Positioning Your Life

Xuefeng

An ancient saying goes: "People aim for higher ground, while water flows to lower places." To this day, I still don't understand where the higher ground is and where the lower places are. The Earth is suspended in space, so how do we distinguish between high and low places? If we leave people behind and gradually shrink the Earth until it becomes nonexistent, everyone would be standing foot-to-foot, so whose head would be facing down? This is a question of thinking, not one of height or direction; it’s much like the ancient belief that "the heavens are round, and the earth is square" or "the sun revolves around the Earth."

Leaving aside where the water flows, let's talk about "people aiming for higher ground"—where exactly is this "higher ground"? In popular terms, the vast majority of Chinese people understand this "higher ground" as getting an education, becoming an official, making money, bringing glory to their ancestors, and bringing honor to the country. Look at Chinese history and then examine China's current situation—the core essence of this "higher ground" is becoming an official. Even if one is a minor official, his position is still considered higher than that of common people. Not to mention county governors, provincial governors, and central government officials—in China, once someone becomes an official for even a single day, they and those around them rise with them. Any truth will always be on the side of the officials—envy abounds! Even if it's just a section chief, the way they walk, their manner of speaking, the expression in their eyes, and the height at which they hold their head are all different from others. You can't help but respect them, fawn over them, flatter them, and accept them. So, without a doubt, the so-called "people aim for higher ground" has had its mystery uncovered: it’s all about striving to become an official, running for office, trying to be an official, and holding onto that position. All other pursuits are inferior—only becoming an official is high. What do scholars amount to? Aren't they just there to serve the officials? What does money amount to? If you don't curry favor with officials, who knows when that money might end up in their pockets?

I wish everyone could be an official, even a high-ranking one, but unfortunately, even if a 30-person unit has 10 deputy section chiefs, the majority will still be common people. If we set our life’s goal on becoming an official, we might never find peace in this life—telling lies, speaking in empty words, making grandiose claims, deceiving and betraying each other, scheming, and covering things up will become routine. The saying goes, “Real men have to be ruthless; one can't be an official without deceit; not taking bribes is a waste; with shifty eyes." If you're honest, serious, and hardworking, yet neither want to be a master nor a servant, then you are not cut out to be an official. You should quickly adjust your life goals and direction.

So, how should you position your life? If you have the chance to be an official, I advise you to set your life goal on becoming one. The benefits of being an official are too numerous to count—I could talk about them for three days and nights without exhausting the subject. Mastering "Thick Black Theory" and "The Art of War" should help you get by. If you can't become an official, but you're good at flattery, currying favor, bootlicking, and harboring malicious intentions, then you might set your life goal on being a lackey. This way, you’ll be assured of having leftover food to eat and dregs of wine to drink, which is better than being an honest, simple commoner.

If you can't become an official through the usual means, you can still aim for it indirectly. Why not organize an opposition party to try to overthrow the current government? If by chance you succeed in toppling the regime, then those positions like ministers, governors, and county chiefs would be as easy to grab as something within arm's reach, a sure thing. How do you overthrow the current regime? Just loudly proclaim democracy, freedom, human rights, and equality, then keep a close watch on the regime's flaws, magnify them, and incite the masses to revolt. Promise them that once you’re in power, everyone will be able to eat while sleeping, live in golden houses, and have beauties at their disposal—this way, you’ll be successful. Set your life goal on this, and your future is limitless. But if you end up in prison or lose your head, you shouldn't regret it. You can even borrow the compassionate words of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva: "If I don't go to hell, who will?" to demonstrate your noble righteousness.

If you like wealth, then position your life's goal on maximizing profit. Don't bother with things like conscience, morality, and other baseless concepts. When running a business or company, not only must you use your sharp mind, but more importantly, you must maximize the exploitation of your subordinates' surplus value. Marx has already elaborated deeply on surplus value; you just need to use it in reverse, and you should be able to make money. Of course, relying solely on surplus value carries risks, so you must focus on three areas: one, surplus value; two, local government and party leaders; and three, local thugs. What does this mean? It means you need to oppress and exploit your workers, cozy up to local leaders—including those at the tax bureau—and maintain ties with local gangsters. As long as you have a few tough guys under your command, not only will the common folk not dare to oppose you, but even officials will think twice before acting. If you don’t have such abilities, you can still exploit legal loopholes and corruption. If you mortgage a property and get a loan of one hundred thousand from the bank, don't spend it recklessly—spend it all on the officials. This way, you can get a million more; spend that on the officials again, and from then on, the sky’s the limit, and the sea is wide for you to leap. You could grab land, drive out the original residents, and sell the land for a profit. If that doesn't work, persuade the officials you've bribed to sell you a government enterprise at a low price, flip it, and you’ll have a fortune. If that doesn’t work, you could always counterfeit liquor, or medicine, or rebrand cheap goods with famous labels and sell them for a profit. Or, lure rural girls into the city, intimidate them into doing whatever you want, and just make sure you keep the local thugs happy. As long as you pay them off from time to time, no matter how policies change, you'll keep making money.

There are endless ways to make money as long as you're clever. If you don't want to dream of being an official or getting rich, you could set your life goal on becoming famous. "Birds leave their song, and people leave their names"—to be famous throughout history, to leave a lasting legacy, is not a bad goal. Even if you end up being cursed for eternity and your name becomes synonymous with infamy, at least you’ve left a mark. Why not?

There are many shortcuts to fame. In today's information age, not only are there countless newspapers, magazines, and books, but TV and radio networks are also interwoven, and the internet is booming. There’s a saying that goes, "All the world’s writing is a patchwork—it’s all about how well you can piece it together." With a little organization and elaboration, borrowing bits from here and there, a scholarly paper can be produced in days, and a book can be finished in months. With a little help from your friends in the publicity department and some promotion by big-name celebrities, scholars, and experts, you can quickly rise to fame. Why care about the old saying "If words are of no benefit, speak less"? Let’s become famous first.

Don’t bother with original creations—it’s too hard. Racking your brains and exhausting your mind is one thing, but dealing with your wife and kids’ complaints is another. If, after all that effort, you find that your work was already considered trite, that’s a disaster. If no one reads your articles and your books don’t sell, you’ll be left giving them away for free on the streets. Aside from a few cheap compliments from friends and relatives, you won’t gain much fame, and it’s just not worth it.

To become famous by writing articles, the best trick is to criticize—criticize ancestors, criticize predecessors, criticize celebrities, criticize government officials, and even criticize your parents. This way, you’ll quickly gain recognition. As for the consequences, don’t worry about them—get famous first. In China, the best targets for criticism are Lu Xun, Mao Zedong, and Hu Jintao—such articles are sure to grab attention. If you don’t like that approach, I have another trick for you: collect strange theories, odd stories, unorthodox methods, gossip and idle talk from travelers, compile them into a book, and it’s guaranteed to be a bestseller. Or, why not strip down and parade around the streets? Who knows, you might even get on TV or go viral on the internet—fame is so easy to achieve. Isn't this a fast-paced world? If someone can get rich overnight, why can't we become famous overnight? To stand out, you need to use unconventional methods. Didn't they say, “Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it”? If you're determined to be famous, why worry about having no path to follow?

If you do not wish to set your life’s goals on becoming an official, accumulating wealth, or gaining fame, why not start a gang? If you succeed, you can live a luxurious life, enjoying food, drinks, and power. As they say, “heroes get the beautiful women,” and you might even have a few ladies fawning over you. How glamorous and carefree! Of course, your freedom may be somewhat restricted; you might get a knock on your door in the middle of the night. But as the saying goes, “If you don’t risk your life, you can’t catch the wolf,” or “If you’re afraid of dirtying your pants, you won’t reach the roof.” Just go for it, and if things don’t work out… so what? After all, “In eighteen years, you’ll be a hero again.”

Not interested in all these? Why not set your life's goal on creating a religion? Today, religious freedom is globally upheld. Even the United Nations doesn't interfere. Whoever interferes with religious freedom will surely face consequences, so what are you afraid of? Chinese culture is rich and profound, providing endless material to draw from. All you need to do is create some kind of "mystical method" or "cultivation practice." People are afraid of death and long for prosperity, longevity, and immortality. If you can convince them that your practice can cure diseases or extend life, they will flock to you. When the time is right, with election freedom, you could even turn your practice or belief system into a political party, with the potential to compete for the chairman or president. What? Creating a new religion is too difficult? Come on, my friend, if starting a new religion is hard, then why not start a sect? There are hundreds of Christian denominations and Buddhist sects. Just familiarize yourself with some scriptures, and with the right banner, you can immediately establish a new religion. What? The government won’t allow it? Well, why not create a house church? As long as you hold onto the scriptures and fly the banner of God, Christ, or Buddha, you have religious freedom. International religious organizations will even cheer for you. As for what you do, who has the time to investigate in detail? What? You’re worried about answering people’s questions or explaining the scriptures? My dear friend, how many people today can truly explain the scriptures? Most just copy and paste from various sources and get by. Can’t you bluff your way through as well?

Don’t like this either? Too tiring? Then learn fortune-telling. Books on fortune-telling are everywhere; you can even find them in trash bins. Grab one, memorize a few sections, and after a few days of practice, you’re ready to start. You must act convincingly, with a mysterious aura. Be bold in your predictions but don’t get into too many details. Learn to be vague and ambiguous, so people are left guessing. With this, you can earn a living. Don’t worry about no repeat customers; even if only a fraction of China’s 1.2 billion people falls for it once, you’d still make a fortune. Just charge each person one yuan, and you will earn 100 million. But be sure to use guerrilla tactics like in “Tunnel Warfare,” moving from place to place to avoid trouble. What? Not sure which books are for fortune-telling? Let me tell you, The Book of Changes, Eight Trigrams, the art of becoming invisible -- Daoist magic, Eight Characters fortune-telling, palmistry, physiognomy, bone and element calculation, Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, astrological signs, divination, and more are plentiful. Or, you could even pretend to be a shaman, practice witchcraft, feng shui, exorcism, or spirit communication. While these might not be popular in cities, they thrive in remote rural areas. As long as no one dies, even if Mao Zedong were reincarnated and called for a “sweeping away of all monsters and demons,” you could still avoid disaster. Moreover, now is the perfect time to fish in troubled waters. The government is so busy fighting corruption that it hardly has time to deal with such trivial matters. So go ahead and be bold. Some smart people have concluded, “If you want to get rich, take risky paths.” The main roads are crowded; isn’t it time you wised up?

What? You want to make money in cities or tourist areas? That’s not hard either. Partner with the right people, rent a temple or pagoda, put on a monk's robe, place a Buddha statue in the center, and a censer in front, letting incense smoke fill the air. Then, chant some mantras, and you’ll find that the offerings alone will sustain you for life. If you’re a bit cleverer, point out a specific benefactor as special, or say they have a divine aura or are facing a calamity. They won't hesitate to pay. Today, there are many city dwellers who are devout believers. Who doesn’t want peace, wealth, or blessings from Buddha? Who doesn’t want a prosperous family? If you can tap into these desires, even Ph.D. holders and scholars will pay, let alone wealthy business executives and corrupt officials. They have money to spare, and all you need to do is make them happy.

If your personality isn’t suited to becoming an official, amassing wealth, gaining fame, creating religion, organizing a gang, or fortune-telling, then just live honestly as an ordinary person. Ordinary people have many paths too: farmers, herders, foresters, fishermen, workers, taxi drivers, small vendors, teachers, civil servants, soldiers, police officers, store clerks, service workers, small business owners, actors, broadcasters, pilots, and so on are all ordinary occupations. Those engaged in photography, painting, tourism, music, dance, art, editing, or journalism also fall under the category of ordinary people. Even stamp collectors, antique dealers, stock traders, entertainers, brokers, and intermediaries are just ordinary people’s professions. Those who work in philosophy, archaeology, biochemistry, economics, literature, engineering, research, sports, law, politics, astronomy, geography, etc., if they achieve results, become experts above the common people. If not, they are also ordinary people. As for singers, writers, movie stars, martial artists, and sports celebrities, they are individuals with special talents and belong to a unique group of ordinary people.

No matter where we position ourselves in the category of ordinary people, our journey of life is inevitably difficult and winding, filled with confusion and misfortune, sorrow, and helplessness. The ending is always tragic. The truth is, it’s all for a meal, for survival, for staying alive.

No matter how we position ourselves in life, if we fail to understand the meaning, purpose, and value of life, and the mysteries of LIFE, it doesn’t matter if we are kings or commoners, rich or poor, thieves or petty criminals, famous or obscure. In the end, we all face meaningless death. Don’t think that the death of an ant king is more valuable or meaningful than that of a common bee, or that a tiger’s death is more glorious than a mouse’s. In the grand scheme of things, we are all just temporary pieces on a chessboard.

So, how should we position our lives? This is where religion comes in. Religion seeks to transcend reality and point to the meaning of life and the direction of LIFE’s development. Whether it’s Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Shinto, or other religions, their fundamental purpose is the same: through spiritual cultivation, to extend human life into heaven.

But there’s a dilemma. There are so many religions and sects in the world, and once you transcend worldly barriers, you face the challenge of how to position yourself beyond the mundane. Should you become a Christian or a Buddhist? Should you believe in Islam or Shinto? If you choose the wrong path, you may end up with eternal regret. You might fail at worldly life and miss out on heaven, losing on both fronts.

It’s time to think deeply. No matter where you position yourself in the secular world, it leads to a dead end. If you position yourself poorly in transcending the mundane, not only does it lead to a dead end, but it also makes your life neither fish nor fowl, with no clear direction. The future may seem bright, but it could be self-deception.

So, how should you position your life? Here are my suggestions:

1.First, study the scriptures of various religions, compare them, and integrate scientific theories and empirical experiences. Identify what is reasonable and discard what is not.

2.Observe the heavens, the earth, humanity, and all things. Gain your own insights, especially through spiritual meditation.

3.Ensure that your real-life experience is meaningful and enjoyable.

4.Free your mind and strive to achieve the greatest possible freedom.

5.Your life must have value and meaning for LIFE, nature, and human society.

6.Do not blindly follow any path unless you fully understand it.

7.If someone wants you to believe, ask them to explain the principles clearly.

8.Focus your efforts on matters of LIFE. After adhering to these eight principles, position yourself accordingly. This will be your best life positioning.

To understand Xuefeng's life positioning, please refer to the "Xuefeng Corpus."