Feminine Energy

Why is feminine energy the 'darkness' principle? Does this mean that there is supposed to be something sinister about it? The author of the secret of the golden flower seems a little male chauvinistic sometimes.

The question is from Ma Ananda Prem. Ananda Prem, you are a female chauvinist! Rather than thinking about the author of THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER, think about yourself. Master Lu-tsu is saying something just factual. Who has given you the idea that darkness symbolizes something sinister? That is your idea! Darkness is as beautiful as light, equally as beautiful and valuable as light. Do you think night has less value than the day? In fact, it may have more value than the day, but not less. It is the day that tires you, exhausts you; it is the night that rejuvenates you, replenishes you. It is the day that kills you, it is the night that refreshes you again, prepares you for tomorrow, keeps you young. What is sinister in darkness? Darkness is vast. Light is never so vast. Light is always limited, darkness has no limitations. Light…

No, I understand. Right -- it can happen sometimes in the Intensive group. The process can go so deep that when you come out of the group you cannot come out so easily -- it continues. And it is very beautiful. Certainly it is very vague -- it has to be. One is entering a new territory; one is becoming acquainted with a new kind of energy. One is moving without any map, and the eyes are not attuned to this new phenomenon, so everything looks vague. It is almost as when a child is born: he opens the eyes but he cannot see because his eyes will need training; he has never seen before. So you can see the child -- that his eyes open -- but he doesn't see much... just blurred colours, no shape, everything like a flux, unfocused, because his eyes are not yet focused.

Question: MASTER LU-TSU SAID: WHEN THE LIGHT IS MADE TO MOVE IN A CIRCLE, ALL THE ENERGIES OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, OF THE LIGHT AND THE DARK, ARE CRYSTALLIZED. WHEN ONE BEGINS TO APPLY THIS MAGIC IT IS AS IF, IN THE MIDDLE OF BEING, THERE WERE NON-BEING. WHEN IN THE COURSE OF TIME THE WORK IS COMPLETED, AND BEYOND THE BODY THERE IS A BODY, IT IS AS IF, IN THE MIDDLE OF NON-BEING, THERE WERE BEING. ONLY AFTER CONCENTRATED WORK OF A HUNDRED DAYS WILL THE LIGHT BE GENUINE, THEN ONLY WILL IT BECOME SPIRIT-FIRE. AFTER A HUNDRED DAYS THERE DEVELOPS BY ITSELF IN THE MIDST OF THE LIGHT A POINT OF THE TRUE LIGHT-POLE. THEN SUDDENLY THERE DEVELOPS THE SEED-PEARL. IT IS AS IF A MAN AND WOMAN EMBRACED AND A CONCEPTION TOOK PLACE. THEN ONE MUST BE QUITE STILL AND WAIT.

The tao, the undivided, great one, gives rise to two opposite reality principles, the dark and the light, yin and yang. From yin comes the receptive feminine principle; from yang comes the creative masculine principle; from yin comes ming, life; from yang, hsing or human nature.

EACH INDIVIDUAL CONTAINS A CENTRAL MONAD, WHICH, AT THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION, SPLITS INTO LIFE AND HUMAN NATURE, MING AND HSING. IN THE PERSONAL BODILY EXISTENCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL THEY ARE REPRESENTED BY TWO OTHER POLARITIES, ANIMA AND ANIMUS. ALL DURING THE LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL THESE TWO ARE IN CONFLICT, EACH STRIVING FOR MASTERY. IF THE LIFE-ENERGY FLOWS DOWNWARD, THAT IS, WITHOUT LET OR HINDRANCE INTO THE OUTER WORLD, THE ANIMA IS VICTORIOUS OVER THE ANIMUS; NO GOLDEN FLOWER IS DEVELOPED. IF THE LIFE-ENERGY IS LED THROUGH THE 'BACKWARD-FLOWING' PROCESS, THAT IS, CONSERVED, AND MADE TO 'RISE' INSTEAD OF ALLOWED TO DISSIPATE, THE ANIMUS HAS BEEN VICTORIOUS. A MAN WHO HOLDS TO THE WAY OF CONSERVATION ALL THROUGH LIFE MAY REACH THE STAGE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER, WHICH THEN FREES THE EGO FROM THE CONFLICT OF THE OPPOSITES, AND IT AGAIN BECOMES PART OF THE TAO, THE UNDIVIDED, GREAT…