The Maturity We Need and the Maturity We Don’t Need

Xuefeng

June 23, 2013

Only mature fruits have delicate, sweet flesh that is suitable for eating and rich in nutrients. Immature fruits are astringent, sour, lack moisture, and have coarse flesh. Therefore, one should eat only mature fruits.

Only mature seeds have full grains, their LIFE’s nonmaterial structure is perfect, and their vitality is abundant. This allows them to sprout, grow, flower, and bear fruit in the future. Therefore, the seeds stored in the granary must be mature.

Only mature individuals are flexible, smooth, and boundless, like flowing water that adapts to any shape and continues indefinitely. They can unite seamlessly with heaven, earth, and humanity, without obstacles or hindrances. They can maintain harmony with all things in the universe without self-interest. They can merge with the Tao without individual desires, pursuits, attachments, or possessions. Therefore, only mature individuals can become celestial beings or Buddhas and live in the heavenly realms.

However, this kind of maturity is not what is needed: fruit that is picked before it is ripe and left to mature over a few days or a period of time is not desirable.

Maturity that comes before childhood is complete, where someone becomes prematurely "adult-like," is not needed. Maturity that appears before the end of adolescence, where someone is "too mature for their age," is not needed. Maturity that appears before experiencing the vibrancy of youth, where someone is already "too serious," is not needed. Maturity that appears before experiencing life’s joys, happiness, freedom, and blessedness, where someone is already "spiritually transformed," is not needed.

Each stage of life should display its unique characteristics. Premature maturity goes against the Tao of the Greatest Creator and the natural laws. It is inhumane to prevent children from playing and instead demand that they be “obedient” and focus solely on academic knowledge. It is inhumane to prevent teenagers from being high-spirited and full of ambition, only to require them to study, think, and bear heavy burdens. It is inhumane to prevent young people from having dreams, fantasies, lofty ambitions, and indulging in the joys of youth, and instead require them to be practical, focus on making money, and struggle for survival. It is inhumane to deny people a life of joy, happiness, freedom, and blessedness, while insisting they endure hardship and suffering to achieve spiritual transformation.

Buddha and celestial beings embody their nature. To fully live in one's nature is the will of the Greatest Creator in creating life. Therefore, any maturity that suppresses or destroys one’s nature to force maturity is unnecessary.

In reality, whether a being is a celestial being or Buddha is not determined by age, knowledge, experience, or understanding of spiritual practices, or if they have learned any profound theory or practicing method. If one lives in their true nature, they are already a celestial being or Buddha, a beautiful LIFE united with the Greatest Creator. Thus, a three-to-five-year-old child, if their spirit is untainted, is in a state of a celestial being. There is no need for someone to deliberately guide and educate them on becoming a celestial being or Buddha. If a prodigy is carefully guided and educated by experts, their talent might be obscured.

Imagine telling a peach tree, “You should grow well, absorb plenty of water and nutrients, maintain your peach tree nature, do not be lured by pear trees, and you should flower in spring, and the peaches you produce must taste like peaches.” Is this necessary? The peach tree knows best how to grow, flower, and bear fruit. It understands natural laws better than humans and knows how to harmonize with nature. Humans should not guide or educate but should provide water and fertilizer.

Premature maturity can be counterproductive. If a person does not live in their true nature but spends every day thinking about how to gain praise and eulogy by showing “maturity,” this kind of maturity is undesirable. Men should be men, and women should be women. “A woman who is externally graceful but internally capable is considered a mature woman; a man who is externally strong but internally gentle and refined is considered a mature man.” This kind of “maturity” is not the same as “mature crops,” but rather a distorted form of “maturity.” We would never consider a hen that lays eggs and crows to be “mature,” nor would we consider a rooster that crows and lays eggs to be “mature.”

A rooster that crows in time and a hen that lays eggs in time is considered mature. If a hen stops laying eggs or a rooster stops crowing, it is time for them to be slaughtered.