6.

The seven diagrams which represent the process of producing humans

(going along with the usual natural process)
1. T h e S t a t e i n t h e W o m b :
THE ULTIMATE OF NONBEING
NO SHAPE
NO FORM
NO SOUND
NO SMELL
THE ORIGIN OF THE BODY
Before birth, when the yin & yang energies of male & female interact, in the midst of darkness within the womb there is a
point of living potential, which comes forth from nothing. This is whats called the primordial, true, unified generative
energy. This point of generative energy, undifferentiated, enters the sperm & ovum, thus fusing them into one &
causing the embryo to congeal, then nurtures the embryo & eventually causes it to become complete.
At this point, though there is the human form, there is no human way; nothing in the world, not even water & fire can
harm one here, emotions & desires cannot reach one here. This is the state of openness beyond sense, where there is
no sense is the ultimate of nonbeing, which is the e!treme of nothingness. Returning to this original state of openness
beyond sense, is the quest of sages, immortals & buddhas alike.
2. T h e S t a t e o f t h e n f a n t :
THE CULMINATION OF BEGINNING
PURE, CLEAR,
CALM & QUIET.
UNDIFFERENTIATED &
UNIFIED.
THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH
After ten months in the womb, the foetus is fully developed" the foetus breaks out of the amnion & emerges, feet toward the
sky & head toward the earth. #ith a cry the infant first comes in contact with the air, breathing it in so that it mi!es with the
primordial original energy within. The temporal$function depends on the primordial$body to breath in & out, while the
primordial$body depends on the temporal$function to nurture the vascular system. %urthermore, at the moment of that cry,
the conscious spirit of the generations of history also enters into the opening & merges with the primordial original
spirit. The original spirit depends on the conscious spirit to subsist, while the conscious spirit depends on the original spirit
for effective awareness.
&evertheless, though the newborn infant has ac'uired energy & spirit, still the primordial$body governs the
temporal$function & the temporal$function obeys the ways of the primordial$body (i.e. infants cant take conscious control of
their breathing, its the original selfless primordial spirit & body that does all that). The primordial & the temporal merge
into nondifferentiation; without discrimination or cognition, there is one reality alone, with a future that has yet to
come & a past that hasnt yet been & gone, the ongoing present moment alone is responsible for gradually creating
opportunities for something more. This is the image of The *ulmination +f Beginning, which is the final limit of beginning,
before getting mi!ed up in temporal conditioning.
Though merged with the temporal, it is the primordial alone which controls things. This is because it is The *ulmination +f
Beginning" it is beginning as it springs from nonbeing. The beginning of birth, the appearance of the infant, means pure
clarity, without blemish" this is the germ & embryo of sages, the root & sprout of immortals & buddhas. Here one is
ungraspable & invulnerable, because one is mindless. Being mindless, one is not hindered by birth & death" there are no
calamities, no troubles.
! 2" #
6. The seven diagrams which represent the process of producing humans
(going along with the usual natural process)
". T h e S t a t e o f t h e $ h i l d :
CULMINATION OF THE GREAT
NOT FORM
NOT VOID
NO EGO
NO DESIRE
UNITY OF PRIMORDIAL & TEMPORAL
After a person has grown from infancy to the point where he can walk, speak & follow others directions, he is called a child.
The infant has no discrimination, or cognition, but the child already has all that, so it is as if floating clouds are dotting the
sky. ,aving discrimination & cognition derives from The Culmination of eginning eventually reaching the Culmination
of the !reat, (also known as the limit of the universal, or the Culmination of the "niversal). At this moment, it is still the
primordial that does things, while the ac'uired is dormant. Though there is discrimination & cognition, the encrustation of
the faculties has not yet taken place & ac'uired influences have not yet invaded" when hungry, one -ust eats & when cold,
one -ust puts on clothes. .oy, anger, sadness & happiness come & go, vanishing as they arise" one does not know about
differences of wealth & status, but is spontaneous & has no e#traneous thoughts. This is the image of the Culmination of
the !reat, before its division. This, too, is the germ & embryo of sages, the root & sprout of immortals & buddhas. The
ignorant consider the child to be the infant, but this is wrong. They are both filled with natural reality, but they are different
in terms of state, the infant being higher & the child lower (& they are also different in terms of intellectual knowledge,
which the infant does not have but the child does). Therefore, to represent return to the origin, the ancient immortals
chose the fundamental aspect of the infant & not the na$ve aspect of the child%
%. & i n ' & a n g ( i v i d e :
YIN & YANG
SEPARATE
THE TWO EIGHTS
ARE COMPLETED
THE APERTURE OF AWARENESS OPENS
GOOD & BAD DIVIDE
After people grow from childhood to the point where the energies of the two eights are complete, yang culminates & yin
arises, opening an aperture; yin & yang divide, each dwelling on one side. Then there is artificiality within the real"
here intellectual knowledge gradually develops, and good & bad are discriminated% This is the division of the
Culmination of the "niversal, separating yin & yang%
The completion of the energies of the two eights (referring to ones fullness of energy), is like the upper & lower crescents of
the moon -oining into one shining orb, which symboli/es the Culmination of &rimordial 'ang, like the *ulmination of the
0reat, or the *ulmination of the 1niversal. (hen yang culminates, it will turn into yin, as when the universal
culminates, unity divides into yin & yang, which separates the two.
! 2% #
6. The seven diagrams which represent the process of producing humans
(going along with the usual natural process)
). T h e * i v e + l e m e n t s S e p a r a t e :
ENCRUSTATION
OF THE SENSES
GRADUALLY
TAKES PLACE
DISCRIMINATORY
AWARENESS
GRADUALLY
ARISES
THE FIVE ELEMENTS DAMAGE EACH OTHER
+nce yin & yang divide, the five elements also become aberated. 2n this conditioned state, the five elements 3 (ood
)*ssence+, ,ire )-pirit+, *arth )*nergy+, .etal )-ense/Clarity+ & (ater )0itality+, are imbalanced & damage each other"
this manifests in action as the five rebels of 1nger )(ood+, 2esire )*arth+, -adness )(ater+, Happiness ),ire+ & 3oy
).etal+. The five elements differ in being either primal or conditioned" the primal originate before birth, the conditioned
emerge after birth. The primal produces sages, the conditioned produces ordinary people.
The (estructive ,ath -f The *ive +lements
2 (ood penetrates 4arth 1nger pierces through 5esire. 4!cessive anger in-ures the 4iver.
22 *arth absorbs #ater 2esire soaks up 6adness. 4!cessive desire in-ures the -pleen.
222 (ater extinguishes %ire
-adness destroys ,appiness.
,appy 7 6ad 8 %right
4!cessive sadness & fear in-ures
the 4ungs & !all ladder.
29 ,ire burns :etal Happiness smoulders .oy. 4!cessive happiness in-ures the Heart.
9 .etal cuts #ood
3oy scratches Anger.
,appy 7 .oy 8 0rief
4!cessive -oy, or love in-ures the -pirit.
+nce the five elements separate, discriminatory awareness gradually arises & the encrustation of the senses gradually
takes place" the real retreats & the artificial assumes authority. &ow even the state of the child is lost
6. . c / u i r e d $ o n d i t i o n i n g 0 u n s . f f a i r s :
THE ENERGY OF
SENSE IMAGES
ENTERS
TEMPERAMENT
DEVELOPS
YIN IS PRODUCED WITHIN YANG
;in & ;ang divided, the five elements separated, once conditioning mi!es in, the primordial retreats" at this point the
ac'uired temperament emerges & e!ternal impacts come & condition the senses, which then beckon emotions & desires.
<ristine purity is gradually invaded by mundane energy. +nce mundane energy enters, it gradually grows & celestial energy
gradually wanes away. 2ndulgently pursuing desires, one eventually becomes totally subservient to them.
The ignorant think that the temperament is the real nature, but this is not so. The real nature is the nature as divinely decreed
& belongs to the primordial" this is beneficial to people. The temperament is the nature created by people & emerges from
ac'uired conditioning" this is harmful to people. ,ow can ac'uired nature be identified with primal nature=
1. , u r e 2 u n d a n i t 3 4 5 o t h i n g $ e l e s t a l :
POSITIVITY
VANISHES
NEGATIVITY
IS NOT TOTAL
WHEN THE OIL IS USED UP, THE LAMP GOES OUT
LIKEWISE WHEN THE MARROW IS EXHAUSTED, THE PERSON DIES
! 2) #
6. The seven diagrams which represent the process of producing humans
(going along with the usual natural process)
As ac'uired conditioning runs affairs, mundanity increases & the celestial retreats, day after day, year after year. 2nwardly,
myriad thoughts cause trouble" outwardly, myriad things coerce. 1nder inward & outward attack, the celestial energy wanes
away & the whole being becomes totally mundane" as the three treasures are depleted, the life forces cannot be sustained &
death is inevitable.
! 26 #