White Sun – Poem by Kuan Yin
The Goddess of Mercy is probably one of the most prominent and popular Buddhist and Taoist deities worshiped and revered by people around the world, especially those of Chinese descent. In most Taoist temples, it is very common to find the portrait of the Goddess of Mercy and next to the portrait, there is invariably a couplet of poems that says: “In the middle of the purple bamboo forests stands ‘Kuan Zhi Zai’ (Goddess of Mercy is there.) On top of the white lotus pedestal sits the Coming Buddha (Ru Lai) “.
This poem is related to the portrait of the Goddess of Mercy that portrays her standing on the white lotus pedestal or sitting quietly among the bamboo forest. According to legend, he spent most of his time in the bamboo forest, but this is only a literal interpretation of the poem. The portrait only draws the Goddess of Mercy and no other Buddha and since the poem is placed next to the portrait, there must be a deeper meaning that serves to enlighten people. The poem is a parable used to reveal one of the heavenly secrets that relates to our face, more specifically the third eye. The purple bamboo grove or forest in Chinese is “lin” and implies a growth of sparse vegetation. Purple bamboo is a very fine and elegant type of bamboo. On our face our eyebrows have characteristics similar to the purple bamboo forest. They are very fine and neat, unlike our hair. She revealed that the purple bamboo forest represents our eyebrows.
The first half of the poem is “In the middle of the purple bamboo grove stands the Goddess of Mercy”, which means that our own Buddha nature or divine nature is there in the middle of the purple bamboo grove or between the eyebrows. . In other words, we must constantly see our true selves and act in accordance with our true nature. To do this, we must seek to find this divine nature that is in the middle of the purple bamboo grove or more specifically between the eyes or the eyebrows. This directs us to the very location of the Third Eye or The Divine Eye. Their forehead is always represented with a red dot slightly above the middle of their eyebrows to indicate that there is a Third Eye similar to the Indian women who placed the red dot on their foreheads.
Let’s look at the second half of the poem, “On top of the white lotus pedestal sits the coming Buddha.” Lotus grows on the surface of muddy water and the Goddess of Mercy is usually depicted standing on it and appears to be floating in the sea. This sea represents the sea of desires and sufferings. In our face, the mouth is also the sea of desires and it is like an ocean that can never be filled. Saliva is alkaline and has a bitter taste, therefore similar to sufferings. The shape of the lips is like the wave of the sea. On the lips, we have a groove that is defined by two lines and is like the stem of the lotus. At the end of the stem, we could find the lotus that is our nose. In elevation, the nose appears to have three distinct petals, similar to the petals of the flower. When we smile, our white teeth resemble the white lotus on which the Goddess of Mercy is standing.
On top of the white lotus sits the coming Buddha (ru lai in Chinese). Gautama Buddha used to say that “in every face there is a Buddha.” This implies that if we want to find our own Buddha on our face, we must solve this riddle. The True Self, who is divine, is the one sitting on the white lotus pedestal. It is the coming Buddha that needs to be awakened. After the initiation of the Tao, this True Self awakens and can become the Buddha or the Enlightened One. He is sitting on top of the white lotus pedestal, which is also the place where he explains the first part of the poem. Both parts of the poem point to this divine nature at the place where we call The Third Eye or The Divine Eye. Why is the Third Eye so important and what is the meaning of the initiation of the Tao? During the transmission of the Tao, you are transmitting The Three Heavenly Treasures to the receiver and this is what my Heavenly Master JiGong said:
“What the teacher has transmitted to you is the essence of the Three Heavenly Treasures, which leads you to Realization. What the teacher teaches is Truth and Supreme Learning, which leads you to holiness. What the teacher avoids and considers harmful for cultivation. ” of the Tao is the emphasis on ‘Shu-Liu-Dong-Jing’, which leads one to fanaticism.
“Shu-Liu-Dong-Jing” means the teaching of the Four Side Gates, practices performed with skill and intention. They are not natural forms of cultivation and cannot help break free from the cycle of birth and death. Are:
1]Shu: special abilities: supernatural powers, witchcraft and all extraordinary abilities.
2]Liu: various schools or groups that focus on geomancy (feng-shui), astrology, divination, crystal reading, art of healing, temple building and discussion of philosophies, etc.
3]Dong: movement – external practice involving physical movements such as alchemy, martial arts, massage, etc.
4]Jing: stillness – internal practice that involves the use of INTENT such as observing energy flows, aligning the chakras, counting the breath, seeking well-being or wonders through tranquility, etc.
Therefore, a Tao cultivator must have:
1]A mind of wisdom – to discern and detect the real and the unreal.
2]A heart of Humanity – to receive and accept those who renew themselves (those who wish to correct themselves and be new people)
3]A spirit of Courage: save and lead the sunken and lost (the ignorant) through the bitter sea of life. “
