1 00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:02,299 [Explosive] Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all 2 00:00:02,299 --> 00:00:06,139 things as straw dogs. Many viewers have left messages 3 00:00:06,139 --> 00:00:07,839 wanting me to talk about the *Tao Te Ching* and 4 00:00:07,839 --> 00:00:08,900 discuss Taoist thought. To be honest, 5 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:10,199 6 00:00:10,300 --> 00:00:11,740 I've never dared to actually start 7 00:00:12,259 --> 00:00:13,740 because what I'm about to say 8 00:00:13,740 --> 00:00:14,971 might not be what you want to hear. 9 00:00:15,660 --> 00:00:18,420 But recently I've realized something – I'm afraid of being criticized. 10 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,980 If I truly understood the Tao, I 11 00:00:19,980 --> 00:00:21,881 wouldn't care about such criticism. 12 00:00:22,379 --> 00:00:23,000 13 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,859 14 00:00:25,859 --> 00:00:26,941 15 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,179 16 00:00:31,179 --> 00:00:33,698 17 00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:35,299 18 00:00:35,299 --> 00:00:38,000 Ultimately, it's my underlying Confucian system that's locked me in. So, starting with this "If History Could Be Hypothesized" series, I will speak more thoroughly and directly, trying to help everyone understand what the *Tao Te Ching* is really about, 19 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:38,920 and to understand 20 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,299 why Confucius exclaimed: "Lao Tzu is like a dragon!" 21 00:00:42,420 --> 00:00:46,460 This is the most fundamental difference between the two: one represents the Way of Humanity, the other 22 00:00:46,460 --> 00:00:47,521 speaks of the Way of Heaven. So 23 00:00:48,060 --> 00:00:49,018 24 00:00:49,020 --> 00:00:50,500 what exactly is this Way of Heaven like? 25 00:00:50,619 --> 00:00:52,380 But before I officially begin, 26 00:00:52,380 --> 00:00:56,159 I must give you a sincere warning – what follows will 27 00:00:56,159 --> 00:00:57,610 definitely make you very uncomfortable. 28 00:00:58,200 --> 00:00:59,799 If you hear a part where you 29 00:00:59,899 --> 00:01:01,979 feel your worldview shattered, please 30 00:01:01,979 --> 00:01:03,738 stop immediately, 31 00:01:03,740 --> 00:01:05,019 turn off this video, and 32 00:01:05,019 --> 00:01:06,521 return to your normal life. 33 00:01:07,019 --> 00:01:07,761 I'm serious. 34 00:01:08,359 --> 00:01:11,019 Even a properly functioning Windows system, 35 00:01:11,019 --> 00:01:12,000 even with its flaws... It's better 36 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:13,421 than a complete collapse. 37 00:01:13,879 --> 00:01:14,900 Today's content is 38 00:01:14,900 --> 00:01:17,021 only for those whose cups still have room. 39 00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:19,560 If your cup is already full, 40 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,361 I can't pour anything in. Hello 41 00:01:21,439 --> 00:01:22,319 everyone, 42 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:23,041 I'm Wang Lijie. In 43 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:24,599 today's content, 44 00:01:24,599 --> 00:01:26,001 I'll start by giving you an analogy. 45 00:01:26,739 --> 00:01:27,959 I'll 46 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,661 compare Confucianism to the Windows operating system we commonly use. For 47 00:01:31,379 --> 00:01:32,640 2,500 years, the 48 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,980 education you and I have received from childhood to adulthood, the ethical rules we have followed, the 49 00:01:36,599 --> 00:01:39,599 social norms, and the judgments of right and wrong in our hearts have 50 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,761 all been based on this operating system. 51 00:01:42,340 --> 00:01:43,899 Its user base is enormous, 52 00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:45,381 almost monopolizing the entire market. As for Lao 53 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:47,260 Tzu's five thousand words, the 54 00:01:47,260 --> 00:01:48,859 , 55 00:01:48,939 --> 00:01:50,541 it's more like the Apple Mac system. 56 00:01:51,079 --> 00:01:51,920 It has always been there 57 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:53,000 and is very good, 58 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,381 but its market share is extremely small. 59 00:01:54,859 --> 00:01:56,420 After the last video was released, 60 00:01:56,420 --> 00:02:00,640 many friends left comments saying: I've long felt that there are problems with Confucianism. 61 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,920 I've been using independent thinking and first principles to 62 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:05,691 re-examine my cognitive system. 63 00:02:06,420 --> 00:02:07,481 This is certainly good, 64 00:02:07,620 --> 00:02:11,739 but I must be honest with you about one thing: You think you're using the Apple system, 65 00:02:11,740 --> 00:02:13,180 but your Apple system is still 66 00:02:13,180 --> 00:02:15,039 running on a virtual machine. 67 00:02:15,039 --> 00:02:16,359 Your underlying core is 68 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:17,490 still the Windows system. 69 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,060 Here, the "you" I'm referring to is 70 00:02:19,060 --> 00:02:20,460 not a specific person, but 71 00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:21,411 also includes myself. 72 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:23,840 This is a limitation of language expression. 73 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:25,659 All the "you" I mention later 74 00:02:25,659 --> 00:02:27,140 include myself. It's 75 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,139 not that I'm trying to offend anyone; 76 00:02:29,259 --> 00:02:32,599 I'm offending myself. This is my most profound reflection from the last ten years. 77 00:02:32,599 --> 00:02:33,540 78 00:02:34,139 --> 00:02:35,180 Many adults only realize, 79 00:02:35,180 --> 00:02:39,699 after experiencing the trials and betrayals of life and society, that 80 00:02:39,699 --> 00:02:42,859 this Windows operating system 81 00:02:42,860 --> 00:02:44,361 has serious problems. 82 00:02:45,139 --> 00:02:46,599 What is a virtual machine? 83 00:02:46,719 --> 00:02:49,479 It's installing software on a Windows system 84 00:02:49,539 --> 00:02:51,841 and running an Apple system within that software. On 85 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:53,280 the surface, 86 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:58,020 you are indeed using Apple's interface, Apple's logic, and Apple's applications. 87 00:02:58,020 --> 00:02:59,180 But at its core, 88 00:02:59,180 --> 00:03:00,520 every instruction 89 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,181 must first be translated and forwarded by the Windows system, resulting in 90 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:05,419 significantly reduced performance and 91 00:03:05,419 --> 00:03:07,620 compatibility issues, often leading to 92 00:03:07,620 --> 00:03:08,741 crashes. 93 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,639 This is the true predicament of most "independent thinkers" 94 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,520 : you question Confucianism, 95 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:15,979 you study Taoism, 96 00:03:15,979 --> 00:03:17,820 you think you've transcended it, 97 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,319 but the thinking tools you use for questioning— 98 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,219 your language habits, your standards of right and wrong, 99 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:25,159 your "shoulds" and 100 00:03:25,159 --> 00:03:27,520 "shouldn'ts"—are themselves 101 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,070 part of the Confucian system. 102 00:03:29,580 --> 00:03:31,960 You're using the command line of a Windows system to 103 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,191 try to understand the underlying architecture of an Apple system. No matter how 104 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,400 brilliant your analysis, 105 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,140 the direction is wrong from the start. 106 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:39,819 No matter how hard you try, 107 00:03:39,819 --> 00:03:43,439 as long as Confucianism remains your underlying operating system... 108 00:03:43,439 --> 00:03:44,919 109 00:03:44,919 --> 00:03:46,801 You can never truly understand the Daoist concept of the Way of Heaven. 110 00:03:47,159 --> 00:03:48,039 So what do you do? 111 00:03:48,199 --> 00:03:49,159 Format it, 112 00:03:49,219 --> 00:03:49,861 reinstall the system. 113 00:03:50,419 --> 00:03:51,280 How? 114 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:53,659 Lao Tzu already wrote down the method: 115 00:03:53,659 --> 00:03:55,680 six words: "Attain utmost emptiness, maintain steadfast stillness. 116 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:56,161 117 00:03:56,659 --> 00:03:57,599 " "Attaining utmost emptiness" is 118 00:03:57,599 --> 00:04:00,099 not simply about clearing away distracting thoughts; it's about 119 00:04:00,099 --> 00:04:01,439 letting your primordial spirit 120 00:04:01,439 --> 00:04:02,901 enter the deepest part of the Great Void. 121 00:04:03,419 --> 00:04:04,259 "Maintaining steadfast stillness" means that 122 00:04:04,259 --> 00:04:05,840 after reaching that state, 123 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,780 your values ​​are irreversibly rewritten. 124 00:04:08,780 --> 00:04:11,441 You naturally settle into a completely new state. In 125 00:04:12,099 --> 00:04:13,340 today's terms, 126 00:04:13,340 --> 00:04:16,588 this is a formatting and reinstallation at the operating system level. It's 127 00:04:17,199 --> 00:04:20,399 not about installing an Apple virtual machine on a Windows system, 128 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:22,199 but about formatting the entire hard drive and 129 00:04:22,199 --> 00:04:24,161 directly installing the native Apple system. 130 00:04:24,860 --> 00:04:26,899 But do you know how difficult this is? It's incredibly difficult. 131 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:27,860 132 00:04:28,399 --> 00:04:32,740 Even most practitioners who can easily enter a meditative state through meditation may 133 00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:33,740 not be able to do it. 134 00:04:34,139 --> 00:04:35,158 They sit there, their 135 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:36,259 bodies and minds are quiet, 136 00:04:36,259 --> 00:04:37,560 137 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,680 entering a particularly comfortable state—and then what? 138 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,380 They begin to crave that state. 139 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:43,300 "Wow, 140 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:44,079 so peaceful, 141 00:04:44,079 --> 00:04:44,899 so pure, so 142 00:04:44,899 --> 00:04:45,340 comfortable! 143 00:04:45,879 --> 00:04:49,199 " In Buddhism, this state has a specific name: 144 00:04:49,199 --> 00:04:50,139 "the craving for meditative bliss." What 145 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,980 you crave is no longer money or fame, 146 00:04:52,980 --> 00:04:56,100 but the pure and comfortable feeling during meditation. 147 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:57,640 Essentially, there's no difference. 148 00:04:58,220 --> 00:05:00,300 You've simply replaced your attachment to money with an attachment 149 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:02,860 to the joy of meditation, and your attachment 150 00:05:02,860 --> 00:05:04,480 to fame and fortune with an attachment to the idea that " 151 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:06,279 I am practicing spiritual cultivation." The contents 152 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:08,839 of the cup have changed, 153 00:05:08,860 --> 00:05:10,200 but the cup is still full. The 154 00:05:10,740 --> 00:05:12,019 operating system hasn't changed; 155 00:05:12,019 --> 00:05:13,760 only the desktop wallpaper has. So 156 00:05:14,300 --> 00:05:15,199 what can you do? 157 00:05:15,319 --> 00:05:17,600 If formatting and reinstalling is a 158 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,959 dead end for most people, are there 159 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:21,420 other options? Yes, 160 00:05:21,540 --> 00:05:21,680 161 00:05:22,180 --> 00:05:23,900 although it's a fallback. 162 00:05:24,439 --> 00:05:27,029 I can't format and reinstall the system for you— 163 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,260 that's your own spiritual practice— 164 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,399 but I can do one thing: translate for you what those who have truly "been there" and 165 00:05:33,540 --> 00:05:36,639 experienced "oneness with nature" brought back. 166 00:05:36,639 --> 00:05:37,320 167 00:05:37,959 --> 00:05:38,800 Their descriptions 168 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:40,740 might make you extremely uncomfortable 169 00:05:40,740 --> 00:05:43,280 because they're completely incompatible with your Windows system. 170 00:05:44,060 --> 00:05:44,779 But at least 171 00:05:44,779 --> 00:05:47,439 you'll know what another operating system looks like and 172 00:05:47,439 --> 00:05:48,580 what applications it can run. 173 00:05:49,100 --> 00:05:51,220 This in itself has immense value. 174 00:05:51,779 --> 00:05:53,720 Even if you can't install it right now, 175 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:55,240 just knowing it exists is a 176 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,140 huge upgrade in your understanding. 177 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:58,139 Okay, 178 00:05:58,139 --> 00:06:00,340 now I'll give you a few core conclusions. 179 00:06:00,899 --> 00:06:02,459 These aren't my inventions, 180 00:06:02,459 --> 00:06:04,658 nor are they my own realizations. 181 00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:06,000 I'm just a translator, 182 00:06:06,180 --> 00:06:08,540 but my 47 years of life experience 183 00:06:08,540 --> 00:06:11,478 allow me to fully accept this entirely new system. 184 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,000 I'd also be willing to be the translator. Let's 185 00:06:13,379 --> 00:06:14,839 look at the original text first. The silk 186 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,180 manuscript version of the *Tao Te Ching* reads: "Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things like 187 00:06:18,180 --> 00:06:19,400 straw dogs. The 188 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:20,879 sage is not benevolent; he treats 189 00:06:20,879 --> 00:06:22,060 the people like straw dogs. 190 00:06:22,779 --> 00:06:23,839 Between heaven and earth, 191 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:25,160 it is like a bellows—empty 192 00:06:25,339 --> 00:06:26,399 yet inexhaustible, 193 00:06:26,399 --> 00:06:27,000 moving and ever-producing. Excessive 194 00:06:27,699 --> 00:06:28,519 hearing leads to exhaustion; 195 00:06:28,860 --> 00:06:29,820 better to abide in the center." The 196 00:06:30,579 --> 00:06:34,538 more familiar transmitted version reads: "Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things like 197 00:06:34,540 --> 00:06:36,240 straw dogs. The 198 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:37,060 sage is not benevolent; he treats 199 00:06:37,060 --> 00:06:38,180 the people like straw dogs. 200 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:39,699 Between heaven and earth, 201 00:06:39,699 --> 00:06:41,199 it is like a bellows— 202 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:42,620 empty yet inexhaustible, 203 00:06:42,620 --> 00:06:43,280 moving and ever-producing. Excessive talking leads to exhaustion; better to 204 00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:45,000 205 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:45,760 abide in the center. 206 00:06:46,310 --> 00:06:48,000 " On the surface, they seem similar, 207 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:48,980 but the last sentence 208 00:06:48,980 --> 00:06:51,220 has a crucial difference. The silk 209 00:06:51,879 --> 00:06:54,879 manuscript version reads "excessive hearing leads to exhaustion," while the 210 00:06:54,879 --> 00:06:57,040 transmitted version reads "excessive talking leads to 211 00:06:57,579 --> 00:06:58,839 exhaustion." The 212 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:01,120 interpretation of "excessive talking leads to exhaustion" that we've heard for two thousand years 213 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:02,779 is simply that talking too much 214 00:07:02,779 --> 00:07:04,920 easily leads to a dead end, 215 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:06,500 so one should speak less— 216 00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:07,579 silence is golden— 217 00:07:07,579 --> 00:07:09,460 treating it as a communication skill. 218 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:11,899 But the meaning of "excessive hearing leads to exhaustion" is 219 00:07:11,899 --> 00:07:12,740 completely different. 220 00:07:13,279 --> 00:07:13,939 "Hearing"... 221 00:07:13,939 --> 00:07:16,280 It's about listening, learning, and acquiring information. The 222 00:07:16,879 --> 00:07:20,180 saying "Too much knowledge leads to exhaustion" means that knowing too much 223 00:07:20,180 --> 00:07:21,900 can lead to a dead end. Do 224 00:07:22,579 --> 00:07:25,439 you feel the devastating impact of this difference? 225 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,480 Here, we must first clarify a fact: the transmitted versions of the *Tao Te Ching* have 226 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,760 long been modified by Windows systems. Almost 227 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:33,800 all later versions are 228 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,180 interspersed with translations and modifications by Confucian scholars. 229 00:07:37,180 --> 00:07:38,579 Therefore, we 230 00:07:38,579 --> 00:07:40,839 cannot accept ancient texts wholesale, 231 00:07:40,839 --> 00:07:42,699 including everything I've said today. 232 00:07:42,699 --> 00:07:43,340 233 00:07:44,019 --> 00:07:44,839 As for the silk manuscript version, 234 00:07:44,839 --> 00:07:47,800 I'm not sure if it's Lao Tzu's true transmission. 235 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,040 I'm just using it to 236 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,480 interpret the new cognitive system passed down to me by that master. 237 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,600 The phrase "Too much knowledge leads to exhaustion" in the silk manuscript version 238 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,180 directly targets the core Confucian value – broad learning and extensive knowledge. 239 00:07:59,779 --> 00:08:01,619 Confucius said, "To learn and practice what you have learned," "To review the old and learn 240 00:08:01,629 --> 00:08:04,620 the new," and "To be learned in literature." The 241 00:08:04,620 --> 00:08:08,600 cornerstone of the entire Confucian education system is: the more you learn, the better; the more you 242 00:08:08,620 --> 00:08:10,280 know, the stronger you are. 243 00:08:10,980 --> 00:08:13,040 But the silk manuscript version of Lao Tzu says: No, 244 00:08:13,339 --> 00:08:14,579 knowing too much is not as good 245 00:08:14,579 --> 00:08:15,940 as guarding your center. 246 00:08:16,519 --> 00:08:17,820 This is not against learning; 247 00:08:18,379 --> 00:08:22,319 it's saying – The "learning" method you use to understand the Way of Heaven is 248 00:08:22,319 --> 00:08:23,161 fundamentally flawed. 249 00:08:23,759 --> 00:08:27,600 You think that reading more books, attending more classes, and doing more analysis 250 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,100 will bring you closer to the truth. 251 00:08:29,220 --> 00:08:29,959 Lao Tzu said 252 00:08:29,959 --> 00:08:31,259 you've gone in the wrong direction; the more you 253 00:08:31,259 --> 00:08:31,980 learn, the further you stray. 254 00:08:32,250 --> 00:08:35,379 "It's better to abide in the center"—guard your center, 255 00:08:35,379 --> 00:08:37,940 guard that which is inherently perfect without any external information. 256 00:08:37,940 --> 00:08:39,480 257 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:42,940 Returning to the core of this chapter: "Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all 258 00:08:42,940 --> 00:08:44,140 things like straw dogs. 259 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:45,960 " For two thousand years, 260 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,100 what has been the mainstream interpretation of this statement? 261 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,940 "Heaven and Earth treat all things equally, 262 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:51,960 without bias, 263 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,100 just like straw dogs used in sacrifices—use them and throw them away 264 00:08:56,100 --> 00:08:57,040 without any emotion. 265 00:08:57,679 --> 00:08:59,240 " This interpretation isn't wrong, 266 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:00,660 but it only scratches the surface. 267 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,859 If you put this statement into the complete framework of the Way of Heaven, 268 00:09:04,860 --> 00:09:09,620 it speaks of something far deeper than "treating all things equally": the Way of Heaven doesn't 269 00:09:09,620 --> 00:09:12,020 operate within your moral compass. 270 00:09:12,539 --> 00:09:13,840 What is "benevolence"? Benevolence 271 00:09:14,039 --> 00:09:17,160 is the highest Confucian definition of "correct interpersonal relationships." 272 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:18,600 "Heaven and Earth are ruthless" 273 00:09:18,659 --> 00:09:20,279 doesn't mean that Heaven and Earth are cruel, 274 00:09:20,279 --> 00:09:22,799 but rather that the way Heaven and Earth operate 275 00:09:22,799 --> 00:09:25,520 doesn't exist on the dimension of "benevolence" or "unbenevolence." 276 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,438 "Benevolence" is a concept invented by humankind, a 277 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,100 symbol of human language. It 278 00:09:30,100 --> 00:09:33,000 's an application in your Windows operating system. 279 00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:35,879 Heaven doesn't actually have this application installed. 280 00:09:35,879 --> 00:09:37,120 It doesn't recognize this coordinate system. 281 00:09:37,740 --> 00:09:38,519 Spring rain 282 00:09:38,740 --> 00:09:41,740 doesn't check if you're good or bad before it falls. 283 00:09:41,740 --> 00:09:43,019 Earthquakes 284 00:09:43,019 --> 00:09:45,559 don't deliberately avoid kind villages. 285 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:46,919 The sun shines on everything, 286 00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:49,100 not giving you an extra second of light just because you did a good deed. 287 00:09:49,100 --> 00:09:50,341 288 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,860 If Heaven were truly benevolent and compassionate, 289 00:09:53,860 --> 00:09:57,640 it wouldn't have allowed demons like Hitler and Yamamoto Isoroku to descend to earth. 290 00:09:58,200 --> 00:09:59,159 But 291 00:09:59,159 --> 00:10:00,940 they did come into this world and 292 00:10:00,940 --> 00:10:02,180 committed heinous crimes. Is Heaven benevolent 293 00:10:02,659 --> 00:10:04,460 ? 294 00:10:04,620 --> 00:10:07,019 Heaven has its own rules of operation, 295 00:10:07,019 --> 00:10:08,059 but these rules are beyond 296 00:10:08,059 --> 00:10:10,360 your moral system's comprehension. Judging Heaven 297 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:11,970 using "benevolence," "goodness," or " 298 00:10:11,980 --> 00:10:14,559 fairness" 299 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,961 is like using a thermometer to measure length—the tool is fundamentally flawed. 300 00:10:19,519 --> 00:10:21,580 Once this understanding is established, 301 00:10:21,580 --> 00:10:23,419 several extremely disruptive conclusions 302 00:10:23,419 --> 00:10:24,441 naturally emerge. 303 00:10:24,940 --> 00:10:30,000 The first conclusion: Don't actively intervene in other people's karma. What makes you so sure 304 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,440 your intervention will make things better? 305 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:34,680 Heaven has its own reward and punishment mechanism. The 306 00:10:35,399 --> 00:10:37,078 predicament a person is experiencing 307 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:38,820 may be a necessary lesson in their karma. 308 00:10:38,820 --> 00:10:40,140 309 00:10:40,740 --> 00:10:43,059 You rushed in to "solve" his problem, 310 00:10:43,059 --> 00:10:44,860 but his karmic seeds remain. 311 00:10:44,860 --> 00:10:48,919 He hasn't completed the full process from seed to result; 312 00:10:48,919 --> 00:10:51,280 the seed hasn't been truly transformed. 313 00:10:51,879 --> 00:10:52,580 Next time, the 314 00:10:52,580 --> 00:10:53,740 same pattern 315 00:10:53,740 --> 00:10:55,961 will return with even greater force. 316 00:10:56,620 --> 00:10:57,958 You think you're helping, but in 317 00:10:57,960 --> 00:10:58,740 reality, 318 00:10:58,740 --> 00:11:03,120 you might be delaying or even hindering his growth that should have been completed at this moment. 319 00:11:03,620 --> 00:11:04,440 Your intervention 320 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,740 might not only make the outcome worse 321 00:11:06,740 --> 00:11:08,260 but could even backfire on you. 322 00:11:08,759 --> 00:11:09,620 323 00:11:09,620 --> 00:11:11,360 Haven't you experienced this? The 324 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:12,321 Tao follows nature. Chapter 325 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:16,460 25 of the silk manuscript clearly states: "Man follows the Earth, 326 00:11:16,460 --> 00:11:17,519 Earth follows Heaven, 327 00:11:17,519 --> 00:11:18,210 Heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows 328 00:11:18,210 --> 00:11:19,020 nature. 329 00:11:19,580 --> 00:11:20,720 " What is nature? It's 330 00:11:20,779 --> 00:11:22,680 not about the beautiful natural world; 331 00:11:23,279 --> 00:11:23,940 nature 332 00:11:23,940 --> 00:11:28,000 is "naturally"—things operate according to their inherent laws, 333 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,920 without needing you to push, pull, or forcibly intervene. 334 00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:33,919 If you don't actively intervene in someone else's karma, what about those who come to you for 335 00:11:33,919 --> 00:11:35,580 help? Should you 336 00:11:35,580 --> 00:11:36,539 help them? 337 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:37,958 My understanding is: 338 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:38,961 don't do things that create conflict. 339 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:41,860 If you can easily help one person 340 00:11:41,860 --> 00:11:43,759 without harming another, 341 00:11:43,759 --> 00:11:46,559 then you might be the node in the karmic chain. 342 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:47,940 You can wave your sleeve and 343 00:11:47,940 --> 00:11:49,340 do a favor 344 00:11:49,340 --> 00:11:50,560 without taking anything away. 345 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,019 If the matter faces many obstacles... It 346 00:11:53,019 --> 00:11:54,759 might even harm innocent people, 347 00:11:54,759 --> 00:11:56,160 so you'd better keep your distance. The 348 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:59,320 second conclusion: Heaven has rewards and punishments, 349 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,940 but it doesn't need you to act on its behalf. Heaven isn't chaotic; 350 00:12:02,940 --> 00:12:04,280 it has its own balancing mechanism. However, the 351 00:12:05,159 --> 00:12:08,139 timescale and dimensions of this system's operation 352 00:12:08,139 --> 00:12:09,880 far exceed your perception. 353 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:11,720 You often see 354 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,820 a bad person living a smooth life while a good 355 00:12:13,820 --> 00:12:15,980 person suffers misfortune, 356 00:12:15,980 --> 00:12:17,600 so you say "Heaven is unjust." 357 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,860 That's because you only saw one frame. 358 00:12:20,980 --> 00:12:22,019 The movie "Heaven's Way" 359 00:12:22,019 --> 00:12:23,580 has tens of thousands of frames. 360 00:12:23,580 --> 00:12:25,799 You only saw one frame and drew a conclusion, so 361 00:12:25,799 --> 00:12:27,140 of course you think the plot is unreasonable. 362 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,620 More importantly—what virtue or ability do you have to dare 363 00:12:30,620 --> 00:12:31,940 say you're acting on behalf of Heaven? 364 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:33,779 The phrase "acting on behalf of Heaven" 365 00:12:33,779 --> 00:12:35,620 is a monstrosity, a typical Confucian thought 366 00:12:35,620 --> 00:12:37,420 grafted onto the concept of Heaven's Way. 367 00:12:38,019 --> 00:12:40,120 Heaven doesn't need you to act on its behalf; it 368 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:41,140 will operate on its own. You 369 00:12:41,620 --> 00:12:43,519 think you're upholding justice, but in 370 00:12:43,519 --> 00:12:44,279 reality, 371 00:12:44,279 --> 00:12:46,759 you're using your own interpretation of humanity to 372 00:12:46,759 --> 00:12:47,880 impersonate the will of Heaven. 373 00:12:48,330 --> 00:12:50,360 You're using Windows antivirus software 374 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,200 to scan an Apple system— 375 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:53,438 that's not following Heaven; 376 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:54,120 that's usurpation. The silk 377 00:12:54,779 --> 00:12:58,340 manuscript version continues this chapter: "Between Heaven and Earth, 378 00:12:58,480 --> 00:12:59,590 Qi is like a bellows and..." " 379 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:00,559 Empty yet not dry, 380 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:01,201 moving yet ever-flowing. 381 00:13:01,659 --> 00:13:02,840 " The universe 382 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,840 is like a giant bellows – empty inside, 383 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,559 but never running dry. The more you push and 384 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:08,259 pull, the 385 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:09,461 more air comes out. 386 00:13:09,919 --> 00:13:11,940 This system operates on its own; you 387 00:13:11,940 --> 00:13:13,941 don't need to force it. What 388 00:13:14,539 --> 00:13:15,399 you need to do 389 00:13:15,399 --> 00:13:18,080 is "guard the center" – guard your own center, 390 00:13:18,299 --> 00:13:20,198 manage your own cause and effect, and 391 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,240 smooth out your own operating system. The 392 00:13:22,820 --> 00:13:24,159 greatest arrogance in the world is never 393 00:13:24,159 --> 00:13:25,919 looking down on others, 394 00:13:25,919 --> 00:13:27,961 but believing you can act on behalf of Heaven. The 395 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,639 third conclusion: Enlightened people are 396 00:13:30,639 --> 00:13:34,120 not necessarily compassionate. Compassion is a human label, 397 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:35,280 not a rule of Heaven. 398 00:13:35,980 --> 00:13:36,820 This conclusion 399 00:13:36,820 --> 00:13:39,300 is perhaps the most difficult to accept today. 400 00:13:39,820 --> 00:13:41,879 Our culture – not only Confucianism 401 00:13:41,879 --> 00:13:44,080 but also popular Buddhism – has 402 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:48,640 instilled a deeply ingrained equation: Enlightenment = Compassion. 403 00:13:49,299 --> 00:13:50,240 An enlightened person 404 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,420 should be compassionate, gentle, and compassionate towards all beings. 405 00:13:54,019 --> 00:13:57,580 But if you look back at the original text of the *Tao Te Ching*: "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all 406 00:13:57,580 --> 00:13:58,620 things like straw dogs. 407 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:00,019 The sage is not benevolent; he treats the 408 00:14:00,019 --> 00:14:01,221 people like straw dogs. 409 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,059 " Heaven and Earth do not speak of 410 00:14:03,059 --> 00:14:03,961 benevolence, nor do sages. Lao Tzu 411 00:14:04,539 --> 00:14:06,179 never said that 412 00:14:06,179 --> 00:14:07,160 sages should be compassionate. 413 00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:09,320 He was referring to the sage's "lack of benevolence." 414 00:14:09,820 --> 00:14:11,639 This doesn't mean the sage is cruel, 415 00:14:11,639 --> 00:14:14,139 but rather that a person truly aligned with the Way of Heaven 416 00:14:14,139 --> 00:14:15,539 417 00:14:15,539 --> 00:14:19,000 doesn't operate on the dimension of "compassion" or "lack of compassion." 418 00:14:19,679 --> 00:14:20,799 What is "compassion"? 419 00:14:20,899 --> 00:14:22,179 It's a label, 420 00:14:22,179 --> 00:14:23,240 a concept, a 421 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,540 moral classification in your visual system. The 422 00:14:26,059 --> 00:14:28,820 moment you feel "I should be compassionate," 423 00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:31,379 your Manas consciousness—that is, the deep program in Yogacara Buddhism 424 00:14:31,379 --> 00:14:34,179 that's always grasping "this is me, this is mine" 425 00:14:34,179 --> 00:14:36,620 —immediately activates. 426 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,519 It constructs a "compassionate self" 427 00:14:39,519 --> 00:14:41,540 and then desperately tries to maintain this identity. 428 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:42,860 You help others 429 00:14:42,860 --> 00:14:45,100 not because of the act of helping, 430 00:14:45,100 --> 00:14:47,559 but because you need the label of "helping others" 431 00:14:47,559 --> 00:14:48,480 to define yourself. 432 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,039 Your compassion 433 00:14:50,039 --> 00:14:51,441 becomes a tool of the Manas consciousness, 434 00:14:51,919 --> 00:14:53,580 like helping an old lady cross the street and then 435 00:14:53,580 --> 00:14:55,340 specifically writing it in your diary. 436 00:14:55,340 --> 00:14:56,818 These are Confucian norms, human conduct, 437 00:14:56,820 --> 00:14:57,578 438 00:14:57,580 --> 00:14:58,280 not the Way of Heaven. 439 00:14:58,759 --> 00:15:01,299 What is the state of truly aligning with the Way of Heaven? It's doing what 440 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:02,700 you should do 441 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:03,659 442 00:15:03,659 --> 00:15:04,640 without attaching any labels. If 443 00:15:05,279 --> 00:15:06,120 you help someone, you 444 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,039 don't feel "I'm doing a good deed." If 445 00:15:08,039 --> 00:15:08,720 you don't help, you 446 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,779 don't feel "I'm a cold-blooded person." There is no moral judgment 447 00:15:11,379 --> 00:15:12,840 between helping and not helping. 448 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,279 449 00:15:14,279 --> 00:15:15,841 Only the natural flow of causes and conditions. The 450 00:15:16,340 --> 00:15:19,519 Diamond Sutra says, "Giving without attachment"—giving 451 00:15:19,519 --> 00:15:21,860 without dwelling on the thought of "I am giving." 452 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:23,800 This is the state of a sage. 453 00:15:24,340 --> 00:15:26,779 Don't force yourself to be compassionate, nor force 454 00:15:26,779 --> 00:15:28,500 yourself to be uncompassionate. 455 00:15:29,139 --> 00:15:30,899 Completely forget this concept. 456 00:15:30,899 --> 00:15:32,441 Do what you do naturally. 457 00:15:33,100 --> 00:15:35,078 Don't use Confucian humanistic thought 458 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:36,941 to judge the natural way of Heaven. 459 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:40,179 Fourth conclusion: Your wealth in this life has 460 00:15:40,179 --> 00:15:42,919 nothing to do with your blessings. This 461 00:15:42,919 --> 00:15:44,221 might offend many people. The 462 00:15:45,039 --> 00:15:46,779 popular saying now is that 463 00:15:46,779 --> 00:15:49,799 rich people feel they cultivated well in their past lives, 464 00:15:49,799 --> 00:15:51,700 so they enjoy blessings in this life. 465 00:15:51,700 --> 00:15:53,480 Poor people comfort themselves 466 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,019 by saying they didn't cultivate well in their past lives, so they cultivate 467 00:15:55,019 --> 00:15:56,639 well in this life and 468 00:15:56,639 --> 00:15:58,020 will be rich in the next. 469 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,500 This argument sounds flawless, 470 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:02,809 but it has a fatal flaw: 471 00:16:03,299 --> 00:16:05,159 it treats a concept invented by humans as the 472 00:16:05,159 --> 00:16:06,941 operating logic of Heaven. 473 00:16:07,779 --> 00:16:08,700 What is 474 00:16:08,919 --> 00:16:11,220 money? Money is a tool of exchange in human society, a 475 00:16:11,220 --> 00:16:12,639 product of consensus. The 476 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:14,221 essence of value is consensus. 477 00:16:15,039 --> 00:16:17,340 Money is not a concept of Heaven at all. 478 00:16:17,340 --> 00:16:18,539 In the system of Heaven, there is 479 00:16:18,539 --> 00:16:19,740 no variable called "currency." 480 00:16:20,259 --> 00:16:21,698 Talking about "wealth" with Heaven 481 00:16:21,700 --> 00:16:23,330 is like talking about a "faucet" with the ocean. 482 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:25,660 The scales are completely different. So 483 00:16:26,220 --> 00:16:27,539 484 00:16:27,539 --> 00:16:29,080 what exactly is going on with your material conditions? 485 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:30,840 Within the framework of the Way of Heaven, 486 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:32,700 everything you possess in this life— 487 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,000 money, health, talent, connections, 488 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,740 even the era and family you were born into—is a toolkit. It's a set of conditions and tools configured by the Way of 489 00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:42,500 Heaven for your specific mission in this life. 490 00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:44,461 491 00:16:45,340 --> 00:16:45,620 Money 492 00:16:45,620 --> 00:16:47,279 is just one tool, no 493 00:16:47,279 --> 00:16:48,900 more special than the others. Some 494 00:16:49,460 --> 00:16:50,480 people's missions 495 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:51,779 require a lot of money, so the Way of 496 00:16:51,779 --> 00:16:54,100 Heaven provides them with a lot of money. Some people's missions 497 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:55,039 498 00:16:55,039 --> 00:16:56,480 don't need money at all, so the Way of 499 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:57,701 Heaven doesn't provide them with any. 500 00:16:58,220 --> 00:16:59,879 This has absolutely nothing to do with "rewards" or "punishments." 501 00:16:59,879 --> 00:17:00,980 502 00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:02,179 Therefore, the 503 00:17:02,179 --> 00:17:04,160 question you should really care about is 504 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,338 never "how to make more money," 505 00:17:06,338 --> 00:17:08,568 but rather "what exactly is my mission?" 506 00:17:09,039 --> 00:17:10,660 Once you find the right mission, 507 00:17:10,660 --> 00:17:12,598 resources will 508 00:17:12,598 --> 00:17:15,550 naturally gather towards you in ways you can't imagine—because the conditions are met. 509 00:17:16,039 --> 00:17:17,920 But if you are attached to money itself, 510 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:19,779 you are 511 00:17:19,779 --> 00:17:22,619 forcibly installing Windows software on an Apple system—sorry, it 512 00:17:22,619 --> 00:17:23,391 simply won't run. 513 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:25,940 Fifth conclusion: Spiritual practice is 514 00:17:25,940 --> 00:17:28,200 not the same as enlightenment. Saying this 515 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,401 might offend many friends in the spiritual community, 516 00:17:31,079 --> 00:17:31,921 but I still have to say it. 517 00:17:32,460 --> 00:17:34,579 If you don't know what the Way of Heaven is, and don't understand what the Way of 518 00:17:34,579 --> 00:17:37,000 Heaven is like... If 519 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,740 you can't grasp the fundamental difference between the Heavenly Dao operating system and the Confucian operating system, 520 00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:42,779 then your 521 00:17:42,779 --> 00:17:45,599 cultivation can at best only bring you inner peace, make your life a little 522 00:17:45,599 --> 00:17:47,220 more comfortable, and 523 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,099 make you appear a little more enlightened than those who don't cultivate, 524 00:17:50,099 --> 00:17:50,880 or rather, 525 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:51,961 more like a Confucian master. 526 00:17:52,579 --> 00:17:53,719 This is still human nature; it's all 527 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:54,740 superficial. It's like 528 00:17:55,299 --> 00:17:56,980 529 00:17:56,980 --> 00:17:58,779 installing a "meditation" plugin on your Windows system, 530 00:17:58,779 --> 00:18:00,980 cleaning up junk files and memory. The system is 531 00:18:00,980 --> 00:18:02,839 indeed a little smoother, and there are fewer 532 00:18:02,839 --> 00:18:03,921 blue screens, 533 00:18:04,559 --> 00:18:06,138 but the operating system itself 534 00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:06,800 hasn't changed. 535 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:10,420 You're still interpreting the world using the same logic; 536 00:18:10,420 --> 00:18:11,799 the noise is less, the 537 00:18:11,799 --> 00:18:12,500 picture is clearer, 538 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,660 but clearly seeing a flawed picture 539 00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:16,901 doesn't mean seeing the truth. 540 00:18:17,559 --> 00:18:18,660 True enlightenment 541 00:18:18,660 --> 00:18:22,898 requires you to transcend the entire human operating system—a complete transcendence, 542 00:18:22,900 --> 00:18:23,799 not optimization, not an 543 00:18:23,799 --> 00:18:24,940 upgrade, but a 544 00:18:24,940 --> 00:18:25,840 complete switch, 545 00:18:26,420 --> 00:18:27,900 entering a state of oneness with Heaven and humanity, 546 00:18:27,900 --> 00:18:29,401 merging with the Heavenly Dao operating system. When you 547 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:31,099 reach that state, 548 00:18:31,099 --> 00:18:33,141 you will naturally be very different from ordinary people. It's 549 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:35,859 not that you deliberately want to be different; 550 00:18:35,859 --> 00:18:37,660 your operating system has changed, and the 551 00:18:37,660 --> 00:18:39,441 output naturally changes. 552 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:41,480 Then what will happen? 553 00:18:41,579 --> 00:18:43,381 You will become incompatible with this world. 554 00:18:43,940 --> 00:18:45,940 You will be labeled by others in various ways: an 555 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:48,579 oddball, a weirdo, unapproachable, 556 00:18:48,579 --> 00:18:49,441 even mentally ill. 557 00:18:49,980 --> 00:18:51,519 What are these labels? They are the labels of 558 00:18:51,700 --> 00:18:53,779 other people using the Windows system. 559 00:18:53,779 --> 00:18:56,779 Interpreting the behavior of an Apple user, the error reports generated 560 00:18:56,779 --> 00:18:58,059 after decoding failures 561 00:18:58,059 --> 00:18:59,080 562 00:18:59,619 --> 00:19:01,259 aren't describing you; 563 00:19:01,259 --> 00:19:03,500 they're describing their own confusion. 564 00:19:04,140 --> 00:19:04,740 565 00:19:04,740 --> 00:19:06,099 If you've truly attained enlightenment, 566 00:19:06,099 --> 00:19:08,079 why would you care about these projections? 567 00:19:08,099 --> 00:19:09,839 When someone asks to borrow money, 568 00:19:09,839 --> 00:19:11,859 you see the incomplete conditions and 569 00:19:11,859 --> 00:19:13,840 calmly refuse—they say you're cold-blooded. 570 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:15,900 When someone pleads with you, 571 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:18,940 you know it's a path they must walk themselves and 572 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:20,860 don't reach out—they say you're heartless. 573 00:19:21,539 --> 00:19:24,319 When someone points at you and insults you, 574 00:19:24,319 --> 00:19:26,661 you laugh it off—they say you're callous. 575 00:19:27,220 --> 00:19:29,039 But what is your inner state? It's 576 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:30,019 not suppression, not 577 00:19:30,019 --> 00:19:31,059 endurance, 578 00:19:31,059 --> 00:19:33,099 not "I've cultivated myself, so I must be calm." 579 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,060 It's genuinely without a ripple. It's not ripples 580 00:19:35,579 --> 00:19:38,299 forcibly suppressed on the surface of water; it's the 581 00:19:38,299 --> 00:19:39,901 absence of wind beneath the surface. 582 00:19:40,460 --> 00:19:42,299 You don't need to "act" indifferent; 583 00:19:42,299 --> 00:19:46,660 you truly don't care—like someone dreaming about you and insulting you, and 584 00:19:46,660 --> 00:19:48,540 you don't lose sleep because of their dream. The 585 00:19:49,039 --> 00:19:49,920 586 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,700 distance between this state and "cultivation has made me calm" is 587 00:19:52,700 --> 00:19:54,000 farther than the distance between the Earth and the Moon. 588 00:19:54,619 --> 00:19:56,419 One is 589 00:19:56,420 --> 00:19:58,440 running emotion management software on a Windows system; 590 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:00,500 the other is completely replacing the operating system. Outwardly, they 591 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,119 may look similar—both are quiet. Both appear 592 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:04,721 composed, 593 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:06,259 but their core 594 00:20:06,259 --> 00:20:07,020 values ​​are vastly different. 595 00:20:07,460 --> 00:20:09,539 One is struggling to maintain calm, while the other has 596 00:20:09,539 --> 00:20:11,080 never been unsettled to begin with. Cultivation is 597 00:20:11,740 --> 00:20:12,279 598 00:20:12,279 --> 00:20:14,200 merely one method of enlightenment, 599 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:15,100 never the whole picture. Okay, that 600 00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:16,259 601 00:20:16,259 --> 00:20:17,320 concludes the five points. How is 602 00:20:17,759 --> 00:20:19,380 your worldview? 603 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:20,740 If it's shattered, as 604 00:20:20,740 --> 00:20:22,000 I mentioned before, 605 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,120 please close this video. 606 00:20:23,779 --> 00:20:25,819 Windows systems can still function normally; do 607 00:20:25,819 --> 00:20:27,779 n't force yourself to install an Apple 608 00:20:27,779 --> 00:20:29,060 system and crash your own. 609 00:20:29,579 --> 00:20:31,859 If it's not shattered—then let's continue. 610 00:20:31,859 --> 00:20:34,141 Why do these conclusions make you so uncomfortable? 611 00:20:34,839 --> 00:20:35,980 It's not your fault; 612 00:20:35,980 --> 00:20:38,641 it's just your operating system functioning normally. 613 00:20:39,380 --> 00:20:43,059 Yogacara—the most sophisticated consciousness analysis system in Buddhism— 614 00:20:43,059 --> 00:20:45,359 can help us generate a complete "pathology report." 615 00:20:45,940 --> 00:20:46,980 Your discomfort 616 00:20:46,980 --> 00:20:47,881 comes from three levels. The 617 00:20:48,539 --> 00:20:49,339 first level 618 00:20:49,339 --> 00:20:51,221 is the Confucian seed in the Alaya consciousness. The 619 00:20:51,859 --> 00:20:52,839 Alaya consciousness 620 00:20:52,839 --> 00:20:55,960 is the storage warehouse of all your experiences and habits. 621 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,000 You can think of it as a computer's hard drive. 622 00:20:58,599 --> 00:21:00,059 From the moment you were born, your 623 00:21:00,059 --> 00:21:02,299 parents said, "You must be a good child," your 624 00:21:02,299 --> 00:21:04,339 teachers said, "You must be helpful," and 625 00:21:04,339 --> 00:21:07,059 society said, "Suffering is a blessing," "Good people are rewarded." 626 00:21:07,619 --> 00:21:09,000 Every such input plants 627 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,560 a seed in your Alaya consciousness. 628 00:21:12,279 --> 00:21:13,279 Over decades, 629 00:21:13,279 --> 00:21:15,459 these seeds grow into towering trees, 630 00:21:15,460 --> 00:21:17,140 illuminating other possibilities. The 631 00:21:17,140 --> 00:21:17,641 632 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:18,900 second layer 633 00:21:18,900 --> 00:21:22,161 is the nature of conceptual constructs – you've mistaken labels for reality. 634 00:21:22,619 --> 00:21:24,329 "Kindness," "Justice," "Compassion," 635 00:21:24,339 --> 00:21:26,661 "Good Fortune" – these are all labels, 636 00:21:27,019 --> 00:21:29,059 concepts invented by humans to 637 00:21:29,059 --> 00:21:31,161 help us navigate society. Are they 638 00:21:31,779 --> 00:21:32,509 useful? 639 00:21:32,619 --> 00:21:33,161 Very useful. 640 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:34,659 But this is humanity, 641 00:21:34,660 --> 00:21:35,240 not the way of Heaven. 642 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:39,460 When I say, "The way of Heaven doesn't operate within your moral framework," 643 00:21:39,460 --> 00:21:41,099 I'm not denying humanity; 644 00:21:41,099 --> 00:21:43,440 I'm telling you: your humanistic framework 645 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:44,638 is just a tool, 646 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:45,540 not the truth of the universe. 647 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:47,200 You can use it, 648 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,141 but don't treat it as an instruction manual for the way of Heaven. The 649 00:21:49,539 --> 00:21:50,279 third and 650 00:21:50,279 --> 00:21:53,120 deepest layer is the identity defense of the Manas consciousness. The 651 00:21:53,619 --> 00:21:56,000 Manas consciousness is the seventh consciousness in Yogacara Buddhism. 652 00:21:56,259 --> 00:21:57,279 Its core function 653 00:21:57,279 --> 00:21:59,779 is to constantly grasp "This is me, this is mine." 654 00:22:00,220 --> 00:22:01,319 Your Manas consciousness has 655 00:22:01,319 --> 00:22:02,799 spent decades 656 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:04,920 building an incredibly stable self-identity: 657 00:22:04,930 --> 00:22:06,430 "I am a kind person," 658 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:07,930 "I am a moral person," 659 00:22:07,940 --> 00:22:09,900 "I am someone willing to help others." 660 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,589 When I say, "Don't actively intervene in other people's karma," 661 00:22:12,599 --> 00:22:14,759 "Compassion is a label," 662 00:22:14,759 --> 00:22:15,559 your Manas consciousness 663 00:22:15,559 --> 00:22:17,279 feels a fatal existential threat 664 00:22:17,819 --> 00:22:19,490 because if these statements are true, the 665 00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:21,439 identity of "the kind me" 666 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:22,480 completely collapses. The 667 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:25,319 Manas consciousness doesn't allow this identity to collapse, 668 00:22:25,519 --> 00:22:28,380 so it creates strong resistance, 669 00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:31,019 making you instinctively feel, "These statements must be wrong." 670 00:22:31,819 --> 00:22:32,559 Speaking of which, 671 00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:35,201 I'd like to conclude with a classic Buddhist analogy. 672 00:22:35,839 --> 00:22:38,660 Someone asked a Zen master: "How can I achieve enlightenment?" The Zen 673 00:22:38,859 --> 00:22:40,420 master picked up a cup of tea and 674 00:22:40,420 --> 00:22:41,699 poured 675 00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:43,160 water into it. The cup was full, but he kept pouring, overflowing and spilling water all over the 676 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:44,461 table. 677 00:22:44,980 --> 00:22:47,099 The person quickly said, "It's full! Stop pouring!" The 678 00:22:47,099 --> 00:22:47,960 679 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,960 Zen master said: "Your mind is like this cup, 680 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,720 filled with your prejudices, your judgments, 681 00:22:53,839 --> 00:22:55,180 your 'shoulds' and 'shouldn'ts.' 682 00:22:55,759 --> 00:22:57,740 Without first emptying these things, 683 00:22:57,740 --> 00:22:58,599 684 00:22:58,599 --> 00:22:59,641 you simply can't fill it with new things." 685 00:23:00,259 --> 00:23:00,880 This analogy 686 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:02,759 isn't just Zen wisdom; 687 00:23:02,759 --> 00:23:04,800 it also has hardcore neuroscience support. As 688 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,339 we've repeatedly discussed in previous videos, your brain 689 00:23:08,339 --> 00:23:11,099 isn't a passively receiving information camera; 690 00:23:11,099 --> 00:23:12,701 it's a predictive machine. 691 00:23:12,839 --> 00:23:14,819 It first 692 00:23:14,819 --> 00:23:16,660 generates a set of "a priori beliefs" based on past experience, and 693 00:23:16,660 --> 00:23:18,079 then uses these a priori beliefs 694 00:23:18,079 --> 00:23:21,401 to filter, distort, and even cover up new information you receive. 695 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,398 You think you're "objectively listening" to me, but what 696 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,079 your brain is actually doing is comparing every word I say 697 00:23:28,079 --> 00:23:32,119 with its existing a priori beliefs—if they match, it accepts them. If it 698 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:32,839 doesn't fit, 699 00:23:32,839 --> 00:23:34,398 resist, distort, 700 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:35,580 or even filter it out directly. 701 00:23:36,079 --> 00:23:37,660 The old water in your cup 702 00:23:37,660 --> 00:23:38,800 is your preconceived beliefs. 703 00:23:39,319 --> 00:23:40,898 They not only take up space, but 704 00:23:40,900 --> 00:23:42,360 they also actively reject new water. 705 00:23:42,799 --> 00:23:43,359 Today, I'm 706 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:44,980 not asking you to empty the cup completely; 707 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:46,900 that's something to do after reaching the ultimate emptiness, too 708 00:23:46,900 --> 00:23:47,221 difficult. 709 00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:48,819 I'm just suggesting you 710 00:23:48,819 --> 00:23:49,500 pour out a portion and put in what you've 711 00:23:49,980 --> 00:23:51,740 heard today. Don't 712 00:23:51,740 --> 00:23:52,320 713 00:23:52,779 --> 00:23:55,279 rush to judge right or wrong—judgment itself 714 00:23:55,279 --> 00:23:57,280 is your operating system running. 715 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:58,880 Let it be quiet for a while, 716 00:23:58,880 --> 00:23:59,859 let this content 717 00:23:59,859 --> 00:24:01,060 settle in your cup. 718 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:02,839 Then try to 719 00:24:02,839 --> 00:24:03,461 pour out some. 720 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:04,960 Those that have sunk to the bottom and can't be 721 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,701 poured out—that's what you've truly learned. What 722 00:24:08,059 --> 00:24:10,279 everyone takes away from this content will 723 00:24:10,279 --> 00:24:11,100 definitely be different 724 00:24:11,460 --> 00:24:13,240 because everyone's Alaya consciousness has 725 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:14,079 different seeds, and what's 726 00:24:14,099 --> 00:24:15,260 activated is also different. 727 00:24:15,579 --> 00:24:16,480 That's okay. The Way of 728 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,120 Heaven never standardizes teaching. 729 00:24:18,460 --> 00:24:19,181 Finally, 730 00:24:19,599 --> 00:24:20,839 if you've heard this far and your 731 00:24:20,839 --> 00:24:21,720 worldview hasn't shattered, and 732 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,340 you still want to continue listening—welcome! The 733 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:24,420 journey ahead 734 00:24:24,420 --> 00:24:25,559 won't be easier, it will only 735 00:24:25,559 --> 00:24:26,560 be more explosive. 736 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:28,740 So, this series 737 00:24:28,740 --> 00:24:31,160 mainly 738 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:32,580 provides a completely new perspective for those already on the path of spiritual practice. 739 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:34,660 Since you've already decided to change, 740 00:24:34,660 --> 00:24:35,580 then go all the way. 741 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,440 Installing macOS on a Windows virtual machine is 742 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:40,921 ultimately just a transitional solution. 743 00:24:41,460 --> 00:24:44,460 If you've never considered changing your operating system 744 00:24:44,460 --> 00:24:46,720 and don't see any meaning in spiritual practice, 745 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,180 then there's no need for you to continue reading this series. 746 00:24:49,180 --> 00:24:52,820 Otherwise, you'll only cause yourself mental strain and cognitive dissonance. 747 00:24:53,319 --> 00:24:54,200 I'm Wang Lijie. 748 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:55,099 See you next time.