Forget Your Goal, and You’ll Sink into the Mire

Xuefeng

September 29, 2024

A life without a goal is one weighed down by trivial worries, suffering, conflicts, setbacks, anxiety, and fears that will haunt you all your life.

For those who have a life goal yet forget it on the way—distracted by fame, personal gain, desires, or overwhelmed by challenges—they quickly fall into a mire of jealousy, comparisons, anger, resentment, quarrels, and rivalry. Harmony with others becomes almost impossible, and relationships turn turbulent filled with opposition, conflict, and overwhelming bitterness.

The grander the goal, the lighter life feels; the more shortsighted the goal, the more burdensome life will be.

If you find yourself feeling frustrated, disheartened, or agitated by others’ laziness, greed, selfishness, aggression, or indifference, it’s likely because you either have no life goal or you’ve forgotten it.

To illustrate, let’s consider the life of a Chanyuan Celestial.

A Chanyuan Celestial has two core goals: one, to experience joy, freedom, happiness, and bliss; and two, to extend their life into the Thousand-year World, Ten-thousand-year World, or Celestial Islands Continent of Elysium. With a clear goal, life becomes straightforward, lighter, and easier. You avoid deep connections with those whose paths contradict your goals, ignore distractions, and avoid paths that diverge from your purpose. You won’t follow such a path, no matter how appealing, even if it’s lined with wealth, fame, beauty, or promises of prestige and honor.

But what if those close to you—parents, children, a spouse, siblings, friends, or coworkers—bring you distress?

First, don’t try to change others. Everyone has their own life path; trying to change someone else is often a thankless task. Let those bound for Heaven go to Heaven, and those destined for Hell go to Hell. Allow a carrot to remain a carrot and a cabbage to remain a cabbage; trying to turn one into the other is not their problem, but yours. As a popular saying goes, “Those who can change themselves are wise; those who try to change others are foolish.” Don’t turn yourself into a fool.

Second, if you see someone heading down the wrong path, don’t let it burden you. Let them do as they will—focus instead on living responsibly and within your means. When you prepare food, share it with them gladly; if they do not share with you, let it go calmly, without anger or resentment. If you’re busy while they are idle, don’t feel jealous or frustrated. You focus on your tasks, and they on theirs; leave the ultimate reckoning to the universe—it will eventually settle all accounts.

Finally, never lose sight of your goal. Think of yourself as a celestial being, maintaining your virtues even if those around you—family, friends, and colleagues—are mere mortals. Continue your journey toward the Celestial World, undisturbed by the behavior and opinions of others. Contribute selflessly, unconcerned with gain or loss. One day, if you reach the Celestial World and look back, you’ll clearly see the circumstances of those who once brought you distress.

Ultimately, those who live the most freely, confidently, and brightly are those without ego, selfishness, or attachment. All who experience trouble, pain, anxiety, or fear lack a life goal and are bound by strong egotism, selfishness, and self-centeredness.

Let the dead be, let the living live. Just keep climbing toward your goal.