The Secret of the Golden Flower, Part XIV (Reading of Chapter 13)

13. A Song to Inspire the World
source: thesecretoftheg...
1. Because of the eagerness of my heart
to liberate the world, I sincerely spoke a lot.
Buddha also pointed directly to life and death
to show what is most valuable.
Lao-tzu also suggested that all trouble comes from the lower self,
and transmitted the teaching of the valley spirit,
but people could not recognize it.
2. Now I will give a general explanation of the road of finding the truth:
The pervasive principle of the Yellow Middle conveys the great changes of yin and yang.
When one establishes the right state, that is the mysterious pass.
You stabilize your breathing at midnight, noon, and in between.
The light returns to the primal opening, ten thousand spirits become calm.
The medicine produced from the river source is the one breath emerging.
It passes through a veil and transforms into golden light;
The single disk of the red sun incessantly shines with brilliance.
Common people mistake the vitalities Kan (Water ☵) and Li (Fire ☲);
Conveying them between the heart and the kidneys, producing separation.
How can the human way meet the Heavenly Heart?
If in accord with the celestial, the way is naturally met.
Let go of the ten thousand attachments, so nothing comes to mind;
this is the true infinity of the primordial.
The great void is silent, signs are gone;
At the pass of essence and life, you forget discriminating consciousness.
After discriminating consciousness is forgotten, you see basic reality.
The water-clarifying pearl appears, mysterious and unfathomable:
Endless afflictions disappear all at once.
The jade capital sends down a nine dragons decree;
Walking in the sky, you arrive at the gateway of Heaven:
Controlling wind and lightning, you make the thunder rumble.
Focusing the spirit and steadying breath are for beginners;
retreating to hide in secrecy is eternal calm.
3. Two poems, which I used when I initiated Zhang Zhennu long ago, both contain the Great Way. After midnight and before noon doesn`t refer to the time, but to Kan (Water ☵) and Li (Fire ☲). Settling the breath means returning to the root and the Yellow Middle with each breath. Sitting means that the mind is unmoved. The mid-spine where the ribs join does not refer to vertebrae; it is the great road directly through to the jade capital. As for the double pass; this is difficult to put into words. Thunder in the earth rumbles, setting in motion rain on the mountain means the arising of true energy. The yellow sprouts emerging from the ground refer to the growth of the true medicine. These two little verses express everything you need to practice the Great Way. If you understand this, you will not be confused by others.
4 In old times Confucius and his student Yanhui climbed Tai mountain and looked out over the Wu area (Jiangsu province). Yanhui was fascinated by the view of a white horse running in the far away distance. Confucius suddenly put his hand in front of Yanhui`s eyes to block his view, so that spiritual energy would not leak out of Yanhui`s eyes. How could one not turn around the light?
5. Turning the light around is a matter of single-minded practice: just use the true breath to stabilize awareness in the central chamber. After a long time working with this you will naturally commune with the spirit and attain transmutation. Quieting the mind and stabilizing energy is the basis. When the mind is forgotten and the energy congeals, this is a sign of effectiveness. The emptiness of the mind and quietness of breath is the formation of the elixir. The unification of mind and energy is incubation. Clarifying the mind and seeing its essence is understanding the Way. You should each practice diligently; what a pity if you waste your time. If you do not practice for a day, then you are a ghost for a day; if you do practice for a single breath, then you are a realized immortal for a breath. More effort ! More effort !
***
Read and compare with Thomas Cleary's translation here: terebess.hu/ke...