and stillness are as one; then mind is Tao, Tao is mind" (The Inner
Teachings of Taoism).
XII. The Cycle
1. The Southern School of Taoism tends to value the water-wheel exercise,
wherein a mass of energy is developed and circulated throughout the body.
When the Golden Flower text says "energy is not the main thing," this is an
indication of its roots in the Northern School under Chan Buddhist
influence.
2. The Book of Balance and Harmony says, "The North Star, never shifting,
governs motion." It also says, "The North Star is the heart of heaven and
earth," and "When the human mind is calm and quiet, like the North Star
not shifting, the spirit is most open and aware. For one who sees this, the
celestial Tao is within oneself."
3. "Culling" is just a metaphor; The Book of Balance and Harmony says,
"The medicinal ingredients are just culled in nonbeing."
4. "Indulgence" is a Buddhist term for what Taoists call "leaking," or the
expenditure of conscious energy in pursuit of objects.
