body of heaven (the creative)—to lie hidden or to fly and leap is all up to
the mind." Liu l-ming explains,
"The solid in the heart of the position of water is the real knowledge in
the mind of Tao; the yin in the innards of the palace of fire is the
conscious knowledge of the human mind. Take out the reality-knowing
mind of Tao that has fallen into water and with it replace the consciously
knowing mind in the palace of fire. In a short time the yin (temporal)
energy will dissolve and the yang (primal) energy will return, and you
will again see the original face of heaven, recovering your original nature
of innate knowledge and innate capacity, tranquil and unperturbed yet
sensitive and effective, sensitive and effective yet tranquil and
undisturbed."
32. The "breeze of wind" symbolizes gradual penetration through following
an initiatory process. Here it means the use of focused consciousness to
gain access to real knowledge hidden in the unconscious.
33. "Nurturing the fire" means developing consciousness by calm and
flexible receptivity.
34. Bathing is also a key alchemical term. According to The Book of
Balance and Harmony, in the higher type of gradual method "bathing"
means "being suffused with harmonious energy," while in the very highest
type of alchemy it means "cleaning the mind."
