Letting Go

"Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome."

"Master, some people say the better one cultivates, the more their memory declines, and they forget many things. Is that really so?"

"No. Not only will it not decline or lead to forgetting, it will actually become better.

It is simply that if you do not deliberately think of something, it will not automatically come to mind. And even if you deliberately recall many things, remembering them will not cause you any trouble.

Those who speak of declining memory and forgetting simply do not know how to cultivate.

Cultivation is a process of nourishing the spirit, not exhausting it. Only when the mind and spirit are damaged and overly depleted will memory decline.

The more a cultivator practices, the fuller their mind and spirit become, and the better their vitality becomes. Their memory will not decline or worsen.

Yet their inner heart will often be tranquil, without many stray thoughts.

At the same time, they will not let all sorts of chaotic matters stir their mind and spirit, making them think wildly. This is also called keeping the numinous platform unstained.

When needed, they will place their mind and spirit upon the things they need to do. This requires a process of cultivation.

For some people whose memory declines, it is because they are avoiding the past and do not dare face it; their Innate Nature activates a protective mechanism and makes them forget.

Other cases of declining memory are caused by excessive depletion of the mind and spirit.

Cultivating correctly is called letting go. Letting go and forgetting are entirely different concepts.

Letting go means withdrawing your mind and spirit from those matters you cannot get past and bringing them back to the present.

For example, perhaps something once caused you pain. Every time