Beware of Being Defeated by Reality

Xuefeng

March 6, 2015

Life’s realities encompass food, clothing, shelter, transportation, birth, aging, illness, death, familial love, friendship, romance, human connections, money, fame, power, status, opinions, critiques, trends, fashion, diplomas, certificates, success, and ostentation. Reality is harsh, ever-changing, oppressive, and relentless.

Ideals fade in the face of reality; dreams are destroyed; fantasies vanish like bubbles. Nobility becomes vulgar, elegance turns crass, and transcendence is reduced to the ordinary. The most beautiful pursuits, once entwined with reality, are gradually devoured and deteriorate.

Looking back, those high school and university classmates who were once full of ambition and drive—where are they now? Reality has defeated them. In recent years, some of our Chanyuan celestials who once aspired to reach the highest realms of life and LIFE have disappeared—where have they gone? Reality consumed them. Friends who once shared our passions have drifted apart—where have they gone? They have been dragged away by the merciless force of reality.

So many pure, beautiful, noble, elegant, pristine, immaculate, extraordinary, and refined thoughts and characters have been ruthlessly wiped out by reality. As time goes on, people gradually become muddled, ugly, vulgar, materialistic, narrow-minded, selfish, greedy, petty, and short-sighted, sliding step by step into LIFE’s junkyard, often without even realizing it.

The Lifechanyuan Overview explicitly warns that Lifechanyuan should never engage in profit-driven activities. Looking back, this was a reminder: Be vigilant against being defeated by reality!

The brutal political environment destroyed our home and swallowed the material wealth we had accumulated over the past decade. Reality forces us to get closer to it, to live by its rules of survival. In recent days, several of us, the guardians of our spiritual and soul home, have been researching the market, intensively exploring ways to survive. We found that if we surrendered to reality, we could quickly gather material wealth. But in my heart, I am unwilling. I fear that our noble home will be tainted by vulgar reality, and as we walk down that path, we will lose our way and be consumed by it.

I am reminded of the old story of a man who fished just enough each day to relax on the beach under the sun. A wealthy vacationer tried to persuade him to fish more, buy boats, and expand sales to become wealthy. And then? The wealthy man said that afterward, he could relax on the beach and enjoy the sunlight.

I just read The Story of a Cat on London Streets That Shocked the World!!—about how the street artist James, after encountering the cat Bob, tripled his income. He could have elevated his life’s realm and taste while continuing his free and romantic lifestyle, but sadly, reality defeated him. First, he became a sales agent for London’s Big Issue magazine, complete with "job credentials and position numbers." Then, he painstakingly wrote A Street Cat Named Bob, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and even got his own Twitter account with over a million followers.

In terms of reality, James succeeded and became enviable, but from my perspective, he was utterly defeated by reality, assimilated into worldly society. His simple life became complicated, his leisurely days turned busy, and his peaceful existence became filled with noise. From then on, he could only cater to, conform with, and become a part of the common and worldly.

How many people, before gaining power, were righteous and unyielding, criticizing societal wrongs? Yet, once they entered the halls of power, they changed, becoming corrupt and complicit. How many, before beginning their spiritual journey, looked up to sages, initially striving diligently and growing in spiritual energy? But as more like-minded people gathered and their influence grew, they developed ambitions, formed factions, and challenged others. In the end, they too were defeated by reality.

The path that most people walk leads to death. Reality aligns with the desires of the masses. Only by embracing Laozi’s philosophy—taking joy in what others disdain and doing what others avoid—can one walk the path of LIFE.

Reality is formidable. Be cautious not to be defeated by it!