Essence of Sexuality—In Response to Tiangong Celestial's Question

Xuefeng

Question: I once practiced the “Integration of All Practices” exercise. In the advanced stages, the focus was nearly entirely on cultivating sexual energy, such as joy meditation and dual cultivation of yin and yang. I would like to ask the guide if “nature” here refers to sexual nature, and whether “seeing one’s nature” and “becoming a Buddha through nature” imply sexual nature. Is it the same as the sexual nature we discuss in Lifechanyuan, or is there a difference? Please explain in detail.

Answer: Nature is structure; it is both the structure of all things and of LIFE itself.

The nature of all things, including all living beings, is determined by their structure. The structure determines the nature: the nature of water is different from that of a mountain, human nature is distinct from animal nature, male from female, divine nature from Buddha nature, cloud nature from stone nature, sheep nature from wolf nature, night blooming jasmine from tulips, willow trees from peach trees, and so forth. Every entity’s nature varies according to its structure.

Every entity has a nature. As long as a structure exists, nature will emerge from it. Even objects created by humans possess a nature, as they all have structures.

To change nature, the structure must first be altered; when the structure changes, so does the nature. In nature, alloys do not naturally occur, but when elements like carbon are added to certain metals, they form alloys, altering the original nature of the metal.

Nature is tathagata, which represents the intrinsic, original nature.

All nature originates from the consciousness of the Greatest Creator, and thus, the Creator is the source of all nature.

Nature is diverse and multifaceted, but regardless of the different types of nature in the universe, their total quantity and quality balance to zero. This is similar to the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—which mutually generate and restrict one another, maintaining universal symmetry. If this balance is broken, the universe would perish. Who maintains this symmetrical balance? The answer is: the Tao.

Human beings possess both heavenly nature and acquired habits. Heavenly nature is the original nature, while acquired habits are formed ingrained habits and behavior. Heavenly nature was established by the Creator, while acquired habits result from human choice. Cleansing acquired habits to return to heavenly nature aligns with the Greatest Creator’s Tao, which leads to peace and happiness.

Love is the core of nature. Every nature inherently possesses love, determined by its structure. Different structures, and thus different natures, express love differently. There are three primary expressions of love: through giving, absorbing, or mutual benefit.

Some insects and animals express love through giving, even at the cost of their lives, like certain spiders. Others, like wolves and birds, express love through absorption—wolves eat sheep, and birds eat insects. Human love mainly combines both giving and absorbing, while only the celestial beings of the Ten-thousand-year World and the Elysium World practice love as mutual benefit.

You mentioned focusing on sexual energy cultivation in advanced practice, which is correct. Both the Taoist dual cultivation of yin and yang and the Tantric dual cultivation of male and female are correct. The core of this practice is learning mutual benefit. If the practice focuses solely on the yin side or the yang side, it becomes a deviation. The true test of dual cultivation is mutual benefit; if both benefit, it is righteous, but if only one benefits, it is a deviation from the righteous path.

Both advanced sexual energy cultivation and dual cultivation of yin and yang involve absorbing energy through sexuality. I have often said that consciousness, structure, and energy are the keys to uncovering all mysteries, and sexuality is no exception.

The “nature” in sexuality is indeed the same as in “seeing one’s nature and attaining Buddhahood,” and it is also the same nature we speak of in Lifechanyuan. The purpose of Lifechanyuan's crossing the “river of sexuality” aims to transcend patterns of giving or absorbing in sexual relationships, striving instead for mutual benefit. True dual cultivation for mutual benefit is a matter of intention and spirit, not physical contact or intercourse, and therein lies a profound mystery.

Ultimately, all spiritual practices from all paths lead to tathagata, to a return to simplicity, and to the restoration of heavenly nature. This is correct—Wolves must eat sheep, and sheep must eat grass. If wolves stopped eating sheep or sheep stopped eating grass, it would go against heavenly nature and the Tao. Many practices advocate turning inward, essentially to rediscover one’s heavenly nature or original nature. However, Lifechanyuan is different. We are not aiming to return to our original nature or to tathagata, as this could reveal we were originally wolves or sheep.

So, regardless of what one’s original nature might have been, our goal is to cultivate the nature of Super Celestial Beings. How do we cultivate the nature of Super Celestial Beings? By transforming the non-material structure of human life into the non-material structure of Super Celestial life. Once the structure is transformed, Super Celestial nature is attained. How do we transform this structure? Through consciousness, by replacing human consciousness with Super Celestial consciousness. And how do we develop this consciousness? Through transforming thinking, using thinking to attain wisdom.

Both the Chanyuan Corpus and Xuefeng Corpus revolve closely around cultivating Super Celestial consciousness. Some sections of the Xuefeng Corpus may seem overly ornate or embellished; these serve to attract readers and test the faith and wisdom of Lifechanyuan members.

That’s my answer—thank you for your question. Your question could also be considered a revelation of divine wisdom, allowing me to express profound truths in simple language. Thanks to your question, countless people will benefit from this wisdom, and this is a merit you have earned.

This Q&A is of great importance and will be placed in the advanced cultivation section for everyone to reflect upon.