I am in China sitting in the same spot where my heroes once lived, wrote and meditated.
All of a sudden, he appeared.
He was dressed differently with his robes pulled around him like a shroud, his head covered in a cowl of faded yellow robe.
He acknowledged me with a slight movement of his head, almost a nod. I thought I heard him say, "We meet for the last time seeker, this, our last time, you must listen well."
The silent one then told me the following;
....Master Lieh Tzu asked gatekeeper Yin,
"Only the perfect man can walk under water and not drown, can walk on fire and not burn and can pass over a multitude of lives without fear, how is this possible?"
Gatekeeper Yin replied,
"It is because he preserves his original breath and this has nothing to do with his knowledge, his work, his persistence, or his bravery."
"Everything though has a face, form, sound and colour, but these are just appearances."
"So now I ask you, gatekeeper, how is it possible that this thing, or that thing, are separated from each other?"
"Indeed why should each thing be viewed as the first of all beings?"
Gatekeeper Yin continued,
"They are just forms and colours and nothing more."
"However everything arises from what is formless and descends into that which is changeless. If we grasp and follow this, using it to its fullest extent, nothing can stand in our way!"
"It means being able to reside within limits, which have no limit, be secluded within boundaries, which have no beginning, go to where both the beginning and the end of all life is; we then must combine essential nature, nourish our original breath, harmonize virtue and, by following this path, commune with the origins of all life.
We will then guard our unity with Heaven, and now our spirit will be without fault,
nothing can get inside and attack us."
"We must retreat to the serenity of Heaven and as a result nothing can cause us harm.
We must recognize that everything under Heaven is united."
"It is possible to get rid of the rigors of punishment and execution, of chaos, violence and war, this is the Tao.
However, we must not cast aside the Heavenly, and ignore the human aspect;
only then will we draw closer to the realization of Truth."
"This is a Dharma I share with you, seeker. It is from the writing of Chung Tzu who lived in this place over two thousand years ago. I thought it appropriate to the situation all face right now."
The silent one then said, "Understand what I have just said and you too will become the perfect man."
With that, he disappeared.
Nathan
