Liu Yuanran, known as Master Changchun, was a pivotal Taoist figure in the early Ming Dynasty who bridged past traditions and later developments in Taoist history. He inherited the lineages of Jingming, Qingwei and Quanzhen schools, integrated doctrines and rituals of various Taoist sects, and was revered as the Sixth Successive Master of the Jingming School.

Quotations of Master Changchun Liu (hereinafter referred to as Ancestor Liu’s Sayings) was compiled by Shao Yizheng, a distinguished Taoist priest of the Ming Dynasty, based on the teachings of his master Master Changchun Liu Yuanran. It is an important classic that embodies Taoist cultivation philosophies, especially its views on precepts and theories of spiritual practice. Written in the form of questions and answers, the book expounds the status and practical methods of precepts in Taoist cultivation, as well as their close connection with spiritual self-cultivation and worldly benevolent deeds. The precept-oriented thoughts in this work carry important practical implications for rectifying Taoist conduct and standardizing religious practice nowadays.

Ancestor Liu’s Sayings places precepts at the foremost position of Taoist practice, regarding them as the foundation for embarking on the Taoist path, the root of spiritual cultivation and the ladder to attaining the Dao. In Liu Yuanran’s perception, precepts are not merely external restraints on conduct, but inherent self-discipline rooted in one’s inner nature, stressing the unity of inner refinement and outer practice, as well as knowledge and action.

Loyalty and filial piety constitute the starting point of Taoist cultivation. "Those who pursue the Dao must first uphold loyalty and filial piety... for loyalty and filial piety are the very foundation of the great Dao." He elevated loyalty and filial piety to such a fundamental status, stating plainly, "I have never heard of anyone who can attain the Dao without basing their practice on loyalty and filial piety." This view inherits the thought of loyalty and filial piety in Discourse on the Great Dao of Jingming and embodies the tenet that loyalty and filial piety are the origin of all virtues.

For practitioners, loyalty and filial piety lay the groundwork for accumulating merits and good deeds. Fulfilling family obligations by being filial to parents and shouldering social responsibilities for the country enables Taoist practitioners to integrate into and serve society, and serves as a way to temper the mind and eliminate self-attachment. As the saying goes, "Once mortal virtues are fulfilled, immortal virtues will naturally be accomplished." Taoist practitioners cannot be divorced from worldly ethics and social relations. They ought to practice fraternal piety, take on social responsibilities and devote themselves to public good in daily life. In this way, they can attain the Dao naturally without praying for blessings from heaven.

Fasting and abstinence serve as a bridge to inner purity. As stated in Scripture of the Supreme Sovereign Void Emperor, "Fasting and abstinence are the root of the Dao and the passage to spiritual laws." Beyond external dietary disciplines and behavioral taboos, their core essence lies in observing pure abstinence, maintaining sincere thoughts and staying away from worldly distractions. The ultimate aim is to achieve inner tranquility and rectitude through regulating daily behaviors. Liu Yuanran advocated that practitioners should cast off worldly desires, dispel mental afflictions and purify both body and mind to consolidate spiritual foundations, revealing that the core function of precepts is to remove obstacles and lay a solid mental foundation for in-depth cultivation.

Abiding by precepts underpins all spiritual practice. Precept Scripture of Lord Laojun points out that the six sensory desires refer to carnal cravings of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, all arising from the heart and being the source of evil deeds, which call for strict restraint and elimination. Observing precepts helps practitioners curb six sensual cravings and focus their minds on the Dao to abandon worldly desires. Only by strictly adhering to precepts can Taoist practitioners gradually calm their minds, purify their spirits and unite themselves with the Dao. Far more than mere codes of conduct, precepts act as a powerful tool to cleanse worldly distractions of body and mind. Their ultimate goal is to return to the original state of primordial Dao marked by tranquility, inaction and eternal serenity, serving as an irreplaceable fundamental guarantee for advanced Taoist cultivation.

Liu Yuanran attached great importance to self-introspection. Following the spiritual practice of his master Master Yuanyang who kept a daily journal, he required practitioners to record every thought, word, deed and social interaction day by day. Anything unworthy of writing ought never be done; anything already done must be honestly documented. He warned, "One’s inner mind mirrors the heavenly mind; deceiving one’s own heart is tantamount to deceiving heaven."

This profoundly reveals that the essence of observing precepts lies in self-awareness and inner sincerity, transforming external norms into internal self-examination and self-restraint. It demands practitioners to stay highly mindful of every mental activity, word and action, and maintain self-discipline even when alone. This practice fosters moral consciousness, uses written records to detect hidden worldly attachments, forms positive spiritual habits through persistent daily reflection, dispels mental ignorance step by step, purifies the mind like a clear mirror, and enables people to conform to the laws of heaven and nature.

Apart from systematic elaboration on precept norms, Ancestor Liu’s Sayings also delivers incisive criticism against acts and tendencies violating precept spirits, safeguarding the purity of Taoist precepts.

It condemns ritual ceremonies reduced to empty formalities and superficial performances, emphasizing that practitioners should not merely focus on chants, grand altars and complicated rituals. The core of Taoist rituals lies in inner sincerity and spiritual communion with the Dao rather than ostentatious externality, which fully embodies the spirits of sincerity and reverence embedded in precepts.

It criticizes alchemical pursuits aimed at amassing wealth, pointing out that many alchemists in his age lost their original aspirations to greed for money, with few achieving genuine success. Such practices deviated from the original compassionate mission of cultivating the Dao and aiding the poor, and violated the ethical bottom lines of non-greed and non-robbery stipulated in precepts.

It also denounces pseudo-Taoists and fame-seeking practitioners who neglect moral cultivation and self-cultivation while chasing personal gains and reputation, stressing that only those who strictly observe precepts and keep a pure mind can achieve fruitful inner refinement.

Ancestor Liu’s Sayings fully illustrates the inherent integration of precept practice and spiritual cultivation, confirming that precepts are not isolated rules but the cornerstone and guarantee of the entire Taoist cultivation system.

Abiding by precepts is the prerequisite for tranquil mental cultivation. The book stresses that strict adherence to precepts and elimination of distracting thoughts help practitioners attain a pure and untainted state of mind, and finally reach the realm that all worldly laws align with humans who maintain constant tranquility. This coincides with the proposition in Ten Rules of the Taoist Gate compiled by Zhang Yuchu, the 43rd Heavenly Master, which advocates abandoning worldly attachments and returning to truth by focusing on inner spiritual enlightenment and nature refinement.

Observing precepts lays a solid foundation for dual cultivation of spiritual nature and physical vitality. Whether refining inner nature by calming the mind and concentrating spirits or preserving physical vitality by cherishing essence and vital energy, all Taoist practices must be based on precepts. Indulgence in desires and confused mental activities inevitably consume vital essence, energy and spirit, hindering the progress of dual cultivation. As emphasized in Initial True Precepts written by Wang Changyue, a distinguished Taoist priest in the Qing Dynasty, no one can achieve dual cultivation of nature and vitality without observing fasting rituals and receiving formal precepts.

Liu Yuanran repeatedly highlighted the importance of daily tranquil spiritual practice. Only by abiding by precepts and restraining distracting thoughts can practitioners achieve physical and mental stability. Beyond inner cultivation, precepts also set norms for worldly benevolent deeds. The book repeatedly cites teachings of Master Yuzhen in Complete Collection of Jingming Loyalty and Filial Piety, holding that only those who conquer inner distractions can dispel external evils. Genuine charitable deeds lie in sincere adherence to precepts and pure aspirations, rather than complicated talismanic rituals and obscure incantations.

As core codes of Taoist practice and basic guarantees for religious belief activities, precepts have evolved alongside Taoist development, always keeping pace with social ethics and national laws and regulations of different eras. Ancestor Liu’s Sayings establishes the fundamental status of precepts in the Taoist cultivation system, proving that precepts are not only external codes of conduct, but also ways of inner spiritual refinement leading to tranquil realms, successful dual cultivation of nature and vitality, and the fulfillment of benevolent worldly missions. The profound precept-related thoughts in this work provide valuable ideological references and practical guidance for enhancing awareness of precepts, standardizing precept practice and improving the whole precept system.

For individual Taoist believers, they ought to fully comprehend the spirit of benefiting others and upholding precepts advocated in the book, grasp the essence and connotation of precepts, examine personal words and deeds through sincere self-introspection, turn precept observation into profound inner spiritual refinement, and continuously strengthen inner awareness and self-restraint to purify the mind and improve personal spiritual attainment.

For the overall construction of the Taoist precept system, it is essential to rectify religious conduct and maintain the solemn and pure image of Taoism. Targeting various unhealthy behaviors violating Taoist precept spirits criticized in the book, the Taoist community should conduct thorough self-examination, strengthen internal management and conduct supervision, establish effective supervision and disciplinary mechanisms, and optimize the precept system to better adapt to social progress and contemporary development needs.

(The author is Deputy Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of Yunnan Taoist Association)