Free Sample issue of The Empty Vessel - CommunityAwake

Yet, being not yet sure this will remain constant andunchangedThe mountain boy still holds the rope tethered withinhis hands.After the practice of counting the breath, together withlistening to the breathing, it is less difficult to tamethe heart-mind than before. Its unruliness begins to beworn down, and, unconsciously, it begins to cleave tothe breath. However, this is still not the right time toenter the second phase, which is “to listen with Chi”,since the heart-mind and breath have not yet been fullyunified. Taoist inner alchemy books prefer to use metaphor.The heart-mind is likened to women, and thebreath to men, and the combining of the two is signifiedthrough the symbol of sexual intercourse. This hasled to considerable confusion, resulting in the theoryof dual cultivation between men and women, whichcontinues to be a popularly held concept in the westernworld. It should be understood to be but metaphor,and should not be interpreted as one of the paths toenlightenment, as most false masters claim.Although, at this stage, the heart-mind and breathbegin to attach to each other, it is necessary to ‘set theintent’ to keep them conjoined, in order for them to holdtogether. Thus, “The mountain boy still holds the ropetethered within his hands.”together has simply become a prolongation of excess‘attachment’ , which is unnecessary, since the two havegradually united to form a ‘oneness’ that cannot readilybe split apart. This state is known as “to listen with Chi.”Even though there may occasionally be moments whenthe senses become active, and dispassionately enter thenon-conscious domain, it will have no effect due to thefact that the heart-mind, for no one knows how long aperiod of time, has entered into a state of ‘being in love’with the breath. Therefore, there is no longer any needto deliberately listen to, or continue to count the breath.6. Free of hindrance5. TamedCompletely at ease, dozing or falling asleep, at will, onthe open ground ,No longer driven onwards by the whip, free as the air.Happy under the green pines, the ox-herd boy sitssteadilyAnd peacefully plays a gentle tunethat tells of more than any happiness.Beside the old stream, under the shade of green poplar trees,Allowing the rope to drop from his hands, or tighteningit up,All has been accomplished in its own way.By nightfall, green clouds roam high above the meadow,The ox-herd boy is returning, yet the rope hangs loose.At this point, the condition of “the heart-mind andbreathing depending upon each other” has alreadybeen attained. Any further intention to hold them joinedThe stage attained at this point should be termed thestage where both Shen and Chi are unified to form aoneness, which lies well beyond the phase of “the heartmindand breathing depending upon each other,” sincethe consciousness has gradually blurred, leaving only avery small percentage of lucid awareness, and even thisis almost unconscious of any breathing. It is, however, notthe emptiness of nothingness as described by Buddhism,but an intimation of spontaneous circulation in operation,in which the senses and breath are both transformedinto two different types of energy. One is Shen and theother is Chi. The former enters the latter while the latterembraces the former. So, you can see the changes thathave taken place throughout the process: firstly listen tothe breath, then ‘enjoy and engage with its company’,and ‘get along with’ the breath, then become closer andThe Empty Vessel 15