The Great Learning of the Pure and Real

1. 數一The Numerical One

   Section 11 · The Numerical One: Introduction

   數一　本題

   What is called the Numerical One is the one root of the myriad differentiations, the first beginning of Capacity-Being. Its names too differ: the First Servant, the Primal Distinguished One, the Imperial Envoy, the Deputy, the Great Brush, the Great Beginning, the First Command, the Great Intellect, the Sea of Natures, the Human Ultimate, the Great Father, the Source of the Way, the Great Root, the Light, the Spiritual Root, and the Utmost Sage. Though the names differ, their principle is fundamentally one. From within Capacity-Being it appeared at the command; it is the root-origin of the myriad things and carries the myriad principles. This is the Non-Ultimate. It too has three grades as witness: the Primal Distinguished One, the Deputy and the Deputy Scribe.

   所謂數一者，乃一本萬殊，即能有之首端，其稱亦不同，曰首僕，曰元勳，曰欽差，曰代理，曰大筆，曰太始，曰首命，曰大智，曰性海，曰人極，曰大父，曰道源，曰大本，曰光明，曰靈根，曰至聖；名雖各異，其理本一，自能有之中，承命而顯，此為萬物本原，而載萬理，斯為無極，亦有三品作證，即元勳、代理、代書是也。

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   Scan, p. 25Transcribed from the scan by AI (Claude), checked as described on the About page. Share

   2 differences in the 1794 woodblock (B) (0 of wording)

   Our text follows the 1934 print; the other witness's readings are recorded here, not adopted.

   • 本萬殊即能有之→B reads本萬殊卽能有之· orthographic · p. 55
   • 三品作證即元勳代→B reads三品作証卽元勳代· orthographic · p. 57

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2. Section 12 · The Primal Distinguished One

   數一 · 第一章　元勳

   What is called the Primal Distinguished One is the general designation of the Utmost Sage, the great source of nature and mandate. Like the sea that receives all streams, how could it ever overflow? Irrigating the myriad rivers, it is never depleted. Without this or that, it preserves and unites the Great Harmony. It is the seed of all beings; what that teaching calls 'the gate of all marvels' and 'the nameless, the beginning of heaven and earth' is precisely this. It stands in for the Real Lord's preserving and nourishing Root-Suchness.

   所謂元勳者，乃至聖之通稱，性命之大源，若海納衆流，何嘗滿溢？灌及萬川，未嘗消耗，無彼無此，保合太和，是為諸有之種子，彼所謂「衆妙之門」，「無名天地之始」者即此，斯代真主保養之本然也。

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   Scan, p. 25–26Transcribed from the scan by AI (Claude), checked as described on the About page. Share

3. Section 13 · The Deputy

   數一 · 第二章　代理

   What is called the Deputy is the unfolding of the pure original nature of the myriad spirits, whose vital energy is fundamentally light and clear and has nothing to do with the realm of colour and form. The origins of humankind, heavenly immortals, spirits and ghosts, and the reasons of heaven, earth and the myriad things all began at this time; none is not from its command. This is called the manifestation. It stands in for the movement and stillness of the Real Lord's acting, such as commanding being and non-being, life and death, nobility and baseness, safety and danger, gain and loss. Know that the movement and stillness of the Root-Suchness abides forever in the Real One and has nothing to do with any being; the movement and stillness of acting is manifest in the myriad things and has its witnesses. All this issues from Capacity-Being, and its very first instance is creation.

   所謂代理者，乃闡發萬靈性原純粹，氣本輕清，非干色有，人類天仙神鬼之本來，天地萬物之所以，皆始是時，莫不由其命令，是為發露，此代真主作為之動靜，若能命有無生死，貴賤安危，得失之類是也，須知本然之動靜，長守于真一，而與諸有無干，作為之動靜，顯然于萬物，而有作證，皆緣自能有而發，首先乃造化也。

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   Scan, p. 26Transcribed from the scan by AI (Claude), checked as described on the About page. Share

   2 differences in the 1794 woodblock (B) (0 of wording)

   Our text follows the 1934 print; the other witness's readings are recorded here, not adopted.

   • 氣本輕清非干色→B reads氣本輕淸非干色· orthographic · p. 59
   • 而有作證皆緣自→B reads而有作証皆緣自· orthographic · p. 61

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4. Section 14 · The Deputy Scribe

   數一 · 第三章　代書

   What is called the Deputy Scribe is the overflow of the pure essence, naturally manifesting outward. Its names too are various: the Function of the Numerical One, the Net-Rope of the Myriad Forms, the Root of Heaven and Earth, the Mother of the Myriad Things, the Deputy Scribe, the Sea of Images. This is the Great Ultimate. At this juncture vital energy is abundant and principle subtle; what that teaching calls 'the named, the mother of the myriad things' is precisely this. The Great Ultimate transforms into yin and yang: spoken of together they are heaven and earth; spoken of separately they are sun, moon, stars and constellations, and earth, water, fire and air. Yin and yang transform into the myriad forms, yet the myriad forms are not identical with them. Why? Heaven and earth are like one great tree: what lies beyond the six directions is the root of yin and yang, and the root by nature does not change; what is confined within the six directions is its flowers and leaves. Flowers and leaves by nature wither; combining, they give rise to the myriad things; dispersing, each takes its own nature, namely the kinds of water and land, flying and walking, plants and trees, metals and jade. Only humans have no part in this, and heavenly immortals, spirits and ghosts come next after them. Why? Because the human being is the root of yin and yang: it comes from the formless, precedes all beings, opens the Latter Heaven and encompasses end and beginning; it is the fruit of the myriad things. Thus the fruit generates without ceasing, has a beginning but no end, and endures without decay. If the former fruit is taken and used and a new one then grows, they certainly do not come and go again in repetition; do not take the new for the former old thing. The distinction between upright and deviant depends essentially on this; it must be known. In general, a tree is completed in its fruit, and heaven and earth are completed in human beings, who continue the mandate and establish the ultimate, holding end and beginning together as with net-ropes; this is the Great Completion. It stands in for the domain of the Real Lord's acting, which is pure movement. Therefore it is called the First Servant and the Imperial Envoy. The First Servant is the Primal Distinguished One of the myriad things, from whose being there is none that does not follow; the Imperial Envoy is the Deputy, on whose raising-up humans, spirits and the myriad things all depend. Truly it is the great bond of the three bonds and the great relation of the five relations. Therefore the Scripture says: 'The ink-stone pool of Capacity-Being bears His grace and majesty; the personal brush of the Non-Ultimate manifests all natures and mandates.' The Deputy Scribe of the Great Ultimate transforms into yin and yang, and the myriad images in turn are the depiction of yin and yang. All these manifest the domain of the Root-Act.

   所謂代書者，乃精粹之餘，自然發露於外，名亦不一，曰數一之用，曰萬形之綱，曰天地根，曰萬物母，曰代書，曰象海，斯為太極；當此之際，氣盛而理微，彼所謂「有名萬物之母」者即此；太極化而為陰陽，統而言之乃天地，析而言之為日月星辰土水火氣，陰陽化而為萬形，萬形不即是彼；何也？天地譬如一株大樹，超于六合之外者，乃陰陽之根本，根本自然不更，囿于六合之內者，乃彼之花葉；花葉自然凋謝，合則茲生萬物，散則各一其性，即水陸飛行草木金玉之類；惟人不與焉；天仙神鬼，又出其次。何也？因人乃陰陽之根本，出自無形，先於諸有，闢於後天，包羅終始，是為萬物之果子；然則果子生生不已，有始無終，存而不朽，設若前果取用，後更新生，必不重復往來，莫認已前故物，正偏之別，切要在此，不可不知也。大都樹木成於果子，天地全於人才，繼命立極，綱維終始，是為大成，茲代真主作為之境界，純乎動者也。故曰首僕，曰欽差。首僕者，乃萬物之元勳，無一不從其有；欽差者，代理人神與萬物，莫不賴其提拔；誠三綱之大綱，五倫之大倫也。是以經云「能有之硯池，載其恩威，無極之親筆，顯諸性命」。太極之代書，化為陰陽，萬象又陰陽之描寫，茲皆顯本為之境界者也。

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   Scan, p. 27–28Transcribed from the scan by AI (Claude), checked as described on the About page. Share

   2 uncertain readings in this passage

   • 茲合則茲生萬物or 滋· variant · printed 茲; B reads 滋生, as the sense wants (see collation); kept as printed (p. 27)
   • 闢先於諸有，闢於後天or 開· unclear · inner component of 門 partly filled in; 闢 most likely; B also 闢 (p. 27)

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   14 differences in the 1794 woodblock (B) (4 of wording)

   Our text follows the 1934 print; the other witness's readings are recorded here, not adopted.

   • 月星辰土水火氣→B reads月星辰上水火氣· slip in B · p. 63 · B appears to read 上 with a short lower stroke. The 土水火氣 series in ours is correct, so this is likely a cutting slip in B, or possibly a worn 土; B read by both AI passes
   • 謝合則茲生萬物→B reads謝合則滋生萬物· slip in our print · p. 63 · B 滋生 "grow, multiply"; N 茲生, flagged before as a probable slip; B read by both AI passes
   • 則果子生生不→B reads則果子則生生不· substantive · p. 65 · B has an extra 則 after 果子; B read by both AI passes
   • 大都樹木成於果子天→B reads大都樹本成于果子天· slip in B · p. 65 · B 樹本 for 樹木, a slip in the cutting; B read by both AI passes

   • 然發露於外名亦→B reads然發露于外名亦· orthographic · p. 61
   • 之母者即此太極→B reads之母者卽此太極· orthographic · p. 63
   • 萬形不即是彼何→B reads萬形不卽是彼何· orthographic · p. 63
   • 一其性即水陸飛→B reads一其性卽水陸飛· orthographic · p. 63
   • 無形先於諸有闢→B reads無形先于諸有闢· orthographic · p. 65
   • 諸有闢於後天包→B reads諸有闢于後天包· orthographic · p. 65
   • 來莫認已前故物→B reads來莫認巳前故物· orthographic · p. 65
   • 天地全於人才繼→B reads天地全于人才繼· orthographic · p. 65
   • 物莫不賴其提拔→B reads物莫不頼其提拔· orthographic · p. 67
   • 之描寫茲皆顯本→B reads之描寫玆皆顯本· orthographic · p. 67

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Chinese: transcribed by AI (Claude) from the 1934 print scanned by the National Library of China (Wikimedia Commons, public domain), collated throughout with the woodblock re-cut in 1794 (乾隆五十九年重鐫; University of Michigan copy, digitised by Google), whose readings are listed under each section and which supplies what library stamps cover in the print. The head-notes printed above the text (already in the 1794 woodblock) are left out. The whole of Wang Daiyu's text is here; characters the AI reading was unsure of, and misprints of the 1934 print, are underlined and listed under each section. The English is by AI (Claude); Murata's translation is in copyright and cited only. How this text was established.