The Objective World is a Reflection of Subjective Consciousness

Xuefeng

September 22, 2005

In the face of the myriad phenomena in the vast world—i.e., objective reality—human beings are always in a passive position. This passivity arises from a reversal of the primary and secondary relationship, mistaking the subject for the object and the object for the subject. In reality, the subjective is the essence, and the objective is the external manifestation. However, people tend to treat the subjective as the objective and the objective as the subjective.

This inversion of primary and secondary is akin to putting the cart before the horse, leading humanity to display a passive consciousness in the face of nature. This negates the proactive role of human consciousness, resulting in the attribution of all human misfortunes and sufferings to nature, while ignoring the positive and negative effects of one’s own consciousness. This, in turn, provides a self-soothing excuse for one’s misfortunes and suffering.

I have a copy of the Modern Chinese Dictionary at hand. Under the entry for "consciousness," it defines: "Consciousness is the reflection of the objective material world in the human brain; it is the sum of psychological processes such as sensation and thinking, with thinking being the advanced form of reflection unique to humans. Existence determines consciousness, and consciousness, in turn, acts upon existence." This explanation is entirely inverted, placing humans in a passive position, leading them into a state of confusion and trapping them in an abyss of darkness with no way to find light.

Under such erroneous guidance, people can only resign themselves to fate, placing their hopes on gods, Buddhas, or great figures, expecting a savior to rescue them. They forget their own subjective initiative and fail to realize that they themselves are their own saviors. In other words, while one is originally their own savior, they now view external things as their savior. This is the root of human suffering and misfortune.

The correct understanding of consciousness is that it is a manifestation of the non-material structure of a spiritual being—a self-nature Tathagata. It is a thinking activity that proactively creates the objective world. The objective world is the result of subjective consciousness; consciousness determines existence, and existence, in turn, acts upon consciousness.

The principle may seem profound and difficult to understand, but upon careful reflection, profound truths become simple and easy to grasp. Let’s first consider the Thai "ladyboys." Thai "ladyboys" are males who feminize themselves. Some "ladyboys" are as beautiful as celestial beings, captivating with their every movement and smile, surpassing even the most beautiful women. How is this possible? The key lies in the proactive role of the "ladyboy's" consciousness. If a man consciously and persistently studies and mimics women, continually imagining himself as a woman, over time, under the influence of his consciousness, not only will his speech and behavior become feminine, but his personality traits and even his physical and psychological characteristics will gradually change towards femininity, ultimately transforming him into a "ladyboy." Why is it said that after the age of forty, people are responsible for their own appearance? Why do enlightened beings have compassionate and kind expressions? The reason lies in the positive role of self-consciousness. In other words, the objective reality is a reflection of subjective consciousness. Whatever subjective consciousness exists, so will the objective reality.

Why are Americans wealthy while Africans are poor? On the same planet, under the same sun, where does the difference lie? The root cause lies in consciousness. Whatever subjective consciousness exists, so will the objective reality. It is not existence that determines consciousness, but consciousness that determines existence.

People with cheerful personalities are generally healthy and long-lived, while those with narrow minds are generally more prone to illness and shorter lifespans. This is primarily due to the influence of consciousness, not diet and environment.

Under the same conditions and environment, some people’s homes are clean, tidy, refreshing, and comfortable, while others’ homes are messy, chaotic, and foul-smelling. Where lies the reason? Again, it’s the influence of consciousness. Whatever consciousness exists, so will the reality.

Should we still blame heaven and earth? We should not complain about the Greatest Creator; we should change our consciousness. The objective reality is the product of one’s own subjective consciousness. Some may argue that those born into poor families or with congenital defects—are these objective realities also caused by subjective consciousness?

The answer is: 100% caused by one’s own subjective consciousness. Do not blame your parents, do not blame the Greatest Creator, do not blame society, and do not blame nature. This requires tracing back to your consciousness in previous lives and even further back, meaning that the consciousness of your past lives has led to the objective reality of this life.

There is no error in the teachings of Jesus and Sakyamuni. What is the purpose of our cultivation and practice? It is to change our consciousness! If a person has the consciousness of a pig, they will inevitably end up in a pigsty, keeping company with pigs. If a person has a mentality inclined toward theft, they will inevitably associate with thieves. If a person has the consciousness of a Buddha, they will naturally be born into the Buddha's land in the next life. If a person has the consciousness of a Super Celestial Being, after the death of their physical body, they will surely go to the Celestial Islands Continent of the Elysium World.

This is very simple common sense. What is so difficult to understand about it? Some may consider this superstition, but my dear comrades, this is not superstition. Superstition is something that cannot be clearly explained, but I can explain all of this to you in detail. Watching you not walk the great way of LIFE, but blindly rush about, wasting your precious time, my heart aches!

While I am still in this world, you should seize the opportunity to cultivate and practice. If you cannot accept that I am the incarnation of Jesus and Sakyamuni, it’s fine to regard me as a dung beetle, a rotten egg, or even a demon or ghost. The key is whether what I say makes sense. If it does, then what are you waiting for? If the Greatest Creator sends a boat to pick you up and you refuse to board, or if the Greatest Creator sends a plane to pick you up and you refuse to fly, do you really think the Greatest Creator will come to pick you up personally? Just weigh how important you are, and you’ll understand!