Establishing Oneself in Society through Rich Inner Content
Xuefeng
September 2, 2009
What enables a person to stand firm in society?
Grass, flowers, butterflies, bees, and birds show us that only through their own green leaves, vibrant fragrance, light wings, diligence, and hard work can they find survival and freedom.
“When one’s foundation is established, the Tao emerges; when the heart is rich, one finds peace.”
There are three great treasures in life: soul wealth, spiritual wealth, and material wealth. Only by possessing ample amounts of all three can a person stand tall, live with dignity, and truly establish themselves in society.
If a person lacks these three treasures—if they are spiritually barren, mentally impoverished, and materially deprived—then they cannot stand firm. Instead, they become destined to live as slaves, sycophants, or simply scrape by to survive.
Without rich inner content, an individual can only rely on flattery, ingratiation, compliments, hollow words, superficial compliance, opportunism, scheming, dependence on others, or on selling their time, energy, spirit, and conscience to survive.
Those who seek survival by attaching themselves to a country, religion, political party, organization, powerful person, money, a man, a woman, an ideology, or a doctrine do so because they are spiritually, mentally, and materially impoverished and lack rich inner content.
In marriage, both partners often depend on each other because their own inner content is insufficient; they rely on each other for survival. They place their happiness in the hands of another, expecting them to guarantee lifelong happiness, for they lack the inner richness needed to stand independently in society.
Those who lack inner content and depend on external factors for happiness cannot stand firm. Their lives will inevitably be filled with fear, struggle, and despair, bound to end in tragedy.
To become a dignified, free individual standing firm in society, the foremost task is to enrich one’s inner content—not to seek solace in external illusions.
How can one enrich their inner content?
This enrichment comes from pursuing soul wealth, spiritual wealth, and material wealth, starting with soul wealth and spiritual wealth. “Material wealth alone is not true wealth; only a rich heart is truly wealthy.”
Eight pathways can enrich one’s inner content:
Seek the Greatest Creator, know the Greatest Creator, have faith in the Greatest Creator, revere the Greatest Creator, trust the Greatest Creator, and walk in the way of the Greatest Creator.
Listen to the teachings of Christ Jesus, Buddha Shakyamuni, Celestial Laozi, Prophet Muhammad, and sages throughout history.
Read beautiful essays and poetry and listen to graceful melodies and songs.
Develop your strengths, master a skill or technique for survival, be dedicated and responsible, and strive for excellence.
Be diligent!
In both great and small matters, let your inner truth, goodness, beauty, love, faith, and sincerity shine through in your words and actions; seize every opportunity to express your true self.
Remain ever humble.
Embody your value and strive to be of service to society and others, without dwelling on personal gain or loss.
In the pursuit of material wealth, the highest state is “to own nothing yet possess everything.”
By following these principles, one’s inner content will grow increasingly rich, unshaken by external influences, constraints, or limitations. Life will become increasingly joyful, free, and fulfilling, allowing one to establish themselves in society, feel the joy of life, and envision a beautiful future.
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