master; self-enlightenment takes place when the master is restored to
autonomy in the center.
The idea of two minds or two aspects of mind is found early on in the
ancient Taoist classic Tao Te Ching: "Using the shining radiance, you return
again to the light, not leaving anything to harm yourself. This is called
entering the eternal." Here is an image of an ideal relationship between the
original spirit as the source of power and the conscious spirit as a
subordinate functionary. When clarified, the conscious spirit functions
according to the situation without usurping the authority of the original
spirit. The original spirit remains available as the reserve of total awareness,
to which the conscious spirit returns without leaving any harmful fixation
on itself or its objects.
In this way the intellect functions efficiently in the world without that
conscious activity inhibiting access to deeper spontaneous knowledge
through the direct intuition of a more subtle faculty.
The operation of switching from the limited mind of conditioned
consciousness to the liberated mind of primal spirit is known as the method
of "reversal," or turning around the light. In The Secret of the Golden
Flower these terms refer to restoration of direct contact with the essence
and source of awareness.
This direct contact empowers the individual to know spontaneously and be
free from bondage to created thoughts and conditioned feelings, even while
