The Sage

Xuefeng

Zhuangzi said: "Take heaven as the foundation, virtue as the root, the Way as the door, and the signs of change as the teachings—this is the Sage."

In The Intermediate Treasury of Classical Advice in Lifechanyuan (Part I), the concept of the Sage is described as follows:

When the world aligns with the Dao, the Sage fulfills their mission; when the world is in disorder, the Sage perseveres and emerges.

The Sage practices non-action and teaches with wise words.

The Sage understands that the way of nature cannot be violated and thus adheres to the path of profound stillness.

The Sage follows heavenly laws, returns to the truth, and remains unbound by worldly conventions.

The Sage knows without taking action, recognizes without being seen, and accomplishes without striving.

The Sage does not seek greatness, yet achieves greatness.

The Sage desires what others do not desire, places no value on rare treasures, learns what others do not learn, corrects the mistakes of the masses, and supports the natural order of all things without imposing force.

The Sage avoids excess, extravagance, and arrogance.

The Sage embraces unity as a model for the world.

The Sage knows themselves without seeking attention, loves themselves without seeking admiration.

The Sage does not hoard; the more they give to others, the more they have.

The Sage’s way is to act without contention, to use without greed.

The Sage is nameless, the divine person claims no credit, and the ultimate person transcends the self.

The Sage’s way requires minimal effort yet achieves significant results.

The Sage is not omnipotent; no thing has a perfect purpose, and neither heaven nor earth achieves complete perfection.

The Sage has no divided heart, and heaven follows a single Way.

The Sage does not focus on life or death but seeks to understand their underlying reasons.

The Sage relies on the Way for transformation, not on intelligence or cunning.

Destiny is self-created, and the Sage understands its principles.

The Sage is like a spiritual herb bestowed by heaven upon the earth, a miraculous elixir capable of curing all ailments. The Sage absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and transforms into a celestial being or divine figure. The Sage embodies the spirit of the Greatest Creator, serving as the Creator’s representative and messenger on earth and as the pinnacle of humanity. The wisdom of the Sage is profound and unfathomable.

Jesus, Sakyamuni, and Laozi are the Sages among sages. Great philosophers, scientists, thinkers, and politicians also exhibit the qualities of the Sage.

The wisdom of the Sage does not primarily stem from knowledge or education but from spiritual resonance with the Way.

The Sage possesses keen spiritual awareness.

The Sage transcends life and death, personal biases, fixed conclusions, hatred, and attachments. They flow with change and adhere to the principles of yin and yang.

Zhuge Liang resolutely said: "To save the suffering and the troubled is the work of the Sage." In times of turmoil in human society, it is only the Sage who can guide humanity out of confusion and hardship.

Great Sages will inevitably emerge in human society, for only through the emergence of great Sages can "the worthy not be left behind in the wild, and the world become one family."

May our Lifechanyuan Academy members first become noble people, then virtuous people, and ultimately Sages.

Let us open our eyes wide and seek the Sage.