Abandoning the Boat After You Reach the Shore

Xuefeng

Does a billionaire still need to learn how to get rich? Of course not.

Does a graduate student need to go back to high school to study the high school curriculum? Of course not.

Do those who have become celestials and Buddhas still need to practice and cultivate the ways to become celestials and Buddhas? Of course not.

Is there any need to carry the boat after crossing the river? Of course not.

Once the deed is done, everything before its completion can be left behind.

We must travel light. We have already traversed the path humanity has walked for thousands of years and are now moving into depths never before touched by mankind. Everything from the past must be left behind. With cars, we abandon ox carts and horse carts; with electric lights, we abandon oil lamps and gas lamps; moving into palaces, we no longer need to keep the old, thatched huts; upon entering the Second Home, we leave all worldly things behind; and upon entering the Kingdom of Heaven, even everything from the Second Home must be abandoned.

Buddha Shakyamuni told us that the Dharma he taught us should be seen as a raft to cross the river, and once across, the raft should be discarded. Christ Jesus told us that old wineskins cannot hold new wine, and as the world changes like a game of chess, we need new thoughts, new thinking, and new methods to solve new problems.

Do not cling to the past. Instead of being nostalgic, it’s better to forge ahead. The universe is boundless, time and space are infinite, and the future of life has no endpoint. Life is always on a journey, and the scenery ahead is unheard of and unseen by us. No matter how wonderful the environment we are in now, we still need to break new ground, open new paths, and enter new realms. Because joy is found in creation, not in enjoyment; happiness is in giving, not in acquiring; freedom is in constantly letting go, not in holding on to the old.

Once we stop moving forward, we will inevitably begin to decline. If we are unwilling to let go of everything we have, we will inevitably become selfish and greedy. If we cling to the old ways and refuse to change, we will never have the chance to see unparalleled new phenomena and landscapes.

Do not worry if the way forward seems unclear. When one door closes, nine others will open. There is always a way provided by heaven. As long as we have faith in the Greatest Creator, the path ahead will be smooth and flat, without cliffs or precipices. The combination of sixty-four factors will create astronomical numbers of new things and new scenes. As long as our thinking is alive, everything is alive. As long as our thinking is flexible and harmonious, everything on the path of life will be a bright and sunny spring.

We have already abandoned the boat and landed on the shore of the Thousand-year World copy. Since we, Chanyuan celestials, have the wisdom, courage, determination, and perseverance to create a new lifestyle completely different from traditional thinking and living, we are confident and capable of creating an even more incomparable new life.

Looking ahead at the life that is more beautiful, poetic, and picturesque, I cannot contain the joy and excitement in my heart. Dear ones, the breathtaking environment that will take our breath away lies just ahead, not too distant from us. Let us cast aside everything we no longer need from the past, and with a completely new mindset and stance, leave the boat behind and step ashore to savor the new sensations of a new world.

2013/10/17