taiwabbit

Practical Taoism by Thomas Cleary Is a really great book. Translated by Thomas Cleary but attributed to the Preserver of the Truth. (Aren't old Taoist master names cool? My favorite is Master of the White Jade Moon). This book is available for free online in PDF form. Anyway, this book really lays out some good content on the mysterious pass in my opinion. After reading it I had the experience of "breaking through the matrix" in a really powerful way. Of course this is also following much time meditating with sitting/forgetting. After releasing my spirit from its confines the mysterious pass is now so evident and obvious to me that there is not doubt about it. Even if it had a physical location that really wouldn't matter anyway. It is the passing through that counts. And if it did have a location, it seems like trying to focus on it would just mess up the ability to pass through it anyway.

As I delved deeper into the mysterious pass I have discovered that it is not only the gate between intention and movement of the body, but...when the divide between the internal sense of the body and the external world is effectively removed (the blissful sense of oneness with the universe that can be achieved during meditation) THEN this pass can affect change from intention to manifestation in the reality of the outer world through the same pass while the separation is removed.

Can you please further define this with specifics as you what you mean subjectively?

It has also been said that it is like silver plated gold. The outside is valuable but inside is the true treasure. Same thing.

OK, I have been thinking about this trying to capture the thing into words. Hard to do. Will keep trying and post when I catch it.

According to the actual definition of illusion, you are correct. il·lu·sion (i-lū'zhŭn) A false perception; the mistaking of something for what it is not. Unlike a hallucination, it requires an external trigger. [L. illusio, fr. il- ludo, pp. -lusus, to play at, mock] Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

Which part?

OK, Correction, the translated book was: The book of balance and harmony : a Taoist handbook / Translated by Thomas Cleary. Author: Li, Daochun, 1219-1296. So this author used the analogy of a marionette puppet. The mind is the hand controlling the puppet. The puppet itself is like the body. The myserious pass would be the strings. That place between the mind and the body. The connection, or the pass between the two.

Greendog, Seek the true presence with persistence and it will be found. Remember the words of Lao Tzu in part 41 of the Tao The Ching: The wise student hears of the Tao and practices it diligently. The average student hears of the Tao and gives it thought now and again. The foolish student hears of the Tao and laughs aloud. If there were no laughter, the Tao would not be what it is.

Cool. That is the niecest thing I have heard (read) in a long time.

Not sure if I fit the definition on esoteric, but certainly fall into the territory of Christian mysticism as related to seeking the presence. As one person already mentioned, there are several translations. Some are closer to word for word, while others are kind of sentence for sentence while others are just outright paraphrase. I like word for word. The three that fit that bill really well are King James, New King James, and NASB. If you are jumping in fairly cold turkey you might go with the NASB as it is the closest to modern day language. I like the NKJV. Maybe even more importantly, you might want to look at the books of Psalms and John no matter what version that you obtain. Some refer to John as “John the mystic”. If you like seek the esoteric, read that book and pay particular attention to when references are made to the time of day being either daylight or nightfall. There are deeper meanings behind those as they pertain to context and deeper meaning…

This thread looks like it has been around for a bit but then again time is just a measure of change. The reference about manifesting from the mind to the physical reminds me of something I learned from one of the various tests I have read. (Apologies for not being able to cite it as there have been such a variety of books and texts studied that they are kind of running together). I’m 85% sure it was from the second translated text in: Nourishing the essence of life : the outer, inner, and secret teachings of Taoism / translated with an introduction by Eva Wong That would be the text of Wu Hsuan p’ien. It may have been from Tai Hsuan p’ien. Can’t remember. But anyway, the concept really clicked with me and changed the way that the energy moves in my body during Tai Chi practice. The concept is that the mysterious pass in not a physical location, but rather a place between the thought (or intention) of the mind and the actual activation and movement of the muscles and tendons. There is a spiritual place located between these two things. The text mentions if one can find this place then a person could become “a wizard”. I’m not really interested in being a wizard but presume that means that the place is perceived as spiritual in nature. In that space between the two is where I have learned that I can insert and focus the energy directed through the “Grand Martial Circulation” (as taught by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming) to allow the energy to move my body during the form rather than doing it with my mind per se. William. C.C. Chen was the first person I had heard that spoke of letting the energy move you during the form rather than the mind. So using the mysterious pass is the gate for me to move the circulating energy into my form and it has made A LOT of differences in a lot of ways. I am still exploring the area.

Not Wisconsin, but Indiana. Sort of close.

Hello. Sounds like you have been on a journey. I am new to the forum as well. Hope your path continues to lead you in a growing direction.

"I forgot to mention something, I'm a Quaker." Cool. Are you a practicing Quaker as well? That is interesting to me.