Video about 玄關/Hsuan Kuan/Mysterious Gate

[鞏三孝]

 

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the word 玄關/hsuan kuan/mysterious gate/mysterious pass/etc. The following video has a Chinese teacher living in Canada discussing this concept quite thoroughly in English. He made a lot of points that I think are insightful.

 

For example, he pointed out that there are many different claims about the definition of this word, some of which are really quite different from each other. Also, he pointed out that, as for how to use this concept to practice, there are many different entry points and methods. They can be very different too. 

 

Of course, it is unlikely that every method and every theory is right. However, if you have the opportunity to interact regularly with Taoists, you may find that they generally don't spend too much time denigrating each other's "incorrect" practices. Not only that, even if it is absolutely impossible for all people to "achieve Tao" in this lifetime, those Taoists tend to respect those whose approaches to practice can be very different, even totally different.

 

Why do Taoists respect those who use very different methods? It's not just because respect for others is a virtue or because if you are a Taoist who always criticizes Taoists who practice differently you will have zero friends (because nobody practices exactly the same ). There are many deeper reasons. Daoist disciples generally know very well that it is difficult for us to judge whether what we ourselves do is right or not, let alone others. It is also difficult for us to know the karma of others in past lives, the innate wisdom and potential of others, the morality of others, the destiny of others, the luck of others, and so on. These elements all affect the practice.

 

Therefore, it is entirely possible that a person who practices "incorrect" cultivation today will be on the right path tomorrow. Moreover, the reason why he realizes the right path tomorrow might be because he went astray yesterday. Also, there are actually many "unknowable" elements to human existence. Why does one person have a good response with a certain method, while another person suffers a lot of setbacks with the same method, or even has a terrible side effect? Who can really explain it? Precisely because these things are hard to say or know, you don’t hear many people in Taoist temples saying, “This is the one and only way to practice” or “It will definitely end bad if you practice that way.” There are nearly infinite variables in life. So many things really varies from person to person.

 

The meaning of the above is not to say that "everything goes in Taoist practice." It means that in practice, it cannot be assumed that everything is the same for everyone. To judge what counts as "right", one often needs to consider a person's age, experience, health, education level, character, potential, commitment, wisdom, maturity, background, and so on. Therefore, this kind of thing generally needs to be considered and discussed privately between teachers and students, and it is not possible to arbitrarily decide "right" and "wrong" for everybody on the Internet.

 

 

His suggested practice at the end I don't condone or oppose, btw. I learned exercises related to the Mysterious Gate with three different Taoist teachers. The methods are all different from each other, and they're all different from the methods in the movie. Taoism is really diverse!

 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by 鞏三孝

[Cobie]

Removed (off topic).

Edited June 14, 2022 by Cobie

[Master Logray]

4 hours ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the word 玄關/hsuan kuan/mysterious gate/mysterious pass/etc. The

 

 

Actually I always wonder why there were so few discussions on this subject, given its importance.  Do you think the mystic gate is a fixed location, or mobile give the different conditions?

 

[blue eyed snake]

7 hours ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the word 玄關/hsuan kuan/mysterious gate/mysterious pass/etc. The following video has a Chinese teacher living in Canada discussing this concept quite thoroughly in English. He made a lot of points that I think are insightful.

 

For example, he pointed out that there are many different claims about the definition of this word, some of which are really quite different from each other. Also, he pointed out that, as for how to use this concept to practice, there are many different entry points and methods. They can be very different too. 

 

Of course, it is unlikely that every method and every theory is right. However, if you have the opportunity to interact regularly with Taoists, you may find that they generally don't spend too much time denigrating each other's "incorrect" practices. Not only that, even if it is absolutely impossible for all people to "achieve Tao" in this lifetime, those Taoists tend to respect those whose approaches to practice can be very different, even totally different.

 

Why do Taoists respect those who use very different methods? It's not just because respect for others is a virtue or because if you are a Taoist who always criticizes Taoists who practice differently you will have zero friends (because nobody practices exactly the same ). There are many deeper reasons. Daoist disciples generally know very well that it is difficult for us to judge whether what we ourselves do is right or not, let alone others. It is also difficult for us to know the karma of others in past lives, the innate wisdom and potential of others, the morality of others, the destiny of others, the luck of others, and so on. These elements all affect the practice.

 

Therefore, it is entirely possible that a person who practices "incorrect" cultivation today will be on the right path tomorrow. Moreover, the reason why he realizes the right path tomorrow might be because he went astray yesterday. Also, there are actually many "unknowable" elements to human existence. Why does one person have a good response with a certain method, while another person suffers a lot of setbacks with the same method, or even has a terrible side effect? Who can really explain it? Precisely because these things are hard to say or know, you don’t hear many people in Taoist temples saying, “This is the one and only way to practice” or “It will definitely end bad if you practice that way.” There are nearly infinite variables in life. So many things really varies from person to person.

 

The meaning of the above is not to say that "everything goes in Taoist practice." It means that in practice, it cannot be assumed that everything is the same for everyone. To judge what counts as "right", one often needs to consider a person's age, experience, health, education level, character, potential, commitment, wisdom, maturity, background, and so on. Therefore, this kind of thing generally needs to be considered and discussed privately between teachers and students, and it is not possible to arbitrarily decide "right" and "wrong" for everybody on the Internet.

 

 

His suggested practice at the end I don't condone or oppose, btw. I learned exercises related to the Mysterious Gate with three different Taoist teachers. The methods are all different from each other, and they're all different from the methods in the movie. Taoism is really diverse!

 

 

 

thanks, this is nice

[鞏三孝]

On 6/7/2022 at 12:32 AM, Master Logray said:

Actually I always wonder why there were so few discussions on this subject, given its importance. 

 

Whether in the East or the West, it seems that not many people have much knowledge of the mysterious gate. 

 

Quote

Do you think the mystic gate is a fixed location, or mobile give the different conditions?

 

My understanding is: not fixed and not moving. It is not within what movement and stillness can define. But it can have tentative or implied positions. Students can use these to practice (借假修真), to activate the effects.

Edited June 10, 2022 by 鞏三孝

[Iskote]

Yes, we all have different backgrounds and experience and different viewpoints, so we all interpret and see things differently. Each person will go with what seems to work for them at any point in time. Sometimes we look back on things we have done and think what a complete waste that was or how wrong that was, and wonder why we were so foolish to have wasted so much time on that, or wonder how we could have been so wrong and not realized it at the time, etc.  It is because our views and understanding are always evolving that we are able to look back and see things differently. Whatever seems to be working for us at any point in time is still a learning experience, even if we look back later and see it is wasted time or wrong actions. Sometimes we may learn very slowly, or sometimes we may learn quicker. It just depends on where any given individual is at any point in time in their life, and their background experience and views. Likewise, there are all sorts of systems and practices out there with widely different perspectives and goals. What seems like bad practices or wrong views to one person may seem very attractive to another person, and both people's point of view may possibly change at a later point in time on the matter as both people's perspective and understanding changes over time.  

 

Is there good and bad and right and wrong in this dualistic world? 

Of course there is. This is a dualistic world. 

However, most people realize that clearly defining good and bad and right and wrong in every aspect of various things in this world is not always so straightforward. Not everything is clearly definable as completely good or completely bad, or clearly definable as clearly right or clearly wrong. There can be many different factors to consider in making such judgement calls.  

 

Nevertheless, in my view, I would say a good rule of thumb is, based on any given person's best judgement,  always try to act in a way to do that which does not do harm to others or to our self, as best as the individual can determine.  As our views and understanding changes and grows over time. hopefully in the long run we are moving in an overall 'positive' direction and making better decisions and gaining a better perspective on things.

 

So, in regards to different practices and differing views and interpretations in different systems,  it makes sense that there are going to be potentially widely differing views and interpretations and different practices out there, and also makes sense that different people will be 'attracted' to different things. 

 

A person may have direct experience with or knowledge of a given practice or system or viewpoint, and, based on their personal experience and understanding they may view that practice or system or certain views associated with that system as bad or wrong. In a case where a person has such direct experience or real knowledge with something, I see nothing 'wrong' with that person expressing their view about that practice or system, as long as they do it respectfully, if they truly believe that it is harmful or incorrect and want to warn others. However, to continue harping on that same point over and over is probably not going to be productive, and may well just lead to increased strife with others who may disagree. I think most of us can agree that strife and negativity are not good for anyone, so when it arises, it is time to move on. 

 

In the end,  all any person can do is go with what seems productive and helpful or right for them. We can't force others to gain a better understanding just with words, so, if someone is not open to a different point of view, then there is no point wasting energy on the matter and falling into conflict and negativity. By all means, share your experience and knowledge with others if you like, and if they are open to it, but letting it go if conflict and negativity is starting to arise is probably a wise decision.  

 

P.S. On a somewhat different note, I think working on being less egocentric, and working on improving one's overall perspectives and focus, and working on improving how one interacts with others, etc., might all be classified under "xing" cultivation. While working on your body health and qigong and neigong, etc. is associated more with "ming" cultivation. That may not be entirely 'correct', however, and, as always, different traditions out there probably have differing perspectives on this, as well. 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Iskote

[鞏三孝]

11 hours ago, Iskote said:

Yes, we all have different backgrounds and experience and different viewpoints, so we all interpret and see things differently. Each person will go with what seems to work for them at any point in time. Sometimes we look back on things we have done and think what a complete waste that was or how wrong that was, and wonder why we were so foolish to have wasted so much time on that, or wonder how we could have been so wrong and not realized it at the time, etc.  It is because our views and understanding are always evolving that we are able to look back and see things differently. Whatever seems to be working for us at any point in time is still a learning experience, even if we look back later and see it is wasted time or wrong actions. Sometimes we may learn very slowly, or sometimes we may learn quicker. It just depends on where any given individual is at any point in time in their life, and their background experience and views. Likewise, there are all sorts of systems and practices out there with widely different perspectives and goals. What seems like bad practices or wrong views to one person may seem very attractive to another person, and both people's point of view may possibly change at a later point in time on the matter as both people's perspective and understanding changes over time.  

 

Is there good and bad and right and wrong in this dualistic world? 

Of course there is. This is a dualistic world. 

However, most people realize that clearly defining good and bad and right and wrong in every aspect of various things in this world is not always so straightforward. Not everything is clearly definable as completely good or completely bad, or clearly definable as clearly right or clearly wrong. There can be many different factors to consider in making such judgement calls.  

 

Nevertheless, in my view, I would say a good rule of thumb is, based on any given person's best judgement,  always try to act in a way to do that which does not do harm to others or to our self, as best as the individual can determine.  As our views and understanding changes and grows over time. hopefully in the long run we are moving in an overall 'positive' direction and making better decisions and gaining a better perspective on things.

 

So, in regards to different practices and differing views and interpretations in different systems,  it makes sense that there are going to be potentially widely differing views and interpretations and different practices out there, and also makes sense that different people will be 'attracted' to different things. 

 

A person may have direct experience with or knowledge of a given practice or system or viewpoint, and, based on their personal experience and understanding they may view that practice or system or certain views associated with that system as bad or wrong. In a case where a person has such direct experience or real knowledge with something, I see nothing 'wrong' with that person expressing their view about that practice or system, as long as they do it respectfully, if they truly believe that it is harmful or incorrect and want to warn others. However, to continue harping on that same point over and over is probably not going to be productive, and may well just lead to increased strife with others who may disagree. I think most of us can agree that strife and negativity are not good for anyone, so when it arises, it is time to move on. 

 

In the end,  all any person can do is go with what seems productive and helpful or right for them. We can't force others to gain a better understanding just with words, so, if someone is not open to a different point of view, then there is no point wasting energy on the matter and falling into conflict and negativity. By all means, share your experience and knowledge with others if you like, and if they are open to it, but letting it go if conflict and negativity is starting to arise is probably a wise decision.  

 

P.S. On a somewhat different note, I think working on being less egocentric, and working on improving one's overall perspectives and focus, and working on improving how one interacts with others, etc., might all be classified under "xing" cultivation. While working on your body health and qigong and neigong, etc. is associated more with "ming" cultivation. That may not be entirely 'correct', however, and, as always, different traditions out there probably have differing perspectives on this, as well. 

 

 

Thank you for the sharing. And what do you think about the video?

[Iskote]

1 hour ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

Thank you for the sharing. And what do you think about the video?

 

Hello 鞏三孝.  I did comment on the content of the video, but in an abstract way.  

He explains that there are various different interpretations of the concept of 'xuan guan', and gives his own view on it as well, as well as gives his view on the traditional idea that such knowledge should be kept secret. 

I am familiar with this man and his videos. He is also an internal martial arts teacher, and he has many videos on internal martial arts as well. I think his videos are interesting and informative, but I am also aware that there are various other points of view, as well.  

 

The more I learn about neidan and related, the more I become inclined towards the approach of sitting (or standing or lying down) and 'forgetting'. Sitting is usually the 'traditional' posture for such practice, however. He mentioned in the video, that, in his view,  when you reach the stage of 'xuan guan', the primordial energy cultivates itself, or to that effect.  

To reach the state of xuan guan, he said that you basically 'just sit'. In other words, actual wu wei. 

No movement, no intention, no direction. It comes about eventually when you stop all intention and movement and just sit. Of course, to do that (release all conscious intention and control) for most people may take many years of 'laying the foundation'.  As simple as it may seem, most will not be able to do it so easily. The mind will be running over all kinds of worldly matters and imaginings, or one will feel inclined to be shifting around and be unable to stay still for very long, etc. 'Laying the foundation' itself is probably interpreted in various ways as well by different people and in different systems.  

 

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Iskote

[鞏三孝]

On 6/10/2022 at 11:34 AM, Iskote said:

but I am also aware that there are various other points of view, as well.  

 

There are many, Taoism is very diverse。

 

On 6/10/2022 at 11:34 AM, Iskote said:

The more I learn about neidan and related, the more I become inclined towards the approach of sitting (or standing or lying down) and 'forgetting'.

 

Indeed, it can be said that sitting and forgetting is an important part of the cultivation of the hsuan kuan. But it is generally not the whole of it, because like you said, the mental activities of ordinary people are not so easy to calm down. So you need to start with something "youwei".

 

On 6/10/2022 at 11:34 AM, Iskote said:

Sitting is usually the 'traditional' posture for such practice, however. He mentioned in the video, that, in his view,  when you reach the stage of 'xuan guan', the primordial energy cultivates itself, or to that effect.  

To reach the state of xuan guan, he said that you basically 'just sit'. In other words, actual wu wei. 

No movement, no intention, no direction. It comes about eventually when you stop all intention and movement and just sit.

 

 

Actually, the method taught by Mr. Yang in the video also includes the need to focus on the lower abdomen.

 

On 6/10/2022 at 11:34 AM, Iskote said:

Of course, to do that (release all conscious intention and control) for most people may take many years of 'laying the foundation'.  As simple as it may seem, most will not be able to do it so easily. The mind will be running over all kinds of worldly matters and imaginings, or one will feel inclined to be shifting around and be unable to stay still for very long, etc.

 

That's right. But because of this, Taoism has many expedient methods, just like what Buddhism calls "expedient dharma doors". These methods provide students with a "place to rest the mind" in order to help people gradually approach the state where the hsuan kuan has a chance to activate naturally. Different schools often have different expedient methods.

 

 

By the way, usually teachers will teach students to just let those “all kinds of worldly matters and imaginings” or physical discomforts just come and go, then， go back to the method. But sometimes this is easier said than done. No wonder practice is not a matter of a day or two, it takes a lifetime.

 

On 6/10/2022 at 11:34 AM, Iskote said:

'Laying the foundation' itself is probably interpreted in various ways as well by different people and in different systems. 

 

Almost all terms in Taoism have different interpretations and definitions，this is normal.

 

[Iskote]

8 hours ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

Actually, the method taught by Mr. Yang in the video also includes the need to focus on the lower abdomen.

...

 

By the way, usually teachers will teach students to just let those “all kinds of worldly matters and imaginings” or physical discomforts just come and go, then， go back to the method. But sometimes this is easier said than done. No wonder practice is not a matter of a day or two, it takes a lifetime.

 

 

Hello 鞏三孝. 

 

Well, what Yang Hai said was: "Just be aware of the lower dantian area, and keep your mind relaxed."

I personally differentiate between "be aware" and "focus on". 

For me, the first involves passive awareness. 

The second involves active intention. 

It may seem like a subtle difference, but in my experience it is not the same.

One is passive and one is active. 

 

Regarding the worldly thinking mind, yes, I don't think at earlier stages, at least, one can ever stop it, but in my experience we can become somewhat disengaged from the chatter and imaginings such that even though it is going on it becomes more 'distant'.  Like it is in another room some distance away.   As for shifting around,  I will move a little if something becomes a bit too uncomfortable, but teachers I have learned sitting meditation from have advised to aim towards full stillness, so that is the long term goal.  

 

All the best...

 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Iskote

[鞏三孝]

10 hours ago, Iskote said:

Well, what Yang Hai said was: "Just be aware of the lower dantian area, and keep your mind relaxed."

I personally differentiate between "be aware" and "focus on". 

For me, the first involves passive awareness. 

The second involves active intention. 

It may seem like a subtle difference, but in my experience it is not the same.

One is passive and one is active. 

 

Your idea makes sense. But in any case, as long as you choose to keep paying attention to one place, it will involve some degree "active intention". This is part of beginning with youwei to arrive at wuwei. But as you suggest, concentrating too hard will suppress the effect.

 

However, I mainly mentioned that the purpose of Mr. Yang's focus on the lower abdomen is not to discuss how to concentrate, but to emphasize that in this practice, Mr. Yang still focuses (yes gently) on the lower abdomen. My point is, although it can be said that hsuan kuan has no location, the method of practicing hsuan kuan can utilize a specific location. The locations used by each school are not necessarily the same. Some are not in the abdominal cavity, and some are not even in the body.

Edited June 12, 2022 by 鞏三孝

[Daeluin]

Quote

Why do Taoists respect those who use very different methods?

 

I see that some other people are translating zhen ren as 'real man'.

To me it feels more poignant viewed as 'complete human'.

From the moment of conception, we work to embody our higher self into this form, and this may be continued to a state of completion.

In this sense, it is like climbing a mountain to reach the top.

There are as many paths to the top as there are people. We are not all the same, we are all different. Some of us may be resonant with similar paths, but in the end we all must walk our own path and find our own center.

Therefore, what works for each of us will be different. Accepting this, seeing the truth in this, we may find it easier to appreciate the paths of others, however different they may be.

 

Quote

Tian Ji Bu Ke Xie Lu

 

Wow. Before I even get into the main topic of this video, I find destiny.

 

Quote

Heavenly secrets must not be divulged. This sentence means that heaven will punish you if you share a secret with others. Many practitioners believe Xiu Dao concepts to be inherited from heaven and they won't dare to share them with the public. However, I do not support this idea at all. I believe, it is just the means for elitism and control. If Xiu Dao can benefit others, then why not share this with people. It doesn't make sense if you believe that interpretation.

Now, there exists another interpretation of this term. Something I agree with. Let me explain. In the term Tian Ji Bu Ke Xie Lu:

• Tian means heaven
• Ji means secret
• Bu means not
• Ke mean able to
• Xie Lu means divulge

The translation is that The secret of practice is impossible to be taught. In other words, real knowledge can only be achieved with personal practice.

I first heard this translation from my grandfather, Yang Qin-Lin (?), though of course there might have been other people who supported this thought.

Now, you can see that this same sentence, Tian Ji Bu Ke Xie Lu, has two totally different interpretations. The first tells us to keep it a secret or to be punished by heaven. The other interpretation is that personal practice is necessary to understand the knowledge. I support this interpretation, not merely out of love for my grandfather, but mainly because it is the most rational explanation available.

I have taught many people about this term. Yes, of course I have experienced hard times in my life. And so has every other human being. But, the idea that someone would be punished for sharing Xiu Dao knowledge is, in my opinion, implausible.

In case you believe in such superstitious ideas, I hope you can let go of those and look for rational interpretations.

 

Amused.

As ever, to me, the rational interpretation is found in between both of these contrasting thoughts.

Our timelines run based on cause and effect. Cause and effect are influenced by the choices we make.

There are two questions I feel it is appropriate to ask when considering this principle. What happens when secrets are divulged to those who are unable to understand them by putting them into practice? And what does the punishment of heaven look like?

First of all I would suggest that punishment here might be another concept easily translated in other ways. Consequences seems appropriate.

And in the west we have a fairly clear example of this principle of Tian Ji Bu Ke Xie Lu.

 

The Bible.

 

Secrets contain power, and power may be used without being understood. In the west the bible holds power over us even as the wisdom contained within is barely put into practice. Many of the religious people in my country do not love their neighbors at all, and are hardly willing to turn the other cheek. Quite the opposite, the religious institutions have become politicized and are being used as a tool to control power over my country.

 

And in the East, there is another form of evidence we may look at.

 

The practice of using heavenly secrets to order human affairs, as seen in using BaZi to arrange marriages.

 

BaZi essentially becomes a form of knowledge that is able to connect with heavenly principle, but when written and taught it may be practiced without connection to heaven. It may be allowed to order the world, but in so doing it prevents natural order. Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Course, the Course follows what is naturally self-so.

But when we use constructs to decide how things should be, we disconnect from allowing things to follow their natural self-so courses.

And of course this idea of arranged marriages is deeply rooted in confucian culture, which at its core can be found the idea of filial piety, which is a recognition of the human web of life and an aspiration to keep that web of life connected and nurtured.

However, by setting commandants about what should be done and what should not be done, we make it artificial. Who was it that decided men are yang and women are yin? Who was it that decided that women must be under the control of men and kept inside out of the sun and men's gazes?

And yet these things come from our secrets, when they are not fully understood, but put into practice without complete realization.

After all, if we cater only to the human web of life, we disconnect from the web of life of nature. And in so doing, we discover that eventually we are killing nature, something we likely thought impossible long ago.

And thus we see the punishment of heaven.

Einstein wished that he had never helped create the atomic bomb. And today we suffer the punishment of heaven as Ukraine struggles against Russia and the world is afraid to act in fear of a nuclear retaliation at the hands of one person.

The punishment of heaven can be seen in the acts of those daoists who were willing to divulge secrets to the emperors, who then used those secrets to retain their powers or destroy knowledge that was threatening. Meanwhile the writings of dao says again and again, the if the emperors were able to follow the dao, and return to the people the energy that was fed to them, their empires would be ordered. Perhaps if the emperors put the knowledge into practice such that they understood it for themselves, they would have become sage kings and have ended the dynamic of emperial rule. Such after all is the lesson to be found within Qian's top line ䷀ .

 

Looking back, we see the biblical story of the fallen angels. They were the ones who came to earth from the heavens to divulge knowledge. And yet too we see that it is these angels who became known for their sins of sharing knowledge, and the story goes that god sent the floods upon earth to destroy them -- and here again we see the story of knowledge that is shared being met with punishment from the heavens.

 

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I've since stumbled over my own secrets, and have needed to ponder long and hard on what may be shared without it being somehow misunderstood and misused for the power it is still able to yield in the hands of those who only see how to leverage things to their own desires.

This is part of my karmic journey, as I have long carried guilt over the consequence of secrets I shared and that were abused. In Atlantis the pattern I carry now, was then used to divulge the secrete of cloning crystals. Crystals became the power source of Atlantis, and that power was abused and led to the destruction of that civilization. All the time, I was crying out that this was not how my contribution should be used.

Carrying that guilt, still strongly felt, into my next incarnations of this pattern, I became a knight that went on a quest to find the holy grail - a vessel of spiritual power manifest upon the earth, manifest upon the earth full of corrupted people, and I helped to escort that vessel into the spiritual planes away from human greed.

Carrying that guilt, I became a knight templar, fighting for justice.

Only, alas. Such an extreme composure is not balanced, and I too reincarnated in lifetimes that capitulated and turned toward shadow.

Navigating these extremes, sometimes a warrior of peace, sometimes a warrior of shadow, I eventually found my way into more recent lifetimes as a woman, in monastic spiritual situations. This seems to have been a way for me to learn a lesson I had been missing about balance. In this current life time as a man again, I am able to step more solidly into the balance. The balance between feminine and masculine. The balance between understanding and loving. The balance between divulging secrets and sharing living knowledge in the moment.

And this too, reveals how we may witness the form of punishment from heaven. It is merely the consequences of our choices. But oh how impactful they can be.

 

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As an astrologer, I can see well how the planetary configurations influence to a high degree the courses our lives take. And yet our decisions are still our own, and strongly shape the manifestations that occur within the balances upon the planet. And ultimately if we wish to become complete humans, we must learn to reconcile the cycling of the planets in order to expand with some stability beyond the limits of our solar system.

And that is when we are able to take destiny into our own hands and become freed from our karmic bonds of heavenly punishment, EVEN AS OUR ACTIONS UPON THE EARTH STILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES. It simply may not matter, from a selfish perspective, as we have at such a point transcended the confines of reincarnation by merging our hun and po and transcending to a higher realm.

 

And yet... isn't it odd that it is this 'desire' realm in which we have the leverage to ascend all the way to Buddha hood, while, in those form and formless realms, they do not have such leverage and progress becomes much slower?

For again, becoming complete involves becoming an anchor for those realms of higher vibration. We are part of the root.

And therefore, when we do escape the punishment of heaven, and hold destiny within our own two hands, we may still follow a wuwei ziran course, we we allow heaven to act through us as we follow the natural and spontaneous path that unfolds before us. And as such, we become now a greater vehicle that begins to work on the karmic / destiny of the living planet itself.

And extending the principle, in this way we begin to do the work that allows the expanding universe to begin to return to itself. Such is the way of Bodhisattvas.

But I digress.

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There is another important principle that may be revealed about this topic, and it concerns one's destiny.

There are some things we need to discover for ourselves. For in being told of them by others, we struggle to own them of our own merits. We might think to attribute such a task to the one who told it to us, as though that was a task from that person, and feel obliged to accomplish it FOR that person.

This is important, because such destined tasks are of our own curriculum, and it will not do for us to think they are merely tasks from another. And if we DO them for another, then perhaps we do NOT do them for ourselves.

And thus the critical importance that we discover them for ourselves.

Perhaps this is why the sage's actions are designed such that people think they accomplished certain things on their own. Cleverly planting seeds and guiding their growth from the side lines, never taking credit. Great wisdom may come from pondering such courses.

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There is a quote from the Confucian Analects that reveals a comprehension of this principle of Tian Ji Bu Ke Xia Lu.
 

Quote

The Master said, "I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one, and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson."

This readily demonstrates a way for us to share with those who are able to follow and own their own work.

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And too this topic changes when it comes to modern society.

We live in an age of information (and misinformation). It is everywhere. We can find anything we want to find, from any perspectives.

 

So it becomes easier to divulge secrets, especially in ways that are not easily found except for those who know where to look for them, without such impactful consequences. But it still depends on how we do it.

A good example of this can be found in the published books of Mantak Chia. A great deal of secrets were published in such a way that they became highly popular in the west... and yet, because they did not cater to the nuances of peoples need's to walk many paths, but instead catered to peoples desires, many people who practiced the arts in these books had set-backs. Having these set-backs they lashed out at the author, and the author's reputation and karma is influenced by this, just as he influenced their karma.

And yet when it comes to disseminating knowledge in the moment, like on a forum when a question is asked, it becomes much more likely for the people who need it to find it, and much less likely for those who would not benefit from it to not be exposed to it.

 

And so this indeed paves the way for videos like this to reveal secrets. We find the needles in the haystack that we are meant to find naturally.

I've pondered on this a bit. I haven't posted here in some time, but somehow I found myself drawn here today, and then I found this.

Perhaps what I've left here will be met with resonance for some, perhaps not for others. Whatever it is that is found, please make it your own in whatever way works!

When it comes to such things, perhaps this is one of the mysteries of the dao de jing. It is able to retain enough circularity and subtlety, that even for people who misunderstand it, the meaning is able to still guide people closer to their natural paths. Even if the idea of what is natural (self-so) remains mysterious.
 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Daeluin
Editing.

[Cobie]

Removed (off topic).

Edited June 14, 2022 by Cobie

[Daeluin]

5 hours ago, Cobie said:

@Daeluin What does 罔兩 mean? 

https://ctext.org/zhuangzi/adjustment-of-controversies

[鞏三孝]

On 6/7/2022 at 12:32 AM, Master Logray said:

Actually I always wonder why there were so few discussions on this subject, given its importance.

 

While observing the development of this discussion, I have a feeling that the topic of hsuan kuan is slightly out of reach for many people. It is easy to discuss some notions on the distant boundaries of this topic, but it seems that it is difficult for people to cut directly to its core. Is it an issue of affinity? Interest? Destiny? I don't know, but it is fascinating to observe. 

 

Maybe hsuan kuan will always be a topic that a small minority of people who like Taoism can go deep into. If this is the case, there is no need to force people to deepen their interest, and such an effort probably would not succeed. People with karma or affinity or destiny related to hsuan kuan will naturally encounter the teachings. When the time is not yet ripe, it will likely only remain distant and obscure. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by 鞏三孝

[Bindi]

I like the topic, and I liked your OP video, things that resonated with me were hsuan kuan as the gateway from youwei to wuwei and from action to non-action, found in the upper dantian, a stage during the course of practice, formless but revealed when ‘the energy’ rises, and the Great Medicine will be generated when hsuan kuan emerges. 

[Cobie]

Removed (off topic).

Edited June 14, 2022 by Cobie

[鞏三孝]

1 hour ago, Bindi said:

I like the topic, and I liked your OP video,

 

Wonderful!

 

Quote

things that resonated with me were hsuan kuan as the gateway from youwei to wuwei and from action to non-action,

 

A very important part of the teaching!

 

Quote

found in the upper dantian,

 

Some schools do use the a place close to the upper dantian to activate the hsuan kuan. Others may not do this directly, but may say that the hsuan kuan's activities naturally involve the upper dantian. Some people have different explanations, and some neidan approaches don't really talk about dantians at all.

 

Sometimes, the word dantian may even be a metaphor for the hsuan kuan itself. But this is a very deep topic related to certain old texts which are important but not available in English. 

 

Quote

a stage during the course of practice,

 

In fact, although some people will agree with this, others will say that as long as one is in a state of wuwei, the hsuan kuan will remain active.

 

Quote

 formless but revealed when ‘the energy’ rises,

 

Very nice description！

 

Quote

and the Great Medicine will be generated when hsuan kuan emerges. 

 

The hsuan kuan can emerge and disappear very quickly. It must be maintained for a long time for great medicine. I have not done this, and I don't know anyone who did. I am just repeating words 

Edited June 14, 2022 by 鞏三孝

[Bindi]

43 minutes ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

Wonderful!

 

 

A very important part of the teaching!

 

 

Some schools do use the a place close to the upper dantian to activate the hsuan kuan. Others may not do this directly, but may say that the hsuan kuan's activities naturally involve the upper dantian. Some people have different explanations, and some neidan approaches don't really talk about dantians at all.

 

Sometimes, the word dantian may even be a metaphor for the hsuan kuan itself. But this is a very deep topic related to certain old texts which are important but not available in English. 

 

 

In fact, although some people will agree with this, others will say that as long as one is in a state of wuwei, the hsuan kuan will remain active.
 

 

I would say you can’t be in wuwei if you haven’t arrived at hsuan kuan, like which comes first the chicken or the egg, I’d say hsuan kuan. But then again we’d have to agree on what wuwei actually is. 

 

43 minutes ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

 

Very nice description！

 

 

The hsuan kuan can emerge and disappear very quickly. It must be maintained for a long time for great medicine. I have not done this, and I don't know anyone who did. I am just repeating words 

Which to me begs the question what is the great medicine? 

[Master Logray]

4 hours ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

While observing the development of this discussion, I have a feeling that the topic of hsuan kuan is slightly out of reach for many people. It is easy to discuss some notions on the distant boundaries of this topic, but it seems that it is difficult for people to cut directly to its core. Is it an issue of affinity? Interest? Destiny? I don't know, but it is fascinating to observe. 

 

 

Indeed.  But the Gate is an important step that most traditions cannot bypass.   Traditionally the controversy regarding the Gate is its where about, rather than how to achieve it.  The secrecy is about how to directly access it, in a much faster and expedient manner, in a sustainable fashion whenever required.

 

Technically someone with deep Xing cultivation, like some Buddhist or Hindu, can inadvertently access the Gate.  However, they don't have the purpose of using it as an energy source for physical transformation, nor the know-how.  And making use of the Gate in many circumstances make these meditation traditions deviate from their own objectives.

 

If the Gate is in a definite physical location, say LDT or UDT, then the secrecy should not be there.  Almost everyone will train the LDT or UDT in some stages, and from time to time experience the Gate phenomenon.   If it is outside the body, visualization is very important.  But most Neidan traditions are not particularly visualization intensive.

 

My thinking is around a Tetrahedron https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148618856442387854/.  The so called Merkaba diagram is interesting in depicting some elements of a Mystic Gate. 

- It has definite reference to locations in the body.

- It is not entirely in but has an out of body element.

- It is probably affected by cosmic or astrological influences (it is why Neidan stresses on the months or hours or direction to meditate) or linkage to Feng Shui (on the body)

- It can appear in different tips (i.e. mobile)

- It is not available under normal circumstances but need something to access.

 

The similarities are interesting.

 

** for those without Pinterest account, the diagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Master Logray

[Iskote]

9 hours ago, 鞏三孝 said:

 

While observing the development of this discussion, I have a feeling that the topic of hsuan kuan is slightly out of reach for many people. It is easy to discuss some notions on the distant boundaries of this topic, but it seems that it is difficult for people to cut directly to its core. Is it an issue of affinity? Interest? Destiny? I don't know, but it is fascinating to observe. 

 

Maybe hsuan kuan will always be a topic that a small minority of people who like Taoism can go deep into. If this is the case, there is no need to force people to deepen their interest, and such an effort probably would not succeed. People with karma or affinity or destiny related to hsuan kuan will naturally encounter the teachings. When the time is not yet ripe, it will likely only remain distant and obscure. 

 

Hello 鞏三孝, 

 

Since hsuan kuan is an abstract concept in neidan, it is likely many people won't be able to comment much on it, unless they are very familiar and experienced in neidan. Neidan is really about the practice and experience and results. Since many people here probably do not practice neidan, it really just seems an abstract concept. 

Also, you put the topic as '玄關/Hsuan Kuan/Mysterious Gate', but in your original post you commented about wide differences in daoist views and practices and how daoists tolerate different schools, and about correct and incorrect practices, etc. That opened the door for for a much broader discussion.  

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Iskote

[Daeluin]

1 hour ago, Iskote said:

Also, you put the topic as '玄關/Hsuan Kuan/Mysterious Gate', but in your original post you commented about wide differences in daoist views and practices and how daoists tolerate different schools, and about correct and incorrect practices, etc. That opened the door for for a much broader discussion.

 

And that is where I started. However I do intend on continuing. The full moon today is rather potent, and this is the yang most time of this water tiger year. I hope to return later today to continue where my timeline required me to pause the video yesterday. (-:

Edited June 14, 2022 by Daeluin
Editing

[Daeluin]

23 hours ago, Daeluin said:

The full moon today is rather potent, and this is the yang most time of this water tiger year.

 

That seems to get into Tian Ji Bu Ke Xie Lu again though. I realized in my sleep that something important was left out.

For as we know, the yang most time of the year is the summer solstice.

Alas! When we establish clocks and calendars, we begin to separate from natural timing, and in so doing also experience consequences.

In Cultivating the Tao, Liu Yiming emphasizes that Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, are not determined by the clock, but by the energy.

Zi is midnight - the middle of the night, when the sun is opposite where one sits on the planet. Noon is straight above and is Wu. The middle of Mao is the middle of sunrise. The middle of You is the middle of sunset.

But these days midnight and noon are not midnight and noon. Acupuncturists say the stomach channel is strongest from 5-7am, regardless of daylight savings time in many cases.

The sovereign I Ching hexagrams are supposed to begin with the return coming at the winter solstice, not when Zi begins two weeks earlier, as is often listed these days to match with the 12 branches - but to do so renders hexagram Tai (11) not even reaching the vernal equinox as it should.

And even then, if the yin most time of the year is influenced by the new moon nearest to it, and the yang most time of the year is related to the full moon closest to it, how do these things influence principles like the return of yin and yang?

If we are deciding people's futures based on Bazi, but our calculations are not even following the energies (or even the turning of the planet given that China uses 1 timezone), how many mistakes are made when deciding people's fates?

If we have trouble calibrating with what is obvious in these natural phenomena, how much more so do we challenge our selves to find what is mysterious?

 

Perhaps the punishment from heaven is merely our very own disconnection from the energy of heaven that is required to support us and life on this planet and the fulfillment of our destinies. Taken far and long enough, we simply separate from nature and deny our own ability to sustain ourselves.

Edited June 15, 2022 by Daeluin
Editing

[Daeluin]

Yay! I finished the video, and would like to share my reflections and experiences with the Xuan Guan concept.

 

This is the first of these videos on Xiu Dao I have seen, and I am quite impressed with the clarity offered here. I would like to share some of what I found especially resonant:

 

Quote

Xuan Guan is the fine line between practicing with intention and practicing without intention.

 

I feel like this is easily overlooked, but incredibly important. This was the key to the experience I had. That leads into:

 

Quote

Xuan guan is from the emptiness.

 

The experience I had was in class with my Sifu - but the most important part is that I had spend 2 weeks of continually just going through the motions of life and work and training without allowing my thinking mind to have control.

In our modern busy lives I think many people can really fail to comprehend how much activity goes on in our minds, and how it might take more than just 30 minutes a day to find the space for the energy to quiet.

I worked 5 hours a day on the computer, four days a week... but at work during that time I was really just going through the motions and not very actively engaged. Otherwise all I really did was walk 30 minutes to a 90 minute class twice a week, and did an hour or so of training in the morning, an hour in the evening, and did tai chi here and there throughout my day.

Obviously I am a mental person and so perhaps it took a bit more space for me to create to get beyond the control of the mind. I didn't really do lengthy (30m+) meditations then.

In class around that time I remember my Sifu mentioned to the class that I should not be taken for granted - I basically felt like the entire back of my spine from head to toe was empty and full of water/marrow and able to conduct the qi. However, to me he mentioned that it wasn't enough to be empty, but that I needed to work with spirit as well. I think that to some in the class, it was clear that I wasn't doing energy work like they were doing.

At the time my front channels were blocked, though I did not know it, and I ended up leaving school and doing a lot of healing work, changing my career and finding my path to fit in with my destiny in this world. After all, our Ren Mai represents our relationship with the world. During these past years I have hardly cultivated, but the rewards of discovering how to follow my thread of destiny I believe are worthwhile as well. I now feel connected and merged with a course that has the potential such that as I grow, so does everything around me. Of course that is always the case, but this is different to me.

 

But in any case, at the time I felt like an empty vessel, able to be filled. "I" had gotten out of the way.

 

Quote

Xuan Guan is the bridge connecting Xing and Ming in Xiu Dao practice. One may find it difficult to directly work on Xing and Ming  in practice since they are fundamental concepts. So focusing on Xuan Guan practice and entering the state of Xuan Guan becomes a key step in making real progress in Xiu Dao practice.

 

I found this to be very clarifying.

 

Quote

After Xuan Guan opens then there is no difference between internal and external, since the energy manages the practice of refining itself. Also, the great medicine will be generated when Xuan Guan emerges.

So, the key principle is to wait for the mystery gate to emerge, and then let the primordial (xiantian) energy work naturally.

 

This is incredibly resonant with the experience I had.

So basically I was in a school of tai ji, where we did standing moving and sitting. Our teacher is western and humble and does not project himself onto the destiny of his students, or take indoor students. On the other hand, he will reward students on the threshold of making progress with a word or half a sentence in key moments that help people navigate transitions. In this way I learned much from him, as he is able to follow his own path without attachment, while still allowing himself to be present for those who do the work. He is very much in the world but not of it. There is little curriculum other than the movement work and various principles like turning the light around and focusing on the lower dan tien.

In the curriculum, there was a standing meditation sequence that I resonated with very much, which was simply called Pre-heaven standing.

First we grounded with palms flat, then we slowly embraced the heavens with arms raised up, then brought them parallel in front, fingers straight out, pausing for several minitues between each transition we continued like this following the preheaven bagua sequence from heaven to lake. It was a sequence Sifu had channeled from the ancestors and immortals in his private work.

Sifu said this practice helped to cultivate pre-heaven energy in the body, and what I felt resonated with that idea. Doing this sequence always felt the most transformative on my qi, like it was growing something deeply within that changed and refined with the palm changes. Of course since it follow the principles of stillness and emptiness, it is just one of many such practices that might lead one to transformation.

After those two weeks of simple living, during this standing meditation in class, I began to feel something different. It felt similar to my sense of the xiantian / pre-heaven / primordial energy, but more strong. As our changes progressed it became stronger and stronger.

At the time I recall feeling like I wasn't really there, but I was there. I was fully present, but it was more like my consciousness was resting so contentedly that I was almost not there. This is my description of the idea of practicing with intention but without intention. I had awareness, but more in the observational sense as I experienced living change.

As this feeling grew, the Xuan Guan opened. For me it was in my upper dan tien, in my head, more near the back. It felt like a field expanded within me, roughly the size of a softball, that was both a part of the energy I had been cultivating within myself all this time and a gateway or portal opening into something more mysterious and intangible.

By the way, they say the big bang can be seen everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was like I was tapping into whatever dimension that was from to connect with the energy there.

As I was experiencing this, our meditation came to a close and we transitioned right into the chen style tai ji quan form, slowly. As we moved through the form, I experienced the sensation of this mysterious energy moving through this gateway into my form as I shaped my movements and changes. It did this throughout the form, and gradually as I moved and became more conscious and in control, the gate dissapated...

 

... and yet the energy that had come through remained. I could feel it cycling through my meridians in mysterious flows for the next 6-10 months as I maintained regular practice. As I practiced the energy would refine itself, but it was also present when I was not training. I recall being at a social event and feeling a little overwhelmed as I spoke with someone, and then I just sort of returned to my breathing and merged with that flow and suddenly my anxiety was gone and I was able to converse with this person as though I was behind the protection of this energy circulating through me. It felt so humbling and also confusing to me, as I had not had any education on what it was I was experiencing.

As my daily practice eventually waned, and my thinking mind regained control and the emptiness within my connective tissues became clogged with mundane thoughts, these rivers of mysterious energy began to dry up until it was gone, though it took a month or so. Again at the time I was not aware of how the principle worked, what it was called, or how I needed to work with it. At one point after this I heard in class Sifu mention something about people losing their way, and that he had seen it happen before. I knew he was speaking of me and yet I knew he did not answer questions readily, and I didn't really understand.

It is my belief that my teacher's gift to me has been to show me the way. And now as I come comprehend, and now as I have found my thread of destiny to follow, perhaps I will take upon myself the task for reawakening it again on my own, from my own work and understanding. Not that it was not my own work before - my teacher as I said is somewhat hand's off - but there is something important about me doing the work on my own.

For those who can, please don't bother looking for me in spirit. There is nothing to see but someone with stiff qi lost in their mind. I do not welcome you. I ask my guides to escort you away. You have your own work to focus on that does not involve me. These words are to help those who find them to perhaps gain some understanding from reading about the experience of someone else. It is merely one perspective. I can well comprehend now how the Xuan Guan might open in different ways in different locations, nurtured by different practices and techniques, for it is simply a matter of where the energy is able to come together and reach through to the xiantian realm when the conditions are ripe.

After this I have two chapters to share that I feel relate to this concept of Xuan Guan, but not might readily seem as though they do.

 

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Chapter 54, dao de jing, tl Hu Xuezhi

 

What is properly built cannot be shaken,

What is properly attached to cannot collapse.

Thus, it will enjoy the honor of posterity without intermission.

Cultivate Tao with oneself,

And Te can be fully recovered to the uncarved simplicity.

Cultivate Tao with the family,

And Te will abound to benefit posterity.

Cultivate Tao with the village,

And Te will expand to embrace more people.

Cultivate Tao with the nation,

And Te will be abundant.

Cultivate Tao beneath Heaven,

And Te will be everywhere,

Therefore, I will enable my body to meditate upon my body.

My family to meditate upon my family,

My village to meditate upon my village,

My nation to meditate upon my nation,

My universe to meditate upon my universe.

How do I know about all the universal things?

By meditating in this way!

 

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Chapter 13, Cultivating the Tao, Liu Yiming, tl Fabrizio Pregadio

 

The Other House and My House

 

The Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality) says:

 

Desist from exerting your skill in crafty pursuits:

discern the method of not dying of the other house.

 

It also says:

 

This perfect Treasure is in every house --

it is only that the foolish people do not recognize it.

 

Both passages show the place where the precelestial Medicine is generated.

 

People in later times have not understood the secret truths of the ancients. When they see the words "other house" and "every house," they imagine that they refer to women, and fall into the techniques of the "female elixir" (guidan). They commit themselves to filthy practices and create damages of all kinds. People like these, who enter the animal realm, could not be enumerated. How could they know that, since the precelestial Breath comes from Empty Non-Being, it cannot be sought in what has a form and an image?

 

Now, human beings are endowed with the precelestial Breath: they possess it since their birth, by virtue of their father's essence and their mother's blood. However, this Breath grows day after day and night after night, and when the Yang culminates, there is necessarily the Yin. The Yang in the Palace of Qian  ☰ moves to the Palace of Kun ☷ . At that time, Qian becomes empty and turns into Li  ☲ , and Kun becomes full and forms Kan ☵ . The reason why Li has this name is that is separates itself from its own Yang; and the reason why Kan has this name is that it traps Li's reality. When the Yang is trapped within the Yin, it does not belong anymore to "me." This is why we speak of the "other house."

 

The Wuzhen pian says:

 

You should know that the source of the stream, the place where the Medicine is born,

is just at the southwest -- that is its native village.

 

The southwest is the land of Kun ☷, the place where the Yin culminates and the Yang is born. Lu Ziye said:

 

The Medicine comes forth in the southwest, the position of Kun;

if you wish to seek the position of Kun, how could it be separated from that "man"?

I have disclosed the secret in clear words, and you should remember it;

but I am afraid that when you meet him, you will not recognize the True.

 

The name of this man is "man who does not die," or True Man (zhenren). An ancient immortal said:

 

If you want a man not to die,

you must seek the man who does not die.

 

This "man who does not die" is just the same as the "method of not dying of the other house."

 

When we speak of "my house" (wojia), we mean that one's own True Yang has separated from oneself; therefore Li ☲ represents "me." When we speak of the "other house" (tajia), we mean that one's own True Yang has been trapped by the Yin; therefore Kan  ☵ represents "the other." The names "other" and "me" are owed to the separation between Kan and Li, and these names are used until the Yang returns. When it returns, what is "other" becomes the same as "me." and what is "me" becomes the same as the "other." They are just one, and they are not two.

 

The Huanghe fu (Rhapsody of the Yellow Crane) says:

 

When you take as a model man and woman generating life,

you certainly release the mechanism of Heaven but cause the dispersion of the mechanism of Heaven.

 

When this text mentions "taking as model" and "causing the dispersion," it means that by engaging oneself in the laws of the world one causes the dispersion of the laws of the Tao; it does not mean that thee worldly "man and woman" are equivalent to "me and the other" with regard to the Tao.

 

People in later times have not understood the wondrous meaning of the words of the ancients. Thinking that "other house" refers to an external "other house," they perform acts that are suitable for animals and harm the teaching. They cannot even hope to be reborn as humans: how can they expect to become immortals?

 

Whenever the scriptures on the Elixir speak of "me" and the "other," they refer to Yin and Yang; when they speak of host and guest, they refer to the operation; when they speak of reversal, they refer to taking hold of something in one's own hands; when they speak of Being and Non-Being, they refer to movement and quiescence; when they speak of Dragon and Tiger, they refer to Nature [xing] and emotions [qing]; and when they speak of Lead and Mercury, they refer to floating and sinking. What is most essential does not lie outside of the two words, "Yin" and "Yang"; what should be investigated does not lie outside of the two words, "Nature" (xing) and "Existence" (ming); and what is real and authentic does not lie outside of the two words, "body" and "mind."

 

Those evildoers do not understand the great Way of the sages and the worthies. They think that women are the "other house," that their "initial flow" is the perfect Treasure, and that the endometrium is the medicine of long life. This is not cultivating the saintly Tao; it is actually slandering the saintly Tao. They will go to hell, where their tongues will be pulled out.

 

Alas! It is "in every house" but is not "in my house": this is essentially because "what you see cannot be used." You want to search for it, but the most important dharma-assets necessarily are found within the Red District of the Spirit Continent [spaceless center]: this is because "what you use cannot be seen."

 

What you see cannot be used;

what you use cannot be seen.

 

If it is not in the body, how can another person have it? If it is not seen within, how can it be sought outside? Unless you clearly understand Yin and Yang, deeply comprehend creation and transformation, and are aware of the precelestial Breath of True Unity, how can you know the secret found in those words?

 

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It can be seen that the principle in the video related to the emptiness required to open the Xuan Guan are the same as the principle followed here related to reclaiming the True Yang that has been lost to heaven and may be found within the emptiness of earth, Kun ☷.

 

In class one day I heard Sifu say at the end of our meditation:

And thus there is Heaven on Earth.

[鞏三孝]

On 6/14/2022 at 9:20 PM, Iskote said:

That opened the door for for a much broader discussion.  

 

 

In fact, the door is always completely open, and it's ok to discuss anything, whether it's football, fashion, or pour-over coffee. I mentioned my observation not because I feel it is wrong or needs to be rationalized to discuss something other than hsuan kuan here. However, my point was that it is an interesting phenomenon that the core of Daoist inner alchemy is so little known that almost nobody has anything to say about it, and yet it still makes people want to talk about its side issues. Is it similar to a celestial body with a strong gravitational pull that can attract satellites, but at the same time its electromagnetic field does not allow them to get too close? Maybe. We can almost never put a finger on these things。。。