道德經順硃敘
Preface to the Dao De Jing with Commentary
余閱玄聖言，質而不文、樸而非器，與素王言、西方聖人言合，故取而釋之。蓋由學者請箋《禪林寶訓》，順硃訖，復請曰：「《道德經》講解者累數百家，咸各出己意，讀者更是難曉，乞師順文淺顯開諭。」季而許之，遂就正文順硃填墨，略增意義，雖薄而無味，不過使讀之者不離言、不即言，易于領會焉耳。若果於此五千言中領會得，則不唯看《易》言、《學》言、《庸》言易，即看《圓覺》言、《楞嚴》言、《華嚴》言亦不難矣。
I have read the profound words of the Mysterious Sage. They are simple yet not ornate, unadorned yet not superficial, and align with the teachings of the Civil Sage and the Western Sage. Therefore, I have taken them and explained them.
This came about because a student asked me to annotate the *Chan Precious Teachings*. After completing that work with red ink, the student again said, "There are dozens of commentaries on the *Tao Te Ching*, each offering their own interpretations, yet readers find them even harder to understand. I sincerely ask you, Master, to explain the text plainly and directly."
I agreed to the request. Thus, I annotated the original text using red for the primary meaning and black for supplemental remarks, adding some interpretation along the way. Though the explanations are light and somewhat lacking in depth, they are meant only to help readers avoid clinging too rigidly to the words—yet without abandoning them entirely—so that comprehension may come easily.
If, through these five thousand words, one can truly grasp the essence, then not only will the *Book of Changes*, the *Great Learning*, and the *Doctrine of the Mean* become easier to read, but so too will the *Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment*, the *Shurangama Sutra*, and the *Avatamsaka Sutra*.
華岩德玉敘。
Preface by Huayan Deyu.
讚曰：王者師，民之寶。指李非姓，白髮非老。尼父稱猶龍，嬰兒恒自抱。憲宗尊諡上皇，七聖列封祖考。灼然紫氣徹關頭，眾妙之門人難造。(又)元始天尊，辭侯成子。變名變姓，百矣千矣。生李兮何嘗生，死槐兮何嘗死。身騎青牛兮，示荷負而不恃；手持真經兮，發玄文于袖裏。直斯陳跡五千言，詎止流傳一尹喜。
Praise says: The king’s teacher, the people’s treasure. Pointing to the plum is not the surname; white hair does not mean old age. Confucius called him a dragon, and he always held the infant close. Emperor Xianzong honored him as the Supreme Ancestor, and seven sages were enshrined as founding patriarchs. The purple light blazed clearly at the pass, yet the gateway to all wonders remains hard for humans to reach.
Also, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, rejecting the title of marquis to become a sage. Changing names and identities, hundreds and thousands of times. Born as Li—was he ever truly born? Died as a locust tree—was he ever truly dead? Riding a black ox, showing that he carries without clinging; holding the true scripture, revealing the profound text from his sleeve. These direct traces number five thousand words, yet they did not only reach Yin Xi.
道德經順硃卷上
Tao Te Ching, Annotations, Volume One
蜀渝華岩季而關聖可德玉順硃
Shu-Yu Huayan and Guan Sheng Ke De Yu Shun Zhu