Within Freedom Lies the Potential For Hell

Xuefeng

July 14, 2024

First of all, let me clearly state: I am firmly opposed to any form of coercion. I oppose anyone imposing their will on others, I oppose autocracy and dictatorship, and I also oppose mass movements that lack rationality.

I advocate for freedom—freedom of the body, mind, and spirit—but today, I want to point out that hidden within freedom lies the potential for hell.

Freedom belongs to those who are highly spiritual, humble, eager to learn, proactive, and selflessly giving without worrying about personal gain or loss. If someone is lazy, selfish, greedy, cunning, calculating, scheming, or too foolish to understand their own position and framework for growth, then freedom will likely lead them to hell.

The Lifechanyuan International Family Organization purchased a resort in northern British Columbia, Canada, by a famous lakeside. The scenery here is beautiful and tranquil; sitting by the lake, you can enjoy the blue sky, white clouds, and birds in flight, while also seeing the endless Coastal Mountains with snowy peaks that remain white even in the height of summer. Upon arriving at the resort, there was much work to be done. I needed help, as we had seven independent cabins for guests and 12 camping sites, and managing all of this with just one or two people was impossible.

The Lifechanyuan Second Home program prevents us from hiring employees, as hiring involves paying wages, and the program doesn’t allow monetary transactions within the community. Therefore, only Chanyuan celestials (members) and temporary volunteers can work here. However, we were short on Chanyuan celestials, as several were needed to manage a thriving small inn we run at another location in Canada.

There was an urgent need for people at the resort, and it just so happened that a man who had been employed by the previous owner for nearly 20 years was living in one of the trailers on the property. If he wanted to, he could have become part of our community as a Chanyuan celestial, as he was presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Unfortunately, he didn’t seize this chance. He stayed at the resort for two months, rent-free, and in the end, I had no choice but to ask him to leave.

My principle is that I will never assign tasks to anyone, nor will I demand or force anyone to do anything. Lifechanyuan’s values are based on self-awareness and voluntary participation. Therefore, in our community, every member must first be granted full freedom, and secondly, each member must engage in work they are skilled at and passionate about, striving to achieve excellence in what they do.

I give you complete freedom, and then I observe you. If you want to sleep all day, I say nothing. If you want to spend all day online playing games, I say nothing. If you do only a little work each day and spend the rest of the time wandering around, that’s your choice, and I won’t interfere; do as you wish. However, if I find that you are habitually lazy, lack self-discipline, don’t take initiative, yet still expect to enjoy the best food, clothes, and housing, then I will wait for the right moment to ask you to leave.

From this, I discovered a universal secret: the Tao’s eye is constantly watching each of us, and our future is determined entirely by our daily words and actions. Even our emotions, a glance, a word, or a gesture will affect our future. At that moment, I finally understood Laozi’s saying: "The net of heaven is vast; though its meshes are wide, nothing slips through."

Knowing this universal secret allows us to predict a person’s future based on their words and actions, as well as the future of an entire nation. Even more miraculously, from someone’s current state, we can understand their past. In other words, by observing a person’s current situation, we can discern their past thoughts and actions. At that point, you’ll realize how incredibly just the way of heaven is!

The message I want to convey to readers is this: when you are in a state of freedom, be extremely cautious, because freedom leads to both heaven and hell. Humility, restraint, and selfless contribution will surely lead to heaven, while arrogance, indulgence, and the pursuit of comfort will surely lead to hell.