deci belle

The topic is MOORS in Iberia. Outside those who are too hateful of Spain, Spanish culture (perhaps Catholicism too, hmmmm?) and are so owned by anglo/northern European indoctrinations to the tune of the last 500 years or so, to have avoided actually living in the Iberian peninsula, and have therefore been happy to ignorantly perpetuate the blue countries' Black Legend, one could not avoid noticing that Spain IS north Africa. Evidently, THAT is also to be conceptualized in utterly prejudicial and racist connotations. Open your eyes, people. Who has noticed the ZERO lying around here lately. Who knows where that came from— that and several thousand names of stars in the night sky to boot? ed note: one too many "those" in 2nd sentence

It is simply using the essence directly with no intermediary. There is no way to work with it unless one has activated the nonpsychological, which is not within the perveance of relativistic perception. It is direct perception of reality as is. This is nothing other than immortalism in the taoist sense, and the Great Vehicle in the buddhist sense. Unless one is willing to let go of self-reflective (selfish is the word, without any emotionalist values) attachment to a speculative relationship with phenomena, one simply lacks the basic qualification to enter into the inconceivability of the Way. The same mentality which abhors stripping itself of an ego-reinforcing intellectualism in the face of phenomena also cannot face the prospect of a selfless quality that also strips phenomena of its speculative potential. In order to acknowledge and assume the function of enlightening unity, one must oneself already have no ulterior motives or conceptual notions pending to create separation where there is none to begin with. Most people would rather die that give up their imaginary concepts and also positively fear that they might just miss out on something— something they don't yet know. When one relinquishes this conceptual fear, they are admitting that there is, in fact, nothing to know— therefore nothing to miss out on. And that, evidently, is too much to bear/bare. This is being totally vulnerable to what is. Intellectualism is basically the dishonest way to hide from reality as is while attempting to observe it /appear to understand (unsuccessfully) otherwise. Another thing the recreational intellectuals fear is realizing anything, which would then disambiguate them from any further speculative pastimes and require the INDIVUAL to assume the totality of his experience without the veil of what passes for (in the sport of recreational speculation) an inconsequential objectivity. Essence must be dealt with directly without intermediary for one to assume its enlightening function. Evidently, these intellectuals are much too selfish to allow that… heehee!! These are people that have never given themselves away totally~ not even to the present. And that is missing out on something …it is all there has ever been without beginning.

One first needs to be aware that nothing is gained by complete perfect enlightenment because those who see their nature realize that no one is not just this aware nature already without beginning. Enlightenment is simply awakening for the first time to the nature of your own essential mind, which underlies the false consciousness of your identities of personality and is the means of your own animated existence right now. There is no other mind. As such, a true teacher has nothing to give you or show you that is not already yourself. The bullet-train is just seeing the world as yourself and proceeding according to events without entertaining speculative relationships relative to self and other. There is no thing. Self-refinement is proving that fact in everyday ordinary affairs over and over and over until nothing sticks to you and the world has no hold on you. Independent and free, who needs a bullet train or a teacher? ed note: change "of" to "or" in last sentence

Activated yet not wandering, objectless wonder shines without bias or inclination. Without inside or outside, where is there movement at variance with Complete Reality, as is?

It seems the recreational philosophers could not stand the tension and gave in to their penchant for their predilection… The ability of those who have the affinity for the inconceivable depends on the capacity to sustain the tension in the midst of ordinary affairs, without succumbing to intellectualization. Chan states that it is a matter of holding fast, then releasing. The recreationalists always come too soon… Subtle operation isn't a matter of talking, much less understanding. The predilection of recreational philosophers is simply using wisdom to fuel a cheap pastime. Talk is a running sore releasing the tension required to set up the unanticipated burst of energy that breaks through into true wonder. Thetaoiseasy arrived at an abstraction, a singularity— an impersonal resonance …but it still had direction. This direction is due to momentum. True spontaneity is a result of stillness. True stillness. Great power of spontaneous action is the result of great stillness void of intellectualization. It is possible to view this thread as an actual process in terms of a meditation event. There are documents in the taoist and buddhist canons that are guides to arrival of the unattributable light of awareness by going through a process of elimination. As you can see, the intellectual aspect is hard to calm down. It entertains itself much in the same way that our recreational philosophers do on this thread. It is a very difficult habit to eliminate. Yet there is nothing wrong with its activity; just its application. It loves to bounce around and until it is sublimated, it will break the continuity of built-up tension. This habit is an ego-device preventing the organism's entering into enlightening being, the organism's true function. Ego's true function is valid, it just has usurped the identity, which belongs to awareness. The only reason people cannot see their own minds accurately is the fact that ego has taken over the true identity and has obscured the real human by a very simple and effective trick. One must endeavor to see through this. In terms of arriving at a working relationship with awareness, one must a priori, recognize it for what it is. Through a meditative process of elimination, one sees a singularity much the same as that moving chi thetaoiseasy spoke of. When one gets here, one just waits for it to stop on its own. When it does, one gains a bit of space in terms of adapting to ordinary situations without habituation to involving the thinking apparatus in the course of events. After a long time, one's working relationship with awareness reverts to a realization of one's essential totality that pervades both conceivable and inconceivable reality. These are one and the same, yet even after realization, it is a further stage of gradual practice which arrives at its viable expression in the aftermath of seeing essence. This is called "entering the tao in reality". Though awareness does not mean anything; it is our direct link with selfless unity, because it is the uncreate itself. This is the aperture enabling working with essence directly with no intermediary. Since just this is already our capacity, and enlightening activity is just a matter of recognizing and accepting this capacity, the development of a real working relationship with awareness in terms of abiding in our own inherent nonpsychological unity within reality is our purpose within aware being. It is none other than your own mind right now. The only reason to avoid dwelling in philosophical dialectics concerning awareness is that it is not logical to approach true unity by an inadequate means. To ask a question like "What does awareness mean" is really the reason for all the authentic teachings this planet has ever known. Awareness in ts guise as Universal Good is itself the source of religion. If one can recognize what amounts to a bit of wonder that does not wander, this is the real potential that arises in the course of ordinary events, as well as deep meditation states. Forgetting the scattered mind, one awaits the shining mind. This is also a level of meaning in the alchemic term, Refine the self, then await the time. The reason I do not espouse pursuing meditation states (unless they are events of spontaneous samadi), is that reality is not to be sought divorced from ordinary situations in the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. This is where one must be able to avail oneself of real power to match one's potential to creation in the course of everyday life. Even if one knows, if one cannot act on that knowledge, it is as if one had no knowledge. ed note: add "without succumbing to intellectualization" in 2nd paragraph; add 10th paragraph; typo, 17th paragraph

Pure awareness isn't a thing. Miraculously aware, the selfless is nonoriginated, what could remain? Awareness has no direction. It has never moved. There is no relative aspect. No inside, nor outside. There is no distance. It has never begun. There is no substance or inclination to the formless; it has no name. Chi has already fallen into the created. It cannot be named. It is your own mind right now. What is it?

So, to get back ON TOPIC, if the recreational philosophy students don't MIND… What is conveniently passed over by the intellectualists on this forum is so because an habitual dependence on the thinking apparatus has no affinity for nonpsychological content. This is because awareness is unattributable. Object/subject dialectics are dual. Awareness is simply the identity of unified selfless potential which has never admitted knower or known. There is only selfless immediate knowing which is unborn now and forever, and this is itself the basis of objectless knowledge constituting the real. And this is your nature, should you ever manage to discover it yourself. Taoism and buddhism is a spiritual transmission of enlightening being. Self-realized illuminates have left behind clues (such as the Tao Te Ching) for those with the affinity with the reality before your eyes beyond words in order to keep the knowledge alive. Those who feel the need to proclaim an ignorance of this affinity are bound by the conditioned human mentality to do so because of a lovingly-groomed dependence of ego's thinking apparatus for the purpose of perpetuating the false identity in order to keep the organism ignorant of the celestial design which not separate from karmic evolution. Ignorance is simply blindness to the unified totality of one's being. Ignorance is thus bound to the rounds of karmic evolution of life and death. Those with the potential is a phrase which does not exclude anyone. Those that have the great good fortune to stumble upon this and can refine it into the seed of sages, saints, wizards and buddhas are no different than those who endeavor to proclaim the conceit of ignorance. I don't care about those who's only interest in a subject beyond their ken is to poke holes in the inconceivable as a last act of defiance. I only speak to those who already have an affinity with their own wonder.

Objects don't exist; awareness is uncreated. Please try again, sir.

Wuh!! I believe Stosh is a wizard!! ed note: Change" Wuh?" to "Wuh!!"

One does not achieve awareness. It is Mind. This is your nature. Consciousness is you. But I can see where this is coming from perhaps~ achieving awareness is being seen as something outside of ordinary consciousness. Ordinary consciousness is habitual, unskillful use of Mind. Awareness (as it seems to be used in the context of this thread), is direct perception of reality as is. Fair enough. What does awareness mean? Yes… it is an awesome question. Awareness is your own mind. It is not like anything, nor does it mean anything. It is not thought. Mind has no mind. It is just awareness, open, still, sensitive, effective, selfless, empty of emptiness. Inconceivability of the first water— it's you. Awareness is itself no words without beginning (to be most direct). It is what is life itself, yet it does not exist as it has never fallen into the created. That it is your own mind without you yourself knowing that it is (your) selfless, unborn, brilliantly miraculous nature is indicative of the degree of conditioned concretions of the intellectual apparatus that obscures it. It is also indicative of its absolutely non-reflecting characteristic of selfless pervasion without bounds. No inside or outside~ what could there be to reflect? This is awareness aware without being aware of itself because it has no self. This is our true nature. Selflessness is not a moral injunction— it's impersonal. it is uncreated …when you see this, that lazy fart god gets another unemployment check. hahaha!! Awareness in terms of the essence of human consciousness is all one can discover. We must never forget that there is that which is beyond even the Tao. Awareness is not the Tao; when we actually see Mind as our true selfless uncreated essential identity, we realize for the first time that it has always been thus and no one is not just this aware, living potential uncreated unified energy. It is your own mind before you think good or bad. There is absolutely nothing to gather. The gathering spoken of in the classics of spiritual alchemy is in terms of spontaneous adaption to ordinary affairs effecting impersonal response by not thinking~ because it is a matter of knowledge inherent in the situation itself. It is not a matter of deduction and reaction by one's own power. Knowledge is unequivocal, like how cool water feels when you drink it. You might even say that knowledge came from water in this instance. That in no way involves the intellectual process— it is immediate, surpassing deliberation. Knowledge is immediate, coming from experience itself. Taoism says Water produces Metal. Water is undifferentiated conscious awareness; this is where real knowledge comes from. Knowledge is wordless, issuing from your own mind, which is the Unborn. So water producing metal is the same as saying wordless immediate knowledge issues from nondifferentiated selfless fathomless awareness. This is Power itself; not one's own. Attaining the essential virtue of the capacity of one's own spiritual potential is penetrating the Way. The Way is unknowable; its power is Virtue. By clarifying the mind, one enters the Way and operates power selflessly by virtue of the Way. So, though awareness doesn't mean anything, its effect is inconceivable. If you can develop the habit of noticing thoughts as soon as they appear without following them unawares, they evaporate on the spot. The nature of awareness is the nature of wu wei. It is your own mind right now. What are you if not just this? We already know there is no gathering or process in terms of mind, because it is uncreated. Process is the realm of creation, the matrix of karmic evolution. It is possible to observe "no thought" but this is just the temporary emptiness of the psychological spirit— not to be confused with the shining mind. Those that mistake this thief in the midst of meditation states are legion. Awareness is itself our direct link, our essential nonpsychological capacity of immortal spiritual potential. It is your own mind right now. Those that get this can become wizards. ed note: typo 2nd paragraph

Judo and Songtsan are peas of a pod, being absolute running sores of psychological content. Oscillating psychologies such as these reflect a lack of sober concentration. I consider them both Pandora's Boxes. SoG said: That's a load of crock. Unless you have helped yourself to the extreme in achieving yourself in the tradition(s) of your choice (or on your own) you are unqualified to "help" ones such as these. Why? Selflessness is the state of impersonal objectivity. Having helped oneself, one is able to help others— but unless others are able (and willing) to help themselves, it is a moot point. I allowed both these human broken records to go on long enough in PMs to confirm the suspicions noted above. They just wanna have fun spraying nothing and anything. If this forum was a royal court, then having a designated "court jester" might be appropriate. Since this forum is not a royal court their's is not a viable contribution (unless an endless stream of "intelligent" drivel is on short supply). Judo wants to be the class clown. Songtsan wanted to be my literary secretary (he'd found a misspelled word on one of my posts on an offsite blog) …pathetic is the word. I found that their "contributions" neither helped themselves nor others, except in the case of providing an "in" for those whose expertise is most suitable for derailing threads (that actually have a point and a focus on that point. Let's not allow people like this to return. Let's just eventually get rid of the next one(s) to arrive. ed note: conjugate 1st sentence; add "buoyant"; italicize "Pandora's Boxes"; text below and including SoG's quote.

Seeing mind isn't canceling anything, if that means trying to control the human mentality. One must be clear here. Zen is Mind (for example), whereas various disciplines of practice (aimed at reining in the human mentality) isn't Zen, it's practice. Chinese buddhism derivative of the five schools attributed to the lineage of Bodhidharma IS Zen. Of these, there are two main branches, Linchi (Rinzai) and Caodong (Soto). Their traditional differences are by the one concentrating on koan study and the other utilizing silent observation. Zen is how you say Chan in Japanese. Dogen brought it back with him to Japan (not that it wasn't his essential mind since before his parents were born) in the 1200's. There, Zen schools acquired a veneer of spiritual militarism for a period of time influenced by the Shogunate, though that is not the case (and was never the case) in terms of authentic transmission. Chan means deep, obscure, clear, profound. There is no difference at all between these traditions. They all point directly to the mind itself. Mind is not the thinking apparatus. Thought is the seat of the false identity that has usurped a rational dominion over the organism. Mind is your own awareness right now. Sudden enlightenment is seeing your mind as your true identity for the first time. Buddhism is activating the mind without dwelling on its contents. Self-refinement is observation of mind without minding its contents. Chinese culture has been affirming the essential unity of the three teachings (Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism) for at least a thousand years. What is refined is the human mentality. What to do with thoughts? Note them without following them unawares. Seeing them as they come from nowhere is observation. When you become aware of them without following them, thoughts return to nowhere— this is called stopping. it is not that one really stops them, because in timely, accurate observation, they cease to exist of themselves. There are countless treatises and manuals in the buddhist and taoist canons referring to "stopping and seeing". Stopping and seeing is another way to say concentration and insight. One does nothing with the thoughts, unless, of course, one needs to think.

Nibbling the trail of crumbs to leave no traces is a further polishing of the foregoing achievement; exorcist (the tao-bum), was properly referring to the ordinary cyclical order of the inter-relative as well as the specialized reversal of the classic five elements teaching constituting the course of karmic or enlightening process occurring within the individual. This is a very effective device requiring a thorough analysis and understanding of Complete Reality theory (I mean that in the highest regard) based on the most ancient of proto-Chinese systems of psychological organization. In the context of alchemy, water producing metal alludes to the appearance of real knowledge itself from within nondifferentiation— unified nondiscriminatory awareness constituting water; not the five-elements cycles in terms of the pre- and post-heaven scenarios. This happens naturally, but ordinary people are unaware of its arising, so cannot avail themselves of its firm, unequivocal objective perspective. This is due to an habitual reliance on personalistic views and webs of speculative relationships that clog the aperture of primacy in terms of the incipience of the Mysterious Pass. Finally, to rip the concept of "100% correctness" out by the roots is to (outside of exorcist's context, of course), one must come to terms with the the correct use of the Chinese term "cauldron". The effective use of ding, as a vessel of transformation, is in "uprightness". And here I quote my original response to exorcist's post above: Transformational correctness, or uprightness, has its own standard based on the time and situation. In fact, only by tipping the cauldron over on its side can one open out its contents to fully share with people in actual situations. Whereas by holding reality to the standard of ding's rote, literal sense, is to cling to the absolute (its absolute, as well), which kills its effective quality in terms of the power of transformative subtle operation of enlightening activity in the midst of ordinary affairs. The Chan man, Yuan Wu said to Ta Hui, "Without a doubt, words and phrases are a great disease, but haven't you seen the saying Hanging from a cliff, let go— And agree to accept the experience. After annihilation, come back to life— I couldn't deceive you. This is the effect of transformational ding, or uprightness— in this sense the cauldron's use is utterly dependent on the situation itself as its contents is the power of the medicines of fire and water constituting the elixir of immortality in each and every moment embodying the situation itself. The medicines, in this context, are the immaterial essence of awareness and the immaterial potential inherent in the situation. The cauldron is the capacity for transformation, and Creation, in terms of its karmic fecundity, is the furnace. One must become totally vulnerable to effect this. Eventually, upon Ta Hui's penetration of the real, Yuan Wu said, "My Chan here is like a great ocean: to get it right, you have to take a great ocean and pour it in. If you just take a bowl, and fill it with a little, and stop there, it's that your capacity is only like this— what would you have me do about it?" This oceanic capacity is one's own selfless potential …on to the vaulted horizon.

Chang Po-tuan, in his opening statements to his Understanding Reality, also with commentary by Liu I-ming, says this (and it is written in capital letters in the book): So we know it is not a matter correctness regarding a terminology of description (there is no explanation) as there is, in fact, no thing to speak of. More to the point, sudden realization of the Great Elixir is the entry-level experience. I spent years coming to terms with this before discovering the Chan teaching of Hongzhi— which stated in emphatic terms to just accept your function and enter the world forthrightly without reservations. Otherwise, it could only be a matter of a being a stupid cat trapped in the cave under the black mountain by clinging to the absolute~ no different that clinging to delusion. Sudden realization is only seeing your nature. It does not confer buddhahood, as it is not even the stage of incubation as discussed in the alchemic classics in terms of gradual practice in the aftermath of the sudden, which is the solidification and maturation of the foregoing achievement. ed note: italicize the name of the book title

Maybe it's more marketable that way…❤

Hey exorcist!! Thank you for the post!!❤ I speak in terms of what is basically consistent with essence both before and after the dichotomy of the absolute. I do this as I have the perspective of reality. Since I am most familiar with the Complete Reality teachings, I use its terminology to express this function for those in the gradual path both before and after sudden realization. Since the classic terminology is vast in its application to inner and outer evolutions, it could hardly be a matter of 100% correct. One must be able to gauge the terminology's application to one's own situation from moment to moment. There is nothing to grasp both in the reality and its symbolic representations as presented in this and all authentic traditions. Not to mention the fact that this is a most difficult subject to brooch. Certainly, this type of elucidation of enlightening function has always been secreted one-on-one in the course of a formal teacher-student relationship, but since I had no teacher and never had the opportunity to ask or tell anyone for more than a couple decades, I felt the need to begin expressing my experience directly in terms of pre- and post-heaven contexts as the basis is one throughout. It is found in oneself. One must see essence on one's one, only then can a teacher aid one in applying the Science of Life, which is not even remotely a matter of energetics.

I wish people could embrace the concept that the wonder of self is self~ not a social organism or ritual-based programmes . Am I so different from others that these things just happened of themselves without any knowledge that people actually could want and do seek these phenomenal occurrences outside of themselves— and stoop to needing others to accomplish these ends? No one knows, ultimately. It is up to oneself, alone, to find out for oneself alone. The wonder of wonders including the natural development of inner evolutions constituting Kundalini experiences is not beyond coming to the real expression of an impersonally heartfelt awareness that pervasive unity that is only worthy of a nonpsychological purity of intent is only in terms of oneself alone as only that sublime selfless expression is naturally and automatically engaged as the world as oneself. This is not to be understood intellectually, hence it is within the realm of the nonpsychological, which is wordless knowledge. One just sees this impersonal intent oneself as Bright Virtue, and continues without words into its reality for no reason at all. This expression is not a matter of thought or reason. it is not a matter of oneself and/or others. As soon as one can abandon fascinations and just take up single-minded penetration of principle, which is just accepting presence of being without entertaining speculative relationships. Seeing reality in the context of principle doesn't change anything but you. All kinds of experiences including the wonder of wonders are natural occurrences of just this single-minded penetration of principle. People would necessarily have to be pure of heart to engage others for such purposes as "kundalini rituals" … just be independent independently~ how pure is that? Awakening to the energy of Kundalini doesn't mean anything in and of itself. It is just evidence of efficacy constituting what always has been without beginning. If that becomes a self-validation, one has only succeeded in turning a selfless wonder into an object of one's ego-inventory. What a waste of the foregoing accomplishment. Nungali said: Some people find these useful. Ancient taoist manuals abound in these types of practices. So within, so without. Moreover, visualization/energetics exercises are useful in and of themselves as a means to gather in the scattered components of one's psychic potential— not to mention the meditative focus required to suspend all the elements of visualization is a boon. Eventually, one must be able to engage the world directly in uncontrollable circumstances without dropping any marbles. So, why not just start doing it now? Kundalini doesn't need any help. Just be worthy of her energy, and she will be you.❤ ed note: change "if" to "in", 8th paragraph

Merci, Clarity❤

Good point. I'm not mindful of breath, but if I notice it I smile. The smile clarifies mind, then mind is once again empty. Awareness is necessarily empty of thoughts. When you notice clarity, then that is already thoughts. Awareness is selfless. As such it doesn't reflect on itself or its contents. If one is already aware of self's emptiness, it is no longer empty. The mind needs a crutch at first because it is so dependent on its contents to be occupied habitually. When walking, just walk, watching over the mind, just observe mind. In both cases, the scenery is circumstantial. Only the light of the mind is unattributable. The contents of this world and the contents of mind are the same. Awareness doesn't follow nor does it lead. It's your nature. Naturally not following nor initiating, just respond without habitual self-reflective patterns. But the way to accomplish this takes a long long time of not using mind to follow or initiate. There is no short-cut to effectively not use mind to habitually occupy the self. When self is empty, this is selfless self. When mind is momentarily empty, then awareness is necessarily empty of thought. Smile in the sight of the light of mind itself. When you lose it, let it go. When it returns, embrace it. The important point of practice is ultimately not a matter of mind itself, but the effect of it's essential fluidity assuming its natural place in your life as your true identity void of self-reification. Eventually after many years of welcoming and relinquishing the light of mind as it appears, its presence perpetuates itself without self-conscious intellectual attention. When one recognizes the light of mind, smile and let it go before a single though occurs …it'll be back. It's like flirting~ don't be too obvious.❤

"…Utterly conscious of reality, consciousness utterly real, the unified energy functions the same as heaven and earth. This is likened to lead and mercury being forged into spiritual granules; when the firing is complete, the medicine is perfected and turns violet-gold, never again to change." This is the last part of Liu's statement that Harmonious Emptiness quoted. This may yet yield a bit more … The important point here is the phrase "the unified energy functions the same as heaven and earth". Though this could be in reference to evidences of efficacy in terms of the mystic vision of sudden realization where one sees the spiritual granules in the pot merged as a vortex of liquid pearl, I wouldn't limit this phrase's usage to that~ even though it could be, as it is at the end of Liu's powerful statement where it concludes with "…when the firing is complete, the medicine is perfected and turns violet-gold, never again to change." This then should be viewed as the effective and functional application of enlightening being in the world. As one's virtue develops as a result of the gradual process of self-refinement that uses the world to grind down the vestiges of the human mentality by working directly with essence in the context of ordinary situations, the apparent veil between the celestial and the worldly ceases to be. But really the apparent separation is an inner aspect that is mirrored in one's relationship with creation, in terms of the outer. People must learn to take advantage of the fact that one really uses the outer to affect the inner— it is as natural as can be. It isn't a matter of manufacturing situations for any reason whatsoever. One simply adapts to what is, as "what is" is symbiotic within and without. Eventually, one comes to see that there is no, nor has there ever been, any separation in any context beyond one's own relative personalistic views pertaining to self and other, good and bad, before and after. This is the nonoriginated function of unified energy cleaving to one's inherent potential; matching creation tacitly in the course of ordinary affairs. That the unified energy functions the same as heaven and earth isn't just that the celestial and worldly are "sameness within difference" in terms of enlightening activity, it is that there is a real ineffable transformative energy filling oneself to the cusp without ever overflowing or going into action, where one rests in the Virtue of the Receptive, in perpetuity. This is the effective power of the Way when one sublimates oneself spiritually and physically and enters the Tao in reality. When one's own inherent aware nature is fully exposed and matured, it is perfected and turns violet-gold, never again to change. ed note: add everything below "This may yet yield a bit more …"

Merci, Vous~ Clarity and sssssmith7!!❤❤

hi Walker!!❤

This is one instance where I would recommend that trollo refrain from whatever it was he has ever done in terms of "meditation" and instead intend the perfect enlightenment of all sentient beings for the time being. Just forget it, completely. Cultivate a mind of the impersonal potential for the enlightenment of all sentient beings for the hell of it for the rest of your life in order to offset the inadvertent damager done. You are innocent, but even more so ignorant. Having done harm to yourself, trollo, on account of being unprepared for this kind of "practice" and are suffering an immaterial malady that cannot be cured by conventional means is indicative of a lack of concentration, insight and the burst of power that comes from a state not quite grounded in the affair of the heart. The authentic schools have traditionally required years of study into the nature of psychological and nonpsychological aspects of conscious awareness before even entering into the rudiments of anything remotely distinguished as "meditation." So I will repeat: Do not ever meditate again. If you have the mind to do so, consider a long tenure of study of the classics of the authentic schools of Mahayana, vajrayana , Chan, Zen, or classic taoist texts, ignoring the "meditation" manuals. Let me follow that up with the fact that so-called meditation manuals are not limited to correct instruction for effective meditation technique and are otherwise very important works of cultivating the mind of meditation itself. These works are multi-level affairs that apply "just sitting" or psychosomatic exercises (waterwheel), as a variant of the wisdom ascribed to the classics themselves. In other words, don't read anything having to do with meditation exercises described in the classic meditation manuals into what is the source (and accomplishment) of these manuals. I have never practiced formal meditation in any form for my entire life (and it shows) heehee!! I'm sorry that you have arrived here by way of a great misfortune. It seems you have "fixed something that wasn't broken". Some have suggested that you continue in some vein. I very strongly disagree and hope you follow my advice by: Do something as completely useless as intend the complete and perfect enlightenment of all sentient beings, casually take up the lifelong study of the ancient classics devoted to conscious evolution, and forget meditation for the rest of your life.❤

"When the true fire [of open awareness] and spiritual water [of desirelessness] join into one, [desirelessness] water and [open awareness] fire balance each other, true feeling and spiritual essence combine, and real knowledge and conscious knowledge cleave to one another; then sense is itself essence and essence is itself sense." (Brackets courtesy of Harmonious Emptiness) to be continued… but I wanted to make sure mr stimpys was on-board! heehee!!❤❤ Liu has given us a running account of the process of the medicinal firing and here states empirically what this state of conscious awareness constituting enlightening function entails. When one is habituated to open nonpsychological awareness free of the volatility of intellectualism, the true fire is perpetuated in continuous subtle contact with the real knowledge of nonoriginated desireless objectivity of the unity of water unsusceptible to emotionalism. It is said that real knowledge (sense) returns to conscious knowledge (essence) by the impersonal intent of the Yellow Woman, the Center, Earth. Thus Fire and Water are joined by Earth. I will introduce a mnemonic device here to help people keep the relationships and combinations of yin and yang in order. It is called The Three Fives based on the fact that Earth is the selfless intent joining Fire and Water. This Center has no location. It is the immaterial body of awareness. "East three", "South two"; "North one", "West four"; "Earth five". At this point, this phrase may not mean much, but it simplifies the vast interrelated aspects of the Complete Reality alchemic device by joining the basic elements of essence, sense, energy, vitality, yin, yang, fire, water and the center, earth. Should in those whose affinity this particular teaching may enable an ever deeper delving into the study and wonder of the unmistakeable ignition of alchemic mystery of essential nonbeing within being and sustain that study with unparalleled concentrated effort in terms of self-refinement in the midst of ordinary affairs, they should continuously make reference to the simple arrangement of the three fives to keep the complexities subtly organized in the mind as one's range of experience builds. it is like juggling a few, then many, many concerted experiences without ever dropping one in terms of mindfullness of the unity of process as the Way is penetrated virtuously. This aspect is a very important part of the overall praxis of the Complete Reality teaching tradition. It is somewhat like an internal and concurrently self-transforming journal. It is the real inner aspect of the outer process in terms of using the outer world to refine the inner self. The "keeping it all suspended without a single interruption" is the amplification and magnification of time and pressure that creates the diamond of one's crystalization of the elixir. REALLY. The ancients did not choose these words at random. As teachings go, this simple device is how to melt everything down into just three elements whose natural catalyzing energy is the fusion in cosmic space of the uncreate itself by keeping a subtle concentration on the amassing of elements conducive to the Complete Reality experience whereby one sees one's own nature beyond the created and witnesses one's nonoriginated essence as impersonal perpetual selfless aware energy. This is reversion to the uncreate itself. Alchemy is the science of essence and life. It is a natural process which has been carried out by real people since time immemorial and beyond through inconceivable velocity as an acceleration by catalyzation of primordial immaterial elements one finds by virtue of finding the center of one's body. I repeat: this center is immaterial and has no location. It is found in the context of adapting impersonally to ordinary situations in the course of one's everyday life. This impersonal center is found in all people. If you can see all people as yourself all at once for a long long time, you will discover this center which has no location, no beginning, no self. It contains the impulse of life, the incipient wellspring of potential. Everything in terms of the firing process of immortalism is found in this center. Having done so myself, I can attest to the power of referring the overarching unity of complexities involved in terms of the real firing process of one's own self-refinement to the three-fives mnemonic. This is the functional state of enlightening being whereby real people adapt impersonally to ordinary situations and operate freely within karmic evolution without entering into the rounds of birth and death. Further introduction to the "three fives" can be found on page 26 of The Book of Balance and Harmony, translated by Thomas Cleary. ISBN 0-86547-363-3 ed note: add everything below "to be continued…"

Now addressing the first part of Liu's opening phrase, "The method of alchemy involves gathering a bit of true fire of open awareness within conscious knowledge and refining out the adulterating energy of confused feelings…" we see that having dealt with water, fire is now introduced. The terms used here are "true fire", "open awareness" and "conscious knowledge". As above in the analysis of the trigram water; in fire, there are two solid yang lines enclosing one broken yin line. Therefore this is a yin trigram, fire. Whereas real knowledge is likened to lead, which sinks off easily, conscious knowledge is like fire, which flies off easily, feeding off the temperament (wood). In contrast to lead, fire's characteristic is mercury, which cannot easily be grasped. In terms of primal fire, true fire, the open awareness of conscious knowledge is adulterated by confused feelings. As described above, water is used to quench the polluted fire of temperament. Here, fire is used to distill the polluted emotional consciousness of the body. So true fire works with polluted water and pure water clears out the artificial fire. This is illustrating that fire and water, conscious awareness and real knowledge are originally the same thing, Complete Reality. The point of alchemy is to return to the pristine awareness of whole being, selflessly aware. Another way to express this is that by the process of self-refinement of alchemically firing the celestial cauldron in the furnace of creation (using ordinary situations to cull fire and water), the medicines are refined into their nonoriginated purity and fused into their beginingless unified unborn immortal function. Now about gathering this "bit of true fire"… What is "a bit"? It is the appearance of insight in the midst of ordinary affairs. It is just a bit of it that has no context with the created. Gathering this bit of true fire when it first appears in the midst of ordinary affairs, is spontaneous, automatic. It happens regularly and often, but people instead use this bit of fire to confuse themselves, thereby feeding the conditional fire of their volatile temperaments based on mental configurations habituated to self-reflective patterns of rationalizing: i.e., construing reasons for feeding this same burning temperament the same self-reflective patterns of rationalism. This is the reason this kind of activity is termed "insanity". It simply isn't sobriety. Real people imbued with real knowledge and open awareness are first and foremost, sober. This is the seat of sane energy, whereas the human mentality is the seat of the false consciousness of the rounds of ignorance rooted in the birth and death of karmic evolution. Immortality is the state of transcendence within the created to obviate the false from within the polluted. The alchemic teachings are just describing the way to do it. All people already have the ability to do so, they either don't know how or they don't want to know how. Gathering bits of fire as it appears in the context of ordinary situations, is the same thing as "refining out the adulterating energy of confused feelings". There is no doing at all. It is just a matter of seeing reality without deliberations. As Clarity wrote, it is turning the light around, not using it to create illusions based on personalistic views; instead one shines it back on its source. Personalistic views are just conscious awareness fallen into the created. People are habituated to this mental pattern. That is all it is. But the human mentality is so ingrained in its habit (only in order to prop up the false identity of the personality's "selfhood"), that it is almost impossible to eliminate. Only those with the true aspiration to do anything it takes to see their nature have the correct combination of intent and patience to effect their affair with Power to accomplish the world-honored. ed note: add "So true fire works with polluted water and pure water clears out the artificial fire" in 3rd paragraph