WESTWARD-SINGING BIRD

A westward-transmittal of the Teachings of Lao Tzu's

THOU DEI JINN

and it's Chinese companion-classic "The Book Of Change"

YE JINN


Skip to THOU ("Tao") Text

Skip to YE JINN ("I Ching") Text


Copyright Khiron, the Kuei-Shen Hsien 1998.

Published on electronic media in the United States of America.

Written and Illustrated by Khiron (Jerry C. Welch) the Kuei-Shen Hsien. Calligraphy by Walter E. Harris III. Digitally Mastered by Erik Stackhouse.

THIS IS A REFERENCE VOLUME on the Philosophy of Taoism; and may be quoted, printed-out (but not for sale) or archived FOR ACADEMIC OR PERSONAL STUDY PURPOSES only.


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ABOUT JINNS

A Jinn is, of course, a mythological creature reported in the ancient tales of Arabia and some other cultures. They are said to be able to fly; are magical; and have a strong affinity for jewels, precious metals and other secrets hidden in the depths of the Earth.

"Genie" is another way of pronouncing the word 'Jinn.' According to Arabian legends, King Solomon (the wisest man of his times) knew Jinns, and received much of his wisdom from them. Aside from the familiar Aladdin and his lamp-Jinn of the Arabian Nights tales, King Solomon of Israel is the best-known westerner reputed to have 'captured' (or perhaps it was 'harnessed') a Jinn for his own service and profit.

When, during the Industrial Revolution in the West, a machine for separating cotton from it's seed-pods was invented, it was naturally named 'the Cotton Ginne;' which has survived in the modern word 'gin' used to describe any type of industrial machine performing the extraction of useful parts from a natural substance (or, as in the case of 'the Spinning Jenny,' the work of forming an extracted cotton fiber into thread.)

In all cases, the Jinn or Ginne is some form of CONSTRUCT; a 'machine' or may be a 'system' or 'structure' which OPERATES ON IT'S OWN; having a sort of will or volition imparted to it, which allows it to perform a certain type of work without much human supervision.

When the ancient scholars in China discovered any 'system' or 'structure' that operates of it's own volition much like a 'machine' (even if they secretly had suspicions that it might also be 'alive' much as Arabians suspected about the Genie) they naturally also named it a 'Jinn.'

Perhaps you have been told that Chinese is 'a foreign language' unrelated to either Arabic or English? Alas, this slander has been much repeated; but no Chinese person would allow you to repeat it in their presence, for they know that we are all one people, and any seeming of 'foreign-ness' is but a false impression (perhaps due to nothing more serious than a strange accent, or the effects of too much or too little rice wine.)

I am but an ordinary little fellow like THOU; my family were far from as rich as Solomon nor am I more than they; and yet I have been blessed by the company (I might even say, the Friendship) of a number of Jinns. Perhaps you too may know one or two. It in not something to boast of.. (for surely there are some who know more than you or I).. but it is something to be GLAD about or at least to make note of in one's diary.

I note from my own diary that I first met the 'YE' Jinn around the age at which young men begin to sulk about the house wishing for something Wondrous to get involved with; yes, I was in my late teens. It had been the good fortune of my eldest brother to meet and wed a lovely lady whose own father was a Sage.. I am not inventing tales, I assure you; the man truly WAS 'great' and looked-to by many as a Font Of Good Advice. He had himself written books for some fourty years without running out of ideas. Perhaps he had an Idea-Jinn for a friend; I do not know. But as I approached my Eighteenth Year, I was ESPECIALLY sent for by the sage father of my eldest brother's wife; for he had heard that I was afflicted with Books.. which is to say, I could not get my fill of them, yet none of them seemed to slake my appetite for more. It was as if my thirst was either too great for all Libraries, or I had yet to find the one flavor of drink which could slake the thirst. Being a man of Wisdom, my eldest brother's sage father-in-law felt it his duty to explore my affliction, and prescribe for my relief some cure for it.

After observing me for several minutes, he prescribed two volumes, and said he would send them to me someday soon. His daughter delivered them; one was an early translation of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls (which was so dry that almost it dried up my thirst for books,) scrolls written by 'the Essenes,' a small but significant group of early Judeo-Christians; and the other book (so wet with refreshments that my thirst was actually redoubled by the first taste, though only for more of the same) was the 'YE' Jinn.

This YE Jinn proved to be a book organized around a system or structure which one did not 'open and read' but rather one was forced to (either) randomly divide-up a stack of some fifty yarrow-reeds and count them over until some mathematical sums were arrived at, which told you which specific pages and lines therein to read in answer to ones question; or one had to toss three little coins a number of times, until the same sums were arrived at for the same reason and with the same effect. This extraordinary methodical Jinn-book has the uncanny trait of answering any question you might put to it, with the most remarkable accuracy and at the same time, the most gallingly inscrutable sagacity of intent. Asked what it itself was, this Jinn answered that it is a device or appliance much like a well; from which I might draw endlessly for my education. Asked why it had bothered to come to me (rather than some other book) it answered that a young fool asked too many questions! Asked who (or, to be very honest with you about my self-doubts) WHAT I myself might happen to be, it mentioned 'the Kuei-Shen' (a phrase denoting 'a Spiritual Being') and then further specified that I was such a Being of the precise type it called 'Hsien' (a word which amazingly-enough may be pronounced 'Essene.')

This little story is not merely intended as entertainment, for every part of it has a bearing on the subject of this book. That a Sage should know after only a few minutes acquaintance with me that the cure for my affliction was YE JINN and the writings of that obscure little Essene community of Qumran in the Dead Sea is neither accidental nor out of keeping with the subject of 'the Tao;' for it is precisely such men and women that the YE JINN both attracts to it and helps to shape. In fine; part of his own sagacity was the direct product of this wondrous Jinn. Did it tell him directly that I was part of it's own community?.. or did it's long residence in his mind make the intuition occur by instinct? I never had the chance to ask him, alas; but that this is the general manner of operation of the Jinn I certainly have learned in the thirty or more years since that first introduction.

Over the years that followed, I would find myself very actively seeking-out and absorbing the wisdoms of Tao.. other 'chance meetings' connected me with Dame Ursula Greville, whose studies at the late Imperial Academy of Medicine in China she happily passed-along to me, cut-down to fit the size of my own applications of it; while yet other chance meetings handed me the book of the Rector of the Taoist Conservatory of Hollywood, California, the author of an innovative volume entitled 'The Eleventh Wing' (the venerable Khiegh Alx Diegh) whose work with calendrical systems lead to my own re-discovery of astrological elements within the YE JINN.. and by the time I was grown from teenager to man, I would find myself as much at home within the Tao as any Welsh/American-Indian could ask. And yet, such is the 'magic' of the Jinn that however fervently I sought-out the Tao in an effort to understand my 'Kuei-Shen-ishness' within it, the Essenes seem to have as fervently sought out ME. The result is that what I present to you here as 'Hsien Tao' (which it certainly is, though not a very "Chinese" form of it) is in truth ESSENE Taoism; an intimate living of the 'Tao of Magic and Immortality' from within western rather than Asian roots.

In case you are unaware of the similarity between them, let me note that the Essenes of Israel and the Hsiens of China were and are both MYSTICAL rather than 'religious' movements; which is to say, they both practice METHODS OF ENLIGHTENMENT rather than 'creeds' or doctrines. Called by the Greeks 'the Essenoi,' the Essenes arose originally alongside or within Judaism around 200 BCE, and for the next four centuries they were at the very center of the Messianic Movement; they actively 'woo-ed' or sought to bring-about what all Israelites officially expected for the future; a world-savior-King who would end their domination by foreign powers, and restore the ancient grace of their culture. Apparently they either 'produced' or 'found' him; for it is a fact of history that the Essenoi were the only 'Hebrew sect' which transferred all of their loyalties to the Christ. The Essenes are thus the only real 'bridge' between the Judeo-Christian worlds; and it is for this reason that they stand in a place of such significance for western scholars, and their Scrolls hold such value for both parts of that equation. As the only verifiable link be- tween ancient Hebraic spirituality and modern Rabbinical Judaism (which they predate) as well as the Christianity which arose literally from their ranks, the Essenes are the very crux of western history itself. All of this is well- known to western scholarship.

What is lesser-known (except to those acquainted with the 'received Teaching' called Cabala, Qaballah or Kaballah) is the fact that the Essenoi lived much as any modern Kaballist might.. and their way of life represents the first sociological embodiment, publicly, of that mystical Path of God-Consciousness which is Kaballah.. the Teaching received directly from WITHIN THE SOUL'S OWN STRUCTURE rather than from scriptures ABOUT the Soul.

Might it interest you to learn that the official meaning of the word 'Hsien' in Chinese is "Mutual Influence" as in 'the woo-ing of a spouse;' and that it's closest Asian equivalent is the Hindi word 'Tantra?' Tantra Yoga is the Method or Practice of assimilation of oneself into the society of 'the gods' through self-transformation. Put into Chinese terms, that is the very spirit of Hsien Taoism also; AND a perfect description of the life of the Essenoi. I mention these facts in order to explain to you that my personal quest for the 'Tao' has been from the word 'Go' a quest for an 'Essene-Hsien' Tao; and that I found it in the Practice of Kaballah. I could no more seperate my own Tao from the Hsien or the Essenoi than I could seperate the two lobes of my brain and remain whole. This book is a 'bridge' between those two worlds which are called 'East' and 'West;' and (mister Kipling to the contrary) in the Tao, the twain DO meet and become one.

There are throughout Asia to this day thousands of Hsien Taoists, practicing perhaps hundreds of specialized applications of our Tao. They must speak for themselves in saying what magic the Jinn have given them. But it may be of value even to them to know that the Path which they walk is broad enough and filled with enough wonder to cross-over into other cultures, seeding into yet other societies a way of life which can (apparently, in my case at least) survive un-changed even rebirth in a strange land in a distant future.

Throughout the chapters that follow, I will provide not only a free-reading of the traditional texts of the two Jinns who set me upon my own Path, but also my own observations, to help the novice find as quickly as possible some added depths which they might not otherwise easily notice. These will be titled 'ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY' not only to identify them as my own work but also to honor the profound insight of my own first Master.. whose knowledge of my future life's work was apparently as deep as his knowledge of the Tao.

Such are the handiwork of Jinns; ordinary people, indiscernible from others except in the secret depth of their roots in the Source from which all things flow. I do not know what these 'appliances, like a well' may draw-forth from your own depths; but such is the wonder I still keep at their effect upon my own life, that I do not doubt it will be MAGIC. I bow east, and begin.


THOU

Before moving on to an actual re-telling of the Teachings of that great book traditionally written-about as 'the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu' it is necessary to dispel yet a few more presumptions of 'foreign-ness' starting with that famous word 'Tao' which is half of the Teaching of this wonderful Jinn.

'Tao' (which is the central concept underlying the philosophy of 'Taoism' in it's many forms) is claimed or stated to be 'the Way Things Are' on such a cosmic scale and in so universal an applicability that (reportedly) any human being, plant, animal or mineral should be able to find themselves in it. Surprising, then, to be told over and over by those merely 'translating' the WORDS of this famous book (rather than conveying-afresh it's MEANINGS) that 'Tao' has no literal equivalent in English or ANY OTHER language. The UNIVERSAL that can only be known fully in Chinese?! How very odd.

This oddity is, fortunately or naturally-enough, dispelled by a glance at the Chinese 'ideogram' or written "picture-symbol" which denotes it on the previous page. If you squint just right you may be able to observe that it is composed of a stylized human head standing between the gateposts or sign posts of a Road, Path or Highway. This is the 'traditional' and 'authentic' explanation of this symbol.. and from it we can quickly see that it means something which we CAN grasp immediately with English-speaking minds.

What has always been slightly mis-spelled 'Tao' (for Chinese has neither spelling nor even letters with which to spell) is A PERSON, ON A PATH. It being understood immediately that the Path is simply your LIFE and how you 'progress' or travel-through it, the transliteration of the meaning of 'Tao' is some form of the word for 'you.' YOU, however, are shown by this ideogram 'Tao' symbol as being INSIDE or UPON a larger 'Way' or 'scene' in which you must search for directions or comprehension of the Way to travel. Thus, though it still IS 'you' that is the 'Tao' it is also something larger than your 'little, direction-seeking' self which walks within or upon it.

Every writer from western societies who has tried to write about the 'Tao' by merely translating it's words has concluded that 'Tao is not what western peoples call 'God;' for it is described as a non-authoritative, unconcerned and non-judgemental Thing which simply happens to 'contain' you without in any way trying to order you about.

Well, if that is not what western peoples call 'God,' what sort of a mean- spirited and tyrannical Thing IS their 'God?' At least one of the West's spiritual Teachers has said that his 'God' could be found 'WITHIN YOU.' With all due respect, I can only explain the ungodly reputation and behavior of the western 'God' by surmising that THAT must be what was (at least once) WITHIN YOU. None of this mean-spiritedness will you encounter in 'Tao Te Ching.' Here you will learn of both the 'Little, Direction-Seeking' You, and a 'Larger, All-encompassing Serene Spirit' which is both WITHIN YOU and yet also ALL AROUND YOU.

Because it is WITHIN YOU, we must refer to it as YOU; yet because it is AROUND YOU as well, we must refer to it as your more 'honorific' and Greater and some- how 'holier' magnitude.. and STILL somehow allow it to be ITSELF within which or by the 'grace' of which you have your 'little, direction-seeking' finiteness of being.

The English word by which all of these requirements can be met is well-known; used throughout English-speaking history to denote 'God' in all His Goodness; and yet also is simply YOU trying to find the right Way to live within it all. That word is "THOU.'

This Jinn which we shall study here is the Jinn or 'mechinism' by which 'you' may attain that understanding and magnitude which will make of you a THOU.

If in so doing it should happen to dispel some false impressions about 'God' and your place within it all, then perhaps you too will someday sing as some before you have, "THOU LEADETH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS: THOU RESTORETH MY SOUL."


DEI

The next in our short list of Chinese phrases which we must transport into English conception has traditionally been spelled 'Te' or 'Teh.' Like 'Tao' it has been said to have no western equivalent, though we shall find other- wise.

'Te' is pronounced like the English word 'day,' and is said to mean 'Virtue' in it's philosophic sense; and at the same time the sort of 'magical' force commonly called 'Miracle.' It is the Teaching of Chinese Taoists that by taking-on the traits of THOU as a spiritual rapport, one becomes a vehicle of sudden improvements, alterations and happenings that other cultures from around the world also report as 'miracles.'

Thus, 'Te' is the nature of a spiritual mystic AND the magical or miraculous force which such a spirit either generates or attracts to them.

There may very well NOT be a word in the English tongue which perfectly expresses all of this; but there certainly IS a western root-word common to all western societies which does transport 'Te' directly. That word is from the Latin language (one of the several root-tongues of which English is composed.)

DEI is a variant of the Latin word 'Deus,' meaning 'God.'

DEI is pronounced exactly like 'day' except that an 'ee' is added to the end of it; like this 'day-ee.' As a root, DEI forms the basis of the word 'deity,' or divinity.. and from it we receive all the meaning of the word 'Te' in Chinese; virtue, Primal Truth, the cosmic Being which is the source of all things and which works through such wondrous ways that we can only call it 'magical' or 'miraculous.' Just as in any OTHER spiritual philosophy Taoism teaches that human beings who cultivate a rapport with this cosmic force are then rather automatically 'caretaken' by it with little need for self-concern. The Latin phrase 'DEI EX MACHINA' (originally used to denote the classical Greek concept of 'God Out Of A Machine' or AUTOMATED BLESSING) is one fine way of understanding how DEI works.

'Tao Te Ching' (which we now know to properly transliterate as THOU DEI JINN) is thus the Jinn (or engine) by which THOU may be attained, leading to that state of grace or spiritual magnitude in which such miraculous improvements and happenings may occur in your own life, by the grace of DEI-ty.

This is the 'claim' of THOU throughout the 25 or more centuries during which it has been among the greatest of Teachers of China, southeast Asia and in recent centuries the west as well.

As we read the old text of this great Jinn you will see what it's Teachings are on an intellectual or rational level; and you may also begin to FEEL and EXPERIENCE in your own life any such DEI as this Jinn actually DOES have the power to bestow of it's own volition, into your more subtle or less in- tellectual parts or regions.

IN and ANKH

Those more subtle parts or regions of THOU which one must learn-of in order to fully comprehend intellectually the Teachings of THOU and the YE as well are most often spelled 'Yin and Yang.' They are said to be a polarity built into Reality, by which THOU operates throughout Reality. Let us meet them!


IN:

The Cave Of Impressions

Close your eyes, and you are THERE: with-"IN."

This is the subjective world in which initially only the 'observer' can be seen to exist. The realm of mystics where-"IN" they see the many things unknown to those with their eyes merely open, IN is the 'mother-land' of THOU where all of it's wonders are first observed. That any long exposure to this state inevitably WILL lead to discovering another 'world' composed of oneself and OTHER 'subjects' of the Subjective Cosmos is attested-to by the many mystics of all lands who have left us relics of their Inner Journeys.

Plato is said to have been the wisest of the philosophers of the late period of Greek civilization; anyway he was among the greatest. His Teachings live on, and they are where any westerner must begin in understanding the IN or Yin principle of THOU.

'The Cave Of Impressions' was Plato's Magnum Opus, philosophically. Certainly he made headlines with other concepts.. such as Atlantis (he is the only one of the classical writers to have mentioned it.) Asians nod at this but sadly observe his total ignorance of MU or Lemuria, the oldest home of our species, and of which Atlantis was but one late colony. Plato may not have known of our Pacific-basin Motherland, but he did discover and perfectly describe our IN-ner Motherland. He called it 'The Cave Of Impressions.'

Having set himself to 'explain' the MOST 'true ground of Being' which forms the infrastructure of Reality itself, Plato said it was a CAVE; dark, with absolutely no other definable traits except a uniquely 'receptive' or maybe 'placental' type of walls to it. According to the Greek philosopher, this Cave's walls have the trait of pliability or impressionability such as we know silver salts to have in photographic film; any light which reaches them 'makes an impression' or leaves a mark exactly corresponding to the true shape of whatever the light is reflecting.

Sitting in this Cave (with-"IN" himself) Plato discovered the Five Platonic Solids.. the pure regular three-dimensional shapes out of which all other shapes are formed. That in itself is a great discovery, and he deserves the thanks of the world for it (and has received them.) But, while westerners have in general missed the importance of 'The Cave Of Impressions,' Chinese philosophers recognize that it forms exactly HALF of the Primal Cause which brings about all else that we can know of. In the silent 'gateway' opening called 'The Mother Of Ten Thousand Things' which is the Cave of Impressions or "IN" one may sit silently and WITNESS the 'arising' of the OTHER HALF of THOU: which is the light itself, carrying upon it the Five Solids of Plato (though Chinese culture calls these 'The Five Elements' instead of Shapes.)

"IN" as an idea or concept originates from the primary 'vision' of Taoism; which is LIGHT from the Sun shining upon a mountain-peak.. while all else is still cloaked in SHADOW. That Dark half of the primary vision is IN, the principle of BEING HIDDEN FROM VIEW. As such, it represents to westerners the "Unconscious" parts of Psyche. "IN" is the 'material' of which is formed the Id of psychotherapy (described as the 'reservoir' of the Libido or one's personal Psychic Forces.. the most famous of which is sexual appetite.) But to this, Taoism adds the further detail; that "IN" is ALSO the raw material of our EGO (or Conscious Mind.) While western psychotherapists may frown on this saying, it must be admitted that there are details of the EGO-identity that are every bit as 'primal' and Unconsciously MOTIVATED as the Id itself. Furthermore, it is a well-know trait of the EGO that it is most of the time unable to 'see itself as others see it;' yet another indication that it too arises along with the Unconscious Id from the SHADOW-land of 'Yin' or IN.


ANKH:

The Living Light

As 'Yin' or IN is described by the Chinese classics as 'dark, receptive, and productive like a womb,' it's complimentary opposite-half (commonly spelled 'Yang') is described as 'strong, creative, originating and correct.' In fact it's oldest description in China is as SUNLIGHT as it falls upon the peaks of a mountain. IN is the 'dark' side of the Peak: ANKH is the side being touched by Sunlight.

In fact, while there is no literal English word for that Light-Principle called 'Yang' in China.. for it has been thousands of years since any west- ern culture knew much of it.. the word 'ANKH' or 'the Life-symbol' of Egypt IS well-known and familiar-enough to all western societies, to pass for a 'modern' western word; and ANKH is in fact EXACTLY what 'Yang' MEANS.

THE EGO AS 'THE SHADOW OF THE SUN'
Astrologers throughout history have practiced Sun-Sign 'personality identi- fication' using the exact Sign and Degree of the Sun's placement to explain the nature of each individual human EGO. While this continues to infuriate non-holistic western 'scientists' (including many psychotherapists) it is so universal a part of mystical philosophy that there must be SOMETHING to it! In fact, though Taoism views the Ego as a temporary 'by-product' of life in the human body (ending at our death, as it is re-absorbed back into the non- incarnate or 'immortal' Self) the Ego is nonetheless viewed as meaningful as an expression of what we are here to LEARN THROUGH in this life.. and all of that is identified and explained through Sun Sign Astrology.

Biological LIFE.. including everything we commonly call it's 'materiality'.. comes to us directly or indirectly from the Sun. The other half of YOU YOURSELF is THE SUN ITSELF; for ANKH is the raw material of both your Super-Ego (described by psychotherapy as the Conscience and Ethical Force which guides the psyche) and your LIBIDO or Psychic 'Energy' and motivations. Throughout this volume we will use the terms common to psychotherapy, when we discuss the portions of the Self described by the Chinese originals. While there are certain differences between the two traditions, both Taoism and psychotherapy agree upon so many of the central issues as to make them for all practical purposes ONE TOPIC, slightly differently-worded.

THE LIBIDO or 'ENERGY-BODY:' THE SOUL
Contrary to popular stereotypes and mis-information, that portion of Self that Sigmund Freud named 'the Libido' is far from being 'only' our sexual appetite and desire for pleasure. Certainly those are among it's stronger motivations and traits, but a full understanding of Libido requires a far wider definition. "Shakti" is the Hindi term most often used by mystics to describe this portion of Self. Translated as 'Psycho-Sexual Energy,' Shakti is that 'force' and consciousness which fills the chakra-system of Yoga, forming the psycho-spirit- ual 'circuitry' of human life. Allied with the 'Kundalini' or 'serpent force' which flows up the chakra system to enlighten and liberate advanced adepts, Shakti is recognized as both 'energy' and 'identity' on a cosmic level. Libido is thus our 'Energy-Body' AND our Cosmic "personality" which mysticism seeks to meet and consciously merge-with through such mystical practices as Kaballah, Yoga and Hsien Tao. And, YES, Libido IS a very powerful and 'primal' part of Self! Any contact with it must be done with care, to protect oneself from damage to the Ego and other 'fragile' parts of our whole person.. for Libido or Shakti is quite capable of producing effects that ordinary 'ego-based' men and women might call 'supernatural.' Super, yes; but Nature (to Tao and all other mystical philosophies) it still remains.. only Nature on a Cosmic scale and potency. While traditional Chinese Hsien Taoist have their own battery of sciences and techniques for controlling that contact with Libido, I personally practice and teach the use of Kaballah for those purposes.. but the effect is much the same; Conscious Psycho-Sexual SPIRITUALITY. Libido is THE SOUL in popular terminology.. though there are few (today) with the courage to call their sexuality 'divine,' such pruderies are nothing but residuals from the Age Of Victoria.

It is the work of mystical self-discovery, to quiet the Ego-chatter of human mortality long-enough to meet and merge our conscious awareness back into the Soul-deep identity which the Libido caretakes.. and in so doing, fulfill our in-born nature. So doing is DEI, the Path Of Divine Forces.

THE SUPER-EGO or "DIVINITY"
And finally, ANKH is the source and raw-material of everything we call 'God' in the ethical or spiritual sense of the word. While the Id is certainly a force of 'miracles' and is called the 'Mother' of our 'gods,' the Super-Ego of psychotherapy is the only portion of us which 'teaches' us FAIRNESS, love of EQUALITY, Humility and the other traits of a well-informed Conscience. To THOU DEI JINN, as we shall see, this Divinity 'school' inside us is called 'The Father Of The Masses' and the author of DEI or Virtue. It is the task of the aspiring mystic to merge with their Libido under the direct tutoring of Super-Ego.. to produce a truly CONSCIENTIOUS Spirit-Self here in the world of incarnate life, just as we have (automatically) outside or 'beyond' this world we now inhabit.

What mystics know from experience.. though psychotherapy has yet to fully admit-of and integrate.. is that Super-Ego is not just 'Conscience' but in fact a BEING, one for whom Conscience is an essential trait which it seeks to impart to us through our life-journey. Call it 'God' if you wish; call it (as Tao does) 'The Father Of The Masses' if you wish; someday, somehow you must meet it, too; and then you will truly KNOW what Divinity MEANS.


THE FOUR GREATS

What we are thus left with is a picture of Incarnate Life composed of two FORCES called dark or instinctive ID and EGO.. and living Light displayed as Super-Ego which we most often call 'God' or 'the Creator,' and it's offspring, Libido which (though nurtured initially within the Id) THOU DEI JINN explains as our Light-Form or TOTEMIC SOUL-IDENTITY.. which we are here to educate into a fully conscious 'partner' for the Solar Parent. The diagram shown just above depicts these Four Greats of incarnate life, in the single most famous symbol of the Taoist philosophy.


THE TRINITY-SELF

THOU DEI JINN also depicts for us in it's verses a Unified Trinity that can only be called ETERNITY.. composed of three of those four Greats. According to THOU DEI JINN this three-part Cosmic Self is what we each WERE before we were born, and to it we will return when our time in The Four Greats of In- carnate Life is over (for now!) In the illustration you see just above this, note that this Trinity is composed of "Id" and "Super-Ego" depicted as the two 'arms' or branches of a Tree, the trunk of which is composed of CONSCIOUS LIBIDO.. for it is into the Incarnate Libido that the Ego merges at death, to 'deliver-up' it's experiences and wisdoms gained in 'life' and thus make itself FINALLY really 'useful!' A study of the Tree-illustration will reveal exact similarities to the Black 'Godess' coupling with her White 'God' from Tantric Buddhism.. as well as the Black and White pillars of the Tree Of Life of Hebraic Kaballah.. and in the Tree-truck 'Self' which is their Union you see 'Enlightenment' as depicted by both of those great mystical philosophies as well as Taoism itself.

Our two illustrations may prove useful as reference-material, as you read the profound lines of the ancient Chinese Classics that lie ahead of you.. for (as the Jinns themselves repeat over and over) MYSTERIOUS AND SUBTLE IT IS, YET WITHIN IT THERE IS AN ESSENCE WHICH IS VERY REAL.

ON THE ORIGINS OF JINNS

Exactly who wrote THOU DEI JINN and YE JINN? Quoting the 'official' answer is easy. Making 'sense' of it may not be quite the same!

It is easy to say that THOU DEI JINN was written somewhere around 500 BCE by 'Lao Tzu;' this teaching is universally quoted as 'fact.' Tzu as a word may be said to mean 'a man; an upright post in the ground (a phallic symbol;) or an office-holder.' Tzu should really be spelled, therefore, as either "Sir" or ('It)'s.Who' in English. 'Lao Tzu' is usually translated as 'Old Boy;' and should therefore be transliterated into English as "Lad Sir." It is said in traditional old Taoist tales of him that Lad Sir was "thirty months" (I have even heard thirty YEARS) in the womb; and was born with long white hair.. and thus named 'Old Boy' to explain all of this.

As I say, it is easy to REPEAT the traditional explanations. It is harder to 'believe' them; for I have asked many physicians to comment on a thirty-year or even a thirty-month pregnancy, and I am not prepared to transliterate the answers into polite words. Bluntly, such a thing is 'miraculous.'

If you have patience and stay with this until we view the text, you will read in the JINNs the answer to these riddles.. for 'thirty years' or ANY thirty periods of time ("YE") completes the 'First Wing' or the 'natural' human half of any incarnation (which is followed by a 34-year period of 'super-personal' or "Gestalt" experiences.)

'Lao Tzu' is AT THE VERY LEAST a Taoist 'legend' or myth explaining how it is with ANY 'OLD BOY.' Born like all the rest of us PHYSICALLY after at most a year or so in the womb, 'Lao Tzu' then realized at around thirty that he was still BEING born SPIRITUALLY; white-tinged of hair; "old" yet very "new" all thirty-one year-olds emerge from the womb of EGO into their OTHER HALF, and it is this 'Spirit birth' of which the mythic legend speaks.

That there probably WAS someone called 'Lad Sir' I do not doubt; nor do I question the dates given for his lifetime. But, like ALL great mystics down through time, all of his doings are shrouded now in legends and marvelous tales that must be read as PARABLES.

It is said that Lad Sir was Court Librarian in China, and that after a long and respected career, he left China by crossing the Great Wall into that vast land governed by 'Quan Yin' in the far North. 'Quan Yin' (the "goddess of Mercy" in Chinese folklore) is recognized in Tibet as the female form of the 'Boddhisattva Aveloketesvara' or Buddha Of Compassion 'channeled' through the many incarnations of the Dalai Lama, titular head of Tibetan Tantric Lamaism, one of the most ancient forms of Buddhism. It is thus the teaching of this Parable, that Taoism wandered into contact with early Lamaistic Buddhism by the end of Lad Sir's life (which coincides with the spread of Buddhism into Tibet and most other nations surrounding Buddhism's homeland, India.)

It is from this departure of Lad Sir from China in search of the Quan Yin that Hsien Taoism (ESSENE THOU-ism) emerged.. and it is mostly Hsien Taoists who KNOW this, for 'contemplative Taoism' remained behind in the capitol, reading the Book that Master Lao wrote for them at the request of the Gatekeepers who last saw him on his way out of China.. or (like the famous Master Chuang Tzu, they went fishing, permanently.)

Within a few generations of the official dates for the life of Lad Sir, there arose in China the 'Chan' Masters; a Taoist-flavored Buddhism practicing that 'Tao' which migrated from China into Japan, where it became known as 'Zen.' All of this is the 'official history' of Asian Philosophy, and we must either accept it as such or begin denying things (which THOU DEI JINN specifically warns against, as you will see in the text we shall read from soon.)

By the time Chan Buddhism existed alongside Contemplative Taoism in China, there also existed two other important philosophies there, too. The most famous of these is 'Confucianism' or the 'religious practices of Confucius.' Confucius.. in the older transliteration, 'K'ung Fu-Tse'.. should properly be spelled 'Confer.It's.He,' and he is a fairly researchable, ordinary human being well-documented in the literature of his times.. he is among the very FIRST really documentable or HISTORIC characters in Chinese philosophy. His teachings include a reverence of the Emperor as a living embodiment of the Will Of Heaven; the practicing of Rites by which to insure the blessings of Heaven upon oneself and the Empire; and a careful attention to proper respect for one's ancestors. Confucianism became the official or state religion of China for obvious reasons.

The other but lesser-known philosophy of Chinese antiquity is 'Hsien Taoism;' which is called 'the Tao (or Path) of Magic and Immortality.'

ESSENE THOU as it should be rightly spelled is China's most 'flexible' and pragmatic philosophy. When it met Chan, it Chan-ed. When it met Indian Tantra, it Tantra-ed. When it met western philosophies and spiritual paths, it 'translated.' I am an 'Hsien Taoist' steeped in the same pot with Chinese and Southeast-Asian 'Essenes,' and yet I practice not only Indian Tantra Yoga but also western Alchemy and the Hebrew Kaballah. Is that strange? If so, all of the history of Hsien Tao is strange.. for we have never ceased adapting to changing times and changing needs. Having long ago met through Buddhism the 'Quan Yin' as a Bodhisattva, and adaptively incorporated Buddhist ideals into our Path, it was only natural for us to also hold dear the Buddhist idea of a future Buddha called 'Maitreya' (predicted by Guatama Buddha as his own successor-to-be) who was predicted to usher-in a 'Heaven Of Satisfied Gods' that would complete the Enlightenment of humanity.

It is my assertion, based upon personal experiences, that it is in such mystic practices or methodologies as Kaballah that the 'Heaven Of Satisfied Gods' of Buddhist prophecy can be found, and for this reason I call myself a Maitreyan Essene Thou-ist; practicing ancient folk-healing arts from which Acupuncture derived, the YE JINN and THOU DEI JINN as sources of personal teachings, and such western sources of 'magic' as Kaballah and the science of Alchemy. This specific mixture is 'unique' to my own Order of Maitreyan Hsien Tao; yet by it's very eclecticism and world-embracing Holism, it defines by example the Path of the Divine Immortals which is 'Hsien Tao.' Throughout Asia one can meet many other 'adaptations' of our Path; some practice mostly Indian Yoga techniques, some mostly Chinese folk-wisdoms and health sciences, some have specialized in Alchemical studies much like those popular in Europe during the Middle Ages.. but we all share the one common theme of UNIVERSAL HOLISM and knowledge of the Immortal part of human identity. Most Hsien Taoists will admit to memory of MANY lives spent at their practice of our Path.


So much for the Taoist philosophy's history. Now, how about the YE JINN?! Again, it will be easier to SAY the official history than it will be to either prove it or 'believe' it.

To begin with, when I tell you that the basic linear Images of the 'I CHING' (the trigrams) are officially said to have been devised by the same being who 'dried the land' and replanted civilization on earth after 'the flood' (in other words, China's version of Noah!,) you will begin to see what I mean about 'believing' things. Fortunately for me, I am quite comfortable with Mythology as a source of insight (long before I read any of the works of Joseph Campbell.) To me, such tales are 'accepted' rather than 'believed;' because they are parables, I glean EXAMPLES OF REALITY from them, and leave it for others to decide what is 'fact.' There is in fact no other way of coping with the reported history of YE JINN.

Long, long after the original Trigrams are said to have been created, other people took up the YE and added to it. The first of these was 'King Wen,' one of the so-called 'mythological Kings' of Chinese antiquity. Wen is said to have been the first ruler of the Chou Dynasty which supplanted the first Dynasty of China; and both that first and the several following Emperors are called 'mythological' by historians. So, from Noah we pass on to something like Abraham; and we learn that this mythic King wrote the text appended to each of the sixty-four Hexagrams which form the main body of YE JINN.

The son of Wen is usually called 'the Duke of Chou,' and it is said that it was he who wrote the text appended to each of the six Lines within each of the sixty-four Hexagrams.. and thus from Noah to Abraham we reach something like Isaac, and must call it 'history' at least in mythic terms.

The YE JINN then passed from hand to hand within the ruling Court of China, reportedly, from that 'Isaac' to the last Emperor (the decidedly non-mythic Pu Ye who succeeded the Dowager Empress and brought to a close the whole epic of China's really incredibly ancient Empire.) During those thousands of years, the YE was the 'State Oracle' of the Empire, and lavished with all the scholars money could buy. It can truly be said that no single book except the Judeo-Christian Scriptures has had so much attention from so many scholars, each of whom added at least a footnote to it's now 'mythic' texts.

That no reference to YE JINN can be proven to exist earlier than around the same time as the beginning of the Chan, Confucian and Contemplative Taoist movements is ANOTHER historic 'fact.' Does that mean that the legendary history is 'false?' I DO NOT KNOW, OR EVEN CARE. Being Mythic, this story is at least true as a Parable.. from which we can glean the teaching that YE JINN is IN INSPIRATION as old as China itself, and a part of the very fabric of her marvelous history.

As we delve into YE JINN and THOU DEI JINN we shall hear over and over tales of 'The Ancient Masters.' Even during the reign of 'King Wen' and his son, the Ancient Masters were remembered and revered. 'Subtle and Mysterious were the Ancient Masters! Who is there among us today who can fathom their Wisdom or equal their greatness?' Over and over we meet this enigmatic Teaching.. and I must close this section without answering the great question of WHY China has been so deeply enamored of her antique past. Perhaps Confucius was right in saying that nobody could really be Chinese without 'ancestor worship' as part of their make-up? Personally, I feel that it is more than that; and in the Ancient Masters of Chinese legend we hear an echo across tens of thousands of years; the echo of that Lemuria, MU, which Plato knew only through her colony, Atlantis in the Western Seas. If in truth we were all one people, once, long before any seeming of 'foreign-ness' arose to divide us; and if that one people had any wisdom such as Heaven may have handed-down to them from on high, it is my 'acceptance' rather than a belief that those wisdoms would resemble THOU DEI JINN and YE JINN the Book Of Change.

Westerners have their Pyramids to gaze upon and be amazed by; with a perfect symmetry and bigger-than-life magnitude, the Pyramids shade the Sphinx which is every bit as profound a work of 'Ancient Masters' as anything Asia has to compare with it. And yet in China, the great Monuments of the Ancient Masters SPEAK.

In the texts that follow you may hear them.. and decide for yourself whether they carry YOU back to a time when Spirit in the Flesh received the Wisdom of Eternity to preserve and embellish throughout time.


THOU DEI JINN

ALL JINNS HAVE TWO WINGS WITH WHICH THEY CONVEY THEMSELVES. THE 'FIRST WING' OF THIS JINN 'JINN-ERATES' ACCESS TO 'THOU.'

1

The Finite cannot be all of the Infinite!
THOU by any specific name is not all there is to THOU.
The un-nameable is the Father of the myriads of things.
The nameable is the Mother of it's own myriads of things.

Therefore; never wanting, one may observe the wondrously subtle;
Desiring, one may witness the manifestations.

Both of these are attributes of the same Source.
They have different 'nameabilities' but the same designation:

Mystery of Mysteries,
the Gate of all wonders!

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: EVERY finite form is bonded as if in matrimony with the one Infinite, formless and nameless Spouse. Like the western description of humanity as 'the Bride of Heaven' THOU DEI JINN begins it's revelations with an introduction between the Self and it's Source: Libido is the 'Desiring' half; it's Source-Parent-Partner is the 'Desireless' half. Western psychotherapy names this larger-than-personal half "SUPER-EGO" or the Conscience and Ethical Urge which governs Ego. Super-Ego or God as it is most often called is an un-namable Mystery. Libido, it's Child, is the Namable Mystery: SOUL. Together they are IDENTITY itself.

2

The recognition of an 'ideal' of Beauty
requires 'Ugliness' to compare it with.
The 'ideal' of Goodness require 'Badness' to compare it to.

Bodily Life and Bodiless Life give birth to each other.
Difficult and Easy give birth to each other, in turn.
Long and Short;  High and Low;  Tone and Voice;  Front and Back;
each give occasion for the other.  It must always be so.

Therefore; the Sage does nothing much very personal, 
and carries on a Discourse beyond personalities:
one allows the myriads of things to arise, but does not demand of them.
One acts, but not very 'personally;'  one does one's work,
but without self-importance.

Simply because one 'Mothers' things instead of 'commanding' them, 
one's offspring never leave you.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Learning to live in the true security of THOU implies knowing that you are as 'alive' when 'dead' as you were when 'alive;' and knowing that you are as 'lovely' when you are 'ugly' as you were when you were 'lovely.' Reconciling all dualities within one's own timeless and infinite journey through the Realm of Adjectives removes much of what people call 'suffering.' Recognizing that whatever you have brought- forth in the moment is but the Offspring of Today, to be replaced in but a short while with the Offspring of Tomorrow, one finds PEACE in what otherwise seems 'chaotic' or 'chance' occurences. And, as for the 'Discourse Beyond Personalities' spoken of, keep it in mind! We shall learn much more of it soon.

3

Not praising the Ego prevents people from competing fiercely.
Not hoarding-away the rarest treasures prevents people from stealing.
Not making a forbidden 'icon' of what the people enjoy prevents revolution.

Therefore;  Sages, in 'ruling' make themselves ordinary;
they satisfy all appetites, and fulfill everyone's Libido.
They build-up the people, soundly; and slake every need with reward.
They insure that what is taught does not cause violence;
and THAT IS ALL that they insure-against. 

Thus, their 'rule' is universal.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: The almost 'traditional' concern of Taoists with the wise State emerges here for the first (but not the last) time in THOU DEI JINN. Only truly wise and benevolent intellects bother studying this Chapter.. and those are few, in all of human history. Any who would create a wise and lasting society are enjoined not to 'govern' or 'rule' but to FULFILL and SERVE the natural interests and desires of every citizen. Only insuring that violence is not propagated as an example for the people to follow, such a wise society would grow as the people grow, not as some state-planners would suggest. We note that this Chapter introduces us to the 'Ego;' another of the primary parts or divisions of the Self. We shall meet more of them soon. Meanwhile, we are told how to keep the Ego healthy and wise, through wise social FREEDOM. The western word 'Ego' comes from the Latin word for 'I or ME,' and it denotes the CONSCIOUS MIND or ordinary 'human' behavior. THOU DEI JINN specifies clearly that the Ego has a natural 'virtue' to it, which SHOULD be encouraged to develop naturally, but which CAN be corrupted through examples of violence, it's worst enemy. We are here also introduced to the 'Libido' or DESIRE-NATURE born in us each. It too has a natural virtue to it, and (if we cultivate it's natural virtue) it can add greatly to our happiness.. though it TOO can be corrupted by unwise or violent example, and must be protected against such influences.

"Not praising the Ego prevents people from competing fiercely" is one of this Chapter's most potent statements. Western psychotherapy needs to study this line DEEPLY!.. for Ego currently holds far too honored a place in the psychotherapeutic view of Self. THOU DEI JINN considers the Ego 'ok' but JUST BARELY! It needs far more CONTROL from the Super-Ego than from the Ego to produce a healthy and happy life.. and it is only in Libido, the SOUL, that true Self- knowledge exists in a form both as 'personal' as the Ego, yet capable of surviving even our body's death.

4

Id is 'empty' yet does not 'refill' with use.
Fathomless Id is;  like the ancestor of the countless things.

Id wears-down all sharp edges,
unravels all knots,
diffuses light,
mingles with dust.

Id lies submerged, seeming barely to exist at all.
I know not whose child Id is!.. only that it seems to be the Womb of God.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: In this Chapter we meet another part of Self; the ID or UN- conscious mind. Id UNDER-lies our nature, submerged into the lowliest of things, and yet from within it we shall see there emerge wonders of both benevolence and great power. The ID is 'dark' and unfathomable. It is mostly in Dream-states that we can know of it's powers, at all. As we progress through THOU DEI JINN, we shall learn more about it. Meanwhile, we recognize it already as where 'God' gives birth. The ID is the personal tense of IN; IN is a principle which we each contain in our ID. Both Taoism and Kaballah teach that our personal ideas of 'God' are shaped by our own needs, sensed by the ID and manifested in reflex response.. though this is NOT all there is to the notion of 'God;' but HERE is Super-Ego's WOMB. 'Id' as a word derives from the Latin word for 'It'.. the exact term found over and over in THOU DEI JINN when describing 'It!'

5

Id and Super-Ego are not 'human.'  They treat all things as
'Totemic Symbols.'

The Sages, too, are not merely 'human;'  they too treat all creatures as
'Totemic Symbols.'

This relating between Id and Super-Ego:  how like a bellows it is!
Empty but inexhaustible, the more it pumps, the more comes out of it.  
  
Most Ego-speech is merely exhausting.  Better to remain with 'Totemic
Symbols!'

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: The interaction between the Super-Ego or Spirit and the ID or Un- Conscious Mind is described here as like a bellows, pumping-out whatever is needed; yet it knows of those needs not by our human words but by SYMBOLS. A 'Sage' is one who has learned how to 'pump' the bellows, using symbols to inform the Super- Ego (whose symbol is 'Heaven' or the Light Principle) of what it should tell the ID (whose symbol is 'Earth' the Dark Principle) what to bring-forth. This cannot be done with words; but THOU DEI JINN assures us that it CAN be done, if we know how the bellows speaks. It is through this Totemic Symbolization.. which is that 'Discourse Beyond Personalities' noted earlier.. that the mind (or Ego-self) of the individual can hear the Discourse between Heaven and Earth (Id and Super-Ego,) and participate in the Discourse, too, as Libido's 'assistant' in the Bellows-Pumping or 'magic' of Taoism.

"STRAW DOGS"
The actual Chinese WORD translated here as 'Totemic Symbols' is 'Straw Dogs.' A straw dog is a Totemic 'Effigy' or Animal-form used in ancient folk legends and 'rites.' Anyone who wishes to may learn that 'dog' is the Totemic Symbol for FRIENDSHIP. 'Straw Dog' does not mean 'something worthless' but A FRIEND, SYMBOLIZED.. some- thing of great value indeed; and yet this Straw Dog Parable has been used to justify many inhumane, cold and unloving behaviors toward animals and mankind as well. That is because some people listened to the 'EGO' WORDS of this passage rather than it's Totemic Symbolization; hearing that everybody in the world is 'a straw dog' to Heaven and Earth, they felt that meant 'value-less' when actually the INTENT or MEANING of the Symbol is 'Friendship, Symbolized.' It is for this reason that THOU DEI JINN reminds us that what it means here is not WORDS but TOTEMS. If you do not understand Totems yet, you may enjoy reading the first Chapter of our other book, "THE SHINING TREE Self-Work-Book" which deals with interpreting Totemic Symbols so as to be able to understand and participate-in the Discourse Beyond Personalities which Heaven, Earth and Sages speak among themselves.

6

The Valley Spirit never dies-
Id is called "ANIMA; our Mystical Femininity."

The Portal of the Mystical Female is called 
"The Cave Of Impressions."

Like gossamer, Id is seemingly insubstantial;
yet never consumed through use.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Here we meet for the first time "IN" or 'Yin' as the Dark Principle itself, rather than it's personalized forms, which are the IDs of the many beings in Nature, and the even smaller thing which forms our Ego, the Foetus Of Id. This gossamer-threaded Mystery-stuff of which the 'Cave Of Impressions' within every mind is woven may be the 'continuum' itself; it certainly has the characteristic of giving 'time and space' in which Images or Impressions may solidify into experiences and other manifestations. While THOU DEI JINN is implicit in it's statement that every Ego-Self and Id are formed of this 'Mysterious Female,' we are also told that this Stuff is itself greater and more universal than any Self could contain. Being the Mother from which all ID's are fashioned, IN or Yin may be meet-with in such varied things as types of food, even-numbered groupings of things, and even in every dark corner in our world. While recog- nizing it all as part of our primal Self-stuff, we are also told that we may use it, both inside and outside of ourselves. We do this within the Cave Of Impressions.. by allowing the Light Principle to impregnate it with those things which we have received agreement upon, in our symbol-dialogues with the Light. THAT IS 'PUMPING THE BELLOWS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.'

7

Heaven is endless, and Earth is durable.  They are durable and endless
because they do not take anything 'personally.'

The Sages therefore overcome their Ego-interests, and their Souls speak;
they do not think of themselves as their Egos, yet those remain present.

Being beyond their purely Egoic motives, they can accomplish their goals.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: The idea of 'transcending the Ego' or somehow ceasing to HAVE one, is not to be hoped-for. Ego is part of the structure of life; and we would cease to 'live' without Ego to hold is together like glue! THOU DEI JINN says, however, that we could cease to call ourself "Ego" and become our LASTING Self-Identity.. the Libido or SOUL.. if we wished; and through it, we could accomplish everything needed by the Ego, without having to personalize it. How is this done? By seeing our Ego as simply 'THE CONSCIOUS OBSERVER' within our mind, who has preferences, traits, habits and sometimes 'silly' ways, we can allow it to exist like a little child who holds our hand as we walk the Path; yet we, as it's Elder, speak and choose what we know to be good for it. This we KNOW (rather than merely having to 'guess' or 'prefer' as the Ego would) because the Soul or Libido is bonded forever to Super-Ego or SPIRIT; and in the dialogues between Self-Light and Father-Light, we receive from our Spirit-parts the TRUTH which Ego can only hope for or long to attain.

8

The Great Benevolence is like water;
it benefits the myriad things, yet seeks to occupy the lowest places,
which are not wanted by the Egos of the people.

Therefore it is nearby to people like THOU.

The Virtue of an abode is it's location.
The Virtue of the heart is it's depth.
The Virtue of giving lies in trusting others.
The Virtue of wise rule is orderliness.
The Virtue of enterprise is skill.
The Virtue of action is timing.

It is precisely because one does not 'struggle' that there is no blame.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And now we are introduced to yet another part of THOU.. DEI or DEITY-like Benevolence. We have much to learn of it! For now, here we are told that a Sage is defined not by a seeming of Great- ness, but by resembling The Great Benevolence, whose symbol is WATER. Living much as water behaves, a Sage is happy to occupy whatever space others vacate; in doing so, they prove themselves to resemble DEITY, and are loved for their reflectivity and their life-giving properties. In the symbol of water we are given the key to Virtue and Sagacity, all at one time. WATER is the 'Straw Dog' of DEI, DIVINE VIRTUE or The Great Benevolence of Spirit.

9

A bow kept taut will weaken.
The sharpest of swords will lose their edge in time.
Too much wealth cannot be safeguarded.
Haughtiness draws misfortune upon itself.

Withdrawing when JUST ENOUGH has been done;
that is the way of Heaven.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: The operation and nature of the Light Principle (whose symbol is Heaven) is here explained. Light merely casts itself upon the darkness; it does not seek 'overkill' by chasing-away all of the darkness. Anyone who would resemble the Fatherly Light in it's vastness of power and creative skill must learn to act as Light does: shine JUST ENOUGH, and you will succeed. Shine too much, and you will burn-away the gossamer-like possibility in things. Super-Ego, whose symbol is LIGHT, merely shines into Id, whose symbol is Darkness.. and out of this gentle penetration, NATURE and Balance arise.

10

While:
Cultivating the Soul and embracing it's Source-Twin,
can you keep them from seeming 'seperate?'

Focusing your breath into gossamer-like serenity,
can you still be as simple as a baby's Libido?

Cleansing the mirror of mysteries,
can you locate and remove your own illusions?

Loving people and uplifting the society,
can you do so without being 'cunning?'

Opening and closing the Cave of Impressions,
can you remain The Bride Of Heaven?

Reaching-out with clarity in all directions,
can you refrain from acting 'personally?'

THOU gives birth to them and nurtures them.
THOU gives birth to them but does not 'own' them.
THOU rears them but does not 'command' them.
This is called 'Motherly Virtue.'

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: The 'Life of the Bride' is here explained as the primary 'Role' of the Sage. We must learn to accept the fact that we are not the Fatherly Light in it's totality. Yes, we DO contain Light; our Libido or Psychic Light-Form is a localization of Light.. but this arises within us because of our being penetrated by our 'Fatherly Spouse' with whom we are bonded. Learning that we are each 'Mother of our own ten-thousand things' begins our education in how to live the life of a Soul. Here we find listed a number of the great test-issues which each emerging Soul must deal with. A study of this list is advantageous!.. for surely we must each LEARN each of these Test Issues through EXPERIENCE.

11

Thirty spokes converge on the single hub of a wheel,
but it is the empty hole in the middle which makes a cart possible.

Clay must be shaped with skill to make a pot,
but it is the empty hole in the middle which makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows into four walls to make a room,
but it is the empty space between them that makes it comfortable.

Therefore, while benefits may be derived from something,
it is in EMPTY NOTHING that we find usefulness.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Here again we are reminded that we have within our own incarnate minds the most potent forces of creation; Being (which is Light expressed as Super-Ego and Libido) and NOTHINGNESS (which is the Id and it's foetal extrusion, the Ego.) And of these portions of Self, it is the emptiest, Id, which gives Usefulness.. for it can be 'programmed' or 'triggered' to bring-forth what we need in life. The methods of so doing are 'magic' in it's almost countless forms, ranging from Yoga to Hsien Tao to Kaballah and 'neo-paganism' as well as the venerable tradition of Tantric Lamaism and the simple yet powerful 'magic' of tribal totemic 'animisms' the world over. But, in all such systems, Light 'pumps' material out of Darkness.

12

The five colors can blind the eye.
Racing-about on Quests can drive you MAD!
Hard-won goals can make one falter on the path.
The five flavors can dull one's taste.
The five tones can deafen the ears.

Therefore, in 'ruling' the sages satisfy LIBIDO's instead of 'Ego's.'
They down-play the one, and satisfy the other.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Chasing-after mere Longings.. such as an idealized appearance, taste, sound or 'sport'.. is here said to 'weaken' one. Better to stay focused upon what is most truly hungered-for. Learning to satisfy hungers and appetites rather than 'ideals' of what might seem 'perfect' to our Egos, is the way of Sages.. for that is how the LIBIDO (or our in-born and uniquely-personal Psychic Natures) are discovered and refined into a non-egoic Personality that both the Id and Super-Ego can 'respect' and provide-for. And what can the Ego do about all of this? ONLY OBSERVE! That is it's real destiny.. to grow through patient Observation into a WISE SAGE who knows from experience what really MATTERS.. before being re-melded (at death) back into our more durable Libido.

13

Being 'favored' is a shocking disgrace.
Being 'honored' is as great an affliction as the body.

If one were never 'favored' disgrace could not touch you.
If one were not embodied, there could be neither 'honor' nor affliction.

Therefore, when one merely minds one's own affairs
rather than 'taking care of the universe'
the universe may be entrusted to you;
and when one does not afflict oneself while 'taking care of the universe'
then a  universe can be safely delivered over to you.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And finally THOU DEI JINN elaborates on how to become that 'pivot' around which the manifest world (spoke of in Chapter 11) can be use- fully 'harnessed.' It is thus: merely MIND ONE'S OWN BUSINESS, AFFLICT YOURSELF WITH NO SUFFERINGS, AND YOU WILL BE 'TAKING CARE OF THE UNIVERSE' PROPERLY. This is a thing to experience before it may 'make sense' to you! It is implied that one needs to learn what one's own 'business' really is..

14

Look; Id cannot be seen.
It is 'subtle!'
Listen; Libido cannot be heard.
It is 'unique!'
Reach; Super-Ego cannot be grasped-upon.
It is 'serene.'

These three are unfathomable;
They are bound together into a Unity.

Concerning your Unity:
It's height is not 'distant;'
it's depth is not 'blurred.'
Extended infinitely, it merges with NOTHING PERSONAL.
This is "the Form of the formless:"
the 'business' that is Non-Personal. 
This is "Disembodied Form," or YOUR SPIRITUAL IDENTITY.

Looking backwards, you cannot see it's beginnings.
Looking forwards, you cannot see where it leads.

Adhering to the Business of Today, 
managing the actualities of the moment,
you may comprehend your primeval beginnings.

THIS IS THE VERY STORY-LINE OF YOUR BEING.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Through all the little moments of our lives.. composed more of what we call 'happenstance' than anything 'personally chosen'.. there is a STORY-LINE which (by careful reflection) you can see as simply 'given you' to live. It will differ not at all from your current daily 'business of living;' for it has neither a visible beginning nor any foreseeable end, but is simply THERE for you to live. This is your Path. In it alone can you find anything to 'do' that is not egotistical folly. In it alone THOU DEI JINN recognizes you as 'real' in a universe made mostly of NOTHING. In the Story of your Soul's unique 'business' such as you may discover through the 'happenstances' of your life, the REASON for your original creation is made clear. This alone THOU DEI JINN calls true 'Knowledge.' Knowing it, one knows at last what type of a 'Straw Dog' or Totemic Symbol YOU yourself are, though you will learn even more of it soon! And the Ego? Again we are told that it is REALLY but a tiny part of Libido, extruded like a foetus into the womb of Id during incarnate life, giving it a direct link to it's 'mother' so the incarnate Self may gain conscious understanding of what is in essence Unconsciousness itself.

15

The Ancient Masters like THOU
were subtle, profound, mysterious and perceptive;
so deep they could not be 'identified.'

Now, because they could not be 'identified,'
one can only describe them with difficulty;
hesitant, as though crossing a stream in winter;
careful, as though conscious of every nearby stranger;
solemn, as though guests in someone else's house;
self-diminishing, like ice melting away;
plain as an unhewn log;
intermingled-with like turbid waters;
as expansive and welcoming as a broad valley.

If turbid waters are stilled, they become clear.
If something still is set in motion, it gradually becomes more 'lively.'
Those who perservered in this Way did not wish to be over-full.
Now, simply by not wishing to to be over-full,
they could be like gossamer; hard to 'identify.'

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: According to the lore of Asia, the ancient Lemurians were barely 'physical' when they first came into being; more Spirits than 'biological life-forms.' Because of this ephemeral beginning, they retained the ability to 'go gossamer-like' and ephemeral as a cloud, even after they solidified into very solid flesh. From this ephemeral state we have inherited the subtle, indefinable charm of plain naturalness which typifies Sages throughout Asia. THOU DEI JINN thus identifies the Totemic Symbol of Sagehood as that GOSSAMER 'thread' which is the ectoplasmic 'cloud' from which solid bodies are set in motion, as need requires. Can you attain the state of Gossamer-like simplicity, and attain Sagehood? SURE! This Chapter is the JINN which can so instruct you.

16

Attain utmost emptiness;  practice utter stillness.

The myriad creatures arise paired together;
thus Egos observe their Resurrection.

Heaven's creatures abound,
but each returns to it's roots, which is utter stillness.
This is called 'Karmic Reward.'

Karmic Reward is perpetual-
to know the perpetual is to be enlightened;
not to know the perpetual is to be 'reckless.'
Recklessness breeds 'Wrong.'

To know the perpetual is to be tolerant-
tolerance leads to Hieratic FAIRNESS;
Hieratic Fairness leads to Royal Monism,
Royal Monism, to Heaven,
Heaven, to THOU,
THOU to everlastingness.

Throughout ones days, one may remain unimperiled.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: That all of the sciences called 'Yoga' in India are also common to even those most ancient Chinese is attested by this Chapter; for in the 'renewal of fate' called Karmic Reward in India we meet at the beginning of this Chapter 'Karma Yoga' or the conscious practice of seeking-out one's "karmic partners" and deliberately submitting to their influences.. which in it's final stages is called 'Tantra Yoga' in India. From Tantra this Chapter moves on to describe the 'Raja Yoga' or Royal Way of India, which leads to discovering one's 'Hieratic Service,' which in turn leads to the 'Jnana Yoga' or Way Of Inner Wisdom denoted by tolerance and fairness. That all these lead in the end to Divine Monism (Brahmanic Unity, in India) shows that even the writer of this Chapter, a purely Chinese philosopher, knew as well as any Indian Guru the process of evolution from Ego to Godself which is "Yoga" in the Hindi language. Since we all come from the same Source, the Light-Father called ANKH, we may return to it and experience ourselves as that.. which is like merging with the Sun. This level of THOU (or Yoga, depending on your language) has been called 'living as the Solar Logos' in western traditions. THOU DEI JINN explains that we attain that state by so perfecting our own 'Straw Dog' Hieratic Office, that we become an adept at ceasing to be 'personalized'.. and we simply 'slide' into unity with our original Source, as water 'slides' into a valley.

Another extremely important teaching of this Chapter is the statement that what is called 'evil' is 'WRONG' (spelled 'Wang' in the older transliterations) or simply IGNORANT RECKLESSNESS. 'Wrong' actually MEANS 'recklessness' rather than 'evil' though when someone has been injured by a reckless person, they MAY call them many 'bad' names! THOU DEI JINN recommends that we drop the whole idea of 'Good and Bad' and see them both as simply KARMIC REWARD being played-out for people to learn by. Ceasing to have either 'enemies' or 'personal greatness' makes it possible for us to slide into unity with Heaven more easily. Is it not interesting that the same 'IN' or EMPTY DARKNESS-WITHIN by which we attain full union with our own Cave of Impressions should ALSO lead later to merger with ANKH, the Fatherly Light?! That is one reason why 'Tao' is so profound a Teaching; it's single principle of EMPTY STILLNESS leads to all of our future evolutions. Yoga uses the same Principle, of course, as do all other meditative practices; but in THOU we find the principle expressed quite succinctly.

17

Preeminent is One whose subjects barely know that He exists.
Next follows one whom the people feel close to, and praise.
The next is one whom the people fear;
and the lowest, they despise.

When a 'Ruler' is not trusting,
he is not trustworthy.

But, if carefully he measures his words,
when his work is done and his affairs completed,
his subjects will say,
"this is like being left to ourselves."

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Here we see the consequences or Karma of 'Wang' or RECKLESSNESS as 'Wrong Government.' People will despise and mis-serve any ruler who does not trust them to do things 'right' on their own. Likewise they will feel close-to and praise anyone who is close to Heaven in their rule. But the true Ruler who rules from within the Light itself the people barely know anything about at all. In fact, HE PREFERS IT THAT WAY!.. for the only reason for His 'government' of the world is to let the people be themselves, and grow into similarity to Him.

18

Therefore; 
when the Heavenly Way was forgotten,
there arose 'humaneness' and 'righteousness;'
when cunning and Wit arose,
there came great falsity;
when the loving relations between people, as if all of one family, 
was lost, there arose Religions in the world.
Once the state and royal house were in disarray,
there arose 'upright ministers!'

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: SOUND FAMILIAR?! But this too shall pass; all falsity is but the karmic reward of RECKLESSNESS.. and eventually the reckless melt back into the still and silent Source, and natural beings will again live the great Way intended by that Light shining even in this darkness.

19

Such ideas as "Abolish Sagehood and all other Cleverness,
and the people will benefit a hundredfold;
Abolish humaneness and forbid any reference to Righteousness,
and the people will again be filial and kind;
Abolish 'politics' and abandon profit,
and bandits and thieves will be no more"..

Are 'prime principles' inadequate as a civilized doctrine.
Let this be added to them:

Celebrate the 'plain-ness' of Gossamer;
Propagate the simplicity of an un-hewn log;
Disavow egotism,
Diminish idealisms,
Abandon absolutisms..
and there will be nothing left to worry about.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Here we see lessons still unlearned by the 'modern' nation of China!.. which has sought to abolish Sagehood.. as well as most other nations. 'The Stone that the builders rejected' or "the natural man" unfalsified by ideologies yet guided by simple, plain old commonality is the only material upon which to build a worthy state or it's citizens. THOU DEI JINN likens such a natural state to a cloth woven of 'plain gossamer;' (though some translations make this 'threadbare silk' or 'homespuns') none could be better clothed, yet none more simply. As for that unhewn log, we shall meet it again!, as THOU unfolds.

20

Between "Oh, Certainly!," and "Definitely Not;"
how much difference is there?
Between beauty and ugliness, how great is the distinction?

One who is feared cannot but be fearful, themself.
How confusing!  There is no end of it all.

Libidinally joyous are the masses, as though at a feast,
or as if courting on a terrace in the springtime;
Yet motionless is Ego like a baby before it's first cry,
how dejected!, as if there were no where to turn.

The masses have more than enough,
but Ego alone is bereft.
Ego has the heart of a fool.  How muddled!

Everyone else seems bright and clear;
Ego alone seems confused.
How nebulous, like the ocean!
How blurred, as though without boundaries.

The masses all serve noble Super-Ego's cause;
but Ego alone is stubborn and uncouth.
Ego is 'different.'  Ego is nourished in the Great Mother.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And now we are instructed in the Fourth Part of Self, thus-far only mentioned in passing.. the EGO. Depicted as the black 'dot' within the Light half of the Yin-Yang circle-symbol, Ego is composed of the same Darkness as the Id.. indeed, it is Soul's PERSONAL Id-half, but 'trapped' during incarnate life within the Light-Field within which it must learn to function and grow. Like a Foetus within the womb, the Ego is 'out of it's element' and LOST in Super-Egoic Light. Being Dark and Nebulous like the Id, it must learn to grow into similarity to the Light, and (by LOGIC and DISCIPLINED EFFORT) merge itself back into the Light of Libido from which it emerged at birth. This process of Self-Discovery is a necessary part of every Soul's training; for it teaches us through EXPERIENCE who we are, our relationship with each part of ourselves AND incidentally what our own parental Light- Father experiences.. by making us dependent upon the Motherly Dark- ness of Id, just as our maker is dependent upon it to bring-forth what HE wants (US!)

21

The nature of great DEI-ty is that it grows within Id alone.
Taken by itself, objectively, Id is 'blurred' and 'nebulous.'

How nebulous and blurred!
Yet within Id there are IMAGES.
How blurred and nebulous!
Yet within Id there are OBJECTS.
How cavernous and dark!
Yet within Id there is an ESSENCE.
It's Essence is quite real;
Within Id there are TOTEMS.

From the present back to the ancient past, Id's identity is imperishable.
Through Id, we conjoin with the Father of the masses.

How do I know what the Father of the masses is like?  THROUGH THIS!

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Our Eternal Trinity (or the structure of Psyche before and AFTER incarnate life) is composed of Id.. which is a Mysterious Womb that brings-forth whatever Light wishes.. and the two forms of Light we can know of; Libido which is our unique Form as a being, and Super- Ego which is our Cosmic Parent-Twin. Id both 'seperates' these two forms of Light (allowing them to remain 'distinct' from each other) and UNITES them.. for Id is the principle of the productive WOMB, through which these Cosmic Twins give love to one another constantly. The finite individual CONTAINS Id, and is therefore the 'wife' of the Infinite Source. Thus we can truly KNOW the Father of the masses because through our Id we conjoin with him as a wife does with her husband. HOW? By going with-IN we can feel and see and hear him in our meditations.. speaking to us in Totem-speech, guiding us and providing for us by 'pumping the bellows' of the Womb of Darkness, by 'exciting' our Libido with Totemic Images that it may choose from.. which causes our Id to bring-forth what we have chosen, 'physically.' Furthermore, once we actually MERGE our Ego back into Libido through either death or Yogic Enlightenment, we find ourselves to be that same 'gossamer' stuff of which our first Parent was made; half IN or Id-material, and half ANKH or Libido-material.. and in the process we gain the Wisdom and ETHICAL CONSCIENCE which we call Super-Ego or Divinity.

22

IF..

it is bent, it will be kept intact;
if it is crooked, it will be straightened.
 
it is sunken, it will be filled-up.

it is worn-out, it will be renewed.

it has little, it will gain more.

it gets too much, it may get confused!

THEREFORE..

The Sage remains in Unity,
and serves as the shepherd of all under Heaven.
Not being self-interested, one shines-forth;
not being an exhibitionist, one is distinguished;
not being egotistical, one has merit;
not flattering oneself, one may long endure.

Now, simply because one is not competing, none will compete with you.
The old saying about the flexible being preserved is right on the mark!

Truly, one will be returned, intact.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: The un-integrated or 'isolated' Ego is a competitive 'show-off' with almost no 'redeeming social value.' But, once it realizes that it is REALLY only half of Self and sets-out to 'marry' or merge with Libido (it's "better half!,") the re-integrated Ego loses all of that show- offishness and competitive exhibitionism. This makes one WHOLE again, capable of wise service, and one becomes 'the shepherd of all under Heaven.' This ability to STEER and CARETAKE the myriad things and the masses of creatures is called 'Hsien' in Chinese, and 'Essene' in the west. You may learn more of it in YE JINN, Chapter 31.. but for now, isn't it good to realize that, after journeying into this Cave for your help and refreshment (however many weighty matters you may shepherd in doing so,) afterwards you shall be returned, intact? IN, the Motherly Darkness which fills up your ID, and ANKH which is the Fatherly Light within that darkness are YOUR shepherd; and you WILL be preserved and well-caretaken. It is also an interesting fact that both THOU DEI JINN and the west's major spiritual traditions all speak of a 'Shepherd' as part of DEI-ty and it's effects upon us.

23

To be sparing of speech is natural.

A whirlwind does not last all morning;
A downpour does not last all day.. and who causes THEM?
If Heaven and Earth cannot express such things ceaselessly,
how much less so can human beings?!

Therefore, in pursuing his own affairs;

A person like THOU identifies with THOU.
A person like DEITY identifies with DEITY.
A person who fails has identified with failure.

To one who identifies with DEITY, THOU awards divinity.
To one who identifies with failure, THOU awards failure.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: This Chapter describes some of the challenging aspects of relating with the real powers of Self.. AND the power of the Ego (with it's tendency to despair) to subvert the natural happiness of the Self. Identify with Id, Libido and Super-ego.. and let Ego LEARN that it is only here to help the Libido to grow into Super-Ego's magnitude of wisdom.

24

Who is puffed-up cannot stand.
Who is self-important has not importance.
Exhibitionists do not really shine.
Egotists have no real merit.
Flatter yourself and you will not last long!

As for THOU, we may say it sees all such things as 'extra baggage.'
The Fatherly Light does not reward such trivialities.  Therefore, one who
aspires to THOU does not abide in them.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: In case you have gone to the Cave and 'worked the bellows' but gotten nothing back for your effort, HERE IS WHY!!

25

Without form, and 'void,' yet whole and complete;
born before Heaven and Earth;
Silent and ephemeral, it stood alone and unchanging.

We may regard it as the Mother of Heaven and Earth.
Not knowing it's name, I call it THOU.
If forced to 'describe' it, I would call it 'Great.'
Greatness implies infinity;  infinity implies recoiling upon itself.

THOU art Great.
Heaven is Great.
Earth is Great.
The King, too, is Great.

Within our Cosmos, there are Four "Greats,"
and the King is one of them.

Humanity patterns itself after IN, the Earth.
Earth patterns itself after ANKH, Heaven.
Heaven patterns itself after THOU.
THOU patterns itself.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Here we read the 'Cosmogenesis' or Creation Epic of THOU DEI JINN. It states that THOU or the Cosmic Spirit preceded all else, and 'begat' both IN and ANKH.. which it patterned after itself, using the idea of 'recoiling' or Karmic Law to establish the basic dual principle called 'Yin and Yang.' But, had you thought that THOU is only a 'spiritual force' with 'nobody home in it?!' Here THOU DEI JINN bluntly informs you otherwise.. for within our Cosmos are Four Greats (the Tetramorphs of western traditions) ONE OF WHICH IS A KING. It is He who is 'Preeminent in ruling' as mentioned in Chapter 17; and it is to become like Him that is our task in Being. What shall you call Him?! I do not care.. though, having met Him, I call Him THE FRIENDLY LORD, which is pronounced 'Maitreya' in the ancient Sanskrit language (for that is what the Buddha said He would be called, and I like to see Buddha turn-out to be right.) But He is also 'Allah, the Most High' and every other name of Divine King throughout history. If you think that 'pagan China' knows nothing of your 'Lord King of Heaven,' here is the proof you were missing. As for 'what' He is, THOU DEI JINN explains that He is THOU before the birth of IN and ANKH, expressed for us each ever since then as Super-Ego.. within and all around us.

26

Dark is the root of Light.  Calm is the ruler of motion.

For these reasons, 

The Super-Ego may travel the whole world
without leaving their own vehicle behind;
though inside a walled courtyard of a busy inn,
one may placidly rise above it all.

How, then, should a King with ten-thousand chariots
take themself lightly before Heaven?

If a King takes themself lightly,
they lose their taproot;
if they are hasty, they will lose their Kingship.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And who IS this Divine Monarch spoken-of in the two preceding Chapters of THOU DEI JINN? Well, there is One who is the 'prototype' or Pattern after whom we are each modeled, in part; and there are the Many who are patterned after that One. Here we learn WHY we tend toward 'self-impo- rtance' and 'taking oneself seriously;' for we each contain a 'seed' or 'root' which is part of the Divine Monarch of Heaven, and that part of ourselves 'knows' this intuitively. NOW YOU UNDERSTAND THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIBIDO. Train it into a Wise Monarch, and 'Reign' in peace over your own Domain. Do not be rash or you will lose (for that while) your Kingship.. until your rashness or recklessness is corrected and improved-upon. That Libido is neither a 'monster' nor a stupid fool is a comforting idea, is it not? Now all you have to do is train it to NOT be stupid and STOP being foolish. Of course, you cannot hope to do this without the help and example of YOUR King. Get to know the King of Heaven, real soon.. your Libido's FATHER, the Eternal Light, into whose magnitude each of our Libidos has been planted in the dark Id to grow into similarity to. As the Ego is a Foetus within Id, so Libido is the Child of the Eternal Light.. and it is THIS partnership or 'twin-ship' which is the real PURPOSE for which the original Source begat the womblike darkness in which to grow it's Children.

27

A skillful woodsman leaves neither tracks nor traces;
a skillful speaker is quite flawless in their delivery;
a master mathematician needs neither tallies nor counters;
a master joiner needs neither lock nor key, yet their work cannot be opened;
a master binder needs neither rope nor cord, yet what they bind is permanent.

Therefore, Super-Egos are always expert at saving others, and abandon none;
nor do they miss the chance to serve.  This is called 'Inmost Sincerity.'

Therefore, 'good people' are teachers for 'good people,'
'bad people' are foils in the Super-Ego's hand.
One who values not their teacher and loves not their foils,
though they be quite 'knowledgeable,' is nonetheless greatly deluded.

This is what is called 'the Mystic Essential.'

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And now THOU DEI JINN begins to hint at the unfurling of the Second Wing of this great Jinn; for this Chapter informs us that Mastery of great proportions lies before you, soon to be glimpsed. Here you are given a first taste, and basic instruction begins in how to find and attain your impending Mastery. If you wish to read Hexagram 61 in the Second Wing of YE JINN (Book Two,) you will see an example of how Mastery works upon Nature; but all you need to do is look at the handiwork of any master craftsman, to understand the Essential.. which (however 'lowly' the craft or trade may seem TO YOU!,) is the Mystic Essential, employed. The Cosmic Super-Ego has crafted you to become a unique and useful part of it's domain. In the Straw-Dog or Totemic Symbol of your own Libido-identity lies the raw materials of that Mastery.

28

Know ANKH, the Masculine, but remain with-IN, the Great Mother;
be a Womb for all under Heaven.  By being such a Womb,
Super-Ego will never desert you.  If Super-Ego never deserts you, 
you will remain forever Libidinally-newborn.

Know that you are Innocent;  remain steadfast if insulted;
be a welcoming valley for all under Heaven.
By being a welcoming valley for all under Heaven, Divinity alone will suffice.
If Divinity alone suffices for you, you will remain a simple un-hewn log.

Know whiteness but remain in the dark, and be a model for all under Heaven.
By being a model for all under Heaven, Divinity cannot miss it's mark.
If Divinity does not miss it's mark, you will remain with the Infinite.

When an un-hewn log is cut apart, it is made into tools;
when Sages are put to use, they become the chief of officials..
for-
GREAT SCULPTING CUTS-AWAY NOTHING.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Living the life of a Master.. a King in their own domain, even while here in the world with the masses.. requires attention not to 'skills' so much as to Divinity. Learning that our Libidinal self is like an un-hewn log or a new-born child, we are encouraged to perfect our ability to REMAIN in that simple innocence. We will then be useful; and our King will find services for us to perform. All of this, of course, requires that we remember always that White is White but we occupy a dark cave; Father is Father but we will forever be his Bride. From that un-hewn simplicity, nothing needs be removed to make us what the King requires of us. The greatest Art is to remain PURELY THOU.

29

Of the many who wish to grab the universe and 'use' it,
Ego has never had even one success.

Now, the universe is a Divine Alembic, not something to 'use.'
Who strives to 'use' it will be defeated;  who grasps it will fail.

Of Creatures;  some march forward, others follow behind;
               some tremble in silence, others are puffed-up;
               some are agressive, others are meek;
               some build things up, others collapse them.

For these reasons, Sages avoid extremism;
                         avoid excesses;
                         avoid being grandiose.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Had you thought perhaps that the universe was 'yours' to do with as you might wish? IT IS NOT. The universe is a magical device like the Alembic of an Alchemist; in it the Fatherly Light brings forth myriads of creatures each PERFECT of their kind. Sages, knowing of this Divine Begetting for which the Universe exists, do not impose any extreme action upon the universe; they do nothing to excess, so as not to harm a perhaps timid, weak and seemingly 'insignificant' new creation.. for they know that it may be that very shy, gentle and unassuming creature who will decide the fate of worlds. NO; IT IS NOT OUT OF 'AUSTERITY' THAT SAGES ACT GENTLY AND WITHOUT EXTREMISM. IT IS OUT OF REVERENCE FOR THINGS TOO DIVINE TO DISPLAY THEIR MAJESTY OPENLY.

30

One who guides a human ruler with THOU does not use force upon the universe.
Such a course is likely to rebound upon it's source.

Where armies have been stationed, briars and brambles tend to grow.

A good General attains the defense, and THAT IS ALL.

They attain the defense, but not 'proudly.'
They attain the defense, but do not boast.
They attain the defense only because THAT IS WHAT MUST BE DONE.

If something grows old while still in it's prime,
that is called 'Not being in accord with THOU.'
Not being in accord with THOU leads to untimely ends.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: That there are sometimes conflicts caused by the ambition and cruel greed of (always 'foreign!'..) Egotists, is a fact of history. That defeating such a tyrant and then boasting of it, leads usually to becoming a tyrant oneself is ANOTHER fact of history. Thus come to men and nations untimely ends. Better to remain in accord with THOU and not pride oneself in strength of arms.

31

Now, weapons are instruments of ill omen;  Divinity abhors them.
Therefore, one who abides in THOU does not abide weapons.

The Superior Person, at home, honors the more powerful Left-side;
                     on the battlefield, the more gentle Right-side;

they put Peace above all else,
and refuse to glorify weapons.
If one glorifies weapons, this propagates killing.

One who delights in killing people has no influence with Heaven.

On occasions of celebration, one honors the Left-side;
on occasions of grief, the Right-side is honored more.
A Deputy General stands on the Left side;
their Commander stands at the Right..
in other words, they stand in the order of their gravity of offense.

The killing of masses of people we ought bewail with sorrow and grief.
Victory in battle we ought commemorate with mournful rites.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: 'Gratitude' and 'celebration' are often allowed to set the tone for public commemorations after times of war. This glorifies weapons, and propagates killings to come. THOU DEI JINN enjoins us to make only public MOURNING after any battle; in so doing, we will glorify LIFE and PEACE, and proper honor will be done the dead. As for the repeated references to Left and Right, these are truths in themself. The Left Side of the body houses the Heart, and therefore has the greater strength; while the Right side houses the Liver, and holds the place of 'Right' rather than 'Might.' We are enjoined to make 'Might' the way we Celebrate; and make 'Right' what we Honor.

32

THOU art eternally nameless.

Because the un-hewn log is small, none care to subjugate it.
If Kings and rulers had it, the masses would gladly serve them.

Heaven and Earth unite to bring-forth sweet dew.
Without 'governing' the people, natural equality ensues.

As soon as one carves-up Nature, 'labels' arise.
Once there are labels, one should know that it is time to STOP.
Knowing when to stop, one may avoid peril.

In Totemic terms, the relationship of the universe to THOU
is 'Valley Streams flowing back into the River and the Sea.'

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: We have been told over and over the 'wrongness' of such labels as 'good and bad' and 'beautiful and ugly;' now THOU DEI JINN goes on to say that ALL labeling except Totemic Symbolization is HARMFUL. Have you been told that something is 'healthful' or 'exciting' or perhaps 'ideal?' If so, THOU DEI JINN says it is time to STOP. All such labels create CONFLICT, for they divide Reality into two opposing camps, which MUST then make war upon each other. As for how to view such things without labeling them, THOU DEI JINN says we can wisely see everything as IT'S OWN LITTLE STREAM-LET flowing it's own little way into it's closest-related River and then into the ONE SEA which is Totality. Rather than 'bad' or 'ugly' all of the things not LIKE you yourself are simply ANOTHER STREAM, FLOWING HOME. That is where to stop all labeling.

33

Understanding others is Knowledge.
Understanding oneself is Enlightenment.
Conquering others is Power.
Conquering oneself is Strength.

Contentment is Wealth.
Forceful conduct is Reckless.
Not losing one's rightful nature is Immortality.

To 'die' but not the perish
is to be eternally present.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And now THOU DEI JINN addresses the subject of 'dying.' We all know about it, yet we know little of it at first. What part of us 'must' or DOES 'die?' Here we are told that it is only our own RECKLESSNESS born of a struggling Ego seeking the skill Libido needs, to be a King. As we attain ourself as we were 'intended' to be at our creation, we 'die;' in that the reckless little 'tyrant' is forever tamed. And yet we live on!.. for our Libidinal/Super-Egoic Hierarch (the Holy King in western symbolisms) is truly an Immortal. THIS YOU CANNOT KNOW EXCEPT BY EXPERIENCE, so do not take my 'word' for it!! You must do your own living and dying, and then you will by 'eternally present,' one more of the many, many 'Kuei-Shen's' or 'Tulkus' or 'Ascended Masters' who serve THOU by passing down the great River Valley of Id when it serves THOU to have such a servant in such a place at such a time. Having lived our time here as if it were a cradle for Libidos, we may return to many times rock the cradle for others. Is this not a lovely and wonderful purpose underlying the Divine Alembic we call 'Nature?!'

34

Rippling art THOU, to the left and the right!
All tasks completed, all affairs finished,
still it does not claim them for itself.
The myriad creatures return to it, 
but it does not act as their ruler.

Eternally without 'personal motivations'
it may be named among the small;
the myriad creatures return to it 
though it does not 'order' them to.
It may thus be named among the Great.

In this way, Sages can achieve 'greatness;'
by not acting 'great:'  therefore they may be named among the Great.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: And here we see the Totemic Symbol of the Source itself; THOU in it's original totality is THE SEA, to which all rivers return. But it is a Sea of Gossamer.. made not of water but Spirit-Light. One can only know of water by seeing it and touching it. So also with the Spirit-Sea; you must go to it to know it. By resembling what we see once we find it, we may each attain it's own everlasting greatness. What could be better than knowing that our own Libidal 'drop' of Self-hood will someday RELATE with the Sea of Light from which it sprang? That is the Spirit-Marriage spoken of by the mystical traditions of the world.. the 'destiny' and purpose of our creation.

35

Hold fast to the Great Imagery, and all under Heaven will come;
they will come and not be harmed by contact with your Libido;
they will rest in safety and peace;
music and fine food will make the passerby halt.

Therefore, when THOU art expressed in mere words,
people say 'how bland and tasteless it is!'
"We look for it, but there is not enough to be seen!"
'We listen for it, but there is not enough to be heard.'

Yet, when put to use, it is inexhaustible!

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: That Great Imagery mentioned in the preceding Chapter is THOU in each of the Totemic Symbolisms we have learned so far, which together give rise to all of the inexhaustible 'riches' described here. That mere WORDS 'about' it are worthless (except perhaps as 'poetry') is clear.. or everyone who has ever read THOU DEI JINN would already be Enlightened. No; it takes APPLICATION, or 'putting it to use' to bring-forth it's bounty. You have already received the materials you need. The rest is your WORK.

36

When you wish to contract something, you must first briefly expand it.
To weaken something, you must first briefly make it stronger.
To reject something, you must first momentarily join with it.
When you wish to seize something, you must first NOT be grasping it.
This is a 'subtle' insight!

The soft and the weak conquer the strong.

Fish cannot be removed alive from their watery depths;
the profit-making instruments of State cannot be shown to the masses.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Here we learn WHY the Great Imagery must be shrouded in certain 'mists' or symbolisms; full access to it is like opening the doors of the Treasury to the masses.. and the treasury would soon be empty! Mahatma Ghandi once said that Nature can provide for all of the needs of the people, but not all of their greeds. One who has entered-into THOU fully is like a fish in the Source-Sea. Having left behind the purely mortal world of un-harnessed Ego and Libido, Sages use the knowledge of it's way of operating, to make themselves 'comfortable' only; they take only what they need, nothing of greed.. and then, as if by 'magic,' passersby will stop along the road, and draw near, as if hearing music from beyond the world, inviting them to a Feast. And as for the "subtle insight" mentioned here, it is this- that ONLY BY FIRST 'TRAPPING' IT IN THE DARKNESS OF THE ID COULD THE FATHERLY SUPER-EGO BRING EACH OF IT'S CHILD- LIBIDOS INTO SELF-AWARENESS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE IT AN 'EQUAL' worthy of relating-with. In the 'sea of light' which is it's own original form, the Parent-THOU had to create a Motherly Womb of Darkness in which to 'seperate' it's offspring from itself long enough to grow into DEITY. A subtle and wonderful Truth indeed!

37

THOU art eternally nameless.
If rulers and Kings preserved it, the masses would transform.
After transformation, should they wish to rise-up,
I could restrain them with the nameless unhewn log.
Should I so restrain them, they would not feel disgraced;
they would be still, whereupon Heaven and Earth would right themselves.

ESSENE THOU COMMENTARY: Now the First Wing of this great Jinn ends its beating with the final reminder that what you seek.. the full potential of an enlightened nature.. is both powerful-enough to govern nations, AND as simple and easy to 'use' as an unhewn log. There is nothing more for THOU DEI JINN to tell us of THOU; be that simple, whole and unpretentious natural thing you were created as; and the universe will run smoothly all around you. Having flown you thus far on it's Wing Of THOU, this great JINN now raises it's twin, and the Wing Of DEI lifts, to teach you how to live in the world, as one of it's Divine Hierarchs.

And, since the JINN has already explained to you WHY it has so cloaked it in gossamer symbolisms.. to protect it from over-use.. I will also end my own beating-about-the-bush concerning that LOG, that unhewn and plain and yet ever-present log of THOU. It is easy, really; for, what IS an 'unhewn log' but A TREE?

A log is called a log only AFTER the felling of it as a tree. Hewing down a tree to form a log cuts it up into mere 'material' to be used.

Such is THE SELF: a living SYMBOL, A TREE; one unique 'Straw Dog' or Totemic IDENTITY which we can learn to 'climb' and pick fruit from for our endless self-education into DEITY-similarity.. with the help of our Father-Light and Mother-Womb with-IN.

In Kaballah, my own Essene Thou-ism has found it's 'Tree Of Life.' Any who wish to learn of it may read our other book, 'THE SHINING TREE' but I will not presume you to need it or anything else outside your own 'tree' which we earlier illustrated as 'THE TRINITY-SELF' diagram. You may find it a useful doorway into the Great Imagery of The Unhewn Log which is forever and for all peoples, THOU alone.


Continue to second wing (Dei)