Measure Your Levels of Self-Improvement and Self-Cultivation
Xuefeng
All who engage in religious activities are practitioners of cultivation, as are those involved in mystical practices, those who seek the Tao, and those who work for the well-being of humanity. Anyone who contemplates the mysteries of nature and incorporates this understanding into their daily life is a practitioner of cultivation, as are those who long for paradise and diligently pursue it.
The members of Lifechanyuan, known as "Celestial Beings," are also practitioners of cultivation.
Cultivation is merely a process, not an end in itself. The purpose of cultivation is to achieve certain outcomes that one aspires to. So, how can one determine the results of their cultivation after a period of practice?
To begin, we must clarify several points.
If you tell me, you've read the Bible, the Diamond Sutra, the Quran, or the Tao Te Ching and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you can recite and explain these scriptures to many, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you've practiced mystical methods for decades and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you've sought the Tao for years and participated in numerous gatherings of fellow seekers, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you have extensively studied Western New Age spiritual materials, reflected on them deeply, and followed them rigorously, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you’ve spent years online, day and night, neglecting sleep and meals, debating various topics with netizens, and have connected with many high-level spiritual friends, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you hold great reverence for Jesus or Buddha and have unwavering faith in gods and Buddhas, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you’ve followed several masters, listened to their teachings and guidance, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you’ve taken a grand master, celestial being, a returned Jesus, or a reincarnated Maitreya Buddha as your teacher, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you have written hundreds of articles on the cultivation and practice of seeking the Tao, or authored several profound books addressing major questions about the universe, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you have delivered lectures on the Dharma or other main paths to thousands of people in many places, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you have established a spiritual website, providing users with a vast amount of essential classics and insightful writings from today’s masters on cultivation and practice, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you regularly meditate, chant mantras, burn incense, or make offerings, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you’ve built temples, churches, erected statues of deities and Buddhas, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you come to Lifechanyuan daily, study the Chanyuan Corpus, and Xuefeng Corpus, and ask what you have achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
If you say you participate actively in the Lifechanyuan community, diligently follow the guide’s instructions, and ask what you’ve achieved, I’d say, “You’ve achieved nothing.”
Hearing this, you may feel upset, uncomfortable, or unconvinced, thinking my response is too harsh.
Let's examine some principles.
If Zhang San completed his studies up to postdoctoral level, what did he gain? Nothing!
If Li Si worked tirelessly on the land, turning the soil over and over again, what did he achieve? Nothing!
If Wang Wu practiced, sat in meditation, cultivated, chanted, meditated, prayed, wrote, and lectured every day, but found no change in himself, where is his achievement? Nowhere!
If Zhao Liu studied architectural design, made money to buy building materials, but never built a house, what did he accomplish? Nothing!
If Qian Qi preached “forgiveness,” aspired to perfect himself and his environment, but quarreled with everyone he met, what did he achieve? Nothing!
If Sun Ba was a lawyer, wrote thousands of legal or defense documents, went to court hundreds of times, but never won a case or secured any benefits for his clients, did he accomplish anything? No!
The purpose of cultivation is results, not the process. Regardless of how thrilling, tough, beautiful, or long the journey is, if there is no outcome, the entire process is a futile effort, as worthless as lighting a candle in daylight.
If you are a vegetable farmer and you work hard all year but fail to grow vegetables for people to enjoy, you have achieved nothing. Buying top-quality seeds, the most effective fertilizers, plowing the land many times, and constantly watering – if they don’t yield crops, what have you accomplished? If I am a customer wanting to buy vegetables, but you have none to sell, think about it: can I buy the process of planting vegetables? I want the vegetables, not the process of planting them.
Of course, without the process, there can be no result, but the process is only valuable when it serves the result. If there is no result, however diligent or elaborate the process, it’s but a fleeting illusion, devoid of value.
The ultimate aim of cultivation is to reach the Celestial Kingdom. If we fail to meet the standards and requirements for entering the kingdom, if we cannot enter it, then what is the point of our cultivation? It has no point.
If I were sent by the Celestial Kingdom to welcome cultivators to paradise, my only standard would be the perfection of your soul’s non-material structure, not your knowledge, wisdom, status, power, material wealth, or process of cultivation.
With that perspective in mind, we can now address the main question: how can we measure our progress in cultivation?
If you find that you:
No longer have nightmares and mostly dream in color;
Do not feel attached to family life;
Enjoy playing and entertainment;
Love communal living;
Are free from moral restrictions around sexuality;
Are without worries and can maintain happiness, optimism, and joy in any situation;
Feel only love in your heart, free from jealousy or hatred;
Are grateful in all things—
Then you have achieved the results needed to enter the Thousand-Year World. In other words, you are certain to reach the Thousand-Year World.
If you find that you:
Can fly in your dreams;
Experience only pleasant dreams;
Always feel joyful and excited;
Do not wish to possess anything;
Are entirely free of negative emotions;
Are filled with immense love for nature;
Have a sense of a wonderfully bright future;
Feel only love in your heart, completely devoid of envy and hatred—
Then you have achieved the results needed to enter the Ten-Thousand-Year World. In other words, you are certain to reach the Ten-Thousand-Year World.
If you find that you:
Have supernatural abilities in your dreams;
Are free from a sense of self;
Have no fear of death;
Have only beautiful visions and thoughts in your mind;
Can communicate with trees, flowers, insects, birds, and animals;
Can spiritually connect with the Creator;
Wish to create a paradise for humanity;
Frequently experience realms of ultimate bliss—
Then you have achieved the results needed to enter the Elysium World. In other words, you are certain to reach the Elysium World.
These are the standards by which you can measure your cultivation progress. You can check yourself against them at any time.
Followers of Jesus can examine whether these standards align with his teachings. Students of Buddhism and Taoism can check whether these standards are consistent with the wisdom of the Buddha and Laozi. Other spiritual practitioners, and those who have perceived the Celestial Kingdom, can use their wisdom and insights to determine whether these standards are reasonable.
If you have questions, feel free to ask.
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