The key to change the destiny of the world:
How one good thought can improve the world
The urgent search for a key survival is like an arrow dispatched to every corner of the world. The world has run along a course of actions that has resulted in abnormal climate change. What is the critical point in which to change the world’s destiny? How do we find the key solution to resolve the crisis? I advocate that everyone should do a good thing for himself and generations to come, which is to “prepare for the next life.” Our lives have limitations. The destiny of the world has been returned back into the hands of Mother Nature. The way to change the world’s destiny is through compassion and corrective actions.
The lack of focus in people’s hearts has always been life-threatening. By finding the fundamentals of all things, we are able to diminish our impact on the environment. We have to come to the understanding of the intended purposes of all things. The natural resources of earth, water, fire, and wind are abundant and available for use by humankind. However, nowadays, we have to restrain the exploitation of natural resources and are in a race against time to find alternatives before it is too late. We are all facing wars, poverty, global warming, AIDS, cancers and depression in the 21st century. How are we going to deal with these common enemies? Global warming has sent a warning message that the course of depletion is about to reach its limit. We should all bear in mind the serious problem that although Mother Nature has been very kind to us so far, this kindness may soon come to an end.
The current situation can be described as “although what has brought us here is inexplicable, we still have to proceed down the road.” We are not in the position to seek explanations to what has led us here. The best course for us is to model ourselves after Patriarch Huike (487-593), the Second Patriarch of Chinese Chan (Zen), who was so determined to pursue the truth of nature and ways to cultivate his mind that he was willing to sacrifice his arm. Only by such firm determination will we be able to find the way of survival along the road. This is to buy some time for our offspring. The key can be as big as the synchronization of different systems, the active use and wide spread distribution of useful information and spontaneous reforms, or as small as starting out by being a good person. I would like to propose three key suggestions to affect the world’s destiny.
- We have to change our mindset and the environment. We can do so by employing Tai Ji Men’s wisdom of yin and yang so that we can be closer to the people’s hearts and more understanding of the people’s situations. More power will be mustered, wisdom will be inspired and actions will be taken to save our world.
- We can divide gigantic problems into many small ones; small issues simplify difficulties and make problems manageable. It is also easier to implement changes and promote and measure progress. While we may not be able to move a large rock, we can chip away at it and eventually grind it into dust.
- It is advocated that all participants in the UN conference explore the true meanings of enlightenment in this lifetime through the practicing of Tao. We have to push for a larger cleansing of our hearts and find a new lifestyle that leads back to the origins of happiness.
It is becoming clear that heaven, earth, and humankind share the oneness. Turbulence and chaos are approaching, and anomaly is reemerging. As a consequence, we find ourselves in a situation where the poor stay poor and the rich are also poor. At this time, if we only focus on personal interests, we will have no time to make progress. When the big wave comes, everything will be flooded; no matter how much money, fame, or power we possess, we will become nothing but bursting bubbles. We all are a small part of the big universe. We will have the clean qi when thinking deeply about the topics of discussion of the UN conferences in the coming months. The good qi brings the opportunities for change and this is the key to change the world. If everyone turns to good thoughts, then we can change the world. If everyone is committed and gathers the positive energy of good intentions and positive thoughts, we will have a safety net.
An old saying goes, “what we see as real and what we see as delusions all have implications.” People with good intentions and positive thoughts will be blessed to figure out the deeper meanings and avoid troubles. People with bad thoughts will be scared, uneasy and lose their sanity. They will become nothing but an empty shell. This is what we call “retribution of a lifetime.” These people will reap a fate of ills they have sown. When their time is up, Heaven and Earth cannot forgive these acts.
Depression and dark environment will greatly impact people's psychological conditions. Those who suffer from depression have no control over their own hearts. What they see and what they think are illusions of their own making. Groundless talks further confuse their minds. The humanity inside a human can become so depressed that he is no longer a human. That is why we have more and more reported cases of depression. Animals are also affected and unusual phenomenon is beyond ecologist’s understanding. It has been found that the thorns of a hedgehog almost disappear because the hedgehog was not able to hibernate. Unfortunately, the hedgehog is not the only animal to be unable to hibernate in recent years.
What is the solution? The solution lies in “good thoughts to better the universe.” The reform must start within our hearts. We can divide gigantic problems into many small ones; small issues simplify difficulties and make problems manageable. It is also easier to implement changes and promote and measure progress. The Security Council is one of the major organizations in the United Nations. It is responsible for maintaining international peace and security according to the UN Charters. It is also the only UN organization empowered to take actions of force. To resolve disputes and keep the world’s safety and peace requires a balanced way complete with the wisdom of yin and yang to facilitate the rational allocation of resources.
People all understand the importance of peace, but they are not willing to cleanse their hearts to eliminate disasters. Life after life, the cycle continues to run its course. The water reservoir from accumulations of tens of thousands years may be depleted some day. The iceberg may be melted or evaporated. Cities will need to be moved to places of safety.
We all know that calamities are coming. If our bad habits and evil thoughts continue to prevail, people will fall into the abyss of deep pain. To prevent the recurrence of bad habits and evil thoughts is the only way to survive.
In the early days of the 20th century, we began to evaluate a person’s intellectual ability and we developed the use of Intellectual Quotient. This was a progressive step in the development in human learning. Later on in the 21st century, we realized the importance of emotion management and we designed the Emotional Quotient. In recent years, a new term called Adversity Quotient (AQ) has developed in management theory. AQ is the ability to withstand adversity and face challenges. According to AQ expert, Dr. Paul Stoltz, the higher a person's AQ is, the higher person's flexibility to face adversity, to become positive and proactive, and to take on a difficult challenge. This person can find creative ideas to solve problems, be very dauntless and brave, and finally the person can excel in every way.
Therefore we have to point out that life will find its way. The same message or knowledge, when the environment evolves, must develop a new generation of adaptability. We cannot change what has happened. But we can create effects by changing ourselves to benefit ourselves and others. The starting point of everything is to replace selfishness with God’s compassionateness. We will gain utmost wisdom and courage when we reach a state of enlightenment that treats insentient beings with the same compassion as sentient ones.
I inherited the esoteric essence and wisdom of Tai Ji Men from a secluded martial arts master and became the zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men. Over the past 40 years, Tai Ji Men dizi practiced heart and qi kungfu with a special focus on the wisdom of yin and yang. They also put into daily practice what they learn from Tai Ji Men and spread the power of clean mind to advance the ideal of one world, in which when people have a heart of generosity, they can transcend the differences of national boundaries, religions, languages, races, and cultures. It is delightful to see that, after countless efforts, global leaders have recognized that love and peace rise above religions and cultures and they have reached consensus on love and peace.
When there are no more chances for misunderstanding, everybody becomes partners on the road of cultivating their hearts. The threat that we all face should be seen as the ignition of torch in a beacon tower, sending out a warning signal to all of the countries of the world that we need to come together in unity in order to fend off this common threat. A good, kind and positive thought will save the world. Let's start conserving energy use in order to reduce global warming. We will know where we stand by making analogies to all other things. If we can release ourselves from the burdens of the past and let the hearts of purity guide us, we will have the inspiration of the energy deep inside our hearts to make right decisions and pick correct paths.
This power can be initiated simultaneously around the world. It's like a signal that triggers everybody in the world at once. It's like a button being installed. The button is what we call “How one good thought can improve the world.” Change is a state of mind. If our thoughts do not change, nothing will change. As such, reform will not be possible. Therefore, the critical point of changing the world is solidarity. Real solidarity won’t come if we don’t realize the urgency of death coming. Be it the problems of human rights, conflicts, wealth, poverty, or resource allocation, we should be fighting for the existence of the human race rather than fighting against other people.
Remember the story of Noah’s Ark in the Old Testament? In the story, it mentioned that God saw all kinds of wickedness, violence, and other evil behaviors among humans and decided to destroy the world by a great flood. Afterwards, only Noah, his family and animals in Noah’s ark were spared. That was the last hope of human being.
Nowadays, our generation faces a similar situation. It is like a melting iceberg. The last thing we want is man-made heating and pressure on the environment. The sooner the ice melts, the more compressed our living space will become and more threatened our survival will be. When doomsday comes, we will have no excuses for the ruthless maltreatment we have committed for centuries against Nature. Therefore, only when the Heaven and the Earth don’t cry anymore, and people reply with love and peace, we will have more opportunity to survive.
I wait and wait! The dying vines and old trees are waiting for the human beings to wake up from their long slumber. Flowers bloom and bloom! When spring no longer comes back to decorate our lands; when bright light is no longer shadowed by dark nights, people will wake up in this world of mortals; when there is no more prosperity and people start experiencing endless pain, they will find the endless love and kindness of nature. Holding on to a faith and a hope that never fades, a mission that passed down from ancient time to me, I am a leader of a menpai; I am granted the duty to lead, to protect, to undertake and to hand down. I am a person who receives and hands down ancient qigong, martial arts, cultures, and wisdoms of Tai Ji yin-yang principle. The world need drew me to accept my calling in order to fulfill my heartfelt destiny and to walk hand-in-hand with all living creatures. With compassion, my wish is to lead humankind away from suffering, fear, war, and pain, to share in an affluent world of peace and harmony.