28. 'This does not contrast the action of Heaven to the nature of Heaven" in
that it does not consider stillness superior to action; both action and stillness
are part of the total enlightenment as long as they proceed from the primal
unconditioned source of mind rather than from temporal habit.
29. Desire as considering thing? to exist or desire as being possessive
toward things are typically Buddhist definitions. Desire as thought that is
out of place and based on ulterior motives is a typical neo-Confucian
definition.
30. Wilhelm translates Spontaneous attention" as "a movement without
purpose" and "acting without striving" as "action through non-action "
Neither of these expressions hits the mark, but from the point of view of
cross-cultural studies it is significant to take note of them as reflections of
standard misconceptions of Eastern mysticism.
31. In paragraph 10 of this section, the yin line inside the symbol of fire is
understood as "false yin," which means mundane conditioning. Here it is
understood as "true yin," which means calmness. The operation referred to
as "taking from water to fill in fire” consists of replacing the negative line
(temporal conditioning) inside fire (consciousness) with the positive line
(real knowledge) inside water (the depths of the unconscious). This formula
comes from the alchemical classic Understanding Reality, which says,
"Take the solid in the heart of the position of water; and change the yin in
the innards of the palace of fire. From this transformation comes the sound
