"The first state of mind is 'valuing what lies before you.' The second is 'gaining wisdom.' The third can be called 'Desirelessness.'"
Perhaps the three disciples had performed far beyond his expectations. With a lively disciple right in front of him asking questions left and right, Daoyinzi was in the mood to talk.
Stroking his beard, Daoyinzi smiled and explained, "Ordinary people all have the first state of mind. Master the second, and you can begin refining your bonded Treasure. Achieve the third, and the path of cultivation is almost entirely smooth. Because you seek nothing, you can have everything. Without desire, you stand firm."
"So you just read for its own sake, without a goal?" Xi Ran understood at once. "And cultivation works the same way?"
"Exactly."
The young girl immediately looked puzzled. "But if that's so, wouldn't you cultivate without any direction?"
"Desirelessness doesn't mean pursuing nothing. It means not forcing the pursuit. When you walk somewhere and know your destination, do you stop looking at the scenery along the way?"
Dao Yin laughed and gestured at the surrounding mountains and rivers. "The Great Hua Secret Realm wasn't arranged like this just to have you sit in a training ground and cultivate single-mindedly. Seek the Dao only when pressed, and often you'll seek in vain."
Xi Ran thought it over, then nodded. "That seems to make some sense. But how does one come to understand this third state of mind?"
"This third state of mind..." Dao Yin's words took on a deeper meaning. "If you understand it thoroughly before reaching Longevity, that may not be a good thing..."
"Oh, I get it!" Xi Ming giggled. "Before Longevity, life is short. If the scenery along the way draws you in until you forget to leave, you'll squander your entire