The Mystery of Becoming a Celestial Being: No Longer Possessing Yourself

Xuefeng

November 16, 2012

A sage has no personal heart; they align their heart with the hearts of the people, so a sage does not possess themselves.

A celestial being or Buddha has no self; their heart aligns with the heart of the Greatest Creator. Therefore, to become a celestial being or Buddha, one must achieve a state of having no self.

A celestial being or Buddha is nature itself; nature is the attribute bestowed by the Greatest Creator. Living according to one’s nature means living within the Greatest Creator’s consciousness, living within the Tao.

To possess oneself means to act not according to nature but according to one's own desires and inclinations. When a being is arrogant, selfish, greedy, ambitious, and acts for their own enjoyment, desires, or possessions—seeking money, power, fame, or pleasure—they possess themselves.

Demons are beings who possess themselves. To maintain their own self, they rebel against the Greatest Creator, defy heaven, and recruit forces to expand their power, aiming to stand on equal footing with the Greatest Creator. Therefore, when a person desires to possess themselves, they resonate with demons, becoming demonic progeny. This is why Christ Jesus warned that to follow him into the kingdom of the Greatest Creator, one must renounce the self.

Is it good to possess oneself?

No! Reflect deeply and carefully—where do your troubles, pain, sorrow, anxiety, fear, negativity, pessimism, misfortune, and disasters come from? These all arise from possessing oneself. When you no longer possess yourself, these negative things will dissipate. Hence, the sage Laozi advises that the great sufferings of humanity stem from the self; once the self is gone, there will be no suffering.

Why do you debate, argue, quarrel, and conflict with others? It is because you possess yourself. When you no longer possess yourself, what is there to debate, argue, or fight over? Conflicts arise from wanting to protect oneself, one's possessions, and one's vested interests, or from scheming to gain or hold onto something.

Why are you irritated or troubled? Is it not because your vanity, self-esteem, or interests have been harmed, leading to frustration and resistance?

All those who commit crimes and end up imprisoned, are they not driven by the desire to avenge or possess due to possessing themselves? All those who descend to hell, are they not opposing the way of the Greatest Creator due to their self-possession?

"Therefore, the sage embraces unity and is a model for all under the heavens,” which means embracing unity cannot involve possessing oneself. Once one possesses oneself, it becomes not unity but a multiplicity—embracing two, three, four, five, six, seven... What is unity? The supreme leader is unity; in the universe, the Greatest Creator is the supreme leader. Thus, the entire universe aligns with the Greatest Creator. In worldly society, the president or chairman is the supreme leader; thus, people must align with the president or chairman. Specifically, in production, the CEO or head of an organization is the supreme leader; everything must align with the leader.

Is it good to no longer possess oneself?

Certainly! Without possessing oneself, one can maintain harmony with others, society, and nature. Everything will proceed in an orderly and well-regulated manner. Although it may seem like losing oneself on the surface, in essence, one ends up gaining more and enjoying more through harmony with others, society, and nature. By giving up oneself, one actually finds oneself; by striving to possess oneself, one ultimately loses oneself.

Take the example of the Lifechanyuan Second Home. All those Chanyuan celestials who sought to preserve their own selves in the Chanyuan ultimately disappeared into the sea of ordinary beings, losing themselves. Meanwhile, those who gave up themselves and ceased to possess themselves entered the home one by one, living in a beautiful, carefree paradise, enjoying a happy, free, and blissful life, and ultimately found themselves and gained themselves.

When the self is completely lost, the heart becomes relaxed and happy. Only when a person fully abandons the self and ceases to possess themselves can they appreciate and experience the magnificence and wonder of the vast world, enter a realm of ultimate freedom, understand the workings of the Tao and the will of the Greatest Creator, and live out their true self.

Do you wish to become a celestial being or Buddha? Do you want to achieve supreme Authentic Wisdom and escape the confines of heaven and earth, to enjoy eternal bliss in the boundless realm of ultimate happiness?

Yes! The way is to abandon oneself, to no longer possess oneself.

Remember, the core of Buddha's teaching is: no self, no form, a mind free of attachment, and no hindrances.