Spiritual Stability means the mental state in which the mind is of roundness; dear and calm, such that it entertains neither a sense of discrimination nor attachment. Cultivation means that one extinguishes the sense of discrimination and attachment within and the mind is not outwardly attached to disturbances, so that one fosters a clear and calm spirit.
Sentient beings have things that they desire to do and things that they know instinctively without learning. Human beings, the lords of all creatures, observing, hearing, and learning, have much more knowledge and many more desires than have the other animals. Some are eager and greedy to fulfill their desires to increase the knowledge by means of power, ability and the sword, without considering courtesy, a sense of shame or any righteous law. This leads to the ruin of families and the disgrace of the persons concerned, so that at last they succumb to pessimistic desperation through worries, delusions, mortification and irritations. Sometimes they turn out to be neurasthenics or lunatics, and in some cases they are driven to suicide. The aim of the Cultivation of Spiritual Stability is to eliminate such limitless desires and to gain an integrity of spirit so that one can cultivate independence of mind.
If one continues the Cultivation of Spiritual Stability for a long time, the spiritual power becomes as firm as iron or rock so that the power of independence of mind will be consolidated through all kinds of trying situations and will gain at last the Power of Cultivation.
By Facts is meant what is Right or Wrong, Advantageous or Disadvantageous, for humanity. By Principles is meant the Absolute Unity and its Components, Being and Non-being, which are naturally created. The Absolute Unity is called the Reality of all things in the universe; the Components are called the variety of manifest things in the Universe. Being and Non being means the circulation of the four seasons: the climate of the winds clouds, rain, dew, frost and snow; the birth, old age, illness and death of all things, the transitoriness of rise and fall, and the prosperity and decline of all things. Study means learning and mastery of the secrets of Facts and Principles.
The world has been constructed on the Principles of the Absolute Unity and its Components, Being and Non-being, and is operated with the Facts of Right and Wrong, and Advantage and Disadvantage. Since the world is vast, there are numerous sorts of Principles, and since innumerable human beings are living, there are innumerable Facts. However, happiness and suffering that one confronts accidentally, or that is an effect from causes which one has made, are results caused by the functioning of the Six Roots (senses). if, without knowing the Right or Wrong, and Advantage or Disadvantage of Facts, one does all things as one pleases, all the effects from the momentary functioning of the Six Roots will turn out to be sins, so that one's future will be a boundless, bitter world. if one lives without knowing the Principles of the Absolute Unity and its Components, Being and Non-being, one will not know the causes of accidental happiness and suffering; one's thought will be so limited, and one's mind will be so narrow, that one will not only be ignorant of the birth, old age, illness and death of life, and of the Principle of Cause and Effect, but also will not be able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. This will lead I one to fall into falsity and emptiness, so that there will be a danger of ruining one's family and disgracing oneself. It is necessary, therefore, that one analyze Facts clearly, and judge quickly, by means of studying in advance the complexities of human affairs, and the naturally created, and abstruse Principles in daily life.
If one continues to study Facts and Principles for a long time, one will attain limitless wisdom to analyze and judge all Facts and Principles and gain at last the Power of Study.
By Conduct is meant the functioning of the Six Roots, that is, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, when one does something; by Selection is meant the adoption of what is righteous and the rejection of what is unrighteous.
Even though one has attained the Power of Cultivation after cultivating Spiritual Stability and has attained the Power of Study after studying Facts and Principles, still Cultivation and Study will come to nothing if one does not put them into practice in actual trying situations. This may be compared to a fruit tree that has a good trunk, branches, leaves and flowers, but no fruit. why does one not perform what is good and sever what is evil even though one knows that goodness is desirable and that evil should be severed, thereby falling into the tormenting sea of life instead of entering the garden of happiness? It is either because one does not practice what is right, owing to ignorance of the rightness or the wrongness of facts, or because one cannot distinguish the fires of desire despite one's knowledge of right and wrong, or because one cannot free oneself from habits consolidated like iron or rock so that one is unable to sever what is evil and adopt what is righteous. It is necessary, therefore, that one develop the ability to perform by all means what is righteous, and to sever by every means what is evil, so that one may save oneself from failing into the tormenting sea of life, and may enter the garden of happiness.
Over a long period of time, if one develops the ability to select one's conduct, one will attain the Power of Selection by way of gaining the ability to adopt what is righteous and to sever what is unrighteous as one manages one's affairs.
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