concepts to begin with, his attempts to interpret them psychologically
were based on his own imaginations and not on the real meanings of the
ideas as they are understood by Taoists themselves.
8. "The empty room producing light" is an expression from the famous
ancient Taoist classic Chuang-tzu. This is one of the quotations from that
classic commonly used by practitioners of the Complete Reality school of
Taoism, who found it a fit metaphor for one of their experiences in quiet
meditation. Chan Buddhists tend to downplay the feelings of such
experiences as remoteness, clarity, and suffusion with light, for two main
reasons. One is that such experiences are just signals of something and not
goals in themselves. The other is that the impression they nevertheless
create on the mind can be so strong that "the spoils of war are lost through
celebration."
9. The image of ascent is often used in Taoist literature. Sun Bu-er, one of
the great female adepts of Completely Real Taoism, concluded her classic
collection of poems with this verse on "flying":
At the right time, just out of the valley You rise lightly into the
spiritual firmament. The jade girl rides a blue phoenix. The
gold boy offers a scarlet peach. One strums a brocade lute
amidst the flowers, One plays jewel pipes under the moon. One
day immortal and mortal are separated, And you coolly cross
the ocean.
