Observations placeholder
The Secret of the Golden Flower - 01 The Celestial Mind
Identifier
016489
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Extracts only, not the full text.
A description of the experience
The Celestial Mind
1. Naturalness is called the Way. The Way has no name
or form; it is just the essence, just the primal spirit.
2. Essence and life are invisible, so they are associated
with sky and light. Sky and light are invisible, so they
are associated with the two eyes.
3. Since ancient times, those who realized spiritual
immortality all communicated their teaching verbally,
transmitting it from individual to individual.
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9. The absolute unity refers to what cannot be sur-
passed. There are very many alchemical teachings,
but all of them make temporary use of effort to arrive
at effortlessness; they are not teachings of total tran-
scendence and direct penetration. The doctrine I
transmit directly brings up working with essence and
does not fall into a secondary method. That is the
best thing about it.
10. The golden flower is light. What color is Light? It is
symbolized by the golden flower, which [in Chinese
characters] also conceals [the words] one light within.
This is the absolutely unified real energy of celestial
immortals; this is what is meant by the saying, "The
lead in the homeland of water is just one flavor."
11. The whole work of turning the light around uses the
method of reversal. The beauties of the highest
heavens and the marvels of the sublimest realms are
all within the heart: this is where the perfectly open
and aware spirit concentrates. Confucians call it the
open center, Buddhists call it the pedestal of aware-
ness, Taoists call it the ancestral earth, the yellow
court, the mysterious pass, the primal opening.
12. The celestial mind is like a house; the light is the
master of the house. Therefore once you turn the
light around, the energies throughout the body all
rise. Just turn the light around; this is the unexcelled
sublime truth.
13. The light is easily stirred and hard to stabilize. When
you have turned it around for a long time, the light
crystallizes. This is the natural spiritual body, and it
steadies the spirit above the nine skies. This is what is
referred to in the Mind, Seal Scripture as "silently pay-
ing court" and "soaring upward."
14. The golden flower is the same thing as the golden pill.
The transmutations of spiritual illumination are all
guided by mind.