Intermediate Cultivation

Xuefeng

1. Calm the Mind “Everything is consumed in commotion, but is benefited from tranquility, and tranquility is the home of our spirit”. “Tranquility gives birth to wisdom, while commotion breeds fatuity”. Without tranquility, it’s hard to achieve much or go far. In the worldly realm, there are temptations of pleasing sounds, sensual pleasures, material wealth, and profits, conflicts between self and others, seductions and misguidances, power struggles and deceptions, dangers lurking like sharp swords, turbulent and perilous situations, crises lurking everywhere, and countless forms and appearances. Only through the illumination of tranquility can we see clearly, like the sun shining brightly in the sky, sweeping away all haze, bringing clarity and peace. This is the path to seek harmony and well-being.

How to calm the mind: Do not feel inferior, do not feel superior, do not be arrogant, do not make vows, do not get angry, do not give in to passions, do not owe heaven, do not owe people, do not owe earth, do not owe oneself, do not crave strange tastes, do not harbor strange behaviors, do not practice conspiracies, do not make strange gestures, do not insult gods and Buddhas, do not talk about others’ faults, do not discuss worldly affairs, do not indulge in worldly sentiments, do not boast about one’s abilities, have few desires, work moderately, speak cautiously, abstain from killing, then you can calm your mind.

2. Stop the Mind The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back, and you find the shore. Life is finite, but desires are boundless. Desires are like food, never-ending. They are like demons that disturb your mind and confuse your Buddha nature. If you do not aim high here, you will fall into the demonic realm. Once you enter the demonic realm, you will be lost in the heavy fog and it will be difficult to see the celestial scenery, wasting this life in vain. Therefore, you should stop when you should stop, and retreat bravely in the face of the torrent.

3. Manage the Mind The divine spirit gives me life, and the heart brings my demise. The heart is the master of the body and the commander of the spirit. When the heart moves, the spirit becomes clouded; when the heart is still, the spirit becomes clear; when the heart races, the spirit is unsettled. A single movement of the heart invites all kinds of troubles. While there are remedies for a hundred diseases, the disease of the heart is difficult to cure. Therefore, those who are good at nurturing life start by managing their hearts. If it is restless, calm it; if it is wicked, stop it; if it is desirous, let go and suppress it; if it is impure, purify and clarify it. Over time, things will not disturb the heart, and the spirit will be at peace within. A vibrant, clear, and peaceful spirit is the key to connecting with the negative universe and harnessing the energy of the negative universe.

4. Rectifying the Mind Before one can manage the mind, it must first be rectified. If the mind is not upright, it will breed evil thoughts. The first step to rectify the mind is to read the “Bible”; without reading the “Bible”, things remain unclear. The second step is to read the “Buddhist scriptures”; without reading the “Buddhist scriptures”, the principles are not comprehended. The third step is to read the “Quran”; without reading the Quran, sincerity of the heart is hard to achieve. The fourth step is to read the “Tao Te Ching”; without reading this scripture, the path remains unclear. The fifth step is to learn science; without understanding science, everything becomes chaotic.

5. Being Humble Looking back over five thousand years, there are few who are humble. People cling to their own biases, preconceptions, heresies, delusions, and narrow views, insisting on their own opinions, refusing to admit their mistakes, wasting several lifetimes in vain, and failing the patience of the Greatest Creator. As the saying goes, “There is a way to heaven, but they do not take it; hell has no door, but they insist on crashing into it, brewing bitter wine to drink, and still blaming the Greatest Creator for being unfair.”

Those who suffer hardships, difficulties, poverty, torments, and setbacks need humility the most, but the reality is just the opposite. The more one understands the principles, the higher one’s wisdom, the humbler one is. The less one understands the principles, the more stubborn, obstinate, reactionary, and cruel one is, the further one is from the Tao. Not only can they not become celestials, but it is also difficult for them to become humans in the next life.

Relatively speaking, those great scientists, some billionaires, and political leaders (those who have become presidents and emperors may not necessarily be political leaders) are humbler. Those hidden sages who are unknown to the world are humbler.

How to be humble? First of all, you need to know that the capacity of the heart can vary greatly. It can be so small that not even a needle can penetrate, or so vast that it can encompass the entire universe. The more filled the heart is, the smaller its capacity. The humbler the heart is, the larger its capacity. It can be said that the universe is as big as your heart, but this heart must be humble. For the sake of an analogy, let’s consider the heart as a room. If this room is empty (humble), then it is useful. This room can be a bedroom, a study, an office, a gym, a storage room, a prison, or even a toilet, depending on the need, it can become any room. But if this room is already filled with all kinds of junk, then this room is almost a junkyard, and it can no longer fit more things, nor can it become a useful room. If you want to make it a useful room, you must move out the unnecessary things inside, no matter how precious or valuable these things are in your eyes, you must decisively clean them up and throw them away, even if the inside has been reinforced with steel and concrete, you must also make an effort to tear it down.

The heart is like a room, the more prejudices and preconceptions you have, the less useful your heart is, and the smaller its capacity. Here I give three examples:

1. I have a friend in the secular world who is knowledgeable and brave. However, when I bring up the formation of the universe and the origin of life, he immediately asserts, “The universe was formed by the Big Bang, life originated in water, and species came about through evolution.” He shows impatience to continue the discussion with me, leaving me speechless. For hundreds of years, these prejudices have been accepted by the world, binding the minds of millions of people. Why not use scientific methods and thinking to reason and verify step by step? If the Big Bang could form an orderly universe, why didn’t the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima result in two more beautiful, orderly, and modern cities, but instead resulted in chaotic ruins? To refute the fallacy that life accidentally formed in water requires a lot of space, so I recommend reading the book “Life - How did it get here? By evolution or by creation?” (This book can be obtained by writing to 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201. U.S.A.)

It’s worth noting that even Charles Darwin, a representative figure of the theory of evolution, admitted: “That life may have been originally breathed by the creator into a few forms or into one.” And Richard Dawkins, a representative figure of the theory that life accidentally originated in water, said in his book “The Selfish Gene”: “This book should be read almost as though it were science fiction.” Evolution only occurs within the same species of animals, plants, and microorganisms. One species will not evolve into another. In other words, rabbits will not evolve into horses, snails will not evolve into cattle, peach branches grafted onto willow trees will not grow peaches, and no matter how much monkeys evolve, they will not become humans. As for humans, due to the accumulation of knowledge and rich experience, they have continuously recognized and applied some laws existing in the material world, becoming smarter and more civilized. No matter how much they evolve, they will not grow eyes on the back of their heads or wings on their backs. As long as you have a bit of a scientific mind and follow the gene knowledge continuously explored by scientists led by the United States, you will know that the statement that species evolved is a fallacy. Mao Zedong said: “The spread of fallacies misleads people a lot.” This is truly a profound statement.

2. I have another friend whose wife, every time I urge this friend to study the “Bible”, immediately refutes with Marx’s doctrine: “Religion is the opium of the people, it should not be studied.” What else can I say? You avoid the disease and fear the cure, mistaking the well rope for a snake, and even regard the book as a religion. This kind of prejudice is equivalent to closing a door to a beautiful life for yourself. As the saying goes: “Medicine does not cure the incurable disease, Buddha saves those who are destined.” Since you are not destined and not humble, no one can save you.

3. I have a colleague. I once tried to guide him to understand how to have a carefree real life and a beautiful future life. He immediately asserted: “As long as a person is kind and diligent, it is enough.” I asked what kindness is, he said: “Helping the weak and poor is kindness.” I continued to ask, suppose there is a middle-aged man, with elderly parents above, and several underage children who are waiting to be fed below, the family is very poor, you help him get 10 kilograms of heroin at a low price, let him resell it and make a huge profit, from then on this family has a good life, is this kind of help called kindness? He thought for a while and said: “This kind of help is not called kindness; it helps a family and harms dozens of families.” I asked again, “Didn’t you say that helping the weak and poor is kindness? Why do you say that this kind of help is not kindness?” He corrected and said: “What I mean is that it is kind to help the weak and poor in a proper way.”

I asked what the proper way is, he said: “The proper way is a method that is harmless to society and others.” I continued to ask, “A poor child, smart and studious, is reading high school, you pity them, find a way to find a job for this child who is in school, so that his family’s economic situation has improved, this kind of help is harmless to society, and harmless to others, is it called kindness?” he answered: “It is kindness.” I said, “this child may go to college after graduating from high school, and he has a bright future. You found him a job, solved the urgent need, but ruined his bright future. Can this be called kindness?” He thought for a while and said: “The best help is not only harmless to society and others, but also considers the overall interests and long-term interests of the help object, but this is complicated.”

I said, “Alright, let’s not delve too deep, let’s consider the simple. You just said that helping the weak and poor is kindness, so is helping the powerful and wealthy not considered kindness?” He decisively said, “It’s not kindness.” And he gave an example, “Hitler was powerful, helping him is evil. Capitalists get rich by exploiting the surplus value of workers, helping them is not good.” I said, “During the Warring States period in China, wars were frequent, and people were living in dire straits. Some people helped the most powerful Qin state to unify China, thereby ending the wars, and the common people could rest and recuperate from then on. Can you say that helping the powerful is not an act of kindness?” He thought for a while and said, “If this powerful entity benefits the vast majority of people, helping it can also be said to be kind.” I asked, “The United States is the most powerful in the world today. If we help it to unify the globe, unify the currency, eliminate the military expenditures of various countries, freely exchange various cultures, freely come and go, and avoid many disputes, would you say this kind of help is considered kindness?” He laughed heartily and answered, “This is a political issue, it’s hard to say, hard to say.”

I continued to ask, does help also have a nature attribute? Is there political help, economic help, humanitarian help, cultural help, human rights help, military help? If divided by attributes, which kind of help is considered good? He immediately waved his hand and said, “This is too complicated.” I smiled and said, let’s not talk about the complicated ones. You said that helping the rich is not good. Suppose there is a place in Africa where people have no shoes to wear. Someone helped a big capitalist in the UK to set up a shoe factory in this place. From then on, the products of this place have increased in value. Some local people have entered a relatively civilized factory to work, started to contact machines, learned language and text, this remote place has a road to other tribes, and more importantly, people have shoes to wear, gradually leaving the primitive way of life and moving towards civilization. Do you think this kind of help is not good? He thought for a long time before saying, “This kind of help is colonial in nature, but from a long-term perspective, it is good for the development of Africa and the people of Africa, and it can also be said to be good.” I laughed and asked, so you say ‘helping the weak and poor is good’ is this sentence correct? He suddenly woke up, punched me on the shoulder, and laughed and said, “You deliberately beat around the bush to make me fall into your trap.” After a pause, he sighed and muttered to himself, "Ah, it is really difficult to define goodness clearly. The greatest benevolence appears indifferent. The greatest kinship shows no favoritism. The greatest goodness appears evil. The greatest evil appears good.’!”

After a moment, he suddenly stood up, faced me, and said decisively, “No matter what, killing is always evil and not kind.” He looked as if he had finally found an invincible truth. I stared into his eyes and gave an example, “There was a nine-person squad that was sent thousands of miles away to a place heavily surrounded by enemy forces to rescue people on a quiet night. Midway, they were discovered by the enemy. During the firefight, one of them was seriously injured and could no longer walk. The squad leader had no choice but to shoot this comrade to death. If he didn’t kill him, the angry enemy would hack him to death. He would suffer torture and pain. If he couldn’t stand the torture, he would reveal the action plan of this nine-person squad, and then the whole army would be wiped out. Do you say this kind of killing is not kind? For example, an old and frail person, suffering from a terminal illness, in unbearable pain, decided by relatives and doctors, was mercifully given a lethal injection. The old man peacefully closed his eyes and ended his life. Do you say this kind of killing is kind?” I spoke slowly, and his face gradually changed from a happy look to a puzzled look. He suddenly sat down on the edge of the bed. I knew that if I asked again at this time, I would definitely provoke his anger. I quickly lay on the bed, turned my back, and casually picked up a “Reader” published by Gansu Province, China, and started reading. I disrupted his good feelings and values, which was undoubtedly a blow to his head. At this time, I only heard him panting heavily. I knew that ‘war’ was imminent. I held my breath and quietly read the book. Just then his younger brother brought a bowl of braised pork for us to eat. As soon as he saw the food, he came back to his senses and shouted, “Damn, eating meat should always be good!” He casually picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. I lay still without moving, and responded to him, "What about eating human flesh?" He probably choked or got something lodged in his throat, and he abruptly spat out the meat in his mouth, bellowing, "You’re utterly inhumane. When we talk about eating meat, we’re referring to the meat of birds and beasts. How can it involve eating human flesh? Humans are sentient beings that can think and feel pain and pleasure. The cruelest act is to consume human flesh."

I turned to ask again, "What about eating dog meat? Dogs also have a spiritual nature and can understand human emotions. They are loyal friends to humans. They guard homes, provide comfort to lonely elderly people, can herd, and avenge their masters. Isn’t it cruel to eat their meat?" He was taken aback, seemingly enlightened, squinting his eyes, and whispered, "It’s best not to eat dog meat." "What about horse meat, beef, chicken, pork, etc.?" I continued to ask. He pondered for a while and answered, "For other animal meats, the slaughterer is cruel, the eater is innocent." "So are you saying that those who manufacture guns and missiles are cruel, but those who use these weapons to kill are kind?" He waved his hand impatiently and said, "Forget it, forget it, I won’t argue with you anymore, in any case, kindness and diligence are absolutely correct." I said, "Yes, ants are diligent, but too naive; bees are diligent, but too foolish; gold diggers are diligent, but they destroy vegetation and turn grasslands into deserts; farmers are diligent, but after a heavy rain, they stand at the edge of the field, crying and shouting, heartbroken…"

I use the above three examples to illustrate that prejudice and preconception are misleading. We must often examine ourselves, do not stick to what we think is correct, be humble, and make it a space that can accommodate thousands of rivers, thousands of mountains, and all things. Only when we are in this state can we gain wisdom, know that there are indeed the Thousand-year World, Ten-thousand-year World, and the Elysium World, find the way to the high-level space of life, know that if seeking to be celestial, one will fulfil his wish, so as to appreciate the infinite scenery of the fairyland.

6. Stabilizing the Mind Stability is achieved when the mind remains calm and undisturbed. Once you comprehend the journey of transcending time and space as described in Lifechanyuan, you should concentrate with an unwavering mind. Even when dealing with a myriad of mundane affairs, one should simply adapt to the circumstances. "When the wind blows through the sparse bamboo, the bamboo does not retain the sound after the wind has passed; when the wild geese fly over the cold deep pool, the pool does not retain the shadow of the geese after they have flown past.” When events arise, the mind responds, and when events pass, the mind returns to its original state of emptiness.

Emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, and thought do not disturb the mind;

Concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, good and bad do not confuse the mind;

Temptation, coercion, deception, and fraud do not shake the mind;

Success and failure, gain and loss, disaster and blessing, merit and demerit do not unsettle the mind;

Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faith, hatred, disease, and death do not bewilder the mind;

Sensations of cold and warmth, pain and itch, sour and sweet, bitter and spicy do not bother the mind;

Feelings of loneliness, solitude, depression, and worry do not entangle the mind;

Entities like gods, monsters, Buddhas, demons, ghosts, and spirits do not bind the mind;

Laws, precepts, orders, and contracts do not constrain the mind;

Personal identities such as I, you, he, she, ancestors, and descendants do not preoccupy the mind;

Worldly desires like fame, wealth, status, beauty, and treasure do not ensnare the mind;

Concepts of reality and illusion, existence and non-existence, clarity and turbidity, purity and impurity do not obstruct the mind.

If one can stabilize the mind, one enters a state of meditation. During meditation, one is close to Buddha, can attain supernatural powers, can achieve transformation, and has prepared the Dharma body. In this state, “one can ascend to the nine heavens to grasp the moon, one can descend to the five oceans to catch turtles”.

7. Purifying the Mind Water has a source, trees have roots, humans have hearts, hearts have spirits, spirits have gods, gods have masters, and masters have an origin. In the positive and negative universe, there is no water without a source, no tree without roots, no human without a heart, no heart without a spirit, no spirit without a god, no god without a master, and no master without an origin.

If the source is turbid, the water will be muddy; if the root is rotten, the tree will wither; if the heart is polluted, the person will be lost.

The heart originates from the spirit, with the heart and spirit resonating and vibrating at the same frequency. “A single thought of the heart’s spirit can connect everything.” The spirit is like a large broadcasting machine, constantly sending information from the divine to every space and corner of the universe. The heart is like a small receiving machine, ceaselessly receiving information sent from the universal spirit. However, if the heart is impure and tainted, it is like a rusty receiving machine, unable to receive instructions from the spirit. Even if it can receive a little, it will be intermittent and filled with static, too much noise, and incomplete instructions. Then you will be at a loss, leading to an unpredictable life. What I mean by “Fragrances attract butterflies to flowers and consciousness flows freely when your heart is at peace; no diseases will bother you when your heart and body are clean, and pure hearts will be frequented by celestial beings” is exactly this.

Factors leading to impurity of the heart:

Blasphemy against God makes the heart impure; evil thoughts make the heart impure; delusions make the heart impure;

Unrestrained greed makes the heart impure; desiring for undue advantages makes the heart impure; deception and trickery make the heart impure;

Nonsense makes the heart impure; insulting gods and Buddhas makes the heart impure; disrespecting parents makes the heart impure;

Fighting and robbing make the heart impure; ambiguous thoughts make the heart impure; an unclean body makes the heart impure;

Cheating and defrauding make the heart impure; a heart lacking kindness makes the heart impure; ignorance makes the heart impure.

If the heart is impure, it is hard for the heart to be calm; if the heart is not calm, it is hard for one to become a celestial being.

8. Ending the Heart’s Worries The divine spirit gives me life, and the heart brings about my demise. When the heart arises, the true nature perishes. When the heart perishes, the true nature manifests. Ending the heart’s worries is based on doing your best to reach a state of no-mind. Although the body exists in the world, the heart remains untainted by a speck of dust, thereby achieving the state of no form, no form of self, others, living beings, or lifespan. This transcends the realm of desire and the realm of form, entering the formless realm, laying the foundation for advanced cultivation of refining one’s nature.

To achieve the end of the heart’s worries and the state of no-mind, Taoism offers a poem “Song of No Mind” which can lend a hand:

Song of No Mind

(Translated by Thomas Cleary)

How laughable my mind,

Like a stubborn fool.

Restlessly it rises and falls,

Allowing things to be settled by chance.

It neither understands cultivation,

Nor commits sin.

It never benefits others,

Nor benefits itself.

It neither observes discipline,

Nor adheres to taboos.

It neither knows propriety and music,

Nor practices benevolence and righteousness.

When asked what it can do,

It knows nothing at all.

When hungry, it eats,

When thirsty, it drinks.

When tired, it sleeps,

When awake, it walks.

When hot, it wears light clothes,

When cold, it covers with a quilt.

It has no thoughts, no worries,

No joy, no sorrow.

It has no regrets, no schemes,

No intentions, no ideas.

Life and death, honor and disgrace,

Are but travelers' inns.

Trees and birds can also be like this.

Coming without hindrance,

Going without restraint.

It neither avoids nor seeks,

Neither praises nor blames.

It neither hates ugliness,

Nor admire beauty.

It neither seeks quiet places,

Nor avoid noisy ones.

It does not talk of others' wrongs,

Nor boast of its own right.

It neither respects the noble,

Nor despises the humble.

It treats love and hatred, big and small, inside and outside,

Joy and sorrow, gain and loss, respect and insult,

With equal simplicity and ease.

Its mind does not see dualities,

It is even and calm.

It neither seeks fortune,

Nor causes misfortune.

It responds only when stimulated,

It acts only when compelled.

It fears no sharp blades,

Nor dreads tigers and rhinoceroses.

It calls things by their names,

It does not cling to labels.

Its eyes do not follow colors,

Its ears do not chase sounds.

All that appears is false and illusory.

The forms and sounds of men and women,

Are not fixed entities.

The mind has no form,

It is unstained and unhindered.

Free and at ease,

Nothing can bind it.

Its wondrous illumination,

Shines through inside and out.

Encompassing the six extremes,

There is no near or far.

Light, yet not light,

Like the moon in water.

Difficult to grasp,

What can it be compared to?

Understanding this subtle function,

One transcends beyond.

If asked what it adheres to,

This is all there is.