Thorough Comprehension of Life (2)

1 Ziliezi was curious to the man of practice. Someday he asked Guang Yin, “Why can a man of practice breathe in water? Why he is not burned when walking on fire? Why he is free from acrophobia when standing on a high place? How can he do it?”

2 Guan Yin answered, “It is because he totally devotes to the Qi, self-nature, Buddha-nature, calmness and refinement. We should not explain these phenomena for he has magic trick, courage or boldness.

3 Come. Let me give you a detailed explanation. All things that directly connected with form, sound, smell, taste, touch and habit belong to the world of material. The things in the world of material are different to each others; based on their form and color etc, some of them we deem are more valuable than others.

4 Things belonging to the world of material can not go to the world without consciousness and form. However, all things come from the world without consciousness and form. At last, they will return to the eternal world after death.

5 A man of perfect practice he is free from the shackles of the world of material, such as avarice, wrath, obsession and persistiveness. He has shaken off the binding of the world of material, being a free man who roams across the universe freely.

6 A drunkard is as drunk as a lord, without any personal consciousness. Then his vitality is maintained by the self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement. If the careless drunkard falls down from a carriage, he will hurt somewhat but it is not fatal in most cases. Though his bones are the same as others’, the condition of his injury is very different from others.

7 Why? I think that it is because his consciousness leaves his body completely and then his body is commanded by the self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, calmness and refinement.

8 In his consciousness, he doesn’t know that he is sitting on a carriage and even falls down from the carriage. Death, worry and fear can’t affect his mood, so he is fearless in trouble.

9 A drunkard can show the miracle. If a man of perfect practice obtain the spiritual completion, his ability to handle various environments will improve for sure.

Su Dongpo’s poem goes as follows:

In dream I return to childhood, study in the elementary school.

Forget my hair has been white, Confucius’ Analects still recited.

This world originally is a game; reversal of it seems a similar play.

Only when drunk it is real, it is vacant surly and clearly.

Fine after falling down from carriage, Chuang Tzu cheated not me.

Ask my kid to take paper and brush, write down my speaking when drunk.

10 The man of perfect practice is protected by the full and active self-nature, Buddha-nature, breath, calmness and refinement, so he may be thought of being protected from all damages.

11 An avenger with hatred doesn’t avenge his family member on the knife and sword which killed his relative. A man who is dazed by hit of a flying tile doesn’t revenge the tile. Once the dissension and revenge has reduced, the world becomes peaceful.

12 When people’s heart is full of Tao, people are of no-self and being flexibility; at that time no revenge happens in the world and eventually, the death penalty is unnecessary.

13 Let we don’t develop avarice, wrath, obsession, persistiveness that belong to the wisdom of man. Let’s develop the no-self and being flexibility that belong to the gifts from nature.

14 The development of the gifts from nature is virtue. The development of wisdom of man is something such as avarice, wrath, obsession and persistiveness, which cause pain and hurt. You need make it clear and then develop the gifts from nature and restrain the wisdom of man as you could as possible. Thus you come to be a man of perfect practice.”