The whole universe originated from Tao. Mankind also originated from Tao. Therefore, man and Heaven are connected. Hence man and Heaven can be aligned and united as a single entity and become one. The soul of a man is nurtured by the essence of Heaven and Earth, and hence man possesses the essence of nature. In other words, man possesses the same essence that make up the cosmos, that is, a man is a small cosmos within the large cosmos. The goal of practising Tao is to tranquilize one's heart. It is better for a practitioner not to have the emotion of joy, delight, sorrow and anger, because if he can eliminate emotions, he will find that he and the cosmos become one entity. The true self of a man is almighty, wise and all good. One should begin with benevolence and justice and then perfect morality in order to be enlightened. Once enlightened, his heart is filled with mercifulness, he is compassionate not only to mankind but also to all animals and living beings and helps others to attain Tao. The true self is the essence of human life as well as the root of the cosmos. The true self is infinitely bright. It is not born, it does not die and has no shape or form. The human body, which has both form and shape, is a temporary dwelling for the true self. Therefore the body has birth and death. The heart is the manifestation of the true self. When one's heart is pure, it reflects his true self. The heart also disperses into three natures that is, True Nature, Human Nature and Animal Nature. There are two extremes because of this and the distinction between good and bad. True nature is divine and pure and is always good. Human nature is sometimes good and sometimes bad. Animal nature is almost always bad. Good or bad in a man depends on which nature dominates his body. He who overcomes emotions and desires and restores his true self becomes a Saint or a Sage. He who cannot overcome emotions and desires will never be free and becomes ordinary. For example, a mirror itself is clear when it is first made and as the mirror sits, dust is collected and cannot be cleared. A man's true self is the mirror and the dust is the emotions and desires. |
