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Life's Wisdom
Life's Wisdom
  • Forword to the "Chapter of Wisdom"
  • Crossing the River as Stones
  • Where Did My Six Hours Go?
  • Emptiness, Spirit, Grace
  • Balancing the Abstract and the Concrete
  • Avoid the Long-Term Impact of Small Load Energy
  • Enemies Are Benefactors: The Path of Repaying Debts
  • Space and Hatred
  • Faith is Truth, Love is LIFE
  • What Are You Busy With?
  • The Longer the Gestation, the Sweeter the Fruit
  • Adding Value to LIFE
  • The Secret to Health
  • Do Not Disturb—Joy Lies Within It
  • Eliminate One Source of Profit, Amplify Efforts Tenfold
  • The Sun in the Black Hole
  • Observing the Profound and the Manifest
  • Enlightenment
  • Follow Your Nature
  • Those Who Have Long-Term Concerns Will Have Immediate Troubles
  • Move the Earth
  • The Way of the Tao Seems Obscure; Advancing in the Tao Seems Like Retreating
  • The Highest Form of Communication
  • Always Do Simple Things
  • Seeking the Optimal Combination
  • Unused Medicines are the Best Medicines
  • The Sustenance of Life
  • The Path of Understanding, Seeking, Realizing, Attaining, and Upholding the Way
  • How About Turning 180 Degrees to See the Scenery?
  • Transform Consciousness and Abandon Wisdom—Entering the Hall of LIFE
  • One Who Is in Harmony With the Tao, the Tao Likewise Delights in Him
  • The Highest Goodness Is Like Water
  • The Highest Wisdom is Formless
  • The Harm of Thought Inertia
  • The Scholar Stays Home
  • Expanding the Space of LIFE
  • Seeking the Best Fulcrum for Life
  • Follow Your Heart’s Desires Without Overstepping Boundaries
  • The First Step to Returning to Youth
  • Resolving Contradictions in the Invisible
  • The Most Easily Obtained is the Most Precious
  • The Magical First Time
  • Whimsical Fantasies: Exploring Extraordinary Abilities
  • Unshakable and Following One's Nature
  • Follow Your Intuition When Necessary
  • The Great Way (Tao) and the Small Path
  • Enrich Your Inner Self
  • Surrendering Life to the Tao's Arrangement
  • The Finite and the Infinite
  • Small Matters and Big Matters
  • The Three Essential Elements of a Fulfilling Life
  • A Revelation from Walnuts and Peaches
  • Chaos and Holographic Order
  • Establishing Oneself in Society through Rich Inner Content
  • The Heart of Comparison is the Heart of Malice
  • Examining Whether You Belong to the Masses
  • The Differences Between Minor, Moderate, and Great Filial Piety
  • The Subtle Techniques for Achieving a State of Emptiness
  • Do Not Suffer Yourself for Goals
  • So-called Coincidences are Links in the Chain of Inevitability
  • Is Coincidence Accidental?
  • From the Kingdom of Necessity to the Kingdom of Freedom
  • Everything Is Inevitable; Only I Roam Free
  • The Self in All Things
  • The Constant Nature of All Actions
  • The Benefit of Existence and the Utility of Emptiness
  • The Utility Cannot Be Seen and the Visible Cannot Be Used
  • Act Without Striving, Handling Things Without Interfering, Savor the Flavorless
  • The Objective World is a Reflection of Subjective Consciousness
  • Break Through the Consciousness of Walls
  • Unite with Heaven, Resonate at the Same Frequency
  • The Reference Frame and Coordinate System of Life
  • Mutual Generation and Restraint Maintain Balance
  • Destruction and Creation
  • Two Parallel Lines Intersect at One Point
  • The Secret to Acquiring Infinite Energy
  • The Three Major Pursuits in Life
  • Appearance and Essence
  • Positioning Your Life
  • Secrets of Diet
  • The Many Benefits of Knowing About the Afterlife
  • The Three Great Treasures of Life
  • Strategic Life
  • The Spiritual Life
  • A Life Without Regrets
  • Escape from Despair
  • Chasing the Sun and Escaping the Night
  • Infants Who Never Grow Up
  • Do Not Offer Help Unless Asked For
  • Further Discussion on “Do Not Offer Help Unless Asked for”
  • Looking for Your Own Garden of Eden
  • Abandonment Is an Achievement
  • Consciousness, Structure, and Energy are the Three Elements of the Universe
  • Who is Wrong?
  • How to Use Free Will
  • Should We Maintain Kindness?
  • Conquering Demonic Nature
  • Your Enemies Will Be the Members of Your Own Household
  • The Eight Great Awakenings from Human to Celestial Being
  • The Cerebellum and the Brain
  • That which is Easily Hurt is Weak and Flawed
  • Fate and Transcending Fate
  • Escaping the Traps of Life
  • Patterns and Endings
  • It was We who Sold our Own Liberty
  • Four Outlooks will give you Harmony
  • Some Perceptions about Life
  • My Reply to the Four Questions Raised by the Chairman of the International Federation of Philosophic
  • The Thinking Style and Approach to Action in Spiritual Thinking
  • Those Who Have Constant Faith Will Have Constant Actions
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The Highest Goodness Is Like Water

Xuefeng

Water nourishes all things without competing with them; it cleanses dirt, purifying all things, yet does not seek the highest place. Water takes the shape of its container, whether square or round, helping others without complaint. It transforms into clouds, soaring across the sky, indifferent to mountain peaks or valleys, plains or deserts, making its home everywhere without regret. Water is soft and humble: it flows when it can, rests when needed, sings when it should, and remains silent when appropriate. It changes form endlessly but never departs from its essence; in motion or stillness, it always returns to its source.

The highest goodness is like water. Water is "close to the Tao," embodying its qualities.

Those who seek goodness should learn from water; those who pursue the Tao should learn from water.

Life comes from the Tao and returns to the Tao. Since the Tao shapes both my body and nature, I should fully express my inner light, dedicating myself to my parents, children, siblings, society, and nature. Give without expecting anything in return; help others cleanse the dust from their hearts with sincerity and love. Let others benefit and willingly take the lower position. Whether dealing with benefactors or enemies, acquaintances or strangers, as long as it brings good to others, help them without judging their faults or mistakes. If wronged or misunderstood, so be it—just fulfill your responsibilities without complaint. After giving, don’t focus on whether or not you receive anything in return, because we trust that the Tao does not shortchange anyone.

Water’s nature is cool and gentle. Though it sometimes flows with mud and sand, its purity remains. When stirred, it becomes murky, but that’s no problem. Once still, it quickly returns to its pure nature. People in society are the same: sometimes caught in confusion or mixed with the mundane, the wise may be mistaken for the foolish or worldly. But it’s no matter. When the turbulence subsides, as long as we are grateful to the Greatest Creator, revere the Greatest Creator, LIFE, and nature, and walk the path of the Greatest Creator, the dirt that stains us will soon be washed away, and our pure nature will reemerge.

Rigid things break easily, and what is strong eventually ages. Tender willow branches sway gracefully with the wind without losing their beauty. The soft branches don’t easily break under the weight of snow. A sword may slice through water, but the soft water does not die. Mountains may crumble, but rivers and seas are not easily severed. The soft overcomes the hard, while the hard struggles to conquer the soft. A dam may block water, but eventually, water will break through. Thus, expressing gentleness often benefits both oneself and others.

Who can destroy water? Who can truly harm water? Who can live without water? Who does not depend on water?

The highest goodness is like water. If a person can be like water, they will be one with the Tao and enjoy an endless, flowing existence.

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Last updated 6 months ago