Strained Mind (1)

1 Practice is a simple category. Actually the life of practice could be divided into many categories.

2 Some men of practice show their unique style of life on purpose. They isolate themselves from the mass and live in their small circle. They have much critique on the society and disgust everything. They mean to show their thinking wiser than others through every action. These kinds of men of practice are called village hermits. Those, who complain and blame the society all days and finally, corner themselves to cease their lives by suicide, especially favor village hermits.

3 A kind of men of practice discusses all days about benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, credit, modest, austereness and declination. They are called would-be ruler or teacher. They are favored by wandering scholars and learners.

4 A category of men of practice focuses on studying how to service of country and society, and consequently, build up their sonorous fame. In order to govern a country, they constitute etiquette between the king and minister, order for the elder and the young, duties for government. Hence, they make society in order. They are called courtier or royal warriors. Those, who insist that the state power should be enforced to expand territory by army, favor this category of men.

5 A category of men of practice likes living in a leisure place such as lake. Fishing and rambling all days, they have no ambition, enjoying idleness and irresponsibility. They are called hermits of sea and river, or recluses. Those, who long for early retirement and living idle lives like the cloud and wild crane, favor them and long for such life.

6 A category of men of practice controls the breath by practicing Yoga and sitting in the Zen way. They exhale dirty air inside and inhale fresh one. They stretch their bodies like a bear and shake necks like a white crane. They build up their bodies and prolong lives by this kind of actions of Yoga. They are called guiders or form-cultivators. Peng Zu, who was well known for his age – eight hundreds years, was this kind of man.

7 All the people of practice mentioned above have a common feature: They control their bodies to do something by consciousness, thinking and heart, so as to practice.

8 The real profound life of practice and way of practice worthy of recommending is to act without employing consciousness. The men of practice never do the consciousness controlled Yoga, nor practice Taiji. When sitting in the Zen way, he doesn’t keep a certain pose or action on purpose. He doesn’t control breath, not to mention practicing according to book or anyone’s way.

9 They just calm down periodically, putting aside consciousness. Practice is arranged and led by self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement. They just read silently a pithy formula – “Empty. Don’t have your own actions and take no offence at child’s babble. ” to ask Self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement to dominate all and ignore the consciousness thinking, because they know that consciousness is completely unfamiliar with the way of practice.

10 On the contrary, Self-nature and Buddha-nature know all. In this way of practice, a man of practice appears to be common. They don’t have all hair cut, don’t keep long hair and don’t wear religious robe. They stay out of temple and cave in remote mountains and field. However, they show their intelligence by their talk and thought. Thus, they reach the noble rank in society.

11 They don’t need to canonize any moral rule. They know that benevolence, righteousness, loyalty and credit are tools. They can interact with other people without any tools.

12 If they were invited to be a governor, they would not carry out intensive reform like other new officer. They just silently watch their members’ lives to find what their members need and what their members need to improve and strengthen.

13 They are never active to do anything; they are just passive to pave road and build bridge for their members. Their governance produces peace and smoothness of everything in their group. There seldom have any violent demonstration and parade against the government.

14 They never actively find or produce trouble but if the trouble comes, they will challenge and solve it effectively. This attitude gives them much spare time to prevent them from being busy as bees.

15 Their virtue, form and spirit are complete. Their body certainly is in the best mood, protecting them from misery, trouble and evil influence. Thus, it is normal for them to be strong and keep long life.

16 This category of men of practice often puts aside consciousness. In the realm of consciousness they need and expect nothing. When a little desire of material emits, they hold it back by a pithy formula – “take no offence at child’s babble.” They think that consciousness is ignorant and it doesn’t know what they need and where to go. In the daily life, they expect the self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement to choose freely their fate and way that they should go through.

17 To their surprise, they find that their lives actually become sound, tranquil and comfortable by the arrangement. They find nothing insufficient. The style of life indifferent to fame and wealth causes a happy and sweet life, which common people can’t image.

18 In fact, the men who choose this kind of practice are heading in the right way. Because it is Tao between Heaven and Earth, it is the virtue of sage; it is very precious worthy of everyone to follow.