The Heavenly Book in Hand; Next, the Following One

The Creation of Heaven and Earth: In the beginning, all was chaos and indistinctness, undivided and unformed. The sun and moon concealed their radiance, and Heaven and Earth were blended as one. Then all changed and opened wide, and the clear and turbid were separated.

Heaven and Earth could endure for a long time because they did not live for themselves. Thus, they could last. Yet all things beneath Heaven had their own appearances. Sentient beings were lost in delusion, confused by the illusions of self, humanity, sentient beings, and lifespan. They believed in these appearances, and their hearts gave rise to the three poisons, three anxieties, and three fears. How could they endure?

The celestial signs have no form, and the Way's praise has no name. Thus it is said: there is no self, no person, no sentient being, and no one with a lifespan. To realize this is to reach enlightenment. Hold to the righteous Way and embody your inherent nature within; this is how Heaven and Earth take the origin as their heart.

Thus, when movement and stillness rest beneath the earth, the heart of Heaven and Earth is revealed.

Thus, there is neither reality nor emptiness.

Thus, Heaven and Earth follow nature, acting without intent and creating nothing.

Thus, if things do not exist in full, how could they be complete?

After reading through this hard-won first volume of the Heavenly Book, Hao Shuai didn't hurry to leave. Instead, he carefully pondered its contents.

It could only be said that the first volume of the Heavenly Book truly deserved to be its general outline. In these lines, Hao Shuai saw echoes of Daoism's emphasis on using the body to master the natural transformations, and Buddhism's focus on realizing one's inherent nature. These two very different