Clarifications on the Mysterious Pass

[findley]

I was doing well with the practice, until recently... I had assumed that perhaps my troubles were due to personal frustrations-- however I feel I had only fallen subject to another pitfall, of a certain conceptualization of the Mysterious Pass--

 

By clinging to the concept that it is formless, intangible, and without manifestation-- I had refused to let my 'attention' rest on anything manifest, in opening the gate. This, of course, is impossible.

 

While the Mysterious Pass is, indeed, absolutely non-manifest-- one's attention exists simultaneously with it. (This is perhaps key to the concept, that it is by means of the Mysterious Pass that one is able to enter into a state of Wu-Wei.)

 

I have also lost the sense of subtle bliss in my heart.

 

Therefore, when one cultivates the Mysterious Pass, one must allow the attention to rest somewhere ! -You cannot attempt to rest the attention on the Mysterious Pass itself, which is impossible !

 

I think that this correlates to a passage in the Secret of the Golden Flower, where-in it discusses 'the light' and 'turning the light around'-- I believe I was, with difficulty, tapping into 'the light', yet failing to 'turn it around'.

 

So, now I am remembering to do what I did before-- climbing out of yet another pitfall along the way. Resting my attention again on my heart, while I cultivate the Mysterious Pass, I should quickly restore that subtle bliss. . .

 

PS --'resting your attention' on your heart, (or dan tien, or mid-brow... I choose heart...) should be SOFT, and SUBTLE.

 

'resting your attention' is not 'fixating' your attention. It is not like you were using your attention to complete the microcosmic orbit, or induce kundalini rushes or anything. be gentle.

Edited August 8, 2009 by findley

[Marblehead]

Hi Findley,

 

I would like to suggest that whenever you give attention to anything for the purpose of attaining wu wei you will be restricting your own progress. Wu wei is attained through an empty mind.

 

Be well!

[Zhuo Ming-Dao]

This simple fact is why you need to use form in order to reach formlessness. You cannot start at formlessness (or else you will get nowhere, or just turn formless into another form to get attached to). So in Zen you follow the breath and gaze gently at the dan tien. Eventually you can give up all forms and just BE, which is called shikentaza, or Just Sitting (emphasis being on just). It is impossible to start at this stage, even in an individual meditation session. As Dogen defined it: first the body will fall away, then the mind will fall away. But this is not void meditation, it is just Being. You cannot force it or reach for it, it must come on its own.

 

I use the Zen model to reach achieve the formless, or the Mysterious Gate, but you could just as easily use qigong (or even Tai Chi or other kata at the higher levels) as long as you do it in such a way as to move without thought, gaze at the chi softly without fixating or controlling. Eventually the rhythm will carry you to the formless. Obviously, sitting and being still would be easier, though, since it can take many years to get that fluid with a physical practice.

 

I considered discussing this on your Kunlun thread, but you did not seem to be in a mood to have a mutual, friendly conversation on it at the time.

[Zhuo Ming-Dao]

I think that this correlates to a passage in the Secret of the Golden Flower, where-in it discusses 'the light' and 'turning the light around'-- I believe I was, with difficulty, tapping into 'the light', yet failing to 'turn it around'.

 

The Secret of the Golden Flower brought together many different ideas from older Buddhist and Taoist texts. This idea of Turning the Light Around came originally from the Lankavatara Sutra. D.T. Suzuki has an excellent translation of that text, if you are interested. In it, you turn the light around to the inside of your body and gaze gently. Eventually, the best students are supposed to automatically "turn around in the very seat of their consciousness." Since not every student is capable of achieving this, the text offers hundreds of what it calls lesser ways. Many of the other methods listed involve using dream yoga/astral projection to directly engage the store house consciousness... but since this psychological stuff is very deep and tangled, it does not make for a quick enlightenment in this lifetime. It also discusses many watching the mind, the various forms of prajna for enlightenment, the jhanas, giving oneself up to other power, and others.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Zhuo Ming-Dao

[findley]

Zhou Ming-Dao-- thank you so much for your advice. sincerely: thank you.

 

I believe I understand what you mean by using form to reach formlessness. Contemplating it for a moment, (I will have to try and carry this piece of advice with me for some time,)--

 

--I believe that one of the primary means I have been using to tap into the mysterious way, is by addressing manifest reality around me, as it is-- and allowing just this to achieve formlessness. I understand that you probably do not mean to imply 'manifest reality' as is as a method of 'form', but do you think that perhaps it should still work?

 

For example, I love to practice in public places, such as a coffee-shop-- I feel that my form, my body, my mind, are reflected back at me by the mind and body of others. This has led me, on occasion, to successful dwelling in formlessness. -Do you think that this could serve as an acceptable means (of 'form',) to achieve formlessness?

 

Manifest reality, as form, is of course no better a 'contrast' to formlessness, afterall?

 

---

 

I am so hesitant to get into other schools of thought, for fear that they may muddle or blind me even more so than I already am. However, I'll google right away the Lankavatara Sutra, and remember that I need this book, (when I can afford it.)

I mean, using astral projection as a means to formlessness seems to me so backwards a path-- how much effort I would have to waste just learning to astral project ! Though, I am sure there may be contained more direct, subtler methods to such attainment?

 

In the meantime, I will struggle. and remember not to struggle. if you know what I mean

 

This is the one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do, in regards to spiritual practice.

 

...but then, if we master the opening of the Mysterious Gate... I sincerely believe there entails enlightenment. I feel as though, at least I have forgotten energy practice and have learned of a way unto genuine enlightenment.

[Zhuo Ming-Dao]

I am glad that I could be of help.

 

Like I said, the many ways of enlightenment (such as astral projection) from the Lankavatara Sutra are not the most direct, quick, or even effective paths, but they can help some people along the way. Because there are so many different types of student, though, many paths are needed. Not everyone is necessarily capable of or ready to experience formlessness. That does not mean that they are lesser, or wrong, but just that they need to explore other routes in order to progress and settle their wandering minds. I cannot remember who it was that said that sometimes you need to try a hundred paths before you get fed up and naturally fall into the formless. But the endless seeking itself is what leads some to giving up and giving in. I do not think this is a bad thing at all, since if there was no at all seeking, no form, there could be no entrance into the Mysterious Gate.

 

--I believe that one of the primary means I have been using to tap into the mysterious way, is by addressing manifest reality around me, as it is-- and allowing just this to achieve formlessness. I understand that you probably do not mean to imply 'manifest reality' as is as a method of 'form', but do you think that perhaps it should still work?

 

This sounds like the practice of becoming the watcher. While it has many names, basically it is what you describe. Osho used this method for achieving his enlightenment. Here is an essay by him on it that you might enjoy:

 

http://realization.org/page/doc0/doc0016.htm

 

 

 

In the meantime, I will struggle. and remember not to struggle. if you know what I mean wink.gif

 

This is the one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do, in regards to spiritual practice.

 

Yep, me too. Well, that and closing the books on spirituality sometimes and actually meditating everyday That took more years to learn than it should have... but that is just the particular type of person that I am.

 

I just found an online version of the Lankavatara Sutra:

 

http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/lanka-nondiacritical.htm

 

Oh, the things you can find online these days!