...those who follow the Way [i.e. taoists], they can drive away old age and they preserve their physical appearance.
...They upheld the patterns of heaven and earth and they grasped the regularity of yin and yang.
They exhaled and inhaled
essence qi. They stood for themselves and
guarded their spirit. Muscles and flesh were like one.
Hence, they were able to achieve longevity,
in correspondence with heaven and earth. There was no point in time when their life could have come to an end. Such was their life in the Way.
...They were of pure virtue and they were entirely in accord with the Way. They adapted themselves to the regularity of
yin and yang and they lived in harmony with the
four seasons.
They left the world and they departed from the common. They
accumulated essence and preserved their spirit. They roamed between heaven and earth and their vision as well as their hearing went beyond the eight reaches. This way, they added to their lifespan and were strong.
...Next, there were the sages. They lived in harmony with heaven and earth and they followed the
patterns of the eight winds.
They accomodated their cravings and their desires within the world and the common and their heart knew no anger.
...They made every effort to achieve peaceful relaxation and they considered self-realization as success. Their
physical body did not deteriorate and their essence and their spirit did not dissipate.
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