What the world values are wealth, rank, a long life, and goodness. What people enjoy are good health, rich food, fine clothing, beauty, and music. What they hate are poverty, low position, dying young, sickness etc. What people worried about is that their body might not be in good health, not able to taste rich food, put on fine clothing, see beauty, or hear good music. When they cannot obtain these things, they are plunged into deep sorrow and worry.

The rich hustle and bustle and hoard up wealth. They spend their time attending to their wealth and to the externals of life. When a man is born, sorrow comes with it. Life comes from a source and death is a return to it. Thus, beginning follows the end in a continual cycle. The only way to stop this cycle is to know the Truth and practise it. Upon departure, none can take along a single cent with him. We come with nothing and go with nothing. Fortunately there are also a lot of wealthy people giving away millions. The more they give, the more they receive. The hand that gives gathers.

All products of the world are the results of the refined and beautiful material force. Man takes the best of it to nourish his life, but it is all from Heaven. Do not let the artificial cover up the natural. Do not for material purposes destroy your life. Do not sacrifice your character for your fame. Guard carefully your nature and do not let it go astray. This is called returning to one's nature.

One who attains Tao or awakening sees perfect beauty and feels perfect happiness. Happiness and anger, joys and sorrows, should not enter one's heart, for this universe represents the unity of all things. When one perceives this unity and is united with it, he regards his bodily form as dust of the earth, and the cycle of life and death just like day and night. He cannot be disturbed by such accidents, much less by the occurances of fortune and misfortune. He shakes off an official position as he shakes off dirt, knowing that he cannot allow his true self to become lost in external changes.

He who does not deviate from the source of all things is a man of God. He who does not deviate from the essence is a divine person. He who does not deviate from the Truth is a perfect man. He who regards the Heaven as the source, virtue as the foundation, and Tao as the portal, which is evidenced in all changes of life is a sage. He who guides himself by the principle of humanity in performing acts of kindness, follows justice as his principle, observes ceremony for his conduct, expresses the sense of harmony and is compassionate and kind, is a real gentleman.

My Heavenly Master JiGong said, "The most anxious thing for people of the world is hunger and cold. What closely related to life is just food and clothing. If one can already survive with eating simple vegetarian food and living an unremarkable life (not interested in seeking fame and fortune), and as long as the living is tolerable, do take it easy. Don't say that the fence of my house is so 'limited', how can I achieve a good fruition? (be rich). If one is satisfied with life, even bitter gall-bladder can be sweet spring and a thatched cottage can even be an elegant mansion."

Author: T.A Chew