“To spare and tend the vital powers, this and nothing else is sum and total of all magic, secret and profane. All is comprised in these three, spirit, breath and soul; guard them closely, screen them well; let there be no leak. Store them within the frame; that is all that can be learnt, and all that can be taught. I would have you mark the tortoise and snake, locked in tight embrace. Locked in tight embrace, the vital powers are strong; even in the midst of fierce flames the Golden Lotus may be planted, the five elements compounded and transposed, and put to new use. When that is done, be which you please, Buddha or Immortal”
~Monkey, from the 16th century Chinese novel, Monkey, written by Wu Ch’Eng-En
* The line "Even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted" is the epitaph on Sylvia Plath's gravestone.
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