Chapter 272: When Spring Flowers Bloom
The two of us chatted about everything under the sun, speaking our minds freely. Unaware of the passage of time, it was only when we snapped back to reality that we found the night had deepened. The surroundings were peaceful and tranquil; only the bright moonlight, streaming through the window, cast a silver sheen over the entire room.
After this exchange of drunken bragging,
I learned that Ximen Chuimaopi’s family business had been passed down through generations. After several generations of diligent effort and meticulous management, they had accumulated a considerable fortune. The interest generated from this accumulated wealth alone was enough to support their family’s affluence for a long time, freeing them from the struggle for sustenance and allowing them to enjoy all the pleasures and beauty of life.
And now, he has squandered his external wealth, which, while not enough to cause his family to disintegrate, is sufficient to maintain their livelihood.
However, he doesn’t know how to accumulate positive wealth in the future.
So I told him a theory about planting a seed in spring;
“The old saying is good, ‘Plant a seed in spring, harvest ten thousand grains in autumn.’ This means that if you plant just one seed in spring, you can harvest a lot of grain in autumn.
Being a person and doing business are the same principle.
Ordinary people are eager for quick success and immediate results; they do something today and are anxious to get the results.
For example, today I studied the I Ching, or learned some cultivation technique, and I want to use these things as quickly as possible to make myself become something.
But truly remarkable people are the opposite of these individuals.
They are not in a hurry to get results, but focus on the trend. That is to say, how can I nurture what I plant today with the existing conditions so that it can grow slowly? When it matures, I will naturally reap the harvest.
For example, if you want to be in a certain industry, then first cultivate this desire, and then delve deeply into the knowledge of that industry. Absorb a little experience every day. After a year, while continuously absorbing nutrition, you will also meet many like-minded people.
Exchange experiences and progress together. Continue to persevere, and after a few years, when you look back, you will have far surpassed your past self.
Everything follows this one pattern: moving forward slowly. When the flowers bloom, it will be the time of achievement.”
Ximen Chuimaopi is a very intelligent fellow. Although much older than me, he still shows me great respect. He listened attentively when I spoke and even asked probing questions;
“Teacher, is cultivation the same principle? That is, if I obtain a cultivation technique today that I believe is very useful to me, and then I persevere in practicing it, will I eventually achieve great accomplishment and transform this ability into a part of myself, or even an instinct?”
“Yes, cultivators always talk about Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment. Qi Cultivation means cultivating the ability to remain calm, and Foundation Establishment means building a solid foundation. To cultivate what you have learned to the utmost, so that it becomes instinct without needing to think, is great accomplishment. After maintaining this at this level for a period of time and stabilizing it, it will be difficult to fall back. Even if you accidentally fall, you will instantly recover when you react. This is the key to Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Establishment is not about how you are at the very beginning of cultivation. Cultivation is like building a house. After each floor is built, you must grasp it firmly and make it solid, and then build upwards. Build one floor, nourish one floor, and after nourishing it, build the next floor. If you don’t do this, you won’t be able to resist natural disasters and man-made calamities.
But if the building is forged like profound iron, a body that is indestructible, then there will be no worries. You can also walk up and down the stairs freely, unafraid of any storm, because it is peaceful inside.”
After hearing this, Ximen Chuimaopi fell into contemplation.
After a long while, he said again, “Teacher, if everything is like the theory of building a house that you described, I would feel that everything is achievable. I wonder if this thought of mine is correct?”
I shook my head and smiled, saying, “There are no absolutes in anything, only those with intention. The success or failure of things depends half on heaven and half on man. We cannot control the heaven part, but we can control the man part. First, do what needs to be done, and don’t dwell on the rest.
Because doing things is different from cultivating immortality. Cultivating immortality requires going against human nature to cultivate oneself, while doing things requires following human nature, or acting according to heaven’s will.
In the world, there is no inherent right or wrong, win or lose. The moment you think you have won, you have actually lost, because your upward spirit has been extinguished. And when you think you have lost, it is precisely the best time for you to sprout and climb upwards.
In life, one cannot say they will absolutely experience three rises and three falls, nor are there absolute low points and career peaks.
Just like cultivating immortality, once you step onto this path, you cannot stop, lest you lose your Bodhi.
Even in my current state, I still cultivate my state of mind every day, and I deliberately relax my body.
Everything is difficult at the beginning, and the difficulty lies in deliberately persevering. Most ordinary people have a three-day enthusiasm; once that time passes, they cool down.
The path to success lies not in the final outcome, but in the continuous perseverance day after day, year after year.
As the saying goes, ‘If hell is not empty, I will not become a Buddha.’ If you have made up your mind, then persevere. When the spring flowers are in full bloom, you will surely see your glorious tales and your mighty army.”
Hearing this, Ximen Chuimaopi trembled all over. Hot blood surged within him, and he said excitedly, “Teacher, if this is truly the case, then I must be grateful for your kindness in imparting this path to me. I will absolutely not let down your guidance.”
Seeing this, I smiled helplessly. “Before we even start, you’re already drawing a large flatbread for me? I’m saying you need to apply it according to your own actual situation. If you can still remember my kindness after you achieve results, I will gladly accept anything, without any refusal.
But this, we haven’t even started yet! Did drinking some damn alcohol get to your head? How did you start fantasizing and become so lost in it?”
I picked up my chopsticks and directly tapped him on the head, “Stop floating around! What’s with all the floating? I’ve given you the method, you need to know how to use it, and only when you get results is it real. Otherwise, you listen, you think, and you’ll float straight to outer space!
Calm your temperament. Are you even acting like a cultivator anymore?”
Being reprimanded like this, Ximen Chuimaopi instantly sobered up and then started to sweat again. This was because he had almost gotten lost in the illusionary realm of his own thoughts and couldn’t come out.
It’s not scary to go in; what’s important is to come out again, and to be down-to-earth and do what’s in front of you is real.
Merely thinking about the good or merely thinking about the bad will cause you to fall into the realm.
Eliminate the thought of good and bad, and proceed according to this pattern with a down-to-earth attitude. This is the confidence needed when facing an unknown future.
Not fearing good or bad, just work hard. I will accept the outcome gladly. What I want is not the result, but the most precious experience along the way. Because after gaining this experience, I will definitely transform this experience to my own use!
