245. Buddhist Dharma in the Buddhist Realm and Buddhist Dharma in the Mortal World
Buddhist teachings in the Buddhist realm are like traditional Buddhism. When Shakyamuni Buddha taught, it was more about renunciation and seclusion—not that he was wrong, but rather that he wanted people to stay away from impurities. What we need to cultivate is worldly Buddhism, which is much more difficult than Buddhist teachings in the Buddhist realm: we must understand everything about Buddhist teachings—understand their origins and nature, and then we can remain true to their principles and apply them to all kinds of changing situations. We also need to understand human affairs—we need to understand many things in the human world. Only when we understand both Buddhist teachings and human affairs can we achieve a fusion. Human practice must achieve harmony through the balance of vital energy—perfectly combining the heavenly way with human affairs.
246. Marriage is the application of harmony in the human world through the interaction of vital energies.
When Heaven created humankind, it divided them into men and women—their thinking, physical structures, and many other aspects are different. One is Yin, the other Yang, and sometimes they even clash greatly. Under the rules of Heaven, you must unite with a person of the opposite sex who is not related by blood, form a family, and face the next 50 to 60 years of life together—this is extremely difficult. You don't know each other, have no foundation for interaction, yet you still have to cooperate—this is human marriage. Why is it defined this way? It is hoped that beings in lower realms can achieve harmony—Yin and Yang forming a mutually supportive relationship, rather than a mutually destructive one—a very difficult test. Currently, the vast majority of marriages end up as mutually destructive relationships—so many divorces and arguments. If you get married but don't understand your spouse's temperament and personality, and always stubbornly resist, then conflict is normal. Mutual support in marriage is wisdom—two beings with completely different attributes, different thinking, different temperaments, different physical structures, different physiological cycles, still have to live peacefully and solve future problems together. A perfect answer requires understanding both different attributes clearly, allowing them to complement each other, and resolving the contradictions between mutual support and conflict. If one person is strong, the other will inevitably suffer. Marriage tests one's willpower—the ability to perfectly combine two opposing attributes. Having children tests one's compassion—you might not be able to help others unconditionally or give endlessly for them. But you might be willing to pave the way for your child, give without expecting anything in return, and love them even if they torment you a thousand times. As a human being, having children may be your only opportunity to experience compassion, and it's all preordained.
247. Interesting Facts about Animals
In this plane, after the male and female praying mantises mate, once the female is confirmed to be pregnant, she will kill and eat the male. She uses the male's body to strengthen her own, ensuring she has enough energy to give birth to the baby mantises. In other planes, in the hungry ghost realm, some snakes, after mating, will eat the male once the female is confirmed to be pregnant, and the male willingly accepts the sacrifice. Why is it designed this way? Even some of the main gods are not entirely sure. As long as one is born into a certain animal, one must bear the corresponding karmic consequences—as karmic punishment, one must sacrifice for the opposite sex and for the offspring. Perhaps one lacked these things in a previous life, and in this life, one must bear the corresponding karmic retribution. The design incorporates the cycle and resolution of cause and effect; you have no resistance, and may even willingly be killed—for the sake of karmic balance and resolution.
248. What to do if you don't care about your child?
Normally, humans or Buddhas and Bodhisattvas desire that we be close to, love, care for, cherish, and have compassion for our children. When you cannot generate this feeling, there is definitely a problem—something went wrong in your cycle of reincarnation. It's not caused by ghosts or vengeful spirits; even enlightened beings cannot solve this—it's a matter of mindset, which can only be resolved through thought processes. Cultivating this ability is unlikely; some people can't overcome it, and some can't train it. Simply pray—"I hope I can love my child; I don't know why I can't love them, and I hope to change this state." When Buddhas and Bodhisattvas pray for you, they can easily find you and immediately identify the problem, removing the obstruction from your mind. After that, your feelings towards your child will be different.
249. Mental Cancer
To have correct thinking, one must learn to observe. Some people say, "I don't think I should argue with my parents, why should I argue with them?"—You know what the biggest problem with your thinking is, but you don't think it's wrong because it comes from your mind. Subconsciously, you protect your thinking, just like cancer. Cancer can fool the immune system—the immune system doesn't think cancer cells are bad, it even thinks they are a normal part of the body; this is mental cancer. You don't feel anything about it, and the immune system even protects cancer cells from other influences. Anything that prevents you from having correct behavior and correct thinking is mental cancer—you don't think it's wrong. Just review things in a small notebook every day: What did I do strangely today? Why didn't I do it this way? When you find such things, immediately pray for good fortune and remove the problem.
250. good fortune for picky eaters.
A problem that has plagued our family for three or four years—our child is a picky eater and doesn't like to eat. We've tried many methods but haven't been able to solve it. Prayer is the best way to change mindset and energy; could prayer solve our child's lack of appetite? We performed a prayer on the Mid-Autumn Festival—the effect was astonishing. That evening, our child ate on their own initiative and is no longer a picky eater, eating a lot every day. It's not that good karma guarantees a lasting relationship. First, checking for good karma only confirms that you haven't hurt each other in the past—it doesn't mean you won't in the future. Whether checking for marriage, children, partnerships, or character, don't assume there won't be problems just because you had good karma in the past. People's interests, needs, greed, anger, and state of mind have a significant impact nowadays. The probability of a good karma turning into a bad one is very high—not all divorced couples are from bad karma relationships; many are from good karma relationships. In the 1980s, a 50% divorce rate was already quite high; it would be a miracle if those born in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s could stay together forever! Second, and more importantly, it's about checking the actual value of good karma. It's already difficult for a good karma relationship to avoid turning into a bad one. When examining partnerships, focus on how long the relationship can last, the failure rate, and what might cause it to break up. When examining marriages, focus on how long the marriage can last, what crises might arise, and what the major obstacles might be. Understanding these things is more important than fate—don't rush headlong into a relationship just because you feel a connection is auspicious.
251. What is Call of Duty?
A "call to duty" is when an idea suddenly pops into your head, or you're chatting with someone and suddenly feel that this person can help you—guiding you in the right direction. There's no reason why, it's just a feeling. Jack Ma is a "call to duty"—he didn't even know he should be in the internet industry, and was he sure he could succeed? He didn't know. My research into Zi Wei Dou Shu (a form of divination) is also a "call to duty"—I don't know why, but I just feel that others are wrong, and I should go in that direction. There's no readily available information, no one tells you how to do it, but you know they're wrong, but you don't know why. You take it slow, try it again and again—it's just a feeling in your heart. Some "calls to duty" might be given to you by the underworld, and if you're not careful, they can ruin you—your calling point is wrong. Many girls think they've found their Prince Charming, but it's actually a trap. You must first determine if the legal realm is correct.
252. How to ask questions when investigating a startup project (real-world case study)
First, determine if the chosen project direction is correct. Second, when planning the project, ask the following questions: 1. Is this project feasible? 2. Can it achieve a production capacity of 2 to 3 billion? 3. If not 2 to 3 billion, what about a few hundred million? 4. What if the expected goals cannot be achieved? Ask an expert for specific solutions. 5. How can the product's business model design benefit all beings and accumulate merit? 6. Where should the project be conducted (domestic and international)? 7. Where is the best place to launch? 8. Who should be chosen as CEO (provide more than 10 candidates)? 9. What should be done regarding customer acquisition? 10. What is the fallback plan? Third, where should the warehouse be established? Fourth, how should creative work be done around the project? Fifth, how much start-up capital and working capital are needed? Sixth, who should be contacted first and who should be contacted next, and is the overall action sequence reasonable?
253. Always have a backup plan in everything you do.
You must have a backup plan for everything you do—many people haven't thought about it. Some industries, once entered, have no way out—gambling, prostitution, and drugs are hard to quit. You might make money for a while, and while your luck is good, you can keep it under control; when your luck fades, you can't. Being an official in Russia is dangerous—rising higher inevitably involves illegal activities, and the crackdown is quite strict now. Even after retirement, you're not allowed to leave the country; those at the department level and above have their passports confiscated, and investigations go back decades. For many businesses, operating in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions range is most suitable—it's comfortable and not too troublesome; you can buy what you want and enjoy what you want. To operate in the hundreds of millions range, you need to know certain people and get involved in certain matters; you might not be able to leave unscathed. Some bosses think very clearly—constantly diversify, not aiming for large or strong operations, spreading billions across dozens of countries discreetly, but enough to attract the attention of relevant departments in one country. Having a backup plan prevents you from gamble everything—you have a stable mindset; if you can make money, you make it; if not, so be it, you can always back out without becoming poor.