Alchemy of Enlightenment

Alchemy of Enlightenment

Gate

Translation by Jennie Shin

The Author

Gate is an influential South Korean-born spiritual master who actively transmits his teachings of enlightenment both online and offline. Aside from communicating with thousands of disciples through his website, Shin regularly holds seminars over the world to give lectures and meet his disciples and readers in person.

His school of enlightenment, 101 Candlelight, has two centres in Seoul and Osaka. He currently resides in Singapore with his family.

The publishment of Alchemy of Enlightenment was sponsored by Kyoung Whan Lee and Yeji Kim.

Alchemy of Enlightenment

Part I. Journey into the Self

1. The ‘Self' Within Myself

I. A New Beginning

II. Freedom From Thought

III. Inside A Falling Airplane

2. Freedom of Life

I. The Recovery Of Sovereignty

II. The Blackboard And The Eraser

III. Who Am 'I'?

3. Life And Death

I. A Disposable Life

II. Blind Men And An Elephant

III. The Meaning Of Life

4. Reincarnation And Past Life

I. The Reason For Bodily Experience

II. Karma Exists To Learn Love

III. What To Gain from Life

5. Thoughts And Emotions

I. Free Your Self

II. Find The Culprit

III. The ‘I’ Who Empowers Every Reality

6. Existence And Illusion

I. The Gamer

II. Will Power

III. Let It All Go

7. Master And Disciple

I. The Teacher

II. A Tree

III. The Power Of Togetherness

8. Free Will And Choice

I. The Illusion Of Restrictions And Limitations

II. Reaching Enlightenment

III. Tranquility And Freedom

Part II. Alchemy of Enlightenment

9. Learning To Know My Self

I. True Learning Is...

II. Kōan

III. Breaking Free From Illusions And Imprisonment

IV. Zen Practice: Maturity And Evolution

10. The Sovereign Of Thought

I. The Film And The Projector

II. The Moderator Of Thought

III. The Fallacy Of Curiosity

IV. Difference Between Finitude And Infinitude

11. Enlightenment In Daily Life

I. Beyond Confusion And Frustration

II. Everything Lies Within You

III. Creating Affluence And Harmony

IV. Daily Meditation Towards Naturalness

12. Freedom, Another Name For Truth

I. Everything Stems From Within The Self

II. Your Existence Is the Truth

III. The Final Destination Of Your Spiritual Journey

IV.  Truth Is The Free Will Before 'To Be' Or 'Not To Be'

13. Consciousness And Matter

I. The Cognitive Structure Of Consciousness and Matter

II. Thoughts Are Like Circuits

III. Frequency: The Difference Between Consciousness And Matter

IV. Consciousness: The Creator Of Matter

14. The Dimension Of Consciousness

I. Thoughts Create Dimensions

II. Freedom From Viewpoints

III. Journey Into the Mind: A Subjective Experience

IV. Unleashing Your True Potential

15. Everything Depends On The Mind

I. The Spiders On The Wall

II. You, The Master Of All

III. The Heart Sutra

IV. The Great Evolution Of The Consciousness

16. From Me To Myself

I. The Great Temple Within

II. The Volition To Choose God

III. Observing The Self Is Totality

IV. Love And Forgiveness For The Self

V. Awaken From The Long And Mundane Dream!

Part I

Journey into the Self

All thoughts occur within the mind.

All thoughts disappear from within the mind.

My thoughts are my choice.

My thoughts are my freedom.

I am the master of my mind.

Therefore I am freedom itself.

1. The ‘Self' Within Myself

I. A New Beginning

All changes are prompted by the most trivial things. And it is within these trivial things where the truth can often be found. When in a state of stress, confusion or frustration, try to embrace these emotions and consider them a valuable opportunity to observe yourself. Frustration is simply one among many forms of energy. Think of it as a platform through which you can initiate a change of thought. Instead of directing your attention outwards, pursuing advice from teachers, or seeking solace in books, regard your negative emotion as an important ‘key’ in getting to know the Self.

When you feel frustrated, investigate the frustration. We all feel frustration or anxiety at one point or another. But if you take a step back from your immediate dilemma and observe these emotions in raw state for what they are, you will see that the cause behind these emotions is not real. Take a moment to ask yourself why you should feel this way. Like this, step by step you will eventually come to realise that you are the master of your emotions.

You may find this to be difficult in the beginning. But when these emotions begin to resurface, open up your mind and welcome them as an opportunity. Because think about it — why should you be eaten up by your own emotions? Why must you become a victim of your own creation? The moment you become aware of this simple truth, a change in awareness occurs within. It may seem impossible, but it truly isn’t. And the more you practice, the more will it empower you to the extent that you had never deemed possible.

Everything that is seemingly an obstacle is, in fact, a stepping stone to initiate this change within you. Every time you are face to face with an obstacle, consider it an open door. Anxiety, confusion, frustration... All these emotions are simply forms of energy that are flowing in the negative direction

—  all you need to do is to redirect it. When in face of such emotions, don't torment yourself with why you put yourself there in the first place. Instead, try to remain impartial and observe that naked emotion. Then you will discover immense inner strength. It is the key to the peace of mind.

Continue to investigate and observe your emotions, and before long, you will be able to ‘see’ your current state of mind very clearly. Words cannot describe the thrill of the moment when this happens. From this point on, harness your emotions and allow yourself to open up to this unfamiliar notion I present before you. Instead of running from your emotions, it is time for you to break free from the restrictive emotional barrier that you have constructed and limited yourself to.

A logical person can observe oneself, but a wise person can observe oneself correctly. To observe correctly is to be alert to your current state of mind. Wouldn't you agree that stress derives from not truly being aware of your where your mind lies? What is your mind primarily focused on right now?

It is important to determine precisely what your mind is focused on in this moment. People tend to expect the world — and the people in it — to change to according to their desires, rather than to become the change themselves. But such laziness is synonymous to waiting under an apple tree for an apple to fall. It is as foolish as complaining that the mountain does not budge at your command. With such a mindset, you will be met with endless disappointment of emotional dissatisfaction, fuelled by constant self blame on your fate, destiny, karma, and so on. People are quick to blame undesired events or unfulfilled desires on various factors in life. They believe that they are simply born unlucky and that they are not destined for great paths.

The answer is not to wait for the mountain to come to you but to begin your journey towards the mountain. It is not passively awaiting an experience, but proactively putting yourself on the path to an experience. It is not waiting for an apple to fall, but climbing the tree to pick the apple. I want to encourage this proactive and spontaneous attitude in you.

Imagine a baby bird that is waiting in the nest to be fed. The bird may be too young to fly, but it is instinctively remembers that it is born with wings that will eventually enable its flight. Life’s purpose is not to fulfill a particular objective or to fulfill anyone’s destiny. It is a journey. As the designer of your own life, you must discover the ability and power to enjoy — to the full extent — the joy life can bring you. Now, don’t hesitate. From this very moment on, know that you have begun your journey towards what you desire. This should serve as the most important philosophy in your life.

II. Freedom From Thought

You are so accustomed to the hardships and challenges of daily life that you are predisposed to thinking that a path too easy is not the right path. But the notion that the path to enlightenment should be difficult is merely a figment of your imagination. Zen masters in the past who have endured arduous journeys to enlightenment often say that they feel ‘cheated’ upon reaching it. When asked about enlightenment, some even metaphorically likened it to a ‘feces-stained stick’. Just imagine how much suffering they must have braved to give such an answer! 살불살조 (‘If you meet

the Buddha, kill him’) they would say. Zen masters did not mean this in a literal sense, but rather to kill your preconceived notions of the Buddha.

We sometimes take a wrong turn on the road and end up driving around in circles. It is the same concept when it comes to our thoughts. When you are consumed by a thought, it becomes very difficult to snap out of that thought. When you find yourself in such a situation, either reverse out of the thought or acknowledge the thought itself so as to find peace in it. The more you try to fight an undesirable thought, the more will you become resistant to it. Then thinking itself becomes resistant, which is most undesirable.

When we are at peace, our mind is often blank. On the contrary, it is impossible to be at peace when our mind is constantly clouded with thoughts. This state of being drives you further into emotional traffic chaos to the point where your mind arrives at a complete jam. You can only escape this jam of thought once you put an end to the cycle of thought.

Modern science posits that many illnesses originate from poor blood circulation, and that good blood circulation is the root of wellness. Blood is a medium that fuels the nerves, the meridian system, and the ch'i (also known as ‘qi’). When blood stagnates, it will naturally begin to manifest in a host of health complications. Did you know that blood is primarily affected by negative thoughts? Our body — and our brain in particular — consists mostly of water. Therefore when we are  stressed or enraged, the fluid comes to a ‘boil’ and evaporates the oxygen in our blood. When we are under substantial stress, our veins expand thereby causing our blood vessels to rupture. When the blood vessels are damaged, masses are formed by platelets and fibrin in the blood. This is what we call blood clots. These clots travel around the blood vessels until they eventually cause blockage somewhere and begin to rot because fresh blood carrying oxygen cannot reach the area. Once blood begins to coagulate, it ultimately leads to numerous health complications such as problems with your thyroid or arteries.

Anything that is trapped or inert will eventually become the seed of illness. Imagine that the  physical body is solitarily confined to a cell. The body will be subjected to a great deal of stress, would it not? Now, imagine how much that stress would affect your mind — something destined to be far freer than the body — when it is contained? Just like the body, a mind confined will lead to illnesses. So ask yourself: who can confine your mind and your thoughts? The answer is yourself. You have all allowed yourself to become a prisoner in your own body by imprisoning yourself in thoughts, dogmatic beliefs and ideals. You are containing yourself and your thought processes so that your mind cannot operate freely. Imagine just how upset your body would be when held back as you are trying to escape the cell, struggling to be free. Then imagine the same effect on the mind, that which is far more mobile than the body; how infinitely more stressful it would be in a state of imprisonment!

Indulge your mind and thoughts in freedom. I do not mean that we must put an end to all discrimination and judgment; I simply mean that you must not imprison your mind to the notion of discrimination and judgment. A thought is just a thought — nothing more. There is no need to hold

onto it nor drown yourself in it. Just let it roam, and let it be. All the while, keep in mind that you are the one controlling your thoughts.

We produce a myriad thoughts everyday. These thoughts change, evolve, and disappear on an incessant basis. You are not the creator of one thought, but of a billion other thoughts. So how trivial is it that you are holding onto a single thought that is bothering you? In doing so, you are reducing yourself to the insignificance of a single speck of dust, because that is how minuscule your thought is compared to a billion other thoughts you could be generating in that moment.

There is no secret to leading a holistic and prosperous life. To be holistic is to be able to see yourself for what you are as a whole. When you accept not one but all thoughts and possibilities into your being, holistic cosmic existence shall become you. Allow the