|
回光守中第三 |
Chapter 3 - Reverting Light and Keeping to the Middle
Note
3.0 |
|
呂祖曰： |
The
Patriarch Lu said: |
| 3.1 |
回光之名何昉乎？昉之自文始真人也，即關尹子。 |
From where
dawns the name of reverting light? It dawns from Wenshi (i.e. Guan Yinzi), the man of
reality. |
|
回光則天地陰陽之氣無不凝。所謂精思者此也，純 者此也，純想者此也。 |
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. |
| 3.2 |
初行此訣，乃有中似無。久之功成，身外有身，乃無中似有。 |
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. |
|
百日專功光才真，方為神火。百日後，光中自然一點真陽，忽生黍珠，如夫婦交合有胎，便當靜以待之。光之回，即火候也。 |
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 |
夫元化之中，有陽光為主宰。有形者為日，在人為目。走漏神識，莫此甚順也。故金華之道，全用逆法。 |
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 |
回光者，非回一身之精華，直回造化之真；非止一時之妄念，直空千劫之輪迴。 |
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. |
|
故一息當一年，人間時刻也。一息當百年，九途長夜也。 |
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 |
凡人自因叻的一聲之後，逐境順生，至老未嘗逆視。陽氣衰滅，便是九幽之界。 |
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. |
|
故《楞嚴經》云:『純想即飛，純情即墮』。學人想少情多，沉淪下道。 |
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. |
|
惟諦觀息靜，便成正覺，用逆法也。 |
And only
by using the reverse method to attentively see to the ceasing of prana till silent, then proper awareness is
achieved. |
| 3.6 |
《陰符經》云:『機在目』。《黃帝．素問》云:『人身精華，皆上注於空竅』是也。 |
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 |
|
得此一節，長生者在茲，超昇者亦在茲矣。此是貫徹三教工夫。 |
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 |
光不在身中，亦不在身外。山河大地，日月照臨，無非此光，故不獨在身中。聰明智慧，一切運轉，亦無非此光，所以亦不在身外。 |
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. |
|
天地之光華，布滿大千；一身之光華，亦自漫天蓋地。所以一回光，天地山河一切皆回矣。 |
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 |
人之精華，上注於目，此人身之大關鍵也。子輩思之，一日不靜坐，此光流轉，何所底止！ |
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? |
|
若一刻能靜坐，萬劫千生，從此了徹。萬法歸於靜，真不可思議，此妙諦也。 |
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 |
然工夫下手，由淺入深，由粗入細，總以不間斷為妙。 |
Yet to
start this practice, from the superficial to going deep, from the
coarse to the refined, always be better to do
it continuously. |
|
工夫始終則一，其間冷暖自知。 |
The
practice is throughout the same, but only oneself knows the
favour. |
|
要歸於天空海闊，萬法如如，方為得手。 |
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 |
聖聖相傳，不離反照。孔云「致知」，釋號「觀心」，老云「內觀」，皆此法也。 |
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. |
|
但反照二字，人人能言，不能得手，未識二字之義耳。 |
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 |
反者，自知覺之心，反乎形神未兆之初。即吾六尺之中，反求箇天地未生之體。 |
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. |
|
今人但一、二時中間靜坐，反顧己私，便云反照，安得到頭！ |
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 |
佛道二祖，教人看鼻尖者，非謂著念於鼻端也。亦非謂眼觀鼻端，念又注中黃也。 |
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". |
|
眼之所至，心亦至焉，何能一上而一下也，又何能忽上而忽下也。此皆認指而為月。 |
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. |
|
畢竟如何？曰鼻端二字，最妙只是借鼻以為眼之準耳。 |
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 |
初不在鼻上，蓋以大開眼，則視遠，而不見鼻矣；太閉眼，則眼合，亦不見鼻矣。 |
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. |
|
大開失之外走，易於散亂；太閉失之內馳，易於昏沉。 |
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. |
|
惟垂簾得中，恰好望見鼻端，故取以為準。 |
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 |
只是垂簾恰好，任彼光自然自鼻端透入。只於最初入靜處，舉眼一視，定固準則便放下。 |
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. |
|
如泥水匠人用線一般，彼自起手一掛，便依了做上去，不只管把線看也。 |
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 |
止觀是佛法，原不秘的。以兩目諦觀鼻端，正身安坐，繫心緣中。 |
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". |
|
道言中黃、佛言緣中，其實一也，不必言緣中，但於兩目中間齊平處繫念便了。 |
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 |
光是活潑潑的東西。繫念於兩目中間，光自然透入，不必著意於中宮也。 |
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. |
|
此數語已括盡要旨，其餘入靜出靜前後，以下止觀書印證可也。 |
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 |
緣中二字，極妙中無不在，遍大千皆在裡許。聊指造化之機，緣此入門耳。 |
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. |
|
緣者緣此為端倪，非有定著也。此二字之義，活甚妙甚。 |
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 |
止觀二字，原離不得，即定慧也。 |
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). |
|
以後凡念起時，不要仍舊兀坐，當究此念在何處，從何起，從何滅。 |
Thereafter
when earthly thoughts arise, do not still sit upright, but
trace this thought - where it begins and where it
perishes. |
|
取覆推窮，了不可得，即見此念起處也。 |
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 |
不要又討過起處，覓心了不可得。 |
Don't try
to seek another source, when clearly the mind can not be found. |
|
吾與汝安心竟，此是正觀，反此者，名為邪觀。 |
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 |
如是不可得已，即仍綿綿去。止而繼之以觀，觀而繼之以止，是定慧雙修。 |
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). |
|
此為回光，回者止也，光者觀也。止而不觀，名為有回而無光。觀而不止，名為有光而無回，誌之。 |
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. |
