【Description】
All life and events contain elements of yin and yang, positivity and negativity; day corresponds to night, fire to ice, and Heaven to Earth. Yin alone does not enable growth and yang alone cannot bring life; everything is built on the balance of yin and yang. As such, what can we learn from the coexistence of these two energies? What conclusion can be made if the theory of yin and yang is applied to human fate?
“Take your hardships seriously. Learn to accept, and attempt change gradually. The safest option is to grow in balance.” By using the yin-yang theory to thoroughly analyze human fate, Grandmaster JinBodhi gives us a positive view of life. Click on this video to follow Grandmaster JinBodhi in understanding the yin and yang in fate, and face life with an uplifted heart.
【You will learn】
- The meaning of “yin alone does not enable growth and yang alone cannot bring life”
- The meaning of “sadness comes after extreme joy” and “things reverse when they reach an extreme”
- The cons of performing fortunetelling for young children
- Ways to create a good fate
- The eternal law of balancing yin and yang
【Featured aphorisms】
- Don’t underestimate the sufferings, annoyances and pressures you currently experience in life. Face them directly; accept them first with a positive attitude, and then seek to solve them after careful reflection.
- Time is the best medicine for pain, and the best spiritual cure.
- What you perceive as good does not always have a happy ending. Therefore, be cautious when good things appear in front of you.
- Things reverse when they reach an extreme; all matters exist within the dance of yin and yang.
- A successful life lies in fulfilling your responsibilities and doing what you must with diligence and honesty.
- It is fine to be unaware of your destiny; just keep working hard and accomplish your tasks well such that your life is fruitful and not wasted.
- Regardless of what you do, your motivation and state of mind are the most crucial keys to achieving success.
【Content】
Hello, everyone. (Hello, Master.) It is hard to summarize human fate. What exactly is fate? Through reading history, everyone feels, including me, fate is the destiny given by Heaven waiting to be fulfilled. It is like the abstract sense of fulfilling one’s destiny. We have it. Look at all of us here. Look at the environment you are born into, your parents’ conditions, and your country’s surroundings. Every family is different. We all have separate families, parents and troubles. Hence the difference in fate.
From when we are born, to the environment and events we currently experience, regardless of who you are, this is your fate. You might wonder about the nature of your fate. The answer is you; you are your fate. Some say, “I am suffering right now.” This pain is also part of your fate, which you must experience. It is not a bad thing. Often people ask me what to do when faced with these problems and pain. My approach revolves around just learning to accept. Does acceptance mean I gave up? It is accepting the reality. Whether you give up or not, it is an issue of your inner strength.
If you are experiencing poverty, of course you don’t want to continue being poor. You will probably work hard. Then you will say, “You talked about accepting fate. Then I will accept it even if I am starving. It is OK if I die starving tomorrow.” Will you do things like this? Don’t many people get married because they haven’t given up on fate? Right? Your partner is not born along with you. If it is your twin, they are your sibling, right? You can’t marry your sibling. If you are born with terrible looks, you have to diligently struggle to present yourself. You even formed a marital bond.
You create because you don’t have money. Is this called accepting fate? This is natural thinking. I am poor, therefore I work hard. I need to eat, right? I want to marry, so I find my other half. I want my future job to be better, so I study hard. Because my life has imperfections, I use my actions to make up for them. Wasn’t Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of Ming dynasty, a man who went through countless life tragedies? Try to recall them.
He was poor, his family didn’t have their own land. His parents worked long-term for landlords. They were long-term farmworkers, with no land; they had to work for richer workers. There was no space for burial when they died. Can anyone be poorer than them? He experienced all this with nowhere to go. Didn’t he become a monk, only after becoming an orphan? You think he did that because of faith? He just needed to survive. He was just a teenage orphan back then.
Was killing all he did after he became a general? Let me tell you this. He worked everyday in fear for his life. When he was young, people died from starvation or sickness. If you were weak and poor, you couldn’t afford medicine and food. Basically, you are betting your life. I bet many of you have joined the military. Soldiers now have only lived in peaceful times and only do drills. There is no experience of real war. Because there is a low chance of survival in real war. Many soldiers die from war. Becoming a soldier means you could die anytime.
Zhu braced through that. If he didn’t become a soldier, he could have been arrested as a spy for the rebels. He would have been put behind bars. But joining the rebels would mean facing death every day. He could lose his head anytime before becoming an emperor. You think being the king is a happy thing. But before that, he was escaping death every day. Who would be happy doing that?
After discussing Zhu’s story, many thought he was fulfilling his destiny. Do you know what I think? This is what I think of his fate: He was forced into it, this was not destiny given by Heaven. Each different turn could have led him away from the throne. He could end up a monk, or die at 15 due to starvation, right? Just another dead body in a pile of bodies. Or, another soldier dead on the battlefield. Maybe he would just die as a nobody. Just a dead body. Every step was risky. Would you say that this is all God’s work to create a thrilling and bloody play? Nope. This is reality.
He ended up being an emperor because he had no other option. His first thought was: “I have no other option but to fight.” Fight for his life. He could have died anytime anyway, right? Either from starvation or murder. This is basically what he was thinking. As for his name, there is a lot of coincidence. He had a glorious life. As we study it, there is a lot of coincidence. Maybe it is fate. If he had died early, then wouldn’t the explanation be different? Nobody would explain a nameless soldier who died halfway through. There is too many of them out there. Who would study their fortune? He had the motivation to fight because he had no other option.
The rich children of today, their fathers and grandfathers have left them with a lot of money to inherit. Would they fight like Zhu? Zhu fought to find a way to live, he didn’t fight to become an emperor. As for the things he did at a young age, he was a bit dramatic and bold, right?
In general, the world is formed by both yin and yang. How much struggle does one need to go through? Like when we draw a line, the point in the middle is zero. On either side, the value is either negative or positive. Like how here the left is positive, and the right is negative. The negative energy; energy meaning your experiences and feelings. Like poverty, starvation, sickness, physical abuse, pain, fatigue, the passing of your parents, etc. All these are considered negative energy.
Let’s say my negative energy is a big chunk up there. That is the line of our lives. The negative energy can stimulate more positive energy from me. Say, I have accumulated up to 3cm of negativity. Here, this is 3cm on the vitality line. This 3cm of negativity will promote a certain amount of positivity. For some, it is 1:1. He will also have 3cm of positivity stimulated. Negativity is one time; so is positivity. With 3cm of negativity, they will generate 3cm of positivity. The ratio depends on your intelligence, awareness and merits.
Some are able to grow 10cm or 100cm of positivity out of 3cm of negativity. There is just a little push of negativity to draw out their potential. People with high awareness and good qualities, it is in their fate. Fate usually refers to the merit part. So, a little bit of negativity in life isn’t that bad. Because it stimulates positivity.
I am going to draw a second figure. The left side is still positive, so it is easy for us to tell. The right side is negative. Let’s imagine I was born into a wealthy family. I am smart, good and nice-looking; I perform well at school and at work. So I grew up with lots of positivity. Say, 3cm of positivity. I have good awareness; I apply what I learn. With 3cm of positivity, 10cm of negativity is promoted. Rich, living in abundance, good-looking, high awareness; being blessed as such can ruin a person.
The theory of yin and yang is best described by energy accumulation. When I studied the theory of yin and yang, my master said both yin and yang can’t survive on their own. I am going to draw a yin-yang diagram here. This diagram tells us that when an element enlarges or shrinks to an extreme level, positive or negative energy is produced. Positive and negative energy are the keys to the creation of the Universe, especially the energy formed on Earth. Everything has positive and negative energy. That is how it can be whole. Human reproduction for example. You need a male and a female to produce a new life, right? This is how beings on this planet we inhabit are created.
This applies to all physical matter and also to events. Things associated with positivity include happiness, joy, wealth, authority, good looks, etc. Say, we consider something positive, behind it lies negativity. It is like a circle: Wherever positivity exists lies negativity. When you link both positivity and negativity using a circle, you get a yin-yang diagram. Under the theory of yin and yang, twists and turns are common. Does 3 years of hardships promise 3 years of the good life? First, you might die after a few days of good life, it is possible. Or, your 3 years of hardships bring you 70 years of good life. That is also possible. The exact ratio of this is only known by Heaven, not humans. But all things are formed with positivity and negativity together.
Remember: “Yin itself cannot thrive, yang alone cannot live.” These concepts are ingrained in my brain from childhood. My master reminded me about it too. When my hands did the “Double Yang” when practicing Energy Bagua, he asked me not to do it. “Too much yang and you will lose yang.” “Alright, Double Yin then.” “Too much yin and nothing is left. Seek balance.” “But then I won’t be growing anything.” “Practice balance and see for yourself in 3 years.”
He wasn’t lying. I grew healthier, and my energy more powerful. So he said all things are based on the balance of yin and yang. Balancing is not to diminish, but to grow steadily. Let all things grow in balance. Such growth is the safest.
Yin itself cannot thrive, yang alone cannot live. Things reverse when they reach an extreme. Balancing is not to diminish, but to grow steadily.
Remember this saying: “Men, though poor, must not steal, and women, though poor, must not whore.” Because during times of poverty, these are the most direct methods of exchanging money and goods. This may sound ridiculous for people in present day. You haven’t experienced being penniless, that is why. You would be better at stealing than the thieves, right? But in some teachings from the ancients, there is still a lot we can absorb. When our environment is not vile to a certain extent, the teachings still provide us with important guidance. I hope that we could follow.
Some elites would say, “I can’t finish a meal without my $100,000 Pu-erh Tea.” Or: “I can’t sleep without bottles of red wine.” That is decadent and chaotic behavior. Or: “I only drive cars from Germany.” That is nonsense, these people have nothing to do. Right? Being wealthy doesn’t mean one should live lavishly. Keep doing it and troubles will follow.
Imagine your grandpa who was a refugee and your dad who worked hard to feed his family, including you. If wealth reaches the third generation, then the grandkids eat dumplings and spit out the skin. There is an old saying: “Family wealth goes as far as the second generation.” The third generation never lived through hardships or ever really understood the concept of yin and yang. He never knew or experienced hardships. How can he know anything about fighting hard for his life? If he never experienced poverty, how does he know to create value?
People often blame their poor fate when their life is hard, thinking that their life sucks. We are teaching people to treat their hardships seriously. Learn to accept it first, and attempt changes gradually. Normally people say, “You don’t get my pain as you never went through it.” Someone keeps messaging me online about how her money was swindled. She kept saying it online. Instead of wasting her time online, has she tried to earn her money back? No.
The greedy and deceptive thought of seeking effortless gain has already arisen. “Aren’t you guys kind? “I am poor and in hardship, at least give me some support. If everyone donates a little, I will be rich.” Any money not derived from real effort and work is not safe money. The result of getting such money could turn into something akin to the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. You finally got money through improper methods; it is akin to the praying mantis getting its cicada, and starting to bite on it, but an oriole is behind, waiting to eat them both. Very unsafe.
After experiencing hardships, firstly, don’t underestimate your hardships, afflictions and stress. Face it directly. Don’t be scared. Accept them with positivity and composure. And then, devise a plan to solve them. If it can’t be solved now, it will be within a week. If a week is too short, a month or a lifetime will do. Time can erase everything.
When it first started, you wanted to kill your enemy when you saw him. After a month, would you still want to kill him? You would say, “Don’t let me see you again.” After a year, you see him. You are still angry, but you don’t feel like killing him. After a decade, you would say, “Just forgive him. He is nothing. It is OK.” It gets solved in one sentence, right? So time can allow our soul to be healed. It can solve all problems. 100 years later, your pain and joy are nowhere to be found.
Everyone would start to feel liberated. I have been talking about troubles, but when we are faced with good things, remember this: When things seem happy, and you believe good things are about to arrive, you need to treat them with caution. Don’t think that things you consider good will surely bring actual good results. Many good things bring bad outcomes.
Many young couples can’t have children. Once they have money, they work hard to have a child. When the child arrives, they are so happy. Finally, he is here. If you don’t have kids, the money is saved. When the child turned 28, he spent all the money the family had. Money you have earned your whole life, and he spent it all. You are not overjoyed; you are furious. If you knew about this, would you still be so overjoyed with the newborn child? So, don’t shower your child with expensive gifts. A moderate amount is enough. If you can buy it with $1, don’t buy the $100 one. Because it might not bring good to the child.
The truth of everything comes from the arising of yin and yang. Get it? Things reverse when they go to the extreme. You are safe when your short of money to afford a house. When you have got more money and can afford a house, things go wrong. Usually your siblings or relatives cause things to go wrong. What kind of things? Borrowing and scamming money. Your dream house is about one million USD. When you have saved $600,000, the opportunists will pay a visit and ask to borrow some money. This is the Law of Nature.
This is only half. The other half is waiting for you. Saving up money is good. Others borrowing and not returning is bad. These 2 things come together and become emptiness. It used to be a circle with half the money hidden in it. Now the money is taken by others. It is still a circle, just an empty one, and will remain like this in the future. He took it away in advance, that is why it is so painful. So don’t borrow money from your siblings unless you have run out of options. Learn to make your own money and solve your own problems.
From the ability to solve problems to earning money, force yourself to do it alone. That creates motivation. The rich people buy expensive cars and insurance policies to protect themselves. They treasure their own life. When true destruction awaits is when the wolf meets the pig and the lamb. The pig and lamb would certainly die. It is not about the quantity. Who you are lies in your self-awareness and positioning.
Face, accept and solve your obstacles in life with rationality.
Let’s go deeper into the theory of yin and yang. Every element of yin contains an element of yang, and vice versa. Yin and yang give rise to and affect each other. Like how the Book of Changes says that things change constantly. Your mentality, bank savings, physical strength, emotional status, the food that you ate, people you met, etc. — all these will keep affecting your life differently. They are constantly changing. What is the concept behind the Book of Changes? No event will repeat itself, life is always in the process of changing. You can see the dragon’s head but not the tail. That is the Book of Changes. This can also be considered fate or energy.
So good things change day by day. Positive energy also accumulates. The best is having both good and bad. That way you can maintain balance. So when I am actively saving and accumulating, the result could be pushing things to another peak. After the peak comes a massive change. We see it as explosive. Things reverse when they reach an extreme. Everything is constantly evolving. What is yin is also yang; what is yang is also yin. We start to pick up what the yin-yang diagram tries to show. The arising of yin and yang elements is behind all formations in the world.
So we start to get to know fate; we understand a small detail inside it, like the issue with wealth. After listening to me, are you going to have second thoughts about earning a lot of money?
I advise parents not to take your kids to fortunetellers easily. They are too young for that. I feel that many fortunetellers, they have certain abilities when it comes to knowing one’s fate. Like for your son, he could become president, but the fortuneteller couldn’t tell that. So he says your son could become a business boss. Then this could potentially be an obstacle for the child’s journey to become a president. That is why I suggest this.
Some kids also lack the endurance. When the fortuneteller says the kid has a good life, he is going to be president, then the child would say, “I am the future president. “How can my parents disrespect me every day? “They spank me, yell at me and ask me to take tests every day. “How dare you! “Wash my feet. My mom can do that and my dad can do my homework.” If you guys immediately serve him, then he is ruined, right? “If my fate is this good, why would I work so hard?”
What if he says that the child will have a bad life? Say, a child is 7 and he is predicted to die at the age of 13. The child thinks, “I am going to die anyway, why bother with studying?” The fortuneteller also said that you will live a poor life. “If I have a poor life, why apply to universities?” You say, “The fortuneteller is talking nonsense” “If you don’t believe him, why go to him in the first place?” See, trouble.
If a good life is predicted: Oh my, you can no longer handle your kid. If a bad life is predicted, then the child may give up on life. Aren’t these all trouble? It is bad when it is inaccurate; it is even worse when it is accurate. Thus, it is best to avoid fortunetelling so that kids can have a normal, reasonable and balanced heart, and grow with a normal attitude. So don’t bring kids to a fortuneteller. There are no benefits.
When I was little, my friend was told by a fortuneteller that he had a fate fit for a lord. Nowadays, that is equal to the Prime Minister of State Council. He was nobody in the end, because he had quit school the next day. He said he wanted to visit all the countries, so he jumped on the train and left. His mom didn’t know where he had gone. 2 months later, he returned and said, “I need more travel budget.” The fortuneteller said he would become a lord. He started visiting around the country. Are you crazy?
His mom was worried about his future so she brought him to a fortuneteller. That made him quit school. He was smart, but if he didn’t have the knowledge, how was he going to exchange it for cash and daily allowances? So when he grew up, he scammed people. At the age of 19, he was put behind bars for fraud. It is not like what the fortuneteller said. The prediction didn’t mention jail, right? Why did he predict such a thing? It could be a wrong prediction, or just a lie for customer satisfaction. Everyone likes sweet talk. That is how it is.
So, I am reminding people not to do this. This is what I think. I am saying this because I think it is better for you. In life, it is more important to work hard and be dedicated to your responsibility. Like the diagram I drew before. A positive and negative diagram about karma. Yin-yang can also be transformed to the manifestation of karma.
So I feel that knowing what you are predestined to be is better. Not knowing it at all is also good. If there is a path for me to live on, I will be responsible and work hard toward it. It has to be a right path, scamming doesn’t count. If it is a normal career, work on it diligently, seriously and responsibly. Don’t waste your life. Don’t waste yourself. Do your best to do things well. Even if it is working for others, your boss is giving you money, so you can support your family. So do your job well.
I have heard people complaining about their job and bosses all the time. But when they get fired, they feel like it is the end of the world. They even resort to suicide, or suffer heart attacks; it triggers a lot of illnesses, right? But when he had the job, he never did it well. He just stayed because of the salary. This is the worst kind of life; it is vile, rat-like and dishonorable. He won’t be able to achieve anything.
It is OK to be kept in the dark as to what we are predestined to live out. As long as we put in effort, work hard and do our job well, we won’t feel our lives were wasted when we die. We would be proud when we see our deceased ancestors. As for me, I am OK to face death anytime. When I meet Buddha, I would say, “I didn’t do well, but I really tried.” You need this kind of behavior. That is what I call an exciting life. Looking back on your life, when you tell your story to your grandkids, if it is all trivial and petty things, then that is a very boring life. When you haven’t given your all to your job and your family, you have a boring life.
So, love what you do and give it your best shot. The depth of our intention at work is crucial. I hope people don’t look down on themselves. Have less selfishness and more virtue, with the public in mind. Virtue as in having less selfishness and more focus on public interest. Then, when we have finished life’s journey and start recalling our life in old age, we will feel very happy. Your friends will respect you and you will be seen as a worthy friend, not a typical acquaintance. How happy would that life be? You have brought happiness, achievement and joy to this world. That is amazing!
Be positive with fate; live with positivity. Virtue above all, and live with no regret.