Cultivation and Practice Should Align with Nature
Xuefeng
November 7, 2009
Preface True wisdom harmonizes with nature.
Humans follow the Earth, the Earth follows the heavens, the heavens follow the Tao, and the Tao manifests in nature.
The highest rulers are so unobtrusive that people barely know they exist.
When accomplishments are made and tasks fulfilled, people say, “This came about naturally.”
A person of great virtue aligns with the Tao.
Thus, the sage discards extremism, excess, and arrogance.
The sage practices non-action.
The Tao is esteemed, virtue is honored, yet they do not demand anything and always act naturally.
The Great Way is simple, yet people prefer shortcuts.
These are the words of Laozi in the Tao Te Ching. Let me elaborate on their essential meaning.
True wisdom aligns with nature and unfolds effortlessly.
Humans live according to the laws of the Earth. The Earth operates according to the laws of the solar system. The solar system adheres to the laws of the Tao, which manifests through nature.
The supreme and most revered Greatest Creator is formless and shapeless, beyond human comprehension.
The most profound laws govern all things effortlessly, unseen by humanity.
When wishes are fulfilled, dreams realized, and goals achieved, people say, “It happened naturally.”
The highest virtue is rooted in the Tao.
The wise avoid extremes, greed, and excessive measures.
The enlightened live in a state of natural non-action, refraining from forced endeavors.
The Greatest Creator and the sage do not govern through commands; they allow things to follow their natural course.
The most wondrous paths are simple, yet people prefer shortcuts.
With these insights from Laozi, let us explore how Lifechanyuan members should cultivate themselves.
The Essence of Nature
Laozi’s teaching that the Tao manifests in nature implies that nature itself embodies the Greatest Creator. This means the Way, which governs all things in the universe, unfolds according to the will of the Greatest Creator.
All things and phenomena that grow, decay, operate, and evolve in accordance with natural laws are part of nature.
If “the Tao manifests in nature,” then anything that contradicts the natural processes of growth, decay, functioning, and evolution is unnatural and contrary to the Way.
For humans, being born, growing, aging, and dying in accordance with natural processes is natural. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking are natural; working at sunrise, resting at sunset, eating, drinking, sleeping, and making love are all natural. Expressing love and affection is especially natural.
The human body is exquisitely designed, as is the natural world. The harmony between the human body and nature is also meticulously crafted. For instance, human ears hear only sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hz because sounds beyond this range could harm us. Similarly, our eyes perceive light between 400 and 700 nanometers; perceiving light beyond this range would make survival difficult. These limitations are not restrictions but protections.
Cultivation and Practice Aligned with Nature
To live and cultivate in alignment with nature means to follow the Way of the Greatest Creator.
What does this mean? It means living, speaking, and acting according to the design and principles of nature: eat when it’s time to eat, drink when it’s time to drink, sleep when it’s time to sleep, relax when it’s time for leisure, work when it’s time to work, and indulge when it’s time to enjoy.
Why were humans placed on Earth? It is to live honestly and simply as humans, not to seek to become gods, Buddhas, immortals, ghosts, demons, monsters, spirits, dogs, pigs, or any other beings. Our task is to be good humans, to express and perfect human nature. When human nature is perfected, our mission is complete, and we can ascend to the next level. If we fail to be good humans, the foundation is unstable, and aspiring to sainthood or Buddhahood violates nature and the Way of the Greatest Creator. To go against the Way of the Greatest Creator is to abandon the hope of entering the Greatest Creator’s kingdom.
Laozi observed this fault thousands of years ago, “The Great Way is simple, yet people prefer shortcuts.”
What are these “shortcuts”? They involve ignoring natural laws and seeking unnatural ways to cultivate—attempting to regulate the Ren and Du channels, open the “Mysterious Gate,” develop occult techniques and supernatural abilities, retreat into isolation, refine elixirs, practice out-of-body experiences, or connect with higher spiritual beings.
Why do people seek shortcuts? Because they don’t want to live as humans; they want to become immortals, Buddhas, demons, spirits, or ghosts. In short, they are driven by excessive desire, which, as the Buddha said, stems from “greed, anger, and ignorance.”
Rejecting what the Greatest Creator naturally provides while pursuing what He does not leads to a “deviant path.”
For example, staying awake at midnight to practice certain techniques instead of sleeping; avoiding regular meals to practice fasting or breatharianism; suppressing natural affection between men and women; abandoning joyful communal life to retreat into solitude; abstaining from natural foods like ginger, onions, garlic, and peppers to achieve some imagined pure, fragrant immortal body—all of these go against nature and the Way.
There is no need for lofty ambitions to succeed as a human being; freeing oneself from worldly attachments is enough to earn recognition. There are no miraculous shortcuts to the Way—simply following the natural order leads to sanctity. To become celestial beings or Buddhas, there is no need for extraordinary methods—perfecting one’s human nature suffices.
Going against natural instincts is walking against the Way—“A person of great virtue follows only the Way.”
May all Lifechanyuan members cultivate themselves naturally, practicing in harmony with the Way.
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