operating in their very presence. In the words of the Tao Te Ching, one can
thus be "creative without possessiveness.
In both Taoism and Buddhism, the term turning the light around means
turning the primary attention from involvement in mental objects to focus
on the essence or source of mind. This exercise is practiced as a means of
clearing consciousness and freeing awareness.
Many of the Taoists who had the strongest affinities with Chan
Buddhism relied heavily on the exercise of turning the light around.
Although this exercise is found in all Buddhist schools, it was particularly
emphasized in Chan Buddhism; The Secret of the Golden Flower represents
one of the most radical of these spirit-based methods. Virtually the whole
text is devoted to the subtleties of this simple practice of reversal or turning
the light around.
There are numerous Chan, Zen, and Taoist sources containing
descriptions of tips and techniques for inducing, exercising, and integrating
the experience of the golden flower blossoming. The fundamental premise
and practice are suggested in the plainest terms in the teachings of Dahui
(Ta-hui), a famous Chan Buddhist master of the twelfth century: "Good and
bad come from your own mind. But what do you call your own mind, apart
from your actions and thoughts? Where does your own mind come from? If
you really know where your own mind comes from, boundless obstacles
