This degree speaks of the uninhibited pursuit of what attracts us before self-consciousness intervenes.
"Reaching for what shines"
Before modesty, ambition, or strategy intervene, there is simply the direct reaching toward what attracts. The tiny nude figure reaching into water for a fish represents desire in its purest, most unselfconscious form — the body moving toward what it wants without calculation.
Left unexamined, the fear that the uninhibited pursuit of what attracts us before self-consciousness intervenes will be taken away, leading to possessiveness where openness was intended.
Wanting something plainly, before you learn to hide it, is honest and brave.
The mountain's discipline — a pressure for concentration and the power of absolute stillness. This gate teaches that staying put is itself a profound service, creating a centered anchor for everything around it.
Open Gate 52 ›