Chapter 45: Three Realms of Confucianism and Dao

Borrowing the observed Salary Qi, Xu Jia rearranged the orchids, bamboo, and other green plants serving as decorations in the study, guiding this Salary Qi toward the desk to nourish Father Xu, helping him nourish Qi and exchange Qi. Under the nourishment of Salary Qi, literary thoughts and official fortune would gradually emerge.

"When are you going to return that Mountain-Backing Picture? The space behind the desk is empty." Seeing Xu Jia bustling about, Father Xu did not know if it was effective or not, but the room was much brighter, with sunlight from outside the window shining in at an angle.

These things were comfortable, but with the Mountain-Backing Picture gone from behind, he truly felt a sense of emptiness, as if it were no longer complete.

"Do you think I would covet your things?" Xu Jia did not really need this Mountain-Backing Picture anymore; the calamity of Group Yin Stripping Yang had already passed. So, he went out and called Xiao Hong: "Xiao Hong, go get that painting I hung on the door!"

Xiao Hong hurriedly retrieved the picture, and Xu Jia personally hung it back in the study, behind the desk.

This Mountain-Backing Picture was given to Xu Jia's grandfather by the person who sold him his official position. Although it was not painted by a famous master, it truly contained a bit of official Qi.

If nothing else, the private seal stamped on it was proof that there were people in the imperial court.

Now that this person was still active in the officialdom, and even more powerful than in those years, this painting had cultivated "momentum."

The Literary Prosperity Array set up by Xu Jia stimulated Literary Qi, Auspicious Qi, Wealth Qi, and Salary Qi. When these Qi saw the Mountain-Backing Picture, they seemed to have found a reliance and all drifted toward it.

This "official Qi" was nourished, radiating from the bean-sized seal to the entire Mountain-Backing Picture.

In this way, the tone for the entire "Literary Prosperity Array" in the study was firmly set.

Seeing this, Xu Jia did not offer pointers, only secretly calculating. As the saying goes, rely on mountains and they will crumble, rely on people and they will grow old. Xu Jia could borrow the momentum of this mountain, but he could not rely on it; otherwise, it was a paper mountain after all, not a real one. Not to mention it crumbling, even a single fire would destroy it in an instant.

These were matters for the distant future. Xu Jia thought more shallowly: "If this Mountain-Backing Picture can be used to cultivate something through a Feng Shui array, it could serve as a Daochang for the Luejue Shen to reside in."

Refining paintings into Magic Tools was a common occurrence.

The ancients entrusted their emotions to landscapes, climbing high to gaze into the distance. Upon returning, they would splash ink to capture the essence, bringing the "divine intent" of the landscape to life on paper, which counted as creating a Dharma Realm.

In *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*, there is the story of "Painted Wall," where ghosts and spirits reside within a painting and live there, and a scholar's soul travels in a dream to consort with the beauty in the painting...

This painting is a mountain; if it could be refined into a treasure, it could also store many beast-ghosts and mountain spirits.

For example, the "Er Lang Searching Mountain Picture" would be quite suitable. By adding a Spirit General to the painting, one could command various mountain spirits and ghosts.

Xu Jia put this thought aside for the moment. Seeing that this place, like the Buddha hall, had been arranged into an "official Daochang," it would be a pity not to stimulate Father Xu's potential and coax him into making an effort. He spoke to persuade him: "Mother has already decided on her path of cultivation, starting by practicing Buddhism and chanting sutras. Father, would you like to try cultivating?"

"Isn't it said that cultivation is quite expensive? All the gold in our family has been eyed by you; what should I cultivate?"

Xu Jia smiled: "Of the three teachings—Buddha, Dao, and Confucianism—I cultivate Dao, and Mother cultivates Buddha. Why don't you become a Ru Cultivator, Father? I happen to have a method here; it is an inexpensive way to cultivate, and it helps with passing examinations for official rank."

"What cultivation method?" Father Xu was not interested at first, but upon hearing the words "official rank," he became curious: "Can reading books also be cultivation?"

"Why not? Eating and sleeping are both cultivation," Xu Jia said, offering a Zen-like remark.

"Actually, Mengzi said, 'I am good at nourishing my vast, flowing Qi.' What Confucianism cultivates is precisely this breath of vast, righteous Qi, which is supreme and unyielding."

"In fact, the Hundred Schools of Thought in ancient times were all good at cultivation, including the ancient Sage Kings. Cangjie, who created characters, possessed four eyes; Shennong had the head of an ox and a crystal stomach; Great Yu slew many demons while controlling the floods; and Zhou Wenwang understood the arts of the I Ching."

"By the time of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States, the scholars of the Hundred Schools also mastered sacrificial rites, slaughtering animals to sacrifice to heaven and earth, and distributing the meat to the ministers."

"For those who have gained wisdom from reading, it is very easy to cultivate."

Xu Jia said: "Confucianism says: cultivate the self, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world. Isn't that a form of worldly cultivation?"

"To be good at nourishing vast, righteous Qi is to cultivate the heart based on respecting Rites, cultivating virtue, and not cheating in dark rooms. With benevolence, righteousness, courage, and wisdom, practicing Zhixing Heiyi, one senses the vast and unyielding Qi between heaven and earth, filling one's body..."

Xu Jia recited another passage: "When Heaven is about to place a great burden on a person..." and something about the four beginnings, and something about "Life is what I desire, righteousness is also what I desire."

Later on, he even recited a passage from Prime Minister Wen's "Song of Righteousness."

"Heaven and earth have righteous Qi..."

Father Xu was a scholar by nature. Hearing these words, his blood boiled: "This is good! How does one cultivate this? I will cultivate this; I want to cultivate vast Qi, to cultivate the righteous Qi of heaven and earth."

Seeing that he had taken the bait, Xu Jia said: "This requires entering the public service to cultivate, entering the imperial court to cultivate. If you cultivate well, you will have a glorious reputation for a thousand years and be enshrined in the Imperial Temple; if you cultivate poorly, you will be reviled for ten thousand generations, but you will still be immortal in infamy..."

Hearing this, Father Xu finally understood: "You don't mean just taking the Recommended Man and Presented Scholar examinations, then becoming an official and accumulating a clean and virtuous reputation, do you?"

"Yes," Xu Jia said. "This method is extremely difficult to enter. If you think it's too hard, Father, then forget it."

"After all, Provincial Graduate and Metropolitan Graduate are quite hard to pass, the officialdom is so treacherous, and emperors are the most heartless... If you are dismissed from office, that's one thing, but I fear the extermination of three clans, or nine clans. If you are too upright and clash head-on with the emperor, and he executes your tenth clan too, then you're finished..."

Father Xu was indeed provoked: "Learning leads to officialdom. What have I studied for my whole life? Isn't it to serve the imperial court and seek the hearts of the people? If I feared death, I wouldn't have chosen this path. Besides, how could a wise monarch persecute a virtuous minister? If he harms a virtuous minister, he must be a foolish monarch. I would naturally accept the small punishment and flee from the big one..."

His voice grew weaker toward the end, clearly frightened by the mention of clan extermination, but he suddenly said firmly: "I will cultivate!"

Xu Jia immediately praised him: "That's good! Then I will tell you the method! Just like Buddhist practice, the ultimate goal is to attain True Awakening, sequentially proving the Arhat, Bodhisattva, and finally the Buddha. Daoist practice is divided into Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, God Immortal, or Heavenly Immortal. Confucian practice takes the attainment of 'Sage' as the ultimate goal, such as Sage Kong, Sage Meng..."

"Corresponding to the three realms of Buddha and Dao—Arhat, Bodhisattva, and Buddha—are the three realms of 'Great Worthy,' 'Grandmaster,' and 'Sage'."

"Reaching the realm of 'Worthy' is roughly the level of Kongzi's seventy-two disciples. For example, Yanhui, whom Kongzi once said: 'Worthy is Hui'."

"The Grandmaster realm requires writing books and establishing a school of thought, like Xunzi, who can be considered a Grandmaster."

"The Sage realm is like Kongzi and Mengzi."

Hearing this, Father Xu was shocked: "How is the first realm already 'Worthy'? Yanhui is one of the ten philosophers of Confucianism; is he only the first realm?"

Xu Jia said: "That is the first major ladder I mentioned. Isn't the Arhat Vehicle the lowest level of fruition in Buddhism?"

Father Xu was discouraged again and asked: "I see. Then, besides Yanhui, who else can be called a Worthy?"

Xu Jia did not know how to judge either, only saying: "That depends on how many virtuous monarchs are recorded in history books. When a virtuous monarch governs the world, there is a high probability of virtuous ministers and Worthy people."

Father Xu understood in his heart: throughout the dynasties, every two or three hundred years, there are fewer than ten "Worthy people" in total.

A thought of "how difficult" arose in Father Xu's heart. But in the difficulty, a different kind of spirit emerged: "If I aspire to be a Sage, that would be too ridiculous. I don't have the ability to become a Grandmaster. If I strive to become a Great Worthy, even if I don't reach the standard in the end, if I'm not a Great Worthy, I can still be a Small Worthy..."

So he listened carefully to Xu Jia.

All changes stem from the same source; cultivating Dao, Buddha, or Confucianism is actually all about cultivating the heart.

There is a saying: "Heart-proof, intent-proof," which is what this means.

Xu Jia turned reciting sutras and mantras into memorizing classics.

He turned worshipping gods into revering sages and aspiring to learn from them.

He turned drawing talismans into writing brilliant essays.

He turned sitting in meditation into contemplating principles.

He turned strict rules and precepts into observing rites and morality.

Nourish righteous thoughts, perform righteous deeds, and cultivate in the world; official rank is Immortal rank.

The government office is the temple Daochang, and the common people are the sentient beings sinking in suffering.

Implementing benevolent governance is saving the suffering and rescuing the distressed...

These things that seem reasonable are actually not created by Xu Jia himself, but are recorded within the Underworld.

It is just that Confucianism cultivation is extremely difficult to enter, with many external demons; holding an official position is like carrying a sharp weapon—if one's thoughts are not upright, one's realm will regress.

If one can reach the state of "a gentleman does not deceive in a dark room," it can correspond to the Daoist "Yang Spirit."

It is just that Confucianism does not cultivate the Inner Elixir, nor does it cultivate Dharma Power; what is nourished and strengthened is only the divine soul.

If one can truly reach the state of "Virtuous," one can serve as an official directly in the Underworld or the Heavenly Court while still alive.

After death, one takes office immediately, with at least the fruit status of a God Immortal.

For example, Wei Zheng of the Tang Dynasty was a Ren Cao Judge; Cui Jue was an Underworld Great Judge; Wang Xizhi was a Supreme Ultimate Judge... The Song Dynasty also had Bao Zheng, who tried the living by day and the dead by night, and after death, he directly became a Yama King of the Underworld. Hai Rui of the Ming Dynasty was enfeoffed as a Door God while still alive; he was also a Virtuous one.

Talent is talent wherever it goes.

Xu Zhiyuan heard Xu Jia's words and already had an epiphany: "In other words, I must have the background of a Metropolitan Graduate and have some fame and influence... only then can I be considered to have crossed the threshold."

"That is exactly so. Is Father willing to strive for the Achievement of a Great Worthy?" Xu Jia's eyes were burning; his desire to see his father succeed had reached its peak.

"Would I be too old?" Xu Zhiyuan was being pushed and already felt some regret, doubting himself: Can I really do it? "Of course not. Father has not yet made a name for himself; entering the officialdom is a new beginning." Xu Jia dispelled his concerns and excuses regarding his age.

"It is just that from now on, reading must be much more diligent and hardworking; bring out the spirit you had as a child student." Xu Jia guided him patiently: "You must sleep early and wake up early, recite articles and classics, and also go to the county office in time to copy the imperial gazettes; the laws, decrees, and legal precedents must not be missed."

"There are still a few months until next spring; let's have a hundred-day sprint! There is still a lot of hope for passing the Provincial Graduate examination!"

Xu Zhiyuan was stirred to boiling blood by these words, his face red and neck thick, his breathing heavy: "Good! Good! Good! It is time for me, Xu Zhiyuan, to pass! To bring honor to my ancestors and open a separate ancestral hall—it begins today!"

He immediately began to write vigorously, rewriting his essay.

(End of this chapter)