Seeing Within from the Outside

Xuefeng

September 30, 2024

"You cannot see the true face of Mount Lu simply because you are within the mountain."

When you’re inside, the truth remains elusive.

In the late Qing dynasty, the high-ranking official Li Hongzhang visited the United States. He saw skyscrapers, highways filled with cars, men in suits, and women in fashionable attire. After returning to China, he was almost silent. Why? The difference between America and China was overwhelming. China had no tall buildings or cars; men still wore long robes with queues, and women bound their feet. Without an external perspective, one could hardly recognize the backwardness, ignorance, stubbornness, and isolation that characterized China at that time.

Thirty years ago, I traveled to Zimbabwe. Waking up in a villa to the sound of chirping birds, I was amazed. People lived so comfortably here, in spacious homes with green lawns, vibrant flowers, and clear swimming pools. I decided never to return to China. Later, I spent over a year in a modest, remote place called Qiaoqiaole. Here, local Africans led simple lives with humble homes, basic food, and a relaxed lifestyle. They spent their days singing, dancing, and playing, living freely and happily. Though simply dressed, they kept themselves meticulously clean, often washing their clothes daily. Their floors were spotless, their lives simple but free and joyful. Looking back at China, life seemed excessively burdensome, with outer polish masking inner struggles.

After arriving in North America and learning about Western history over the past few centuries, I gained a new perspective on China’s history. Lu Xun was right: China's history is a “cannibalistic history.” Claims of China’s glorious 5,000-year culture often mask a harsh reality. This history reflects an inhumane nature: everyone was enslaved, including emperors controlled by power. Beyond music and landscape painting, China’s cultural legacy is frankly a mess. However, when you look closer, Chinese history is filled with talent. The intellect of the Chinese people rivals that of any nation. If Chinese people were allowed to freely express their creativity without repression, China would undoubtedly excel globally.

Thus, we must be vigilant. As Chinese people, if we remain unaware of life outside China or of the developments in Western science, philosophy, and sociology, we will live in a space where right and wrong, true and false, black and white, are blurred. Our life perspectives, values, and worldviews become chaotic and inhumane. So, when an isolated Chinese person believes they are right, they are likely profoundly mistaken.

On WeChat’s “Video Channel,” I frequently encounter people’s views, especially from well-known figures. They discuss human nature, advise against its flaws, advocate “overcoming adversity,” or “crossing class boundaries.” These teachings seem to encourage people not to be human, but to become wolves, ghosts, or monsters. As a result, I feel deeply pessimistic about China’s future.

Does this mean that developed countries like the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, or Japan are flawless? Not at all. From the perspective of the Thousand-year World, they, too, appear disturbingly flawed.

Seen from the highly civilized Elysium World, Earth appears like a hell brimming with monsters and demons, akin to a prison for the condemned. Humanity remains far from true civilization.

Let’s now narrow the focus to individuals. The hardest thing in the world is to know oneself. Among billions globally, few truly know themselves. Many perceive others clearly but struggle to see themselves. All those who stubbornly cling to their beliefs, who assert their correctness, and who are self-centered are fundamentally ignorant about themselves and are among the hardest to save.

To truly understand oneself, one must step outside their immediate environment—be it the Earth, their nation, culture, or humanity. Only from an external perspective can one see things clearly.

To truly see oneself, one must first identify a reference point in the coordinate system of life. Without a reference, we remain self-assured but muddled, no different from animals, plants, or insects.