PART I, "Demystifying the Spiritual World —— 'Higher Self' Is Different from 'Higher Spirit'"

People whose "wishes have come true" achieve a life others will envy. When asked how they have achieved it, they just say, "I simply follow a certain feeling. I could not explain. I just take chances ......" Have you ever heard such an answer? You plan to learn from him some tips for success, but he gives such an answer as "following a feeling", so you still cannot figure it out. However, he says that it is true and he thinks that he might be just lucky!

In fact, this kind of people do not know that they do have the ability to "foresee", but his "foreseeing" is a kind of "foreboding" instead of a clear "seeing". So, he explains this unexplainable "feeling" as a vague sensitivity or "following a feeling". If you hear it, mechanically copy it and "follow your feeling" as well , you will probably hit the wall and fall to the ground while seeing him fly over your head.

There are actually people more powerful than that. Regarding what to do next, instead of intuition or feeling, they can factually "see" it, which can even be "an entire path" (for example, five, ten, twenty years later ...). These people can truly "foresee" rather than "forebode". For example, eminent monks and venerable men in ancient times could predict not only the future of their disciples, but also the rise and fall of current situations. Therefore, at some moments, they gave private advice and warning to close disciples. 

These are the people who "have discovered divinity".

A person who has discovered divinity is like growing wings. He will fly up within his confines and begin to "see" the formerly invisible scenery. At the beginning of "discovering divinity", he can clearly see everything around him. He can feel the mindset of the person coming into his confines. So, he will know what he should do next. A person at a higher level of "discovering divinity" will even see the progression of his current situation and the future of the country and society, then he will know how to go farther in the path of his life.

However, "divinity discovery" at this level is just a connection with one's own "Higher Self", it is not with the "Higher Spirit" yet. That being the case, "Great oaks from little acorns grow." Spiritual growth requires one's expansion layer by layer as well.

The "Higher Self", as it is named, is your spiritually higher existence (but not in the material universe), who is a wise and seasoned practitioner like a heavenly steed soaring across the skies with great degrees of freedom. To Him, you are one of his "episodes" (experiences). If you can connect to Him, He will be your spirit guide, your soulmate. The Higher Self plays the role of "THAT WISDOM" that can talk with you. Most of the "channeling" are dialogues generated at this stage, but this is not a connection with the Higher Spirits yet. (Note 1)

(Note 1) If you want to consult the experience of "talking with one's Higher Self", you can read the book "Divine Freedom". (Business Weekly Publishing)
　

Dialogues with the Higher Self enables you to fly up within your confines and see everything in your current life. If you can broaden horizons, you can also see a wider "surrounding". For example, you can be very clear about trends of the whole society and the country. Having dialogues with the "Higher Self" is a bit like having a soul mate. At this level, a person can self-cultivate and self-improve in his spiritual practice because he has company of a sage living inside him. However, the "Higher Self" is still within the "confines". This is the reason why versions of "several celestial spheres of heaven" exist in traditional religions. "There is heaven beyond heaven". Something beyond a certain sphere (level) is incomprehensible to those in it.

The Higher Spirit ranks the Higher Self. However, we will proceed with the parts comprehensible to humans, and that will do. If the Higher Spirit comes to connect with you, His theme will be that you gradually learn "moderatism" in the world, how to have the wisdom of "keeping your balance with others", and then He will lead you in your life to gradually come to the realization of "nothing coming and nothing going".

Next, let's explain this part.

To bacteria, man is a "universe"; compared with our universe, a man is like a bacterium. In other words, "the entire existence" goes up layer by layer like "Russian dolls" and it also goes down layer by layer. So, the universe can be said to expand outwards layer by layer and it is also true that the universe shrinks in layer by layer. It is just like the movement of DNA, a rotational energy.

Since it is "rotating", when you think "that is right", it may be wrong; but when you think "it is wrong", it may be right. Why? (Because) there is no right or wrong. This "no right or wrong" is what Zen Buddhists say about "nothing coming and nothing going". However, Zen Buddhism's "nothing coming and going" is not what most people think that "nothing really comes" and "nothing really goes". Instead, its "constant coming and going" assures its "nothing coming and going". That is, there has always been a "flow", a "movement."

"Nothing" is"dynamic" instead. Just like white light, it seems colorless, but it consists of many colored lights that converge and flow out this "while". Although you say it is "white", if someone looks at it from a certain position, it will be different from what you see. For example, in your eyesight the tree is green, but someone in front of a yellow glass window finds it blue. Another person may even see it as red or a color you have never seen before. Since it is dynamic, rotational relativity, there is no so-called right or wrong.

Another example is that in the vast sea of people, everyone is like a planet, rotating on his own orbit. When these orbits have endless interaction, is it you that are making others rotate? Or is it someone that is making you rotate? Are you actually driving this airplane of your life? Or is this airplane driving you? (Note 2)

(Note 2) Please refer to "Dialogues with Buddha" P.115 (Business Weekly Publishing)
　

It is also like, you have a one-thousand-dollar note. You buy stuff and spend it all. The boss who earns one thousand from you pays for his goods with it. Then the supplier who has got the money pays his child's tuition with it ...... It is due to the flowing of this one thousand dollars that wherever it goes, people are maintained. In the process, everyone got the money, but they also spend it without hoarding. Although his deposit is "zero", he will be supported by the "opulence of the entirety".

Then this "zero" is exactly "nothing coming and nothing going". This zero is not "dead" though; it will become "unlimited opulence". So, why do people say that "money is water and it must flow"? Money that does not flow becomes a "number", not "money." When money is not flowing, all business languishes. Those who have been raking up money and taking money to themselves will also find his world shrinking while his limits increasing. Why? (Because) the world will become full of poisonous and hurtful things, and human hearts will become malicious, so you must spend more energy to protect yourself. Then, why is this happening? (Because) the world is increasingly loveless.

A loving person will let money, commodities, and others' happiness flow freely ...... (Because) in the universe, "love" is "flowing". For example, when a person does his part at work, he is flowing the loving energy in his heart outwards through his work. Then, those who need his work for their provisions will get support and nourishment from it. So, the person who does this job is providing people with a "small paradise", in which people feel wonderful with his presence. If everyone does his part at work, the energy of love will flow freely and unobstructedly on earth. Then the entire earth will be a great paradise.

With that being understood, you can then imagine what it means by "Buddha's omnipresence". "All living entities" are actually "flowing" and they have been supplying us with this moment now, and "all living entities" are truly real, are they not? Or else, how can you "be here"? This is "Buddha's omnipresence". Then, why "nothing has come and nothing has gone?" (Because) everything in the universe is like the one-thousand-dollar metaphor above, it "flows out" of your hand, but it will flow in from another place, so nothing comes and goes. You may ask what exactly is this "one thousand dollars"? You may say that it is everything, but it is also "everything out of nothing". A banknote is just a piece of paper with no value itself. It is due to this flow that a banknote has value. It is also due to your willingness to be the "point" assisting the flow so that you will go beyond what people call "ego", beyond the concept of "gain and loss", and feel the "opulence of great oneness". When you have felt this great oneness, that is, when you have become one with this "great oneness', then you can feel this "nothing coming and nothing going".

Thus, "nothing coming and going" is not "nothing at all", but it is that "everything" has been flowing. This universe (everything) is such by nature. If you are selfish, allowing nothing to flow, then you will not come to the realization. Neither will you see life and death (because you have that "ego").

What is described above only is the true "zero limits", that is, the universe itself is this "zero".

When your soul comes to the realization of this "zero", this "zero" will not be a "zero" to you. It can be "infinite"; it can be "Huayan (Flower Adorned) World" , but it is still also a "zero". Like the "Russian dolls of the universe" we just described above, you can say that it has been expanding outwards or shrinking inwards. Either will do. They are exactly the same thing.

All energy of joyful and loving flow is that "zero", which is "God" or "Buddha" you all are worshipping. They are these "zeroes" (Note: The Higher Spirit's pun, as the word "zero" is also pronouced as "spirit" —— 'Ling' in Chinese) Why are they "zeroes"? (Because) They are not to grab anything (no ego). But do They exist? They do.

When you connect with the Higher Spirit, or when the Higher Spirit comes to connect with you, His main "business" is to let you be enlightened to the above mentioned. However, it is not done with words, but He has the ability to turn your life into a path to this great enlightenment. In other words, He will make you another "Higher Spirit" and return to "Tathagata" of that "Great Oneness" (nothing coming and nothing going). That is to say, He will let you get rid of samsara and become another Buddha.

Thus, here is how the Higher Spirit differs from the Higher Self. It is not just dialogues the Higher Spirit gives to you. In fact, His major working on you is done with "your entire life" instead of words. That is, your life will be propelled by Him to a "miracle of attaining Buddhahood" in place of "ups and downs of samsara". This is how the working of the Higher Spirit outstrips the confines of the Higher Self.

Our next article will explain in more detail about the so-called "working of the Higher Spirit" and how you can "discover your divinity".

Original Text in Chinese