Let the Mind and Life Grow Ever Simpler

Xuefeng

June 5, 2025

Laozi said, “The Great Way is very plain.” The Great Way is the way of the Greatest Creator. The way of the Greatest Creator is the way of nature. And the way of nature is “very plain.” What does “very plain” mean? It means natural, smooth, clear, and simple—not complicated, not extravagant, not deceptive, not reckless.

To simplify the mind and life is to walk on the Great Way. Walking the Great Way means becoming one with the Tao. When you are one with the Tao, you become the Tao itself. To become the Tao is to enter higher LIFE spaces and begin living the life of heaven. Seeking simplicity may seem ordinary at first, but the result can be unexpectedly profound—this is the subtle truth that by selflessness one fulfills oneself, and through egolessness one completes the true self.

Let’s take food as an example to explore the deeper meaning of simplicity. A person can live a long and healthy life just by drinking boiled water and eating steamed cornbread and pickled vegetables. Look—survival is not difficult. If you let go of soft drinks, alcohol, and all sorts of dishes and delicacies, doesn’t life become very simple? Then why crave coffee or dream of lavish banquets? Why feel bitter or upset when seeing others indulge in exotic cuisine? Why let ridicule or scorn from others disrupt your inner peace? If your heart is firmly rooted in the Tao, you will live a simple life. And what will that lead to? Most likely, a high-quality life beyond others' reach.

The issue is, people struggle to persist in simplicity. Most desire a life of luxury and indulgence. And what’s the result? In the end, they become ordinary people stuck in mediocrity.

The simpler the mind, the more at ease one lives. The more complicated the mind, the more likely one is to turn into a demon or monster. Don’t believe it? Look at many who study Buddhism—they often end up twisted and confused. Practicing Buddhism is actually very simple: just let your true nature shine. But instead of doing that, people get entangled in endless conceptual knots.

Or take Wang Yangming’s idea of “investigating things to attain knowledge.” It sounds so lofty, yet after all the “investigating,” what is really gained? Often, nothing—people just turn themselves into strange beings. And what is “investigating things”? It’s simply reading the revelations of heaven—reading the sky, the earth, human beings, and phenomena, and from these, perceiving even a trace of nature’s wisdom. That alone is already remarkable.

From the perspective of simplicity, all long-winded writings that try to preach or moralize often lead people astray—into the realms of demons and monsters. The more you read or listen to them, the more likely you are to lose your true nature and become something neither fully human nor fully ghost.

Being human is simple. If something falls from the sky, rises from the ground, or is given for free—if it wasn’t earned through your own effort—don’t take it. If you can follow this, how could you still be easily deceived? How could you still fall into traps woven by demons and monsters?

Drink boiled water. Eat pickled vegetables and steamed cornbread. Live freely and at ease. Why chase after all the unnecessary frills?

If you no longer want to live as a human but wish to become a Buddha—it’s simple: let your true nature express itself. If you want to become an immortal, even simpler—repay your debts, sever worldly ties, accumulate a little merit, and purify the impurities in your soul. That’s all it takes.

To make everything simpler is to walk the Great Way. To make everything more complicated is to follow the demonic path. Anyone who incites you daily to think about money and chase after wealth is undoubtedly acting under demonic instigation—and such a path inevitably leads to hell.