| Life is full of ups and downs. This can be classified as | | | | gain, then we have to think many times. The damage |
| 'yang' and 'yin' where 'yang' is up or optimistic and 'yin' | | | | done can have a very serious consequence and |
| is down or pessimistic. Here is a story: | | | | compensation can never be adequate to repair or |
| Two businessmen were told that people in Africa did | | | | repay. Good times can become bad times when |
| not wear shoes. The optimistic one immediately said | | | | repayment is due. |
| that, "This is wonderful! I can sell shoes to everyone | | | | The gain in material things can never balance the loss |
| there. It would be a good opportunity and I should | | | | in our conscience and damage to conscience is very |
| go there to start selling shoes." On the other hand, | | | | hard to compensate. When we feel very difficult to |
| the pessimistic one said, "How can you sell shoes | | | | come to a decision in any situations, using the |
| there? If people do not wear shoes at all, how am I | | | | conscience to decide is the best. Our conscience will |
| to sell shoes?" | | | | tell us whether it is right or wrong. They are our |
| Who is right and who is wrong? In this situation, each | | | | teacher and the instinct or conscience is very pure |
| of them could be either right or wrong. Being too | | | | and divine. The disciple is the human mind which must |
| optimistic can land ourselves with dangers and lose | | | | listen to the master, the conscience. In the practice |
| rationality. The pessimistic might miss some good | | | | of Tao of Heaven, we use our First Heavenly |
| opportunities. Being careful and prudent is good but | | | | Treasure to help us to decide in a very difficult |
| do not be too conservative otherwise we will not be | | | | situation by focusing on our true self. By using it, |
| able to see potential opportunities. All these play a | | | | that's the moment where we communicate with God |
| very important part in either giving us good times or | | | | (Lao Mu) to advise us. We can calm down our inner |
| bad times. We never know when we can strike gold. | | | | desires and let our true self be the one to make |
| People spend millions in Research and Development | | | | decisions. |
| to improve so as to compete in the survival of the | | | | When we desire for some gains or profits, it is |
| fittest or drilling the ocean to find black gold. | | | | always good to be aware and ask who will benefit |
| Optimistic people see everything as beautiful and | | | | from them. Is it the flesh, the body, the conscious |
| when we are happy the world is beautiful. Pessimistic | | | | self, the feelings or the true self! How long can this |
| people always see things as being difficult and they | | | | benefit last and if we want to avoid a loss, we |
| give up hopes and neglect opportunities easily. We | | | | should also ask who will then suffer from this loss? Is |
| can be determined but we should not be stubborn. | | | | it my money or other people's money? Will I be |
| We need to persist with what we should persist | | | | careless in doing so? This mental consideration before |
| with. Be cool, calm and collected and use your | | | | doing any actions is very important to give us either |
| wisdom to find the balance. Keep the balance of 'yin' | | | | good times or bad times, in the short run or long run. |
| and 'yang' and make a correct choice according to | | | | Practising Tao will help us to avoid making wrong |
| the time and the development of the situation. Good | | | | decision because we are most likely not to do things |
| times and bad times always alternate. There are | | | | to hurt our conscience. |
| valuable lessons for us to learn in both situations. | | | | As we continue to improve our spiritual cultivation, |
| We have the original mind which is different from the | | | | our spirit will be more willing and stronger, and |
| normal human mind. Our original mind is pure while the | | | | external difficulties can no longer obstruct us in many |
| human mind can be contaminated. We lead a life | | | | ways. Anytime is a good time. We can even comfort |
| according to our attitudes, perspectives and own | | | | other people facing hard times because we can |
| value which lead to a series of actions, habits, and | | | | elevate our mind and make ourselves happy even if |
| mould our personalities. There is this inner desire to | | | | we are facing hard times. Our adversities may be |
| succeed and achieve our dreams to have good times | | | | more than them, but through realization of life, we |
| and better life. We have inner desires to pursue | | | | still have the ability to comfort ourselves and them. |
| worldly enjoyments but actually these worldly | | | | This is the advice from my Heavenly Teacher JiGong: |
| enjoyments are changing and will soon disappear. For | | | | "And a life of the True, the Good and the Beautiful is |
| example after a few glasses of drinks, it can turn out | | | | one where you must be able to apply your |
| to be suffering by vomiting them out. After a night | | | | marvelous wisdom to explore fully the impermanence |
| of sinful pleasure can turn out be to be infected with | | | | of life; and not only to chase after the beautiful |
| HIV. Worldly pleasure can end one's life, or end up in | | | | scenes before your eyes. All the beautiful scenes will |
| regret. | | | | fade away with the merciless time and tide. Take a |
| There are rules to abide when we decide to do | | | | look at those ancient heroes! How many of them can |
| something. Firstly the values and standards in our | | | | conquer the merciless time and tide; how many of |
| mind must be right. If our decision is based on | | | | them can conquer heaven-and-earth? Therefore, |
| material gain or loss only, we might finally gain | | | | when this short-lived life cannot be 'lingered on' we |
| something. If we gained something but lost our | | | | can only borrow its shortness to create the |
| principle of life, we have not actually gained anything | | | | permanent. Hence, a clever person will definitely |
| because if damage is done, we cannot buy back later | | | | make use of the shortness of time to set up an |
| with money. It is perfectly fine if we can have gain | | | | eternal and divine undertaking." |
| and profit without hurting our conscience. If we have | | | | Author: T. |
| to go against our conscience in order to have this | | | | |