What should be done with the suffering of beings in the six realms? 16 Jan 2025. White Hare 0631hrs.

This passage uses vivid metaphors and deep philosophical insights to describe the process of spiritual cultivation and enlightenment. Each section reveals unique perspectives on life, spirituality, change, and growth. Let’s break it down:

1. “What should be done with the suffering of beings in the six realms? The treasure of ignorance can be transformed and the way will be clear!”

• “What should be done with the suffering of beings in the six realms?”: This refers to the suffering and confusion that all beings experience in the cycle of samsara (the six realms of existence). These are states of wandering, trapped by the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, unable to find liberation.

• “The treasure of ignorance can be transformed and the way will be clear!”: Despite each being having the “treasure” of inherent wisdom and potential, it is obscured by ignorance. By transforming this ignorance, clarity and wisdom can be attained. Transformation is the key to breaking free.

2. “To break through, one must ride the tiger into the abyss and return to the root at the Northern Black Tortoise’s heavenly root. The well of the elixir breaks the deadlock!”

• “Ride the tiger into the abyss and return to the root”: This metaphor suggests the need for courage and confrontation with life’s deepest challenges. The abyss represents the most profound trials, and by daring to face them, one can find a path back to the original source or essence.

• “The well of the elixir breaks the deadlock!”: The “elixir well” symbolizes the deep wellspring of spiritual energy and wisdom. When one taps into it through inner cultivation, it can break through obstacles and limitations, leading to spiritual liberation.

3. “To transform, one must ride the dragon to the heavens and use the extreme light in the Southern Vermilion Bird’s moon cave. The cauldron of the elixir fuses and transforms the body!”

• “Ride the dragon to the heavens”: This symbolizes ascension and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, where the dragon represents a vehicle of transformation, elevating the practitioner to higher realms.

• “Use the extreme light in the Southern Vermilion Bird’s moon cave”: The “extreme light” represents the highest level of wisdom and clarity, and the “moon cave” is a sacred place of spiritual illumination. The practitioner must channel this pure light to fully achieve transformation.

• “The cauldron of the elixir fuses and transforms the body!”: This refers to the alchemical process of inner cultivation, where the practitioner fuses spiritual energy with the physical body, transcending the limitations of ordinary existence.

4. “When the way is clear, one follows the divine beast on the path and maintains balance, observing the dragons and tigers in the moments of time and space. The nine-turning elixir completes the golden elixir!”

• “Follow the divine beast on the path and maintain balance”: This suggests that once the practitioner has attained clarity and wisdom, they can walk the path of enlightenment while maintaining balance. The “divine beast” (possibly referring to a sacred animal like the qilin) symbolizes guidance on the spiritual journey.

• “Observing the dragons and tigers in the moments of time and space”: This phrase indicates the ability to see and understand the forces of nature and the cosmos (represented by the dragons and tigers) within the unfolding of time and space, understanding the ebb and flow of existence.

• “The nine-turning elixir completes the golden elixir!”: The “nine-turning elixir” refers to the advanced stages of alchemical transformation, where the elixir is refined and perfected through multiple stages. Once the process is complete, the practitioner achieves the “golden elixir” — a metaphor for the highest state of enlightenment and spiritual accomplishment.

Conclusion:

This passage describes, in rich symbolic language, the journey of a spiritual practitioner from ignorance and suffering to ultimate enlightenment. Through transformation, courage, and cultivation, the practitioner breaks free from the constraints of ignorance, transcends the physical and spiritual limitations, and ultimately reaches the highest state of wisdom, harmony, and oneness with the universe. Each stage of the journey is symbolized by powerful metaphors, such as riding a tiger, riding a dragon, and using the light from the moon cave, representing the ongoing process of spiritual evolution and transformation.