White Sun (Cultivation)

After a superior person received Tao, he would practise it diligently. He knows deep in his heart what is Tao. If we ask him to stay at home and do not practise Tao, he would feel uncomfortable. It is very hard for him to stay idle for he wants to let others know too about Tao and he would not have a good night sleep if he did not do anything to improve himself in his cultivation. He wishes to go to Tao center to practise and learn deeply about Tao and he would immediately contribute his time and efforts by offering himself in performing rites, helping in the Tao center or any contributions within his ability.

Further more, a sincere and superior cultivator of Tao disregards his material enjoyments, he would not demand for good clothes, jewelry, big car or house. He is retreating and withdrawing all his material living. He does not really want any position or fame and he practises Tao firmly where many finally will become enlightening masters or preachers of Tao. Outwardly he may look behind and dull in his living but actually he is advancing in the practice of Tao.

Tao practitioners are similar to common people. Superior cultivators do not dress special clothes; they do not wear special shoes. They also have to earn money for a living and they do not set up something novel and unique with the aim of gaining popularity. They are similar to common people in every way. Their behaviors and talking is the same too as common people and they humble themselves as late-learners in Tao center.

It is described that a person with superior virtues looks like a valley. A valley accepts everything, like water will flow from high place to low place and valley is a low place. Although with vast virtues, he feels inadequate because he wants to learn everything and he wants to help every one and because he cannot help every one, he feels inadequate.

A person who is building virtue hides himself from being known in doing good deeds. He builds unknown virtue which is also called hidden virtue. Quality virtue is like a flood which will affect a lot of people. A virtue without any quality inside will not affect anyone. A wise man said that if we get along with some evil people for some time and still cannot change them to become good, then we are not good persons in many ways because there is no good quality virtue in us to affect them. Our virtues are of poor quality which cannot affect them to change.

When an average person received Tao, he would keep it sometimes and lose it sometimes. When he gets up in the morning and feels good, he would like to practise Tao and say Tao is precious. But when he gets up and feels lousy, he would not like to practise Tao and might say Tao is untrue. He is sometimes aware of Tao and sometimes unaware of Tao. Likewise some people are happy to be vegetarian initially for a few months but then feel uncomfortable to be vegetarian later. Just like people doing important assignments where initially they are very hard working but then slack and have no good ending like the Chinese say, "Have head but no tail."

When an inferior man heard of Tao, he laughs and thinks of it as foolish. Sometimes when we introduce Tao to some ones, after they have received Tao, they laughed loudly and said, you are a fool, do you believe this is called receiving Tao? They don’t believe in Tao, they even laugh at the way they received Tao and by this, we know that they are inferior cultivators or not predestined to participate in the great mission of Tao. Once a very senior cultivator of a certain religion laughed at a Tao cultivator and told him not to be foolish to believe in such nonsense. There are also people who had openly slandered Tao in words and writing. Hence if Tao is not being laughed at, it is not the Great Tao.

Cultivation of Tao nowadays is different from the past. We need not have to renounce and forget about the world and this is the advice from my Heavenly Teacher JiGong:

"Cultivating Truth does not expect you to throw away the UNREAL completely. You say the parents are unreal and hence you are unfilial to them. Is that correct? You say money is unreal and hence you do not go to work. Is this correct? It is only when your basic duty is completed that you can achieve the REAL. It is only when Man’s basic duty is completed can one accomplish the rank of being 'god'. It is only in having the REAL that one can see the UNREAL. However, when you have fully realized the Truth of Life and the Universe, there won’t be any more REALS or UNREALS in your heart."

Whether we are superior or inferior cultivators, out of a hundred charitable actions, filiality comes first according to Tao of Heaven. It is wrong that we are spiritual and cultivating and we do not take care of our aged parents and families. It is said, "When a son obtains and attains Tao, seven generations of his ancestors will ascend to Heaven."

Author: T.A Chew

T.A Chew, an accountant by profession wishes that people of the world can respect each other and live in peace by not belittling others. First be good to our own parents, treat them well with love and care and then extend it to others. Cultivation is to change for the better and if we are inferior cultivators, one day we can be superior cultivators. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

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