1
00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:01,700
Making a wish vs. sending a vow:

2
00:00:01,700 --> 00:00:05,459
a single word that makes a world of difference. Have you ever made a wish during the New Year?

3
00:00:05,459 --> 00:00:06,179
 

4
00:00:06,339 --> 00:00:07,179
Light an incense

5
00:00:07,179 --> 00:00:08,300
stick, put your hands together, close

6
00:00:08,300 --> 00:00:11,820
your eyes, and silently chant, "I want to get rich," "I want to find a partner," "I want a promotion,"

7
00:00:11,859 --> 00:00:12,839
and then open your eyes,

8
00:00:12,839 --> 00:00:13,800
continue scrolling through your phone,

9
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:14,679
continue feeling anxious,

10
00:00:14,679 --> 00:00:15,060
continue agonizing? The

11
00:00:15,679 --> 00:00:18,039
wish you made is like a WeChat message you sent—

12
00:00:18,039 --> 00:00:18,941
read but not replied to.

13
00:00:19,539 --> 00:00:21,890
You start to doubt: does this thing even work? There's

14
00:00:22,559 --> 00:00:24,820
a Western concept called the "Law of Attraction," which

15
00:00:24,820 --> 00:00:27,460
says that if you believe enough and desire enough, the

16
00:00:27,460 --> 00:00:29,701
universe will deliver what you want to you.

17
00:00:30,219 --> 00:00:32,060
This theory has been written into best-selling books,

18
00:00:32,060 --> 00:00:33,399
made into documentaries, and

19
00:00:33,399 --> 00:00:34,841
has supported an entire self-help industry.

20
00:00:35,460 --> 00:00:37,500
In recent years, it has rebranded itself as

21
00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:38,439
"manifestation."

22
00:00:38,439 --> 00:00:39,780
 

23
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,000
Search for this term on any social media platform, and you'll find

24
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,840
millions of results—teaching you how to write scripts, do visualizations, and

25
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,899
"live in the ending"—far more sophisticated and popular than the Law of Attraction.

26
00:00:48,899 --> 00:00:49,701
 

27
00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:51,179
But the problem is,

28
00:00:51,179 --> 00:00:54,600
whether it's the old version of the Law of Attraction or the new version of manifestation,

29
00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:55,600
many people have believed in it,

30
00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:56,100
tried it,

31
00:00:56,100 --> 00:00:57,220
and then found it didn't work.

32
00:00:57,679 --> 00:00:59,359
So another group jumps out and says

33
00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:00,539
it's pseudoscience.

34
00:01:00,539 --> 00:01:01,300
It's just harvesting韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting people).

35
00:01:01,820 --> 00:01:03,018
But what if I told you that there's

36
00:01:03,020 --> 00:01:04,840
a concept in Buddhism called "the power of will"? It

37
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,260
seems to overlap with the Law of Attraction and the Law of Manifestation, but its

38
00:01:08,260 --> 00:01:10,260
underlying logic is completely different. Moreover,

39
00:01:10,329 --> 00:01:11,359
its operating mechanism

40
00:01:11,359 --> 00:01:14,420
can actually be explained by modern brain science and quantum mechanics.

41
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,921
Today, we'll dissect the underlying logic of "the power of will." Hello

42
00:01:17,439 --> 00:01:17,760
 

43
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:18,239
everyone,

44
00:01:18,239 --> 00:01:18,721
I'm Wang Lijie.

45
00:01:19,180 --> 00:01:20,739
In the last episode, we talked about a core definition: the

46
00:01:21,140 --> 00:01:23,219
essence of enlightenment, or becoming a Buddha, is the

47
00:01:23,219 --> 00:01:25,221
active rewriting of the underlying parameters of "consciousness."

48
00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:26,540
Simply put,

49
00:01:26,540 --> 00:01:28,181
it's rewriting your own code. The

50
00:01:28,340 --> 00:01:31,100
method of rewriting is through meditation, contemplation, and introspection.

51
00:01:31,659 --> 00:01:35,000
I left a question at the end: Where does the motivation for rewriting come from? What makes

52
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:36,640
you able to persist in rewriting? What makes

53
00:01:36,739 --> 00:01:38,459
you choose your direction?

54
00:01:38,579 --> 00:01:40,600
The answer is today's topic - the power of will.

55
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,859
Let's make a key distinction first - "making a wish" and "making a vow."

56
00:01:43,859 --> 00:01:45,519
These two words differ by one word, but they

57
00:01:45,519 --> 00:01:46,501
differ by an entire universe.

58
00:01:47,180 --> 00:01:48,079
What is making a wish? It's when

59
00:01:48,180 --> 00:01:50,141
you make a request to an external force.

60
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,599
You set a premise in your mind: there is an existence more powerful than me. Whether it's

61
00:01:54,599 --> 00:01:55,340
Buddha,

62
00:01:55,340 --> 00:01:56,180
God, the Way of

63
00:01:56,180 --> 00:01:57,040
Heaven, or the

64
00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:57,899
universe,

65
00:01:57,900 --> 00:01:59,480
it can give me what I want,

66
00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:01,251
but whether it gives it or not depends on its mood.

67
00:02:01,739 --> 00:02:03,140
So you have to be devout and

68
00:02:03,140 --> 00:02:04,060
respectful enough.  It

69
00:02:04,060 --> 00:02:05,359
's best to donate more money to

70
00:02:05,359 --> 00:02:06,411
increase the approval rate.

71
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,109
This is essentially a transactional mindset – I offer sincerity,

72
00:02:10,109 --> 00:02:10,941
you provide results. Making a

73
00:02:10,979 --> 00:02:12,600
vow is completely different. In

74
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,280
Buddhism, the "vow" in

75
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,539
Sanskrit is called pranidhana. The root

76
00:02:15,939 --> 00:02:20,259
of this word can be broken down into three parts: pra (forward), ni (

77
00:02:20,259 --> 00:02:21,599
towards), and dha (

78
00:02:21,599 --> 00:02:21,980
to place).

79
00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,959
Combined, it means "to place forward" – placing your heart and your will

80
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,350
in the direction you want to go.

81
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,639
Therefore, pranidhana is usually translated as "vow"

82
00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:31,121
or "determination."

83
00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:33,639
Making a vow is not making demands on the outside world; it's

84
00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,721
issuing an instruction to your own consciousness system.

85
00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:37,659
It's not "Please give me something,"

86
00:02:37,659 --> 00:02:40,561
but rather "I decide to become something," "I decide to go towards something."

87
00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:42,539
You are not negotiating with the universe;

88
00:02:42,539 --> 00:02:44,661
you are reprogramming your own operating system.

89
00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,620
Why is this distinction important?

90
00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,181
Because it directly determines the effect. The

91
00:02:48,699 --> 00:02:49,939
person making a vow waits; the

92
00:02:49,939 --> 00:02:51,100
person making a vow acts. The

93
00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:54,520
person making a vow places themselves in a passive receiving position; the

94
00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,881
person making a vow places themselves in an active creating position.

95
00:02:57,319 --> 00:02:58,780
One is a consumer mentality;

96
00:02:58,780 --> 00:02:59,980
the other is a builder mentality. Have

97
00:03:00,539 --> 00:03:01,699
you noticed? The

98
00:03:01,759 --> 00:03:03,599
currently popular global phenomenon of manifestation

99
00:03:03,599 --> 00:03:06,390
actually sits precisely in the middle of making a vow and a vow.

100
00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:08,719
It is more advanced than the traditional Law of Attraction.

101
00:03:09,219 --> 00:03:11,800
It no longer says, "The universe will give you whatever you want,"

102
00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,500
but rather, "You need to change your inner state and

103
00:03:14,500 --> 00:03:15,971
live in the feeling of having already achieved it."

104
00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:19,361
This is a step from "external requests" to "internal change,"

105
00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:21,381
but it stopped halfway.

106
00:03:21,819 --> 00:03:23,280
What is its fatal problem?

107
00:03:23,379 --> 00:03:24,979
I'll keep that a secret for now; the

108
00:03:24,979 --> 00:03:28,579
next episode will specifically dissect the underlying logic of manifest chemistry and its hidden

109
00:03:28,580 --> 00:03:29,181
structural paradoxes.

110
00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,419
Today, we'll thoroughly explain the Buddhist system of vows,

111
00:03:32,419 --> 00:03:34,060
because only when you understand vows

112
00:03:34,060 --> 00:03:36,721
can you see what manifest chemistry is lacking.

113
00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:37,419
Okay,

114
00:03:37,419 --> 00:03:37,901
let's go back to making vows.

115
00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:40,639
Who is the most famous "vower" in Buddhist history?

116
00:03:40,699 --> 00:03:41,381
Amitabha Buddha. Before

117
00:03:42,020 --> 00:03:43,379
he became a Buddha, he

118
00:03:43,379 --> 00:03:44,859
was a king

119
00:03:44,860 --> 00:03:45,540
named Kausika.

120
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,199
After hearing the teachings of the Buddha Lokeshvara, he was

121
00:03:48,199 --> 00:03:49,319
deeply moved and

122
00:03:49,319 --> 00:03:51,340
renounced his throne to become a monk, taking the

123
00:03:51,340 --> 00:03:52,021
Dharma name Dharmakara. The Buddha Lokeshvara

124
00:03:52,719 --> 00:03:56,439
showed him the good and evil, the coarse and subtle aspects of 21 billion Buddha-lands.

125
00:03:56,580 --> 00:03:57,340
 

126
00:03:57,340 --> 00:03:59,699
After five kalpas of contemplation, Dharmakara

127
00:03:59,699 --> 00:04:01,540
finally made forty-eight great vows.

128
00:04:02,180 --> 00:04:04,919
Each one follows the format: "If

129
00:04:04,919 --> 00:04:06,719
my world cannot meet certain conditions after I become a Buddha,

130
00:04:06,719 --> 00:04:07,420
I will not become a Buddha.

131
00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:08,919
" Note this format.

132
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,680
He wasn't asking anyone to build him a Pure Land;

133
00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,259
he was betting his own chance to become a Buddha,

134
00:04:14,259 --> 00:04:15,961
binding his vows and actions together.

135
00:04:16,439 --> 00:04:17,759
These forty-eight vows,

136
00:04:17,759 --> 00:04:19,158
after countless eons of practice, were all

137
00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:20,180
ultimately fulfilled.

138
00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:22,060
This is the foundation of the Pure Land School. Ksitigarbha

139
00:04:22,759 --> 00:04:25,079
Bodhisattva is even more ruthless: "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty.

140
00:04:25,079 --> 00:04:25,721
 

141
00:04:26,180 --> 00:04:27,408
" Think about the power of this statement.

142
00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,079
He wasn't just wishing for hell to be empty;

143
00:04:30,079 --> 00:04:33,259
he was saying, "As long as there is even one sentient being suffering in hell,

144
00:04:33,259 --> 00:04:33,850
I will not leave."

145
00:04:34,660 --> 00:04:35,680
This isn't a request; it's a

146
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:36,300
declaration. This isn't a

147
00:04:36,819 --> 00:04:37,740
transaction;

148
00:04:37,740 --> 00:04:38,260
it's a promise. Okay, that's the explanation.

149
00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:39,300
 

150
00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:40,060
 

151
00:04:40,060 --> 00:04:43,439
Now let's get to the core part—what exactly is making a vow about, and

152
00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:45,519
why does it produce practical effects?

153
00:04:45,639 --> 00:04:47,140
I'll break it down for you on three levels. The

154
00:04:47,199 --> 00:04:47,899
first level is

155
00:04:47,899 --> 00:04:48,300
neuroscience.

156
00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:50,580
Let me give you some data to give you a feel for it. In

157
00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:51,939
2025,

158
00:04:51,939 --> 00:04:53,870
Zheng He Meister of Caltech

159
00:04:53,870 --> 00:04:55,880
published a study in the journal *Neuron*.

160
00:04:56,579 --> 00:04:59,339
They precisely measured the information throughput of the human sensory system. The

161
00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:00,779
conclusion was that

162
00:05:00,779 --> 00:05:04,020
your sensory system collects about one billion bits of information per second. One billion!

163
00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:04,820
 

164
00:05:05,439 --> 00:05:06,959
But what about your conscious mind? It

165
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,221
can only process about ten bits per second. One

166
00:05:09,339 --> 00:05:10,360
billion versus ten—the

167
00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:11,520
difference is one hundred million times.

168
00:05:11,959 --> 00:05:12,639
In other words...

169
00:05:12,639 --> 00:05:16,220
Your brain discards 99.99999% of information every second.

170
00:05:16,220 --> 00:05:16,580
 

171
00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,319
So the question is: who decides which information enters your consciousness?

172
00:05:21,420 --> 00:05:23,740
The answer is a filtering system in your brain.

173
00:05:24,220 --> 00:05:28,060
In the past, people simply attributed this to the reticular activating system in the brainstem.

174
00:05:28,060 --> 00:05:30,279
However, the latest neuroscience research shows that

175
00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,939
a more complex network called the "salience network" is actually responsible for this filtering work.

176
00:05:33,939 --> 00:05:35,439
 

177
00:05:35,439 --> 00:05:37,840
Its core is located in the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex.

178
00:05:38,459 --> 00:05:42,040
This system does a simple thing: it decides what you see based on what you consider important.

179
00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:43,240
 

180
00:05:43,759 --> 00:05:45,860
You just decided to buy a red car, and

181
00:05:45,860 --> 00:05:48,080
suddenly you find red cars everywhere. The number of

182
00:05:48,699 --> 00:05:50,120
red cars hasn't increased;

183
00:05:50,439 --> 00:05:53,600
it's your salience network that has marked "red cars" as "important

184
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:54,300
information."

185
00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:57,180
So all the red cars that were previously filtered out have reappeared.

186
00:05:57,660 --> 00:05:59,680
This isn't the universe sending you a signal;

187
00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,221
it's your brain executing the search command you issued.

188
00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:03,980
What does making a

189
00:06:04,079 --> 00:06:07,920
vow do? Making a vow is writing a new filtering rule into your salience network.

190
00:06:08,439 --> 00:06:11,100
When you truly make a vow—not just saying it,

191
00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:12,819
but deciding something from the bottom of your heart—

192
00:06:13,379 --> 00:06:17,080
your brain will begin automatically filtering information, marking opportunities, and establishing connections.

193
00:06:17,579 --> 00:06:20,079
Things you couldn't see before will suddenly appear.

194
00:06:20,139 --> 00:06:22,260
People you previously ignored will suddenly become important.

195
00:06:22,660 --> 00:06:24,279
This isn't the universe working in your favor;

196
00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,800
it's your own perception system being recalibrated. As

197
00:06:27,300 --> 00:06:29,420
I mentioned in the episode about lucky personalities,

198
00:06:29,420 --> 00:06:32,800
the brain, this super-powerful filter, determines what you see and remember.

199
00:06:33,180 --> 00:06:35,139
If you believe, "I'm just unlucky," your

200
00:06:35,139 --> 00:06:37,680
brain automatically activates confirmation bias mode, amplifying

201
00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,199
all bad things and

202
00:06:39,199 --> 00:06:39,980
ignoring good ones. Making a

203
00:06:40,540 --> 00:06:43,100
vow is rewriting this filtering rule in reverse.

204
00:06:43,779 --> 00:06:44,860
Here's a crucial detail:

205
00:06:44,860 --> 00:06:47,500
vague wishes have almost no filtering effect.

206
00:06:47,910 --> 00:06:48,900
"I hope life will be better" is

207
00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,240
meaningless to the brain

208
00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:52,600
because it's too vague; the

209
00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,420
salience network doesn't know what to label.

210
00:06:54,819 --> 00:06:58,250
But "I want to build a community that helps 10,000 entrepreneurs within three years" is

211
00:06:58,660 --> 00:07:00,098
specific enough. The

212
00:07:00,199 --> 00:07:02,800
brain immediately knows what to focus on: entrepreneurs,

213
00:07:03,019 --> 00:07:05,840
community, methodology, partners, event venues. The

214
00:07:06,459 --> 00:07:09,260
information density of your entire perceived world instantly changes.

215
00:07:09,740 --> 00:07:12,340
This is why vows in Buddhism are extremely specific. Amitabha

216
00:07:12,459 --> 00:07:14,139
Buddha's forty-eight vows

217
00:07:14,139 --> 00:07:15,509
each have clear standards:

218
00:07:15,509 --> 00:07:17,899
"If the heavenly beings and humans in the land do not know true gold, I will

219
00:07:17,899 --> 00:07:19,300
not attain perfect enlightenment." – See

220
00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:20,620
how specific it is? Even

221
00:07:20,699 --> 00:07:22,000
body color is included.

222
00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:23,519
This isn't fantasy;

223
00:07:23,519 --> 00:07:25,900
it's writing precise parameters into the consciousness system. The

224
00:07:26,339 --> 00:07:27,060
second layer:

225
00:07:27,060 --> 00:07:28,240
Yogacara philosophy.  The Seed Theory

226
00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,400
directly connects to the enlightenment framework discussed in the previous episode.

227
00:07:32,060 --> 00:07:34,640
I've made several videos about the Alaya-consciousness before, so let me

228
00:07:35,259 --> 00:07:39,319
briefly recap: The Alaya-consciousness is the underlying operating system of your consciousness,

229
00:07:39,319 --> 00:07:40,750
storing countless "seeds"—the

230
00:07:41,180 --> 00:07:44,120
imprints left by all your past experiences, actions, and thoughts.

231
00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,839
These seeds are activated under specific conditions,

232
00:07:47,839 --> 00:07:50,721
manifesting as your current cognition, emotions, and behavioral patterns.

233
00:07:51,540 --> 00:07:52,899
Seeds give rise to actions, and

234
00:07:52,899 --> 00:07:54,259
actions influence seeds,

235
00:07:54,259 --> 00:07:55,980
forming a never-ending cycle. In the previous

236
00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:57,779
episode, I mentioned that

237
00:07:57,779 --> 00:07:59,880
enlightenment is the active rewriting of these parameters. So, what role does

238
00:08:00,449 --> 00:08:03,079
vow play in this framework? Making a

239
00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,610
vow is planting a very special seed in the Alaya-consciousness;

240
00:08:07,019 --> 00:08:09,180
we can call it the "master seed" or "root seed." The

241
00:08:09,759 --> 00:08:11,639
special thing about this seed is that

242
00:08:11,639 --> 00:08:13,720
it's not just a single imprint;

243
00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:15,280
it's an organizing principle.

244
00:08:15,420 --> 00:08:19,460
It rearranges the priorities of other seeds already existing in your Alaya-consciousness. For example,

245
00:08:19,899 --> 00:08:20,700
 

246
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,139
your Alaya-consciousness is a huge warehouse

247
00:08:23,139 --> 00:08:26,959
filled with all kinds of seeds—seeds of diligence,

248
00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,100
seeds of laziness, seeds of courage, seeds of fear, seeds of kindness, seeds of selfishness.

249
00:08:31,500 --> 00:08:33,860
Normally, these seeds are activated randomly, depending on the

250
00:08:33,860 --> 00:08:35,940
conditions.

251
00:08:35,940 --> 00:08:38,000
You're basically being pushed along by karmic inertia. As

252
00:08:38,460 --> 00:08:39,480
I mentioned in the last episode,

253
00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,658
this is the NPC (NPC in the game) model – parameters are running automatically, and

254
00:08:42,658 --> 00:08:43,370
you're completely unaware.

255
00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:45,840
But when you actually make a vow, it's like

256
00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,030
installing a sorting system in a warehouse.

257
00:08:48,620 --> 00:08:52,159
This system automatically pushes seeds related to your vow to the front and

258
00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:53,500
irrelevant ones to the back.

259
00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,860
Your behavior patterns, attention allocation, and decision-making tendencies

260
00:08:56,860 --> 00:09:00,120
will all undergo a systematic shift due to the existence of this primary seed.

261
00:09:00,899 --> 00:09:03,019
I previously mentioned in my discussion of the Four Lessons of Fan that

262
00:09:03,019 --> 00:09:05,279
destiny is equal to the projection of seed patterns; when

263
00:09:05,279 --> 00:09:06,701
seeds change, destiny

264
00:09:06,799 --> 00:09:09,841
changes. Making a vow is one of the most efficient ways to change seed patterns.

265
00:09:10,539 --> 00:09:12,799
It doesn't modify seeds one by one – that's too slow.

266
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,081
It directly changes the priority order in which seeds are activated.

267
00:09:16,659 --> 00:09:17,980
In AI terms, making a

268
00:09:17,980 --> 00:09:20,120
vow doesn't change the model's parameters,

269
00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,300
but rather the weight distribution of the attention mechanism.

270
00:09:22,919 --> 00:09:23,919
A precise vow is like

271
00:09:23,919 --> 00:09:26,580
an extremely high-quality system prompt.

272
00:09:26,580 --> 00:09:28,600
It doesn't change your underlying parameters,

273
00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,880
but it can produce completely different quality outputs from the same set of parameters.

274
00:09:32,620 --> 00:09:36,000
If enlightenment is like gaining the authority to rewrite parameters,

275
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,980
then the power of a vow is the first rewriting instruction you receive after gaining that authority.

276
00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,159
It tells your consciousness system: from now on,

277
00:09:42,159 --> 00:09:43,961
reorganize everything along this direction.

278
00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,559
This explains a phenomenon: why some people seem to have suddenly better luck after making a vow. It's

279
00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:49,419
 

280
00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:50,500
not that their luck has changed,

281
00:09:50,620 --> 00:09:52,300
but that their seed activation mode has changed.

282
00:09:52,860 --> 00:09:55,120
Good seeds,

283
00:09:55,259 --> 00:09:57,100
wisdom seeds, and action seeds that were previously suppressed at the bottom of the storage space are pushed to the forefront

284
00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:58,659
due to the reordering of their vows, and

285
00:09:58,659 --> 00:09:59,919
 

286
00:09:59,919 --> 00:10:00,961
begin to manifest frequently. The

287
00:10:01,639 --> 00:10:02,500
outward manifestation

288
00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:05,679
is that "this person seems to have become enlightened," or "this person seems to have suddenly found their

289
00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:05,980
direction." The

290
00:10:06,519 --> 00:10:07,240
third layer is

291
00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,300
quantum mechanics – probability clouds and observation effects.

292
00:10:09,759 --> 00:10:12,779
I discussed this layer in detail in the previous episode about lucky constitutions.

293
00:10:12,779 --> 00:10:14,100
Here's a precise connection:

294
00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:16,000
quantum mechanics tells us that

295
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,159
at the microscopic level,

296
00:10:17,159 --> 00:10:19,330
particles are in a superposition state before being observed;

297
00:10:19,919 --> 00:10:21,740
all possibilities exist simultaneously. The

298
00:10:21,940 --> 00:10:24,961
act of observation causes this superposition state to collapse into a definite result.

299
00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:27,769
Wheeler's "participatory universe" model goes further.

300
00:10:27,769 --> 00:10:29,379
We are not bystanders,

301
00:10:29,379 --> 00:10:30,600
but participants. The

302
00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:32,980
act of observation itself participates in the construction of reality. What role does

303
00:10:33,580 --> 00:10:36,090
making a vow play in this framework?

304
00:10:36,179 --> 00:10:38,060
It's a continuous "directed observation." The

305
00:10:38,799 --> 00:10:41,600
consciousness of ordinary people is scattered – thinking about this one

306
00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:42,700
moment and that the next.

307
00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:45,211
Attention is like a particle without direction, undergoing Brownian motion.

308
00:10:45,759 --> 00:10:46,720
In this state,

309
00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,160
your influence on the probability cloud is random and inefficient.

310
00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,259
But when you make a clear and firm wish,

311
00:10:52,259 --> 00:10:54,260
your consciousness has a stable direction.

312
00:10:54,419 --> 00:10:55,840
You are no longer observing randomly,

313
00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:57,730
but observing with a consistent intention.

314
00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:01,740
If consciousness truly participates in the construction of reality—and I say "if,"

315
00:11:01,740 --> 00:11:03,960
this is still a conjecture without scientific consensus—

316
00:11:04,419 --> 00:11:06,139
then a consciousness with a consistent direction

317
00:11:06,139 --> 00:11:07,620
 

318
00:11:07,620 --> 00:11:09,480
should have a greater power to shape reality than a scattered consciousness.

319
00:11:10,139 --> 00:11:11,860
But here I must add an important footnote:

320
00:11:11,860 --> 00:11:15,340
this doesn't mean that if you sit on the sofa and meditate "I want a million,"

321
00:11:15,340 --> 00:11:16,821
a million will fall from the sky. The

322
00:11:17,460 --> 00:11:19,139
observation effect described by quantum mechanics

323
00:11:19,139 --> 00:11:21,100
is that observation participates in the collapse process,

324
00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:22,941
not that observation creates the result out of thin air. The

325
00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,700
probability cloud must first contain this possibility before

326
00:11:25,700 --> 00:11:27,461
observation can collapse it into reality.

327
00:11:27,980 --> 00:11:31,200
You must first put yourself in that probability space—through learning,

328
00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,581
action, and connection—and then your willpower has the material to act.

329
00:11:35,139 --> 00:11:38,210
This is precisely the biggest flaw shared by the Law of Attraction and the manifestation of reality.

330
00:11:38,759 --> 00:11:40,740
They both imply, to varying degrees, that "

331
00:11:41,039 --> 00:11:43,260
thinking" or "feeling" is the most crucial step.

332
00:11:43,919 --> 00:11:46,081
The Law of Attraction directly tells you that thinking is enough. The manifestation of

333
00:11:46,639 --> 00:11:48,379
reality is slightly more advanced,

334
00:11:48,379 --> 00:11:50,451
telling you to "live in the state that has already been achieved."

335
00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,180
But they both omit something that Buddhism never omits: doing.

336
00:11:54,759 --> 00:11:57,600
Buddhism speaks of the "three requisites": faith, aspiration, and practice.

337
00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,779
Note the order: faith is the foundation,

338
00:11:59,779 --> 00:12:00,759
aspiration is the direction, and practice

339
00:12:00,759 --> 00:12:01,260
is the implementation. None of these

340
00:12:01,740 --> 00:12:02,961
can be lacking.

341
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,100
Having faith and aspiration without practice makes

342
00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:08,438
you a spiritual giant but a dwarf in action; the

343
00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:10,399
seed will forever remain dormant,

344
00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,260
lacking the necessary conditions to activate it. To

345
00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:13,539
 

346
00:12:13,539 --> 00:12:14,260
summarize, the

347
00:12:14,779 --> 00:12:16,919
underlying mechanism of making aspirations can be described in one sentence:

348
00:12:16,919 --> 00:12:19,840
it's a directional anchoring behavior of consciousness,

349
00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,080
simultaneously acting on your brain's filtering system,

350
00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,310
your deep seed structure, and your coupling with the probability field. These

351
00:12:26,019 --> 00:12:27,139
three mechanisms combined

352
00:12:27,139 --> 00:12:29,420
produce a systemic effect far exceeding "positive thinking." Okay,

353
00:12:30,230 --> 00:12:30,320
 

354
00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:31,179
 

355
00:12:31,179 --> 00:12:33,659
now that the mechanism is explained, let's move on to practical application—how to make aspirations effective.

356
00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,120
I've summarized five principles,

357
00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,810
each based on both Buddhist and neuroscience principles.

358
00:12:38,580 --> 00:12:38,980
First, aspirations

359
00:12:38,980 --> 00:12:40,279
should be directed towards "becoming,"

360
00:12:40,279 --> 00:12:41,211
not "obtaining."

361
00:12:41,659 --> 00:12:43,140
"I want to earn 100 million" is making a wish; "

362
00:12:43,529 --> 00:12:46,560
I want to become someone who can create 1 billion in value" is making an aspiration. The

363
00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:48,019
difference is that

364
00:12:48,039 --> 00:12:49,899
"earning 100 million" is a result, something

365
00:12:49,899 --> 00:12:50,799
external, beyond

366
00:12:50,799 --> 00:12:51,560
your control;

367
00:12:51,919 --> 00:12:54,879
"becoming someone who can create 1 billion in value" is a state, something internal, something

368
00:12:54,879 --> 00:12:55,879
 

369
00:12:55,879 --> 00:12:57,701
you can gradually approach through action. Making a wish

370
00:12:58,379 --> 00:13:00,318
puts you in a waiting position.

371
00:13:00,340 --> 00:13:02,120
The vow places you in a position of growth. The

372
00:13:02,639 --> 00:13:05,419
vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are never "What I want to obtain,"

373
00:13:05,419 --> 00:13:07,841
but rather "What I want to become," "What I want to achieve." The

374
00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,100
Bhikkhu Dharmakara didn't say, "Please give me a Pure Land,"

375
00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:13,580
he said, "I will build a Pure Land; if I cannot build it,

376
00:13:13,580 --> 00:13:14,800
I will not become a Buddha." Do

377
00:13:15,279 --> 00:13:16,679
you see the difference? The

378
00:13:16,860 --> 00:13:17,720
subject is different, the

379
00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:18,639
verb is different, the

380
00:13:18,639 --> 00:13:20,240
energy direction is completely different.

381
00:13:20,799 --> 00:13:24,299
This distinction is precisely one of the most fundamental differences between Buddhist vows and Western manifest teachings. The

382
00:13:24,299 --> 00:13:25,540
 

383
00:13:26,379 --> 00:13:28,800
subject of manifest teachings is "What I want."

384
00:13:29,299 --> 00:13:32,081
You visualize wealth, relationships, an ideal physique.

385
00:13:32,620 --> 00:13:35,310
But the subject of vows is "The person I want to become."

386
00:13:35,799 --> 00:13:36,720
One grasps outward,

387
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:37,400
the other grows inward.

388
00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:39,860
This difference seems small, but it

389
00:13:39,860 --> 00:13:42,120
actually leads to completely different consciousness dynamics.

390
00:13:42,519 --> 00:13:43,600
 

391
00:13:43,759 --> 00:13:45,020
I will break down the differences in detail in the next episode.

392
00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:46,179
Second, the

393
00:13:46,179 --> 00:13:47,159
vow must be large enough

394
00:13:47,159 --> 00:13:48,191
to transcend the self.

395
00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,000
This is the biggest difference between the Buddhist vow system and all Western self-help theories.

396
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:52,721
 

397
00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:55,880
The Law of Attraction teaches you "You attract what you want"

398
00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,560
—luxury cars, mansions, perfect partners.

399
00:13:59,139 --> 00:14:01,170
Manifest teachings teach you "Assume you already have them."

400
00:14:01,700 --> 00:14:03,519
What is the common characteristic of these vows? They are

401
00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:04,471
all "I want,"

402
00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:06,080
the subject is "I."

403
00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:07,530
The object is "the object of my desire."

404
00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,440
What is this kind of desire called in the Yogacara framework? It's called "

405
00:14:10,740 --> 00:14:11,480
 

406
00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,759
 

407
00:14:15,759 --> 00:14:17,760
 

408
00:14:18,340 --> 00:14:20,139
 

409
00:14:20,139 --> 00:14:22,500
 

410
00:14:23,039 --> 00:14:25,880
imagined attachment." You've superimposed a narrative of "this is what I deserve" on top of your desire, and then expect the universe to cooperate with your narrative. Truly powerful vows in Buddhism all share a common characteristic—they transcend "self." The first of the Four Great Vows is: "I vow to liberate all sentient beings."

411
00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,340
This vow doesn't ask "what I want to gain," but

412
00:14:28,340 --> 00:14:29,370
only "whom I want to help."

413
00:14:29,799 --> 00:14:31,818
You might think this is too idealistic,

414
00:14:31,820 --> 00:14:33,259
but from a neuroscience perspective,

415
00:14:33,259 --> 00:14:36,679
altruistic goals do indeed mobilize more neural resources than selfish goals. This is

416
00:14:36,679 --> 00:14:37,500
 

417
00:14:38,139 --> 00:14:41,019
because altruistic goals activate not only reward circuits

418
00:14:41,019 --> 00:14:44,471
but also empathy networks, social cognitive networks, and executive control networks.

419
00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:46,000
In other words,

420
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,299
when your vow is large enough to include the well-being of others,

421
00:14:49,299 --> 00:14:51,721
your brain will mobilize more systems to support it.

422
00:14:52,279 --> 00:14:53,679
This isn't moralizing;

423
00:14:53,679 --> 00:14:55,260
it's a matter of efficiency in neuroscience.

424
00:14:55,820 --> 00:14:56,240
Of course,

425
00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:57,941
I'm not saying you can't have personal desires.

426
00:14:58,320 --> 00:14:58,900
You certainly can,

427
00:14:59,379 --> 00:15:02,460
but if you can embed your personal desires into a larger vision—

428
00:15:02,460 --> 00:15:06,240
"I want to create a company that can create 10,000 jobs in the AI ​​era"—your

429
00:15:06,700 --> 00:15:08,500
vow power will be multiplied

430
00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:11,980
because you've provided your brain with richer filtering keywords and more...

431
00:15:11,980 --> 00:15:12,920
Strong emotional motivation.

432
00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:14,059
Third, the

433
00:15:14,059 --> 00:15:15,500
vow needs repeated confirmation

434
00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:16,441
to form neural circuits.

435
00:15:17,039 --> 00:15:18,140
Making a vow once is not enough; the

436
00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:19,180
seed needs watering.

437
00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,940
Amitabha Buddha spent five kalpas contemplating his vow.

438
00:15:22,940 --> 00:15:23,940
How long is five kalpas?

439
00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,620
In modern time units,

440
00:15:25,620 --> 00:15:26,721
that's an astronomical number.

441
00:15:27,259 --> 00:15:28,899
Of course, we don't need five kalpas,

442
00:15:28,899 --> 00:15:33,020
but the core logic is the same: the power of the vow needs to be strengthened through repeated confirmation.

443
00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:35,400
In neuroscience, this is called neuroplasticity.

444
00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:37,820
Every time you repeat your vow, the

445
00:15:37,820 --> 00:15:40,100
related neural pathways are reinforced. With enough

446
00:15:40,259 --> 00:15:41,029
repetition,

447
00:15:41,029 --> 00:15:44,259
it transforms from a muddy path into a highway, where

448
00:15:44,259 --> 00:15:46,000
information travels quickly and smoothly. This is

449
00:15:46,580 --> 00:15:49,840
why Pure Land Buddhism requires you to recite the Buddha's name every day and at all times.

450
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,259
I analyzed this in a previous episode. Every time you recite

451
00:15:51,259 --> 00:15:55,240
"Namo Amitabha Buddha," it's a miniature backpropagation, a

452
00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,000
gradient update in the Alaya consciousness. Making a

453
00:15:57,620 --> 00:16:01,340
vow is the same - every morning you spend thirty seconds silently reciting your vow.

454
00:16:01,340 --> 00:16:04,220
These thirty seconds are a miniature parameter update,

455
00:16:04,220 --> 00:16:07,030
continuously calibrating your consciousness system to the direction you want. In the

456
00:16:07,779 --> 00:16:10,320
last episode, we said that enlightenment is not achieved in one go.

457
00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,879
One meditation shifts the parameters by 0.001.

458
00:16:12,879 --> 00:16:14,640
Ten thousand meditations may reach an inflection point.

459
00:16:15,139 --> 00:16:16,679
Making a vow follows the same logic.

460
00:16:17,179 --> 00:16:20,039
Each confirmation is a tiny weight adjustment,

461
00:16:20,039 --> 00:16:21,420
but the cumulative effect is astonishing.

462
00:16:21,940 --> 00:16:22,580
Fourth, the vow

463
00:16:22,580 --> 00:16:23,900
must be combined with "cessation" training.

464
00:16:24,299 --> 00:16:25,660
This is something many people overlook.

465
00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:28,000
Making a vow in a scattered state of mind is very

466
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:28,581
weak.

467
00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:29,700
Why?

468
00:16:29,740 --> 00:16:31,480
Because your consciousness is filled with noise.

469
00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,919
Your salience network is overwhelmed by countless competing signals:

470
00:16:35,399 --> 00:16:36,779
work pressure, social anxiety,

471
00:16:37,279 --> 00:16:38,419
dopamine pulses from short videos.

472
00:16:38,860 --> 00:16:41,399
Your vow is just a weak signal in the noise,

473
00:16:41,399 --> 00:16:42,461
quickly overwhelmed. But

474
00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,240
if you first practice "cessation" training—quieting your mind,

475
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,210
even just a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation—

476
00:16:48,620 --> 00:16:50,559
and then make the vow in this quiet state, the

477
00:16:50,580 --> 00:16:51,581
effect is completely different.

478
00:16:52,159 --> 00:16:54,659
Because at this time, your consciousness has a very high signal-to-noise ratio.

479
00:16:54,659 --> 00:16:57,539
Your vow is a clear, high-power signal

480
00:16:57,539 --> 00:16:59,680
that can be deeply written into your deep consciousness structure.

481
00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:04,220
This is why in Buddhism, making vows is usually done after meditation,

482
00:17:04,220 --> 00:17:06,421
not just moving your mouth at any time.

483
00:17:07,019 --> 00:17:08,460
I talked about this in the meditation episode. The

484
00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:11,980
essence of cessation is to reduce the precision weight of higher-level a priori beliefs,

485
00:17:11,980 --> 00:17:14,201
quieting the automatically running narrative machine.

486
00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,180
When those old weights of "I'm not good enough" and "I can't do it" are

487
00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:18,598
temporarily reduced, the

488
00:17:18,598 --> 00:17:20,098
new instructions you write—your vow—

489
00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,279
can truly penetrate the defenses and

490
00:17:22,279 --> 00:17:23,961
reach the parameter level of the Alaya consciousness.

491
00:17:24,559 --> 00:17:25,019
Otherwise, before

492
00:17:25,019 --> 00:17:26,720
your vow is even written in, it will be

493
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,201
bounced back by the high-precision weight of old beliefs.

494
00:17:29,859 --> 00:17:30,559
Fifth,

495
00:17:30,559 --> 00:17:31,299
 

496
00:17:31,299 --> 00:17:31,941
act immediately after making your vow.

497
00:17:32,420 --> 00:17:33,921
This is the anchor point of the entire system. Quantum

498
00:17:34,700 --> 00:17:36,140
mechanics tells us that a

499
00:17:36,140 --> 00:17:38,040
wave function needs to be observed to collapse.

500
00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,398
Your vow is an uncollapsed wave function,

501
00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,221
containing countless possibilities.

502
00:17:43,339 --> 00:17:44,440
Action is observation.

503
00:17:45,059 --> 00:17:48,279
Every specific action causes the wave function to collapse a little,

504
00:17:48,279 --> 00:17:49,800
turning possibilities into reality.

505
00:17:50,759 --> 00:17:53,480
What did Bhikshu Dharmakara do after making his forty-eight vows?

506
00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:54,661
He practiced for countless eons. He did

507
00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:56,920
n't just sit and wait after making his vows; he

508
00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,420
immediately began to act,

509
00:17:58,420 --> 00:18:01,000
and it was an extremely long and extremely diligent act.

510
00:18:01,420 --> 00:18:03,319
Action is not an appendage of vow power; action

511
00:18:03,319 --> 00:18:04,881
is a component of vow power. A

512
00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:06,539
vow without action is like a circuit

513
00:18:06,539 --> 00:18:07,829
without a ground wire. No matter how

514
00:18:08,319 --> 00:18:10,319
strong the current is, it won't reach the device; it

515
00:18:10,319 --> 00:18:11,641
will only dissipate in the air.

516
00:18:12,460 --> 00:18:16,540
In the last episode, we said that enlightenment requires three things: awareness, persistence, and direction.

517
00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:19,901
Vow power is the system that provides direction for enlightenment,

518
00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:20,740
and action

519
00:18:20,740 --> 00:18:24,080
is the only channel for enlightenment to transform from internal experience into external reality.

520
00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:24,900
Finally,

521
00:18:24,900 --> 00:18:28,440
let me return to the question at the beginning: Does the Law of Attraction and manifestation have

522
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:29,640
any merit? Yes,

523
00:18:29,799 --> 00:18:30,279
 

524
00:18:30,279 --> 00:18:31,961
but they are only partially correct. The

525
00:18:32,519 --> 00:18:34,319
part that the Law of Attraction is correct about is...  It's true that

526
00:18:34,319 --> 00:18:37,360
your state of consciousness affects your perceived reality;

527
00:18:37,839 --> 00:18:38,779
this is

528
00:18:38,779 --> 00:18:39,641
supported by neuroscience. The

529
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,720
part it gets wrong is that it packages this mechanism as a passive,

530
00:18:43,799 --> 00:18:46,099
magical process—you just "think," and the

531
00:18:46,099 --> 00:18:46,891
universe "gives" to you.

532
00:18:47,460 --> 00:18:50,701
This simplifies a complex engineering of consciousness into a marketing slogan.

533
00:18:51,319 --> 00:18:53,180
Manifestation is a step further than the Law of Attraction;

534
00:18:53,619 --> 00:18:56,579
it upgrades from "wanting to get" to "becoming the person who possesses that

535
00:18:56,579 --> 00:18:57,700
thing,"

536
00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:00,100
shifting from external goals to an internal identity shift.

537
00:19:00,599 --> 00:19:01,881
This is a meaningful upgrade,

538
00:19:02,579 --> 00:19:05,099
but it has a fatal structural paradox.

539
00:19:05,099 --> 00:19:07,160
This paradox isn't methodological;

540
00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,270
it's a problem with the underlying logic of the entire framework.

541
00:19:10,039 --> 00:19:13,019
Buddhism not only discovered this paradox 2,500 years ago but

542
00:19:13,019 --> 00:19:14,280
also provided a solution.

543
00:19:14,380 --> 00:19:16,039
What exactly is this paradox?

544
00:19:16,099 --> 00:19:17,320
I'll dissect it in detail next time. What the

545
00:19:17,500 --> 00:19:20,140
Law of Attraction and Manifestation completely overlook is that the

546
00:19:20,140 --> 00:19:23,180
influence of consciousness on reality is not a one-way attraction

547
00:19:23,180 --> 00:19:25,039
or a one-way projection of state,

548
00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:26,120
but a two-way participation.

549
00:19:26,839 --> 00:19:28,519
You change your filtering system;

550
00:19:28,519 --> 00:19:30,759
your filtering system changes your behavior;

551
00:19:30,759 --> 00:19:32,619
your behavior changes your environment; and

552
00:19:32,619 --> 00:19:34,860
your environment, in turn, changes your consciousness.

553
00:19:35,319 --> 00:19:36,299
This is a closed loop,

554
00:19:36,299 --> 00:19:37,221
not a one-way street. The

555
00:19:37,980 --> 00:19:42,019
Buddhist system of aspiration is far more sophisticated than the Law of Attraction and Manifestation

556
00:19:42,019 --> 00:19:44,320
because it never omits that crucial closed loop:

557
00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:45,901
faith, aspiration, and practice.

558
00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:50,319
Faith is believing that change is possible – as we discussed last time,

559
00:19:50,319 --> 00:19:53,820
enlightenment requires believing that parameters can be rewritten.

560
00:19:53,900 --> 00:19:55,690
Will is choosing a clear direction.

561
00:19:56,180 --> 00:19:57,580
Today, we'll cover everything.

562
00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,280
Action is using concrete actions each day to calibrate that direction.

563
00:20:01,460 --> 00:20:04,378
These three elements form a positive feedback loop: the more you act, the

564
00:20:04,380 --> 00:20:05,619
clearer your will becomes; the

565
00:20:05,619 --> 00:20:06,539
clearer your will, the

566
00:20:06,539 --> 00:20:07,839
stronger your faith; the stronger your

567
00:20:07,839 --> 00:20:08,740
faith, the more

568
00:20:08,740 --> 00:20:09,490
powerful your action.

569
00:20:10,420 --> 00:20:12,000
Once this flywheel starts spinning, the

570
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:13,140
outward manifestation

571
00:20:13,140 --> 00:20:15,760
is what others see as "good luck" or "wish fulfillment."

572
00:20:16,599 --> 00:20:18,400
But there's no such thing as wish fulfillment; it's about aligning your

573
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,019
thoughts, words, and actions.

574
00:20:21,019 --> 00:20:21,880
 

575
00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:23,240
Persisting long enough allows the

576
00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:24,431
seed to mature.

577
00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,119
So, if you could only take one thing away today,

578
00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,359
I hope it's this: stop wishing, make a vow. Stop

579
00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:29,701
 

580
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:31,559
negotiating with the universe,

581
00:20:31,559 --> 00:20:33,480
reprogram your own consciousness system.

582
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,760
You don't need any external permission.

583
00:20:36,339 --> 00:20:39,039
Your brain already has a wish fulfillment system;

584
00:20:39,039 --> 00:20:41,161
it's operating in your brain right now. The

585
00:20:41,299 --> 00:20:42,740
 

586
00:20:42,740 --> 00:20:45,599
problem isn't whether it works, but whether you've written a clear,

587
00:20:45,700 --> 00:20:47,300
firm, and powerful enough instruction into it.

588
00:20:47,940 --> 00:20:48,520
Try it tonight.

589
00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:49,819
Turn off your phone,

590
00:20:49,819 --> 00:20:50,660
close your eyes, and

591
00:20:50,660 --> 00:20:52,119
spend thirty seconds thinking clearly about one thing.

592
00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,740
If you could only accomplish one thing in your life,

593
00:20:54,740 --> 00:20:56,240
what would you hope it would be?  Once you've

594
00:20:56,420 --> 00:20:57,039
thought it through,

595
00:20:57,039 --> 00:20:59,221
silently tell yourself: This is my wish.

596
00:20:59,759 --> 00:21:00,619
Then open your eyes and take the

597
00:21:00,619 --> 00:21:01,360
first step,

598
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,819
even if it's just a tiny action—checking a message,

599
00:21:04,819 --> 00:21:05,799
sending a message,

600
00:21:05,799 --> 00:21:07,000
writing a plan—it'll do.

601
00:21:07,579 --> 00:21:09,180
Because that action is observation, the

602
00:21:09,180 --> 00:21:11,840
first touch that causes the wave function to begin collapsing.

603
00:21:12,500 --> 00:21:13,859
Willpower isn't mysticism;

604
00:21:13,859 --> 00:21:16,201
it's the most powerful function in your consciousness system,

605
00:21:16,579 --> 00:21:18,320
though many people never use it in their lives.

606
00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,740
And if after listening today you're already wondering, what

607
00:21:20,839 --> 00:21:22,720
exactly is wrong with manifesting things?

608
00:21:22,859 --> 00:21:24,599
What is its fatal paradox?

609
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,960
Why do some people become more anxious the more they manifest?

610
00:21:27,059 --> 00:21:28,960
What is the Buddhist solution? In the

611
00:21:29,079 --> 00:21:29,599
next episode,

612
00:21:29,599 --> 00:21:30,580
we'll analyze this head-on. I

613
00:21:31,019 --> 00:21:31,519
'm Wang Lijie.

614
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:32,559
See you next time.