Lotus flowers grow from their roots in muddy pools, yet they retain their purity. Pine trees flourish in fierce winds and bitter snow, but this power of endurance makes them an extraordinary species. Like the lotus and the pine tree, an extraordinary person is born. There is a saying, From a poor family comes a respectful son. From a troubled country comes a loyal official.

This is a story of a master in China:

During the Yuan Dynasty, there lived a man by the name of Xu Heng. He was fleeing from war with a large group of people and they were all suffering dreadfully from thirst. Then they came upon some pear trees, heavily laden with ripe and juicy fruit. Being so thirsty, they all pushed and jostled to pick the fruit except Xu Heng who sat quietly under the tree, taking a rest.

One of them ran over to him and said:

Listen. In troubled times like this, the owner of these trees would have run off a long time ago. No-one owns these pears, so why not pick them?

Xu Heng replied:

Just because these pears have no master, should my heart also be ungoverned.

Naturally, people will not practise negative deeds if the situation never arises. Those who dont know about smoking will not smoke. Those who dont know how to gamble will not gamble and those who have no knowledge about alcohol will not drink. This is the natural way of people. It is those who have the chance to engage in such activities but choose not to be involved exhibit extraordinary integrity. Given the chance to accept bribery, they choose not to give in to temptation. It is rare to find this type of person whose resolution does not waver or become confused by the temptations of the world. Such people have great determination and will power and they can be the masters.

A person can have no achievement unless his unchanging heart is in control otherwise his mind is constantly changing by the environment and he can become enslaved by the physical aspects of life. He is easily moved by the environmental conditions and circumstances, swept back and forth with the tides and waves of the world. This is the advice from a Saint:

In our cultivation we must remain uncontaminated by the black dye (the dirt of the world), undiminished by grind and polish (difficulties), unsubdued by force and undaunted by poverty. In other words, as we live in this world of temptation, it is important not to be contaminated by the dust and dirt. Be in the world, but do not be tainted by it. We must recognize our direction in life and not be manipulated or misled by our environment. Adopt the bearing of a true cultivator who is not swayed by the force of circumstances. Use our wisdom to guide us so that we will not be confused. In this way we can cultivate with determination and not give up when times are hard. We can then proceed to refine ourselves and finally become people with extraordinary qualities.

It is natural that when we first deviate from the path of truth, we experience a guilty conscience but we tend to ignore the inner heart of this conscience and continue on our path of unrighteous thoughts and actions. If we continue in this way, the conscience slowly becomes insensitive and eventually it becomes no more than an empty and meaningless word. There is a saying:

When the fire of anger and the water of desire reach boiling point, a person may have a clear understanding of truth, but still violate it regardless of his understanding. Who is the person who has the understanding? Who is the person who violates the truth? If you can transform your negative qualities with great determination, the devil in you can turn into a true cultivator.

Let the principle of life and your conscience guide your actions. Recognize the fine line between the principle of truth and human desire. Learn to see the difference and not be tempted into it. You can then walk unswervingly through the hustle and bustle of the world and remain unmoved by the torrents of material world. The advice of how to be a master:

Stand on Heavenly principles and you will be strong. Seek according to human desires and you will be weak. A person who is strong has a heart that is unaffected by wealth or poverty, nobility or humility, disasters or fortunes in the world. A person who is weak has a heart that is moved by temptations as small as a feather.

To lead a meaningful life, we must extend our strength and wellbeing to others by spreading the knowledge of truth wherever we go. To achieve such strength we must emulate the compassionate heart of saints and sages. Do understand the essence of our conscience and dont let the heart full of desires and ignorance becomes the basis of our thoughts and actions. Be a master.

Author: T.A Chew