The void stirred, worlds evolved, and countless heavens and earths were born and perished without cease amid the unnamed.
Within a certain great realm, heaven and earth had already taken shape. Through the long passage of countless ages, Dao teachings had spread there as well. This day, atop Mang Ridge, two Daoists sat facing each other, brewing tea and discussing the Dao.
Looking out from where they sat, verdant mountains and emerald peaks rolled like a sea of waves; blue waters and clear skies were like a painting, like a poem. A fresh breeze drifted across the mountaintop, and the Heavenly Pool was mirror-like, reflecting the two men's unhurried figures. Their hearts and spirits seemed to merge with nature, their feelings and aspirations returned to simplicity.
At this moment, the cultivator seated with his back to the east wore magnificent robes. After three cups of tea, he said, "Daoist Pi asked me about that heterodox path. Heh, since it is a heterodox path, what has it to do with our Dao?"
Concern filled Daoist Pi's eyes. "But there are now voices claiming that our Dao is merely a minor path, while the heterodox path alone is the Great Dao."
The richly dressed cultivator dismissed this. "There are only lofty and low distinctions on the road of the Dao. How can there be distinctions of great and small? Such words are shallow and short-sighted."
Daoist Pi shook his head. "If the Dao I understand could fully expound the meaning of the Dao, there would naturally be no concern. Yet the Dao they now spread appears flawless in our eyes. If I make no response for too long, the foundation of our Dao will surely become unstable."
The richly dressed cultivator said, "Only people like us can see this clearly. But how