Come on, let's stop rambling about that for now. It's enough to know it.
Returning to the main subject: cultivation, simply put, is the correction of one's own behavior—behavior of consciousness and behavior born of daily habits.
So-called behavior of consciousness refers to the habits of consciousness. Put simply, it means fully grasping the patterns of one's own consciousness and being able to observe and transform them at any time, at will, so as to attain inner peace and ease.
Habits are also called ingrained tendencies. They are all the good and bad habits a person carries.
Then what is good? Going to bed early and rising early, for example. What is bad? Being addicted to gambling, or loving alcohol as dearly as one's life.
This is not to say that people who smoke or drink are bad. Rather, excess produces harmful effects, affecting the body's various functions and speeding up decline, aging, or even death.
The cultivation of consciousness requires insights gained through many circumstances. One must summarize the patterns of one's own consciousness; from observing its changes to fully controlling it, deliberate practice is needed.
Behavioral habits are the same.
This brings us to the subject of abstaining from lust. In truth, abstaining from lust does not mean abstaining from relations between men and women. If it did, would humanity not go extinct? What continuation of the Dao and its teachings could there be?
"Abstain" needs little explanation. Simply put, it can be understood as guarding against, being wary of, and casting away.
And "lust" actually refers to appearances—the appearances of desire. Desires of the mind.
Because people first have desires, they become obsessed with things. As time passes, they become tainted by ingrained tendencies—that is, habits.
If you wish to cast away such things, you must solve the problem at its root. In other words, you must solve it from the heart.
For example, if you have smoked for ten years, when you first came into contact with cigarettes, it may only have been out of curiosity or playfulness. But after a long time, it becomes a habit, then an instinct. You instinctively want a cigarette, especially when you are happy, sad, bored, or caught in other emotions, passively and instinctively picking one up and lighting it.
Quitting is not difficult. When you notice that you have the thought—or the intention—of smoking, change that thought at once, or turn your attention to something else. Then, without realizing it, you will forget about smoking. Repeat this again and again.
Usually, deliberately impress upon yourself the dangers of smoking, and when you smoke, actively feel the discomfort in your throat and the bitterness in your mouth.
After persevering for a period of time, you will gain the ability to control yourself and quit.
The same applies to quitting gambling or alcohol. When you want to drink, you can replace that thought with wanting to eat an apple or a banana. Keep it up, and it will become a desire to eat fruit.
When the heart changes, ingrained tendencies change along with it. Only then can a person control themselves as they wish, and have circumstances turn with the heart.
When you can change your own thoughts, you possess the ability to change your fate.
As the saying goes: the heart can shift thoughts, thoughts can shift fate, fate can shift fortune, fortune can shift qi, qi can shift color, color can shift form, and form can shift appearance.
Through this method, you can change your destiny, improve your luck, alter your appearance, and so on. Everything can change accordingly.
Doesn't that sound mysterious and miraculous? When you cannot do it, it feels like a dream. Only once you can do it will you truly experience the benefits of cultivation.
Cultivation requires a tranquil heart. So-called tranquility of heart does not mean having no thoughts and nothing within. Rather, freedom from clutter and chaos is tranquility.
Settle the heart in one place, and do not let it run wild. This is what is called peace, what is called concentration, what is called stillness.
This stillness is calmness. If the heart can remain calm at all times, one will gain unexpected strength.
There is a saying: "Though Mount Tai collapses before one, one's expression does not change." It describes a person who can face anything with inner calm, no matter what happens.
Such strength allows one to gain powerful wisdom. This is what is called: stillness gives rise to wisdom, Huineng gives rise to concentration, and concentration gives rise to intelligence. In truth, it means that the heart is not pulled along by external things, not influenced by outside matters. If you continually view yourself and all else from the perspective of an observer, you can see the root of matters and the ultimate truth of the entire situation, thus finding the best way to resolve every problem.
For example, when you quarrel with someone, you habitually think ill thoughts and habitually argue. But when you can see what your own thoughts are thinking, and avoid being controlled by them, clearly see the essence of the matter and its solution, and achieve the final goal—that is the power of a tranquil heart.
As for the heart turning circumstances, it means noticing your thoughts at the first instant and replacing them. For example, regarding all living beings as Buddhas, as Buddhism teaches, or regarding all living beings as teachers, as Daoism teaches—these are all methods for helping you transform your state of mind.
Think about it: if you truly regarded all living beings as Buddhas, would you argue with a Buddha? You would not, would you?
If you regarded all living beings as teachers, would you debate and entangle yourself with your own master? You would not either, would you?
Therefore, these are all methods of the heart—methods for using the inner heart.
Use this method to help yourself transform your state of mind. Because the thoughts in your heart change, the things you see and understand will also change with them.
Being able to think of bad as good is quite an impressive thing.
But as the previous article said, this method also requires discernment in specific circumstances.
Use the right method at the right time to change the right thoughts; it depends on the particular situation.
If you have been deceived into a pyramid scheme or swindled into some place, there is no need to apply it in this way. But you may use this wisdom to escape your predicament.
Nor is this fixed in cultivation. Whether the heart turns circumstances also depends on what situation you encounter and what happens there.
If you encounter a bad person yet still treat them as a bodhisattva, you will be harmed. Therefore, you must clearly recognize the difference between Buddha and demon.
In life, most things may be discussed in terms of Buddha. Yet because humanity's patterns of thought are not fixed, the states in which Buddha and demon manifest within an individual are uncertain.
When a person's thoughts are kind and they do kind deeds, they display a Buddha phase. But when their thoughts turn evil and they commit evil deeds, they display a demonic phase.
This is related to the heart, not appearance.
Form does not merely refer to a person's facial features. It refers to the aura of that person, from within to without.
Some bodhisattvas, in order to conveniently eradicate demons, also possess many fierce and savage Dharma forms.
Some devils, in order to conveniently beguile people's hearts, can manifest as solemn and compassionate.
This distinction must be made through a person's words, actions, details, and so on. Once cultivation reaches profound heights, one may glimpse a person's heart through their gaze or aura.
Outward appearances cannot determine the inner soul of a person or any living being.
Sometimes, someone may appear compassionate on the outside while a devil dwells within; sometimes, someone may appear fierce and evil on the outside while a bodhisattva dwells within.
Do not look with the Physical Eye. With a calm inner self that seeks nothing—that is, with the eye of wisdom—you can easily perceive it.
The greatest power for protecting yourself is to give rise to no wicked thoughts. That is what the three words "seeking nothing" mean.
When facing anyone or anything, as long as your heart seeks nothing, you can avoid all harm.
Because you seek nothing, you worry about nothing. This is the fundamental reason the heart can be still.