before the eyes. Most minute, it is the same as the great; you forget all
about objects. Most great, it is the same as the minute; you do not see
any outside." A proverb common in both Chan and Taoist literature
says, "It is so great that there is nothing outside it, so small it enters
where there is no space." Chang Po-tuan's alchemical classic
Understanding Reality also says, "The essence of the self enters the
essence of the enlightened;
1.
the essence of enlightenment is everywhere thus. From on high the cold
light shines in the cold springs; one moon appears in a thousand ponds.
Its smallness is smaller than a hair, its greatness fills the universe.”
10. Spontaneity is the real meaning of the Taoist technical term wuwei,
often mistranslated by Wilhelm and others as "nonaction” or "inaction.“
The Taoist classic Huainanzi (The masters of Huainan), explains
spontaneity in these terms: "Real people know without learning, see without
looking, achieve without striving, understand without trying. They sense
and respond, act when necessary, go when there is no choice, like the
shining of light, like the emanation of rays.“
11. "Clouds forming and rain falling “ is a standard metaphor deriving from
the ancient classic I Ching. It represents the harmonious combination of yin
and yang producing living energy.
