immeasurable.

The intellectual origins of Guiguzi's learning have long been debated. Yet from the content of the Guiguzi text, his thought clearly draws from multiple sources:

First, Daoist origins. The entire Guiguzi is suffused with the spirit of Daoist thought. Propositions such as "opening and closing are the Way of Heaven and Earth," "transformation revolves cyclically," and "the Way accords with affairs" all derive from Daoism. "Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" itself belongs to the Daoist tradition of nourishing life and cultivating the self.

Second, Yin-Yang school origins. The Guiguzi extensively employs opposing categories such as yin and yang, opening and closing, movement and stillness, emptiness and fullness -- resonating with the mode of thinking of the Yin-Yang school.

Third, military strategist origins. The Guiguzi's stratagems and calculations are akin to the deceptive arts of the military strategists. The Sunzi Bingfa (Art of War), "Planning" chapter, states: "War is the way of deception." The Guiguzi's Strategist arts likewise employ "deception" as their mode of operation.

Fourth, wu-xi shamanic tradition origins. Turtle divination, qi cultivation, and spirit communion can all be traced to the archaic wu-xi shamanic tradition. The "emulating the numinous turtle" in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" resonates with the ancient shamanic practice of communing with spirits through the turtle.

Section 2: The Structure of the Guiguzi Text

The Guiguzi text is occasionally cited in pre-Qin sources, but the transmission of the complete work remains debated. According to the extant version, the Guiguzi is divided into three sections -- upper, middle, and lower -- comprising fourteen chapters (including appendices). The structure is roughly as follows:

Upper Section:

• Chapter 1: Opening and Closing (Baihe)
• Chapter 2: Response and Reaction (Fanying)
• Chapter 3: Inner Bond (Neijian)
• Chapter 4: Blocking Gaps (Dixi)

Middle Section:

• Chapter 5: Flying Pincers (Feiqian)
• Chapter 6: Discord and Accord (Wuhe)
• Chapter 7: Weighing (Chuai)
• Chapter 8: Probing (Mo)
• Chapter 9: Authority (Quan)
• Chapter 10: Strategy (Mou)
• Chapter 11: Decision (Jue)
• Chapter 12: Tally Words (Fuyan)

Lower Section (also called "The Root Canon of Hidden Talismans"):

• The Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans (Benjing Yinfu)

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" comes from within these "Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans."

"Root Canon of Hidden Talismans" -- "Root Canon" (benjing) means the fundamental classic; "Hidden Talismans" (yinfu) means secret correspondences. These seven chapters are regarded as the inner teaching of the Guiguzi -- in contrast to the outer application of the upper and middle sections (the specific methods of Strategist arts), the "Root Canon of Hidden Talismans" constitutes the inner cultivation (the fundamental methods of spiritual cultivation). The outer application of Strategist arts must be grounded in inner cultivation; without the groundwork of inner cultivation, the outer arts will ultimately lack roots and cannot endure. This structure of "inner sageness and outer kingliness" accords with the common principles of all pre-Qin schools.

Section 3: General Discussion of the "Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans"

The "Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans" uses seven animals (or natural objects) as symbols for seven methods of spiritual cultivation, forming a complete system. The titles are as follows:

1. Filling the Spirit by Emulating the Five Dragons -- fill and flourish the spirit by emulating the Five Dragons.
2. Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle -- nurture the will by emulating the numinous turtle.
3. Making Intention Substantial by Emulating the Soaring Serpent -- solidify intention by emulating the soaring serpent.
4. Distributing Authority by Emulating the Crouching Bear -- distribute authoritative presence by emulating the crouching bear.
5. Releasing Momentum by Emulating the Bird of Prey -- disperse momentum by emulating the bird of prey.
6. Turning the Circle by Emulating the Fierce Beast -- maneuver adaptively by emulating the fierce beast.
7. Trimming Expression by Emulating the Numinous Yarrow -- calibrate speech by emulating the numinous yarrow.

The seven chapters have an intrinsic logical order:

Filling the Spirit comes first -- one must first make the spirit abundant, as this is the foundation of all cultivation. Without abundant spirit, nothing else can be discussed. The Five Dragons represent the dragons of the five phases, symbolizing the fullness and completeness of the spirit.

Nourishing the Will comes second -- after the spirit is abundant, one nourishes the will. The will is the direction and core of the spirit; without will, the spirit drifts aimlessly. The numinous turtle symbolizes the will's firmness, inwardness, and luminous penetration.

Making Intention Substantial comes third -- after the will is settled, one makes intention substantial. Intention (yi) is the concretization of will; will is the grand direction, intention the specific thoughts and ideas. When the will is settled, intention can be made substantial -- ideas become solid rather than empty and drifting. The soaring serpent can fly and transform, symbolizing the fluid movement of intention without losing its substance.

Distributing Authority comes fourth -- after intention is substantial, one distributes authority. Authority (wei) is the outward force of spiritual power. The crouching bear is the image of gathering force before release -- the bear crouches in the underbrush, seemingly motionless, yet containing enormous power that, once unleashed, is irresistible. This is the "distribution" of authority -- releasing accumulated spiritual power in a measured way.

Releasing Momentum comes fifth -- after authority is distributed, one releases momentum. Momentum (shi) is a broader aura and influence than authority. The bird of prey, like a hawk or falcon, surveys everything from above and strikes with unerring precision. This is the "dispersion" of momentum -- expanding one's influence across the entire situation.

Turning the Circle comes sixth -- after momentum is dispersed, one turns the circle. The circle (yuan) means unimpeded fluency and adaptive responsiveness. The fierce beast, like a tiger or leopard, reacts with lightning speed and changes constantly. This is the art of adaptability -- nimbly responding to complex and shifting situations.

Trimming Expression comes seventh -- once one can turn the circle, one knows how to trim expression. Expression (dui) means speech, opening the mouth. Trimming expression means carefully calibrating one's words -- when to speak, when to remain silent, how much to say, what to say. The numinous yarrow, used for divination with its opening and closing, odd and even, symbolizes the precise control of the opening and closing, gain and loss, of speech.

The logic of the seven chapters moves from inner to outer, from foundation to application, forming a complete system of cultivation and deployment. "Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" occupies the second position, receiving from above (filling the spirit) and transmitting below (making intention substantial), standing at the pivot. The abundance of spirit is the prerequisite for nourishing the will; the accomplishment of nourishing the will is the foundation for making intention substantial. Within the entire system, "nourishing the will" has special importance -- because "will" is the core direction of the spirit, the steering wheel for all subsequent cultivation and application.

The symbolic system of these seven chapters bears strong marks of the archaic wu-xi shamanic culture. Using animals as symbols for methods of cultivation is a vestige of the archaic totemic and animal worship traditions. Five Dragons, numinous turtle, soaring serpent, crouching bear, bird of prey, fierce beast, numinous yarrow -- dragon, turtle, snake, bear, bird, and beast were all numinous creatures revered by the archaic peoples, and yarrow was a sacred plant for divination. Using these seven numinous beings as seven principles of cultivation transforms the archaic shamanic tradition of spirit-communion into a systematic theory of spiritual cultivation. This transformation embodies the evolution of pre-Qin thought from shamanism to philosophy.

Section 4: The Relationship Between Guiguzi and Daoism

The relationship between the thought of the Guiguzi and Daoism is particularly close. The proposition "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" directly inherits the Daoist tradition of cultivation.

Laozi, Chapter 40:

"Reversal is the movement of the Way; weakness is the function of the Way. All things under Heaven are born from being; being is born from non-being."

"Reversal is the movement of the Way" -- returning, going back, is the mode of the Way's movement. The method of "nourishing the will" is precisely a form of "reversal" -- not seeking outward but returning inward. The numinous turtle withdrawing into its shell is the perfect symbol of "reversal."

Laozi, Chapter 48:

"In pursuing learning, one gains daily. In pursuing the Way, one loses daily. Losing and losing again, until one arrives at non-action. Non-action, yet nothing is left undone."

"In pursuing the Way, one loses daily" -- the path of cultivating the Way is a process of continual subtraction. What is subtracted$1 Excess desires, scattered thoughts, unnecessary actions. This process of "subtraction" is precisely the process of "nourishing the will" -- not stuffing things into the heart-mind but removing things from it. Subtracted to the ultimate degree, one reaches "non-action." The numinous turtle's ability to survive without eating is precisely the extreme of this "subtraction" -- reduced to the point of not even needing food, yet its life force becomes even more abundant.

Laozi, Chapter 5:

"Heaven and Earth are not humane; they treat the myriad things as straw dogs. The sage is not humane; he treats the hundred families as straw dogs. The space between Heaven and Earth -- is it not like a bellows$2 Empty yet not collapsing, the more it moves, the more it produces. Excessive speech quickly exhausts itself; better to hold to the center."

"Empty yet not collapsing, the more it moves, the more it produces" -- empty yet not exhausted, and the more it is set in motion, the more it generates. "Excessive speech quickly exhausts itself; better to hold to the center" -- too much talk leads quickly to depletion; better to maintain the centered way. This principle of "holding to the center" accords deeply with "nourishing the will." The nourishment of will lies in holding to the center -- neither deviating nor exceeding, guarding the centered position of the heart-mind. The numinous turtle, guarding its position within its shell, is precisely the image of "holding to the center."

Laozi, Chapter 22:

"What is bent becomes whole; what is crooked becomes straight; what is hollow becomes full; what is worn becomes new; having little, one gains; having much, one is confused. Therefore the sage embraces the One and becomes the model for all under Heaven."

"Embracing the One" means holding to unity. The essential method of nourishing the will lies in "embracing the One" -- the will does not scatter, does not contradict itself, but always maintains a high degree of inner unity. The turtle's shell wrapping its entire body into one whole is the vivid expression of "embracing the One."

The Zaiyou (Allowing Free Rein) chapter of the Zhuangzi records the words of Guangchengzi instructing the Yellow Emperor:

"Do not look, do not listen; embrace the spirit in stillness, and the body will naturally become correct. You must be still, you must be pure; do not labor your body, do not agitate your vital essence, and then you may achieve long life. Let the eyes see nothing, the ears hear nothing, the heart-mind know nothing, and your spirit will guard your body, and your body will achieve long life. Be cautious of your inner realm, close off your outer realm -- much knowledge leads to ruin. I will guide you to the heights of great illumination, to the source of supreme yang. I will lead you into the gate of deep darkness, to the source of supreme yin. Heaven and Earth have their offices, yin and yang have their repositories. Guard your body with care, and all things will naturally flourish. I guard the One and dwell in its harmony. Therefore I have cultivated my body for twelve hundred years, and my form has never declined."

This passage might serve as the finest commentary on "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle." "Embrace the spirit in stillness" -- hold fast to the spirit and keep it still. "You must be still, you must be pure" -- one must be tranquil, one must be clear. "Do not labor your body, do not agitate your vital essence" -- do not weary the body, do not disturb the vital qi. "Your spirit will guard your body, and your body will achieve long life" -- your spirit will protect the body, and the body will live long. "Be cautious of your inner realm, close off your outer realm" -- carefully guard what is within, shut off what is without (the senses). "I guard the One and dwell in its harmony" -- I hold to the "One" (the unified root), dwelling in a state of harmony. "Therefore I have cultivated my body for twelve hundred years, and my form has never declined" -- I have cultivated for twelve hundred years, and my form has never aged.

How perfectly the cultivation methods described by Guangchengzi correspond to the virtues of the numinous turtle! "Embrace the spirit in stillness" -- the turtle's concealment. "Be cautious of your inner realm, close off your outer realm" -- the turtle's withdrawal of head, tail, and four legs into the shell, the ultimate expression of "closing off the outer." "Guard the One and dwell in harmony" -- the turtle's shell forms a perfect unified whole, inner and outer in harmony. "Twelve hundred years, and the form has never declined" -- the turtle's longevity.

We can say that Guiguzi's "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" directly inherits this Daoist cultivation tradition, condensing and expressing the teaching of "embracing the spirit and guarding stillness" transmitted from Guangchengzi through the Most High (Laozi) to Master Zhuang through the vivid image of the "numinous turtle."

Part Two: Analyzing the Meaning -- A Textual Interpretation of "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle"

Chapter Four: A Close Reading of the Original Text of Guiguzi's "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle"

Section 1: The Complete Original Text

The full text of "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" from the Guiguzi, Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans is as follows:

One who nourishes the will does so because the thought-qi of the heart-mind cannot reach its destination. When there is desire, the will abides there and thinks upon it. The will is the servant of desire. When desires are many, the heart-mind scatters; when the heart-mind scatters, the will weakens; when the will weakens, thought cannot reach its destination. Therefore, when the heart-qi is unified, desires do not wander; when desires do not wander, the will and intention do not weaken; when the will and intention do not weaken, thought and principle reach their destination. When principle is reached, harmony flows; when harmony flows, disordered qi does not vex the chest. Therefore, inwardly one uses this to nourish the will, and outwardly to know others. Nourishing the will, the heart-mind becomes penetrating; knowing others, roles and duties become clear. If you intend to apply this to others, you must first understand how they nourish their qi and will. Know whether a person's qi is flourishing or declining, and thereby nourish their will, observing where their heart finds peace.

Now, the will must not be fixed to one direction; that it must not be fixed means the will cannot be foreknown. This is called unfathomable wisdom, the extraordinary strategy of the sage. When applied to others, one measures their intelligence and ability, estimates their qi and momentum, establishes a pivot to meet them, follows them, uses the pincer technique to harmonize with them, and uses intention to guide them -- this is the deployment of the flying pincers.

When applied to oneself, one uses this to nourish the will and thereby know oneself. Self-knowledge leads to freedom from confusion; freedom from confusion leads to freedom from fear; freedom from fear leads to a settled will. A settled will leads to careful bearing; careful bearing leads to ready response. Ready response means no one can harm you. This is the Way of nourishing the will.

The above is the complete text of "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle." The following provides a detailed interpretation, passage by passage.

Section 2: Interpreting the Opening Passage: "One Who Nourishes the Will Does So Because the Thought-Qi of the Heart-Mind Cannot Reach Its Destination"

"One who nourishes the will does so because the thought-qi of the heart-mind cannot reach its destination."

This sentence is the governing thesis of the entire chapter. What is "nourishing the will"$3 Why is it necessary$4 Because "the thought-qi of the heart-mind cannot reach its destination" -- the qi within the heart and one's thoughts cannot flow freely to where they should go.

"Heart-qi" (xin qi) refers to the qi within the heart-mind. Pre-Qin thinkers held that there is qi within the heart-mind, and this qi is the material basis of mental activity. When qi flows freely, mental activity (thought) reaches its destination; when qi stagnates, mental activity is blocked. "Thought cannot reach its destination" -- thought cannot reach where it ought to, meaning the functions of the heart-mind cannot operate properly.

Why does "the thought-qi of the heart-mind not reach its destination"$5 The following text provides the reason.

"When there is desire, the will abides there and thinks upon it."

When the heart-mind has desire ("when there is desire"), the will takes up residence there and ponders it ("the will abides there and thinks upon it"). When desire arises, the will is drawn by desire, and thought revolves around desire.

"The will is the servant of desire."

This sentence is crucial! The "will" is the servant of "desire" -- the will is driven and directed by desire. When desire arises, the will becomes the slave of desire, dispatched in every direction to carry out desire's commands.

This is an exceedingly profound insight. In an ordinary person (one who has not undergone cultivation), the will is not autonomous but is controlled by desire. People believe they are "willfully" pursuing something, when in fact they are merely being driven by desire. This is what Master Zhuang called "grinding and wearing against things" (Zhuangzi, Qiwulun) -- mutually abrading and consuming with external things, believing oneself to be active when in fact one is being dragged along by things.

However, the purpose of "nourishing the will" is precisely to invert this relationship -- not letting the will serve desire, but making the will autonomous and free. How is this achieved$6 The text provides the method.

"When desires are many, the heart-mind scatters; when the heart-mind scatters, the will weakens; when the will weakens, thought cannot reach its destination."

This is the causal chain of "thought not reaching its destination." Many desires ("desires are many") -> the heart-mind scatters ("the heart-mind scatters") -> the will weakens ("the will weakens") -> thought cannot reach its destination ("thought cannot reach its destination").

Why do many desires cause the heart-mind to scatter$7 Because each desire draws off a portion of the heart-mind's energy; the more desires, the more the heart-mind is dispersed in different directions, like a stream of water divided into countless rivulets, each one powerless.

Why does a scattered heart-mind cause the will to weaken$8 Because the will is the core direction of the heart-mind; when the heart-mind scatters, the core direction is lost, and the will weakens. Like a general whose troops have dispersed -- the general is left isolated and powerless.

Why does a weakened will cause thought to fail$9 Because thought requires the will's command and guidance; with a weakened will, thought has no master and no direction, like an army without a general -- numerous but useless.

Here we may cite Master Meng as corroboration. Mengzi, "Gaozi Shang":

"Fish is what I desire; bear's paw is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I would give up fish and take bear's paw. Life is what I desire; righteousness is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I would give up life and take righteousness."

Master Meng's analogy illustrates that desires often conflict; one must make choices. The basis for choosing is the "will" -- one's most fundamental value orientation. If desires are too many and the will is unclear, one will be paralyzed by indecision, the heart-mind scattered and the will weakened.

Laozi, Chapter 12:

"The five colors blind the eyes; the five tones deafen the ears; the five flavors dull the palate; racing and hunting madden the heart; rare goods impede right conduct. Therefore the sage provides for the belly, not the eye. He rejects that and chooses this."

The five colors, five tones, five flavors, racing, and rare goods are all objects of external desire. The result of chasing these desires is "blinded eyes," "deafened ears," "dulled palate," "maddened heart," "impeded conduct" -- the senses lose their function, the heart-mind falls into frenzy, action is obstructed. This is a vivid illustration of "when desires are many, the heart-mind scatters; when the heart-mind scatters, the will weakens."

The sage's approach is "providing for the belly, not the eye" -- satisfying basic internal needs ("the belly") without chasing external sensory desires ("the eye"). "Rejecting that and choosing this" -- rejecting the external (that), choosing the internal (this). This is the basic strategy of "nourishing the will": reduce external desires, return to one's inner direction.

The numinous turtle's "surviving without eating" is the extreme of "providing for the belly, not the eye" -- the turtle has reduced even "providing for the belly" to an absolute minimum (or even nothing at all), let alone "providing for the eye." The turtle's desires approach zero, and thus its heart-mind does not scatter, its will does not weaken, and its thought can reach its destination. This is the first layer of meaning in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle": emulate the numinous turtle's fewness of desires to cultivate the steadfastness of will.

"Therefore, when the heart-qi is unified, desires do not wander; when desires do not wander, the will and intention do not weaken; when the will and intention do not weaken, thought and principle reach their destination."

This is the causal chain of "thought reaching its destination," the exact inverse of the chain of "thought not reaching its destination." Heart-qi unified ("heart-qi is unified") -> desires do not wander ("desires do not wander") -> will and intention do not weaken ("will and intention do not weaken") -> thought and principle reach their destination ("thought and principle reach their destination").

"Heart-qi unified" -- the qi of the heart-mind is unified and concentrated, not scattered or contradictory. The character "one" (yi) is the core method of "nourishing the will." To nourish the will is to bring the heart-qi to "unity."

Why does "unified heart-qi" stop desires from wandering$10 Because unified heart-qi means the heart-mind has a clear core direction; under this core direction, the various desires no longer act independently or conflict with each other ("do not wander" -- do not drift or fall into confusion) but are subsumed under the guidance of the will, each finding its proper place.

Why does "desires not wandering" prevent the will from weakening$11 Because desires are no longer chaotic, the will is no longer pulled in all directions or drained of energy, and thus remains full and undiminished.

Why does "will and intention not weakening" allow thought and principle to reach their destination$12 Because the will and intention are full, thought has powerful momentum and a clear direction, like water filling a channel and flowing without obstruction. Thus it can penetrate to "principle" (li) -- the principles of things.

The character "principle" (li) in "thought and principle reach their destination" is extremely important. Not only does thought reach its destination, but "thought and principle reach their destination" -- thought penetrates to "principle" -- the principle of things, the principle of Heaven and Earth, the principles of human affairs. This is the second layer of meaning in the numinous turtle's "numinosity": not only can it penetrate the hidden and the manifest, but it can perceive all principles.

The numinous turtle, resting within its shell, its heart-qi concentrated in unity and undisturbed by external things, is therefore "numinous" -- able to penetrate the principles of all things. If a person can emulate the numinous turtle and bring the heart-qi to unity, they too can penetrate all principles. This is the core meaning of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

Here we may cite the Guanzi, "Xinshu Shang" (Art of the Heart-Mind, Part One), as corroboration:

"The heart-mind's position in the body is that of the ruler. The nine orifices each have their functions, like the offices of officials. When the heart-mind abides in its proper Way, the nine orifices follow their principles. But when appetites and desires fill it to overflowing, the eyes no longer see colors, the ears no longer hear sounds. Therefore it is said: 'When the superior departs from the Way, the subordinates lose their duties.'"

The heart-mind holds the position of ruler in the body. The nine orifices each have their functions, like the offices of officials. When the heart-mind abides in the proper Way, the nine orifices each follow their principles and function well. But when appetites and desires fill the heart-mind, the eyes, though present, cannot see; the ears, though present, cannot hear -- the senses exist but their functions are lost. This is entirely consistent with the Guiguzi's statement that "when desires are many, the heart-mind scatters; when the heart-mind scatters, the will weakens."

The Guanzi, "Xinshu Shang" further states:

"Empty your desires, and the spirit will enter and dwell. Sweep away impurities, and the spirit will remain."

Empty desires, and the spirit enters and takes up residence. Sweep away what is impure, and the spirit remains. This "emptying desires" is the opening practice of "nourishing the will," and "the spirit will enter and dwell" is the "numinosity" of the "numinous turtle" -- when the heart-mind is emptied, the numinous spirit arrives of itself.

"When principle is reached, harmony flows; when harmony flows, disordered qi does not vex the chest."

After "principle is reached" comes "harmony flows" -- harmonious and unobstructed. After "harmony flows" comes "disordered qi does not vex the chest" -- chaotic qi no longer agitates the chest.

This reveals the effect of "nourishing the will": thought reaching principle -> harmonious flow -> the chest no longer vexed by disorder. One who nourishes the will ultimately attains a state of harmony, flow, and inner peace -- the chest is free of the agitation of chaotic qi, like the limpidity of autumn waters, like the dustless surface of a bright mirror.

This state is precisely a portrait of the numinous turtle's inner condition -- within the turtle's shell, all is quiet and orderly, without chaotic currents of air (the turtle breathes extremely slowly and steadily), without agitated movement (the turtle lies hidden and motionless). If the human chest can be as peaceful and orderly as the interior of the turtle's shell, then the work of nourishing the will has borne fruit.

Here we may cite Laozi, Chapter 37:

"The Way is ever non-acting, yet nothing is left undone. If lords and kings could hold to it, the myriad things would transform of themselves. If, having transformed, desire arises, I would subdue it with the nameless uncarved block. The nameless uncarved block will also lead to desirelessness. Desireless and thus still, all under Heaven will settle of itself."

"Desireless and thus still, all under Heaven will settle of itself" -- without desire and returning to stillness, all under Heaven settles by itself. The human chest is like all under Heaven; the tumult of desires within the chest is like disorder under Heaven. Remove the desires and return to stillness, and the chest settles of itself, the disordered qi disperses. This is entirely consistent with "when harmony flows, disordered qi does not vex the chest."

"Therefore, inwardly one uses this to nourish the will, and outwardly to know others. Nourishing the will, the heart-mind becomes penetrating; knowing others, roles and duties become clear."

This reveals the dual function of "nourishing the will": inner and outer.

"Inwardly, one uses this to nourish one's own will and temperament." "Outwardly, one uses it to understand the will and temperament of others."

This dual inner-outer application is the distinctive contribution of the Guiguzi as a work of Strategist learning. The Daoist approach to "nourishing the will" focuses primarily on inner cultivation -- personal spiritual refinement and liberation. The Guiguzi's "nourishing the will" encompasses not only the dimension of inner cultivation but also the dimension of outer application -- nourishing one's own will while simultaneously gaining insight into the wills of others.

Why does "nourishing the will" enable one to "know others"$13 Because the essential nature of will is universal -- every person has a will, and the operative principles of the will are the same everywhere. The process of nourishing one's own will is a process of deeply understanding the nature and laws of will itself. When you deeply understand how will operates (how it is drawn by desire, how it weakens through a scattered heart-mind, how it becomes penetrating through a unified heart-mind), you can use this knowledge to observe and judge the state of others' wills.

This is the foundation of the Strategist's art -- to persuade, influence, and manage others, one must first know them; to know them, one must first know oneself; and the path to knowing oneself is nourishing the will.

"Nourishing the will, the heart-mind becomes penetrating" -- nourishing the will makes the heart-mind penetrating. "Knowing others, roles and duties become clear" -- knowing others makes each person's role (their capacity, ability, position) clearly discernible.

The phrase "roles and duties become clear" carries political and strategic overtones. The work of the Strategists often involves political operations -- forming alliances, deploying talents, assigning roles. To do this well, one must "know others"; knowing others enables one to "clarify roles and duties" -- to clearly understand what each person is suited for, capable of, and likely to do, thereby making optimal arrangements.

"If you intend to apply this to others, you must first understand how they nourish their qi and will. Know whether a person's qi is flourishing or declining, and thereby nourish their will, observing where their heart finds peace."

This sentence further elaborates the specific method of "outwardly knowing others."

"If you intend to apply this to others" -- if you wish to apply (the art of nourishing the will) to others. "You must first understand how they nourish their qi and will" -- you must first understand the state of the other person's qi and will. "Know whether a person's qi is flourishing or declining" -- determine whether this person's qi is flourishing or declining. "And thereby nourish their will" -- and then cultivate (or guide) their will. "Observing where their heart finds peace" -- observe where their heart-mind finds peace.

Several extremely important concepts appear here:

I. "Nourishing qi and will" -- the relationship between qi and will. We have already cited Master Meng's statement: "The will is the commander of the qi; the qi is what fills the body." The will commands the qi. To understand a person's will, first observe their qi. One whose qi is flourishing may have a will that is either flourishing or arrogant; one whose qi is declining may have a will that is either weakened or restrained. Understanding the flourishing or declining of their qi allows one to infer the state of their will.

II. "Nourish their will" -- guiding the will of others. Here "nourish" means not only to cultivate one's own will but also to cultivate and guide the will of others. The art of the Strategist lies in the ability to guide the direction of others' wills -- to make others' wills develop in the direction you desire. This is the core technique of "applying it to others."

III. "Observing where their heart finds peace" -- observing where peace resides. A person's will ultimately settles somewhere. "Peace" (an) is the heart-mind's place of repose, its ultimate destination. To understand where a person's heart finds peace -- in fame$14 in profit$15 in the Way$16 in virtue$17 in power$18 in affection$19 -- is to understand the deepest essence of that person's will, and thus to formulate a response accordingly.

This accords closely with the Guanzi, "Mumin" (Shepherding the People):

"All who possess territory and shepherd people must devote themselves to the four seasons and safeguard the granaries. When the state has abundant wealth, those far away will come; when the land is opened and cultivated, the people will settle. When the granaries are full, the people know propriety; when food and clothing are sufficient, they know honor and shame."

The ruler of a state must know where the people find peace -- they find peace in food and clothing, in full granaries. Knowing where the people find peace, one can govern accordingly. The Strategist, knowing where a person finds peace, can formulate strategy accordingly. The principle is the same; only the level differs.

The "observing where their heart finds peace" discussed here also illuminates a passage from Lunyu, "Weizheng":

"The Master said: 'Observe what a person does, examine their motivations, and scrutinize where they find peace. How can anyone hide$20 How can anyone hide$21'"

The Master's "observe what a person does, examine their motivations, and scrutinize where they find peace" -- look at their actions (what they do), observe their methods (their motivations), deeply scrutinize where their heart finds peace (where they are at rest) -- three progressive steps, from outer to inner, ultimately pointing directly to the will of the heart-mind. "How can anyone hide$22" -- what can anyone possibly conceal$23 This method of knowing people is continuous with the Guiguzi's "observing where their heart finds peace."

Section 3: Interpreting the Middle Passage: "Now, the Will Must Not Be Fixed"

"Now, the will must not be fixed to one direction; that it must not be fixed means the will cannot be foreknown. This is called unfathomable wisdom, the extraordinary strategy of the sage."

This passage appears to contradict the preceding one -- the earlier text said "when the heart-qi is unified, desires do not wander," emphasizing the importance of "unity"; now it says "the will must not be fixed." How should this be understood$24

"Must not be fixed" (bu ke yi) here does not mean the will should not be unified, but that the will cannot be locked into a single unchanging direction. "The will must not be fixed" means the will must not be predictable to others as pointing in a fixed direction. This is what the Sunzi Bingfa, "Void and Substance" chapter, describes:

"His victories in battle are unrepeatable; he responds to forms without limit."

The marvel of military command is non-repetition -- each victory employs a different method, because one's responses change endlessly with the situation. The will is the same -- when nourished to a profound level, it is not rigidly fixed but flexibly changing and unpredictable.

"The will cannot be foreknown" -- your true direction of will must not be knowable to others in advance. This is one of the core secrets of the Strategist's art: one's true will must be hidden from the opponent. If your will is foreknown by the opponent, all your actions can be anticipated, and you lose the initiative.

The numinous turtle image is exquisitely apt here -- the turtle withdrawn into its shell, no one can see what lies within, or in which direction the head and tail will emerge. One on the outside sees only a closed shell, with no way to judge the turtle's next move. This is the perfect symbol of "the will must not be fixed, cannot be foreknown."

"This is called unfathomable wisdom, the extraordinary strategy of the sage." -- this is unfathomable wisdom, the sage's marvelous stratagem.

"Unfathomable wisdom" -- wisdom that cannot be measured. This "unfathomable" is not the absence of wisdom but its highest form. The highest wisdom is that which cannot be fathomed -- you know it exists, but you cannot predict how it will operate. Like the numinous turtle's numinosity -- you know the turtle has the power of numinous efficacy, but you do not know what image the crack pattern will present or what it will foretell.

"The extraordinary strategy of the sage" -- the sage's marvelous stratagem. "Extraordinary" (qi) means unexpected. The sage's strategies are not played by conventional rules but are unexpected and unpredictable.

Here we may cite Laozi, Chapter 73:

"The Way of Heaven does not contend, yet excels in victory; does not speak, yet excels in response; is not summoned, yet comes of itself; is unhurried, yet excels in planning. The net of Heaven is vast; its mesh is wide, yet nothing slips through."

The Way of Heaven is "unhurried, yet excels in planning" -- seemingly slow and relaxed, yet in fact masterful in its planning. This is precisely the image of the numinous turtle -- the turtle appears slow and clumsy (unhurried), yet its inner luminosity excels in planning all things. The Way of Heaven is unpredictable ("the net of Heaven is vast; its mesh is wide, yet nothing slips through"); the strategies of one who nourishes the will are likewise unpredictable ("unfathomable wisdom").

Sunzi Bingfa, "Planning" chapter:

"War is the way of deception. Therefore: when able, appear unable; when active, appear inactive; when near, appear far; when far, appear near."

Military strategy is based on "deception" -- presenting false appearances to the enemy. This resonates with the principle that "the will cannot be foreknown." One who nourishes the will may not display their true will outwardly -- when able, appearing unable; when active, appearing inactive. This is the application of the numinous turtle's shell-withdrawal technique in Strategist strategy.

"When applied to others, one measures their intelligence and ability, estimates their qi and momentum, establishes a pivot to meet them, follows them, uses the pincer technique to harmonize with them, and uses intention to guide them -- this is the deployment of the flying pincers."

This sentence applies the art of "nourishing the will" to the practical operations of dealing with others.

"Measure their intelligence and ability" -- assess the other party's wisdom and talent. "Estimate their qi and momentum" -- gauge the other party's spirit and power. "Establish a pivot to meet them" -- set up a pivotal strategic point to receive them. "Follow them" -- follow along with them (adapt to their movements). "Use the pincer technique to harmonize" -- use the pincer method to work with them. "Use intention to guide them" -- use intention to lead them. "This is the deployment of the flying pincers" -- this is the coordinated use of the flying pincers technique.

This involves the Guiguzi's "Flying Pincers" technique (Chapter Five) and need not be discussed in detail here. The key point is: the work of nourishing the will is here transformed into practical Strategist strategy -- because your will is cultivated (penetrating, steadfast, flexible), you can accurately measure others' intelligence, gauge their momentum, establish appropriate pivots, and nimbly accommodate and control them.

This is like a bright mirror -- the mirror must first be clear itself (nourishing the will) before it can reflect external things (knowing and managing others). Nourishing the will is "making the mirror bright"; knowing and managing others is "reflecting things."

Section 4: Interpreting the Final Passage: "When Applied to Oneself"

"When applied to oneself, one uses this to nourish the will and thereby know oneself. Self-knowledge leads to freedom from confusion; freedom from confusion leads to freedom from fear; freedom from fear leads to a settled will. A settled will leads to careful bearing; careful bearing leads to ready response. Ready response means no one can harm you. This is the Way of nourishing the will."

This passage presents the chain of effects when "nourishing the will" is applied to oneself, with great precision.

"When applied to oneself, one uses this to nourish the will and thereby know oneself." -- applied to oneself, one uses this method to nourish the will and achieve self-knowledge.

"Self-knowledge leads to freedom from confusion" -- knowing oneself eliminates confusion. Why$25 Because confusion arises from not understanding oneself -- not understanding one's true situation, true needs, true abilities, true limits. Understanding oneself dissolves these confusions.

This accords with the Most High's (Laozi's) words: "One who knows oneself is illumined" (Laozi, Chapter 33). It also accords with the Master's (Kongzi's) words: "To know what you know and know what you do not know -- this is true knowledge" (Lunyu, "Weizheng"). Self-knowledge is the starting point of wisdom.

"Freedom from confusion leads to freedom from fear" -- without confusion, there is no fear. Why$26 Because fear often arises from uncertainty -- uncertainty about what lies ahead, whether one can cope, what the outcome will be. One who is free from confusion has clear understanding of oneself and the situation, and naturally will not be afraid.

Lunyu, "Zihan":

"The Master said: 'The wise are free from confusion; the humane are free from anxiety; the courageous are free from fear.'"

The wise are free from confusion -- those with wisdom do not waver. This accords with "self-knowledge leads to freedom from confusion." And "freedom from fear" equals "freedom from fear." The Master associates three virtues -- wisdom, humaneness, courage -- with three states -- freedom from confusion, freedom from anxiety, freedom from fear. The Guiguzi's chain of "self-knowledge -> freedom from confusion -> freedom from fear -> settled will" integrates all three -- self-knowledge is wisdom, freedom from confusion is illumination, freedom from fear is courage, and a settled will is humaneness (being at peace in righteousness).

"Freedom from fear leads to a settled will" -- without fear, the will becomes settled. Fear is the greatest enemy of a settled will. The reason people's wills are unsettled is often fear -- fear of failure, of loss, of danger, of isolation. Once fear is gone, the will naturally settles like a mountain.

The numinous turtle withdrawn into its shell does not fear external threats (because the hard shell protects it), and thus its will is settled and unmoved. "Nourishing the will" for a human being is like building a shell for the heart-mind -- not closing oneself off, but establishing an inner sense of security so that the heart-mind no longer trembles and wavers from external threats.

"A settled will leads to careful bearing" -- when the will is settled, one's bearing and demeanor become dignified and deliberate. "Bearing" (weiyi) is one's outward posture and presence. When the will is settled within, it naturally manifests as dignified bearing without -- like the turtle's shell: inwardly settled, outwardly presenting an image of dignified composure.

"Careful bearing leads to ready response" -- when one's bearing is dignified, one's responses are swift and thorough. "Ready" (ji) means sufficient, ample, nimble. When the will is settled and bearing is dignified, one can face any situation with composure and respond with ease. Like the numinous turtle's concealment -- seemingly motionless, yet at any moment it can extend its head, tail, and four legs to respond to any situation, acting swiftly at the appropriate moment.

"Ready response means no one can harm you" -- when one's responses are swift and thorough, no one can cause harm. This is the ultimate effect of nourishing the will -- reaching a state of invulnerability. This does not mean physical invincibility but spiritual impenetrability -- because your will is settled, your bearing is dignified, and your responses are ready, others can find no weakness through which to penetrate, destabilize, or harm you.

Like the numinous turtle's shell -- hard and seamless, enemies have no way in. The turtle withdrawn into its shell cannot be harmed by the fierce beast's claws or the venomous serpent's fangs. If one nourishes the will as the numinous turtle does, one's spiritual shell becomes impregnable, and others' schemes, slanders, threats, and enticements cannot shake it.

"This is the Way of nourishing the will." -- this is the principle of nourishing the will.

This sentence concludes the entire chapter, closing with the word "Way" (dao). "Nourishing the will" is not merely a specific method or technique but a "Way" -- a universal and fundamental principle.

Section 5: The Overall Structure of Meaning in "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle"

Synthesizing the entire chapter, the structure of meaning in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" can be outlined as follows:

I. The problem stated (why nourishing the will is needed):

• The heart-mind's thought-qi cannot reach its destination -> because many desires scatter the heart-mind and weaken the will -> therefore the will needs nourishing

II. The core method (how to nourish the will):

• Heart-qi unified -> desires do not wander -> will and intention do not weaken -> thought and principle reach their destination -> harmony flows -> disordered qi does not vex
• The core lies in "unifying the heart-qi"

III. The dual function (what nourishing the will is for):

• Inner use: nourishing the will -> the heart-mind becomes penetrating
• Outer use: knowing others -> roles and duties become clear

IV. Outer application (applied to others):

• Know their nourished qi and will -> know their qi's flourishing or decline -> nourish their will -> observe where their heart finds peace
• Measure intelligence, estimate momentum, establish pivots, meet-follow-pincer-guide

V. Strategic subtlety (the unfathomability of will):

• The will must not be fixed -> cannot be foreknown -> unfathomable wisdom -> the sage's extraordinary strategy

VI. Inner application (applied to oneself):

• Nourish the will and know oneself -> freedom from confusion -> freedom from fear -> settled will -> careful bearing -> ready response -> no one can harm you

These six layers -- from problem to method, from inner cultivation to outer application, from strategy to effect -- are interlocking and progressively deepening, forming a rigorous and complete system.

And the symbolism of the "numinous turtle" runs throughout:

• The turtle's fewness of desires -> unified heart-qi
• The turtle's concealment -> withdrawing and storing in secrecy
• The turtle's longevity -> will and intention do not weaken
• The turtle's numinous efficacy -> thought and principle reach their destination, knowing others
• The turtle shell's closure -> will cannot be foreknown
• The turtle shell's hardness -> no one can harm you

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" -- these five characters condense an extremely complex system of spiritual cultivation and Strategist strategy into the most concise possible expression.

Chapter Five: The Internal Connections Between "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" and Other Chapters of the Guiguzi

Section 1: Connection with "Filling the Spirit by Emulating the Five Dragons"

"Filling the Spirit by Emulating the Five Dragons" is the first chapter of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans; "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" is the second. Their relationship: filling the spirit is the prerequisite for nourishing the will; nourishing the will is the extension of filling the spirit.

The core idea of "Filling the Spirit by Emulating the Five Dragons" is: the spirit must be abundant, like the Five Dragons filling Heaven and Earth. Only with an abundant spirit is there a "will" to nourish -- without spirit, there is no will to speak of. As Master Meng said: "Qi is what fills the body" -- qi fills the body and gives it vitality. Spirit, abundant within the heart-mind, gives it vitality, and only then can one speak of "nourishing the will."

The Five Dragons represent the dragons of the five phases -- metal, wood, water, fire, earth. The five phases represent the totality of Heaven and Earth's forces; the Five Dragons represent the full abundance of the spirit. The abundance of spirit must not be partial but comprehensive -- like the five phases being complete, like the five dragons soaring together. Only when the spirit is comprehensively abundant does the will have a rich foundation for nurturing.

Section 2: Connection with "Making Intention Substantial by Emulating the Soaring Serpent"

"Making Intention Substantial by Emulating the Soaring Serpent" is the third chapter. After "nourishing the will" comes "making intention substantial" -- after nurturing the will, one must solidify one's intentions.

"Will" (zhi) is the grand direction; "intention" (yi) is specific thoughts and ideas. When the will is settled, intention can be made substantial -- once the grand direction is determined, specific ideas become solid and forceful rather than empty and drifting.

The soaring serpent can fly through the air and also make itself invisible. To "make intention substantial" by emulating the soaring serpent means that intention should be as flexibly transformative as the soaring serpent (flying through the air) while remaining solid and real (the soaring serpent, though it can become invisible, truly exists).

The relationship between "nourishing the will" and "making intention substantial": will is the root, intention the branches and leaves. When the root is deep, the branches and leaves flourish -- when the will is well nourished, intention naturally becomes substantial. Conversely, to seek substantial intention without nourishing the will is like wanting a rootless tree to flourish -- impossible.

Section 3: Connection with "Opening and Closing"

The Guiguzi opens with "Opening and Closing, Chapter One":

"Opening and closing are the Way of Heaven and Earth. Opening and closing set yin and yang in motion; the four seasons open and close to transform the myriad things. Alliance and opposition, advance and retreat, reversal and counter -- all must proceed from this."

"Opening" (bai) means to open, to extend. "Closing" (he) means to shut, to join. The Way of opening and closing is the fundamental operating principle of Heaven and Earth.

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" has a deep internal connection with the Way of "opening and closing":

The numinous turtle's concealment is "closing" -- shutting, drawing in. The numinous turtle's extending of head and tail for action is "opening" -- releasing, spreading out. The turtle can close and can open, can withdraw and can release -- this is the finest embodiment of the Way of "opening and closing."

One who nourishes the will should likewise master the subtleties of "opening and closing" like the numinous turtle -- when to close (restrain the will, hide intentions, maintain defensive stillness), when to open (display talents, declare positions, act energetically). The fine calibration between the two is the essence of the Strategist's art.

And the foundation of the Way of "opening and closing" is precisely "nourishing the will" -- if the will is not nourished and the heart-mind is not settled, one will not know when to open and when to close. When opening and closing are mistimed, all Strategist arts become empty talk.

"Opening is for gauging their feelings. Closing is for securing their sincerity. In all cases, one observes the balance of weight and measure, and then determines the proper degree. The sage plans accordingly."

"Opening is for gauging their feelings" -- one opens to probe the other's situation. "Closing is for securing their sincerity" -- one closes to confirm (bind) the other's commitment. This is the outer application of nourishing the will -- in the interplay of opening and closing, one probes the feelings and will of others.

Section 4: Connection with "Response and Reaction"

Guiguzi, "Response and Reaction, Chapter Two":

"Those of antiquity who greatly transformed things came into being together with the formless. By reflecting, they observed the past; by verifying, they tested the future. By reflecting, they knew antiquity; by verifying, they knew the present. By reflecting, they knew the other; by verifying, they knew the self. The principles of movement and stillness, emptiness and fullness -- if they do not accord with the present, one must return them to antiquity. There are matters that are revealed through reversal -- this is the sage's intention."

"By reflecting, they observed the past; by verifying, they tested the future" -- returning to observe the past, verifying to foretell the future. This is precisely the meaning of the numinous turtle's "through spirit he knows what is to come; through wisdom he stores what has passed" (Yijing, Xici). The numinous turtle's numinosity lies precisely in its ability to "know what is to come and store what has passed" -- penetrating both past and future.

"Nourishing the will" enables a person to acquire this numinous capacity for "knowing what is to come and storing what has passed." When the will is cultivated and the heart-mind penetrates, one can reflect on the patterns of history ("by reflecting, they knew antiquity") and thereby foresee future trends ("by verifying, they knew the present"). This is the deeper meaning of the "numinous" in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" -- luminous penetration, threading through past and present.

Section 5: Connection with the "Weighing" and "Probing" Chapters

Guiguzi, "Weighing, Chapter Seven":

"Those in antiquity who were skilled at managing all under Heaven necessarily weighed the power of all under Heaven and assessed the sentiments of the feudal lords. If one does not carefully weigh power, one cannot know the balance of strength and weakness; if one does not carefully assess sentiments, one cannot know the movements of what is hidden and changing."

"Assessing sentiments" -- probing the true feelings and intentions of others. This is the specific technique of the outer application of "nourishing the will." To "assess sentiments" well, one must first "nourish the will" -- only with a well-cultivated will and a penetrating heart-mind can one acutely perceive the feelings and will of others.

Guiguzi, "Probing, Chapter Eight":

"Probing is the technique of assessment. The inner tally is the master of assessment. Its application has a Way, and that Way must be hidden. Subtly probe by means of what they desire, test and explore, and the inner tally will surely respond. When it responds, there will surely be something to work with."

"Probing" (mo) means rubbing, testing -- using subtle trial to understand the other's inner world. "Inner tally" (neifu) -- the inner correspondence, the other's true inner reaction. "Subtly probe by means of what they desire" -- use what the other desires as a subtle test.

This technique of "probing" is extremely similar to the numinous turtle's divination -- divination involves subtly disturbing the turtle shell through scorching, causing the shell's inner structure to manifest as external crack patterns. "Probing" involves subtly stimulating the other's inner world, causing their true inner feelings to manifest as external reactions. The turtle shell's crack patterns are the "response of the inner tally."

From this we can see that "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" is not only a method of inner cultivation but also the methodological foundation of the entire Strategist art of the Guiguzi. Nourishing the will is the inner work; weighing and probing are the outer application. Only when the inner work is deep can the outer application be refined.

Chapter Six: The Stages of Cultivation and Specific Methods of "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle"

Section 1: The Prerequisite for Nourishing the Will: Few Desires

According to the Guiguzi text, the first step in nourishing the will is reducing desires -- "when desires are many, the heart-mind scatters," hence one must have few desires so the heart-mind does not scatter.

Pre-Qin discourse on "few desires" is extremely rich.

Laozi, Chapter 19:

"Display plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires."

"Display plainness, embrace simplicity" -- reveal one's plain and unadorned nature. "Reduce selfishness, have few desires" -- diminish self-interest, reduce desires. This is the opening practice of nourishing the will.

Mengzi, "Jin Xin Xia":

"For nourishing the heart-mind, nothing is better than having few desires. If a person has few desires, though there may be moments when the original heart-mind is lost, they will be few. If a person has many desires, though there may be moments when the original heart-mind is preserved, they will be few."

Master Meng directly states: the best method for nourishing the heart-mind (i.e., the will) is having few desires. A person of few desires rarely loses the original heart-mind; a person of many desires rarely preserves it. This is entirely consistent with the Guiguzi's "when desires are many, the heart-mind scatters."

The numinous turtle's abstention from food or near-abstention is the ultimate symbol of "few desires." The turtle is numinous and long-lived precisely because its desires are minimal -- it does not crave food, does not crave movement, does not crave interaction, does not crave contention. If one can emulate the numinous turtle's fewness of desires, the foundation for nourishing the will is already established.

Yet "few desires" is not "no desires." The sages of high antiquity never demanded the complete elimination of desires (unlike certain later religious teachings). Pre-Qin thought generally advocates "few desires" -- reducing unnecessary desires while retaining basic, reasonable ones. Just as the turtle's abstention from food is not absolute but rather an extreme reduction.

The Yueji (Record of Music) chapter of the Liji:

"Humans are born in stillness -- this is the nature bestowed by Heaven. Stirred by contact with things, the nature moves -- this is the desire inherent in nature. When things arrive, the knowing mind knows them, and then likes and dislikes take shape. When likes and dislikes have no internal regulation, and knowledge is lured by external things, one cannot return to oneself, and the Heavenly principle is destroyed. When external things stir people without limit, and likes and dislikes have no regulation, then things arrive and people are transformed by things. To be transformed by things is to destroy the Heavenly principle and exhaust human desires."

"Humans are born in stillness -- this is the nature bestowed by Heaven" -- humans are naturally still at birth; this is Heaven-given nature. "Stirred by contact with things, the nature moves -- this is the desire inherent in nature" -- stimulated by external things, the nature is activated; this is desire as part of human nature. Desire itself is not evil -- "the desire inherent in nature" -- it is part of human nature. The problem lies in "likes and dislikes have no internal regulation, and knowledge is lured by external things" -- when emotions of like and dislike are unregulated and reason is seduced by external things, then "the Heavenly principle is destroyed."

"To be transformed by things is to destroy the Heavenly principle and exhaust human desires" -- when people are transformed by things, the Heavenly principle is destroyed and human desires become limitless. This is another expression of "when desires are many, the heart-mind scatters, the will weakens, and thought cannot reach its destination."

The "few desires" of nourishing the will is precisely aimed at preventing "people being transformed by things" -- letting people master things rather than letting things master people. The numinous turtle resting within its shell, where external things cannot intrude, is the image of people not being transformed by things.

Section 2: The Core of Nourishing the Will: Unifying Heart-Qi

After reducing desires, the core of nourishing the will lies in "unifying heart-qi" -- making the qi within the heart-mind concentrated and unified.

How does one achieve "unified heart-qi"$27 Pre-Qin texts describe multiple methods:

I. Guarding stillness.

Laozi, Chapter 16: "Attain the utmost emptiness; guard the deepest stillness."

Guanzi, "Neiye" (Inner Cultivation):

"The natural form of the heart-mind is self-filling, self-completing, self-generating, self-accomplishing. The reason it is lost is due to worry, joy, anger, desire, and profit. If one can remove worry, joy, anger, desire, and profit, the heart-mind returns to its completion."

The natural state of the heart-mind is self-filling, self-completing, self-generating, self-accomplishing -- it is inherently unified and complete. The reason this natural state is lost is interference from worry, joy, anger, desire, and profit. Remove these interferences, and the heart-mind returns to its natural completeness. This "returning to completion" is "unified heart-qi" -- the heart-mind returning to its natural state of unity.

Guanzi, "Neiye" further states:

"Correct the form, gather virtue, and Heavenly humaneness and Earthly righteousness will flow in of themselves. The utmost of spirit illumination shines upon and knows the myriad things. Hold to righteousness within and do not deviate; do not let things disorder the senses, do not let the senses disorder the heart-mind. This is called attaining the center."

"Do not let things disorder the senses, do not let the senses disorder the heart-mind" -- prevent external things from disrupting the senses, prevent the senses from disrupting the heart-mind. This is the method of "unifying heart-qi" -- cutting off the chain of disturbance from external things to the heart-mind. The numinous turtle's shell serves precisely this blocking function -- isolating external things outside the shell so that the turtle within is undisturbed, and the heart-qi naturally unifies.

II. Focused concentration.

The Dasheng chapter of the Zhuangzi contains the parable of the hunchback catching cicadas:

"Kongzi traveled to Chu and, passing through a forest, saw a hunchback catching cicadas with a sticky pole as easily as picking them up by hand. Kongzi asked: 'Are you so skilled$28 Is there a Way to it$29' The hunchback replied: 'I have a Way. After five or six months of practice, when I can balance two pellets on the tip of my pole without them falling, I miss very few. When I can balance three without them falling, I miss only one in ten. When I can balance five without them falling, it is like picking them up by hand. I hold my body like a withered tree stump; I hold my arm like a dead branch. Though Heaven and Earth are vast and the myriad things are many, I am aware only of the cicada's wing. I do not turn or lean; I would not trade the cicada's wing for any of the myriad things. How could I fail to catch them$30'"

The hunchback catches cicadas through extreme concentration -- "though Heaven and Earth are vast and the myriad things are many, I am aware only of the cicada's wing" -- Heaven and Earth may be vast and things may be countless, but in my mind there is only the cicada's wing. "I do not turn or lean; I would not trade the cicada's wing for any of the myriad things" -- I neither turn my head nor lean my body; nothing in the world could take the place of the cicada's wing in my heart-mind.

This is the extreme of "unified heart-qi" -- extreme concentration brings the heart-qi to a high degree of focus on a single point, without scattering or disorder. The hunchback's "holding his body like a withered tree stump" is like the numinous turtle's motionless concealment. His "holding his arm like a dead branch" is like the turtle's rigidly extended limbs.

Master Zhuang uses this parable to illustrate that extreme concentration can reach a "divine" level -- like the "numinous" of the numinous turtle. The hunchback catches cicadas "as easily as picking them up by hand"; this skill lies not in manual dexterity but in mental focus -- when the heart-qi is unified, technique advances to the level of the Way.

III. Heart-fasting and sitting-in-forgetting.

We have already cited the "heart-fasting" (xin zhai) passage from the Renjianshi chapter of the Zhuangzi. Additionally, there is the concept of "sitting-in-forgetting" (zuo wang).

The Dazongshi (The Great Master) chapter of the Zhuangzi records Yan Hui's words:

"Hui has achieved sitting-in-forgetting." Zhongni (Kongzi) was startled and asked: "What do you mean by sitting-in-forgetting$31" Yan Hui replied: "I let my limbs drop away, dismiss my hearing and sight, leave behind my form and abandon knowledge, and become one with the Great Penetration. This is what I call sitting-in-forgetting."

"Let my limbs drop away" -- forgetting one's body. "Dismiss my hearing and sight" -- abandoning the intelligence of eyes and ears. "Leave behind form and abandon knowledge" -- freeing oneself from bodily constraints and releasing intellectual attachments. "Become one with the Great Penetration" -- merging with the great Way.

This state of "sitting-in-forgetting" is the ultimate expression of "unified heart-qi" -- the heart-qi is unified to the point where even one's own body and intellect dissolve, merging into oneness with the great Way. This state is also the highest level of the numinous turtle's "numinosity" -- not merely the small-scale numinous efficacy of divination, but the numinosity of communion with the great Way.

IV. Guarding the One.

Beyond the Laozi, Chapter 10, "carrying the bodily soul embracing the One," the Guanzi, "Neiye" also discusses "guarding the One":

"To transform one thing is called spiritual; to change one affair is called wise. To transform without changing the qi, to change without changing the wisdom -- only the noble person who grasps the One can do this. Grasping the One without losing it, one can be lord of the myriad things."

"Grasping the One without losing it, one can be lord of the myriad things" -- holding to the "One" without losing it enables one to master all things. This "One" is the unity of heart-qi, the root of will. To nourish the will is to nourish this "One." The numinous turtle's shell, unifying its entire body into a single complete whole, is the image of "grasping the One."

Section 3: Deepening Nourishment: Self-Knowledge

After "unifying heart-qi," the further deepening of nourishing the will is "self-knowledge" -- "when applied to oneself, one uses this to nourish the will and thereby know oneself."

Self-knowledge means recognizing one's true nature. This is no easy task.

Laozi, Chapter 33:

"One who knows others is wise; one who knows oneself is illumined."

Knowing others is "wisdom"; knowing oneself is "illumination." "Illumination" stands higher than "wisdom" -- knowing others is already difficult, knowing oneself is even more so, hence the higher term.

Sunzi Bingfa, "Offensive Strategy":

"Know the other and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will not be imperiled. Not knowing the other but knowing yourself, one victory for one defeat. Not knowing the other and not knowing yourself, in every battle you will be imperiled."

Knowing oneself and knowing the other are equally important. The Way of "nourishing the will" is precisely to first "know oneself" and then "know others." Self-knowledge is the foundation of all knowledge.

How does one achieve self-knowledge$1 Through nourishing the will -- heart-qi unified, thought and principle reaching their destination, harmony flowing without obstruction -- in this state, the heart-mind is like a bright mirror, limpid and clear, revealing one's true nature -- one's strengths and weaknesses, desires and fears, abilities and limits -- all clearly discerned.

The numinous turtle's self-knowledge: the turtle knows how hard its shell is, how slow its speed, how slight its strength. Precisely because the turtle understands all its own characteristics (self-knowledge), it can formulate the survival strategy best suited to itself -- withdrawing when threatened, diving when near water, basking when warm -- each response based on deep self-understanding. A person nourishing the will and achieving self-knowledge should likewise understand all their own characteristics and thereby formulate the life strategy best suited to themselves.

Section 4: The Effect of Nourishment: A Settled Will

Self-knowledge -> freedom from confusion -> freedom from fear -> settled will. A settled will is the core effect of nourishing the will.

What does "a settled will" mean$2

First, the heart-mind has an unshakable core. Like the numinous turtle's impregnable shell. No external impact -- threat, enticement, slander, or deception -- can shake this core.

Second, action has a clear and stable direction. One with a settled will knows what they want and do not want, what they should and should not do. They will not change direction because of momentary gains or losses.

Third, one's bearing has the quality of composed calm. "A settled will leads to careful bearing" -- one with a settled will naturally exudes an aura of composed calm; this bearing is the natural external expression of the inwardly settled will, not something deliberately put on.

Fourth, one's responses have the capacity for nimble precision. "Careful bearing leads to ready response" -- on the surface, "settled" and "ready" (nimble) seem contradictory -- settled means unmoving, ready means flexible. In fact, they are not. Precisely because the core is stable, one can be flexible in response -- like the numinous turtle's shell, firm and unmoving, while the turtle's head, tail, and four legs can extend and retract with agility. One whose core is unsettled may appear flexible but is actually chaotic -- moving without method, without center of gravity. One whose core is stable may appear still but can in fact make the most precisely timed response at the appropriate moment.

Here we may cite the Sunzi Bingfa, "Military Contention":

"Therefore the skilled commander avoids the enemy's keen spirit and strikes when it is sluggish and homeward-bound. This is the management of qi. Meeting disorder with order, meeting clamor with calm -- this is the management of the heart-mind."

"Meeting disorder with order, meeting clamor with calm" -- using orderliness to wait for chaos, using calm to wait for clamor. This is the way of one who nourishes the will -- remaining calm while waiting for the other to become chaotic, remaining stable while waiting for the other to waver, and then striking at the optimal moment. This is precisely like the numinous turtle's concealment -- patiently waiting for the external storm to pass, then extending head and tail to act when it is safe.

Section 5: The Highest State of Nourishment: Unfathomable Wisdom

"Now, the will must not be fixed to one direction; that it must not be fixed means the will cannot be foreknown. This is called unfathomable wisdom, the extraordinary strategy of the sage."

The highest state of nourishing the will is not the rigid fixation of will but its unpredictable transformation.

This seems contradictory -- the earlier text says "settled will," and here it says "must not be fixed" (not rigid). In fact, the two do not contradict -- "settled will" is inner stability (the core is stable and unshakable); "must not be fixed" is outer variability (the outwardly manifested will changes unpredictably).

Like the numinous turtle -- the shell is fixed (core stable), but the turtle within the shell can extend in any direction (externally unpredictable). An outsider sees only a closed shell and cannot know in which direction the turtle will move -- this is "cannot be foreknown."

Or like the ocean -- the seabed is stable (settled), but the surface waves change endlessly (not fixed). One who has nourished the will to an extremely high level has an interior like the stable seabed and an exterior like the unpredictably shifting surface.

This "unfathomable wisdom" is the highest mental teaching of the Strategist. The Strategist faces extremely complex and volatile political situations; if strategy is fixed and predictable, the opponent will inevitably counter it. Only when strategy is unpredictable and unknowable can one remain perpetually undefeated.

Yet the "unfathomable" is not without method -- within the "unfathomable" there is a "Way." This "Way" is the "One" of "unified heart-qi" -- though outward changes are infinite, the inner principle always follows a unified root (the Way). This is what the Laozi describes: "The Way gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to the myriad things" -- from "One" (the Way) arise infinite variations, yet all variations never depart from the root of "One."

Sunzi Bingfa, "Void and Substance":

"Now, the form of battle resembles water. Water's form avoids the high and flows to the low; the form of battle avoids the substantial and strikes the void. Water shapes its flow to the contours of the ground; battle shapes its victory to the contours of the enemy. Therefore battle has no constant configuration, just as water has no constant shape. One who can change in response to the enemy and achieve victory is called divine."

"Battle has no constant configuration, just as water has no constant shape" -- military operations have no fixed form, just as water has no fixed shape. "One who can change in response to the enemy and achieve victory is called divine" -- one who can adapt to the enemy's changes and win is called "divine" (shen).

This "divine" is the "numinous" (ling) of the numinous turtle -- flexibly changing, penetrating without obstruction, unfathomable. When the will is nourished to its highest level, it becomes "divine" -- like water without form, like the turtle beyond prediction, like the Way beyond image.

Part Three: Integration -- Connecting "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" with Pre-Qin Schools of Thought

Chapter Seven: Connecting "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" with Daoist Cultivation Theory

Section 1: Connection with the Laozi's "The Spirit of the Valley Never Dies"

Laozi, Chapter 6:

"The spirit of the valley never dies; this is called the mysterious female. The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. Continuous and unbroken, as if it exists; use it, and it is never exhausted."

"The spirit of the valley never dies" -- the spirit of the valley is eternal. A valley is an image of emptiness -- the valley is a valley because it is empty within, and thus can contain all things. "The spirit of the valley" is the wondrous power within emptiness.

This "spirit of the valley" has a deep correspondence with the "numinous turtle":

The interior of the turtle's shell is empty (xu), and this empty space contains the turtle's entire body (head, tail, and four legs can all be withdrawn). The shell's exterior is hard carapace; the shell's interior is an empty cavity. This empty cavity is like the emptiness of the valley -- precisely because of its emptiness, it can contain everything and generate everything.

"The spirit of the valley never dies" -- the spirit within emptiness never perishes. The numinous turtle's longevity is precisely because it guards its inner "emptiness" -- not filling up with desires, not filling up with distractions, maintaining the empty state of the heart-mind, like the emptiness of the valley. This empty state of the heart-mind is precisely the realm that "nourishing the will" aims to achieve -- when the will is nourished to its utmost, the heart-mind is empty like the valley, yet within it there naturally resides an undying "spirit" (luminosity).

"Continuous and unbroken, as if it exists; use it, and it is never exhausted" -- it stretches on as if barely existing, yet using it never exhausts it. This description also matches the numinous turtle's characteristics -- the turtle's life force is continuous and unbroken, as if barely there (when the turtle lies hidden and motionless, one can hardly tell if it is still alive), yet this life force "use it, and it is never exhausted." The heart-mind power of one who nourishes the will should be the same -- continuous as if barely there, yet inexhaustible in use.

Section 2: Connection with the Laozi's "The Highest Good Is Like Water"

Laozi, Chapter 8:

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits the myriad things and does not contend; it dwells in places that the multitude disdain. Therefore it is close to the Way. In dwelling, choose the right ground; in the heart-mind, prize depth; in giving, prize humaneness; in speech, prize trustworthiness; in governing, prize order; in affairs, prize ability; in action, prize timeliness. Only because it does not contend is it free from blame."

"The highest good is like water" -- the highest good is like water. Yet the numinous turtle of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" also possesses the virtue of "water" -- the turtle dwells in water, a numinous creature of the waters.

The virtue of water and the virtue of the turtle share deep affinities:

"Water benefits the myriad things and does not contend" -- the numinous turtle likewise does not contend. The turtle moves extremely slowly, not competing with others for precedence; the turtle's food is extremely simple, not competing with others for sustenance. This virtue of "not contending" is precisely the quality that "nourishing the will" aims to cultivate.

"It dwells in places that the multitude disdain" -- water occupies the lowest places, despised by the multitude. The turtle too dwells in the mud and water -- what Master Zhuang calls "dragging its tail in the mud" -- the muck and mire are precisely the "places the multitude disdain." Yet water and the turtle, in these lowly, damp places, are best able to nurture their numinosity -- water is stillest at the lowest point (still waters run deep), and the turtle is most at peace in the mud. One who nourishes the will should be the same -- one need not dwell in high or prominent positions; in low and humble circumstances, one can better nurture the will.

"In the heart-mind, prize depth" -- the heart-mind should be like a deep abyss. An abyss is unfathomable. This echoes "the will cannot be foreknown" and "unfathomable wisdom." The heart-mind of one who nourishes the will is like a deep abyss -- profound, mysterious, unfathomable.

"In action, prize timeliness" -- action should be well-timed. The numinous turtle's concealment and stillness is precisely a matter of waiting for the right moment. When the moment comes, the turtle extends head and tail, acting swiftly and precisely (when catching prey, the turtle extends its head with unexpected speed). One who nourishes the will should be the same -- still and settled most of the time, striking decisively at the critical moment.

Section 3: Connection with the Laozi's "Know the Male, Guard the Female"

Laozi, Chapter 28:

"Know the male, guard the female, and be the ravine of all under Heaven. Being the ravine of all under Heaven, the constant virtue does not depart, and one returns to infancy. Know the white, guard the black, and be the model for all under Heaven. Being the model for all under Heaven, the constant virtue does not err, and one returns to the limitless. Know glory, guard disgrace, and be the valley of all under Heaven. Being the valley of all under Heaven, the constant virtue is sufficient, and one returns to the uncarved block."

"Know the male, guard the female" -- know the way of strength, yet maintain the posture of weakness. This is the supreme subtlety of the numinous turtle -- the turtle's shell is extremely hard ("male"), yet its behavior is extremely gentle and weak ("female"). The turtle knows it has a hard shell (knows the male), yet always maintains its withdrawn, concealing, gentle posture (guards the female). This is "being the ravine of all under Heaven" -- like a small ravine, low and inconspicuous, yet capable of gathering all waters.

"Know the white, guard the black" -- know the principle of light, yet dwell in darkness. The numinous turtle often rests in dark places (underwater, in mud, beneath stones) -- this is "guarding the black." Yet the turtle's luminous clarity penetrates the principles of all things -- this is "knowing the white." One who nourishes the will should be the same -- understanding all principles (knowing the white), yet willingly dwelling in obscurity, neither displaying nor flaunting (guarding the black).

"Returning to the uncarved block" -- ultimately returning to simplicity. The numinous turtle's form is extremely plain -- no brilliant colors, no graceful form, no pleasing voice -- yet precisely because of this plainness, the turtle can live long and be numinously efficacious. One who nourishes the will should likewise return to plainness -- not seeking adornment, empty fame, or superficial profit -- nurturing deep luminosity in plainness.

Section 4: Connection with Master Zhuang's "The Realized Person Has No Self"

Zhuangzi, Xiaoyaoyou:

"The realized person has no self; the divine person has no merit; the sage has no name."

"The realized person has no self" -- the highest person has no attachment to self. This connects with the ultimate state of "nourishing the will" -- when the will is nourished to its utmost, it becomes "no self" -- not the absence of self, but freedom from attachment to any particular image, position, or identity. Like the numinous turtle's transformations -- withdrawn into the shell, it seems to have no self (no self); extended from the shell, it again has a self (has self) -- moving freely between having and not having.

"The divine person has no merit" -- the divinely wondrous person does not claim credit for achievements. One who nourishes the will, though possessing great achievements, does not claim them -- like the numinous turtle's efficacy: the turtle's divination is unfailingly accurate, yet the turtle does not know its own numinosity or claim its own merit. "No merit" does not mean accomplishing nothing, but accomplishing much while claiming nothing.

"The sage has no name" -- the sagely wise person does not seek fame. One who nourishes the will directs the will toward the Way, not toward reputation. Like the numinous turtle hiding in the mud -- not seeking to be known, not seeking praise, not seeking to be enshrined in a temple -- simply living at ease in the mire. This is the deeper meaning of Master Zhuang's "I would rather be alive and drag my tail in the mud."

Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (Equalizing Assessments of Things):

"Great knowledge is broad and leisurely; small knowledge is picky and contentious. Great speech is blazing; small speech is chattering. In sleep, the spirit goes wandering; in waking, the body opens to interaction. Day after day the heart-mind contends. The slack, the crafty, the secretive. Small fears make one anxious; great fears leave one stunned. It shoots forth like a crossbow bolt, pronouncing on right and wrong. It clings like a covenant oath, guarding its victory. Its decline is like autumn and winter -- describing its daily wasting. What drowns it in its activities cannot be made to return. Its weariness is like a sealed vessel -- describing its aging and depletion. The heart-mind near death cannot be made to return to the light of spring. Joy, anger, sorrow, delight, worry, sighing, change, rigidity, excess, indolence, openness, posturing -- music coming from emptiness, mushrooms steaming into being. Day and night they alternate before us, and none knows from where they sprout. Enough! Enough! From morning to evening we find them -- is this not from where they grow$3"

This passage depicts the mental state of the uncultivated person -- the heart-mind besieged by every variety of joy, anger, sorrow, delight, worry, and sighing, like a chaotic battlefield. "Day after day the heart-mind contends" -- every day spent in mental strife. "Small fears make one anxious; great fears leave one stunned" -- small fears cause trembling, great fears cause paralysis. This mental state is a vivid portrait of "many desires, scattered heart-mind, weakened will, thought not reaching its destination."

Master Zhuang's ideal is precisely liberation from this chaotic mental state -- reaching the free realm of "the realized person has no self." The path to this liberation is the path of "nourishing the will" -- through few desires, guarding stillness, unifying heart-qi, and self-knowledge, one gradually eliminates the chaos within the heart-mind, ultimately reaching the luminously penetrating state. The numinous turtle's peaceful concealment is the symbol of this ideal state.

Section 5: Connection with the Zhuangzi's "The Principle of Nourishing Life"

The Yangshengzhu (The Principle of Nourishing Life) chapter of the Zhuangzi opens:

"My life has a limit, but knowledge has no limit. To follow what is limitless with what has a limit -- this is perilous! Having understood this and still pursuing knowledge -- one is simply in peril and nothing more! In doing good, do not seek fame; in doing evil, do not court punishment. Follow the central channel as your constant guide, and you can preserve your body, keep your life whole, nourish your parents, and live out your years."

"Follow the central channel as your constant guide" -- take the central path as one's regular practice. The interpretation of "the central channel" (du) has varied, but its core spirit accords with "nourishing the will" -- finding a centered path, holding to it without deviation, and thereby preserving the body, keeping life whole, nourishing parents, and living out one's years.

The title of this chapter is "The Principle of Nourishing Life" -- the root of nourishing life. And "nourishing the will" is precisely the core of "nourishing life" -- when the will is well nourished, life is naturally preserved. The numinous turtle's longevity is the best proof of "nourishing the will" -- through its distinctive mode of "nourishing the will" (concealment, few desires, guarding stillness), the turtle achieves an extraordinary lifespan.

"Preserve your body" -- keeping the body whole. The numinous turtle's shell is the instrument of bodily preservation. "Keep your life whole" -- maintaining the completeness of life. The numinous turtle's longevity is proof of keeping life whole. "Nourish your parents" -- caring for one's parents. This pertains to filial piety; the turtle's longevity enables it to serve its kin for a long time. "Live out your years" -- enjoying the full span of Heaven-given life. The numinous turtle is the paradigm of "living out one's years."

From this we can see that "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" and Master Zhuang's thought on "the principle of nourishing life" are highly compatible in spirit.

Chapter Eight: Connecting "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" with Confucian Cultivation Theory

Section 1: Connection with the Master's (Kongzi's) "Setting the Will upon the Way"

We have already cited Lunyu, "Shu'er": "Set your will upon the Way, base yourself on virtue, rely upon humaneness, and find recreation in the arts."

The Master's "setting the will upon the Way" and Guiguzi's "nourishing the will," though differently expressed, share a common core concern -- both value the central role of "will" in spiritual cultivation.

The difference lies here: the Master's "will" has definite content -- "the Way," "virtue," "humaneness," "the arts" -- content prescribed by the Confucian value system. Guiguzi's "nourishing the will" does not presuppose specific value content but focuses on the method of cultivating the "will" itself -- how to make the will steadfast, how to make it penetrating, how to make it unpredictable.

Yet the two are not contradictory. The method of nourishing the will and the content of the will are questions on two different levels. The Confucian school provides the content of the will (the Way, virtue, humaneness, righteousness); Guiguzi provides the method for the will (emulating the numinous turtle). A person can both "set the will upon the Way" (Confucian content) and "emulate the numinous turtle" (Guiguzi's method) to nurture this will that is set upon the Way.

In fact, the Master's own conduct exemplified the virtue of the "numinous turtle" --

"When employed, then act; when set aside, then withdraw" -- able to act and to hide, like the turtle's ability to extend and retract.

"The will of a common person cannot be seized" -- the will is firm like the turtle's shell.

"Knowing it is impossible yet persisting" -- this "persisting" is not stubbornness but acting on deep knowledge of the situation -- like the numinous turtle that, knowing the external world is perilous, still extends its head and tail to act at the appropriate moment.

"The Master, standing by a river, said: 'What passes is like this -- it does not pause day or night'" -- watching the flowing water and sighing at the ceaseless passage of time. In this there is a profound calm -- like the numinous turtle quietly resting by the water, watching the current flow while itself remaining still.

Section 2: Connection with Master Zeng's "Three Daily Self-Examinations"

Lunyu, "Xue'er":

"Master Zeng said: 'Each day I examine myself on three points: In working for others, have I been disloyal$4 In my dealings with friends, have I been untrustworthy$5 Have I failed to practice what has been transmitted to me$6'"

"Three daily self-examinations" -- examining oneself three times each day. This is the specific method of "self-knowledge" in nourishing the will. Self-knowledge is not a one-time achievement but a practice requiring daily repetition. Just as the numinous turtle withdraws into its shell each day to rest -- this "withdrawing into the shell" is the image of "self-examination" -- retreating to one's inner space to inspect one's own state.

Master Zeng's three examinations specifically inspect "loyalty," "trustworthiness," and "practice" -- Have I been loyal in working for others$7 Have I been trustworthy with friends$8 Have I diligently reviewed what my teacher transmitted$9 These three are the concrete manifestations of "will" in specific human relationships. Nourishing the will is not abstract empty talk but must be realized in daily interpersonal interactions -- every act of service, every social exchange, every instance of study is a field for practicing the nourishment of will.

Section 3: Connection with Yan Hui's "Not Transferring Anger, Not Repeating Mistakes"

Lunyu, "Yong Ye":

"The Master said: 'Hui could keep his heart-mind from departing from humaneness for three months at a stretch. The rest could manage it for a day or a month at most.'"

Yan Hui's heart-mind could remain aligned with humaneness for three months without departing; others could only achieve this briefly. The reason Yan Hui could sustain this for three months is that his cultivation of will was extremely deep -- heart-qi unified, will and intention undiminished, thought and principle reaching their destination -- able to maintain a high spiritual state for extended periods without backsliding.

Lunyu, "Yong Ye":

"The Master said: 'There was Yan Hui, who loved learning. He did not transfer his anger; he did not repeat a mistake. Unfortunately, his life was cut short.'"

"Not transferring anger" -- not redirecting anger onto other people. "Not repeating a mistake" -- not making the same mistake twice. These two are precisely the effects of "nourishing the will" -- when the will is well nourished, emotions do not spin out of control (not transferring anger), and behavior can be promptly corrected (not repeating mistakes).

"Not transferring anger" is like the numinous turtle's non-externalization -- when the turtle receives external stimulation, it withdraws into its shell rather than projecting outward (not transferring anger). "Not repeating a mistake" is like the numinous turtle's efficacy -- one turtle divination suffices to know the result, no need for repetition (not repeating mistakes).

Section 4: Connection with the Doctrine of the Mean's "Before Joy, Anger, Sorrow, and Delight Have Arisen"

Liji, "Zhongyong" (Doctrine of the Mean):

"Before joy, anger, sorrow, and delight have arisen, this is called the Mean (zhong). When they arise and all attain proper measure, this is called Harmony (he). The Mean is the great root of all under Heaven. Harmony is the universal Way of all under Heaven. When the Mean and Harmony are achieved, Heaven and Earth take their proper positions and the myriad things are nourished."

"Before joy, anger, sorrow, and delight have arisen, this is called the Mean" -- the state before any emotions have manifested is called "the Mean." "When they arise and all attain proper measure, this is called Harmony" -- when emotions manifest and all are proportionate, this is called "Harmony."

This "Mean before arising" is precisely the state of the numinous turtle concealed within its shell, head and tail not yet extended -- all emotions and actions are still "inside," not yet outwardly manifested. In this state, the heart-mind rests at its purest, most fundamental point of equilibrium -- this is "the great root of all under Heaven."

"When they arise and all attain proper measure" -- once manifested (like the turtle extending head and tail), everything is perfectly calibrated. This is the effect of "nourishing the will" -- when the will is well nourished, actions naturally conform to proper measure. To act without having nourished the will is like a turtle extending head and tail before its shell is properly closed -- exposed to danger unawares.

"When the Mean and Harmony are achieved, Heaven and Earth take their proper positions and the myriad things are nourished" -- when the state of the Mean and Harmony is attained, Heaven and Earth settle into their proper positions and all things receive their nurture. This is the supreme effect of "nourishing the will" -- personal harmony of Mean and Harmony extends to influence Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things.

Here we see the deep affinity between "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" and the Confucian concept of "Mean and Harmony." The numinous turtle in concealment is "the Mean" (before arising); the numinous turtle in action is "Harmony" (arising in proper measure). To "emulate the numinous turtle" is to emulate its virtue of "Mean and Harmony."

Section 5: Connection with the Great Learning's "Making Intentions Sincere and Rectifying the Heart-Mind"

Liji, "Daxue" (Great Learning):

"Those in antiquity who wished to manifest luminous virtue throughout all under Heaven first ordered their states. Those who wished to order their states first regulated their families. Those who wished to regulate their families first cultivated their persons. Those who wished to cultivate their persons first rectified their heart-minds. Those who wished to rectify their heart-minds first made their intentions sincere. Those who wished to make their intentions sincere first extended their knowledge. The extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things."

Among these "Eight Items," "making intentions sincere" and "rectifying the heart-mind" are most closely related to "nourishing the will."

"Making intentions sincere" means making one's thoughts genuine and free from self-deception. This corresponds to the Guiguzi's "Making Intention Substantial by Emulating the Soaring Serpent." Yet the prerequisite for "making intentions sincere" is "rectifying the heart-mind" -- if the heart-mind is not upright, intentions cannot be sincere. And the substance of "rectifying the heart-mind" is precisely "nourishing the will" -- making the heart-mind upright and the will clear.

The Daxue further states:

"What is meant by 'cultivating the person lies in rectifying the heart-mind' is this: when the body is gripped by anger, the heart-mind cannot be upright; when gripped by fear, it cannot be upright; when gripped by fondness, it cannot be upright; when gripped by worry, it cannot be upright. When the heart-mind is not present, one looks but does not see, listens but does not hear, eats but does not know the taste. This is what is meant by 'cultivating the person lies in rectifying the heart-mind.'"

"When gripped by anger, fear, fondness, or worry, the heart-mind cannot be upright" -- when dominated by anger, fear, delight, or anxiety, the heart-mind cannot be correct. This is the meaning of the Guiguzi's "when desires are many, the heart-mind scatters" -- various emotions and desires (anger, fear, fondness, and worry all belong to the broad category of "desire") overwhelm the heart-mind, scattering and misaligning it.

"When the heart-mind is not present, one looks but does not see, listens but does not hear, eats but does not know the taste" -- when the heart-mind is not in its proper place, one has senses but no awareness. This is the manifestation of "when the will weakens, thought cannot reach its destination" -- when the will is weakened, the heart-mind's perceptual functions are lost.

The method of nourishing the will can remedy this state of "the heart-mind not being present" -- through few desires, guarding stillness, and unifying the heart-qi, bringing the heart-mind back to its proper place and restoring its functions of perception and judgment.

Chapter Nine: Connecting "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" with Military Strategic Thought

Section 1: Connection with the Sunzi's "Know the Other and Know Yourself"

We have already cited the Sunzi Bingfa, "Offensive Strategy": "Know the other and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will not be imperiled." Here we further explore the deeper connections between "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" and military thought.

The inner application of "nourishing the will" is "self-knowledge" -- knowing oneself; the outer application is "knowing others" -- knowing the other. This is the fundamental method of the military strategist's "knowing the other and knowing oneself." Guiguzi's learning emerges from the Strategist tradition, and the Strategists and military strategists are closely related -- the strategies the Strategists employ in the political and diplomatic arena are, in mode of thinking, continuous with those the military strategists employ on the battlefield.

Sunzi Bingfa, "Dispositions":

"In antiquity, the skilled warrior first made himself invincible, then waited for the enemy to become vulnerable. Invincibility lies with oneself; vulnerability lies with the enemy. Therefore the skilled warrior can make himself invincible but cannot cause the enemy to be inevitably vulnerable. Therefore it is said: 'Victory can be known but cannot be made.'"

"First make oneself invincible" -- first place oneself in an undefeatable position. This is the primary function of "nourishing the will" -- through nourishing the will, one makes oneself "unharmable" ("ready response means no one can harm you").

"Invincibility lies with oneself" -- whether or not one can avoid defeat depends on oneself. Nourishing the will is precisely a practice that "lies with oneself" -- not dependent on external conditions, relying entirely on one's own cultivation to reach the state of "invincibility." The numinous turtle's shell is grown by the turtle itself, not obtained externally -- this is the image of "invincibility lies with oneself."

"Vulnerability lies with the enemy" -- whether one can defeat the enemy depends on whether the enemy makes mistakes. The outer application of nourishing the will -- knowing others, assessing their feelings, observing where they find peace -- is precisely about waiting for and discovering the opponent's weaknesses.

This strategic principle of "first make oneself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable" is perfectly consistent with the numinous turtle's behavioral pattern -- the turtle first withdraws into its shell (making itself invincible), then waits for the right moment to strike (waiting for vulnerability).

Section 2: Connection with the Sunzi's "Swift as the Wind, Orderly as the Forest"

Sunzi Bingfa, "Military Contention":

"Swift as the wind, orderly as the forest, raiding like fire, immovable as a mountain, inscrutable as shadow, moving like thunder."

These six phrases describe the marvel of military operations -- fast as wind, orderly as forest, fierce as fire, steady as mountain, hidden as shadow, striking like thunder.

The numinous turtle's virtues correspond to several of these:

"Immovable as a mountain" -- the turtle's motionless concealment is like a mountain standing firm. This is the image of settled will.

"Inscrutable as shadow" -- the turtle withdrawn into its shell, no one can know its movements or intentions. This is the image of the will being unknowable.

"Moving like thunder" -- though the turtle normally moves slowly, when catching prey it extends its head with extreme speed, catching its quarry off guard. This is the swiftness of response after the will is settled -- "careful bearing leads to ready response."

One who nourishes the will is, in ordinary times, steady as a mountain and hidden as shadow, yet once in action, swift as thunder -- this is precisely the marvelous application of "emulating the numinous turtle."

Section 3: Connection with the Sunzi's "The Skilled Defender Hides Beneath Nine Earths"

Sunzi Bingfa, "Dispositions":

"The skilled defender hides beneath nine earths; the skilled attacker moves above nine heavens. Thus one can both protect oneself and achieve complete victory."

"The skilled defender hides beneath nine earths" -- the skilled defender conceals himself at the deepest depth. This is the numinous turtle's "concealment" -- the turtle submerges to the bottom of the water, hides in the mud, concealed so deeply that the enemy cannot find it.

"The skilled attacker moves above nine heavens" -- the skilled attacker operates at the greatest height. This corresponds to the numinous turtle's "numinosity" -- though the turtle hides below, its luminous clarity reaches above (the numinous turtle penetrates Heaven and Earth).

One who nourishes the will should combine both -- in defense, hiding beneath nine earths (the will's inward concealment); in attack, moving above nine heavens (the will's luminous expansion). This "both protecting oneself and achieving complete victory" is the dual effect of "nourishing the will": preserving oneself inwardly (self-protection) and knowing and managing others outwardly (complete victory).

Section 4: Connection with the Sunzi's "Bringing the Enemy and Not Being Brought"

Sunzi Bingfa, "Void and Substance":

"Generally, one who occupies the battlefield first and awaits the enemy is at ease; one who arrives at the battlefield later and rushes into battle is weary. Therefore the skilled warrior brings the enemy and is not brought by the enemy."

"Bringing the enemy and not being brought by the enemy" -- manipulating others without being manipulated. This is the core principle of the Strategist's art and the core objective of the outer application of "nourishing the will."

How does one "bring the enemy and not be brought"$10 First, one's own will must be settled -- a settled will means one will not be manipulated by others' words, enticements, or threats ("not being brought"). Second, one must be able to know others -- knowing others' wills, desires, fears, and weaknesses enables one to manipulate them ("bringing the enemy").

The numinous turtle resting within its shell cannot be forced to move by external things (not being brought); while through its numinous efficacy, the turtle guides human decisions (bringing others -- influencing human behavior through turtle divination). This is the numinous-turtle-style interpretation of "bringing the enemy and not being brought."

Chapter Ten: "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle" Corroborated by Pre-Qin Historical Figures

Section 1: Emperor Shun's "Nourishing the Will"

The deeds of Emperor Shun may be regarded as an archaic paradigm of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

The Yaodian (Canon of Yao) in the Shangshu records Shun's virtues:

"The Emperor said: 'Ah, you four peak-chiefs! I have been on the throne for seventy years. Can you carry out the mandate and yield my position to you$11' The chiefs said: 'Our virtue is insufficient to occupy the imperial seat.' He said: 'Then recommend someone from among the obscure and the lowly.' The assembled officials reported to the Emperor: 'There is an unmarried man among the common people named Yu Shun.' The Emperor said: 'Yes, I have heard of him. What of him$12' The chiefs said: 'He is the son of a blind man. His father is obstinate, his stepmother is deceitful, his brother Xiang is arrogant. Yet he is able to live in harmony with them through filial devotion, earnestly governing himself so that he does not descend to wickedness.'"

Shun was born into an extremely hostile family environment -- "his father is obstinate, his stepmother is deceitful, his brother Xiang is arrogant" -- all three sought to harm him. Yet in this hostile environment, Shun "was able to live in harmony with them through filial devotion."

The key lies precisely in Shun's "nourishing the will." In such a hostile environment, an ordinary person would long since have lost composure, become fearful or enraged. Yet Shun maintained the steadfastness and luminosity of his will throughout -- like the numinous turtle's shell, receiving external blows (his parents' and brother's persecution) while the inner will remains unshaken.

Shun's "not descending to wickedness" -- not falling into wicked conflict with his family -- is the practical manifestation of "freedom from fear leads to a settled will, a settled will leads to careful bearing, careful bearing leads to ready response." Facing his family's persecution, Shun was neither fearful nor angry nor vengeful, but used dignified bearing and apt responses to resolve every conflict. The effect of "ready response" meant "no one can harm him" -- though his family repeatedly plotted against him, Shun was never harmed.

Mengzi, "Wanzhang Shang" recounts Shun's story in great detail:

"Wanzhang asked: 'When Shun went to the fields, he wept and cried out to compassionate Heaven. Why did he weep and cry out$13' Master Meng said: 'Out of resentful longing.' Wanzhang asked: 'When parents love us, we rejoice and do not forget; when parents hate us, we toil without resentment. Was Shun then resentful$14'"

"Master Meng said: '... The great filial devotion is to long for one's parents throughout one's life. One who at fifty still longed for his parents -- in the great Shun I have seen this.'"

Shun "at fifty still longed for his parents" -- at fifty he still yearned for his parents. Though his parents hated and harmed him, Shun still yearned for and showed filial devotion to them. Whence came such extraordinary spiritual strength$15 Precisely from "nourishing the will" -- Shun's will (filial devotion) was supremely firm, unshaken by his parents' mistreatment. This firmness of will, like the numinous turtle's shell, cannot be destroyed by external force.

Section 2: King Wen's "Nourishing the Will"

King Wen of Zhou's imprisonment at Youli stands as another magnificent paradigm of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

The Xici Xia (Great Commentary, Part Two) of the Yijing records:

"Was not the Yijing created in the middle period of antiquity$16 Was not its author one beset by troubles$17"

And the Shiji, "Preface of the Grand Historian" cites an ancient saying: "King Wen was imprisoned and elaborated the Yijing."

King Wen's imprisonment was like the turtle's confinement within its shell -- external movement severely restricted (the body imprisoned), yet internal spiritual activity entirely unrestricted (the great intellectual work of elaborating the Yijing). This is the supreme embodiment of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" --

External confinement (like the turtle within its shell) -> inwardly nourishing the will (cultivating the will during imprisonment) -> thought and principle reaching their destination (elaborating the profound principles of the Yijing) -> harmony flowing (penetrating the principles of yin and yang in Heaven and Earth) -> disordered qi not vexing the chest (maintaining spiritual peace during imprisonment).

King Wen's seven years (or several years) at Youli constituted a profoundly deep process of "nourishing the will." During this period, he did not lose his will because of imprisonment, did not fear because the future was uncertain, did not rage because of the tyrant Zhòu of Shang -- but instead invested all his spiritual energy in deep contemplation of the principles of Heaven and Earth, ultimately producing the Yijing, that great classic.

This also proves the effect of "nourishing the will": when the will is nourished to its deepest, one does not sink under adversity but rather, in adversity, unleashes even greater creative power. The numinous turtle's efficacy is not displayed in comfortable circumstances but precisely under the extreme condition of being scorched (the burning of the shell in turtle divination) -- the shell is seared by fire and cracks, and from the cracks the oracular patterns emerge. King Wen, confined at Youli, elaborating the Yijing, is like the numinous turtle being scorched and displaying its numinous signs -- the "scorching" of adversity awakens deep luminosity.

Section 3: Yi Yin's "Nourishing the Will"

Yi Yin, the worthy minister of King Tang of Shang, also exemplifies "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

Mengzi, "Wanzhang Shang":

"Yi Yin plowed the fields of Youxin and delighted in the Way of Yao and Shun. What was not righteous, what was not the Way -- even if he were offered all under Heaven as his salary, he would not look at it; even if a thousand teams of horses were tethered before him, he would not glance at them. What was not righteous, what was not the Way -- he would not give so much as a hair to another, nor take so much as a hair from another. King Tang sent a man with gifts to invite him. Yi Yin said airily: 'What would I do with Tang's gifts$18 Would I not rather dwell among the furrows and ditches and thereby delight in the Way of Yao and Shun$19' Tang sent three times to invite him. Then Yi Yin had a change of heart and said: 'Rather than dwelling among the furrows and ditches delighting in the Way of Yao and Shun, would it not be better to make this ruler a ruler like Yao and Shun$20 Would it not be better to make these people a people like the people of Yao and Shun$21 Would it not be better to see it with my own eyes$22'"

Yi Yin plowing the fields of Youxin -- like the numinous turtle hiding in the mire. "Delighting in the Way of Yao and Shun" -- nurturing his aspiration toward the Way of Yao and Shun in seclusion. "What was not righteous, even if offered all under Heaven, he would not look at it" -- what did not accord with righteousness, even with all under Heaven offered as salary, he would not deign to look at it. This decisive "would not look at it" is like the numinous turtle's withdrawal -- external enticements cannot make it extend.

Then "Tang sent three times to invite him" -- King Tang sent envoys three times. Yi Yin eventually "had a change of heart" -- changed his mind and decided to emerge from seclusion to assist Tang. Why did he change$23 Because his "will" underwent a transformation -- from "dwelling among the furrows to delight in the Way of Yao and Shun" (like the turtle's concealment in self-contentment) to "making this ruler a ruler like Yao and Shun, making these people a people like Yao and Shun" (like the turtle extending its head and tail to act). This transformation was not the loss of will but its elevation -- from personal cultivation expanding to the governance of all under Heaven. This is the process of "nourishing the will" shifting from inner application to outer application.

Yi Yin's process of "nourishing the will" is remarkably complete: secluded farming (few desires, guarding stillness, unified heart-qi) -> delighting in the Way of Yao and Shun (setting the will upon the Way) -> unmoved by enticement (settled will) -> emerging at the right time after assessing the situation (ready response) -> assisting King Tang in accomplishing great deeds (applying it to others). This entire process perfectly embodies the cultivation logic of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

Section 4: Grand Duke Jiang's "Nourishing the Will"

The deeds of Grand Duke Jiang (Lu Shang) are also a classic example of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

The Shiji, "Hereditary House of Duke Tai of Qi" records:

"Lu Shang had once been in poverty. When he was old, he used the pretext of fishing to approach the Western Lord (King Wen) of Zhou."

The Grand Duke was old and impoverished, and used the guise of fishing to approach King Wen. The image of "fishing" itself is intimately connected with the turtle -- the angler casts bait into the water, conquers through stillness, waits motionless for the fish to move. This is like the numinous turtle quietly resting in the water, waiting for the right moment.

Legend further holds that the Grand Duke's fishing method was highly unusual -- he used a straight hook without bait. This accords even more deeply with the principle of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" -- not using bait to lure (the numinous turtle needs no food), but summoning through the purity of one's will. The Grand Duke's will was directed at the great ordering of all under Heaven; this will was pure and steadfast, needing no enticement to be realized. Like the numinous turtle's numinosity, which needs no external enhancement to be efficacious of itself.

The Grand Duke waited for an extremely long time by the Wei River -- according to legend, for several decades. This long period of waiting was precisely a process of "nourishing the will" -- in waiting, continually nurturing and deepening his will and wisdom. Like the numinous turtle's longevity -- the turtle accumulates its numinosity over vast stretches of time; the Grand Duke cultivated his will over long years of patient waiting.

In the end, King Wen came to visit; the Grand Duke conversed with him, and King Wen was greatly pleased. He took the Grand Duke home in his carriage and appointed him Grand Preceptor. The Grand Duke's will finally found its path to realization -- he assisted Kings Wen and Wu in overthrowing Shang and establishing Zhou, founding an achievement that echoed through the ages.

This also proves that the "emulating the numinous turtle" in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" is not merely passive concealment and withdrawal, but also includes accumulating power through long periods of waiting and unleashing enormous energy at the right moment. The numinous turtle's numinosity is revealed when it is scorched; the Grand Duke's will erupts when he encounters King Wen.

Section 5: Su Qin and Zhang Yi's "Nourishing the Will"

Su Qin and Zhang Yi were Guiguzi's disciples, and their journeys of "nourishing the will" most directly embody the Strategist application of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

The Shiji, "Biography of Su Qin" records:

"Su Qin was a man of Luoyang in the Eastern Zhou. He went east to study under a teacher in Qi, and practiced his learning under Master Guigu. He traveled for several years and returned in great hardship. His brothers, sisters-in-law, and wife all secretly laughed at him, saying: 'The custom of Zhou people is to manage property and trade diligently, pursuing a ten-to-twenty-percent profit. Now you have abandoned the essential to pursue the learning of the tongue -- your failure is only to be expected!'"

Su Qin returned from his studies in great hardship -- impoverished and destitute. His family all mocked him. This was Su Qin's testing period of "nourishing the will" -- under extremely adverse external conditions (poverty, mockery), could his inner will remain unshaken$24

"Su Qin heard this and was ashamed. He grieved for himself, shut his room, and refused to go out. He took out his books and read through them all, saying: 'A scholar who has bowed his head to receive instruction but cannot use it to gain honor and rank -- what use are all his books!' So, working through the night, he opened his book-cases, dozens of them, and found the secret strategies of Grand Duke Tai's Hidden Talismans. He bent over them and recited them, selecting and refining them for use in the arts of weighing and probing. When he grew sleepy while reading, he drove an awl into his own thigh until the blood ran down to his feet, saying: 'How can it be that one cannot persuade a ruler to open his coffers of gold, jade, silk, and brocade and confer upon one the rank of minister or chancellor$25' After a year, his mastery of weighing and probing was complete. He said: 'Now I am truly ready to address the rulers of our age.'"

Su Qin "shut his room and refused to go out" -- like the numinous turtle withdrawing into its shell, cutting off the outside world. "He bent over them and recited them" -- the word "bent" (fu) is exquisitely apt, precisely evoking the turtle's "concealed repose." "He drove an awl into his own thigh" -- using extreme measures to maintain alertness and focus; this is the austere practice of "unifying the heart-qi." "After a year, his mastery of weighing and probing was complete" -- after a year of arduous training, he finally mastered the arts of weighing and probing.

This year of "shutting his room and bending over the texts" is precisely Su Qin's practice of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" -- in a sealed environment (like the interior of the turtle's shell), with extreme concentration (unified heart-qi), cultivating the art of the Strategist (nourishing the will), until finally reaching the level of "being ready to address the rulers of the age" (thought and principle reaching their destination, ready response).

Afterward, Su Qin emerged from seclusion, persuaded the six states, wore the seal of prime minister of all six states simultaneously, and organized the Vertical Alliance against Qin -- the ultimate expression of "nourishing the will" in outer application.

Su Qin's experience perfectly illustrates the entire process of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle":

1. Studying under Guiguzi -- learning the method of nourishing the will.
2. Traveling and suffering great hardship -- the first attempt fails, encountering setbacks.
3. Shutting the room and bending over the texts -- like the numinous turtle in concealment, deeply nourishing the will. Driving the awl into his thigh to maintain unified heart-qi.
4. Mastery of weighing and probing complete -- will nourished, thought and principle reaching their destination.
5. Persuading the six states -- outwardly knowing others, applying it to others.
6. Wearing the seal of all six states -- will settled, bearing careful, response ready, no one able to harm him.

This is the most authentic personal embodiment of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" by Guiguzi's own disciple.

Zhang Yi's experience was similar. The Shiji, "Biography of Zhang Yi" records:

"After Zhang Yi had completed his studies, he traveled and tried to persuade the feudal lords. He once drank with the prime minister of Chu, and afterward the prime minister discovered that a jade disc was missing. The prime minister's retainers suspected Zhang Yi, saying: 'Yi is poor and without principles -- he must have stolen the prime minister's disc.' They seized Zhang Yi together and whipped him several hundred strokes. He did not confess, and they released him. His wife said: 'Alas! If only you had not gone reading books and trying to persuade people, you would not have suffered this humiliation!' Zhang Yi said to his wife: 'Look -- is my tongue still there$26' His wife laughed and said: 'Your tongue is still there.' Yi said: 'That is enough.'"

Zhang Yi was falsely accused of stealing the jade disc and endured several hundred lashes, yet "did not confess" -- this is the expression of "settled will," like the numinous turtle's shell, battered yet not broken.

His wife reproached him: "If only you hadn't gone reading and trying to persuade people, you wouldn't have suffered this humiliation!" Zhang Yi asked only one question: "Look -- is my tongue still there$27" His wife answered: "It is." Zhang Yi said: "That is enough."

This reply is exquisitely apt. The tongue -- the instrument of speech -- is still there, meaning the fundamental tool of the Strategist's art remains, meaning everything can begin again. This is the core of "nourishing the will" -- as long as the will is intact (like the turtle's shell being intact), all external losses are temporary and recoverable. Zhang Yi's will, like the numinous turtle's numinosity -- the shell may be worn down (enduring the lashes), but as long as the turtle is alive (the tongue is still there), the numinosity will not vanish.

Afterward, Zhang Yi entered Qin and, using the Horizontal Alliance strategy, broke Su Qin's Vertical Alliance, accomplishing a Strategist career ranked alongside Su Qin's.

Section 6: Fan Li's "Nourishing the Will"

Fan Li's assistance to King Goujian of Yue in restoring the kingdom stands as perhaps the most magnificent historical practice of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" in the pre-Qin period.

King Goujian of Yue was defeated by Wu and entered Wu as a vassal, "sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall." This process of "sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall" was a profoundly deep journey of "nourishing the will":

Sleeping on brushwood -- sleeping on firewood, making the body endure discomfort, in order to keep the will sharp and awake. Like the numinous turtle's refusal to seek comfort -- the turtle does not require a comfortable environment as a necessity for survival.

Tasting gall -- daily tasting the bitterness of a gall bladder, in order to remind oneself that the shame of defeat had not been avenged. Like the scorching of the numinous turtle -- the pain of the shell being seared by fire, like the bitterness of the gall, awakens numinous clarity through extreme discomfort.

During Goujian's years in Wu, "he personally plowed the fields, his wife personally wove, he did not add meat to his meals, he did not wear fine colors, he humbled himself before worthy men, treated guests generously, aided the poor and consoled the bereaved, and shared the people's labors" (Shiji, "Hereditary House of King Goujian of Yue") -- this extreme self-denial and industriousness was the austere practice of "nourishing the will": stripping away all unnecessary desires ("did not add meat, did not wear fine colors"), concentrating all spiritual energy on the will to restore the kingdom.

Fan Li played a critical role in this process. He employed the art of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" to assist Goujian --

For Goujian: Fan Li helped Goujian "nourish the will" -- maintaining the will to restore the kingdom through extreme adversity, keeping Goujian's heart-qi unified and his thought penetrating, ultimately formulating the correct strategy for restoration.

For King Fuchai of Wu: Fan Li employed the art of "knowing others" -- understanding Fuchai's will and desires (his love of grandiose display and craving for beauty), and accordingly devised strategies such as presenting the beauty Xishi, guiding Fuchai's will toward the wrong direction ("abandoning his numinous turtle to gaze at the bulging cheeks" -- Fuchai precisely abandoned his own lucid judgment in favor of indulgence), ultimately leading to the fall of Wu.

Even more noteworthy is Fan Li's choice after successfully assisting Goujian in restoring the kingdom:

"Fan Li then departed. From Qi he sent a letter to Grand Officer Zhong, saying: 'When the flying birds are exhausted, the fine bow is stored away; when the cunning rabbits are dead, the hunting dogs are cooked. The King of Yue has a long neck and a bird's beak -- he can share hardship but cannot share joy. Why do you not leave$28'"

Fan Li withdrew after his achievements -- this is the supreme practice of the numinous turtle's "withdrawing and storing in secrecy." When the will has been fulfilled (the kingdom restored), one should withdraw; one must not cling to one's position. Fan Li knew deeply that King Goujian "can share hardship but cannot share joy" -- this was the application of the art of "knowing others," understanding Goujian's place of inner peace (he was at peace in hardship, not in sharing), and accordingly making the decision to retire.

Fan Li afterward lived in seclusion as a merchant, amassing wealth three times and dispersing it three times (the Shiji, "Biographies of Money-makers" records "Fan Li relocated three times and became famous throughout all under Heaven"), demonstrating the flexible variability of his will -- not fixed in one direction ("the will must not be fixed"), but adapting to circumstances, moving freely in and out. This is the highest state of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" -- "unfathomable wisdom, the extraordinary strategy of the sage."

Chapter Eleven: Deeper Philosophical Inquiries into "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle"

Section 1: The Relationship Between "Will" and "the Way"

A fundamental philosophical question is: what is the relationship between "will" (zhi) and "the Way" (dao)$29

If "will" is merely personal intention, then "nourishing the will" is nothing more than a minor technique for building personal willpower. If "will" has some deep connection with "the Way," then "nourishing the will" acquires metaphysical significance.

The Guanzi, "Xinshu Shang" provides an important clue:

"The heart-mind's position in the body is that of the ruler. ... The Way is not far away, yet it is hard to reach. It dwells alongside people, yet it is hard to obtain. Empty your desires, and the spirit will enter and dwell. Sweep away impurities, and the spirit will remain."

The Way "dwells alongside people" -- the Way is right beside us, existing together with us. Yet people "find it hard to obtain." Why$30 Because desires obscure the Way. "Empty your desires" -- after emptying desires, "the spirit will enter and dwell."

This means: the Way originally resides within the human heart-mind, but it is obscured by desires. The process of nourishing the will -- reducing desires, unifying the heart-qi -- is the process of removing the obscuration and letting the Way re-emerge. The highest state of will is unity with the Way.

Laozi, Chapter 21:

"The appearance of great virtue follows only from the Way. The Way as a thing is vague and elusive. Elusive and vague -- within it there are images. Vague and elusive -- within it there are things. Deep and dark -- within it there is essence. That essence is supremely real; within it there is trustworthiness."

The Way is "vague and elusive," "deep and dark" -- it cannot be grasped by ordinary perception. Yet "within it there are images," "within it there are things," "within it there is essence," "within it there is trustworthiness."

Numinous turtle divination is precisely a way of making the "images" of the Way manifest -- the images in turtle cracks are the Way's images made visible upon the turtle shell. And "emulating the numinous turtle" in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" means emulating the way the numinous turtle makes the Way's images manifest -- in empty stillness, letting the truth of the Way naturally appear within the heart-mind. This is the "principle" (li) that "thought and principle reach" -- not a principle derived by human reasoning, but truth of the Way that naturally emerges in empty stillness.

Section 2: Inquiring into the Essence of "Numinous" (Ling)

What exactly does the "numinous" (ling) in "numinous turtle" refer to$1

The character ling has multiple meanings in pre-Qin texts:

I. The ling of spirits and deities. Referring to supernatural, wondrous beings. As in the "Four Numinous Creatures."

II. The ling of efficacy. Referring to the accuracy of divination and prophecy. As in "the turtle divination is numinously efficacious."

III. The ling of luminosity. Referring to the clarity of the heart-mind and the sensitivity of the spirit. As in "heart-mind luminosity" and "numinous rhinoceros horn."

IV. The ling of agility. Referring to flexibility of adaptation and quickness of response. As in "numinous dexterity" and "numinous motion."

These four meanings are unified in the image of the "numinous turtle":

The turtle possesses the ling of spirits because it penetrates both the hidden and manifest realms. The turtle possesses the ling of efficacy because it can accurately present the images of Heaven and Earth. The turtle possesses the ling of luminosity because it maintains a high degree of spiritual clarity in empty stillness. The turtle possesses the ling of agility because, though outwardly slow, it is inwardly capable of nimble response.

And the point at which all four kinds of "ling" converge is -- empty stillness. Precisely because the turtle guards emptiness and guards stillness can it commune with spirits, be efficacious, be luminous, and be agile. Empty stillness is the source of "ling."

Conversely: that which is neither empty nor still is not numinous. A person filled with desires (not empty) and agitated in heart-mind (not still) cannot possess "ling" in any sense -- they cannot penetrate the hidden and manifest, cannot make accurate judgments, cannot maintain luminosity, and cannot respond with agility.

From this we know: the essence of "ling" is the totality of wondrous functions that the heart-mind manifests in a state of empty stillness. The "emulating the numinous turtle" in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" ultimately means emulating the numinous turtle's empty stillness in order to obtain all the wondrous functions of "ling."

Section 3: Why the "Turtle" and Not Something Else$2

A question worth pursuing: why did Guiguzi choose the "turtle" rather than some other animal as the model for "nourishing the will"$3

Among the seven symbols in the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans -- Five Dragons, numinous turtle, soaring serpent, crouching bear, bird of prey, fierce beast, numinous yarrow -- the Five Dragons are mythical, the soaring serpent also has mythical coloring, and "fierce beast" is a generic term. Only the numinous turtle and the bird of prey are specific, real, visible animals (the numinous yarrow is a plant).

Among real animals, what unique qualities make the turtle the best symbol for "nourishing the will"$4

First, the uniqueness of the turtle's "shell." Among all animals, the turtle is the only one whose skeleton is turned outward into a shell that encloses its entire body. This shell serves as both protection (external defense) and space (internal containment), both boundary (separating inner from outer) and platform (bearing the image of covering Heaven and supporting Earth). No other animal has such a distinctive "shell" -- and this "shell" perfectly symbolizes the function of "will": will is both the heart-mind's protection (keeping it safe from external things), its space (providing a place of repose), its boundary (distinguishing inner from outer, guarding one's position), and its platform (supporting all spiritual activity).

Second, the flexibility of the turtle's "extending and retracting." The turtle can extend its head, tail, and four legs out of the shell (openness, action) and can also retract them entirely within (closure, stillness). The nimble switching between extension and retraction symbolizes the will's fluid alternation between opening and closing, action and concealment, movement and stillness. Other animals also alternate between movement and rest, but none so dramatically and thoroughly as the turtle -- the turtle's retraction is complete closure, and its extension is complete openness, with an extremely sharp contrast between the two.

Third, the transcendent quality of the turtle's "longevity." The turtle's lifespan far exceeds that of ordinary creatures, a settled fact in the pre-Qin period. Longevity symbolizes transcending time -- the enduring steadfastness of will is likewise a quality that transcends time. Other long-lived things (like ancient trees) lack the animating vitality of animals; other vital creatures (like monkeys) do not live nearly as long. Only the turtle combines longevity with animation (though slow, it is undeniably capable of action), making it the ideal symbol for "nourishing the will."

Fourth, the cultural association between the turtle and "divination." In archaic culture, the turtle was deeply associated with divination, and the core of divination is "spirit-communion" -- penetrating to numinous clarity to know fortune and misfortune. This function of "spirit-communion" is precisely the goal of "nourishing the will" -- making the heart-mind luminously penetrating in order to perceive all principles. Other animals may also possess spiritual qualities, but none share the turtle's deep cultural association with "spirit-communion."

Fifth, the symbolism of the turtle's "surviving without eating." The turtle's ability to survive long periods with very little or no food symbolizes "self-sufficiency" -- maintaining itself without dependence on external things. This "self-sufficiency" is the core of "nourishing the will" -- the cultivation of will is not adding from outside but discovering from within. All other animals must eat frequently to survive; only the turtle can go nearly without food. This uniqueness makes it the ideal symbol of "self-sufficiency."

In sum, the turtle's five unique qualities -- "shell," "extending and retracting," "longevity," "spirit-communion," and "self-sufficiency" -- make it the irreplaceable symbol for "nourishing the will." Guiguzi's choice was the result of deeply considered thought.

Section 4: The Methodological Significance of "Emulating" (Fa)

The character "fa" (emulate, model upon) in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" also merits careful examination.

"Fa" means to emulate, to take as a model. Laozi, Chapter 25:

"Humanity models itself on Earth; Earth models itself on Heaven; Heaven models itself on the Way; the Way models itself on what is natural."

Humanity emulates Earth, Earth emulates Heaven, Heaven emulates the Way, and the Way emulates what is natural (ziran). This chain of "emulation" reveals an important epistemological method -- humans cannot directly apprehend the abstract "Way," but can indirectly approach it by emulating concrete things (Earth, Heaven).

The "emulating the numinous turtle" in "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" follows this same methodology -- humans cannot directly grasp the abstract "Way of nourishing the will," but can indirectly practice it by emulating the concrete "numinous turtle." The numinous turtle is the concrete embodiment of the "Way of nourishing the will" -- the Way is formless, but the turtle has form; the Way is invisible, but the turtle is visible. By observing the turtle's behavior (concealment, extending and retracting, few desires, longevity) and comprehending the turtle's virtues (steadfastness, luminosity, self-sufficiency, empty stillness), one can master the Way of nourishing the will.

This methodology of "taking a model from things" is a hallmark of archaic thought. Yijing, Xici Xia:

"In antiquity, when Lord Baoxi ruled all under Heaven, he looked up and observed the images in Heaven; he looked down and observed the patterns on Earth. He observed the markings of birds and beasts and the features of the terrain. Nearby, he drew upon his own body; farther afield, he drew upon things. Thus he created the eight trigrams, to penetrate the virtue of spirit illumination and to classify the dispositions of the myriad things."

Lord Baoxi (Fuxi) created the eight trigrams by "drawing upon things from afar" -- deriving principles from things at a distance. "He observed the markings of birds and beasts" -- studying the patterns and habits of birds and beasts. The numinous turtle, as one of the birds and beasts (in the broad sense), provides both "markings" (patterns -- the patterns on the turtle shell) and habits (concealment, longevity) as objects for the sage to "draw upon."

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" is a direct inheritance and development of this archaic tradition of "drawing models from things" -- from the numinous turtle as a thing, one draws the model for nourishing the will.

Section 5: The Process-Oriented Significance of "Nourishing" (Yang)

Finally, let us explore the deeper significance of the character "nourishing" (yang).

"Nourishing" is not a one-time act but a long, continuous process. Like tending a plant -- watering, fertilizing, exposing to sun and rain, day after day, year after year. Like raising a child -- nursing, teaching, supporting, guiding, year upon year without interruption.

The "nourishing" in "nourishing the will" is the same -- not the work of a single day but the lifelong undertaking that never ceases.

Yijing, Meng hexagram, Judgment:

"Through the Meng (Youthful Folly), one nourishes what is correct -- this is the work of the sage."

"Through the Meng, one nourishes what is correct" -- from the earliest stages of ignorance, one begins to nurture the right Way. This "nourishing" begins from the very start of ignorance and continues to the final attainment of sagehood, spanning one's entire life. This is the processual nature of "nourishing" -- it is not something that begins only at a certain stage, nor something that can stop at a certain stage. "Nourishing" is the eternal present tense.

The numinous turtle's longevity is the finest portrait of the continuity of "nourishing" -- the turtle can live for hundreds or even thousands of years (according to legend) precisely because its "nourishing" is uninterrupted -- constantly maintaining its posture of concealment and stillness, constantly preserving its virtue of few desires and self-sufficiency, constantly sustaining its capacity for luminous penetration. This "nourishing" has no day of rest, no moment of laxity -- this is the secret of the numinous turtle's "nourishing."

Human nourishing of the will should be the same -- no day of rest, no moment of laxity. The Master (Kongzi) "at fifteen set his will upon learning," and from fifteen to beyond seventy, nearly sixty years of unceasing nourishment of will. King Wen was imprisoned for seven years, yet never ceased elaborating the Yijing. Grand Duke Jiang waited for decades, yet his will never shifted. All are paradigms of "nourishing" -- continuous, enduring, constant.

"Nourishing" also carries the meaning of "nurturing with care" -- not by force, not by pulling the shoots to make them grow faster, but like tending flowers: following nature, guiding according to the situation. The cultivation of will cannot be hurried or forced; it must follow the natural rhythms of the heart-mind, like the turtle's growth -- extremely slow, yet extremely solid. The turtle's shell is not grown overnight but increases layer upon layer over long years. The human will is the same -- not cultivated in a single morning but nurtured through daily accumulation, layer upon layer.

Conclusion

Chapter Twelve: Summary: The Enduring Value of "Nourishing the Will by Emulating the Numinous Turtle"

Section 1: A Complete System Within Five Characters

Having reached this point, we have undertaken a comprehensive and in-depth interpretation and inquiry into "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" from multiple dimensions: the sacred status of the turtle in high antiquity, the multiple meanings of "will" in pre-Qin thought, a close reading of the Guiguzi text, connections with pre-Qin schools of thought, corroboration through historical figures, and deeper philosophical inquiries.

Looking back over the entire essay, we can say that within the five characters "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" lies a complete system of spiritual cultivation and practical application:

"Nourishing" (yang) -- reveals the processual nature of cultivation: continuous, gradual, nurturing, uninterruptible.

"Will" (zhi) -- reveals the core object of cultivation: the direction, sovereign force, and power of the heart-mind -- encompassing directionality, unity, steadfastness, interiority, luminosity, and empty stillness.

"Emulating" (fa) -- reveals the methodology of cultivation: modeling upon things -- grasping abstract principles through emulating concrete, visible numinous beings.

"Numinous" (ling) -- reveals the target state of cultivation: luminous penetration -- all the wondrous functions that emerge in empty stillness -- spirit-communion, efficacy, luminosity, agility.

"Turtle" (gui) -- reveals the specific principles of cultivation: concealment in stillness, few desires and self-sufficiency, hard shell for protection, flexible extending and retracting, enduring longevity.

Five characters, five meanings, five meanings in one body, forming an exquisitely refined guide to cultivation.

Section 2: The Transmission of Thought from High Antiquity to the Pre-Qin Period

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" was not a concept created out of nothing by Guiguzi but the crystallization of a cultural tradition stretching back thousands of years from high antiquity.

From the archaic wu-xi shamans' turtle divination and spirit communion, to the Yijing's warning against "abandoning the numinous turtle," to the Shangshu's turtle divination for resolving doubts, to the Zhouguan's system of six kinds of turtles, to the Most High's (Laozi's) "attain the utmost emptiness, guard the deepest stillness," to Master Zhuang's choice to "drag his tail in the mud," to the Master's (Kongzi's) "the will of a common person cannot be seized," to Master Meng's "hold fast to your will, do not do violence to your qi," to the Guanzi's "empty your desires, and the spirit will enter and dwell," to the Sunzi Bingfa's "first make yourself invincible" -- a long, clear thread of thought converges in Guiguzi's exquisite expression "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

This expression both inherits the archaic tradition and synthesizes and transcends the thought of the various pre-Qin schools. With the ancient, vivid image of the "numinous turtle," Guiguzi fuses the Daoist teaching of empty stillness, the Confucian teaching of holding to the will, the military strategist's teaching of unfathomability, and the shaman's teaching of spirit communion into a unified whole, creating a method of cultivation with both deep cultural roots and a clear practical orientation.

Section 3: The Unity of Inner Sageness and Outer Kingliness

The most distinctive contribution of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" lies in unifying "inner sageness" and "outer kingliness" within a single method.

The Daoist cultivation tradition emphasizes the inner -- personal spiritual refinement and liberation. The Confucian cultivation tradition emphasizes the outer -- social governance and moral transformation. Military strategy emphasizes application -- the practical dynamics of victory, defeat, and advantage.

Yet "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" unifies all three: "inwardly, nourishing the will" (inner sageness), "outwardly, knowing others" (outer kingliness), "applying it to others" (practical application). One who nourishes the will is inwardly full and luminous (like the numinous turtle's peaceful interior), outwardly penetrating and adaptive (like the numinous turtle's flexible extending and retracting), and moves with consummate ease in human relations and political operations (like the numinous turtle's numinous efficacy in communing with the spirits).

This unity is not a forced patchwork but a natural integration. For "will" is itself the pivot between inner and outer -- the inner cultivation of the will (inner sageness) naturally produces outer efficacy (outer kingliness), just as the numinous turtle's inner luminosity naturally manifests as outward numinous efficacy. Inner and outer are not two; substance and function share one source -- this is the deepest principle of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle."

Section 4: Deepening the Pre-Qin Understanding of "the Human Being"

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" profoundly reveals the pre-Qin understanding of the essential nature of "the human being."

What is a human being$5 From the perspective of "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle," a human being is first and foremost a being who "has will" -- what makes a human a human is having will. Will is the core of the human spirit, the root of human existence. A person without will is like a turtle without a shell -- exposed to every danger, with nothing to rely upon and nowhere to find peace.

Human cultivation is first and foremost the cultivation of "will." Nourishing the body (diet and daily routine), nourishing talents (study and training), nourishing relationships (social interaction) -- all must be grounded in the nourishment of "will." To nourish other things without nourishing the will is like a turtle that does not first grow its shell before pursuing other ends -- a confusion of root and branch, abandoning the essential and chasing the trivial.

Human luminosity comes from the nourishment of "will." It is not that the more knowledge one has, the more luminous one becomes; it is that the more the will is nourished, the more luminous one becomes. An excess of knowledge may lead to a scattered heart-mind ("much knowledge leads to ruin," as Guangchengzi said), while the nourishment of will leads to numinous penetration. This "ling" -- penetrating the principles of all things, perceiving the subtleties of the human heart, foreseeing the changes of the future -- is not acquired from without but naturally emerges from inner cultivation.

Human strength comes from the steadfastness of "will." It is not that the greater one's power, the greater one's strength; it is not that the sharper one's weapons, the greater one's strength; it is that the more settled the will, the greater one's strength. "The commander of three armies may be captured, but the will of a common person cannot be seized" -- a common person with a settled will possesses a strength surpassing that of the commander of three armies. This strength lies not in outward conquest but in inner invincibility -- "no one can harm you."

Section 5: The Eternal Lesson of the Turtle

The numinous turtle, that sacred image from remotest antiquity, has traversed thousands of years and still radiates the light of profound wisdom.

It reminds us: true strength lies not in speed or ferocity (the turtle is among the slowest and most vulnerable of creatures), but in endurance and constancy.

It reminds us: true security lies not in external fortifications, but in the inner shell of the spirit -- a well-nourished will is the most impregnable fortress of all.

It reminds us: true luminosity lies not in cleverness or quick wit, but in empty stillness and depth -- through its extreme quietude and slowness, the turtle penetrates the most profound principles of Heaven and Earth.

It reminds us: true endurance lies not in external accumulation and expansion, but in internal restraint and holding fast -- through its minimal consumption, the turtle achieves its extraordinary lifespan.

It reminds us: true wisdom lies not in predictable intelligence, but in unfathomable adaptability -- the world inside the turtle's shell is, to those outside, an eternal mystery.

"Nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" -- nurture your will, and emulate the Way of the numinous turtle.

These five characters are a crystallization of pre-Qin wisdom, worthy of being savored again and again, and practiced throughout a lifetime.

Supplementary Discussion: On the Question of Authenticity of the Guiguzi's "Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans"

The question of the date of composition and authorship of the Guiguzi has long been debated in scholarship. The "Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans" in particular have been questioned -- some scholars believe these seven chapters were later additions, not original works of Guiguzi.

However, this debate does not affect the thesis of this essay, for three reasons:

First, even if the "Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans" were not written by Guiguzi himself, the intellectual content is deeply rooted in the soil of pre-Qin thought. The archaic turtle divination tradition, the pre-Qin masters' discussions of "will," the Daoist cultivation of empty stillness, and the strategic thought of the military theorists discussed in this essay are all firmly attested pre-Qin material, unaffected by the question of the Root Canon's authenticity.

Second, the proposition "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" is highly consistent with and mutually corroborated by the Yijing's canonical text on "abandoning the numinous turtle" and the pre-Qin masters' discussions of "will," "turtle," and "numinous." Even if the verbal formulation of this proposition was composed by a later hand, its intellectual substance is inherent in the pre-Qin tradition.

Third, the purpose of this essay is not to investigate the authenticity of texts (that is the task of philology) but to interpret the meaning of ideas. The value of ideas is neither increased nor diminished by certainty or uncertainty about authorship.

Therefore, this essay treats "nourishing the will by emulating the numinous turtle" as a pre-Qin intellectual proposition for interpretation, without engaging in debates about its textual attribution.

References (Pre-Qin Texts)

1. Yijing (Book of Changes, including canonical text and commentaries)
2. Shangshu (Book of Documents)
3. Shijing (Book of Songs)
4. Zhouguan / Zhouli (Rites of Zhou)
5. Liji (Book of Rites, including the Daxue, Zhongyong, Yueji, Liyun, and Quli chapters)
6. Lunyu (Analects)
7. Mengzi (Mencius)
8. Laozi (Daodejing)
9. Zhuangzi
10. Guanzi (including the Xinshu, Neiye, and Mumin chapters)
11. Guiguzi (including the Seven Chapters of the Root Canon of Hidden Talismans)
12. Sunzi Bingfa (Art of War)
13. Zuozhuan (Zuo Commentary)
14. Chuci, Tianwen (Songs of Chu, Heavenly Questions)
15. Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian), citations of pre-Qin historical events (Note: Although the Shiji was composed in the Western Han, the pre-Qin historical events and statements of pre-Qin figures it records are largely based on pre-Qin documents and oral tradition; this essay cites the portions concerning the pre-Qin period as corroborating historical cases.)

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Author: Xuanji Editorial Board