Revelation of the Way of Heaven

Chapter 229 Wudang Discussion

Qin Xiaochuan stared wide-eyed at the kind-faced Daoist Zhao Changyu before him, completely surprised that the other party would ask such a profound question right off the bat. Several answers flashed through his mind, but in the end, he honestly shook his head and said, "I don't know."

"Then do you know what 'technique' is?" Zhao Changyu continued to ask without any hesitation.

He then understood what the other person wanted to ask, so he thought for a moment and answered seriously: "The so-called 'Tao' should be the internal law of a thing, which is hidden and not easily perceived by people. It can only be understood but not seen. The so-called 'Shu' is some objective law that can be observed on the surface. People can achieve their desired goals based on the law. It can be learned later. Compared with 'Tao', 'Shu' has certain limitations, so it is a lower level."

Zhao Changyu smiled and nodded, saying, "Let me give you an example."

Qin Xiaochuan thought for a moment, looking at the tea set on the table: "Take this tea and this water, for example. Once heated, they will produce upward steam, which generates kinetic energy. Watt saw this phenomenon and invented the steam engine. This is the application of 'technique'. The reason why steam can generate kinetic energy is that after water absorbs heat, the distance between the molecules increases, the volume of the object increases, and thus air pressure is generated. This is the principle of 'Tao'. The steam engine can only operate based on this 'Tao'."

"Haha, you're a quick learner." Zhao Changyu stroked his beard with satisfaction and continued, "What you said is quite right, but not entirely. You need to understand that what you mean by increased intermolecular distance is also an external manifestation, so it can also be considered a 'technique,' just a higher-level one."

He then picked up the teacup in front of him and continued, "Not only this tea, but everything in this world follows the same principle, including our cultivation. Let me ask you, what are the different methods of cultivation?"

Qin Xiaochuan was very familiar with this question, after all, he had scored full marks in his theory exam for the Department of Spiritual Studies, so he spoke fluently: "Whether it is spiritual power or physical strength, there are two ways to cultivate: one is consumption, and the other is replenishment. Consumption means constantly consuming physical and spiritual power to promote the improvement of one's willpower; while replenishment requires some special techniques, such as Tai Chi, Five Animal Frolics, yoga, as well as meditation, Zen meditation, and enlightenment."

"You're right, but what I want to tell you is that all these methods you've mentioned are just 'techniques'."

Qin Xiaochuan was taken aback, but immediately understood and quickly asked, "Then what is 'Tao'?"

After taking a sip of tea, Zhao Changyu slowly said, "Shiyi should have already told you, right? Once you reach level 6, you can no longer rely solely on meditation and other forms of cultivation to improve your spiritual power level. You also need to comprehend it, and that comprehension is the comprehension of the Dao."

Qin Xiaochuan nodded in agreement.

The Taoist priest gave him a deep look and asked, "Shiyi said you can sense animals' emotions, is that right?"

He scratched his head and said uncertainly, "It's not always possible, but sometimes I can feel something even in very obvious situations."

Zhao Changyu nodded and said, "Actually, this is a kind of supernatural power called telepathy. It's just that you haven't fully mastered it yet. The reason you can sense the emotions of animals or other people is because of the 'Tao,' or rather, your Tao heart connects you with other people."

Qin Xiaochuan frowned and pondered for a while, feeling he didn't quite understand, so he asked, "What is the Dao Heart?"

Zhao Changyu said: "The Book of Documents says, 'The human heart is perilous, the Dao heart is subtle. Only by being refined and unified, and holding fast to the mean, can one truly understand the great Dao of Heaven and Earth.' The so-called 'Dao heart' is the heart that connects with Heaven and Earth. Only by upholding this 'Dao heart' can one comprehend the great Dao of Heaven and Earth."

Qin Xiaochuan then asked, "Then how does one uphold this 'heart of the Way'?"

"Only by 'holding to the center and guarding the one' can one perceive the subtlety of the Dao mind."

Seeing that Qin Xiaochuan was even more confused, Zhao Changyu said in a deep voice, "Cross your legs and meditate, then form a hand seal."

Qin Xiaochuan was taken aback, but then realized that the other party was giving him instructions, so he quickly followed the advice and sat down to meditate.

"Pull in your stomach, straighten your chest, hold your breath, and listen attentively."

"There is something undifferentiated and complete, which existed before heaven and earth. Silent and still, it stands alone and unchanging, ever-present and inexhaustible. It can be regarded as the mother of heaven and earth. I do not know its name, so I call it the Way."

Zhao Changyu's leisurely voice kept entering Qin Xiaochuan's ears. With his voice, Qin Xiaochuan felt as if he had entered a state of nothingness, a vast and boundless expanse.

"Look inward at your mind, and you will find no mind; look outward at your form, and you will find no form; look afar at things, and you will find nothing. When these three are gone, you will only see emptiness. Observe emptiness, and you will find emptiness without emptiness; when what is emptied is gone, even nothingness is gone; when nothingness is gone, you will find a state of profound stillness and tranquility."

"Those who can remain still can attain the mean. To attain the mean, one must first guard the One. Those who attained the One in the past: Heaven attained the One and became clear, Earth attained the One and became tranquil, and Spirit attained the One and became divine. Because they could guard the One, they were able to attain the mean. The way of holding to the mean is to always be without desire, so as to observe the wondrous, and to always have desire, so as to observe its manifestations. By repeating this process, the mind of the Way will always remain, and this is to attain the Way."

In the darkness, Qin Xiaochuan felt as if a constantly operating microcosm had appeared before him, seemingly there yet not there, existing yet not existing. When it appeared, he felt as if the entire universe was under his control. When he tried to examine it closely, it disappeared. When he gave up his desire to explore, it reappeared there, vast and boundless, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither born nor dying.

Zhao Changyu looked at Qin Xiaochuan's meditative state, stroked his beard with satisfaction, stopped talking, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state himself.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when Qin Xiaochuan opened his eyes again, it was already getting dark, and he was the only one left in the tea room. At this moment, he felt clear-headed, as if all things in the world were in his heart.

He got up and walked out of the tea room, where he saw Guo Shiyi sitting on the railing of the corridor, idly admiring a lily.

"You've been waiting here for a long time, haven't you?" Qin Xiaochuan asked, patting her shoulder.

Guo Shiyi turned around, looked at him happily, and said, "You finally made up your mind? How does it feel?"

"It feels wonderful," Qin Xiaochuan said happily. "I feel like I'm only now truly understanding this world. There seems to be something indescribable about it; if you grasp it, you grasp the world."

"That's good. You haven't let my master down. You're a promising student." Guo Shiyi mimicked Zhao Changyu's tone and patted his shoulder.

"Of course, I haven't thanked him yet. Why don't you take me to him?"

"No need. My master said that once your Dao heart has manifested, his task is complete. The rest depends on your own comprehension. Remember to always cultivate according to the sacred path he taught you."

Qin Xiaochuan nodded, then said regretfully, "It's a pity, there are some things I don't quite understand yet, and I would like to ask him for some guidance."

"You just said you had an epiphany," Guo Shiyi shook her head at him and said, "Don't you know that the Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao, the name that can be named is not the eternal name? What others say is always theirs; only what you realize yourself is truly yours."

"That makes sense." Qin Xiaochuan's eyes lit up. "It seems you understand it even better than I do."

"That's right!" Guo Shiyi winked at him and said, "Don't forget, I'm your senior sister."