Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 here is the formula for discovery
of the original self
2 see yourselt as a great river identify with the fountainhead in the mountains identify with the watercourse across the land identify with the emptying into the great sea
3 this is the receptive
4 rest peacefully within the shape of an empty vessel
blanketing your bodymind with stillness
5 tranquil sitting
balances the naturally expressive with the naturally receptive
6 see the great river within you
see the great river beneath you
see the great river above you
see yourself as small within the great river
7 the great and the small have no meaning on their own
because they are the same thing
8 they wish to serve each other
9 bring them together
as the river connects the mountain spring to the vast ocean
10 and the original self will appear
It is important to understand that Taoists are more concerned with the experience of being fully alive than they are with finding meaning in life. As such, they approach life in the spirit of exploration and discovery.
Whatever they discover is invariably experienced with
"radical amazement" and a reverence for the journey.
Engaging in this journey naturally brings them closer to the Tao Source.
Like the beginning of the previous chapter, the entirely of Chapter Sixty-one is presented during the process of direct transmission as a series of mystic riddles involving social order, political influence, and the roles of men and women. In reality, this chapter is a proscribed method of intimate self-exploration designed to lead the Taoist Cultivator to his original self. The translation adequately reveals this technique.
1-3 HAND:
a. Imagine yourself as the totality of a great flowing river.
b. See the beginning of yourself as drops of melting snow on the highest mountain peaks.
c. Imagine the path that you cut through the land and all of the communities that cling to your banks for survival.
d. See yourself emptying into the ocean, becoming a small part of its vastness.
e. Continue mindfully cycling through these images and yield completely to them.
4 HAND: As you achieve a state of quiescence, imagine that you are an empty vessel waiting to be filled up by the Tao Source. Generate a feeling of gentle anticipation.
5 HAND: As much as you are able, embody peace and tranquility. You should sit in a stable meditative posture while being as still as possible. This will balance the receptive qi with the creative qi of your bodymind.
6 HAND: The instructions are plainly stated in the translation. Fill your mind with these images.
7-8 HEART: Opposites are dependent upon each other. When they work in harmony with each other, the entire world benefits. Cooperation is their natural state, not opposition.
9-10 HAND: Taoist archaic language refers to this activity in several ways, including unifying the energy of opposites, blending the male with the female and balancing the creative with the receptive. Performing this technique draws out the original self.