Life is a process of awakening. In life, we are often confused by external appearances, trapped in success or failure, obsessed with fame and fortune, and trapped in gains and losses.
The so-called awakening is to break the external illusion and improve the inner realm. So as to return to the true nature and understand the natural way.
Depending on the degree of awakening, the realm reached will be different, and the destiny of life will also be different.
There are three awakenings in life, namely: seeing oneself, seeing heaven and earth, and seeing all living beings.
01
See yourself: recognize your limitations and start to reflect.
"Tao Te Ching·Chapter 71" says: "Knowing but not knowing is still a problem; not knowing is a disease."
A person who knows his ignorance is Wise; ignorant of one's own ignorance.
Really powerful people discover their own limitations and constantly reflect on themselves, thereby breaking through the ego and moving towards awakening.
Wang Xizhi had such an experience when he was young.
He is very talented in calligraphy, but he has not improved for a long time.
One day, he accidentally saw the works of Zhang Zhi, a calligrapher of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
I found that Zhang Zhi’s writing exuded a calm and calm atmosphere, and then I realized that when I was practicing, I was always impetuous and eager for success.
As a result, I changed my past, my spiritual level improved, and my calligraphy began to improve day by day.
In the end, we finally became a generation.
Mr. Yang Jiang once wrote in a book: "In life, you need to have three self-consciousnesses, which are nothing more than to know yourself, refine yourself, and voluntarily transform yourself, unless you are willing to be no different from an animal."
I deeply believe that people who can consciously reflect on themselves and change themselves are strong people in life.
When I reach middle age, I find that everyone actually lives in his own situation, and life is the practice of constantly breaking out of situations.
By breaking through the original cognition, breaking the inherent thinking, and changing the habitual habits, the soul can be sublimated and the realm can be improved.
02
See the world: Understand the road and follow nature.
"Tao Te Ching·Chapter 21" says: "The appearance of Confucius can only follow the Tao."
It means: a person with great wisdom and insight into the Tao. , they all act in accordance with nature and follow human nature.
If a person does not know the vastness of the world and the mystery of nature, he will insist on going his own way, do things that go against common sense and deviate from the Tao, and eventually get himself into trouble.
When Zeng Guofan first entered the court as an official, he was somewhat self-righteous, spoke straightforwardly, acted recklessly, and offended many people.
As a result, when he led troops to fight, all his subordinates defected elsewhere. After several defeats, no one was willing to support him, and the emperor sent him back to his hometown in the name of mourning.
Later, he read "I don't know what's normal and do evil indiscriminately". Only then can we truly understand our own insignificance and suddenly realize the existence of the great road.
When he became an official again, he became humble and low-key, behaved in a round and round way on the outside and made great achievements in his career.
Zeng Guofan said: "Accommodate things as they come, don't welcome the future, don't mess with the present, and don't miss the past."
Focus on the present, follow nature, don't be distracted by distracting thoughts, and don't worry about the future. Worrying and not regretting the past is the best way to live.
Things in life are always unpredictable. Rather than insisting on change, it is better to let nature take its course. Only in this way can we gain inner peace and develop wisdom.
03
See all sentient beings: Understand others and have kind thoughts.
"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 27" says: "The sage is always good at saving people and never abandons them."
Sages are good at discovering the advantages of everyone. Will not give up on anyone. Treat others without distinction and always treat them equally.
The highest state of spiritual practice is to reach the state of selflessness, where oneself and all things return to one body.
A true master understands that there is no good or bad in the world. Everything on the outside is a projection of the heart, and he is the source of everything.
There was a practitioner who felt a spider crawling in front of him every time he meditated, which made him very distressed.
So, he went to ask the Taoist priest, and the Taoist priest said: "When it appears again next time, you can circle it with a pen."
Sure enough, he meditated again At that moment, the spider appeared again. He drew the spider's position as the Taoist priest said.
When I woke up, I found that there were many circles on my chest. It turned out that the spider was in my heart.
People who are truly enlightened and awakened understand that the outside world is all illusion, and life is just an experience of cultivating the truth through falsehood and cultivating people through things.
Life is like a mirror. To understand others is to forgive yourself, to be kind to others is to enlighten yourself.
As the writer Leng Ying said: "Your kindness and kindness to others will eventually be fulfilled by yourself."
Everyone's awakening, in essence, will experience this. three periods.
First, see yourself and learn to reflect; then, see the heaven and earth and learn to be in awe; finally, see all living beings and understand the truth.
Psychologist Carl Jung said: People who look outside are sleepwalking; people who look inward are awakening.
The outside world is all fantasy. If you pursue it externally, you will be dominated by desire and confused.
The essence of awakening is to seek within. Everyone is self-sufficient. Only by believing in oneself can one be truly awakened.
Only through continuous breakthroughs and awakening can we gain true freedom, enjoy life and control our destiny.
May we not be attached to the outside world, follow our true heart, and always be peaceful and joyful, with inner abundance.
Why do friendly people walk wider and wider?
Because, people are mutual.
To be considerate of others is to be kind to yourself.
To help others build bridges is to pave the way for yourself.