Xieyi・The Rootless Tree:24 Chapters-Chapter 5#568
The poems of “The Rootless Tree” express a fundamental force rooted in harmony with heaven and earth, the cyclical flow of yin and yang, and the infinite potential of existence。
This painting is an expressive Xieyi in the tradition of “futu” (spiritual diagrams), passed down for generations in Wudang Mountain, China. It is drawn through a technique where energy flow (xingqi) channels the internal intention into visual form。
In the Taoist world, there exist spiritual and symbolic images called “futu”。
These are a type of talisman—not merely religious items, but expressive spiritual paintings that act directly on the mind of the viewer。
Since ancient times, many people have placed these Taoist-style “Xieyi” and futu in their homes, studies, or bedrooms, wishing for longevity, health, auspiciousness, and family harmony. Viewing such paintings was not just aesthetic appreciation, but an act of inviting the presence of the Dao into one’s life and tuning the body and mind。
Thus, “Xieyi” is more than artistic expression—it is a medium that bridges the spirit, life, and harmony with the universe。
This kind of artwork is not meant to be seen only with the eyes, but felt with the heart。
It communicates with the Dao, resonates with the qi of nature, and quietly stirs the viewer’s inner self。
Futu and “Xieyi” continue to live on from ancient times to this day as “sacred images that speak to the soul.”
Below, we present the original text of the philosophical poem “The Rootless Tree,” along with a modern Japanese translation and interpretation。
※ The author of “The Rootless Tree,” Zhang Sanfeng (1247–?), is also renowned as the founder of Tai Chi, and it is said that he applied the essence of this work to Tai Chi. As an additional note, we include an interpretation connecting this to the Tai Chi tradition of Wudang Mountain.
The Rootless Tree・Chapter 5
▶Original Text
無根樹，花正偏，離了陰陽道不全。金隔木，汞隔鉛，陽寡陰孤各一邊。世上陰陽男配女，生子生孫代代傳。順爲凡，逆爲仙，只在中間顚倒顚。
▶Modern Translation
A lopsided blossom now blooms on the rootless tree.
Without harmony of yin and yang, the Way is incomplete.
Gold and wood, mercury and lead—
If divided, they will not act.
Yang alone, yin alone—both are isolated.
In this world, life continues through the union of male and female.
Live in accord with nature and you are ordinary;
Go against it and you may become immortal—
Only through inversion within balance can truth be revealed.
▶Interpretation
• Imbalance weakens power.
• Fusion is key—symbolized by metals in alchemical processes.
• “Order and inversion”: Truth lies not in convention, but in transcendence through harmony.
▶Interpretation related to Tai Chi
• One-sided training is meaningless.
• Tai Chi is the integration of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.
• Go beyond appearances—understand the inner principle.
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