The previous verse said when you blend lead and mercury you can form the elixir. But if you want to blend lead and mercury, first you must per* ceive the homogeneous great medicine of real knowledge which is the true lead; only then can you start work. Real knowledge is true sense; in the symbols of this science it is called the start of the path of the white tiger, and also called the spiritual water of the flower pond .
True sense is hidden by random feelings; since sense is associated with metal , it is called the white tiger. But though true sense is hidden by ran* dom feelings, sometimes it appears, and the mind of heaven and earth is again manifest, the living potential sprouts. Therefore it is called the start ofthe path. The start is the beginning, and the course is the eternal path. The start of the path is producing being within nonbeing, embracing yang within yin , as the mother of all things . This is the living potential . This bit of living potential is the root of attainment of sagehood and wis* dom, the basis for realization of immortality and enlightenment; there* fore it is called precious.
This living potential is also called the spiritual water of the flower pond. The flower pond is the opening of the mysterious pass, the door of all wonders. Because it stores the living potential, it is called the flower pond; because that living potential orders the physical constitution and washes the internal organs, it is called spiritual water. Because that living potential also goes through refinement by fire and crystallizes so that it
does not disperse but remains stable, it is also called real gold.
The start of the course, the spiritual water, the true gold, are all one thing, the living potential; this is also called the essence of higher good. Higher good is ultimately good. Being ultimately good, without evil, embodying all truths and dealing with all events, it is like water having a source. When the wellspring is deep, the flow is long, benefiting all beings without exhaustion. This is the most real medicine, which pre* serves life and completes the body; it is not comparable to ordinary min*
eral or vegetable medicines .
However, this medicine is hidden by acquired conditioning, only
appearing occasionally; time and again it is lost as it is found, and cannot be kept for long. If you wish to accomplish the nine transmutations to stabilize it permanently, you must first refine yourself and control your mind, erasing acquired influences and feelings about objects, culling the medicine at the right time, thus stabilizing its floating and sinking.
Conscious knowledge is stored in the human mind; when the human mind stirs, conscious knowledge flies-it easily floats. Real knowledge is inherent in the mind of Tao; when the mind of Tao is obscured, real knowledge is concealed-it easily sinks . To refine the self and control the mind means to refine away the conscious knowledge of the human mind, making that which is floating sink. Culling at the right time means cull* ing the real knowledge of the mind of Tao, making that which is sunken
float .
Floating and sinking reversed, controlling the human mind by the
mind of Tao, the human mind obeying the mind of Tao. governing con* scious knowledge by real knowledge. nurturing real knowledge by con* scious knowledge, the human mind is quiet and the mind of Tao is present; real knowledge and conscious knowledge are continuous branches of the same energy, and the gold elixir is within view . However, the medicine may be easy to know. but the firing process is difficult. In working to advance the fire, it is necessary to know the level of gravity and energy of the medicinal substances, and when it is benefi* cial or harmful to hurry or relax. If you go to work impetuously, not only will there be no benefit, it will even cause harm. Therefore the text savs,
"When advancing the fire you should forestall danger."