夫天地之氣,道本虛無。恍惚而有物。元沖始,乘運化而分形。由山石而起,因亭臺樓閣而就清靜界。幽息潛凝。由石而入山,由山而入洞,入洞而生氣息。氣息湧動,則開洞府於仙山。仙山妙悟。歷洞天而開心竅,開心窍而造化天地。气之生焉,道亦生焉。 The qi (energy) between Heaven and Earth, the dao(Way) roots in nothingness. Things elusively emerge from obscurity. Through changes and movement, qi generates different forms. Starting from mountains and...
The qi (energy) between Heaven and Earth, the dao(Way) roots in nothingness. Things elusively emerge from obscurity. Through changes and movement, qi generates different forms. Starting from mountains and rocks, and then entering the realm of purity and tranquility through terraces and pavilions. Remote substance is submerged and congealed. Entering the mountain through rocks, and the cave through the mountain, qiis formed in the cave. Whenqi surged and gathered together, cave residences were built in fairy mountains. The fairy mountain is itself meditative. The experience of living in grotto-heavens enlightens the heart and the mind, which enables the creation of Heaven and Earth. With the birth of qi comes the birth of dao.
Tang dynasty Daoist priest Du Guangting (850-933AD) once said: unique and transcendent, the ruler of the universe is profound and clear, quiet and with extraordinary sense of emotional resonance. He thus acquired the precious Daoist classics, and passed it down from generation to generation, asking his offspring to study and learn from it. The knowledge and instructions it contains benefit all beings. He recorded everything with sincerity and diligence, then the immortals came and found him. Through constant practice and writing, the path to immortality will become accessible. In Heaven, the ranks of immortals are strictly distinguished and the celestial boundaries clearly set. Also, sun and moon, stars and the Dipper all have their supreme rulers,
suspended together in the prestigious positions in forms distinguished by rushing and soaring. In this way the collection of classics unrolls, establishing them as diagrammatic forms. Through this method can one
know the omens and miracles. Other immortals are observing and looking downwards, reflecting on their inner spirit. When meeting each other, they spruce themselves up and greet formally with a salute. These are the same scenes that one can observe everywhere in Heaven. Grotto heaven and blessed lands, everything is born and nurtured here, and different spirits alternately emerge from here.
I thus painted The Seventy-two Cavesand called it the painting of clouds and caverns. The fairy mountains are all different in their forms and structures, forming endless mountain ranges. The cave is quiet and reclusive, the wind blowing and the mist heavy, hiding it from far away. I wrote this Note on the Heart of the Caveto memorize the story behind this painting.