Excerpt from Step 4: Wood plus Stone plus Earth

Transforming the Five Thieves into Selfless Love

The third and forth characters in the couplet together complete the work of refining the five chemical elements in the body. The five chemical elements are the five organic functions, from the kidneys to liver to the heart and spleen and lungs. These five organs correspond to the five openings in the face and the five extensions of the hands. In the first stage of cultivation practices, the work begins with the water of the kidneys and the fire of the heart.

When the kidney water Qi is boiled by the fire in the heart, under the caldron, the heat rises up along the spine through the life-gate pressure point to the brain. This is called returning the essential Jing to nourish the brain. This practice can take from a few months to possibly many years, depending upon the spiritual talent and biological foundation of the practitioner. The caldorn is the cooking vessel in the Lower Cinnabar Field. It is the battery of life essence.

By gathering consciously the cosmic force from above the head, the brain combines the energy coming from the spine and the sky. The combined energy then travels downward to the mouth to stimulate the salivary glands. This combines with the digestive and healing enzyme to produce sweet dew. When this healing enzyme is produced, the fluid of sweet dew flows down into the chest and the thymus glands. The second stage of refinement is now activated.

In this second stage of cultivational refinement, the energy of the wood liver Qi, the energy of the earth spleen Qi, and the energy of the golden lung Qi are processed and refined. After going through the systematical organic process, or the mechanism of smelting, the five thieves transform into the vibration of pure love and the illumination of conscious inaction. The vibration of pure love is the yin form of manifestation in the Middle Cinnabar Field. The illumination of the conscious inaction is the yang form of that manifestation. The love is to seek resurrection, the power of returning. The illumination is the selfless expression, the flow of Tao. The process of refining the essential Jing of life force into the vibrant flowing Qi is then completed. This total process of "chemical smelting" has accomplished its holy purpose.

At this moment, the meditator receives the seed of true love, the selfless love. S/he will no longer cling vigorously and hopelessly to the obsession of loving the ideal image. The love vibrates between the genders and across the generations with no bias. The subjective attachment becomes the objective respectfulness. The selfish obsession becomes selfless transformation. The romantic love becomes cosmic love. The private satisfaction beomes mutual liberation. Sperm manfiests itself into cosmic awareness, and the milk transforms into an everlasting substance.

Do not think that a person then loves the loved one less, for the love is deeper, more abundant. This doesn't mean the person no longer plays the game of love; one is self-responsible in a way that s/he respects the other as an equal to her or himself. No more jealousy, only kind wishes. No more fighting, only mutual transformation. No more hatred, only selfless love. No more fear, only eternal happiness. When a meditator reaches this stae, s/he is a happy, healthy, loveable individual.

Be joyful as your transformation journey continues. Wish you the best in your earnest desires. Hopefully, you will no longer think of love as a game, or that love is only for the sake of love, or that love is the best wish with the worst reward. When you reach this state of true love, you will become a beloved individual, and people will love you unconditionally since you love yourself and others unconditionally. Love is not for receiving only, it is for giving as well. Love does not sacrifice the self, it is the act of abandoing the ego self. Love is not making love with someone, but circulating the loving energy through the body and mind. Love is not expressing outwardly; it is to be experienced inwardly. Love is not holding the loved one captive as a personal possession; but letting go of obsessive desirable attachments. Love is not clinging to just one person or one thing; its purpose is to mutually respect all people and all creatures. Love is for one and love is for all and love is forever!