by Greg Ripley
The Guanzi explained that the grottoes above where they now sat were special. They were known as the Lower, Middle, and Upper Guanyin grottoes. While the society had known about the caverns—the previous Guanzis always living there once they assumed the role—their true nature had not been known until the society’s lost archives had been found at Dunhuang.
“The archives told a slightly different story,” the Guanzi said. “In that story, Guanyin had not been simply a vision, but flesh and blood. She and Zhongkui had met and fell in love and lived together here in the mountains for several years. One day, Guanyin revealed to Zhongkui that she was an Immortal and that she would have to return to the Celestial Realms eventually. She brought Zhongkui to this place because she knew that to stay together, he would have to become an Immortal and gain the ability to follow her when she left this world. He did—achieving the Pure Yang Spirit—and ascended into the heavens with Guanyin.
“So, Guanyin was an Elder?” Rohini said.
“I believe so. We have always interpreted the stories through the lens of our own culture, but once the Elders made themselves known, the implications became clear. Many of our traditions will have to be reexamined in this new light,” the Guanzi explained.
“In deep meditation I have had the ability to travel in spirit, my awareness leaving my body. I have been able to view distant places on Earth, but I had not yet been able to leave this earthly realm until the Elders appeared. When the Elders appeared at the United Nations I was aware of their presence, as they were aware of mine. In my meditation one of them spoke to me and told me to follow them when they left. I attempted to follow bodily, traveling as they do, but was only able to follow them in spirit. I saw their world, and have been able to see it several times since, but have not been able to achieve the Pure Yang Spirit, the body of light, allowing me to travel to their world bodily.”
“Is that how they travel,” Guangming asked, “the light body?”
“Yes, it would appear so. They are able to transform themselves into pure energy which allows them to travel from world to world. They remain immortal because when they return to corporeal form, they return to whatever age they see themselves as—their ideal self. They only age if they choose to stop traveling.”
“That jibes with what my mentor told me,” Jane said. “Although at the time it didn’t all make sense to me. Learning what I have from Guangming about some of the traditional Daoist worldview has actually filled in some of the gaps for me.”
“How so?” Rohini asked.
Jane thought back to when her mentor tried to explain how the Elders traveled. The memory of it was now crystal clear, much more so than it had been in the past. She almost felt like she could hear his words. He had told her how the structure of the universe resembles the neural pathways of the human brain. Innerspace is contained within the mind. This structure is like a holographic microcosm of the universe, he said. While it seems to be small, isolated, and cut off from the rest of the universe, in truth it contains the universe within it, or at least an individual’s experience of the universe. For all we can know, all we can experience, is through the lens of the mind. Coming back to the present, she tried to express some of what she remembered.
“Well, the energy networks through the earth for one thing,” Jane said. “My mentor told me how the universe was all linked together through a vast network of energy which was like the structure of the brain. He said the structure of the universe was similar at every level. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me at the time, but the ideas you’ve told me about, that Daoists see humans, the earth, and the Dao as all being different levels of microcosm and macrocosm, seem like they are referring to the same idea.”
“Yes, this is much like what the Elders communicated to me when they spoke to me in meditation,” the Guanzi began. “They said each solar system is like a neural cluster. The energetic pathways are much stronger between planets within a solar system and especially between planets and their sun. They told me that some of our traditions on earth point to this connection, but that we didn’t fully understand the implications of this connection or how to use it. According to them, these connections also exist between solar systems, though they are not as strong, and between galaxies as well, though they are even more subtle.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Jane said, as she remembered more. “My mentor explained that there are gaps or gateways which open in the earth’s electromagnetic field and that these gaps are the openings through which they travel. He said they can only enter or leave when these gaps are open, but apparently they happen quite frequently.”
“That sounds like you’re describing solar breaches,” Rohini said. “I remember reading about them a few years ago. They’re a relatively new discovery, from what I remember. NASA had a satellite called THEMIS which first discovered the gaps. They allow solar plasma into the outer layers of the magnetosphere.”
“It reminds me a lot of our conversation on the plane about the acupuncture points too,” Jane said.
“Yes, the xue,” Guangming said. “These gaps or gateways could be like the acupuncture points of the earth’s electromagnetic field.”
“This certainly sounds like a rational explanation for the Elders’ method of travel, but of course accomplishing it is another matter,” the Guanzi said. “The gap between theoretical knowledge and actually putting something into practice can be great indeed.
“The Elders also gave me a warning when I attempted to follow them. They said that if I succeeded in traveling with my body, I could only become corporeal again on planets which have similar conditions to Earth, such as their own world. They said I would be able to travel with my consciousness anywhere—the sun for instance, or a gaseous planet, or even worlds with quite different lifeforms—yet the moment I tried to become corporeal there I would die.”
42
Simms Estate
Westchester County, New York
“Gruber, what news have you got for me?”
“We’ve lost contact with our operatives in China. We think they must have been taken out.”
“I thought they were going to be more careful after being made in Lanzhou?” Simms said.
“They were, as far as we know, but they must have been discovered anyway. I’ve taken the liberty of having the area around their last known location searched with a drone. There is only one place they could have gone based on the trail they were following.”
“Tell me about it. I want to know what they’re up to.”
“Well, it’s odd. They’ve gone to what appears to be a monastery in the mountains. We’ve checked the entire area and haven’t found heat signatures anywhere else.”
“That doesn’t seem so strange in that part of the world. It’s not that populated a region, from what I understand,” Simms said.
“That’s what we thought at first, until we checked the satellite footage of the area. The monastery is blurred out on the satellites. Someone is trying to keep it a secret, but from what we could tell from the drone there was nothing special about it other than a lot of solar panels, which was a little strange.”
“It’s not a government facility, is it?” Simms said.
“No, we haven’t found any government or military links to it.”
“Alright. I want those people found, Gruber. Either bring them in or neutralize them.”
“Yes, Mr. Simms. I’ve already got a strike team standing by. We can be there in twelve hours.”
Excellent, Simms thought. He’d prefer they be captured, to find out what they were up to, but barring that he’d be content to have them out of the picture.
43
Council Chambers
The Elders’ World
“Thank you for coming, Master Zhongkui. I know the council had agreed to leave you in peace, but I’m sure you realize the urgency of the situation,” the Guide said.
“Yes, Grandmother. I appreciate your concern,” Zhongkui said. I will gladly seek out my former pupil, the Earth Guardian and her charge. The Speaker and Jianhu have told me of the situation on Earth. But, please, tell me more of what the Watchers say. Is it true that the Others are returning? Forgive me, but I thought after so many thousands of years they would have died off or found a new planet to inhabit.”
“Unfortunately, it is so. The Watchers first noticed them shortly after you entered retreat—not very long into my tenure as Guide, as you may recall. At first, we thought it was of no concern, simply an interesting discovery that they were still alive. But as the Watchers investigated further, they discovered some of what had transpired over these many years. The Watchers discovered the path of destruction that the Others had left in their wake. It appears the Others’ single-minded pursuit of technology has led them down a dark path.”
“How so, Grandmother? What has everyone so spooked?” Zhongkui said.
“Instead of settling on a new planet, it appears the Others’ reliance on energy-intensive technologies has required a strategy of continual conquest to supply the resources required. In many ways they’ve pursued a path similar to ours, in that they’ve achieved a sort of immortality through technological means, but the costs have been great. Let me show you what I mean, Master Zhongkui. Let me share what the Watchers shared with me.”
Zhongkui had always been uncomfortable with the sharing of thoughts. His mind was strong enough that he was invulnerable to the skill. No Elder could force their thoughts on him, unlike the weak-minded guards at the UN that Jianhu had scared into submission. The Guide had warned Dayan about it. Ordinarily Dayan would have simply shown his message to Zhongkui when they reached his retreat cave, but the Guide had counseled against it, and Jianhu had echoed the warning. He wouldn’t be able to force his way into Zhongkui’s mind, and any attempt to do so would likely only irritate him.
But Zhongkui trusted the Guide’s judgment, and time was of the essence if things were as dire as they were being portrayed. “If you think this is the best way, I will allow it,” Zhongkui said. “Please, go ahead.”
The Guide closed her eyes, as did Zhongkui. It only took a few moments, despite the great amount of information being conveyed. While Earth remained obsessed with the puzzle of faster than light travel, the Elders had long ago discovered the speed of thought was far greater.
The images flooded Zhongkui’s mind. So much information at once could be difficult to take, but his mind was up to the task. In an instant in the material world around them, their two minds joined for what felt like hours. There was so much to tell; so many worlds destroyed by the Others, and so many beings enslaved to fill the ranks of their conquering army. And now, as Zhongkui saw what the Watchers had shown the Guide, he understood. As he opened his eyes again, a tear rolled down his cheek. “So much death and destruction,” Zhongkui said. “I must prepare for my journey to earth at once.”
“Go now, Master Zhongkui with our blessing,” the Guide said. “A meditation cell has already been prepared for you. Until such time,”
Zhongkui put his fist over his heart and gave a quick bow, then turned and strode from the council chamber.
44
Abode of the Guanzi
Qilian Mountains, China
That night they ate a meal together with the Guanzi and her attendant, along with two old monks who also stayed in the cave complex. They sat around the large communal table in the main cavern. The meal was much like those they’d had at the monastery in the valley, eaten in silence followed by a closing prayer.
The Guanzi returned to her chambers after the meal, her attendant telling Rohini and her companions that she would see them in the morning. They spoke with the two old monks who lived there, learning that they were longtime residents. They were part of the group that formed the inner core of the society, which consisted of Daoist monks and nuns from all over the country. Many of them held positions of authority in other monasteries—these two were retired abbots themselves, who now spent most of their time in self-cultivation.
The following day after the morning meal, they sat with the Guanzi once again in her chamber. “Today I would like to present the basic teachings on self-cultivation we use in the society,” she began. “Guangming, you may already be familiar with them, but I would also like to relate them to the experiences I had with the Elders. Jane, you may also be able to help in this process from the teachings you received from your mentor. I believe this will lead us more quickly down the path towards discovering the Elders’ methods.
“In our society, we follow the general path laid down by Tianyinzi which describes Daoist self-cultivation, and an eventual return to the Dao, as a five-stage process. The system begins with the first stage called Fasting and Abstention. This stage refers to the basics of building a good foundation conducive for self-cultivation. Fasting and Abstention refers to cleansing the body and emptying the mind. This has often been interpreted in moralistic terms, but it basically refers to engaging in a healthy balanced lifestyle, as well as abstaining from things which may lead one’s mind astray or become a distraction to one’s inner work.
“Instead of prescribed moralistic behaviors, I want you to think of this in terms of mental states or negative emotions which can cause us turmoil in our lives and prevent us from seeing reality clearly. We can think of negative thoughts and emotional states as mud stirred up in the mind. As it says in the Daode Jing, ‘Can you wait quietly while your mud settles?’ Just as muddy water will become clear when the sediment is allowed to settle to the bottom, the spirit or consciousness becomes clear when we learn to sit in stillness.
“The second stage is Seclusion, or withdrawing deep into the meditation chamber. This can be a physical seclusion, especially in the beginning stages of practice, when removing oneself from the many distractions of normal daily life can be beneficial, but it can also refer to a mental seclusion, a withdrawal from the emotional turmoil in our everyday lives which can pull us under, like a riptide at the seashore.”
The Guanzi turned to Rohini. “That is why I asked your boyfriend to stay behind at the monastery, Rohini, he might be too much of a distraction for you.” Rohini blushed as the Guanzi chuckled before continuing, “Just as we need to keep our meditation chamber free of clutter and dust, sweeping it often, so we must keep the heart free of distractions and worries. As it says in the Huangting Jing, The Yellow Court Classic, ‘The spirit hut must be kept orderly and regulated.’
“Once we have developed some healthy lifestyle habits and begun the process of withdrawing from the drama of everyday life, we can begin to develop the third stage, called Visualization and Imagination. This refers to taming the mind and recovering our inner nature through meditation. First, we develop some degree of stability and concentration, and then we can turn that concentration towards the mind itself.
“When we have developed this stage sufficiently we move on to the fourth stage, Sitting in Oblivion. This is the quintessential form of Daoist meditation referred to as far back as the Zhuangzi. Sitting in Oblivion refers to letting go of the ego and the personal body and completely forgetting oneself in meditation.
“This leads us to the fifth and final stage; Spiritual Liberation, the spiritual pervasion of all existence, or returning to the Dao. These final two stages I believe are what lead to the abilities of the Elders. Forgetting the self as this distinct body, and allowing the consciousness to roam freely is a necessary step in being able to view distant realms, including the Elders’ world. Once we can pervade existence, we are no longer strictly identified with this physical form. This is the transformation which leads to becoming a Pure Yang Spirit. As it says in the Tianyinzi, ‘Those who pervade all existence are called Spiritual Immortals.’ It seems this would also be an apt description of the Elders.
“In Daoism, we have two concepts that may shed light on the abili
ties of the Elders; alignment and returning. In our practice we attempt to align ourselves with the Dao, and align our bodies in meditation. We also speak of ‘returning to the Dao.’ But this returning refers not only to returning to the Dao, it also refers to returning to life from the Dao—Being returns to Non-Being, and Non-Being returns to Being in an endless cycle. We can see this clearly in the seasons.
“At the winter solstice for instance, we can see how the bright yang energy of the sun is at its weakest point, yet this is the time of its return, the time when it begins to grow again.”
Hearing this, Rohini recalled another line from the Daode Jing,
All things spontaneously arise together
Residing in the world they must return
The Celestial Dao cycles round and round
Everything returns to its root
Returning to the root is tranquility.
“Very good, my dear, Tai Shang Laojun expressed this idea many times in the Daode Jing,” the Guanzi said. “We also use this idea in meditation when we speak of the waterwheel or the celestial circulation. When the vital energy in the body rises up the spine, it also returns again to the lower abdomen in a cyclical motion. Often people make the mistake of attempting to force this movement, yet if we are aligned and tranquil, it will occur naturally. It grows, moving up the spine, or what we call ‘traversing the narrow ridge,’ until it reaches the Jade Palace among the nine peaks of the head.
“We often used the symbolic language of internal alchemy to describe these things. We may speak of creating the ‘Elixir of Immortality’ by ‘setting up the cauldron and stoking the furnace,’ or we speak of ‘the green dragon and the white tiger.’ But we will keep things simple. I will just teach you a simple formula, what we call the four alignments.
