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Neiye - Verse 02
Identifier
027470
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Neiye - Verse 2 (with rhyme words shown in Old Chinese reconstruction) discussing jing "vital energy":
Therefore this vital energy is:
Bright!—as if ascending the heavens [天 *ten];
Dark!—as if entering an abyss [淵 *wen];
Vast!—as if dwelling in an ocean [海 *xməɣ];
Lofty!—as if dwelling on a mountain peak [屺 *kiəɣ].
Therefore this vital energy
Cannot be halted by force, [力 *liək]
Yet can be secured by inner power [德 *tək].
Cannot be summoned by speech,
Yet can be welcomed by the awareness [意 *ˑiəɣ].
Reverently hold onto it and do not lose it:
This is called "developing inner power" [德 *tək].
When inner power develops and wisdom emerges,
The myriad things will, to the last one, be grasped [得 *tək].
(tr. Roth 1999: 48-49)