Cultivation of the Innate Nature (1)

1 Managing to improve self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement, a man, in the way of practice expect to reach the goal of practice, need at first to practice “Steadiness” to obtain a mood of soundness, tranquilness and peace, after which self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement emerge and he lets them to arrange and guide ourselves. Thus, it is possible for him to succeed.

2 Worldly learning, moral rules and various efforts controlled by consciousness are vain to make a man goes on the right way of practice.

3 The simple and easy life indifferent to fame and wealth makes self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement extend thoroughly, and then a great wisdom comes out from his body. After possession of this wisdom, he should be imprudent in using it. He should not use it to make fortune and fame.

4 If he follows the right rule, the sound, tranquil and peaceful heart is maintained. Otherwise, he will receive a lot of visitors who will ask him to tell future, or start Qi, or cure disease, or pray for them. He will become rich, but he can’t calm down to practice.

5 The wisdom of man of practice comes into being in simple and plain life.

6 This great wisdom is obtained from indifference, loneness, vacancy and non-action; however, no matter how simple and plain a life he his, the bottom line is that he has to keep alive. Nevertheless, keeping alive should not aim at seeking fortune by tricks, slyness and tactics.

7 With a simple and plain life and a fewer desires, he can gain a sound, tranquil and peaceful mood. When great wisdom arising, it interacts with the mood. As a result, the man of practice shows the feature of indifference, loneness, vacancy and non-action.

8 The feature is an important goal sought by the man of practice.

9 To a man of practice, the definition of order, benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, music and courtesy are different from those of common people.

10 If a man holds Tao, his deeds shows virtue – his look is sound, tranquil and peaceful. The Tao in heart is what he believed. To common people, it is order.

11 A man of perfect practice looks on all things as a whole. He holds that everything has the same Buddha nature and is a very precious individual. To common people, it is benevolence.

12 Tao is the essence of the operation of Nature. There is no change and procedure that operates without it. All of them come into being, develop and live by its balance. Tao exclude nothing, and nobody. Despite the rank of people and the size of thing, it takes care of them all out. To common people, it is righteousness.

13 Owing to the thorough care, all things would like to approach him and stay with him amiably. To common people, it is loyalty.

14 The sound, tranquil and peaceful heart protects a man of practice from invasion of evil influence, misery and trouble. In the peaceful environment, he shows content naturally. To common people, it is joy.

15 Owing to the simple and easy life indifferent to fame and wealth, his deeds is expectable, reliable and friendly to the objective environment. His face always wears peace, kind and love, with white hair, rosy cheek, gentleness and elegance. To common people, it is courtesy.

16 If the requirement of courtesy is forced or constituted too far, then courtesy will become trick of hypocrisy and motive.

17 If the direction to seek joy is wrong, then the man is guided by desires, indulging himself in sex, bibulosity and gamble. Falling in endless abyss of desire, he can’t correct himselves. The society, therefore, goes into great disorder.

18 If a man does things according to the worldly standards of order, benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, music and courtesy, Tao in his heart will be beclouded. The sound, tranquil and peaceful virtue will be lost. Finally, he will lose the inherent self-nature, stranded in trap of temptation, and paining in his whole life.