A New English Translation by Akrishi
The Tenet of the Golden Flower of Great
Duality
(The Secret of
the Golden Flower) |
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Chapter 3 - Reverting Light and Keeping to the Middle
Note
3.0 |
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The Patriarch Lu
said: |
| 3.1 |
From where dawns the name of
reverting light? It dawns from Wenshi (i.e. Guan
Yinzi), the man of reality. Reverting the
light, then all Yin and
Yang prana of heaven-and-earth will congeal.
This is
what is called refining thoughts, or pure prana, or pure thoughts.
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| 3.2 |
When beginning the practice of
this knack, it seems like nothingness exist in Being. After long, will successfully
achieve a body out of this body, which seems to exist out of
nothingness.
With a hundred days of focus work, the light becomes
real, then this is the spirit (in
the form) of a fire. After a hundred days, naturally
from a point of real Yang in
the light suddenly gives birth to a millet
pearl, like the embryo from the intercourse of husband
and wife. Then one should stay with it in silence.
The reverting of the light is the degree of heating of the
fire. |
| 3.3 |
In primordial manifestation,
there is a primary ruling sunlight. Its manifestation in form is the
sun, and in man is the eyes. The running away or leaking of the spirit and consciousness, is nothing
but its indulging in sequential unfoldment.
Therefore the way of the golden flower is wholly using reverse
method. |
| 3.4 |
Reverting the light
is not just reverting the essence and radiance of one's body, but
directly reverting the real prana of creation and
manifestation; Not just stopping Self-forgetting thoughts of
one instance, but directly emptying samsara of a thousand kalpa.
So one ceasing of prana is equal to one year in
human time, and a hundred years in the long nights of the nine
passages in hell. |
| 3.5 |
After his first cry at birth, a
mortal man sequentially grow chasing circumstances, never try to
revert sight till old age. When the Yang prana
decays and extinguishes, then the realm of the hell of nine darkness
come.
Therefore, the "Surangama Sutra" says, "In pure
thoughts, one ascend. In pure emotion, one falls."
If the disciple thinks little but much emotion, then he will
sink and dwell in the lower destinies.
And only by
using the reverse method to attentively see to the ceasing of prana till silent, then proper awareness is
achieved. |
| 3.6 |
The "Yin Fu Jing" says,
"The eyes is the triggering
mechanism (of mental functioning)". "The Inner Classic of the Yellow
Emperor" says, "All essence and radiance of the
human body fills upwards to the empty aperture." Note
3.6
Gaining this one node, longevity is here,
ascension is also here. This is mastering the practice
of the three religions of Confucianism, Taoist and
Buddhism. |
| 3.7 |
The light is not within the body, yet also
not outside the body. The sunshine and moonshine on mountains and
rivers on earth is nothing but this light, so it is not only in the
body. All the functioning of our cleverness and wisdom
is also nothing but this light, so it is also not outside the
body.
The light and radiance of heaven-and-earth spreads all over
universe of universes; The light and radiance of one's body is also
covering all earth and filling the whole sky. So once
reverting the light, then all mountains and rivers of
heaven-and-earth are reverted. |
| 3.8 |
The essence and radiance of man
fills upwards to the eyes. This is the greatest key functioning of
the human body. Fellows think about this: Not till the day you
meditate, this light will flow and transform. Till when will it
stop?
If for one instance you can meditate, from then on your
thousand lives and kalpa clears up and ends - Miraculously all
functioning of natural law returns to silence with this wonderful
truth. |
| 3.9 |
Yet to start this practice, from
the superficial to going deep, from the coarse to the refined,
always be better to do it continuously.
The practice is
throughout the same, but only oneself knows the favour.
Only
when you return to unbounded ocean and empty sky, where
all functioning of natural law is just as is, then you
have got it. |
| 3.10 |
What the sages have passed
on have not departed from "mental reflection". What Confucious said
as "ultimate awareness", the Buddha called "vipasyana" and Lao-Tze said as
"introspection" is just this method.
But everyone can say these
two words "mental reflection", yet not able to get the meaning
of these two words and get a hand of it. |
| 3.11 |
Reversing, is reverting the
mental process of awareness to its beginning
of manifestation of form and spirit.
This is to say to revert and locate within this body of six feet
tall, the body where heaven-and-earth is not yet born.
Now
people just sit and meditate for one or two hours, reflecting
at their own self, and then say this is "mental reflection". How can
they reach the source? |
| 3.12 |
The teachings of
both patriarchs of Taoism and Buddhism to look at the
tip of one's nose is not telling one to put attention at the
tip of the nose, nor telling one to watch the tip of the nose
while putting attention at the "middle yellow".
Where the eyes
see, so is our attention. How can it be one up and one down, or
suddenly up and suddenly down? This is just like taking the
finger pointing at the moon as the moon.
So, after all, how is
it? To say the tip of the nose, the wit of this is just
taking the nose as the focus of the eyes. |
| 3.13 |
Initially when focus is not on
the nose, i.e. when the eyes are wide open, then one see far off but
not the nose; If eyelids shut too much, then eyes close, and again
nose not seen.
Too wide open, then lost in outward flow of
vision, and mind easily distracted; Too much closed, then lost in
galloping inner thoughts, and mind easily get dull.
Only
in the middle, where eyelips are lowered such that only
the tip of the nose is seen, then take this as focus. |
| 3.14 |
Just lower the eyelids properly,
and let light naturally penetrates from the tip of the
nose. And just take a look at the beginning
of meditation, fix the focus, and then let go.
Like a mason
using a plumb line, he only puts it up when he
starts, then work accordingly, without always looking at
it. |
| 3.15 |
Samatha-vipasyana is a Buddhist theurgy which is
actually not secret. Sit comfortably upright,
attentively watch the tip of the nose with both eyes, and tie the mind to this as the "causal centre".
What the Taoist said as
"middle yellow" and the Buddhist said as "causal
centre" is actually one thing. There is no need
to say "causal centre", just tie
thoughts to the flat place in between the two eyes. |
| 3.16 |
Light is something
lively. Tying thoughts to the middle of the two eyes,
then light will naturally penetrate, so no need to fix attention at
the middle house.
These few words have already included all
essential points. The rest are details of getting in and
out of silence, which can be verified from books on samatha-vipasyana. |
| 3.17 |
The miracle of the two
words "causal centre" is that centre is
everywhere. Throughout universe of universes, it is within. It may
be taken as the mechanics
of creation, which is just traced as an entrance.
The word "cause" means the place to trace the main
thread, not really fixing to it. Take the meaning of these two words
loosely and lively. |
| 3.18 |
The two words samatha and vipasyana have an original meaning of can
not depart, which is namely the wisdom (jnana) in meditation for steadiness of mind
(dhyana).
Thereafter when earthly
thoughts arise, do not still sit upright, but trace this thought -
where it begins and where it perishes.
Take its destruction and
push forward to the end, till clearly nothing can be gained, then
the source of this thought is reached. |
| 3.19 |
Don't try to seek another source,
when clearly the mind can not be found.
When you and I
have the mind
steadied, this is right view (samyak-drsti). The
opposite of this is called wrong view (mithya-drsti). |
| 3.20 |
Like this, when nothing can not
gained, still continues in steadiness. Mind steadied,
then continues to watch; Watch till mind steadies.
This is called dual practice of meditation for steadiness of
mind (dhyana) and wisdom (jnana).
This is reverting the light: By
reverting, we bring to steadiness, and with light we
see. Steadiness without seeing is called revert without
light; Seeing but not steady is called light not reverting. Remember
this. |
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