Chapter 23: Natural Speech (第23章：虛無)

希言自然。
故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。
孰為此者？天地。
天地尚不能久，而況於人乎？
故從事於道者，同於道；
德者，同於德；失者，同於失。
同於道者，道亦樂得之；
同於德者，德亦樂得之；
同於失者，失亦樂得之。
信不足焉，有不信焉。
☸

Translation

To speak little is natural.
A whirlwind does not last all morning;
A cloudburst does not last all day.
Who causes these? Heaven and Earth.
If Heaven and Earth cannot make things last long,
How much less can man?

Therefore, those who follow the Dao become one with the Dao.
Those who follow Virtue (De) become one with Virtue.
Those who follow loss become one with loss.

When you are one with the Dao, the Dao welcomes you.
When you are one with Virtue, Virtue welcomes you.
When you are one with loss, loss welcomes you.

When there is a lack of trust, there is no trust.

✦ ◆ ✦

📜 Liuren Perspective

In Liuren Fajiao, "Natural Speech" (自然) means that our words and mantras should be in harmony with the current of the Dao. Aggressive or forced magic is like a "whirlwind"—it is powerful but cannot last. True mastery is Enduring Power.

"Those who follow the Dao become one with the Dao" describes the principle of Resonance. If your intention and ritual are aligned with the highest principles, the universe "welcomes" your work. If you act with "loss" (dishonesty or ego), the ritual will ultimately result in loss.

The reference to Trust (信) is crucial. In our tradition, Xin also refers to the "Signal" of the spirits. If the practitioner's heart is not trustworthy, the signal between them and the Immortal Master is broken, and no magic will manifest.

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