太上感应篇
Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response
Commentary by Xing De [excerpt from Preface]
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行善积德福庇子孙，作恶受罚殃及子孙。
积善之家，必有余庆，积不善之家，必有余殃。
When one practices kind-heartedness, one will accumulate virtues, and its good fortune will protect one’s children and grandchildren.
When one does evil, one will receive punishment and bring disaster to one’s children and grandchildren.
Families which accumulate kind-heartedness will certainly experience a surplus of [reasons to] celebrate, while families which accumulate non kind-heartedness will certainly experience a surplus of disasters.28
《太上感应篇》篇幅不长，计一千二百多字。主要借太上之名，阐述 “天人感应” 和”道教承负思想”。太上感应篇里”太上”是指太上老君，道门至尊之称，”太上”是无上之上的意思，是最尊贵的称呼。”感应。由此动彼谓之感，由彼答此谓之应，善恶感动天地，必有报应也。《太上感应篇》被誉为”古今第一善书”。上至朝廷，下至民间，刊印传播者众多，到明清时期达到高峰。
旨在劝世人，树立正确的思想道德行为规范，许多内容至今仍然具有导人向善积极意义。
The length of Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response [tai shang gan ying pian太上感应篇] is not extensive, as it contains only 1200 or so Chinese characters. It primarily borrows the name of Tai Shang [太上] in order to explain the ‘interactions between Heavens and Humanity’ and ‘the idea of reciprocity in Daoism’. The ‘Tai Shang’ of Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Reponse refers to the Supreme Sovereign Lao, which is the highest and most reverent title [accorded to Lao Zi] within the gate of the Dao. Tai Shang also bears the meaning of unsurpassed exaltation,29 as the appellation of the most honourable and respected one.
[The words] Gan Ying [感应] [in the title] mean: from this [act], another is moved, which is called ‘Action’ [gan感]; then that other responds in turn to this action, which is called ‘Response’ [ying应].30 Kind-heartedness and evil move Heavens and Earth, thus there certainly must be returns and retributions.
Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and Response has been acclaimed as ‘the principal book of kind-heartedness31 from the past to present times’. From the high and prestigious court to the mundane and lowly people, it was printed and disseminated in great numbers, reaching its peak in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Its purpose is to urge common people to establish correct thoughts, the Dao and virtues as one’s standard. To this day, a great part of its contents is still positive enough in meaning to lead people towards kind-heartedness.
Following the requirements of Daoist master Li Shi Fu (www.fiveimmortals.com) it is made available for free as pdf download, see link below:
https://purplecloudinstitute.com/tai-shangs-treatise-on-act…/
For those who wish to own a hard copy, it is also purchasable on amazon.com under the following link, with a minimum set price to cover postage and printing, while Purple Cloud Press will not make a single cents from this release:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087LBP1FZ…
Please share and spread these teachings and transmissions.
慈悲
Ci Bei
Purple Cloud Press
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