on the point which lies exactly between the two eyes." This is not what the
Buddhist term originally means, and this consciousness-altering technique
in Wilhelm’s version is the subject of strong warning? in modem literature
of the Completely Real school of Taoism; it is said to be very dangerous.
The presence of numerous such fragmentary yogic interpolations out
of character with the overall teaching of
the text leads me to suspect that Wilhelm's text had been doctored by quasi-
Taoist cultists, quite possibly disaffected Confucians, who were devoted or
addicted to altered states of consciousness.
The meaning of the "center" in the context of Complete Reality Taoism is
more accurately defined by Liu I-ming in my I Ching Mandalas: "The spirit
of openness is the center. The mysterious female is essence and life. The
immortality of the spirit of openness is the center containing essence and
life. Setting up the foundation on the mysterious female is essence and life
constituting the center. Those who keep to this center are sages, those who
lose this center are ordinary mortals."
As to the center being the "mechanism of Creation" Liu says, "The center
is the great root of the world. All the sages, immortals, and Buddhas of all
times are born from this center: It is so vast that there is nothing outside it,
yet so minute that it retreats into storage in secrecy. Those who awaken to
this immediately ascend to the ranks of sages, while those who miss this are
sunk for eons."
