[Master Yun Gu]: One should also look upon long life and short life equally. A person who knows he is short-lived should not think, 'I'm going to die soon anyway, so there's no point in being virtuous, I should steal and kill for my benefit while I can.' Instead, one who already knows he has a short life to live should be even more diligent in cultivating kindness, hoping to gain a longer life next time, and perhaps his or her merits from practicing kindness can even elongate the present life. One who is long-lived should not think, 'I have all the time in the world, it doesn't matter if I do some evil once in while.' We should know that longevity does not come easily, and should be cherished and used to cultivate even more kindness and virtue. Otherwise, you may very well use up your longevity all too soon. If you understand this principle, then you will be able to change a short life into a long life through virtuous behavior.
[Master Yun Gu]: The issue of life and death is the most critical issue of one's life. Therefore, long life and short life is also the most important issue to us. The same applies to wealth and poverty, low and high prestige. These are all encompassed by the issue of long life and short life. That is why Mencius did not need to mention the latter in his principle of creating destiny, since he had already spoken about long and short life.
[Liao-Fan]: Master Yun Gu then told me about Mencius's teaching on cultivating the self. He said that one who wishes to cultivate himself must do so day by day, and be mindful of his conduct every moment, ensuring that no transgressions are made. As for changing one's destiny, that depends on the accumulation of merit, seeking for a response from the heavens. When cultivating the self, one should be aware of one's own faults, and resolve to correct them just as in curing a sickness. Perseverance is required, and attainment comes when one's practice matures and ripens. In that case, one's destiny will most definitely change for the better. We should work toward severing all bad habits and thoughts. It would be quite an accomplishment for the true benefits of these teachings to be felt once you reach the state of 'no thought'. [Master Yun Gu]: The actions of worldly people usually follow their thoughts. Whatever has to be 'thought' is not considered natural. I know that you are still unable to accomplish the state of 'no thought', but if you practice reciting the Jwun Ti Mantra continuously, it will help you to overcome scattered thoughts in the mind. When you recite, you must not think of reciting, but recite consciously and diligently without any attachment. When the reciting becomes second nature to you, it will be efficacious.
[Narrator]: But the essence of this practice can only be understood after you practice it.
[Liao-Fan]: My name used to be Shuei Hai, which meant 'broad learning', but after receiving these teachings from Master Yun Gu, I changed it to Liao Fan, which means 'transcending the mundane'. It signified my understanding of the fact that destiny is created by ourselves, and I did not wish to be like worldly people, who allowed destiny to control them.
[Liao-Fan]: From then on, I began to be constantly aware of my thoughts and actions, and I was very cautious and careful in whatever I did. Soon I felt quite different from before. In the past, I used to be careless and lived my days in distraction, and had no self-discipline at all. Now, I found myself being naturally respectful, careful and conservative in my thoughts, speech, and actions. I maintain this attitude even when I'm alone, for I know that there are spirits and gods everywhere who can see my every action and thought. Even when I encounter people who dislike or slander me, I can take their insults with a patient and peaceful mind, and not feel compelled to quarrel with them.
[Liao-Fan]: The year after I met Master Yun Gu, I took the preliminary imperial exam in which Mr. Kong had predicted I would come in third place. Amazingly, I came in first! Mr. Kong's predictions were beginning to lose their accuracy. He had not predicted I would pass the imperial exam at all, but that autumn, I did! None of these were part of my original destiny. Master Yun Gu had said that destiny could be changed, and now I believe it more than ever!
[Liao-Fan]: Although I had corrected a lot of my faults, I found that I could not wholeheartedly do the things I ought to do. Even if I did do them, it was forced and unnatural. I reflected within and found that there were still many wrongs in my being, such as seeing an opportunity to practice kindness and not being eager enough to do it; or, harboring doubts when helping others in need. Sometimes I forced myself to act kindly, but my speech was still untamed and offensive. I found I could contain myself when sober, but after a few drinks, I would lose self-discipline and act without restraint. Although I often practiced kind deeds and accumulated merits, my faults and offenses were so numerous, they seemed to outnumber my good deeds. A lot of my time was spent vainly and without value. It took me more than ten years to complete the three thousand meritorious deeds I had vowed to do.
[Liao-Fan]: I was not able to dedicate the merits from these three thousand kind deeds at a temple until I returned to my hometown in the south a few years later. Then I made my second wish, and that was for a son. I vowed to complete another three thousand good deeds. A few years later, your mother gave birth to you, and named you Tien-chi.
[Liao-Fan]: Every time I performed a kind deed, I would record it in a book. Your mother, who could not read or write, would use a goose feather dipped in ink and make a red circle on the calendar for every kind deed she did. Sometimes she gave food to the poor, or bought living creatures from the marketplace to free in the wild. She recorded all of these with her circles on the calendar. At times she could accumulate more than ten red circles in one day!
[Narrator]: That means she performed more than ten kind deeds in a single day.
[Liao-Fan]: Everyday we practiced like this, and in four years, the three thousand deeds were completed. Once again I made the dedications, this time in our home. On September 13th of that same year, I made my third wish, and that was to pass the next level in the imperial exam, the jin-shr level. I also vowed to complete ten thousand meritorious deeds. After three years, I attained my wish and passed the jin-shr level. I was also made the mayor of Bao-di prefecture. While in that office, I prepared a small booklet to record my merits and faults, and called it the Book of Disciplining the Mind.
[Narrator]: The book was called Disciplining the Mind in hopes of helping him avoid selfish and improper thoughts.
[Liao-Fan]: From that day, I recorded all my good and bad deeds in that booklet, and kept it on my desk. Every evening, I would burn incense and make a report of my deeds to the heavens at the little altar in the garden. Once, your mother was concerned when she saw that I had not accumulated many merits and asked: [Mother]: In the past, I was able to help you in your accumulation of kind deeds, and we were able to complete the three thousand meritorious deeds. Now, you have made a vow to complete ten thousand kind deeds, and there are fewer opportunities to practice them here at the government residence; how long will it be before your vow can be fulfilled?
[Liao-Fan]: That night, after your mother spoke these words, I dreamed of a heavenly being, and told him of my difficulty in completing the ten thousand kind deeds. The heavenly being said to me: [Heavenly being]: When you became mayor, you reduced the taxes on the rice fields; that was a great kind deed, and that deed itself was worth ten thousand merits. Your vow is already fulfilled!
[Liao-Fan]: As it turned out, the farmers in Bao-di prefecture had to pay a very high tax, and when I came to office, I reduced the taxes on the rice fields by nearly half. But still, I felt strange... [Narrator]: How did the heavenly being know about the tax deduction? Liao-Fan still held doubts and wondered how a single deed could be worth ten thousand merits.
[Liao-Fan]: Coincidentally, the Zen Master Huan-yu was traveling from the Five-Plateau Mountains and stopped in Bao-di. I invited him over and told him of my dream, and asked whether it was believable. Master Huan-yu said: [Master Huan-Yu]: When doing kind deeds, one must be true and sincere, and not seek any rewards, or act with falsity. If one does a kind deed with such a true and sincere heart, then one deed can indeed be worth the merit from ten thousand kind deeds. Besides, your act of reducing the taxes in this prefecture benefits more than ten thousand people; you have relieved the suffering of heavy taxes on all these farmers. The fortune you will gain from this act will surely be great!
[Liao-Fan]: Upon hearing his words, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and immediately gave a month's salary for him to take back to the Five-Plateau Mountains as donation. I asked the Master to use the money to offer food for ten thousand monks and dedicate the merits for me.
[Liao-Fan]: Mr. Kong had predicted that I would die at the age of fifty-three. However, I survived that year with no illnesses though I did not ask the heavens for a longer life. Now I am sixty-nine, and I have lived sixteen more years than what was destined!
[Liao-Fan]: The Chinese Book of History had said: [Narrator]: 'The way of the Heavens is undetermined, and neither is one's destiny. It is also said that, 'Destiny is not set, but is only created and determined by oneself.' [Liao-Fan]: These are all true, and I have come to understand that both fortune and adversity are all results of one's own doings. These are truly the words of sages and saints! If one is to say that fortune and adversity are all determined by the heavens, then I would consider that person to be mundane and common.
[Liao-Fan]: Tien-Chi, my son, I wonder how your life will be? In any case of destiny, we should always prepare for the worst; therefore, even in times of prosperity, you must act as if you were not, and when things are going your way, you must be mindful of adversity. When you are wealthy, be mindful of poverty, and when loved and respected by all, you must remain careful and conservative. When the family is greatly respected and revered, you must carry yourself humbly, and when your learning is broad and deep, you must not display it, but keep it humbly within.
[Narrator]: The six ways of contemplation mentioned above are a means to tackle the problem from its opposite side. If one can thus cultivate the mind, then virtue and morality will grow and fortune will increase on its own.
[Liao-Fan]: When mindful of the past, we should spread the virtues of our ancestors, and when mindful of the present, we should conceal the faults of our own parents. This is what Mencius said as 'Parents caring for children and children caring for parents'. When mindful of the nation, we should think of how we can repay its kindness to us, and when mindful of the family, we should think of how to bring about good fortune. When mindful of the outside, we should think of how to help those in need around us, and when mindful of within, we should prevent wicked thoughts and improper actions from arising.
[Narrator]: These six contemplations are all positive ways to cultivate good character. If one can practice accordingly, one will surely become a true gentleman.
[Liao-Fan]: A person must be able to detect his faults everyday in order to correct them everyday. If you are unable to detect any faults in yourself, then improvement of character is out of the question. There are many intelligent people in the world who refuse to cultivate morality and virtue, and cannot put forth diligent effort in their work. Their failures later in life are owed to a single word: Laziness.
[Liao-Fan]: The teachings which Master Yun Gu taught are truly the most worthy, deep, real, and proper teachings, and I hope you will study them closely and practice them with all your effort. You must use your time wisely and not let it slip by in vain.
