Purity and Stillness Sutra
Lao Zi says:
The great Dao is without form, yet it gives birth to heaven and earth.
The great Dao is without preference, yet it regulates the sun and moon.
The great Dao is without name, yet it nurtures the universe.
I do not know its name, but can only address it as “Dao.”
The Dao has purity and impurity; it has movement and stillness.
Purity is to heaven as impurity is to earth; movement is to heaven as stillness is to earth.
Purity is to male as impurity is to female; movement is to male as stillness is to female.
The origin sourced, the results flowed, and the thousand things were born.
The root of impurity is purity; the basis of stillness is movement.
If humans can constantly maintain purity and stillness, all within heaven and earth will be embodied within our True Nature.
The human essence prefers purity, but the mind disturbs it.
The human mind prefers stillness, but desires mislead it.
If one constantly expels desires, the mind will naturally become still.
If one constantly clears the mind, the essence will naturally become pure.
Naturally the six desires will not arise; the three poisons will vanish.
note: Six desires: Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought (sensation of mind)
Three poisons: Concupiscence (excessive desire; greed), resentment (anger, hatred), fatuity (complacent stupidity, foolishness, ignorance, obsession)
The reason for inability to do the above is that the mind is not yet clear, and desires not yet expelled.
For those who can expel them,
Reflection on inner self reveals its illusory mind;
Reflection on outer forms reveals their illusory image;
Reflection on external things reveals their illusory existence.
Since these three are illusory, only emptiness is realized.
Reflection upon emptiness reveals its illusory emptiness;
True Emptiness that cannot be further emptied is called Void.
Since True Emptiness is truly Void, Void itself and the concept of reaching that state are also illusory.
Since Void and the concept of reaching that state are illusory, it is a calm and everlasting Serenity.
Since Serenity is illusory as well, how can desires arise?
Since desires do not arise, it may be called true Stillness.
Constantly respond to things using that which is true and everlasting; constantly maintain the True Nature which is true and everlasting.
Constantly respond and constantly be still; constantly be Pure and Still.
To be thus Pure and Still is the step to enter True Dao.
Having entered True Dao, it is called obtaining the Dao.
Although it is called obtaining the Dao, nothing has really been obtained.
To transform and guide others is called obtaining the Dao.
Those who can perceive this can spread the holy Dao.
The superior person does not argue; the inferior person likes to argue.
The virtuous does not have virtues; the non- virtuous seizes virtues.
Those who seize do not understand the Way and the Virtue.
The reason that sentient beings have not obtained the True Dao is that one has wishes.
Since there are wishes, one alarms the human essence.
Since the human essence is alarmed, one attends to the material world.
Since one attends to the material world, greed and desires are born.
Since greed and desires are born, it results in distress.
Distress and wishes bring grief and misery to the body and mind, and causes impurity and disgrace.
One then wanders through life and death, constantly sinks into the bitter sea, and forever loses the True Dao.
Those who are enlightened by the true and everlasting Dao obtain it naturally.
Those who achieve the enlightenment of Dao are constantly Pure and Still.
from http://www.happybuddhatemple.org/library/sutras
The great Dao is without form, yet it gives birth to heaven and earth.
The great Dao is without preference, yet it regulates the sun and moon.
The great Dao is without name, yet it nurtures the universe.
I do not know its name, but can only address it as “Dao.”
The Dao has purity and impurity; it has movement and stillness.
Purity is to heaven as impurity is to earth; movement is to heaven as stillness is to earth.
Purity is to male as impurity is to female; movement is to male as stillness is to female.
The origin sourced, the results flowed, and the thousand things were born.
The root of impurity is purity; the basis of stillness is movement.
If humans can constantly maintain purity and stillness, all within heaven and earth will be embodied within our True Nature.
The human essence prefers purity, but the mind disturbs it.
The human mind prefers stillness, but desires mislead it.
If one constantly expels desires, the mind will naturally become still.
If one constantly clears the mind, the essence will naturally become pure.
Naturally the six desires will not arise; the three poisons will vanish.
note: Six desires: Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought (sensation of mind)
Three poisons: Concupiscence (excessive desire; greed), resentment (anger, hatred), fatuity (complacent stupidity, foolishness, ignorance, obsession)
The reason for inability to do the above is that the mind is not yet clear, and desires not yet expelled.
For those who can expel them,
Reflection on inner self reveals its illusory mind;
Reflection on outer forms reveals their illusory image;
Reflection on external things reveals their illusory existence.
Since these three are illusory, only emptiness is realized.
Reflection upon emptiness reveals its illusory emptiness;
True Emptiness that cannot be further emptied is called Void.
Since True Emptiness is truly Void, Void itself and the concept of reaching that state are also illusory.
Since Void and the concept of reaching that state are illusory, it is a calm and everlasting Serenity.
Since Serenity is illusory as well, how can desires arise?
Since desires do not arise, it may be called true Stillness.
Constantly respond to things using that which is true and everlasting; constantly maintain the True Nature which is true and everlasting.
Constantly respond and constantly be still; constantly be Pure and Still.
To be thus Pure and Still is the step to enter True Dao.
Having entered True Dao, it is called obtaining the Dao.
Although it is called obtaining the Dao, nothing has really been obtained.
To transform and guide others is called obtaining the Dao.
Those who can perceive this can spread the holy Dao.
The superior person does not argue; the inferior person likes to argue.
The virtuous does not have virtues; the non- virtuous seizes virtues.
Those who seize do not understand the Way and the Virtue.
The reason that sentient beings have not obtained the True Dao is that one has wishes.
Since there are wishes, one alarms the human essence.
Since the human essence is alarmed, one attends to the material world.
Since one attends to the material world, greed and desires are born.
Since greed and desires are born, it results in distress.
Distress and wishes bring grief and misery to the body and mind, and causes impurity and disgrace.
One then wanders through life and death, constantly sinks into the bitter sea, and forever loses the True Dao.
Those who are enlightened by the true and everlasting Dao obtain it naturally.
Those who achieve the enlightenment of Dao are constantly Pure and Still.
from http://www.happybuddhatemple.org/library/sutras