Overview of Cultivation

Fundamental Mechanics

the Jade Sutra

harmony between heaven and earth,

union of individual and Divine.

The above picture symbolizes the basic components of cultivation.

PERSONAL

Jade Ring

The jade ring represents the personal, both physical substance and subtle energetics.  Jade is both hard and soft, and so symbolizes being well blended.  This part of the work is about exercise, opening the channels, the work of circulating and blending.  This is personal physical exercise and personal qi gong.

TRANSPERSONAL

It is individual integration with forces larger than the individual,

in a way that both transcends and supports the individual,

that imbues internal cultivation with effectiveness, stability, and grace.

Heaven and Earth

The trigrams above and below are heaven and earth, respectively.  Heaven and earth energies, through practice, integrate through all of the layers of the human body.  Progressive vertical integration.

Tao

The paper represents the Unspeakable Vastness, the Tao.  The quiet deep-centers (and related central vessel, sushumna) of the personal have a special connection with the Universal.

NOTE: 

Esoteric Buddhism~Taoism

In esoteric Buddhism, the jade ring would represent Compassion, the paper: Wisdom.  In Taoism, the jade ring would represent True Yin, the paper: True Yang.  The Path, the Way, is about very real, very practical unification of Compassion and Wisdom.