Xuefeng Preaching Tao (8)

Xuefeng

July 12, 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 Eighth Characteristic of Tao: Illusory Yet Actual Existence

This seems to be a paradox, both illusory and real, truly vague and indistinct. Although it is vague and indistinct, it has substance and sentiment, and its substance and sentiment are very real. It is said to be boundless, but it has clear edges and corners; it is said to have no tactics or forms, yet its methods are strict, and rewards and punishments are not delayed; it is said to be heartless and unrighteous, yet good and evil are clear, and its affection and righteousness are deep; it is said to be empty of everything, yet it changes in thousands of ways, and everything is prepared. This is the illusory yet actual existence of Tao.

Quantum mechanics has revealed that the direction, manner, and speed of movement of elementary particles depend on the observer. In a study conducted at a university in the United States, a human rotation image was produced. Many people observed this image simultaneously, and some said the person in the image was turning left, while others said they were turning right. Some claimed the person in the image was consistently turning left, while others said they were consistently turning right. There were even some who said the person in the image was turning left at times and right at other times. What is the explanation for this phenomenon?

In the material world, everything changes in accordance with the conscious activity of the observer. The movement and changes of matter are related to the observer. Our consciousness determines the form of existence, and the way matter moves. There is a famous saying in literary theory: “It’s not that life lacks beauty, but that we lack the eyes to discover it." Strictly speaking, whether one discovers beauty does not depend on the eyes but on the mind. Furthermore, the ability to discover beauty lies in the nonmaterial structure of life. With a beautiful inner structure, everything is seen as beautiful; with an ugly inner structure, everything is seen as ugly. A Buddha sees everything as possessing Buddha-nature, a demon sees everything as possessing demonic nature, a celestial being sees everything as naturally ordered and constant, while a person sees everything as being busy for profit.

The core of life's structure is consciousness. The type of consciousness determines the type of life structure. Japanese scientists once conducted an experiment on the crystallization of water molecules and found that their crystalline structure is influenced by the consciousness applied to them. The more perfect the consciousness applied, the more beautiful the crystalline state; the more chaotic the consciousness applied, the uglier the crystalline state.

All remedies can become poison, and all poisons can become remedies. Whether something is a poison, or a remedy depends on the consciousness of the individual using it. I have revealed in an article before that the nutritional value of food depends on the mindset of the eater. Those who feel grateful absorb more and better nutrients, while those who harbor dissatisfaction absorb fewer and lower-quality nutrients. When the mind is restless, sunny days and gentle breezes seem to mock and ridicule oneself, while during a good mood, a sudden downpour appears as a magnificent symphony performed by nature.

Take a look at your reflection in the mirror. If you’re feeling troubled internally, your expression will likely be gloomy; if you’re feeling joyful, your expression will be radiant with smiles. This also proves that one's external state is determined by their own consciousness. Optimists always have cheerful smiles, while pessimists always wear frowns.

Where is heaven? It exists within one’s consciousness. If heaven isn’t present within one’s consciousness, then one will never be able to reach it. And where is hell? It too exists within one’s consciousness. If hell isn’t present within one’s consciousness, then one will never be able to arrive there.

When Xuefeng descends to the human world, he acts as a guide, leading some individuals to the heavenly realms of the Thousand-Year World, the Ten-Thousand-Year World, and the Celestial Islands Continent of the Elysium World. The mystery lies here. How does everyone feel? Was it a deception? This is determined by the illusory yet actual existence characteristic of Tao, and it cannot be fabricated.

Is there truth or falsehood, good or evil, beauty or ugliness, right or wrong, big or small, many or few, up or down, near or far, closeness or distance? No! If they exist, it's because of one's own consciousness. In the eyes of lovers, even an ordinary person can seem as beautiful as Xi Shi, while in the eyes of enemies, even a good person can appear demonic. Penglai and Taiji see Xuefeng as beautiful, while Xiaoxi and Sitong see him as ugly. Is Xuefeng truly beautiful or ugly? Isn't it determined by the observer's consciousness? Even if an elephant is beautiful, a mouse wouldn't want to marry it and start a family. Even if a fox is wise, chickens and ducks wouldn't consider it their master.

Tao is elusive; we can sense its presence, but we cannot see it, much like how we cannot see the nonmaterial structure of life. Yet, Tao exists. As humans, we often feel powerless and unable to act as we wish. This is due to the constraints of Tao. Strictly speaking, it's not that Tao restrains people, but rather that people haven't fully entered Tao. Without entering Tao, we can only drift along in the kingdom of necessity. However, once we enter Tao, we enter the kingdom of freedom, where we can create everything according to our consciousness and desires.

Let’s examine how Jehovah in the Bible manifested everything according to His will. Jehovah declared, “Let there be light,” and light came into existence. Jehovah said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. Whatever Jehovah’s consciousness willed, it materialized, transforming the ethereal into the tangible. Now, let’s explore the miraculous abilities of the Super Celestial Being named Yu’e on Xuefeng Island in the Celestial Islands Continent of the Elysium World, as described in the Chanyuan Corpus’ ‘Universe, Time & Space’ within the 36-dimensional spaces. She can manipulate clouds with a mere breath and summon pavilions and towers with a wave of her hand. From the realm of intangible possibility, she can materialize endless creations—all through the power of her consciousness. Lifting a handful of sand, transforming them into thousands of green trees. It's both elusive and tangible.

It's a bit mystical, isn't it? Those who attain Tao possess subtle and profound understanding, which is unfathomable and beyond human comprehension using ordinary knowledge and thinking.

Actually, for those who understand its mysteries, it's not mysterious at all. But for those who don't comprehend its mysteries, it remains mysterious, even more so, and becomes entirely mythological.

Let's understand it this way: The violin concerto "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" is well-known to everyone. We might ask: Was this melody present in the universe before? No! So why does it exist now? The answer: Because a composer created it. How did the composer create it? The answer: By entering the scene with their consciousness and then expressing the scene through melody. "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" is the product of the composer's consciousness. As soon as the composer's consciousness is active, things come into being. When we listen to its enchanting melody, we still perceive a sense of the ethereal. However, when the vibration of the melody is combined with electronic instruments and a water spray system, we can observe water spouting from the nozzles in rhythm with the fluctuations of the music. The water dances gracefully along with the melody, and if accompanied by colors, it's like watching a fairy dance. In this way, the original ethereal becomes a tangible reality that the eyes can see, and the ears can hear.

Hand a blank sheet of paper to a painter, and in a short while, the paper will be adorned with magnificent landscapes and rivers. Where do these breathtaking landscapes and rivers originate from? They spring from the painter’s consciousness. The ethereal becomes reality, but if you burn the painting, reality turns back into the ethereal. This is the characteristic of Tao.

Consciousness, structure, and energy serve as the universal keys to unlocking the mysteries of the universe and attaining the status of deity celestial beings and Super Celestial Beings.

The ethereal and the real have no boundaries; everything depends on our own consciousness. "Emptiness is form, form is emptiness." From nothingness, all things can emerge, yet within all things, nothingness persists. Everything is ultimately empty. The key is to master the method of consciousness. My requirement for Chanyuan celestials is to “possess nothing yet own everything.” The more you desire to possess, the more emptiness you experience; the more you maintain a state of emptiness, the more you come to possess.

It seems quite contradictory, bewildering, and perplexing, doesn’t it?

Practicing “How to Be Free from the Mortal Body during Meditation” will bring clarity to everything.