lower soul has no independent existence but is just a conditioned
modification of the original "unified awareness" and can therefore be
changed and refined to a point at which it is also pragmatically no
different from the higher soul. This refinement is the object of the
practice of turning the light around taught in this Golden Flower text.
III. Turning the Light Around and Keeping to the Center
1. The taoist adept Wenshi (Wen-shih) was believed to be a student of Lao-
tzu, transmitter of the classic Tao Te Ching. A text known as The True
Scripture of Wenshi says, "Our Way is like being in darkness. Those in the
light cannot see a single thing in the darkness, whereas those who are in
darkness can see everything in the light."
2. "Nonbeing within being" refers to a sense of openness and spaciousness
in the midst of things, which is first produced by the exercise of turning the
light around. "Being within nonbeing" refers to the presence of energy
within the vastness of the mind merged with space. The "body beyond your
body" refers to the hidden reserve of vital energy uncovered by the opening
of the mind.
3. The period of a hundred days is commonly mentioned in Taoist texts as
the length of time required to set up the
