It changed my life forever. I am working now as meditation teacher and therefore I created a new transcription: This helps incredibly the immediate understanding of this practice! Cleary's knowledge and experience of Zen and Taoist praxis informs his "notes" and they are an invaluable guide to the text itself. A true classic of simplicity. Apr 03, ellen rated it it was ok. That was mostly my thoughts on this. There may be a lot in here of use, but it wasn't necessarily written for anyone's use. Mar 24, Artur Benchimol rated it liked it. June's commentary is great. The second part makes more sense if you're interested in Taoism or esoteric practices.
I found it hard to grasp since I had no previous knowledge of such things. A great, new translations of an old classic which combines ideas from both Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism. The basic idea being to cultivate the practice of 'turning back the light', 'reverse seeing' and other allusions pointing to self-investigation and direct-pointing style meditation.
This style of meditation is popular in Zen Buddhism, and certain other nondual traditions as a means of directly approaching reality. This little treatise sums up the benefits of the approach, and some tips on how to A great, new translations of an old classic which combines ideas from both Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism. This little treatise sums up the benefits of the approach, and some tips on how to cultivate the practice.
This is a much improved version of a previous German version, popularized by Jung, which was badly translated at that time due to a lack of knowledge of the practice and subject. Cleary has done a great service in revisiting these texts. Sep 27, Jason Gregory rated it it was amazing. This is a Taoist classic in many ways. But the primary reason is because of the crystal clear translation from Richard Wilhelm and the commentary of Carl Jung. Transparent with their understanding, it gives the reader deeper insight into Chinese philosophy and spiritual practice.
Oct 10, Gypsy Renhart rated it it was amazing. Though it is not easy to comprehend at first glance it is a book that I will open time and time again. This is going to be an important guide for me and my personal growth. Jan 25, Carole Voss rated it it was amazing. I live in Australia, my origins are European and yet am part of the Australasian community downunder and have grown up with eastern influences usually discerned through the arts. As a devotee of all spirit and peace I found this work a piece of "Tao" and a point where the east and west meet.
It was originally published in and is one of the clearest things I have read about the topic. If you want to discern an original message about being free of opposites and be what the Hindu termed nirdva I live in Australia, my origins are European and yet am part of the Australasian community downunder and have grown up with eastern influences usually discerned through the arts. If you want to discern an original message about being free of opposites and be what the Hindu termed nirdvandva then this is a jewel. It also reconciles the human glitch we all carry and answers some of the greatest mysteries of all.
But only because it includes the commentary by C. This is for all those enamoured by C. Anyone who wants to get a clear perspective on the I Ching and those who are already familiar with the I Ching and basic Jungian principles will be greatly benefited. The Secret of the Golden Flower is a Taoist text deeply intertwined with many other Chinese classics, though it is now believed to have been published much later it was originally thought to have been written in the T'ang period around when poet Tu Fu was active.
The text itself is an excellent description of both the physical and mental attributes of Taoist meditation, and it contains perhaps the most descriptive exposition regarding the end "goal" of these practices. Looking at the history o The Secret of the Golden Flower is a Taoist text deeply intertwined with many other Chinese classics, though it is now believed to have been published much later it was originally thought to have been written in the T'ang period around when poet Tu Fu was active.
Looking at the history of Chinese philosophy, I'd wager that having been manifested several centuries later, The Secret of the Golden Flower was given the opportunity to perform further exegesis of earlier canonized Taoist texts. For Western readers, I would strongly recommend reading a copy that also includes C. Jung's commentary which—while not indispensable for comprehension—provides a beneficial perspective on classic Eastern mythology and its relevance for a modern Western world.
This book is a fairly recent translation of a Taoist classic text on meditation, usually attributed to Liu Dongbin of the late Tang Dynasty though the validity of this has been disputed. The book is an interesting mix of Taoist spiritual alchemy and Buddhist meditation technique. Specifically the northern Chan Buddhist school that was the precursor to Zen Buddhism. The book itself describes silent meditation that is the corner stone of Chan and Zen. A technique in the book that is referred to This book is a fairly recent translation of a Taoist classic text on meditation, usually attributed to Liu Dongbin of the late Tang Dynasty though the validity of this has been disputed.
A technique in the book that is referred to as "turning the light around. Easier said than done, but the book tries to describe ways to go about it, and also tries to describe the experience itself, in an attempt to give you a way to gauge your own experiences. This particular edition is a fairly recent translation by Thomas Cleary, who is a scholar of Eastern studies, particularly Buddhism and Taoism.
Apparently he first encountered this book in the more famous edition that was translated by Richard Wilhem, and annotated by C. He was so displeased with the translation that he found a version of the original Chinese and made his own translation. I personally have not read Wilhem's version, but Cleary seems to make up for this fact by constantly referring to it in his own notes and annotations.
The translations itself is quite pretty and easy to grasp. Cleary's own notes to each verse help to elucidate and explain various stock Buddhist and Taoist phrases that are used throughout the book, for the most part. Phrases that have definite meanings, because they appear in similar contexts in other Chinese spiritual books. A generous chunk of Cleary's notes are also used to critique Wilhem and Jung's versions and to show how much their version and translation was inferior to his. It was okay the first couple of times, but it ran throughout the entire notes and even spilling over into the afterwards written by the author.
Please help improve this article if you can. May Learn how and when to remove this template message. Taoist temple Grotto-heavens Mount Penglai. The way leads from the sacrum upward in a backward flowing way to the summit of the Creative, and on through the house of the Creative; then it sinks through the two stories in a direct downward-flowing way into the solar plexus, and warms it. To the collaboration of these two men we owe the edition of the I Ching with its excellent commentary. Although Wilhelm's original German edition first appeared in the autumn of , just months before he died according to the Preface by Baynes , Jung indicates in his Foreword to The Secret of the Golden Flower that Wilhelm had sent him the text earlier, and also indicates that it was on Jung's initiative that the book was published.
The Secret of the Golden Flower. Retrieved from " https: Chinese classic texts Chinese philosophy Taoist texts. Webarchive template wayback links Articles needing cleanup from May All pages needing cleanup Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from May Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from May Articles containing Chinese-language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May Views Read Edit View history.
This page was last edited on 25 June , at By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. What contradicts it is false contemplation. This leads to no goal. When the flight of thoughts keeps extend- ing farther, one should stop and begin contemplating. Let one contemplate and then start concentrating again. That is the double method of strengthening the iUumination.
It means the circular course of the light. The circular course is fixation. The Light is contemplation. Fixation without contemplation is circulation without Light. Con- templation without fixation is light without circulation! Take note of that! The general meaning of this section is that the protection of the centre is important for the circular course of the Light.
The last section dealt with the theme that the human body is a very 39 valuable possession when the primordial spirit is master. But when it is used by the conscious spirit, the latter brings it about that, day and night, the primordial spirit is scattered and wasted. When it is completely worn out, the body dies. The method is described whereby the conscious spirit can be subjected and the primordial spirit guarded ; that is impossible if one does not begin by making the Light circulate.
It is like this: When the founda- tion is strong, then only can the work proceed and the base of the walls be deeply and solidly grounded, and the posts and walls built up. If a foundation is not laid in this way, how can the house be completed? The way of cultivating life is exactly like that. The circulation of the Light is to be compared with the foundation of the building. When the foundation stands firm, how quickly it can be built upon! To protect the yellow middle with the fire of the spirit, that is the work of building.
Therefore the Master makes especially clear the method by which one enters in the cul- tivation of life, and bids people look with both eyes at the end of the nose, to lower the lids, to look within, sit quietly with upright body, and fix the heart on the centre in the midst of the conditions. Keeping the thoughts on the space between the two eyes allows the Light to penetrate.
Thereupon, the spirit crystallizes and enters the centre in the midst of the conditions. The centre in the midst of the conditions is the lower Elixir-field, the place of power solar plexus. The Master hinted at this secretly when he said: At the beginning of the work one must sit in a quiet room, the body like dry wood, the heart like cooled ashes. One should sit down daily to meditate with legs crossed. Let the light in the eyes be stopped ; let the hearing power of the ear be crystallized and the tasting power of the tongue diminished ; that is, the tongue should be laid to the roof of the mouth ; let the breathing through the nose be made rhythmical and the thoughts fixed on the dark door.
If the breathing is not first made rhythmical it is to be feared that there will be difficulty in breathing, because of stoppage. When one closes the eyes, then one should take as a measure a point on the back of the nose which lies not half an inch below the intersection point of the line of sight, where there is a 40 little bump on the nose. Then one begins to collect one's thoughts ; the ears make the breathing rhythmical ; body and heart are comfortable and harmonious. The Light of the eyes must shine quietly, and, for a long time, neither sleepiness nor distraction must set in.
The eyes do not look outward, they drop their lids and light up what is within. There is Light in this place. The mouth does not speak nor laugh. One closes the lips and breathes inwardly. Breathing is at this place. The nose smells no odours.
Smelling is at this place. The ear does not hear things outside. Hearing is at this place. The whole heart watches over what is within. Its watching is at this place. The thoughts do not stray outward ; true thoughts have continuity in themselves. If the thoughts are lasting, the seed is lasting ; if the seed lasts, the power lasts ; if the power lasts, then will the spirit last also.
The spirit is thought ; thought is the heart ; the heart is the fire ; the fire is the Elixir. If the pupil begins and cannot hold his thoughts to the place between the two eyes ; if he closes the eyes, but the power of the heart does not enable him to look at the place of power, the cause is most probably the fact that the breathing is too loud and hasty. Other evils arise from this because body and heart are kept busy trying to suppress forcibly the uprush of power and quick breath.
If the thoughts are only held to the two eyes, but the spirit is not crystallized in the solar plexus the centre in the midst of the conditions , it is as if one had mounted to the hall but had not yet entered the inner chamber. Then the spirit-fire will not develop, the power remains cold, and the true fruit will hardly manifest itself. Therefore the Master harbours the fear lest, in their efforts, men only fix their thoughts on the place on the nose, but fail to think of fixing their ideas on the place of power ; that is why he used the comparison of the mason with the plumb-line.
The mason only uses the plumb-line in order to see if his wall is perpendicular or slanting, and for this the string serves as a guiding line. When he has determined the direction, he can begin the work. But then he works on the wall, not on the plumb-line. From this it is seen that fixing the thoughts between the eyes means only what the plumb-line does to the mason.
The Master 49 refers again and again to this because he fears his meaning might not be understood. And even if the pupils have grasped the way of doing the thing, he fears they might interrupt their work, and so he says several times: The pupils must examine that with sincere hearts. The decision must be carried out with a whole heart, and, the result not sought for; the result will come of itself.
In the first period of release there are chiefly two mistakes: But that can be remedied ; the heart must not enter into the breathing too completely. Breathing comes from the heart What comes out of the heart is breath. When the heart stirs, there develops breath-power. Breath - power is originally transformed activity of the heart. When our hearts go very fast they imperceptibly pass into fantasies which are always accompanied by the drawing of a breath, because this inner and outer breathing hangs together like tone and echo. Daily we draw innumerable breaths and have an equal number of fantasy-representa- tions.
And thus the clarity of the spirit is depleted just as wood dries out and ashes die. Should a man have no images in his mind? One cannot be without images. Should one not breathe? One cannot do without breathing. The best way is to make a cure out of the illness. Since heart and breath 44 are mutually dependent, the circulation of the Light must be united with the rhythm of breathing.
For this, Light of the ear is above all necessary.
There is a Light of the eye and a Light of the ear. The Light of the eye is the united Light of the sun and moon outside. The Light of the ear is the united seed of sun and moon within.
The seed is also the Light in crystallized form. Both have the same origin and are different only in name. Therefore, understanding ear and clarity eye are one and the same effective Light. In sitting down, after dropping the lids, one establishes a plumb-line with the eyes and shifts the Light downward. But if the transposition downward is not successful, then the heart is directed toward listening to the breathing.
One should not be able to hear with the ear the out- going and intaking of the breath. What one hears is that it has no tone.
As soon as it has tone, the breathing is rough and superficial, and does not penetrate into what is fine. Then the heart must be made quite light and insignificant. The more it is released, the less important it becomes ; the less important, the quieter. All at once it becomes so quiet that it stops. Then the true breathing is manifested and the form of the heart can be made conscious.
When the heart is light, the breathing is light, for every movement of the heart brings about breathing power. If the breathing is light, the heart is light, for every movement of the breath affects the heart. In order to steady the heart, one begins by cultivating the breathing power. The heart cannot be influenced directly. Therefore the breathing power is used as a handle, and this is what is called protecting the collected breathing power. Children, do you not understand the nature of motion? Motion can be produced by outside means. One can make the heart move merely by running.
Should one not be able to bring it to rest then by concentrated quietness? The great Holy Ones who knew how the heart and breath- ing power mutually influence one another, have thought out an easier procedure as a way of helping posterity. In the Book of the Elixir 15 it is said: The hen can hatch her eggs because her heart is always listening. That is an important magic spell. The reason the hen can hatch the eggs is because of the power to heat. But the power of the heat can only warm the shells ; it cannot penetrate into the interior. Therefore with her heart she conducts this power inward.
This she does with her hearing. In this way she concentrates her whole heart. When the heart penetrates, the power penetrates, and the chick receives the power of the heat and begins to live. Therefore a hen, even when she has left her eggs, always has the attitude of listening with bent ear. Thus the con- centration of the spirit is not interrupted. Because the concentration of the spirit suffers no interruption, neither does the power of heat suffer interruption day or night, and the spirit awakes to life. The awakening of the spirit is accomplished because the heart has first died.
When a man can let his heart die, then the primordial spirit wakes to life. To kill the heart does not mean to let it dry and wither away, but it means that it is undivided and gathered into one.
Navigation menu
When you fix your heart on one point, then nothing is impossible for you. The heart easily runs away, so it is necessary to gather it together by means of breathing power. Breathing power easily becomes coarse, therefore it has to be refined by the heart. When that is done, can it then happen that it is not fixed? The two mistakes of laziness and distraction must 46 be combated by quiet work that is carried on daily without interruption ; then results will certainly be achieved.
If one is not seated during meditation, one will often be distracted without noticing it. To become conscious of the inattention is the mechanism by which to do away with inattention. Laziness of which a man is conscious; and laziness of which he is unconscious, are a thousand miles apart.
Unconscious laziness is real laziness ; conscious laziness is not complete laziness, because there is still some clarity in it. Distraction comes from letting the spirit wander about; laziness comes from the spirit not yet being pure. Distraction is much easier to correct than lazi- ness.
It is as in sickness: Distraction can be overcome, confusion can be straightened out, but laziness and absent-mindedness are heavy and dark. Distraction and confusion at least have a place, but in laziness and absent-mindedness the anima alone is active. In inattention the animus is still present, but in laziness pure darkness rules. If one becomes sleepy during medita- tion, that is an effect of laziness. Breathing alone serves to remove laziness. Although the breath that flows in and out through the nose is not the true breath, the flowing in and out of the true breath is connected with it.
While sitting, one must, therefore, always keep the heart quiet and the power concentrated. How can the heart be made quiet? The heart alone must be conscious of the flowing in and out of the breath ; it must not be heard with the ears. If it is not heard, then the breathing is light ; if light, it is pure.
If it can be heard, then the breathing power is heavy ; if heavy, then it is troubled ; if it is troubled, then laziness and 47 absent-mindedness develop and one wants to sleep. How to use the heart correctly during breathing must be understood. It is use without use. One need only let the Light fall quite gently on the hearing.
This sentence contains a secret meaning. What does it mean to let the Light fall? It is the radiance of the Light of one's own eyes. The eye looks inward only and not outward. To sense brightness without looking outward means to look inward ; it has nothing to do with an actual looking within. What does hearing mean? It is hearing the Light of one's own ear.
The ear listens only within and does not listen to what is outside. To sense brightness without listening to what is outside, is to listen to what is within ; it has nothing to do with actually listening to what is within. In this sort of hearing, one only hears that there is no sound ; in this kind of seeing, one only sees that no shape is there. If the eye is not looking outward and the ear is not harkening outward, they close themselves and are inclined to sink inward.
Only when one looks and harkens inward does the organ not go outward nor sink inward. In this way laziness and absent-mindedness are done away with. That is the union of the seed and the Light of the sun and moon. If, as a result of laziness, one becomes sleepy, one should stand up and walk about. When the spirit has become clear one can sit down again. If there is time in the morning, one may sit during the burning of an incense candle, that is the best.
In the afternoon, human affairs interfere and one can therefore easily fall into laziness. It is not necessary to have an incense candle. But one must lay aside all complications and sit quite still for u time. In the course of time there will be success without one's getting lazy and falling asleep. The further the work advances, the deeper becomes the teaching. The pupil must bring heart and breathing into relation- ship during the circulation of the Light in order to avoid the burden of laziness and distraction.
The Master fears lest, during the seance, when the beginners have lowered their lids, confused fantasies may arise, because of which, the heart will begin to beat so that it is difficult to guide. Therefore he teaches the work of counting the breath and fixing the thoughts of the heart in order to prevent the power of the spirit from flowing outward.
Because breath comes out of the heart, unrhythmical breath- ing comes from the heart's unrest. Therefore one must breathe in and out quite softly so that it remains inaudible to the ear, and only the heart quietly counts the breaths. When the heart forgets the number of breaths, that is a sign that the heart has gone off into the outer world.
Then one must hold the heart steadfast. If the ear does not listen attentively, or the eyes do not look at the back of the nose, it often happens that the heart runs off outside, or that sleep comes. That is a sign that the con- dition is going over into confusion and absent-mindedness, and the seed-spirit must be brought into order again. If, in lowering the lids and taking direction from the nose, the mouth is not tightly closed and the teeth are not clenched firmly together, it can easily happen that the heart hastens outward ; then one must close the mouth quickly and clench the teeth together.
The five senses order themselves according to the heart, and the spirit must call the breathing-power to aid, in order that heart and breath are harmonized. In this way there is need at most of daily work of a few quarter-hours for heart and breathing to come of them- selves into the right sort of collaboration and harmony. Then one need no longer count and breathing becomes rhythmical of its own accord. When the breathing is rhythmical the mistakes of laziness and distraction disappear of their own accord.
Your work will gradually draw itself together and mature, but before you reach the con- dition in which you sit like a withered tree before a cliff, there are many other possibilities of error which I would like to bring to your special attention. These conditions are only recognized when they have been personally experienced. I will enumerate them here. My school differs from the Buddhist yoga school Chao Tsung 16 , in that it has confirmatory signs for each step of the way. First I would like to speak of the mistakes and then of the confirmatory signs.
When one sets out to carry out one's decision, care must be taken to see that everything can proceed in a comfortable, easy manner. Too much must not be de- manded of the heart. One must be careful that, quite automatically, heart and power correspond to one another.
The Secret of the Golden Flower
Only then can a state of quietness be attained. During this quiet state the right conditions and the right place must be provided. One must not sit down to meditate in the midst of frivolous affairs. That is to say, one must not have any vacuities in the mind. All entanglements must be put aside and one must be supreme and in- dependent.
Nor must the thoughts be directed toward the right procedure. I do not mean that no trouble is to be taken, but the right behaviour lies in the middle way between being and non-being. If one can attain purposelessness through purpose, then the thing has been grasped. Supreme and without confusion, one goes along in an independent way.
Furthermore, one must not fall victim to the ensnaring world. The ensnaring world is where the five kinds of dark demons disport themselves. In this way one sinks into the world of darkness. The power is cold there, breathing is heavy, and many images of coldness and decay display themselves. If one tarries there long one enters the world of plants and stones.
Nor must a man be led astray by the ten thousand ensnarements. This happens if, after the quiet state has begun, one after another all sorts of ties suddenly appear. One wants to break through them and cannot ; one follows them, and feels relieved by this. This means the master has become a servant. If a man tarries in this state long he enters the world of illusory desires.
At best, one goes to Heaven ; at the worst, one goes among the fox-spirits Such a fox-spirit might also occupy himself in the famous mountains enjoying the wind and the moon, the flowers and fruits, and taking his pleasure in coral trees and jewelled grass. But after he has been occupied thus for three to five hundred years, or at the most, for a couple of thousand years, his reward is over and he is born again into the world of turmoil. All of these are wrong paths. When a man knows the wrong paths, he can then inquire into the confirma- tory signs.
The meaning of this section 18 is to call attention to the wrong paths of meditation so that one can enter the place of power instead of the cave of fantasy. This is the world of demons. This, for example, is the case if one sits down to meditate, and sees light flames or bright colours appear, or if one sees Bodhisatvas and gods approach, or any other similar fantasies. Or, if one is not successful in uniting power and breathing, if the water of the kidneys cannot rise, but presses downward, the primordial power becomes. Then the gentle light 53 powers of the great Earth are too few, and the empty fantasy- world is entered.
Or, when one has sat a long time, ideas rise up in crowds and one tries to stop them, but it cannot be done ; one submits to being driven by them and feels easier. When this happens, one must under no circumstances go on with medita- tion but must get up and walk around a little while until heart and power are again in unison ; only then can one return to medita- tion.
In meditating, a man must have a sort of conscious intuition, so that he feels power and breathing unite in the field of the Elixir ; he must feel that a warm release belonging to the true Light begins to stir dimly. Then he has found the right place. When this right place has been found, one is released from the danger of getting into the world of illusory desire or dark demons. There are many kinds of con- firmatory experiences.
One must not content oneself with small demands but must rise to the thought that all living creatures have to be freed. It is not permissible to be trivial and irresponsible in heart.
The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life
One must strive to. If, when there is quiet, the spirit has continuously and uninterruptedly a sense of great gaiety as if intoxicated or freshly bathed, it is a sign that the Light principle in Hhe whole bodv is harmonious ; then the Golden Flower begins to bud. It is a sign that the Golden Flower is opening. Furthermore, the whole body feels strong and firm so that it fears neither storm nor frost. Things by which Yellow gold fills the house ; the steps are white jade.
Rotten and stinking things on Earth that come in contact with one breath of the true power will immediately live again. Red blood becomes milk. The fragile body of the flesh is sheer gold and diamonds. That is a sign that the Golden Flower is crystallized. The sun sinks in the Great Water and magic pictures of trees in rows arise. The setting of the sun means that in Chaos in the world before phenomena, that is, the intelligible world , a foundation is laid: Highest good is like water, pure and spotless. It is the ruler of the Great Polarity, the god who is revealed in the sign for that which greatly disturbs, ChSn Chen is also symbolized by wood, wherefore the image of trees in rows appears.
A sevenfold row of trees means the light of the seven body-openings or heart-openings. In the north-west is the direction of the creative. When it moves on one place farther, the abysmal is there. The sun which sinks into the Great Water is the image for the creative and abysmal.
The abysmal is the direction of midnight mouse, Tzu x north. At the winter solstice the thunder Chin is in the middle of the Earth quite hidden and covered up. Only when the sign Chin is reached, does the Light-pole come over the earth again. That is the picture representing the row of trees. The rest can be correspondingly inferred. The second part refers to the building of the founda- tion on this.
The great world is like ice, a glassy world of jewels. The brilliancy of the Light is gradually crystallized. That is why a great terrace arises and upon 55 it, in the course of time, Buddha appears. When the Golden Being appears who should it be but Buddha? This is a great confirmatory experience. Now there are three confirmatory experiences which can be tested. The first is that, when one has entered the state of meditation, the gods 20 are in the valley. Men are heard talking as though at a distance of several hundred paces, each one quite clear.
But the sounds are all like an echo in a valley. One can always hear them, but never oneself. This is called the presence of the gods in the valley. At times the following can be experienced: If one opens one's eyes and seeks the body, it is not to be found any more. In the empty chamber it grows light. Inside and outside, everything is equally light. Or, when one sits in meditation, the fleshly body becomes quite shining like silk or jade.
It seems difficult to remain sitting ; one feels as if drawn upward. The spirit returns and pushes against Heaven. In time, one can experience it in such a way that one really floats upward. And now it is possible to leave all three of these experiences. But not everything ean be expressed. Different things appear to each person according to his gifts. If one experiences these things, it is a sign of a good aptitude.
With these things it is just as it is when one drinks water. One can tell for oneself whether the water is warm or cold. In the same way a man must convince himself about these experiences, then only are they real. When there is gradual success in producing the circulation of the Light, a man must not give up his ordinary occupation in doing it. When occupations come to us, we must accept them ; when things come to us, we must understand them from the ground up.
If the occupations are regulated by correct thoughts, the Light is not scattered by outside things, but circulates according to its own law. Even the still-invisible circulation of the Light gets started this way, how much more then is it the case with the true circulation of the Light which has already manifested itself clearly. When in ordinary life one has the ability always to react to things by reflexes only, without any admixture of a thought of others or of oneself, that is a circulation of the Light arising out of circumstances.
It is the first secret. If, early in the morning, a man can rid himself of all entanglements and meditate from one to two double hours, and then can orientate himself toward all activities and outside things in a purely objective, reflex way, and if this can be continued without any interruption, then after two or three months, all the perfected Ones come from Heaven and sanctify such behaviour.
The preceding section deals with the blissful fields that are entered when one succeeds in the work. The aim of this part is to show the pupils how they must shape their work more finely day by day so that they can hope for an early attainment of the Elixir of Life. How does it happen that the Master just here speaks of the fact that a man ought not to give up his calling in life as a citizen?
It might be thought from this that the Master wanted to prevent the pupil from attaining the Elixir of Life quickly. He who knows replies to this: The Master is concerned 57 lest the pupil may not have fulfilled his karma, therefore he speaks in this way. Now if the work has led into the blissful fields, the heart is like the reflecting surface of water. When things come, it mirrors- things ; when they go, spirit and power spontaneously unite and do not allow themselves to be carried away by outside things.
That is what the Master means when he says: Every interference of the thought with other people and with oneself must be completely given up. When the pupil succeeds in con- centrating with true thoughts on the place of power, he does not have to start the Light circulating, and the Light circulates by itself. But when the Light circulates, the Elixir is made spon- taneously, and the performance of worldly tasks at the same time is not a hindrance.
It is different at the beginning of the work of meditation when spirit and power are still scattered and confused. If worldly affairs cannot then be kept at a distance, and a quiet place found where one can concentrate with all one's power, and thus avoid all disturbances from ordinary occupations, then one is perhaps industrious in the morning and certainly lazy in the evening.
How long would it take in this way till a man attained to the real secrets? When one begins to apply the work, one should put aside household affairs. And, if that is not wholly possible, someone ought to be engaged to look after them, so that one can take pains with complete attention. But when the work is so far advanced that secret confirmations are experienced, it does not matter if, at the same time, the ordinary affairs are put in order, so that one can fulfil one's karma.
This means the living manner of the circulation of the Light. When a man lives in contact with the world, and yet still in harmony with the Light, then the round is round and the angular has angles ; then he lives among men concealed, yet visible, different, and yet the same, and none can compass it ; then no one takes note of our secret life and being.
The living manner of the circulation of the Light has just this meaning: To live in contact with the world and yet in harmony with the Light. Yii Ch'ing has left behind him a magic spell for the Far Journey: In the sixth month the white snow is suddenly seen to fly. At the third watch the disk of the sun sends out shining rays. On the water blows the wind of gentleness. Wandering in Heaven, one eats the spirit-power of the receptive.
And the deeper secret within the secret: The land that is nowhere, that is the true home. The most important thing in the Great Meaning is the four words: Non-action prevents a man from becoming entangled in form and image sub- stantiality. Action in non-action prevents a man from sinking into numbing emptiness and a dead nothingness. The effect depends entirely on the central One ; the freeing of the effect is in the two eyes. The two eyes are like the pole of the Great Wain which turns the whole of creation ; they cause the poles of Light and Darkness to rotate.
The Elixir depends from beginning to end on the One ; the metal in the middle of the water, that is, the lead in the water-region. Heretofore we have spoken of the circulation of the Light, indicating thereby the initial release which works from without upon what lies within. This is to aid one in obtaining the Master. It is for the pupils in the beginning stages. They go through the two lower transitions in order to gain the upper one. After the sequence of events is clear and the nature of the release is known, Heaven no longer withholds the Meaning, but reveals the ultimate truth.
The circulation of the Light is the inclusive term. But there is a still more marvellous kind of circulation. Till now we have worked from the outside on what is within ; now we tarry in the centre and rule what is external. Hitherto, it was a service in aid of the Master ; now it is a dissemination of the commands of this Master. The whole relationship is now reversed. If one wants to penetrate the more delicate regions by this method, one must first see to it that body and heart are completely controlled, that one is quite free and at peace, letting go of all entanglements, untroubled by the slightest excitement, with the Heavenly Heart exactly in the middle.