Time and Space Transformation — Formless Thinking (Part Two)

Xuefeng

April 12, 2008

A philosopher once said, “You cannot step into the same river twice.” How true this is!

“On this day last year, at this very gate, human faces reflected the red of peach blossoms. Where have those faces gone? The peach blossoms still smile in the east wind.”

“Young when I left home, and old when I returned; my accent was unchanged, but my hair has grayed. The children see me and don’t recognize me; laughing, they ask, ‘Where has this guest come from?’”

As stars shift and constellations change, so do people and things; as winds and clouds fluctuate, the days become ever newer. “Broken walls where foxes sleep and deserted platforms where hares tread—all were once places of song and dance; yellow flowers chilled by the dew, and withered grasses shrouded in mist—all were battlefields of old. Is there constancy in rise and fall? Where now lies strength and weakness?”

Once inseparable, what about today? Russia remains, but where has the Soviet Union gone? Yesterday, I played and laughed under the knees of my elders—will they be well in their old age tomorrow? Tall buildings rise, but is the brook flowing beneath the little bridge in front of my house still clear and murmuring? Yesterday, there was a bustling crowd at the house; today it stands cold and empty, a lone crow on a bare branch. In the place of eternal vows, even simple tea and plain rice taste like the finest delicacies; when friendships turn cold, the sun and moon lose their light, and the sky darkens.

“When will the spring flowers and autumn moons end? How much do I remember of the past? The little building last night again faced the east wind, and I cannot bear to look back at my homeland under the bright moon. The carved railings and jade steps should still be there, yet the youthful faces have changed. How much sorrow can you have? It flows like a river of spring water heading east.”

The affairs of the world are impermanent; circumstances change with time. The heavens and earth shift, and seas turn into fields; “After three days without seeing someone, look at them with new eyes.” Each moment is different from the last, always “Replacing the old charms with new ones.”

As I look back, tears often flow; in seeking dreams, my heart is always saddened. Time and space constantly shift; flowers bloom and fall, hard to hold onto; clouds roll and stretch, hard to shape. “A sudden shower scatters the petals, High and low, the red flowers fall. Countless elm seeds flutter in vain, Unable to buy the spring breeze.”

The weather varies widely, and waves stretch vast; “The heavens have unpredictable winds and clouds; people have unexpected fortunes and misfortunes.” Sixty-four cosmic factors create countless, unpredictable transformations, beyond human comprehension. Unfortunately, “Joy and sorrow, parting and reunion, are always heartless. I watch the raindrops fall before the steps, dripping until daybreak.”

A day in heaven equals a year on earth; such is the nature of time and space. As time and space change, so must our thoughts and consciousness. Whether it’s classic texts or customs, religious doctrines or the words of wise figures, we must assess their value based on their effectiveness in the present. Clinging to tradition, rigidly holding onto old rules, and always applying the teachings of the ancients to today’s actions leads only to hardship and endless suffering. Marital love, celebrated in the human world, holds no place in heaven. The “three-inch golden lotus (bound feet)” praised in ancient times has now become a symbol of foolishness and suffering. The spirits of Jingwei filling the sea, Kua Fu chasing the sun, Yu Gong moving mountains, and Nüwa mending the sky are commendable in spirit, yet their methods are flawed. The “Bible,” “Quran,” “Diamond Sutra,” and “Tao Te Ching” struggle to explain life in a way that guides reality, let alone other teachings.

What should we do? The only solution is formless thinking; otherwise, we will be dragged down by the past and confused by appearances. As time flies and days slip by like arrows, we must transcend the complex and ever-changing phenomena of the material world to seek the true source of all things. Only then will the Sacred Mountain feel close at hand. Only through formless thinking can we free ourselves from the entanglement of suffering and reach the ideal shore.

“Time can only make one grow old, but won’t trust sentimental feelings. Long hating the parting at the pavilion, tears fall on spring clothes, easily sobering from wine. Last night, the west wind rushed through the parasol trees; under the faint moonlight, dreams were often disturbed. From where does a single cry of a goose on a high building come?”

Everyone knows that salvation should be won, But with ambition won’t have done, have done.

Where are the famous ones of days gone by? In grassy graves they lie now, every one.

Everyone knows that salvation should be won, But with their gold and silver, they won’t have done.

Every day they grumble they haven’t enough; When they’ve enough, it’s only then they’ve gone.

Everyone knows that salvation should be won, But with their wives and children they won’t have done.

The darlings every day protest their love, But once you’re dead, they’re off with another one.

Everyone knows that salvation should be won, But with their sons and grandsons they won’t have done.

From old till now the unfilial young Have paid their fond, blind fathers with a frown.

For insights on achieving formless thinking, stay tuned for the next article — “1+1=0 — Formless Thinking (Part Three).”