The Path of the Practitioner

Deiform Buddha

September 3, 2006

The path of the practitioner leads to the sacred homeland. Practitioners are saints, their hearts are pure, crystal-clear, perfect, luminous, untainted by a speck of dust, undistracted, meticulous, and filled with an awe-inspiring spirit. They embody the essence of the sun and moon, accumulating the grand righteousness of a millennium, absorbing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, and reading the knowledge of countless centuries. They view life as a brief journey, to be appreciated wholeheartedly but without attachment. They take the changes of the world as a matter of course, not halting their sacred journey for mundane affairs. They are always striving towards the highest realms of life and LIFE, moving towards light, auspiciousness, eternity, and freedom.

The path of the practitioner leads to the heavenly paradise, where time and space are limitless. The Thousand-year World, the Ten-thousand-year World, and the Elysium World are splendidly beautiful. The practitioner’s thinking transcends all constraints and barriers, with their consciousness often soaring and exploring in the boundless realms of celestial and Buddha lands. The illusions of the present cannot obstruct their infinite vision, mundane human emotions cannot shake their firm belief, and the clamor of the world cannot block the divine call from the nonmaterial world. The allure of fame and fortune cannot taint their longing for the heavenly paradise. Following the path laid out by sages, they face the twilight and steadily advance towards the horizon of blissful realms.

The path of the practitioner leads to a tranquil and elegant heavenly paradise, with winding paths that lead to secluded and often hidden realms. Human footprints are rare, and the path is abundant with the sounds of birds and the scent of flowers, but few people have heard of it. Only gods and buddhas make their presence known, celestial beings accompany, sages follow, and kindred spirits hold hands. Along the way, cranes fly, and divine music lingers. The landscape is peaceful and harmonious, exuding serene beauty. As the mundane concerns of the dusty world do not enter the realm of colorful clouds, the clamor of the secular world cannot tarnish the path of cultivation. Mountains upon mountains, water after water, there are often surprises waiting around the corner; wind chases wind, cloud upon cloud, it is always a fine and sunny day. The practitioner constantly experiences wonderful feelings, inexplicably excited, as if riding clouds and driving fog, enjoying boundless freedom and comfort.

The path of the practitioner transcends the ordinary and leads directly to celestial realms. Practitioners do not hold consciousness of nations, ethnicities, religions, political parties, or families. They do not distinguish between good and bad, virtuous and evil people. They only aspire to beauty, avoid falling into clichés, see only the fairyland, and remain indifferent to worldly affairs. The blooming and withering of flowers do not concern them, and the coming and going of wind and rain hardly stirs their hearts. Even though death is omnipresent, they see through the vanity of the world and smile radiantly. They are detached from the material world, remain calm in the face of collapsing mountains, find joy in the journey, and naturally follow the path of Tao. They face fierce beasts without fear, maintain a tranquil heart in adverse circumstances, confront death without batting an eye, and they achieve the state where there is no self, no others, and no Dharma.

The path of the practitioner is lively and dynamic, not bound by trivialities. There are no spells, no precepts, and even less so, constitutions and laws. Their inner self possesses its own moral conscience, a court of balance within. They walk the path of truth, follow the nature of nature, without fixed forms, disregarding worldly doctrines. My heart moves with me, I move with the nature, the nature moves with the spirit, and the spirit moves with the Tao. They traverse in an instant, soaring beyond the ninth heaven, following in the footsteps of the Eight Celestials crossing the sea, as free and unrestrained as a celestial steed soaring across the sky, transcending the constraints of time and space to express love, never forsaking a moment of blissful enjoyment. Just as the wind passes through the bamboo without leaving a sound, the geese pass over the pond without leaving a shadow, they carry their knapsack without delaying the journey.

The path of the practitioner is not lonely or solitary. Loneliness is the patent of those with narrow hearts, solitude is the label of the arrogant and conceited. Opening the windows of the soul, thousands of living beings share joy and journey with me. Gazing at the beauty of the distant mountains, ancient Buddhas and sages join me in appreciating the scenery. Looking left and right, there is no shortage of kindred spirits resonating with my soul; looking forward and backward, angels and celestials echo me from afar. I wander in the sea of Dharma where hundreds of boats are sailing, and roam leisurely in the mountains and waters where the sounds of nature ring. Birds sing and dance in unison, a thousand flowers release their fragrance to send me off, kindred spirits of the soul accompany me, and lovers accompany me, talking and laughing, free and easy.

The path of the practitioner is deep in affection and heavy in righteousness, full of friendship along the way. Heartlessness is the behavior of demons, heartlessness is the path to hell for those who are obsessed and do not repent, heartlessness is a portrayal of the psychological state of jealousy and hatred of demons and monsters, heartlessness is the natural enemy of kindness, compassion, and mercy. Practitioners are full of love for the world, have affection for heaven and earth, have affection for gods, Buddhas, celestials, and saints, have affection for mountains, rivers, earth, plants, and insects, have affection for parents, children, siblings, have affection for lovers, confidants, friends, have affection for fellow celestial friends who resonate with the soul, the heartless are not pitied by heaven, the affectionate are blessed and cared for by gods, Buddhas, and celestials.

The path of the practitioner is full of obstacles and dangers. If you go with the flow, you are ordinary; if you go against the flow, you become celestial. Going downstream leads to the bitter ocean, going upstream reaches the clear source. Climbing the mountain is step by step difficult, going down the mountain is a roll to the bottom. The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold, Celestial Beings are born from bitter cultivation. The ignorant care often does not cease in the ears, the selfish care often makes the heart upset, the worldly temptation is like a cliff, the short-lived love of the world often makes people difficult to walk, sometimes there is a strong wind blowing, sometimes there is a heavy rain pouring, sometimes there are tigers and wolves blocking the road, sometimes there are interests entangled, only to light the divine lamp in the heart, the fog dissipates, and the path to the kingdom of heaven is clear.