昔在：黃帝生而神靈。弱而能言。幼而徇齊。長而敦敏。成而登天。

 

In former times: The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) was born and naturally gifted. At a very young age, he was able to speak. As a child, he stood out among the rest [1]. When grown, he was remarkably clever. When mature, he climbed to great heights.

 

迺問於天師曰：余聞上古之人春秋，皆度百歲而動作不衰。今時之人，年半百而動作皆衰者。時世異耶？人將失之耶？

 

Only then, did he question a master teacher saying:

“I hear that people in ancient times, during the Spring-Autumn period [770 to 476 BCE] were all able to live to one hundred and move without debility. People nowadays reach fifty years old and their movements are feeble. Why is today’s generation different? Are people lost?”

歧伯對曰：上古之人，其知道者，法於陰陽和於術數。食飲有節，起居有常，不妄作勞。故能形與神俱而盡終其天，年度百歲乃去。

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The master teacher (Qibo [2]) replied saying:    

“People in ancient times, they knew the Dao… the laws of yin and yang in harmony with the methods of calculations [3]. They ate and drank moderately, daily life had routine, and they were not impulsive with their actions. Therefore they were able to create everything together with Spirit [4] and always complete their highest [purpose], ending their years at one hundred, and only then departing.

 

今時之人不然也。以酒為漿，以妄為常。醉以入房，以欲竭其精。以耗散其真，不知持滿。不時御神。務快其心，逆於生樂。起居無節，故半百而衰也。

​

For people nowadays, this is not so. They drink wine instead of broth, act impulsive instead of following routine. They are drunk upon entering the bedchamber, because they desire to exhaust their seed. Because of this, they squander their integrity [5], they do not know how to maintain satisfaction [with simple life]. They no [longer] time their decisions with Spirit. They seek to instantly [gratify] their hearts, going against the promotion of [long-term] happiness. Because daily life is without limitations, [people today are] fifty years old and feeble.”

 

Notes on Suwen 1.1

1. 齊 qí is typically translated as “equal,” but paradoxically, in the earlier versions of the character, the image is of a row of plants with one plant that is taller than the rest (Figure 1), which is a better interpretation in light of the context here.
    

2. The meaning of Qíbó 歧伯 is a teacher that has reached some type of realization to become a "clear person" (the literal meaning of 歧伯) with the connotation of enlightenment or spiritual realization. See the etymological explanation in Figure 2.
    

3. 術數 shùshù is typically associated with the calculations used in fortune-telling or divination, which is one aspect of how the term developed into colloquial usage. However, in ancient times, it was also the art and science practiced by the masters and sages (真人 zhēnrén and 聖人 shèngrén). The calculations were based on symbolic language used as a way of tracking the universal patterns of nature, as expressed through the cycles of the seasons over time, and applying those macrocosmic concepts to the microcosmic workings of life. Using an understanding of the universal laws and patterns, people derived methods and calculations to track points in the year that were useful for agricultural success and for knowing when to perform certain functions for the benefit of the community. This is the more correct interpretation of shùshù here, that the true methods and calculations were based on early scientific observations of universal patterns and not superstition. The same symbolic meaning is provided by the etymology is in Figure 3.
    

4. The character 神 is a combination of the component that depicts the interaction of heavenly-earthly qi (申 shēn) paired with the image of the rays of the heavens shining down as the sun, moon and stars (示 shì). 示 came to mean altar, as ancient altars were built in places where the light of the sun, moon and/or stars would shine down and mark significant points in time. Marking out the year in this way was one of the main methods used to understand the universal laws and patterns of nature, which provide the underlying theoretical framework of the Neijing. The significant points in time became associated with agricultural timing, and similarly, community festivals and celebrations. This practice of celebrating specific days of the year carried over into the celebration of major religious holidays with the rise of civilizations. Similar to the early western scientists, the ancient Chinese sought to understand the hidden, mysterious, unifying creative consciousness, or Spirit, through understanding nature.
    

5. 真 zhēn imparts the idea of a person that is genuine in that they are experientially united with Spirit (Figure 4). The easiest way to explain this much larger concept is that to be "genuine" or "true" means that a person is Spirit led, rather than ego led. In other words, the genuine "fruits" of the Way arise as a result of togetherness with Spirit, rather than by one's personal, willful efforts alone. In the image of 真 below, there is a sprout that is being fed into the seed from the sky, rather than sprouting out from the inside of the seed, as one would expect. In my own life, I saw this analogy in action when I was trying to grow grass across a bare patch in my backyard. There were multiple times that I put seed down and followed all of the directions for growing grass. I meticulously watered it and fed the ground, but nothing happened. Until one day, it did. It became apparent to me that I can't really make grass grow. I can provide the best possible circumstances that are within my control to do so, but something mysterious working in the background is really responsible for causing the grass to sprout if and when it does. I'm sure that farmers or horticulturalists have had similar experiences of feeling powerless in similar ways. In this way, sprouts have historically been, and still are, a symbolic representation of gifts or fruits that arise spontaneously. Thus, the analogy was used in the ancient texts to differentiate the sages of old, the 真人 zhēnrén, were said to be "genuine" and followed "the Way," in contrast to the people who later were interested in power and influence for its own sake, rather than for the greater good. In contrast to the sages, these people began looking for ways to control and acquire the fruits of the Spirit through various methods.