Quickly Attain Standards and Retreat in Time

Xuefeng

Jan. 25, 2007

Yesterday, I went to the seaside. Normally, during high tide, there's a solitary island not far out in the sea, with a 'Seaview Pavilion' built on it. Normally, people take yachts to visit the pavilion. Several times, I stood by the sea, gazing at the pavilion and sighing, wishing I could ascend and enjoy the vast sea views.

Yesterday, our wish came true. When we arrived at the seaside, the tide was at its lowest, allowing us to walk from the shore to the Seaview Pavilion. We traversed a stretch of white sandy beach cleansed by the sea waves, encountering oddly shaped exposed rocks along the way. These rocks twisted and turned within the reef cluster for several hundred meters. Ahead was a smooth stone naturally laid out over ten meters, connecting the north and south seas. Carefully stepping on the stones to cross this open space, we then crossed several hundred meters of rugged reef jungles, reaching the usual sight of the isolated island. Typically, during high tide, the island appears as a dot. But yesterday, due to the low tide, we witnessed the island's vastness, spanning several kilometers.

The goal was to reach the Seaview Pavilion, and it was crucial to timely retreat from the island before the tide rose. However, we made two mistakes yesterday.

The first error was taking our time, leisurely enjoying the scenery along the way. One moment, we admired the colorful sea anemones; the next, we picked up seashells and caught starfishes. Now and then, we paused to take pictures, expressing emotions like, "Ah! Oh, mighty sea, how many tales of joy and sorrow have you stirred!" Sometimes, we stood atop the rocks, pretending to be philosophers, "With a cold gaze over the vast expanse, winds howling, waters surging, myriad events, challenging to comprehend." We lingered too long and reached the island close to high tide.

The second error was that after reaching the Seaview Pavilion, we should have retreated immediately. Instead, we dawdled, reluctant to leave, continuously looking around and taking photos, expressing emotions, and lamenting. While the people gathering seafood hurriedly left, we remained indifferent until someone shouted at us, "If you do not run now, it'll be too late."

It was too late!

The open space of over ten meters was already submerged. Wait? Absolutely not. The longer we waited, the deeper the water would become. So, on this bitterly cold day in the lunar year 2006, wearing thick clothes, we rushed into the biting sea water...

What does it teach me?

In life, the most important thing must be addressed first. So, what is the most important thing? Going to school, starting a family, establishing a career, making money, becoming an official—all undoubtedly are not the most important things. Achieving fame, gaining honor for the family, contributing to the nation, leaving a lasting legacy for generations, and creating a new era are also not the most critical matters. Love affairs, enjoying leisure activities, pursuing fame and profit, and even fighting and killing, are far from the most important matters. The most crucial thing in life is—understanding the issue of LIFE and death.

If the issue of LIFE and death is not resolved, everything else is futile. Death can arrive at any moment. When it does, there's no time for regrets or remedies. Everything returns to nothingness, to zero.

The problem of life and death is the “Seaview Pavilion.” Instead of lingering to admire the scenery along the way, we should head straight to the core theme. After reaching the “Seaview Pavilion” and understanding all the beauty of the island, we can then slowly appreciate the scenery along the way according to the specific tide conditions. Retreat in time from the Seaview Pavilion, grasp the time to handle the matters on this shore, such as settling debts, accumulating merits, processing LIFE visas, buying plane tickets, organizing luggage, and more. Only after resolving these matters, can you fully indulge in entertainment and play, and fully enjoy life. Otherwise, once the tide rises, it will be too late.

We should learn from Sun Wukong's spirit of seeking the truth. Whenever the master wanted to teach Sun Wukong a skill, he'd always ask, "Can this make me immortal?" If it wasn't about immortality, Wukong would say, "Not learning! Not learning! Not learning!"

We are facing the same question as Sun Wukong. The mentors of life teach us skills such as how to establish a family, make money, become an official, protect our family and country, gain fame, and cure illnesses—learning these skills is not wrong. The issue is that we must first learn the essential skill of “immortality.”

The issue of death is not a simple matter. Humanity's sages have been continuously exploring the true meaning of death. Nearly all religions consistently discuss the post-death fate of LIFE (the soul). It's time to ask this question just like Sun Wukong.

If someone comes to impart knowledge, teach us skills, we must focus on the theme and ask: “Can the skills you teach me allow me to understand the meaning of life and death while alive and ensure that I go to the so-called heaven after death?” If yes, then hurry up and learn; if not, turn away.

If a Christian comes to teach us, we should ask, “Can I go to heaven? Where is heaven? How do I get there?” You must explain the whole story clearly, so that I can understand it while I'm alive. If it's vague, unclear, and demands only faith without proper explanation, then, I'm sorry, I will not learn.

Whether it's a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, a member of a political party, this master or that master imparting knowledge, we should pose the same question about LIFE and death. If they can explain clearly, we'll learn; if they cannot, sorry, we will not learn. Because time is precious and the tide could rise at any moment, blocking us from passing that "vast open space."

In summary, we need to quickly meet the standard and then retreat in time; otherwise, we will regret it. “Many things, always urgent; the world turns, time presses. Ten thousand years are too long, seize only the present.”