Read, reflect, pray
Taishang Ganying Pian 18: Reverence for sky, earth and fire
English rendering of the Japanese reader’s section 18. The 24 divisions are this site’s editorial divisions, not original chapters.
English rendering
Blowing one’s nose, spitting or urinating toward the north; singing or weeping toward the hearth. Burning incense with hearth fire and cooking with polluted fuel. Rising naked at night and inflicting punishment at the eight seasonal turning points. Spitting at a meteor and pointing at a rainbow. Carelessly pointing at sun, moon or stars and gazing long at sun or moon. Hunting by burning fields in spring, cursing toward the north, and needlessly killing turtles or striking snakes: these too are listed.
Reading note from this site
The eight seasonal points are the beginnings of the four seasons, the equinoxes and the solstices. These are historical religious taboos concerning nature, direction and fire, not rules common to all religions.
Chinese source passage
對北涕唾及溺,對竈吟詠及哭;又以竈火燒香,穢柴作食;夜起裸露,八節行刑;唾流星,指虹霓;輒指三光,久視日月;春月燎獵,對北惡罵,無故殺龜打蛇…
Based on the classical text and this site’s independently prepared Japanese rendering. Classical source edition