Pure Yang!

Chapter 4 Who is me?

After five o'clock, all the tourists on the Golden Summit went down the mountain, and the originally bustling mountaintop became deserted.

The valley is quiet and peaceful, with birds flying back and forth. In the distance, there is a sea of ​​clouds and mist, and the rolling mountains are faintly visible. It really does feel like a retreat from the world.

Li Yishan was already so tired that he fell into a deep sleep.

Zhang Fan rested for a while and then wandered around the mountain alone. It must be said that it is a pipe dream to enjoy such a private stay in a 5A-level scenic spot even in the off-season.

"Um!?"

At this moment, Zhang Fan caught a glimpse of an old man in Taoist clothes standing under a towering tree not far away. He was bent over and arched his back, with one hand pointing backwards, standing still in such a strange posture.

"Are you practicing martial arts?!" Zhang Fan's eyes lit up.

He had heard that there were indeed many Taoist priests practicing in many famous Taoist mountains. Although they did not possess the power to fly, escape the ground, subdue demons and monsters like in movies and TV dramas, they could still prolong their lifespan and strengthen their bodies.

"This is meeting a master..."

Zhang Fan's heart moved slightly, and he hurried forward, walked to the side of the old Taoist priest, and humbly asked: "Master, are you practicing?"

"Finally someone has come... Young man, my waist is sprained, please help me..."

"..."

Zhang Fan curled his lips, but still stepped forward and supported the old Taoist priest. The latter rubbed his old waist, leaned against a big tree, and slowly sat cross-legged.

"I'm old."

"Master, please take a rest first."

Zhang Fan was vaguely disappointed. He responded casually and turned to leave.

"Young man, do you want to travel or seek the truth?"

At this moment, the old Taoist's words made Zhang Fan stop.

"Seeking the truth? What truth are you seeking? Are there still people going into the mountains to seek the truth and practice cultivation these days?" Zhang Fan showed curiosity.

"Since ancient times, people have practiced cultivation to achieve immortality. Who doesn't want it?" The old Taoist priest smiled.

"Immortality..." Zhang Fan showed an awkward smile. Having received nine years of compulsory education, he naturally would not believe that there was such a thing as immortality in this world.

As for cultivation, at most it is a method to strengthen the body.

"Taoist practice may not be what you think."

The old Taoist priest seemed to see through Zhang Fan's thoughts and spoke out clearly.

"What's the difference?"

"Remember it in one word: quiet." The old Taoist whispered.

After hearing this, Zhang Fan became even less interested. He had heard in many health-preserving chicken soups that in life, one must remain calm and composed in order to get rid of worries.

"The secret of spiritual practice is hidden in here." The old Taoist grinned.

"What secret?" Zhang Fan asked subconsciously.

"Young man, how is your study going?" The old Taoist priest suddenly changed the subject and asked an irrelevant question.

"not so good."

"Have you ever worked hard?"

"This... I have thought about it..." Zhang Fan curled his lips, but the damn late stage procrastination is indeed an incurable disease.

"Everyone knows that hard work will lead to better results, but when the time comes, there is always a voice saying, let's start tomorrow..."

The old Taoist priest kept on talking, as if he was talking to Zhang Fan, but also as if he was talking to himself.

"The you who makes you study hard... is you? Or is the you who makes you start tomorrow... is you?"

"This..." Zhang Fan was stunned, and then showed a strange look: "Who is me?"

"All things are created by nature, and some are innate and some are acquired, and the same is true for humans..."

"The primordial spirit is innate, and the conscious spirit is acquired."

"The so-called consciousness is something formed by acquired knowledge, experience, rules, etc..." The old Taoist grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"In life, it may seem that you are the master of yourself, but in fact it is the consciousness that is in control. Buddhism calls it the seventh consciousness, the manas consciousness..."

"It is swayed by the seven emotions and indulged in the six desires. All bad habits of lust and anger come from the consciousness..."

It will automatically classify the things it encounters into good, bad, or neither good nor bad.

People are greedy and anxious about good things, and fearful and repulsive about bad things. All kinds of thoughts are flying around, which leads to different emotions and affects people's behavior. The consciousness consumes people's energy and spirit throughout their lives.

Zhang Fan thought for a moment and it seemed to be true. He understood many principles, but when it came to actually doing them, he always found various excuses for himself. He had so many contradictions in one person, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

But now...

The conscious spirit is like a domineering warlord who controls a region and is too powerful to be eliminated. He bullies the isolated monarch above him, who is the innate spirit. Over time, the status of the monarch and his subjects will be reversed.

"The Taoists practice longevity. There is a saying that if you want people to live forever, you must die first."

The old Taoist priest's words rang out again: "The key is to destroy the conscious mind and preserve the original spirit."

Zhuangzi said, "You are born and you die at the same time, and you die and you are born again at the same time."

Once a person is born and comes into contact with the afterlife, the conscious mind will enter into nirvana during its lifetime. But if the conscious mind dies, the original spirit will be reborn. This is the truth.

"Many Taoist classics contain the secrets of cultivation, but ordinary people cannot see through them."

The old Taoist priest looked at Zhang Fan's thoughtful expression and continued, "On ordinary days, the consciousness is extremely difficult to detect. It is only when one is deeply in misery and illness that it is most obvious."

"Why?" Zhang Fan asked puzzled.

"Because only when people are deeply in suffering do they have the most distracting thoughts..." the old Taoist explained.

For example, when someone is heartbroken, she will have countless thoughts, entangled in the past, anxious about the future, and feel pain, anger, anxiety, grievance and other emotions. Emotions affect behavior, and some people even commit suicide because of this...

For example, you want to stop masturbating, but there is always a voice telling you to keep masturbating.

This is the conscious mind causing trouble.

The old Taoist priest whispered, "Since ancient times, all the great masters of alchemy have suffered great setbacks before they were enlightened and became immortals."

"It is said in the alchemy book that mortals who seek immortality fall into the mortal world and must pass two levels to gain the Tao..."

Only in matters of love and life and death do people's thoughts become the most chaotic and their emotions the most volatile...

This is also the time when the consciousness is most agitated.

Another thought arises, and false thoughts fly. If you want to kill the devil, you must see the devil first.

At this time, if you can keep calm and quiet and subdue all the chaotic thoughts, it is like consuming the power of the conscious mind. As the power decreases, the primordial spirit will gradually emerge.

"So the word 'quiet' is the key to practicing sexual energy." The old Taoist priest said calmly.

"Everyone says that the Taoist classics are full of empty words and thoughts, but they are just empty talk. In fact, they contain methodology..."

"The Tao Te Ching has five thousand words, but the methodology only has six words..."

“Reach the utmost emptiness, maintain the deepest stillness…When your body and mind are utmost empty and still, without any thoughts arising, and your consciousness returns to stillness…you will be able to see many things that your eyes cannot see, when that ray of light shines through…”

"You will be able to see the primordial spirit and truly begin to practice longevity."

The old Taoist priest lowered his voice, appearing extremely mysterious.

"It's a pity that people's lives are so fast nowadays. Not to mention practicing to achieve immortality, the pressure is so great and the thoughts are so complicated that they may suffer from various anxiety disorders, depression... They may even develop mental illnesses..."

As he spoke, a look of compassion emerged on the old Taoist's face. The world was becoming more and more turbid. This was the end of the practice and also the sorrow of people like them.

"Master, how do I cultivate the word 'Jing'?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

"Young man, you finally got to the point."

The old Taoist grabbed Zhang Fan's wrist, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a terrifying gleam of light flashed in them.

"Zhenwu Mountain Meditation Class, discounted price 5680, four days and three nights, with a set of Taoist uniforms and a Tai Chi sword as a gift..."

"..."

"Sign up now and I'll give you a discount of 300 yuan."

"..."

I am not afraid of strangers' sudden concern, but I am afraid of the sudden silence in the air.

"Then...what...Master, I have something else to do..."

Zhang Fan walked away, regretting that his parents had not given him two more legs. He had never dreamed that he would encounter a swindler selling courses in the mountains.

"Young man..." The old Taoist priest shook his head as he looked at Zhang Fan's receding figure.

At this moment, two young Taoist priests came over from a distance. When they came in front of the old Taoist priest, they bowed deeply to him.

"Master, the two Heavenly Masters have been waiting for a long time."

(End of this chapter)