Hi there North ~
Thanks for the considerate and insightful reply!
if you find anything useful while searching through Simons writings be
sure to share it with us. :)
Will do, but I take it this is your way of saying nothing useful has been
posted yet, which is fair enough. I can certainly see why you would feel
that way. At any rate, I have posted below four of the quotes from The
White Priest which were posted earlier in this thread, and wonder what
your take on these are?
15 - The severe meditative exercises had turned the monks into beings who
existed outside of their bodies. No worldly drives, therefore, interfered. All
desires were mastered and overcome easily by the continued practice of
the Way. (p. 63-64)
16 - 'The spirit and the soul, being one unit, when travelling in different
directions must be reunited again in order to be in tune with the universe.'
So the Old Master would say and he would show what to do to achieve this.
Little boys like to play and they enjoy the most unimaginable challenges. The
old man possessed within his powers the ability to direct them towards a benefit
which provided balance and stability to the inquiring mind of his young student."
(p. 17)
17 - "The process of learning was to experience one's own senses. His master
never advanced truth; his master showed him why a thrust should be done so
awkwardly, the student always feeling the consequences. These were friendly
in nature but at times abrupt, startling and final. The universe circled not only
in the firmament but very much so, to the discovery of the boy pupil, within
his body. The mental arch, the steady wrist, the even more steady pull, and the
flowing of soft strength was far beyond that of his own making." (p. 18-19)
18 - It was a soft strength lent from the heavens and which fell together
with the forces of the earth in a combining flow of an energy that was final
and absolute, a strength capable of dissolving all other forces created within
the feeble body of a common man, one who did not believe in the Way.
(p. 68-69)
Quote no. 16, at the beginning, appears to me like an allusion to "The
Secret of the Golden Flower", a Taoist form of meditation practice,
based on the internal circulation of light, or yang energy, and the uniting
of the spirit and soul, according to Western concepts. This appears even
more likely to me when it is read in connection with Quote nos. 17-18. In
Quote no. 17, Simon alludes to the circulating universe within the body,
which strikes me as an allusion to the internal microcosmic orbit of the
Taoist energetic arts. In No. 18, Simon appears to allude to the uniting of
yang and yin energies in the lower dan-tien, a fundamental concept in Tai
Chi. Again, though, these are merely hints or clues that the student must
follow-up on, and explore on his own, as you have helpfully pointed out.
I have read most of his work and found his insight into a Russian prison
camp was perhaps the best he has written (Shalom). It is obvious he has
seen the inside of such places by his level of descriptiveness. His
description of temples and other places in the adventure series paled in
comparison.
You know, I own two copies of this book and have never read it. I find it
very hard to read fiction, unless it is related to martial arts or Chinese
philosophy. But since you give it such high marks, I will place it on my hit
list. What I would really like to read is a quality translation of the literary
work that supposedly won Simon huge recognition in Europe!
Again, thanks for the reply!
Kind regards,
Yen Hui