What is the difference between Yin Virtues and Yang Virtues?--From Taoism Point of View

By an unknown Taoist writer in Chinese, Translated by Shadow

Many people will ask what virtue is, what is the meaning of the accumulation of virtue?

This was documented earliest by the Han Dynasty Classics: “Yin virtuous person will have both rewards and fame in Yang as return.”

Accumulation of Yin virtue is a manifestation of Taoism, a person with such behavior will be blessed by all spirits.

Accumulation of Yin Virtue is constantly doing nice things for others without claiming for fame or for his/her own benefits.

In view of a person with Yin Virtue, the good result will be reflected on the destiny of himself/herself or on that of his/her off springs.

In the book of Change Classics, it is said that there will be more happiness for those who do good dees, while there will be misfortune for those who accumulate evil. One cannot reach fame without accumulating good virtues, while one can avoid calamity by not doing evil.

Distinction between Yin and Yang Virtue

Good deeds are good deeds, however, some appear real yet some fake, some are righteous yet some are detoured, some are Yin yet some are Yang, some are correct yet some are wrong, some are in right ways yet some are not, some are full-hearted yet some are half-hearted, some are big yet some are small, some are easy yet some are difficult, which are hard to tell. One who tries to do good deeds with good reasons is doing things appropriately. One who tries to seek fame will be judged by Taoism eventually. It might be just effortless and a waste of energy.

There is distinction between Yin Virtue and Yang Virtue. One who does good deeds while claiming is Yang Virtue, yet, without claiming is called Yin Virtue?

Yin is the hidden virtues and the achievement of good things without seeking fame or compliments. The most important thing for Yin virtue accumulations is to do is to be sincere and seek nothing in return. During the process of accumulating Yin virtue, one might be in the face of indifference, ridicule, discrimination, etc.

Five Benefits of Yin Virtue

1. Help you stay away from the Demons.

People without Yin Virtue are difficult to achieve Dao as there are millions of ghosts and barriers in the way. Those who can achieve Dao always possess in-depth Yin Virtue.

2. Being assisted by noble people

If you want to keep your wealth or want to live better, you need to accumulate Yin virtue, so as to obtain the help of noble people.

3. Help you stay away from the evil and make your descendants flourish.

Only if you have accumulated in-depth Yin virtue, your descendants can flourish. The principles for accumulating Yin virtue include: Not to assassinate living creatures, not to steal or conduct adultery, not to defame righteous beliefs, save lives and relief pains of others, worry about others’ dangers and problems. One without compassion for others destroys his/her own Yin virtue, meanwhile evil spirits will get close to you.

4. Make the devil surrender to you and defeat demons

Devils are scared by people with Yin virtue, thus they surrender.

5. Avoid disasters and unlucky things

Accumulation of Yin virtue can help avoid disasters and worries, and make you survive with good luck.

Difference between Accumulating Yin virtue and Yang virtue

Yang virtue makes people enjoy fame, get applause, respect, praise, flowers, and get the attention of the media. It's a good thing, isn't it? Such fame is indeed a blessing, but it is given by Heaven and Earth, which should be avoided. Especially those who enjoy a fame that doesn’t match their actual behaviors, these people always get unexpected disasters happen to them later. On the other hand, those who possess Yin virtue are defamed mistakenly will eventually being rewarded by blessed descendants. This is the difference between Yin virtue and Yang virtue.

To summarize, Yin virtue is to do good deeds without claiming but as the truth is within, therefore people with Yin virtue will be blessed by Heaven and Earth. Yang virtue is to do good deeds for the purpose of getting famous, compliments from others and enjoy fame, which will not necessarily lead to good luck to such people. From the perspective of Dao, fame is a way of consuming good luck. As you have done good things, make everybody known, show off yourself, meanwhile your merits are being consumed , which is similar to how we spend money( once it’s spent, it’s gone). The fame brought by Yang virtue offsets the effect of good deeds, so good luck just ends here.

Therefore, believers of Dao believe that if you leave fortune to your descendants, fortune may be gone. If you leave books to your descendants, knowledge may not be passed on. Only if you accumulate Yin virtue can help your descendants prosper. Yin virtue always belongs to you that no one can steal.

The more Yin virtue we have accumulated, the better luck we will get, the more benefit we can bring to future generations. That’s why we should not tell others what good deeds we have done. The more important thing about yin virtue is that we are trying to help others without expecting things in return.

Stop admiring people in the center or media because of their announced Yang virtue, let’s accumulate more Yin virtue and make this world better.

Note: Original article as below (translation has some alteration of order of sentences, and also has deleted some cited classics which are difficult to translate.)

积阴德和做阳善究竟有何不同之处？

原作： 道教乾坤 翻译：SHADOW影

经常有很多信众会问什么是阴德，积阴德究竟是什么意思呢？

早在汉代的经典《淮南子·人间训》就有：“有阴德者必有阳报，有阴行者必有昭名。”

积阴德是天道承负思想的一种表现形式，广积阴德必将得到神灵的赐福。

阴德，是指不被人知道，不是为了自己而做的善事，就是你做了善事好事别人不知道，就

叫阴德。

对于阴德，民间称之为阴骘，中华民族劝善书中就有《文昌帝君阴骘文》。无论人们做好

事或坏事，都会报应在自己和亲属身上的，正是近在己身，远在儿孙。

在《易经》中有说：积善之家，必有余庆；积不善之家，必有余殃、善不积，不足以成名

；恶不积，不足以灭身。

多做好事，而不沽名钓誉，才是阴德。

阴德与阳德

善行，都是积善。若复精而言之。则善有真有假。有端有曲。有阴有阳。有是有非。有偏

有正。有半有满。有大有小。有难有易。皆当深辨。为善而不穷理。则自谓行持。岂知造

孽。枉费苦心。无益也。

德有阳德与阴德之分。

何谓阴阳？凡为善而人知之，则为阳善；为善而人不知，则为阴德。

阴德是隐藏的德行，与阳善的公开行善是相反的。

修善最重要的是出于真诚而无所求，这是真善。

阴德就是无所求的成就好事；阴德就是面对他人的冷漠、奚落、歧视，心不罣碍；阴德就

如《赵氏孤儿》里舍身救赵武的公孙杵臼，以及牺牲亲生儿子的程婴，他们扶忠除奸不求

回馈的阴德，令人称扬。

古人的“怜蛾不点灯，为鼠常留饭”是积阴德；分粥赈饥是积阴德；筑桥铺路、凿井引水

、点灯施茶、捐棺义葬、急难救助是积阴德；功成不居、不称己善、不扬人过更是阴德；

见人危急，勇于搭救；甚至随手捡起地上垃圾，使人不致滑倒，也是阴德；乃至于给人喜

悦的面容，令郁闷者一笑解千愁；在自己的工作岗位上发心、用心，让领导者安心、同事

们欢心，都是积阴德。

积阴德是“给人”，但不为人所知，是“为人”但不为人所明，阴德就如播种，只要播土

下种，就不怕将来没有收成的机会。

积阴德的五种福报

1. 远离魔障

《悟真篇》中说：“若非积行修阴德、动有群魔作障缘。道光曰：魔障在彼，修持在我。

阴德既宏，灵丹可冀。”

如果人想修道，但是缺少阴德，一修就会有群魔阻道，而有阴德深厚，就金丹有望。

2. 贵人相助

《唐太古妙应孙真人福寿论》中说：“人若奉阴德而不欺者，圣人知之，贤人护之，天乃

爱之，人以悦之，鬼神敬之，居其富而不失其富，居其贵而不失其贵，祸不及也，寿不折

矣，攻劫之患去矣，水火之灾除矣，必可保生全天寿矣。”

如果你想保持你的富贵，或者是你想过的好一些，则需要积累阴德，这样才能得贵人相助

，得上天帮忙。

……

3. 子孙昌荣，远离恶道

阴德深厚，子孙才能昌盛，而积累阴德的方法有不殄天物，不肆盗淫，不毁正教，救死扶

伤，急人患难。如做人无恻隐之心则毁伤阴德，这时恶道就会接近你。

4. 降服恶鬼

《真仙真指语录》中说：“阴德伏鬼，阳德伏人。”人有阴德鬼邪惧怕!

5. 能避祸患

《玄天上帝百字圣号》中说：“君家阴德合天门，岁小淹留祸不侵。”人有阴德自然可以

远离祸患，接近福报。

积阴德与积阳德的区别

或许有朋友要问，积阳德行不行？能否也有好效果？

阴德天报之，阳善享世名。名亦福也。名者造物所忌。世之享盛名而实不副者，多有奇祸

。人之无过咎而横被恶名者，子孙往往骤发，阴阳之际微矣哉。

阴德是做好事而不为人们所知道，上天会加以赐福；而阳善则是做好事让人们知道，得到

群众的称赞而享有盛名。

有人会说，阳善享有名声，得到掌声、恭敬、礼赞、鲜花、媒体上刊登事迹，闪光灯聚集

在身上，不是很好的事吗？

这个“名声”，确实也算是一种福报，但是这个“名”，却是老天希望大家能戒除的。为

什么呢？

因为“名”也是消耗福报的一种方式，做了善事，宣扬功德、炫耀自己，功德往往被损耗

，好像钱花出去钱就没了，你把这个“名气”的福享了，也就等于消耗了部分福报。

所以说阳善只是得到一个形式，这个福报你一用没了，而且这个“名”，老天不喜欢，为

什么不喜欢？“世之享盛名而实不副者，多有奇祸”！

“人之无过咎而横被恶名者，子孙往往骤发，阴阳之际微矣哉。”相反，一个人清白无辜

，被人恶骂，被人冤枉，看起来委屈，殊不知他无始劫以来的罪障都报掉了，子孙往往很

发达。宋朝的大政治家司马光说得再透彻不过了：“积金以遗子孙，子孙未必能守。积书

以遗子孙，子孙未必能读，不如积阴德于冥冥之中，以为子孙长久之计。”

所以，阴阳之际很微妙。“阴阳之际”讲的是循环的道理，“福兮祸所伏，祸兮福所倚

”，盛极肯定是衰，显耀至极是祸患。

许多圣贤先人告诉我们，积阴德、积善果，那永远都是你的，别人是偷不去、抢不走的。

你阴德积得久，积得多了，后面的福报也大，甚至还会福泽你的子孙。所以我们做些好事

，最好不要宣扬自已，故意让别人知道的道理就在这里。

阴德不是为了自己而做的善事，这样得的福报才大。积阳德别人知道了，善德不如阴德积

得住和留得住。

俗话说：“人做善行，人做善事，天地良知，必有福报”。所谓的善行善事，指的就是积

德。人积德越多，福报也就越大。​​​