Xuefeng Preaching Tao (7)

Xuefeng

July 7, 2008

Tao is the consciousness of the Greatest Creator, the driving force behind the movement and transformation of all things in the universe. It is the lifeblood of the universe, it is nature, and the synthesis of all laws.

Tao possesses eight characteristics: holographic order, eternal reliability, instantaneous sensitivity and adaptability, transcendence over time and space with no interior or exterior, spirituality, justice, non-obstruction, and illusory yet actual existence.

The Seventh Characteristic of the Tao: Non-Obstruction

"Obstruction" refers to blockage, being hindered, and difficult circulation, unable to transcend and stagnating. "Non-obstruction" refers to unimpeded passage, without hindrance, penetrating through everything.

Regardless of how fast the movement of any substance is, it still has a speed. It takes time to travel from one point to another, even for the fastest light, which travels at 300,000 kilometers per second; it takes about eight minutes for light to travel from the sun to the earth. However, the speed of Tao is zero; it takes zero time to travel from one point to another, typically referred to as an instant.

Any movement of matter, even wind, sound, or light, has limitations. When encountering specific obstacles, they either slow down or are completely blocked and stagnate. However, Tao is not like this. It can penetrate through any obstacle and instantly convey information to all spatial and temporal domains. This is the non-obstruction of Tao.

For instance, if someone were to sit in a room sealed with a 10-meter-thick iron plate, completely isolated from the outside world, they would still be able to sense external spiritual fluctuations (waves of consciousness) in an instant. The outside world would also be able to sense their changes in consciousness. They would still be able to "see" scenes from higher-level life spaces such as the Thousand-Year World and lower-level life spaces such as the plant world. In other words, even if they died in the isolated space, their soul would still be able to reach the corresponding space. A 10-meter-thick iron plate cannot block the movement of consciousness.

For a person or an object travels from China to the United States, whether by boat across the ocean or by plane through the clouds, they must rely on carrier media such as ships or airplanes; otherwise, it would be difficult to cross the ocean or sky. Similarly, sending faxes or emails requires the use of carrier media such as electronic devices to transmit the information; otherwise, the information cannot reach its destination. This is because during the process of material transmission, there are often blockages. However, Tao is not like this; its operation is unobstructed. It penetrates through all time and space in an instant. For example, if one of our relatives lives tens of thousands of light-years away on a distant planet or in the depths of the ocean, if something significant happens to us, that relative will sense it instantly. This is due to the non-obstruction of Tao.

No substance or space can hinder the operation of Tao because the universe is a whole, exhibiting a holographic sensation. It's like pricking a small thorn on a toe; the whole body can sense it instantly. In this sense, the universe is like a vast organism, and Tao is its central nervous system. Its nerve endings extend to every tiny point. The ancient sages' saying "For its greatness, nothing lies outside it; for its smallness, nothing lies within it" embodies this meaning.

By understanding the characteristic of non-obstruction of Tao, we can place ourselves within the universe. We can merge ourselves into all time and space. We can transform into myriad forms, countless incarnations, and instantly reach any place in the universe. We can navigate through the 36-dimensional spaces and roam among the 20 parallel worlds. For example, currently, we are in the human world on Earth. If we wish to live immediately in the Thousand-Year World, as long as we become familiar with a little trick of consciousness, we will immediately enter life in the Thousand-Year World. (This trick is only explained to the members of Lifechanyuan; others can comprehend it through Chanyuan Corpus, which is not difficult at all.)

Buddha teaches that every person has Buddha-nature, possessing all the characteristics. Indeed, every person has the potential to become a Buddha. Here, I substitute Buddha-nature with Tao-nature. Every person has Tao-nature; we exist within Tao. Every person possesses all characteristics, meaning that anyone can become any kind of life they desire, and can attain Tao. What we may not understand now is why we are unable to achieve this. There’s also a little trick to this. For instance, while each of us has the potential ability to drive a car, to truly master driving, we need practice and a solid understanding of traffic rules. Otherwise, our potential ability remains untapped, and we cannot drive.

Tao possesses non-obstruction. Once we attain Tao, no time or space can hinder us. We can become celestial beings or Buddhas and live in the Elysium World. In this regard, the Greatest Creator treats all beings equally, opening the gates to heaven for every life. However, to truly enter heaven, certain conditions must be met, and certain principles must be understood. This relies on each person's enlightenment, merit, and opportunities.