The Psychological Qualities to Be Chanyuan Celestial

Xuefeng

August 28, 2009

During the Three Kingdoms time, an important defensive place-Jieting was lost because of Zhuge Liang's subordinate general Ma Su's disobedience. Sima Yi, who was the General of Wei, led his troop moving towards Xicheng where Zhuge stationed. Comparing with Sima Yi's 150 thousands soldiers, Zhuge Liang had only the civil officials and the 25 hundreds of soldiers. His officers were all frightened at the news of approaching of the enemy. But Zhuge Liang, on the contrary, donned the simple Taoist dress and, attended by a couple of lads, sat down on the wall by one of the towers with his lute before him and a stick of incense burning. His face was with all smiles as he played the lute. This is the famous story of empty-town bluff.

Zhuge Liang showed outstanding psychological quality in the face of crumbling under attacks. When he and his men hovered between life and death, he could remain serene and control and even amuse himself by playing the lute rhythmically.

In the chapter of In A Plum Garden, Cao Cao Discusses Heroes, Cao Cao pointed his finger first at Liu Bei and then at himself, saying, "The only heroes in the world are you and me.", which shocked Liu Bei so great that the spoon and chopsticks rattled to the floor. Although Liu Bei stooped down to recover the fallen articles and said "What a thunder! And it was quite close." in order to covering his shock, he still exposed his inadequate psychological quality. On the later chapters, Liu Bei ignored the whole situation of his country and attached too much importance to brotherhood for revenging Guan Yu, which lead to the result of his camps extending 700 Li being burn out by Lu Xun, a general of East Wu. His failure is also caused by his inadequate psychological quality.

The outstanding general of East Wu, Zhou Yu was irate to death at the age of 36, which was also a result of bad psychological quality. In the end, he sighed, "O God, since thou made Zhou Yu, why did thou also create Zhuge Liang?" It is a good illustration of his psychological quality inferior to that of Zhuge Liang. Totally different with Zhou Yu, Sima Yi accepted the skirt given by Zhuge Liang kindly and wore it at once intending to irritate Zhuge Liang, which also showed Sima Yi's outstanding psychological quality here.

What is psychological quality? It is a comprehensive reflection of the temperament, character, thinking, emotion, IQ, tolerance, and faith of a person, and the embodiment of that person's connotation. A man of excellent psychological quality is confident, generous, strong, stable, energetic, optimistic, tolerable, magnanimous and calm, etc. while a man of bad psychological quality is self-abasement, bigoted, testiness, pessimistic, negative, narrow and flurried.

Chanyuan Celestials are the most civilized, most cultivated, most intelligent, most active and creative, strongest people with spiritual nature in the world. They are common but above the common of the ordinary sense and free form vulgarity. Therefore, each Chanyuan Celestial should have the following psychological qualities.

Remain calm in the face of danger and death.

Chanyuan Celestials hand his/her life to the Greatest Creator and his/her lifetime to the Tao. They can remain serene and in control in the face of danger and death.

Never retreat and feel discouraged in the face of extremely difficulties and hardships. As long as they breathe, as long as there is one out of ten thousands hope, they'll not give up, not let any chance of survival slip away.

In front of the long journey, they will overcome all obstacles and difficulties with indomitable spirit; they will not step back; even if they would die, they died on the journey for the destination; they will never stop short of goal.

Many people around may ridicule, satirize, speak ironically, slander, insult, and attack them or create difficulties. It doesn't matter, they would "sit tight in the fishing boat despite the rising wind and waves" and "Stick to it and never give up". They stand steadfastly on the ground.

In front of desperate situation, they will laugh in the wind; when they are struggling alone, we will show their heroic spirit all the same.

When it comes to the complicated and bewildered situation, they will keep relaxed, steady, and active instead of changing our opinions or following other people blindly; they'll lighten the magic lamp in their heart for walking out of the path of error and creating an ideal future in extraordinary courage and style.

When it comes to the unreasonably troublesome or importunate situation, they will be open and clear, active and flexible, witty and tactful so as to prevent contradictions from intensifying and try to be humor, funny, or to pretend to be foolish for getting rid of drudgery, rather than getting us more deeply entangled in it.

In front of frustration, they will never feel inferior, or stop their marching process; they believe that as long as they have firm faith in their heart, as long as they make unremitting endeavor, when God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window, and there will be another sunrise every morning. It is just like some famous Chinese saying "Where hills bend, streams wind and the pathway seems to end; past dark willows and flowers in bloom lies another village." Or "when it is dark in the east, it is light in the east, when things are dark in the south, there is still light in the north." They would impress the world someday, and in this I firmly believe!

What are listed above are the 8 attainments to be a Chanyuan Celestial. As long as they have these attainments, no such a Flame Mountain that is impassable, no such a difficulty is insurmountable. As long as they have these attainments and integrated personality, they'll have a bright future and they will approach the celestial world smoothly.