This will also be available on an older forum of mine at
http://www.freeforum101.com/wildthing/viewforum.php?f=36&mforum=wildthingI will add notations there about the meanings of some of the terms.
A New English Translation by Akrishi
The Tenet of the Golden Flower of Great Duality
(The Secret of the Golden Flower)
Chapter One - Celestial Heart
The Patriarch Lu said:
1.1 Be Natural is said to be Tao. Tao has neither name nor form. It is only one's born nature, only one's primordial spirit.
Life itself can not be seen. The celestial light lodges it. The celestial light can not be seen. The two eyes lodges it.
Ancient immortals and men of reality have passed this on by word of mouth, one to another.
1.2
Since the Supreme Lord manifested creation, the East Flower Lord successively passed this on to me. Up to the North and South sect, and flourished with the Quanzhen School. . . .
. . .
Now I garrulously be your teacher to surpassing. First reveal the tenet of the Golden Flower of Great Duality, then explain in detail.
1.3 The Great Duality is so called being with nothing beyond it. Knacks for cultivating the elixir always make use of purposeful deeds to attain letting go, but never a tenet for entering transcendence directly.
This tenet I pass on, directly promote achievement of our true nature, without falling to secondary approaches. This is why it is wondrous.
1.4 The golden flower is namely light. What form is this light?
It takes the phenomenon of a golden flower, which also hides the word 'light' in it.
It is the real prana of the pre-heavenly Great Duality, which is what the phrase: "The lead of the watery hometown is only this one flavour" refers to.
1.5 The work of reverting the light, is wholly using a reverse method to concentrate and contemplate on the celestial heart, which lies between the sun and the moon [i.e., the two eyes].
The "Yellow Court Classic" says: "In the field of a square inch (in between the eyebrows) on the house of a square foot, life can be governed". The house of a square foot is the face. As for the field of a square inch on the face, what can it be other than the celestial heart?
In the square inch is possessed the scenery of the splendour on the tower of the fairyland, and marvel of the heavenly jade capital and imperial palace, where the God of the utmost emptiness and supreme spirit dwells.
The Confucians call it the empty dwelling in the middle; The Buddhists call it the terrace of the soul; The Taoists call it the ancestral land, the yellow court, the mysterious pass or the pre-heavenly aperture.
1.6 Because the celestial heart is like a house, with light as its master, so once with light reverted, then prana of the whole body will all pilgrimage up.
Like when a holy king establish the capital and found his throne, then thousand states will approach with tribute. Or as, when the master is prudent, his servants and maids will naturally follow his orders, and each handle their duties.
All of you just revert the light, then there is supreme wonderful significance.
1.7 Light easily moves and is difficult to settle. If reverted long enough, this light will congeal. That is the natural theurgical body, with the spirit congealed above the nine skies.
This is what the "Heart Seal Sutra" called: "Tacitly attend towards ... ascension."
1.8 Going by this tenet, there is no other means for seeking progress, only by pure thoughts on this.
The "Surangama Sutra" says: "In pure thoughts, one ascends, will surely born in heaven." The heaven here is not the grey sky, but body borned at the house of Qian (where creation begins).
If long enough, then naturally have a body outside this body.
1.9 This golden flower is the golden elixir . Transformations of the spirit can be lead by one's own heart.
The wonderful knack here, though not to deviate more than a hairsbreadth, yet is very flexible.
All it needs is brightness and alertness, and also settleness and tranquillity. People not extremely bright and alert can not go by it; People not extremely settled and tranquil can not hold to it.
