We spent days in the Imperial complex, a seven mile long series of ritual centers devoted to the harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Man including 1) the Drum and Bell Tower complexes to the North that initiated the ritual events within the entire city; 2) the Beihei Pleasure Park where the imperial family relaxed; 3) the Forbidden City; and 4) the Gate Towers to the South.
In addition, there was the Changling Mauseleum to the far North of the city and the Temple of Heaven to the far South. Finally, we also visited the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1233) White Cloud Daoist Monastery (Baiyun Guan) where we received some precious alchemical meditation scrolls.
The Changling Mauseleum is situated in a perfect Fengshui position sheltered by the mountains that protect it from the North. Within this complex is the Spirit Road (Shendao), where the ancient emperors and their families would procede to the mauseleum in order to pay respects to their ancestors. "Spirit Road" is one of the names of an important acupuncture point related to the Heart. According to acupuncture theory, the emperor is a symbol of the spirit of conscious awareness residing in the Heart. As an acupuncture point, the Spirit Road provides access to the deepest recesses of consciousness and relates in the West to the connection between subconscious and super conscious mind. The deeper meaning of this pointname is discussed at length in my "Spiritpoints" book.
|
|
|
