Intermediate Self-improvement

Xuefeng

Intermediate self-improvement builds upon the foundation of elementary self-improvement by worshipping the Greatest Creator, perceiving the Tao, recognizing Buddha, and creating a new life path. This process involves being free from the secular even while remaining in the secular world, being away from worldly affairs in your mind even when you must interact with them, remaining ordinary while transcending beyond the ordinary and ultimately reaching a state of oblivion to both self and objects, living a life guided by visualization.

1. Love and Worship the Greatest Creator Adhere strictly to the Greatest Creator’s commandments and throughout life, love and worship only the true Lord—Buddha, the Greatest Creator. Do not worship deities, idols, or worldly great figures.

The Greatest Creator is the creator of all things in the universe, the Lord of all gods in heaven, the cradle of life, the source of wisdom, the prime mover of the universe, and the energy center of the supra-material world. the Greatest Creator possesses eight major characteristics: uniqueness, amorphousness, neutrality, mystery, impartiality, mercy, supreme power, and absolute wisdom. The Greatest Creator exists in the negative universe in the form of a spirit and maintains the orderly operation of the universe through the “Tao.”

To transcend time and space and achieve eternity, the only path is to rely on Allah-the Ancestor of Buddha, the Greatest Creator. The Greatest Creator is the master switch of energy. With a humble attitude, we must recognize, trust, follow, love, praise, and worship Him with all our heart, mind, and soul.

The key to worshipping the Greatest Creator is believing in Jesus. Jesus is the Greatest Creator’s representative, spokesperson, "son," and the one who carries out the Greatest Creator’s mission. He came to the world not for his own glory but to spread the Greatest Creator’s gospel. If we respond with our hearts, we will know that Jesus is kind, honest, amiable, respectable, and reliable. What he says is the truth, and he is the gateway to higher life spaces. By believing in Jesus, we can attain long-lasting life and peace.

Only by worshipping Allah—the Ancestor of Buddha, the Greatest Creator, can we enter a unique spiritual and psychological state, our efforts will not be in vain, we will have a strong support, so can we reach the ideal shore.

2. Perceive, Practice, and Attain the Tao The Tao is the force used by the Greatest Creator to maintain the orderly operation of the universe, referred to as the “active force” in the Bible. It is the law of the universe, the arbiter of cause and effect, an objective law that operates independently of human will. It is the bloodstream and life force of the universe.

The Tao is omnipresent and ever-present. It exists in all things and runs through all movements. From the operation of celestial bodies to the movement of molecules, from the surging of rivers to the control of genes over organisms, everything is governed by the Tao. No person or thing, no action or movement can escape the constraints of the Tao. It is like the palm of the Tathagata Buddha, where even the mischievous Monkey King cannot escape. Humans exist within the Tao: sleeping when tired is the Tao, eating when hungry is the Tao. If you resist by not sleeping or eating, you are going against the Tao, and the consequences are obvious. Similarly, stopping eating when full aligns with the Tao, while overeating does not. Sheep eating grass on the mountains is in line with the Tao, while humans eating grass is not. Pulling weeds from a field aligns with the Tao, but pulling weeds from the wild does not. Grass growing in the wild follows the Tao, but growing in a field does not. A man sleeping with his wife aligns with the Tao, while sleeping with someone else’s wife does not. Having a relationship with a prostitute follows the Tao, while seducing a virtuous girl does not. Accumulating wealth by serving others follows the Tao, while accumulating wealth through robbery, theft, deceit, corruption, and bribery does not. As an official, managing in line with human nature follows the Tao, while managing against human nature does not.

The Tao belongs to the negative universe. It is invisible, intangible, inaudible, and immeasurable but exerts control over all things. The wise say, "The gods are watching from three feet above", in fact, every blood cell contains a god—the Tao. Thus, you can deceive others, but not the god—the Tao. If you are hit by a car in Australia, do not be surprised; it might be because you killed a dog in China that should not have been killed. A sudden heart attack at seventy might result from an unethical act at thirty. Disrespectful children might be due to insufficient filial piety towards your parents. Being deceived might be due to excessive selfishness and greed. When everything goes wrong, and you are exhausted and even suicidal, do not despair; it might be because a great responsibility is being placed on you. In short, every result has its cause. When quantitative changes reach a certain limit, qualitative changes occur. The saying “good deeds bring good results, bad deeds bring bad results, it’s not that there’s no retribution, but the time hasn’t come; once it comes, there will be retribution” reflects the Tao.

The Tao is impartial. It will not help you because you are poor and pitiful, nor will it punish you because you are wealthy and powerful. The only criterion for reward or punishment is whether you follow or go against the Tao. Poverty without following the Tao will only worsen your situation, while wealth and strength with the Tao will bring more blessings. Conversely, poverty with adherence to the Tao will gradually lead to wealth and strength, while wealth and happiness against the Tao will lead to gradual poverty and frequent disasters.

The Tao governs human destiny. Fate is predetermined, but fortune is changeable. Every word, action, movement, and thought affects fortune, all judged impartially and without omission by the Tao.

All scientific endeavors are seeking the Tao. All axioms and theorems are the Tao. The Tao may seem ethereal, but it is a concrete reality.

The Tao does nothing but leaves nothing undone. The Tao is neither virtual nor real, honest and incorruptible. The Tao objectively exists and cannot be added to or reduced. It cannot be bribed, twisted, deformed, compressed, or extended.

The Tao is vast, complex, subtle, and fine, yet singular. It is vast because it encompasses everything, complex because it is unfathomable, subtle because it is precise, fine because it misses nothing, and singular because it is one.

Perceiving the Tao requires knowledge and wisdom, self-improvement and practice, a calm mind, and transcendence of the mundane.

Practice of the Tao means going with the flow, acting in accordance with the Tao, persisting, and simplifying life.

Attaining the Tao means entering the Tao, losing consciousness of self, and thoughts of life and death, forgetting oneself and objects, uniting with the Tao, ending human life, starting celestial life, being able to move heaven and earth, knowing past and future, in short, becoming divine.

Perceiving the Tao is easy; practicing the Tao is hard. Practicing the Tao for ten years will surely make you a celestial. Through meditation, deep thought, and unconventional thinking, earth-shattering realizations will lead you to the heavenly court.

3. Reading Buddhist Scriptures and Perceiving Buddha Nature

Christianity and Islam, along with their branches such as Judaism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, all originate from the same source, as can be understood from reading the Bible and the Quran. Buddhism, however, has a different origin. We know that other peoples were created by the Greatest Creator, whereas the people of the East are descendants of the Dragon. This dragon came to Earth during the period when dinosaurs roamed freely. Later, the Greatest Creator destroyed the dinosaurs with a plague, sending all dinosaur spirits into the negative black hole body. However, a pair of dragons hid in a cave in the East China Sea and escaped this fate. These dragons, recognizing the Greatest Creator's power, did not dare to return to the heavenly kingdom or reappear on Earth in their dragon forms. Knowing what humans created by the god looked like, they transformed into human forms, and began to spread westward from the Chinese coast along the Yellow River, after crossing the Pamir Plateau, eventually reaching India. Their aim was to blend with the descendants of humans created by the god to avoid divine punishment. They knew the god had created Eden for humanity, which was the Western Paradise, but upon reaching India, they found that the god’s descendants were everywhere, and that Jerusalem did not contain Eden. Eden had vanished, and the god’s people were living in poverty and disease instead of the paradise god created for them, which prompted the dragon's descendants to seek new paths.

The dragon's descendants who reached India who retained the spiritual genes of their origins know deeply their origin, especially Siddhartha Gautama, the most significant carrier of these genes. Through enlightenment, he realized the whole story. Knowing the sever consequences of defying the Greatest Creator's will, he sought the Tathagata, which represents the original, true Buddha nature and the origin of spirituality and LIFE, which is the Greatest Creator. Seeking the Tathagata Buddha, or the Greatest Creator, aimed to atone for his sins and return to the heavenly homeland.

Sakyamuni knew his ancestors' origins, so he initially focused his teachings eastward. Bodhidharma traveled a great distance to China to spread these teachings for this reason.

Thus, Eastern people are descendants of the Dragon, initially rebellious followers of Satan in the Buddha Kingdom, but also the smartest and wisest followers of Buddha. They are the ones who ultimately repented, actively sought the Tathagata, and received the Greatest Creator's forgiveness.

Buddha means someone who are not human, transcends being human. Buddha is nature. To become a Buddha, one must see through the illusion of life, consider everything as void, and view life as a dream. Through chanting scriptures and worshiping the Buddha, one cleanses past sins and removes human desires to restore original nature—the nature possessed in the Elysium World before the dragons came to Earth. Only by achieving this nature can one qualify to become a Buddha and return to the heavenly homeland—the Elysium World (the Pure Land), the eternal negative universe.

Becoming a Buddha is far more challenging than becoming a true Christian or Muslim. Christianity and Islam teach people how to live in a way that meets the requirements of the Greatest Creator （Allah）, hoping to be resurrected when the Greatest Creator's Kingdom arrives and enjoy its glory. Buddhism, on the other hand, teaches people not to cling to life and to transcend desire, form, and formless realms to return to their origin.

To read Buddhist scriptures, one must start with the Diamond Sutra, as all other Buddhist scriptures take it as their core. Any scripture not based on the Diamond Sutra is not considered a true Buddhist scripture.

Perceiving Buddha nature requires effort in one's own nature. The advanced self-cultivation of Lifechanyuan is dedicated to this purpose.

4. Accept Your Fate, Control Your Fortune, Create Your New Destiny

Destiny is composed of fate and fortune.

Fate is mainly determined by three factors: genetic information, the time of conception and birth, and the environment of conception and birth.

Genetic information determines one's race, appearance, innate abilities, health conditions, etc. For instance, a person born as a Caucasian has an advantageous fate compared to one born as an African. Someone born with a healthy and well-formed body has a better fate than someone born with a deformed or unhealthy body. Innate intelligence provides a better fate compared to natural dullness. Though genetics relates to one's past life's karmic debts, the individual cannot decide but bear it. Genetics is not arranged by the Greatest Creator but or any god, but by one's past self and ancestors.

The time of birth determines one's heavenly stems and earthly branches, as well as the five elements. It predestines one's encounters, tribulations, and even the time of death, and it broadly establishes one's worldview. For instance, the worldview of someone born in a primitive era differs from that of someone born in a highly civilized era; those born in wartime have different perspectives compared to those born in peacetime; those born in times of material scarcity and epidemics differ from those born in times of abundance and scientific advancement.

The environment of birth shapes one's temperament and life direction. Being born in a noble family differs from being born in a poor family; being born in a scholarly family differs from being born in a laborer's home; being born in a beautiful environment differs from being born in a harsh one; being born in America differs from being born in Somalia in terms of temperament and life direction.

Fortune is mainly determined by character, education and upbringing, and the people one interacts with.

Character dictates career. Every profession requires a personality suited to it. If one’s character doesn’t match their career, success is unlikely, indicating bad fortune. Conversely, when character aligns with one’s profession, success is attainable regardless of faith or moral integrity. Imagine if Eisenhower were to become an educator, or Pavlov were to lead soldiers into battle; if Nie Weiping were to become a rock singer, or Cui Jian were to play Go, would they succeed? Reflecting on the early days of China’s reform, when a portion of the population was allowed to become wealthy first, all the “decent” individuals were envious. They found that most of the people who became rich were those who were "nebulous," not serious about their jobs, idling away in their workplaces, and seemingly without a future. They felt that "those who make atomic bombs are not as good as those who sell tea eggs," "being an engineer is not as good as being a cobbler," and "being a role model is not as good as messing around aimlessly." The reason lies in character: those initially successful had personalities unsuitable for rigid, stagnant, and controlled state jobs. When the dynamic environment of the reform arrived, these individuals, who are long-repressed, discriminated against and neglected by society found their fortunes aligning with their adventurous, adaptable natures, leading to success.

If one's life is full of struggles and lacks achievement, it is not due to bad fate but an inability to find a career matching one's character, signifying poor fortune.

Education and upbringing determine the depth and breadth of one's life, the quality of life, and the social strata one can reach. In a civilized society with complete moral and legal norms, the higher one's educational and familial background, the higher one's social status. Conversely, in a disorderly, chaotic, ignorant, and unhealthy society, this order might be reversed. Thus, one's fortune is determined by the level of education and cultural refinement received from society, school, and family.

The people one interacts with determines their successes and failures. Helen Keller, suffering from the triple afflictions of blindness, deafness, and muteness, became a highly accomplished figure praised by the Encyclopedia Britannica due to her interaction with Ms. Sullivan. Zhou Enlai became the long-standing second-in-command in China due to his association with Mao Zedong. Yue Fei's ambitions were unfulfilled due to his interactions with Zhao Gou and Qin Hui. Regular interactions with literary circles teach one to write; associating with businesspeople teaches one to earn money; mingling with thieves teaches one to rob banks. Observing significant changes in oneself and others reveals that the key influencing factor is the people one associates with. Here, fortune depends on the types of individuals and groups one engages with.

Fate is beyond individual control and can be considered as predetermined, whereas fortune is entirely within one's choice and control. Even with the best fate, poor fortune leads to an unfavorable destiny. Historically, many born into royalty ended tragically, not due to bad fate but because their controllable fortune deviated from a good path. Conversely, those with poor fate but good fortune can achieve favorable outcomes despite being born in poverty-stricken, barren environments by effectively utilizing their fortune.

The conclusion is: Fate is predetermined, but fortune is created by oneself. Accepting fate and fortune passively is incorrect; destiny is in one's own hands and can be recreated. In the intermediate self-improvement stage, everyone must start creating their new destiny. The methods are threefold:

1. Choose a career that matches your personality (Your personality is your unique trait. Don't waste time trying to change it. If you're a wolf, seek meat; if you're a sheep, seek grass; if you're a bird, seek insects; if you're a earthworm, seek soil).

2. Receive as much scientific, cultural, and civilized education as possible.

3. Seek and associate with successful and virtuous individuals in various fields, as they will play a crucial role in rebuilding your destiny.

4. Respect and Learn from Science

Lifechanyuan is founded on the principles of science, encompassing superscience as well. Superscience and science are twin siblings, parallel and mutually dependent, interconnected, and complementary. Science is the systematic study reflecting the principles of Dao in the realms of the human body, nature, human society, and spiritual activities. Only through scientific understanding, attitudes, methods, and thinking can we grasp the concept of the negative universe and understand the Greatest Creator. Science is the only means to ultimately solve humanity's survival issues, leading humanity towards civilization, peace, prosperity, and flourishing, while eliminating barbarism, ignorance, disease, and ignorance.

Without scientific development and achievements, today's Earth could not sustain such a vast population of 6 billion people, human lifespan could not be significantly extended, and we wouldn't have a clearer understanding of our universe and Earth. Therefore, long live science.

To respect science, one must first have a correct understanding of it. Do not devalue science just because you possess some knowledge of superscience, much like a university professor should not look down on a high school teacher. Secondly, respect scientists and those who devote their lives to science. Engage with people in the scientific field, make friends with them, and support and protect scientists and scientific workers within your capabilities. At the same time, guard against pseudoscience, do not promote it, and avoid being deceived by it.

It's also important to recognize the limitations of science. Science can only address issues within the material domain and cannot solve problems of the nonmaterial realm in the 19th to 36th dimensional spaces. Relying solely on science cannot extend our lives into higher life spaces; only superscience can ultimately help us transcend time and space to achieve eternity.

6. Self-Rescue in Life, Spirit, and Soul

Heaven helps those who help themselves. Laziness, passivity, idleness, and complacency are life's great enemies. These negative influences not only prevent us from achieving anything in the material world but also render us helpless in the nonmaterial world.

First is self-rescue in life. Whether we are in bustling cities or remote villages, among family and friends or strangers, we must mentally place ourselves on a deserted island, not relying on deities or emperors, not waiting for windfalls, and not harboring any lucky illusions. Only by relying on ourselves can we solve problems of food, water, warmth, safety, and loneliness. This mindset maximizes our potential, attracts external help, and gains the support of benefactors and the protection of gods and Buddhas.

Self-rescue in life relies not only on diligence but more importantly on intelligence. For instance, if you are a farmer with only a small piece of land, you can make ends meet in a good harvest year, but what if a disaster strikes? Have you considered planting medicinal herbs or other cash crops, or learning a craft in your spare time to increase your family income?

If you are a laborer, forced to work more than ten hours a day under high intensity, enduring the temper of your boss, and not getting your hard-earned money at the end of the year, why not muster the courage to start a small business or learn some carpentry or masonry skills?

If you are a worker or a junior staff member, think about how much you earn in a year. Relying on that salary can only maintain a modest standard of living. What if there is any illness or disaster? When can you step onto the path of a comfortable and prosperous life? Why not attend a technical training class, or start a small restaurant, tea shop, convenience store, or hair salon?

If you are a technician, engineer, middle school teacher, senior staff member, secretary, translator, etc., and if your talents have not been utilized for a long time and you have been suppressed for a long time, why not change your work environment?

When the east is not bright, the west is bright; when the south is dark, there is the north. There is always a way out, and there is no place on the ground where grass does not grow. Use your brain and see where your optimal coordinate system and coordinates are.

The depth and breadth of life are boundless. Only those who rise up in adversity and step by step explore the depth and breadth of life are qualified to receive divine help, to enjoy life, to discuss life, to guide and criticize others, to see the essence through the phenomenon, to see the nonmaterial through the material, to see the divine through the human, and to see the Greatest Creator through god. When you see the light of the Greatest Creator, you are qualified to obtain eternal LIFE.

Spiritual self-rescue: The term “essence” has two layers of meaning: The first refers to the nutrients that an organism obtains from food in order to maintain continuous movement. That is, after food enters the human body, apart from the part that is excreted, the rest is absorbed and digested by the organism, forming what is known as vital energy; the second is the subtle matter stored in the body for use by the living body to maintain movement. The term “divine” also has two meanings: one is the invisible and indescribable controlling force that coordinates the effective mutual assistance operation of various organs and parts of the living body, such as the force that allows the combination of sperm and egg to develop into a complete human body in the mother’s womb; The second is the force of resonance of human thought and soul with the negative universe. It can also be understood that anything that is invisible, indescribable, inaudible, and untouchable, but has a real effect on you, is divine (this refers to the narrow sense of divine).

The spirit is the combination of essence and divine, the pillar of the living body, and the bridge and junction of the mutual connection and interaction between material and nonmaterial. Without spirit, people will perish, not only the body will perish, but also the family and the career they are engaged in will decline. People with spirit can suppress all evils, not only are they not infected with diseases, but they are also not approached by evil spirits, and they can absorb the essence of the sun and the moon and the aura of heaven and earth.

To be strong, you must first have spirit, and to have spirit, you must first learn to keep in good health. Truck drivers know that if a truck is maintained in time, effectively, frequently changing air filters, oil filters, the gap of spark plugs is just right, the size of piston rings is suitable, the cylinder body is not scuffed, the gas door does not leak, the sealing ring, the sealing pad seals well, the transmission part is well lubricated, the cooling system is not blocked, the ignition is on time, then, this truck is powerful, even if it is fully loaded with goods, climbing steep slopes is no problem, it can be said that this car has “spirit”. On the contrary, it will slip and even retreat, and there is no “spirit”.

Similarly, if people keep in good health, they will have strength, spirit, vitality, creativity, and rich imagination. Health preservation mainly nourishes essence, energy, spirit, and form. One of the main purposes of health preservation is to cultivate spirit. Spirit cannot be borrowed, cannot be stolen, it can only rely on self-rescue.

Soul (heart and spirit) Self-Rescue: Here, the “heart” specifically refers to the part of the heart function that leads a person’s thoughts, consciousness, and mental activities; “spirit” refers to spirituality, wisdom information wave, which is not affected by material and space-time, comes from the negative universe, never strays from truth, goodness, and beauty, and only acts on the heart.

The soul is a heart with spirituality. When a person’s heart yearns for truth, goodness, and beauty, the heart and spirit can immediately resonate. This longing, if sustained, can cultivate a perfect soul. Such a soul enables your thoughts and consciousness to communicate with the negative universe, creating a unity where you become the universe, and the universe becomes you. In this state, divine light is always present, symbolizing the unity and response between heaven and man. This allows you to harness the energy of the negative universe, and you will be blessed by gods and Buddhas everywhere. Your desires and wishes can be quickly fulfilled, your thoughts can become reality, and your visualizations can be actualized. In this state, what you can accomplish in two hours of quiet sitting could surpass what an ordinary person might achieve in twenty years of hard work.

When a person’s thinking and consciousness deviate from truth, goodness, and beauty, the spirit wave will be cut off immediately. At this point, only the heart exists without the spirit. A heart devoid of spirit can only cycle endlessly within the confines of the material world and three-dimensional space. Such a person, except for the human appearance and some other characteristics, is almost no different from animals, and his soul will definitely go to the animal level in the next life. Soul self-rescue means that no matter what kind of adverse and unfortunate circumstances you are in, you must yearn for truth, goodness, and beauty, and you must act and behave based on the principles of truth, goodness, and beauty. When people around you are muddling through, you must practice soul self-rescue; when everyone is fighting and scrambling, indulging in pleasures, you must practice soul self-rescue; when people are indifferent and drifting with the wind, you must practice soul self-rescue; when people are fanatic about a certain political movement or religious superstition, you must practice soul self-rescue; when people bully, oppress, deceive, extort, ridicule, and mock you, you must practice soul self-rescue; when you encounter difficulties in life and troubles at work, you must practice soul self-rescue; when you are suffering from stubborn diseases, or on the verge of bankruptcy, or isolated and helpless, you must practice soul self-rescue.

As long as you learn to practice soul self-rescue, the gods and Buddha will help you break through the predicament, and miracles will definitely happen.

7. Embrace the Mundane and Transcend It.

“Mundane” refers to phenomena that are widely accepted and prevalent in society. It has the following implications:

Popularization.

It is generally believed that people should pursue and possess the following: fame, honor, ranking, status, prestigious families, moral integrity, celebrities, brands, business cards, scholars, experts, prestige, positions of power, benefits, profits, interest, money, treasures, property, wealth, financial power, influence, real estate, rights, social status, identity, good people, virtuous people, role models, examples, heroes, beauties, family, and the seven emotions and six desires, etc.

Trends:

Items or behaviors that are popular in a certain period or region and involve most people. These include: interior decoration, wearing brand names, seeking prestige, hosting banquets at upscale restaurants, wearing gold and silver, dyeing hair, eyebrow shaping, lip lining, singing pop songs, speaking fashionable phrases, blindly following trends like qigong, etc. The psychological activities and behaviors of pursuing whatever is trendy, following whatever is advocated, and gravitating towards the guidance of public opinion all fall within the scope of trends.

Traditional Practices:

Cultural practices passed down through history and accepted by people, such as: various celebrations, memorial ceremonies, holidays, etiquettes, ribbon-cutting, birthday and housewarming congratulations, reciprocity, establishing chastity arches, hosting banquets, burning incense, kowtowing, repaying kindness, avenging grievances, etc.

Uniformity:

A single mode formed by unified norms or moral concepts dictated by a center of power in the ideological field, such as: unified beliefs, thoughts, culture, traditions, customs, fashion, historical practices in China like men wearing queues and women binding feet, wearing Zhongshan suits, eight-hour workdays, pushing down walls collectively, overthrowing certain figures, shouting slogans in unison, etc.

Habituation:

Practices commonly accepted as norms, such as: having three meals a day, offering cigarettes to guests, kowtowing when worshiping Buddha, men marrying when grown, women marrying when of age, seeking doctors when ill, apprenticing under a master for knowledge, etc.

Fixed Patterns:

The epistemology and methodology of life and the universe, shaped by conventional knowledge. Examples include: learning should be progressive, seeking knowledge requires logical thinking without imaginative ideas or reversing established practices, raising children to secure old age, accepting fate for life and death, wealth is determined by destiny, scholars accepting poverty, learning to become sages, officials maintaining loyalty to the state, etc.

Secularization.

This refers to an attitude devoid of justice and aesthetics, displayed for personal gain. For example: fawning over the rich, avoiding the poor, endless admiration for the wealthy, full of praise, wagging tails; showing a haughty and contemptuous attitude towards the poor, indifferent; showing respect to those who get out of high-end cars, full of smiles; sneering at those who drive cattle carts, coldly indifferent.

Vulgarization.

Mediocre and vulgar, not very noble behavior. For example: quoting classics whenever opening the mouth, saying “I’ve heard so much about you” when meeting celebrities, overly humble, deliberately mysterious, using professional vocabulary that is not easy for ordinary people to understand in order to show off one’s knowledge, all flattering smiles, flattering words, humble postures, unnatural, uncoordinated dress and so on.

To embrace mundane is to regard the above vulgarities as normal phenomena, human nature, not to interfere, not to correct, let them breed and spread, emerge of itself and perish of itself. The people of the secular society live for these things, their daily hustle and bustle, a lifetime of hard pursuit is for this, their value and meaning of life are measured by these worldly standards, their pain is in it, and happiness and joy are also in it.

To transcend mundane is to look down on the world from the height of a celestial, just like a person observing the activities of ants; to transcend mundane is to gradually distance oneself from worldly people and things, gradually get rid of the entanglement of worldly affairs; to transcend mundane is to stand in the position of Buddha to see through the red dust, to see through life; to transcend mundane is to stand in the eternal space-time to look at the changes in the instantaneous space-time.

To get rid of a bit of vulgarity is to add a bit of chic, to reduce a bit of vulgarity is to add a bit of elegance, to reduce a bit of human heart is to add a bit of Buddha nature.

Less worldly affairs add more leisure, one step away from the worldly world is one step closer to the fairyland.

Once you are completely unworldly, you will become a celestial being.

To be unworldly requires great wisdom and long-term practice, fruits fall off when ripe, when water flows, a channel is formed, when the work is done, it will naturally succeed, if you force yourself to be unworldly or deliberately pretend to be unworldly, not only will you not be unworldly, but you will be more worldly.

If you have the opportunity to climb a mountain once, to appreciate the infinite scenery of nature, or to go to the vast desert to feel the vastness of the world, or to go to the Gobi, the grassland to enjoy the vastness of the world, or to go to the dense forest to experience the mystery and greatness of nature, you will understand the heroic feelings of being free from worldly troubles.

If you have the opportunity to listen to a few more concerts, or cultivate your habit of appreciating music, over time, it can also help you transcend the worldly.

If you have the chance to spend some time with high monks in temples, high masters in Taoist temples, hermits in mountains and fields, real musicians, literary masters, scientists, you can also get the feeling of being unworldly.

The fragrance of books can also drive away vulgarity.

8. Engaging and Disengaging with the World

Engaging with the world means immersing oneself in human society, deeply experiencing the daily life, tasting the various flavors of life, and feeling the intense emotions of love, hate, separation, and reunion. It involves enduring the torments of hope, desire, disappointment, and despair; the joy of success and acquisition; the humiliation and grief of being deceived, bullied, intimidated, exploited, enslaved, ruined, ridiculed, insulted, and beaten. It means enduring the agony of failure, bankruptcy, and desperate situations; the confusion of unclear direction and uncertain future; the anxiety of being debt-ridden and harassed by creditors; the frustration of being cheated in love, having money stolen, being betrayed by comrades or colleagues, and the resentment when good intentions are met with malice. It involves enduring the pain of chronic illness with no cure in sight; the frustration of being misunderstood and unfairly treated; the reflections on life when besieged by demands, critiques, extortion, kidnapping, and threats to safety after achieving fame, establishing a family, or acquiring wealth. It means feeling the sorrow of depending on others when destitute, the loneliness of being far from home and unable to visit family, and the bitterness of old age without filial piety from children.

Engaging with the world means dealing with one’s numerous mundane affairs from a materialistic perspective, standing on the foundation of science, reflecting upon human history, and adhering to all moral norms of human civilization. It involves understanding humans and human society, and experiencing the journey of birth, aging, sickness, and death that every human must go through.

Disengaging from the world means placing oneself in a state as if one has already passed away, observing the material world and human society, regardless of whether one is in favorable or adverse circumstances; regardless of how many people love you or hate you; regardless of how many people depend on you for survival or wish to see you perish; regardless of whether you perceive yourself as great and important, or insignificant and trivial; regardless of whether you possess wealth spanning generations or have nothing at all. As long as you envision yourself as a soul that has already departed, you can disengage from the world, achieve transcendence, avoid being stuck in a rut, and see through the illusions of the mortal world, rising above the mundane.

Disengaging from the world means not indulging in the material and spiritual pursuits of the human world. It involves viewing the human realm from the perspective of celestials and Buddhas, handling daily life from a nonmaterial and anti-scientific standpoint, perceiving a millennium as a fleeting moment, and treating your ephemeral life with the vision of the negative universe. It means adhering to the moral laws of the heavenly kingdom, denying the value of the human life, and merging oneself into the infinite expanse of time and space, and the universe.

Furthermore, disengaging from the world means constantly contemplating how to become a celestial or a Buddha, how to serve as a servant of Allah—the Ancestor of Buddha, the Greatest Creator. It involves pondering the destination of your soul after the death of the physical body, and how to transform your transient, tangible life into an eternal, intangible existence.

Finally, disengaging from the world means emulating figures like Laozi, who abandoned his homeland, riding a green ox out of Hangu Pass; like Shakyamuni, who left behind his wife and son to seek the true self and the truth of the universe; like Jesus, who refused to be a worldly king and chose to be crucified.

To disengage from the world, you must first engage with it. Without experiencing the hardships of the human world, you cannot understand the heavens beyond; you cannot attain great wisdom; you cannot find the truth; you cannot comprehend the teachings of Lifechanyuan. A song aptly expresses this relationship, "The little monk goes down the mountain to beg for alms, the old monk instructs again, the women out of the mountains are tigers, quickly avoid them if encountering them." The old monk, having experienced the joys and sorrows of worldly relationships, likens women to man-eating tigers, knowing that attachment hinders the path to Buddhahood. But to the young monk, who has yet to engage with the world, the women seem charming and not like tigers at all. Despite repeated warnings, the "tiger" enters his heart, making it difficult to focus on his spiritual practice.

Without engaging with the world, disengaging becomes difficult, unless you are born with Dharma eyes and Buddha eyes.

Without engaging with the world, trying to disengage is like climbing without a ladder; without refining, pure gold cannot be obtained; without polishing, even the finest gem remains a raw stone.

Engaging first and then disengaging is a shortcut; attempting to disengage without engaging is a long journey.

Only by enduring all eighty-one tribulations can you obtain the true scriptures. Anyone wishing to enter Lifechanyuan should not avoid worldly hardships, rush to retreat into the mountains, become a monk, or fear life's difficulties, honors and insults. Calamity is blessing, blessing is calamity; having is not having, not having is having. The way of heaven is fair. As long as you steadfastly live in Lifechanyuan, you will eventually reach your ideal destination.

9. Embracing the Ordinary and Transcending the Ordinary

Ordinary refers to the common, conventional, usual, normal, bland, mundane, and mediocre aspects of life.

Examples include:

Ordinary families Conventional thinking Usual attitudes Normal emotions Bland diets Mundane lives Mediocre lifestyles

To embrace the ordinary means to live a normal, unremarkable life with the mindset of an ordinary person, following conventional thoughts, without seeking to stand out, be exceptional, or experience dramatic ups and downs.

The ordinary is characterized by being small, insignificant, habitual, natural, and peaceful.

Transcending the ordinary involves potential and superpowers hidden within the ordinary; it is resilience, fearlessness, and actions and thoughts that are not bound by established rules, traditions, or forms. It is free from worldly limitations. Though they may seem mediocre on the surface, these qualities conceal exceptional strength, spirit, and divine power.

For example, consider the grass growing by the roadside, in rock crevices, or on the Gobi Desert. At first glance, it appears so delicate, insignificant, and easily uprooted. However, as long as there is an adequate amount of moisture and its roots are still anchored in the soil, it remains resilient. Despite the harsh summer heat, the freezing cold, the scorching sun, the wind and rain, being trampled by humans and animals, or being eaten by sheep and insects, it remains unyielding and grows fearlessly. Behind its seemingly weak and ordinary exterior, there lies an extraordinary energy that is invincible.

People who have been leaders or bosses know that there are some subordinates who may seem ordinary, incapable, insignificant, and unnoticed. Yet, they possess an extraordinary quality. When your demands or orders are unreasonable, they simply will not obey you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. These individuals neither create chaos nor deviate from the norm. You cannot crush them with power, you cannot sway them with money, and threats or enticements are of no avail against them. Even if a knife is held to their neck, they will not yield. They may appear weak and unable to withstand any blows, but in reality, they are like a mountain, immovable. You may destroy their physical body, but you cannot harm their spirit and soul in the slightest. They will not harm you, but if you attempt to harm them, you will ultimately end up hurting yourself, ending in utter defeat. This extraordinary energy is invisible and intangible, but the moment you touch it, you will feel its presence, and it will either instill fear or provide a sense of reliability and assurance.

Extraordinary people may appear mediocre, but they are in fact close to divine beings. They may seem dull, but they actually possess high wisdom. At first glance, they might look like ordinary stones, but they are indeed precious gems. They may appear weak, but they are incredibly strong. They live in harmony with the world, not rushing for success, and they don’t stand out because they embody the extraordinary within the ordinary.

To transcend the ordinary, one must first embrace it; one must practice self-improvement and self-cultivation; one must adopt unconventional thinking and take unconventional actions.

In the eyes of extraordinary people, what is considered normal is abnormal, and what is abnormal is normal; what is ordinary is extraordinary, and what is extraordinary is ordinary. For example, if someone insults you and you get angry or even retaliate, that is considered normal. But in the eyes of extraordinary people, this is abnormal. If you do not get angry but instead remain calm and indifferent, laughing it off, that is considered normal.

Furthermore, those who strive every second, fight for every bit of profit, rack their brains, exhaust their energy throughout their lives, and finally achieve fame, establish themselves as professionals, build immortal merits, or leave a name in history, are considered extraordinary and worthy of respect and praise in the eyes of ordinary people. They are seen as role models worth learning from. However, in the eyes of extraordinary people, they are fools, thoroughly mundane people. Those who live a plain life, work at sunrise, rest at sunset, have no desire for fame and fortune, and enjoy life at all times, are the smart ones, the extraordinary ones.

Extraordinary people, although physically living in the human world and leading ordinary lives every day, their souls have essentially transcended the mundane, and their mindset has reached a celestial state. If you are fortunate enough to meet an extraordinary person who has transcended the mundane, even if you just have a cup of tea with them or play a game of chess, even though it may not enable you to transcend the mundane and reach the Thousand-year World, you can at least enjoy the elegance of transcending the ordinary and the charm of being free from vulgarity.

10. Valuing Visualization

Visualization refers to a vivid, future-oriented image that forms in one’s mind through unconscious mental activities, where you can envision yourself being part of that future scenario

Visualization belongs to the phenomenon of the negative universe, but after a few years or decades, when you find yourself in that scenario, the image becomes a reality in the material world.

We can also say that visualization is an imagined illusion, but surprisingly, this illusion will materialize in the real world in the near future, becoming a real environment.

Here are two examples:

In 1980, when I was studying at the Zhangjiakou Geological Technical School in Hebei, one Sunday evening, I sat by the railway tracks behind the school, looking at the smoking village. Suddenly, I envisioned a scene where I was teaching at a high school not far from a small town. The school had assigned me a two-room house with a fenced yard where I had grown vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and peppers, and raised a few chickens.

This vision appeared only once and then disappeared. I didn’t dwell on it, but eight years later, in 1988, one day while watering the vegetables in the backyard of my house at the No. 2 Middle School, three kilometers away from the Pingyuanbao town in Zhangye, Gansu province, I suddenly recalled the vision from that evening in Zhangjiakou. Upon comparison, the imagined scenario and the reality matched almost perfectly, as I was also raising a few chickens and had a fenced yard.

In the rainy season of 1996, while I was having tea with the manager of the Gansu International’s Zimbabwe branch on the green lawn chairs by the swimming pool of Villa 48 in Harare, (at that time, a black gardener named Jack was tidying up the garden nearby), he said, ‘It’s strange. Eight years ago, when I was a teacher at a normal school, one day I imagined this scene: I had a villa in some African country with green lawns and a swimming pool. After swimming, I sat under a sun umbrella, and a black servant in a white coat served me tea. Isn’t today’s scene exactly like my imagination?’

My reaction was one of astonishment. Recalling my own fulfilled mental imagery, I realized that such phenomena are not accidental. I thought back to when I was seven or eight years old, enjoying standing at the edge of the fields at dusk, watching the beautiful sunset and imagining traveling to the farthest place where the sun sets—a place of perpetual spring, bird songs, and flowers, like a fairyland. Thirty years later, I indeed came to Zimbabwe, the farthest west from my hometown (Yongjing County by the Yellow River). I’ve lived in a villa for several years, with green lawns in the front and back, and every morning I can see and hear a variety of birds catching insects and singing in the yard. The environment here is beautiful, the climate pleasant, with flowers blooming all year round. At Forest Road 10, where I lived, the yard had sixty-four different tree species, clearly turning my imagination into reality.

Another example is when my child was in junior high, I told him to often consciously and unconsciously visualize himself attending university in the United States. Six years later, he indeed got admitted to a university in the U.S. with excellent grades.

The transition from unconscious to conscious visualization was facilitated by the Bible. One early morning in 1996, while driving from Harare to Mutare at 3:30 AM, I fell asleep at the wheel while driving at a speed of 165 km/h. When I woke up, I found that the car had collided with a large concrete milestone. The car was damaged, but I was unscathed. Miraculously, if the point of impact on the stone had been just a foot forward or backward, the car would have rolled down the slope, leading to dire consequences. My first thought was, “god saved me.” Three days later, a kindly old couple, Jehovah’s Witnesses, came to see me, saying they wanted to discuss the Bible with me. I welcomed them without hesitation. This marked the beginning of over four years of Bible study. As my studies deepened, unconscious mental images continued to emerge, depicting scenes from the 36-dimensions of space, the Thousand-year World, the Ten-Thousand-Year World, the Earth Universe, the negative universe, the workings of the Dao, the origins of Buddha, the times of Adam and Eve, the dinosaur era, Noah’s era, and future times. It seemed as if time and space had disappeared, no longer existing.

During the Christmas season of 2000, I arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Gazing at the vast blue horizon, I conceived the idea of Lifechanyuan.

Visualization is not about fantasies, daydreams, or delusions. It is a realistic mental image that emerges naturally when you are in a serene, harmonious atmosphere, free from material desires. This mental image appears in a state of forgetting oneself and the surroundings. It will not appear when you are busy, worried, tired, or full of desires.

Visualization may seem like an illusion, but it is a real scene that transcends time and space. With increased self-improvement and self-cultivation, it will undoubtedly appear in your mind. Once it does, it becomes your future, no matter how much you strive or struggle. The negative universe will inevitably lead you to the place in your visualization.

11. Becoming Unconscious of the Boundary Between Oneself and the External World

The term “external world” refers to the material world, while “oneself” refers to self-consciousness.

Becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world is a high-level spiritual state or an actual celestial realm that those with great wisdom and insight can reach.

This state has three levels:

1. Completion of Intermediate Self-improvement: At this level, one has understood the 36 dimensions of space and gained knowledge about the mutual dynamics of the positive and negative universes. One has understood the meaning, purpose, and value of life, recognizing that human life is just a phase in the transformation of the spiritual body. It becomes clear that all material pursuits are not only futile but also harmful. The source of all human suffering comes from self-consciousness. Desires, needs, and pursuits of the “self”, as well as the “self’s” criteria for judging right or wrong, all lead to sadness, depression, heartbreak, anxiety, fear, misfortune, trouble, and pain. Only by letting go of material things, abandoning self-consciousness, and living in accordance with nature, can one achieve the best life.

2. Recognition of the Material World: One realizes and sees that the entire material world is just an illusion or a façade of the nonmaterial world. Life is but a fleeting moment, though it has its beautiful aspects, it is ultimately too short. Striving and seeking material gains in this brief moment is utterly foolish. Undoubtedly, the final outcome of all possessions is having nothing. Only by completely abandoning the concept of materiality can one avoid being confused and bound by the surface phenomena of the material world. Only by forgetting the self can one follow the Dao, transcend time and space, unite with the Dao, achieve a celestial spiritual body, and enter eternal time and space.

3. Understanding Life’s Multilayered Forms: One knows that the forms of life are multilayered. The visible forms perceived by humans are temporary, whereas the invisible forms are permanent. What humans consider illusory is actually real, and what they consider real is actually illusory. Viewing from different spatial dimensions reveals different forms of life. Only by using the thinking of gods and Buddhas, becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world, and adopting unconventional thinking can one elevate life to a higher form.

Becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world is the highest level of intermediate self-improvement and the lowest level of advanced self-improvement.

How to verify if one has reached the state of becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world?

When frequent wars and human suffering on Earth do not affect you; when the death of a loved one brings no sadness; when losing all your possessions and facing bankruptcy leaves you unfazed; and when facing death brings no fear, you have reached the state of becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world. At this point, you have little humanity left.

When you feel completely comfortable, your mind extremely relaxed, flying through celestial realms you have never visited; when you don’t know where you came from and have forgotten your past, even seeing your parents doesn’t overly excite you; when you see no hunger, poverty or wealth, nobility or lowliness, disease, death, or private property; when you don’t understand concepts like possession, construction, destruction, truth, beauty, goodness, falsehood, evil, ugliness, dignity, or safety, and can’t distinguish between you, me, and them, and everything seems so beautiful, wonderful, unrestricted, and exhilarating; when you no longer feel the existence of time, with no distinction between day and night, you have reached the state of becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world. In reality, your physical body has died, and you have arrived in the Thousand-year World or the Ten-Thousand-Year World.

At the point of becoming unconscious of the boundary between oneself and the external world, you have attained the nature of Buddha.