The First Step to Returning to Youth

Xuefeng

Christ Jesus, who saves our souls, warns us: “Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Buddha Shakyamuni advises that if you still carry the “appearance of longevity,” you cannot become a Bodhisattva.

The celestial Laozi guides us to “return to our roots” and “revert to infancy.” He said, “What is strong will grow old; this is not the Way, and that which is not the Way soon ends.” He also taught, “Aggressors do not die natural deaths; I consider this a teaching.”

If fortunate enough to visit the heavenly realm of the Thousand-Year World, you’ll find that the celestials there almost all resemble children, with pure, beautiful hearts, playful yet embodying the highest goodness, mischievous yet authentic, wise yet simple, carefree yet caring.

Wudang Master Zhang Sanfeng’s famous saying is: “Going with the flow makes one ordinary; going against the flow makes one immortal. This is the reversal within the Tao.”

The teachings of gods, Buddhas, celestials, saints, and Xuefeng’s insights from Lifechanyuan reveal a truth—if you wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must first become like a child.

What should be the aim of our cultivation and practice? The answer is: return to youth and revert to the state of infancy.

Please note that “returning to youth” does not mean our bodies should become those of children again; rather, it signifies that our spiritual essence should return to the heart and mind of a child. We should not be bound by the “appearance of longevity” and should not think that because we are in our forties or fifties, we cannot play, cry, or have childish fits.

The first step to returning to youth is to strive for purity, authenticity, naturalness, and spontaneity.

Who isn’t afraid of wild lions and tigers? Would you fear them? Now, if they were lion cubs or tiger cubs, would you still be afraid? I once saw a scene at Lion Park in Harare where people, both adults and children, happily and affectionately petted several lion cubs. The cubs were playful and endearing; no one was afraid. Why? Because the cubs are pure.

Have you heard the story of the wolf children? Babies raised by wolves—would you dare to go to a wolf’s den to be raised by wolves? Why not? Because the babies are pure, while you have lost that purity.

There is a story in the Bible where three men are thrown into a furnace and are not burned. Why were they unharmed? Because they were pure. Laozi said, “I have heard that those who excel at preserving life do not encounter rhinos or tigers on land, nor are they harmed by weapons in battle. The rhino finds no place for its horn, the tiger no place for its claws, and weapons find nothing to cut.”

Can you become invisible? No, right? Why? Because you are no longer pure; your desires cloud your thoughts. Why can’t children become invisible? Because they lack that desire.

When a child sees someone eating an apple, they immediately call out, “Mom! Mom! I want an apple too!” But adults, even if drooling inside, pretend to be indifferent. Why? Because children are authentic, while adults are hypocritical.

When a child is sad, they cry; when hungry, they shout. Adults, however, say, “Real men don’t shed tears” or “You must have self-control.” Why? Because children are real, and adults are false.

When someone sees a beautiful woman, they may instinctively look twice and say, “She’s beautiful!” Others may feel an itch, wishing to take her as a second wife, yet sarcastically mock that person for their lack of taste, calling them superficial. Why? Because the first person is genuine, while the second is hypocritical.

As long as what you feel does not match what you say and do, you are not genuine.

When it snows, little MaoMao and JiaJia next door play joyfully in the snow, even touching JiaJia’s rosy cheeks—two innocent children. But who has seen old Zhang next door playing joyfully with Auntie? Would old Zhang dare touch Auntie’s cheeks? This shows the difference between following one’s nature and not. Children act naturally, while adults are bound by societal morals, unable to act freely.

No matter how distinguished the guests at home, if a child is tired, they’ll simply sleep—so natural! But adults won’t; even with drooping eyelids, they insist, “I’m not tired! I’m not tired!”—unnatural.

In short, if we maintain purity, authenticity, spontaneity, and naturalness, we are returning to youth.

Childhood is joyous and happy; middle and old age are less so. So why not return to youth?

Imagine a pond that continually receives fresh water and drains from the other side. It will never dry up and will stay fresh. Without fresh water, it will stagnate or flood. Childhood is like the fresh pond with inflow and outflow; middle and old age are like a stagnant pond that grows foul. By maintaining our pure, authentic, spontaneous, and natural nature, we stay connected to the fresh source of life. Holding onto old views and resisting new ones is like blocking that source, causing life to wither and making it harder to return to youth.

Those who "speak freely and openly, saying what they think, just as they think it," are people with a childlike heart. They are lovable people and are more likely to enter the heavenly kingdom. But those who are deeply scheming, vigilant from every angle, with everything they say perfectly calculated and without a trace of error—these people can be intimidating. It’s hard to know what they are truly thinking, and while they may be exceptionally clever, they are far from the kingdom of heaven.

Let's imagine this scenario: If you were the manager of the heavenly kingdom, what kind of people would you admit into its society?