Chapter 06 To live is to continue living

The Essence of Happiness and True Freedom

2.2-The.Essence.of.Happiness.and.True.Freedom Chapter6 live continue living

Today, let us extend our understanding about the truth of life. We shall begin by exploring the two fundamental categories of needs for everyone; the first category is the need for food, clothing, housing, transportation, the second being the need of family. These two criteria of needs encompass physical and safety needs. If the physical needs are not met, great pain will ensue which may lead a person into imminent danger.

If the needs for safety are not met, human beings will feel the psychological pain of fear, anxiety, and worry.

First of all, human beings require having adequate clothing and food; secondly, they need a shelter away from the wind and rain, to sleep at night, to rest when tired, and to protect their own safety. During the heat of summer, they take a cool shower or enjoy a cold air-conditioned room. During the cold in winter, they take a hot shower, or stay in a warm heated room.

When one reaches adulthood, the need arises to get married and have children. Most humans are afraid of loneliness. They need a home and to rely on each other to endure a long and hard life.

In order to obtain these basic needs of life, the vast majority of human beings have to work hard physically and mentally. Due to the differences of the four quotients and also the dimensions of life, human beings have diverse mentalities towards work.

With the dissimilarities of spiritual quotient and moral quotient, those with low spiritual quotient and moral quotient, will act entirely out of selfish motives towards work; rare are those with high spiritual quotient and moral quotient, who work altruistically to benefit others. However, most people's motivations and mindsets in their work performances fall between these two endeavours.

Someone with high emotional quotient and moral quotient tend to believe in the win-win scenarios and they are more popular among others. They exhibit more positive emotions and behaviours, such as equality, do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire, honesty, humility, friendliness, tolerance, humor, etc.

Someone with a low emotional quotient and moral quotient is more selfish and demanding and is not welcomed by most. They are inclined to have negative emotions and behaviours, such as ungratefulness, jealousy, cheat, complain, and a love to brawl, etc. People who are particularly selfish and greedy have the tendency to offend others or even commit crimes.

With the basic needs of life met, very few people with low spiritual quotient will be willing to seek truth. Those whom have been equipped with excessive wealth, are eager to have fun, play, travel, sing, dance, exercise, participate in various recreational activities, form many hobbies, they are just wasting away their lives.

When human beings have enough wealth, they will pursue a better, more extravagant lifestyle, such as acquiring luxury houses and cars, having beautiful women, eating delicious food, traveling around the world, buying a lot of gold jewellery, etc. Some will also enjoy playing with antiques and write calligraphy.

There are certain people with a low spiritual quotient, average to below average moral quotient, but very high emotional quotient, their desires, in their intensities, solely concern of reputation, status, dignity, and prestige. They prefer officialdom, seek leadership, and to have control over others. The more subordinates they manage, the better they feel. Some even crave worship by others. These powerful egoists do great harm to society.

Usually, due to the difference in emotional quotient and intelligence quotient, there is a big gap in the ability of human beings to acquire wealth and status.

Although some people have average IQs and average labor skills and talents, they are not mediocre，but their laziness, selfishness, low emotional quotient and poor interpersonal relationships might deter them from getting rich. Even the vulgar upstarts might eventually declare bankruptcy when they aimlessly make financial investments based on their greedy desire.

Some people not only have good work skills and abilities, and high intelligent quotient, but they are also diligent; not speculative, high emotional quotient and good interpersonal relationships. They usually become rich.

After becoming rich, those with high moral quotient will continue to behave frugally and be willing to give alms; however, those with low moral quotient may become extravagant, ready to enjoy life and expand their various hobbies and greed. In 10 years or so, these people will deteriorate physically and age rapidly before their time, while indulging in their desires and turning their likings into hobbies.

As the ancients said, “a contented mind is perpetual feast”. Regardless rich or poor, a contented person has a high moral quotient, less covetous, less competitive, and less jealous, so their life will be relatively happier.

However, in this era, as society does not place any importance in the cultivation of moral quotient, as a result, be it poor or rich, people have become greedier. Some poor labourers work extremely hard, day and night they work with their face to the ground and their back to the sky; some work long hours, they rush and hustle about, living like an old scalper, earning very little. The city people use money to buy and own their mortgaged property, and in turn enslave themselves to their house. Rural people spend the money to build bigger and bigger houses, and end up as the ‘rich, poor men’. They don't have much fun and freedom in their lives; they just simply live, to continue their lives.

And those rich people who have made a fortune will buy several houses, or build luxury houses, and buy luxury cars as a way to show off. They exchange their lives for money, and live harder than the poor. Due to the large expenditures and greed, they often have to take risks to increase and speculate their investments, which could lead to their own bankruptcy, and these occurrences are common.

During our cultivation-training course for entrepreneurs, it’s found that entrepreneurs are the most physically and emotionally drained people among all; most are in serious debts or have negative assets. Due to tremendous chronic emotional stress, their physical health is usually worse than the average people.

Some people enjoy literature and art. Most of them rely on their prowess to create or engage in art to make a living. However nowadays, artistic creations have become more and more commercialized; they pale in comparison in authenticity and purity to the artistic masters of antiquity in the past. Now works of art are ordinary; those who plagiarize are in the palace, and the truly skillful masters are among the people.

Many people enjoy learning and cognition, but most merely do it with the intent to meet their own needs. Only a minority of people have the curiosity and are willing to inquire about the truth of life and universe, to discover and cultivate their own spiritual quotient and moral quotient.

There are a small percentage of people who inherit enough properties or status from their grandparents and parents. As their four quotients are just average but not high, they have no clue that money doesn’t come by easy; such people are often prodigals who just like to eat, drink, and enjoy life. When they reach their middle or old age, their family will often break up and be destroyed.

It is hard to tell the complete stories of the ever-changing life. Of course, there are very few people like

Jia Baoyu
[the principal character in the classic 18th century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber],

Li Shutong
[a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and musician who became a Buddhist monk],

Li Na
[a Chinese singer who later became a Buddhist nun],

and Ning Bo
[a famous child prodigy who later became a Buddhist monk]

who can see through the emptiness of life and the world, who know that all things are of no consequence just like floating clouds and that wealth is like a dream in spring season.

It could be said that [song from the novel Dream of the Red Chamber]: As if:

Sordid rooms and vacant courts,
Replete in years gone by with beds where statesmen lay;

Parched grass and withered trees,
Where once were halls for song and dance!

Spiders' webs the carved pillars intertwine,
The green gauze now is also pasted on the straw windows!

What about the cosmetic fresh concocted or the powder just scented;
Why has the hair too on each temple become white like hoarfrost!

Yesterday the tumulus of yellow earth buried the bleached bones,
To night under the red silk curtain reclines the couple!

Gold fills the coffers, silver fills the boxes,
But in a twinkle, the beggars will all abuse you!

While you deplore that the life of others is not long,
You forget that you yourself are approaching death!

You educate your sons with all propriety,
But they may someday, 'tis hard to say become thieves;

Though you choose (your fare and home) the fatted beam,
You may, who can say, fall into some place of easy virtue!

Through your dislike of the gauze hat as mean,
You have come to be locked in a cangue;

Yesterday, poor fellow, you felt cold in a tattered coat,
Today, you despise the purple embroidered dress as long!

Confusion reigns far and wide! You have just sung your part, I come on the boards,
Instead of yours, you recognise another as your native land;

What utter perversion!
In one word, it comes to this we make wedding clothes for others!