 Artificial Dragon's Gate A dragon creation ritual, carb transformation. Jump the waterfall already, you wet puppy. Conspectus. A carb can transform into a dragon by successfully climbing up a dragon's gate waterfall. However, for people who aren't able to go to one of those waterfalls, or for someone who wants to transform a specific carb into a dragon, this is the way to go. Knowledge. This ritual must be performed outdoors or in an open air environment, and with the body of water and waterfall which are not completely sterile except for the carb, or it will not work. An adult carb must be used in this ritual, or the best case scenario is that it will not work. A sizable waterfall is necessary, but don't worry, it doesn't have to be nearly as big as the one in Hennan. Simply create or find a waterfall large enough to be a challenge to the carb and it will work. This ritual is basically an emulation ritual for harnessing the natural transformative magic of the Wild Dragon's Gate ritual and placing it in a smaller more accessible scale. The reason it works is by convincing reality that this is an acceptable substitute for the real deal. It is certainly not the only way to turn a fish into a dragon, but it is the least risky way to do it as long as you follow all the rules. History and Associated Parties. This ritual has been practically unchanged since it was discovered in China, at least according to whoever wrote the English language translation I use. Now if only they weren't allergic to providing names and dates. Generally, it was used more politically than anything else. Create a dragon for a certain ruler's reign as a sign of heavenly approval, or just a general good omen, and hope said a ruler doesn't screw up enough to be eaten by said dragon. That being said, it's always been important to remember that these are made from carp, which can't and will eat anything that fits in her mouth. Poking out a new dragon was and still is a good way to become the first meal of ascension. Most of the time, rituals were performed away from anyone important who could get eaten. Approach. As stated before, you're going to need a body of water, a waterfall, a suitable adult carp, and a lot of patience. Place two imbued carp effigies at the base of the waterfall, and two imbued dragons at the top of the waterfall. This tells reality that this is a dragon's gate waterfall, despite being smaller than most of the natural ones. These will also have patterns carved in to redirect the backlash from the working into something manageable. Once you've made all the preparations, the only thing you can do is wait for the carp to jump the falls on its own time. You can use prior training to try and convince it to jump, but otherwise interfering with the ritual is a bad idea. Other detail. A general feature of the permitted carp to go through this ritual is that they are all very heavily bodied and very hungry. Goldfish and koi work best for this ritual because you can train them to jump the waterfall and return for a reward, while other carp may simply ignore the waterfall and favor eating whatever they can find in the main body of water. Observations and stories. The threshold of the dragon's gate. Beneath the serene quiet of the water lilies, a young carp senses a calling, swelling up in her heart, like the swirling water to the base of a great waterfall, somehow summoned to go beyond the barrier, of crashing water and veiled mist. The turning water to the waterfall's bottom matches that of the young carp's desires. Finally with a burst of enthusiasm, the carp has launched herself up the wall of rushing water, cresting the first falls with a surge of effort, only to be met with relentless rushing water. Persevering from one cataract to the next, the carp makes it to the summit's last falls. Regrouping her energies in a pocket of scouring effervescence, every essence of strength, courage and spirit is consumed in the launching over the fall summit. And the dragon's gate accepts her effort to transform the gate of fire, revealing the birth of a new dragon, born of the seed of desire planted in the heart of a small carp that once hid in the shallows. Howard Schroeder thresholded the dragon's gate. If in carp pledged a solemn bow, I shall swim beyond the dragon gate. I shall brave the perilous bolts of fire and lightning. I shall transcend the estate of ordinary fish and achieve a place among the order of sacred dragons. I shall rid myself forever of the terrible suffering to which my race is air, expunge every trace of our shame and humiliation. Waiting until the third day of the third month, when the peach blossoms are in flower and the river is full, he made his way to the entrance of the U-barrier. Then with a flick of his tail, red-finned carp swam forth. U-men had never laid eyes on the awesome torrent of water that rolls through the dragon gates. It falls all the way from the summit to the far-off Kunlun range with tremendous force. There are wild, thousand-foot waves that rush down through gorges towering the dizzy in heights on either side, carrying away whole hillsides as they go. Every bolt of thunder beat down with a deafening roar. Moaning whirlwinds whip up poisonous mists and funnel the noisome, vapor-spitting, flashing forks of lightning. The mountain spirits are stunned in the senselessness. The river spirits turn limp with fright. Just a drop of this water will shatter the carapace of the giant tortoise. It will break the bones of the giant whale. It was into this maelstrom that red-finned Carey, his splendid golden red scales girded to the full. His steely teeth thrumming like drums made a direct all-out assault. Ah, golden carp, golden carp, you might have led an ordinary life out in a boundless ocean. It teemed with luster fish. You would not have gone hungry, then why? What made you embark on this wild and bitter struggle? What was waiting for you up beyond the barrier? Suddenly, after being seared by cliff-shattering bolts of lightning, after being battered by a heavenly scorching blast of thunderfire, his scaly armor burnt from head to tail. His fins sensed through. Red-finned carp perished into the great death and rose again as a divine dragon, a supreme lord of the waters. Now, with the thunder god at his head and a fire god at his rear, flanked right and left with the gods of rain and wind, he moves abroad with the clouds in one hand and mist in the other, bringing new life to the tender young shoots withering in the long-parched desert lands, keeping the true Dharma safe amid the defilement of the degenerate world. Had he been content to pass his life like a lame turtle or blind tortoise, feeding on wrinkles and tiny shrimps, not even all the effort of Asuki, Manosvi, and the other dragon kings might muster on his behalf could have done him any good. He could never have achieved the great success that he did. Hakuin Ikaku 1686-1769 Japanese Zen master and artist, the essential teachings of Zen master Hakuin, translated by Norman Waddell, 1994, page 64. Doubt. As the editor for this and a witness to more than a few of these rituals, I can't really agree with the idea that they're stupider than wild dragons. I swear that they know more than they let on. Speaker