Different Sceneries Along Different Roads

Xuefeng

September 21, 2023

Yesterday, on September 20, 2023, Huiyi and I traveled to Kamloops, which is 230 kilometers away from the headquarters in Canada, for a task. Having been there a few times before, I chose the familiar route that passed through 100 Mile House, Clinton, and Cache Creek. From Cache Creek to Kamloops, the landscape was characterized by desolate mountains and sparse human activity in the valleys. Occasionally, a few farms could be seen, mainly relying on sprinkler irrigation for grass cultivation. Along the way, there was a sense of desolation, only offset by the vitality sensed near the Kamloops lake.

Once, standing atop a hill in Kamloops, overlooking the city, I felt their predecessors had been somewhat short-sighted to establish a city in such desolate terrain. However, it wasn't until I traveled on Highway 5 that I realized my ignorance and limited perspective.

The return journey was guided by navigation, initially following Highway 5, almost parallel to the Thompson River. The scenery along the riverbanks was picturesque, with dense population and diverse landscapes. The hills were lush with winding trees, while the Thompson River flowed clear and serene. Beautiful pastoral views with herds of cattle and horses, and houses nestled amidst greenery, embellished the riverbanks, almost resembling "beaches" made of fine sand. This wasn't just typical northern scenery but a replica of New Zealand. I felt as if I had stepped into a utopian world like that of Tao Yuanming, exclaiming, "Canada is truly beautiful!"

Taking a left turn towards Highway 24 from Little Fort, we entered vast forests. With excellent road conditions and the mid-autumn season, the sky was high and clear, the air fresh. Bushes and poplar trees lined both sides of the road, their leaves turning golden. For nearly seventy to eighty kilometers, it felt like driving on a golden avenue, an awe-inspiring autumn landscape beyond words.

From Highway 97 to Highway 1 to Kamloops, then from Kamloops onto Highway 5 and eventually onto Highway 24, the landscapes seen on different roads were significantly different. This presents us with the following insight:

If we always live in the same place, we may believe that this world is an exact reflection of our lives. Our understanding becomes fixed, our thinking becomes rigid, and our cognition shapes everything in the world based on our fixed perspectives. This can lead to inflexible thinking, a lack of adaptability, which causes conflicts and contradictions, leading to chaos, even wars, ignorance, and backwardness.

Similarly, if we always travel on Highway 97 or 1 but never on Highway 5 or 24, we'll never know the scenery along these roads. If we immerse ourselves solely in a certain religion, political system, or cultural ethnicity, we'll never understand the essence of other religions, the merits and demerits of different systems, or the characteristics of other cultural ethnicities. In such circumstances, any conclusions we draw will surely not align with universal values. The more we insist we are right, the worse our future becomes.

Likewise, if our consciousness dwells solely in the material world, our understanding and thinking will be confined to materialistic thoughts and commercial patterns. Consequently, we will never understand the mindset and realms of people living in the spiritual and soul worlds. We might think those living in the spiritual world, especially the soul world, are incredibly foolish or even mad. Conversely, those dwelling in the spiritual and soul worlds may perceive those living in the material world as no different from insects or animals. These are cognitive biases caused by not having traveled on Highways 5 and 24.