Mair 7:5

[Marblehead]

In the state of Cheng, there was a magus of the spirits named Chi Hsien.  He knew all about people's life and death, preservation and loss, misfortune and good fortune, longevity and mortality - predicting the year, month, week, and day as though he himself were a spirit.  When the people of Cheng saw Chi Hsien coming, they would turn their backs on him and run away.

But when Master Lieh went to see him, he was utterly intoxicated.  Upon his return, he related his encounter to Master Hu:  {{Hu Tzu (or Master Pot) was Master Lieh's teacher.}}  "I used to think of your way as the ultimate one, but now I have discovered that there is one still more ultimate."

"What I have conveyed to you so far only deals with the surface;" said Master Hu.  "We haven't yet begun to deal with the substance.  And you think you're already in possession of the Way?  If you only have a bunch of hens and no rooster, what sort of eggs are you going to end up with?  You take your way and go jostling with the world, assuming that people will believe you, but that's precisely why you let this fellow see through you.  Try to bring him along with you next time and show me to him."  The next day, Master Lieh came with the magus to see Master Hu.  As they were going out, the magus said to Master Lieh, "Ay!  Your master is dying!  He doesn't have much longer to live - less than ten days or so.  I saw something strange about him.  He looked like damp ashes."

Master Lieh went back in.  His lapels soaked with tears and snivel, he related to Master Hu what the magus had said.  "Just now," said Master Hu, "I showed myself to him in the patterns of the earth.  Unconscious, I was absolutely motionless.  He probably saw me with the wellsprings of my integrity stopped up.  Try bringing him around again sometime."  The next day, Master Lieh came again with the magus to see Master Hu.  As they were going out, the magus said to Master Lieh, "Fortunately, your master met me.  He has recovered and is fully alive.  I have seen that his stoppage was only temporary."  Master Lieh went back in and related to Master Hu what the magus had said.  "Just now," said Master Hu, "I showed myself to him in the appearance of heaven.  I was affected neither by name nor by substance, and the wellsprings of my vitality issued from my heels.  He probably saw me with my wellsprings in fine fettle.  Try bringing him around again sometime."

The next day, Master Lieh came again with the magus to see Master Hu.  As they were going out, the magus said to Master Lieh, "Your master is unstable.  There's nothing I can do to read his features.  Let's wait till he stabilizes, then I'll read his features again."

Master Lieh went back in and related to Master Hu what the magus had said.  "Just now;" said Master Hu, "I showed myself to him in the neutrality of Great Nonvictory.  He probably saw me with the wellsprings of my vital breath in balance.  The depths of the whale's whirlpool are an abyss; the depths of blocked water are an abyss; the depths of flowing water are an abyss.  There are nine types of abysses.  Here I have shown three of them.  Try bringing him around again sometime."

The next day, Master Lieh came again with the magus to see Master Hu.  Before the magus had even come to a standstill, he lost his composure and ran away.  "Pursue him!" said Master Hu.  Master Lieh pursued the magus, but couldn't catch up with him.  He returned and reported to Master Hu, "He's disappeared; he's lost.  I couldn't catch up with him."

"Just now;" said Master Hu, "I showed myself to him with my ancestry having not yet begun to appear.  I was emptily intertwined with it so that one could not discern who was who.  Thus did I bend with the wind and flow with the waves.  Therefore he fled."

After this, Master Lieh came to believe that he had barely begun to learn.  He returned home and did not go out for three years.  He cooked for his wife and fed pigs as though he were feeding people.  He took no sides in affairs and whittled himself back to the simplicity of the unhewn log.  {{Pu is translated “uncarved block”, “unhewn log”, or “simplicity”.  It is a metaphor for the state of wu wei and the principle of jian.  It represents a passive state of receptiveness.  Pu is a symbol for a state of pure potential and perception without prejudice.  In this state, Taoists believe everything is seen as it is, without preconceptions or illusion.}}  Clodlike, he stood alone in his physical form.  Sealed off against perplexity, in this manner he remained whole to the end.

[Taoist Texts]

5 hours ago, Marblehead said:

"Just now;" said Master Hu, "I showed myself to him with my ancestry having not yet begun to appear.  I was emptily intertwined with it so that one could not discern who was who.  Thus did I bend with the wind and flow with the waves.  Therefore he fled."

what is this? telepathy, mind control or shape shifting?

[Marblehead]

2 hours ago, Taoist Texts said:

what is this? telepathy, mind control or shape shifting?

Yes.

 

 

Think Master Hu in the state of wu wei.  Dead as ashes but sitting upright.  Nothing in the ashes to see.

 

[kpodhayski]

On 6/12/2017 at 1:30 PM, Taoist Texts said:

what is this? telepathy, mind control or shape shifting?

 

Metaphor?

[Marblehead]

5 minutes ago, kpodhayski said:

 

Metaphor?

That too.

 

[rene]

7.5 is one of my faves. i like when somebody (magus) speaks so authoritatively about something when they're actually clueless.

[dawei]

On 6/12/2017 at 1:30 PM, Taoist Texts said:

what is this? telepathy, mind control or shape shifting?

 

On 6/12/2017 at 3:52 PM, Marblehead said:

Yes.

 

 

Think Master Hu in the state of wu wei.  Dead as ashes but sitting upright.  Nothing in the ashes to see.

 

 

I think of the words of Jesus, being 'in this world but not of this world'...  Hu understood this and exposed it to those within this world. 

[Marblehead]

4 minutes ago, dawei said:

 

 

I think of the words of Jesus, being 'in this world but not of this world'...  Hu understood this and exposed it to those within this world. 

Valid association.