That which is Easily Hurt is Weak and Flawed

Xuefeng

October 30, 2009

Let us first observe some phenomena:

A cracked egg becomes a place where flies and other insects swarm. If the egg were intact, these insects would not come to lay their eggs.

The parts of fruit that first rot are those that have been bruised or bitten by insects.

Where balloons burst, springs bend, branches break, and ropes fray are all at the weakest and most defective points.

Places with corpses are where crows, eagles, and other scavengers gather.

To manipulate someone, spies, gangsters, politicians, and schemers first identify the person's weak points and defects. For example, if someone is lustful, they use seduction; if they are greedy for money, they bribe them with large sums; if they crave fame and vanity, they flatter and praise them; if they are power-hungry, they promise high positions.

Using provocations can trick hot-headed individuals like Zhang Fei. Using contempt can spur courageous people like Guan Yu into action. Using superior skills can infuriate self-satisfied “perfectionists” like Zhou Yu.

If a certain part of the body is frequently in pain, it indicates dysfunction or lack of health in that area.

It has been proven that vulnerable areas are indeed weak points and defects.

Practicing self-improvement means identifying and strengthening one's weak points and correcting one's defects. The more perfected an area is, the less likely it is to be harmed, and the more imperfect an area is, the more likely it is to suffer harm and attack.

Xiang Yu, the warlord, once captured the father of Liu Bang, who would later become the first Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and threatened to cook him to coerce Liu Bang into surrendering. Liu Bang, however, calmly responded that if Xiang Yu decided to cook his father, he should serve him a bowl of the soup afterward, causing Xiang Yu’s threat to fail. Another example involves Zhuge Liang, the renowned strategist, who once sent Sima Yi a set of women's clothing, intending to insult him according to the societal values of the time, provoke his anger, and thereby force him to recklessly leave the city and engage in battle. However, Sima Yi took the opposite approach by putting on the women's clothes and cheerfully telling the messenger that the attire, sent by Chancellor Zhuge, fit well and looked nice, thus thanking him and foiling Zhuge Liang’s plan.

People are imperfect and always have their weaknesses and defects. To make someone betray their conscience or soul, to compel them to face danger or hardship, to deceive them, to make them lose their rationality, or to make them voluntarily be driven or enslaved, one can use money, reputation, status, beauty, magic, divine powers, visions of paradise, threats, intimidation, coercion, emotions, morality, benevolence, truth, promises, and so on to satisfy their greed or instill fear. If a person remains unaffected by these factors, then no matter what schemes are employed, they remain "unmoved," and such a person is perfect, a saint. By progressing a little further from this foundation, they become a celestial being or a Buddha.

Everyone should examine their own weaknesses and defects, asking themselves what they need most, what they fear most, what they are most averse to, what they love and hate most. Once these “what”s are clarified, one will understand what needs to be strengthened and cultivated.

For instance, if one desperately desires magical powers or divine abilities, they will inevitably be manipulated by so-called “masters” who claim to possess such powers.

If one is eager to reach paradise, those who exploit religious sentiments can make one delirious and confused, like a person lost in madness.

If one loves their country intensely, politicians can easily send them to the battlefield as cannon fodder.

If one places great importance on family and personal relationships, societal mechanisms can bind their mind to family duties, causing a lifetime of toil and preventing them from achieving individuality and freedom.

If one values the pure and perfect love of a lover, partner, or spouse, they may suffer from jealousy, anger, and irrationality. They may become consumed by emotions, losing rationality, and experiencing endless suffering. They may pledge their life and death for love, tossing and turning in anguish, unable to find peace. ...

“When there is no obstruction, there is no pain; when there is obstruction, there is pain.” This principle applies not only to the physical body but also to the mind and spirit. When one cannot think things through, the “obstruction” causes distress, pain, frustration, and confusion. For example, if someone insults you by saying you are not even a thing, you may feel unbearable pain and anger. But if you think it through, you will realize that a person is inherently a person, not a thing, so why be troubled by such words?

If a third party comes between you and your lover, you may feel as if your heart has been stabbed or a piece of your flesh has been cut out. However, if you think it through, you will realize that the mountains and rivers are like dust, and human life, though it may last a hundred years, passes in the blink of an eye. The ever-changing emotions between people are unreliable and cannot last forever, so why be troubled by illusions within illusions and dreams within dreams?

Similarly, if someone cheats you out of your money or deprives you of your rights, or if you lose everything for some other reason, you may feel deep regret and despair. But if you think it through, you will realize that people come into this world empty-handed and leave empty-handed. A lifetime of striving for possession and ownership ultimately ends in letting go. As long as you have your health, “misfortune may be a blessing in disguise,” and you may find new opportunities and discover new horizons.

“All phenomena are empty; neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing.” Worries and fears arise from attachments in the heart. If the heart is free from attachments, there will be no worries, fears, suffering, or disputes, and no disturbances from worldly matters. Without easy-to-injure spots, there will be no faults, leading to a state of enlightenment, reaching the realm of celestial beings.

The more one possesses, the more troubles one will have. If one reaches a state of having nothing and possessing everything, it is not easy to be harmed. Without self, what can harm me? I have no power, no money, no fame, no lust, no emotion, no status, no country, no religion, no political party, no class, no family, no relatives, no lover, no property, no teacher, no school, no attachment, no organization, no sect, no greed, no desire, no anger, no ignorance, the mind is not attached to anything, no action, no contention, no desire for magic, no desire for supernatural powers, no desire to achieve great things, no form of lifetime, no form of others, no form of morality, no form of justice, no laws, no rules, no precepts, no taboos. We adapt to circumstances, embrace relationships as they naturally come and go, act according to our natures, and seize opportunities as they arise. How can I be harmed? Where can I be injured?

What is destined to come will come, and what is destined to go will go. Do not cling, do not be attached. Life is a journey of LIFE through the human world. When the journey ends, a new life begins elsewhere. When you can let go completely at any time, where can you be injured?

In summary, we are easily injured because we are imperfect and too attached to the fleeting. As we approach perfection and enrich our inner selves, external factors will have less power to harm us. At this point, we are close to becoming celestial beings, Buddhas, and entering the Kingdom of Freedom and the Elysium World.