Eighteen Principles of Spiritual Life ~ 2
6. Let Go of the Past.
*The sixth principle of spiritual life is the need to have the ability to let go of the past. Treat the past as a dream, and then you can return to the present.
You will find that living in the present is effortless. When you choose to let go of the past, your mind and spirit can return to their own present.
*In this moment, when spirituality is ignited, even a small spark can transform into brilliance. But when you are obsessed with the past, that spark will be covered by ashes. Live in the present and blow away the ashes of the past.
7. Acceptance.
*You must understand how to create a harmonious environment. You may think that your environment created you, but in reality, you created your own environment. Understand why, and then accept things as they are (what is, is). Acceptance can be divided into two levels:
*First, accept that the present moment is inevitable; what needs to happen will happen. If you want it to change, it can only happen in the next moment. Only when you truly accept things as they are and allow your heart to calm down can you effectively change anything.
*The second level: Accept others as they are. Regardless of their behavior, view it as their best presentation at this moment (even if it has flaws), analyze it and seek reasonable explanations for their actions while taking full responsibility yourself; thus, acceptance will transform into motivation and create a harmonious environment.
8. Acknowledgment of Death.
*The eighth principle of spiritual life is acknowledging death and understanding that one day you will die. There are some things deep within that do not die; therefore, we cannot fully comprehend death’s entirety; acknowledging death brings you back to the present and helps you escape from minor temptations that pull you away from it. Once you understand that there is an end for everyone, the future will no longer entangle you (releasing mental unrest and fear, freeing your mind).
9. The Impermanence of Life.
*The ninth principle is that everything currently existing is impermanent—the surrounding conditions, environments, emotions, and people we encounter are all impermanent. Understanding that everything is impermanent will help elevate your spiritual level; your actions will become more energetic, passionate, and vibrant.
We often think that once we acknowledge everything’s impermanence, our enthusiasm diminishes and we become indifferent; this is not true; a correct understanding of impermanence stimulates spirituality. When spirituality is ignited, you’ll realize the importance of spiritual elevation—enthusiasm and vitality will naturally follow.
10. Trust.
*Trust in the supreme wisdom of the infinite universe’s creative realm—it manifests through genes, atoms, and molecules in an orderly manner interacting within this entire creation realm.
*Within this entire creation realm exists a fundamental essence—a hidden wisdom—a sense of oneness. It is filled with vitality. However, we never perceive the whole universe as something alive; instead we see everything as dead matter—only material entities appear in our eyes.
We all know there exists an energy field or magnetic field within creation but often perceive it as lifeless. Pure consciousness forms the foundation of mind; you are part of it along with everyone else—it’s such a vibrant magnetic field. Understand, accept, and trust this wisdom—it creates and sustains all things everywhere—that’s the tenth principle of spiritual life.
11. The Unity of Creation.
*When people’s minds are filled with stress and tension they generate judgments—liking this or disliking that—creating boundaries which separate themselves from existence itself (existence). This separation from existence is called alienation (separation), but it’s merely superficial; separation from existence is impossible.
If part of a circle were removed it would no longer be a circle at all. Realize that you are part of this existence—a manifestation block of supreme wisdom—and there exists a unifying force continuously integrating this creation realm. Everything is one—that’s the eleventh principle.