“Fortune and misfortune have no doors; they are summoned by oneself. The rewards of good and evil follow like shadows.” Relying on rituals, seeking immortals and deities to pray for good luck and to drive away bad luck is merely superficial effort. True disaster relief and blessings come from “self-cultivation and rectification of faults.”
Those who have the divine in their hearts and follow the righteous path will receive heavenly protection even without worshiping gods or seeking immortals. Conversely, those who commit numerous evils will not receive divine protection even if they are in temples.
The so-called “destiny is created by oneself” means that to eliminate disasters and accumulate blessings, one must first rectify their faults and cultivate themselves. To truly eliminate calamities, one must first address the problems within themselves. The greatest wisdom of a person lies in recognizing their own weaknesses; only by correcting these issues can one truly block the entrance to misfortune. Blessings and misfortunes are like firewood accumulated throughout one’s life; while the firewood may remain hidden most of the time, it ignites into flames when it encounters a spark, with each person’s existing problems serving as the ignition source.
“Heavenly sins can be forgiven; self-inflicted sins cannot be survived.” It is better to seek oneself than to seek others; praying is not as effective as striving. True disaster relief and blessings still rely on “self-cultivation and rectification of faults.”
As it is said, “To expand one’s field of blessings, one must rely on a kind heart. Act with kindness at all times, perform various acts of merit. Benefit others while benefiting oneself; cultivate goodness and accumulate blessings. Act justly on behalf of heaven, show compassion for the country and save its people. Maintain an equal heart, broaden your capacity for generosity. Be loyal to your lord, filial to your parents; respect your elder brothers and trust your friends. Harmonize between husband and wife, teach your descendants well. Do not disrespect teachers or belittle sacred words.” From this we see that cultivating blessings requires effort from the heart; studying scriptures under wise teachers helps discern good from evil, recording merits and faults rather than merely performing superficial acts. Achieving “acting with kindness at all times” leads to “benefiting others while benefiting oneself,” thus “if one can maintain such a mindset, heaven will surely bestow blessings upon them.”
To eliminate external disasters, it is essential first to correct one’s own mistakes; we all know that internal causes are primary while external causes act through internal ones. The occurrence of calamities is also due to existing problems within ourselves providing opportunities for external conditions.
Everyone is like a cup: if the cup is clean, then what is poured into it will not be contaminated but will perform better. Good fortune cannot be demanded but is accumulated bit by bit through life experiences. Behind good luck and fortune lies unseen effort; fortune resembles dew waiting for those who cultivate themselves morally.
Self-cultivation involves continuously improving oneself and enriching one’s inner self. Self-cultivation includes not only enriching one’s inner world but also increasing wisdom in dealing with life’s troubles and misfortunes.
Treat others with kindness; approach the world with a sunny attitude so that the world can return kindness and sunshine back to you—this is how one accumulates blessings.