Chapter 36: Deceiving Oneself
Buddha said; “Buddha has no form, no human form, no self-form, no sentient being form; Buddha has no discernment.”
That is to say, in reality, there is no inherent distinction between good and bad, right and wrong in this world; good and bad, right and wrong are all differentiated by the human heart.
Then there is no such thing as good, and no such thing as evil.
Look at the character Lu Zhishen in Water Margin. Before he left, he wrote a poem,
“Throughout my life, I cultivated no good karma, only enjoyed killing and arson. Suddenly, I broke the golden rope, and here I snapped the jade chain. The tide on the Qiantang River is coming, today I finally know myself.”
This poem refers to Lu Zhishen’s illuminating the mind and seeing one’s true nature. After enlightenment, he saw “himself,” referring to “true nature” and “original face.”
Buddhism believes that the “self” perceived by mortals before enlightenment is actually impermanent and illusory, as the Heart Sutra says, “the five aggregates are empty.”
There are many different opinions about the character Lu Zhishen. Many people do not understand how Lu Zhishen, who drank alcohol, ate meat, killed, and committed arson, could ultimately attain Buddhahood? Didn’t Buddha say one should not kill? Everyone has mixed reviews on the character of Lu Zhishen.
In fact, Buddha never said these things, nor did he say one should not kill. Otherwise, where would the phrase “Buddha’s Wrath Subdues Demons” come from?
Isn’t that demon also a state of being for living beings?
Not killing here refers to not arbitrarily harming sentient beings, but there is a saying: “Exterminating one evil saves a hundred good deeds.”
These are inherently contradictory and discriminatory.
What Lu Zhishen did throughout his life was not for his own benefit. Though seemingly reckless, it contained great righteousness.
You all should comprehend this for yourselves.
Look at a tiger eating a deer, can you say the tiger is evil? This is natural law.
It is the same for humans eating chickens, ducks, geese, or even plants.
There is no inherent good or evil; it is all caused by self-perception, by the thoughts instilled in you by others.
Looking back at our ancestors, which one did not fight on the battlefield for us to establish a peaceful land?
In the end, you see, you might be afraid in a cemetery, but a Martyrs’ Park is full of warmth.
Because not for oneself is Buddhahood, and for oneself is evil.
Not for oneself here means not for oneself with personal emotions or perceptions mixed in, it means not for oneself by removing the perspective of “self.”
But why do cultivators propagate not killing and creating karma? If one is taught to act on behalf of Heaven when facing injustice, won’t the world descend into chaos?
“Heaven is dead, Yellow Heaven shall rise. I, poor Daoist Zhang Jiao, bid the Han to die?”
Is that what you are taught? Wouldn’t you die even faster then!
You haven’t even figured out who you are, how can you act on behalf of Heaven?
Act on behalf of Heaven with your buttocks?
The good and evil you speak of are merely discriminations of your own thoughts, not a fair heart, nor a correct heart.
Due to the impermanent nature of the human heart, if you see someone’s evil at one moment, you may not necessarily see their good at another.
Saying that all people are selfish is also merely caused by discrimination.
Therefore, except for patriotism, which is imprinted in the very bones of Chinese sons and daughters and cannot be changed.
People can act according to their nature as they please.
Look at those on the internet who make mistakes but are still thriving.
As long as you haven’t made a major mistake and are willing to bear responsibility, then the mistakes you make are not mistakes; sometimes they can even help you.
This mortal world is not black and white; it is constantly transforming, just like yin and yang.
Today’s justice does not mean one will not do evil tomorrow, and today’s evil does not mean one cannot reform.
What is the operation of capital? It is that I steal your money today, and then tomorrow I will give back to you. Because I bear responsibility, I did not fall.
Today I harvested the leeks, and tomorrow I want to wash my hands of it and prepare to run, but in the end, I will be apprehended because I am irresponsible and lack virtue.
Therefore, to be human, one must cultivate their virtue.
Do not speak of how difficult it was to eat sweet potatoes in the past; you say nothing about the times you enjoyed blessings.
Nor should you think that you are so glorious today; others have not seen your hardships either.
Bury your head and just do it. Be true to Heaven, be true to the people, be true to your own true heart and true nature, and all things are possible.
Plagiarism can be called imitation and reference, and imitation and reference can also be identified as plagiarism, it just depends on whether you know how to do it.
People want to see the result after you have struggled; they do not care about the process of your growth.
With a beating heart, love can be like a raging fire; I am the one who laughs wildly.
Only those who are shameless can succeed; those who are concerned with face are all working for others.
Those who sell ugliness have gained wealth, while those who follow the rules have become leeks.
As long as people can communicate, it will inevitably involve social graces.
The so-called martial world, the so-called coexistence of immortals and demons, are all paths the heart must travel in this long and short life.
The depletion of spiritual energy in the Dharma-Ending Age is merely a description of the state of the human heart, but at the same time, when it reaches a certain point, it will be reversed.
The descent of all Buddhas means that awakened people begin to help others achieve liberation of the soul, which is also the key to the revival of spiritual energy.
There is no such thing as injustice; injustice is merely one’s own unsettled heart.
If your heart is righteous and peaceful in all matters, then nothing is a problem.
If you haggle over gains and losses in everything, in the end, you will only torment your own heart.
Some people say that exploitation, the essence of human relationships, is mutual exploitation.
Mortals are indeed like this. Even if you are close to someone and gain nothing from it, is your desire to be close to them not a gain?
This is the essence.
Cultivators should have an absolutely correct heart. After seeing this essence clearly, they should not dwell on gains and losses, nor on relationships fading away.
Because you know these are temporary. If someone comes, someone will inevitably leave, and if someone leaves, someone will inevitably come.
People coming and going, flowers blooming and falling, are all natural patterns.
It is just like birth, old age, sickness, and death in humans.
This is a natural pattern, so why are you unbalanced?
In other words, cultivators do not seek happiness through gains and losses but directly obtain it from their hearts.
So, if it is said that human relationships are all about mutual benefit, meaning mutual exploitation, do cultivators also exploit others?
No, what cultivators exploit is the opposite of what mortals exploit.
What cultivators exploit is their own patterns, or rather, they exploit themselves.
Or it can be said that they deceive their own hearts to achieve their goals.
If you can even deceive yourself, then what can you not achieve?
Quitting smoking and drinking: If you can deceive yourself into not smoking or drinking, and believe it with all your heart, then you can quit instantly.
If you cannot deceive yourself, then you should gradually trick yourself. Anytime you want, hint to yourself, “Oh dear, I don’t want to smoke anymore. This cigarette is so bitter, it’s meaningless. My mouth feels so bad, I have a lot of phlegm, and sometimes I feel nauseous.”
“This wine is not good. After drinking it, I’m dazed, and my brain is dull. I can’t be dazed like this for a lifetime, can I? What’s the point of that?”
As long as you have absolute belief in yourself, you can deceive yourself and possess the ability to change everything.
If you cannot deceive yourself, then you need others to deceive you, telling you that smoking and drinking cannot lead to Buddhahood, and that smoking and drinking will lead to hell.
If you are afraid, you will believe it, and then you will naturally change, haha.
