The root of all human distress, essentially, is when we are not able to do things as we wish to.
All over this world we find people who live in circumstances where they could accomplish anything with ease if only they tried. Yet, out of timidity and cowardice they fail to see a single thing through properly, and as a result exist in misery.
Meanwhile, those who heedlessly barge in on the activities of others while striving at any cost to realize their own ambitions, are still living in a primitive age.
As much as we can, we must allow others to pursue their dreams. With our children, siblings, friends, and students, it is best if we simply let them follow their chosen paths.
We are moved by chance and whimsy. What first occurs to us in a flash of thought is true inspiration from God. To hesitantly ponder with human intellect only serves to obstruct this Divine inflow.
Artlessness is heavenly.
The man of pure spirit, though he be born into this material world, will not taste any great suffering. He will naturally complete his stay on the earth in peace and without mishap, and so ascend to heaven.
Thus, the people who now labor to improve the state of this world, do so because they bear sins themselves. If they were without sin, they would not readily resign themselves to hardship. This is a matter of Divine law, not to be escaped. In today’s world it is truly impossible to try to live without committing the slightest sin. The more one strives to avoid sinning, the less one is able to engage in the activities of the world. To live in the modern world involves a necessary mixture of good and evil. Most people, however, while panting and struggling under a heavy burden of sin, try to avoid this reality. Spending their days in blind confusion of what is good and what is evil, their sins only grow heavier and heavier until leading to their eventual ruin.
In working for a public cause wholly divorced from self-interest, some minor ill-doing is unavoidable. But should a person be temporarily damned for such deeds, God will not abandon him, and it is certain that in the end he will come to reside in heaven. In today’s degenerate world, to fret over every little vice and sin will only leave one with hands and feet tied.
Fire and water are of completely opposing temperament. Because all things in nature are formed from the binding of these two elements, there is nothing in the universe that can be said to be absolute. Water alone won’t do; fire alone won’t do—all things depend upon the wedding of the two.
Top and bottom, front and back, left and right, heaven and earth, yin and yang, man and woman, spirit and body, good and evil, pain and joy—from all of these opposing elements, our world is formed. We should not do only work; nor, of course, should we do nothing but play. Headstrong self-assurance alone won’t do, nor is it enough to blindly follow others. To leave all things to God, while passing one’s days blithely in sloth and play, will turn one into a zombie of sorts. On the other hand, by vainly struggling to carry out everything with one’s own power, while ignoring God, one will not be able to accomplish a single thing. “Fortune comes to those who wait” is perfectly true, but so is the saying “Industry knows no poverty.”
“Don’t try to force others to join one’s own church” is sensible advice, but it can also be said that “Selfish faith is worthless; unless one helps others to make positive change, there is no virtue in following the path of God.”
Even the lid of a pot has a front and back. It cannot be said that the front is good while the back is bad. Front and back are both necessary; it is impossible to make a pot lid with only one or the other. If, however, the front is used as back, or the back as front, this is no good. It is wrong to speak the truth when a lie is called for. To quarrel when peace-making is necessary is wrong as well. To do something when one must not, or fail to when one must, is the unfortunate way of modern folk.
There is none more intractable than the stubborn man who, locked into his narrow view, goes about telling everyone, “You must be this. You must do that.”
If you think about it, to say “I don’t like this person” or “That person is evil” is absolutely inexcusable. Even with good friends, though there are times of close empathy, there are also times when they vex and annoy each other. You cannot expect any person to be wholly good. The good people of this world are simply those who are good when it is necessary to be good, and bad when it is necessary to be bad.
When you no longer sense any contradiction among things, you will have become enlightened.
Discipline is not something to be taken lightly. Watching the sleight of hand of a magician, or the acrobatic feats, plate and top-spinning, and miming of a street performer, it is clear that these people were born with a natural talent for what they do. But even so, it is also clear that a great deal of diligent effort was spent in perfecting their arts to this level. Human beings accumulate a variety of experience as they are reborn from one life to the next; because today’s effort will become tomorrow’s asset, it is wise to work conscientiously at many things.
Because with just a little care and effort most things can be done more easily than expected, it is vital not to waste time habitually.
To compete in things is not good. The public decision of winner and loser leads us unwittingly to self-centered egotism. Our position and mission in life is decided from the moment we are born—it is best if each of us simply comes to find that position naturally. To deliberately contend over who is wise and who is foolish, and compete for distinction, is clearly wrong.
From competition arise the innumerable jealousies and grudges rampant since ancient times. It even brings about such absurdity as a trivial dispute between two people leading to the bitter feuding of many generations of their offspring.
In every contest, while one person is the joyful victor, there is always a corresponding unhappy loser. This is a truly unpleasant state of affairs; people can only hope to live in harmony when they fully share all of their joys and sorrows with each other.
By shoving others aside in an attempt to get ahead, we only manage to plunge this world deeper into a state of chaos and misery.
In this sense, all competitions, including schools exams and the like, bring only evil results.
In all matters, we should strive to do our best while following the natural course of events. If we try to plan and regulate things with narrow human intellect, all our efforts will be to little effect.
We should let our hearts and our higher instincts lead us.
It is merely necessary that we resolve never to do what we think to be wrong.
