The Way of the Poor
Xuefeng
February 6, 2021
I grew up in a poor family, so I am deeply aware of the sadness and helplessness of the poor. Now, I am over sixty years old and have gone through vicissitudes and hardships, so I have gathered some background perception and I am speaking out for the poor to think about them and as a reference.
Let me first define what being poor is. Anyone who is accompanied by troubles, pain, anxiety, sorrow, or fear is poor. They can also be defined thusly: anyone who suffers for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, birth, old age, sickness, death, or security without enjoying a happy, joyous, free, and blessed life is poor. It can also be said that anyone who is not free in body and mind is poor. Because I have walked out of the quagmire of poverty and am no longer a poor person, my knowledge may be of reference value to you.
There are only four words that you must learn in order to escape from poverty: they are theory, skills, simplicity, and diligence.
Learning theory means to learn theoretical knowledge, truth, human science, natural science, and logical thinking.
Learning skills means learning survival techniques. It will not work if you know nothing; you should have at least one technique which you can rely on to support your family and yourself.
Learning simplicity means being down-to-earth, not showing off, not being extravagant, not pretending to be wealthy, not pursuing goals that your energy and ability cannot reach to satisfy your vanity, not being overly ambitious, not trying to be outstanding, not wanting to be the best among people, not misbehaving, and not wanting to get rich overnight, let alone making a blockbuster killing.
Learning diligence means to keep learning, keep doing things, not sleeping late, not “hanging out”, not playing games online, not coveting for ease, not swiping your screen all day while playing on your mobile phones, and not obsessing over TV dramas.
The poor must guard against these following eight traps:
Anything that allows you to get rich quickly or get something for nothing
Anything called for by officials, the wealthy, or celebrities
Anything that charges you money to teach you to become a Buddha, a Celestial being, or a saint
Anything that allows you to take advantage of others
Anything that is mysterious or spooky
Anything that is sneaky or furtive
Any teaching of gong or magical arts other than productive skills
Ninety-nine percent of those who preach to you in the name of the Greatest Creator, God, Buddha, Celestial Beings, and saints
There are nine more insights for you to think about:
From Buddhism, read only the "Diamond Sutra"; do not learn from, listen to, or read anything else.
From Christendom, read only the four major gospels; do not learn from, listen to, or read any of the others.
From Taoism, read only the "Tao Te Ching"; do not learn from, listen to, or read anything else.
From traditional knowledge, learn from the Familial Precepts of Master Zhu and Zengguang Xianwen and read Hong Yingming’s Caigentan; for other Confucian schools, such as Disciple Rules, and so on, do not learn from, listen to, or read them, because the more that you do, the more trapped you will become in their circle of poverty.
Rather than listening to people's moral preachings, it is better to read respected scientific articles quietly.
Rather than listening to intellectual snobs talking, it is better to study what they have done and what they are doing.
Do not place your hopes on any savior: the second coming Jesus, the Chakravartin King, Maitreya Buddha, or the coming of the Ziwei Saint; do not risk your good life on the appearance of any seemingly wise moral leader. Your happiness and future depend upon yourself.
Do not expect anyone else to save you; it is good if others do not cheat you, but only your good character and good deeds can save you.
Do not look for ways to solve new, current problems from traditions. Those who have played chess or mahjong know that every game is different and that there are no fixed rules; the results of reviving traditional cultures can only lead to rigid thinking.
There are eight more considerations for reference.
Never indulge in recreational drugs.
Never participate in gambling.
Never invest in stocks or participate in so-called financial investments.
Never despise your parents, children, husband or wife, or brothers and sisters.
Never participate in fighting gangs.
Never join any organizations.
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”…William Shakespeare.
Do not hurt others or violate the laws of your country.
The above are just a little bit of my understanding and experiences after I, an ordinary poor person, have risen from poverty to freedom. They are very simple and only serve as lessons and references. You need not argue with me; if you believe what I said, then refer to it; if you do not, then do what you think is right. I have an even higher path for any poor people who believe that what I have written above makes sense.
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