Also see Cultivation (Part 1)
Liu Zhi and Ali were at the entrance of a scenic area, having just come out from inside. It had been some time since the two last entered the mountains to pick herbs, and now it was already December, not long before New Year's Day. This time, Liu Zhi had accompanied Ali to sell medicine, but the medicine had sold out, so Liu Zhi accompanied Ali to visit a nearby scenic spot. After coming out of the scenic area, the two ate horse meat noodles at a restaurant and were now taking a stroll around before hurrying back.
This scenic area is not bad in terms of scenery, but there are too many tourists and man-made things, which Liu Zhi doesn't like very much. He spends his days facing the green hills at Majiazhai Elementary School, and he has never gotten tired of it, even thinking that the scenery over there is better than here.
There were many stalls along the road, most of which sold some tourist souvenirs, and some sold local specialties. There were even those selling wild Ganoderma lucidum, but in Liu Zhi's eyes, he saw that thing was a fake at a glance. Liu Zhi's vision is still quite poisonous in this aspect.
Ali was haggling with the stall owner over a small handicraft at a stall, while Liu Zhi knew stood beside her without intervening. However, it seemed that haggling wasn't an option here. A few meters away from this stall, there was a young man running another stall. He looked very ordinary, and in front of him were six gourds of varying sizes, ranging from large to small, with the largest one being several times bigger than the smallest. Each gourd had a piece of paper placed in front of it, on which was written "self-brewed grape wine" along with the price. The largest gourd was surprisingly the cheapest, priced at just over a hundred yuan, while the smallest gourd, which was only the size of a palm, was marked at an astonishing 2,000 yuan.
There's something strange about this, but what really caught Liu Zhi's attention was the writing on these few pieces of paper. It was elegant and natural, without a hint of vulgarity, completely a masterpiece. Liu Zhi had been forced by his grandfather to practice calligraphy since he was young, so his foundation in it wasn't shallow. But compared to this piece of paper, it was as if he hadn't even started learning. With such good handwriting, why would someone come out and sell wine? The reason behind it made one wonder.
Of course, it's only Liu Zhi who understands calligraphy. If you change to another person, they won't pay attention at all. After all, there are very few people who can grasp the essence of calligraphy now.
Liu Zhi walked over and asked: "Boss, did you write this character?"
"Of course I wrote it." The other person smiled, and Liu Zhi felt a kind of joy in the world, a strange feeling. Liu Zhi shook his head, squatted down, and examined it carefully.
"Boss, what's your surname?" Liu Zhi asked, raising his head, and the more he looked at it, the more flavorful it became.
"Exempt from the expensive, Shao Yan, little friend, why not choose a calabash of wine?" Shao Yan's title is very strange, he looks not big himself, but calls Liu Zhi Zhong "little friend".
Liu Zhi didn't notice, looking at the six gourds, the smaller the more expensive, he was puzzled in his heart, and involuntarily reached out to grab the smallest gourd. As soon as he took it, it felt very light, and he couldn't even feel that there was wine inside. He brought it to his face for a closer look, and just as he did, Liu Zhi suddenly felt that everything in front of him had changed. All the noise completely disappeared, and when he looked around, everything was vast and empty. Just as he was wondering, the white mist retreated, and a pavilion flew out. When he looked down at his feet again, it was a vast expanse of outer space, with countless stars twinkling. The pavilion was still in front of him, but he couldn't feel anything unusual.
"Willow Zhi Zhi, you're here!" Along with the sound of his voice, Shao Yan appeared in the pavilion.
"Who are you and what is this place? How did you know my name?" Liu Zhi knew was somewhat discomfited, but not panicked, as if there was a reassuring power present.
"My name is Shao Yan, this is a space I casually opened up. Liu Dao You, you have already entered the door of cultivation, everything about you is clear to me. You unintentionally stumbled upon the path of cultivation and will naturally have fate with me in the future, so I came to see you. Although you've entered the path of cultivation, you almost know nothing about it. Sit down, let's talk!" As Shao Yan spoke, he casually pointed a finger, and a stone bench appeared, as well as a stone table in front of him.
Liu Zhi knew that the other party had no malice, and casually opened up space, with things appearing at will. This ability was something that even legendary gods couldn't do at will. What kind of background did Shao Yan have? (For those interested in Shao Yan, you can refer to my other book "The Great Dao Cultivator")
Liu Zhi Zhi sat down, and on the table appeared two crystal cups. Shao Yan casually pulled out a palm-sized gourd and poured two cups of grape wine, its color a deep purple, like precious stones. A unique fragrance wafted out, and Liu Zhi Zhi stared at the small gourd. The cups in front of them were not small, filled to the brim with wine. One cup was as large as the gourd, but both cups were full, as if the gourd still had more wine inside.
Shaoyan saw Liu Zhizhi staring at the wine gourd in his hand, and couldn't help but laugh, saying: "This gourd contains 100 catties of grape wine, selling it to you for 2,000 isn't expensive, is it?"
"Is this the legendary storage device?" Liu Zhi asked uncertainly.
"What you said is right, don't be envious. You can refine a magic weapon, if you understand the principle, you can also refine similar things!" Shao Yan said with a smile.
"Senior, who are you?" Liu Zhi saw that the other party was about the same age as himself, and after thinking for a long time, he still called out "senior".
"Don't call me senior, cultivating the Tao, we are all fellow Taoists. Call me a fellow Taoist, and I am what kind of person? You haven't reached that level yet, you'll know when the time comes. Meeting you today is also a kind of fate. If you have any questions about cultivation, speak up, and I'll answer them for you!" Shao Yan said with a smile.
"Since that's the case, I won't be polite. What are the different levels of cultivation and how many realms are there?" Liu Zhi thought to himself, trying to resolve his inner doubts.
"You're asking a very broad question, and to put it simply, cultivation is about correcting one's behavior, constraining oneself in a certain way, and achieving self-transcendence. There are many ways of cultivating, and different philosophies give rise to different methods, but ultimately, they all aim for self-transcendence.
In our country, most cultivators follow either the Taoist or Buddhist paths, with some also practicing shamanism. Your method is closer to Taoist cultivation, which seeks the Great Way, where body and spirit are both refined, and one's true nature is eternalized as the goal.
Buddhist cultivation aims for spiritual liberation, transcending the cycle of birth and death, seeking a state of no-birth and no-death. Shamanic practices focus more on protection, communicating with the spirits of heaven and earth, and ensuring peace in a region.
As for divine cultivation, such as Christianity and Islam, it includes cultivating virtues, purifying one's heart, loving God, and realizing God's truth.
Different methods have different levels, and Taoist classification typically uses the stages of refining essence into energy, refining energy into spirit, refining spirit back to emptiness, and refining emptiness into the Way. This is worldly law, and your current level is at refining essence into energy. Of course, different sects have their own standards.
However, your method is unique, and you've unconsciously incorporated scientific knowledge into your cultivation!"
"Can spiritual practice and science coexist?" Liu Zhi knew that he himself unconsciously used scientific knowledge, but in his heart, he still thought that spiritual practice and science were two different paths.
"Who says that science and cultivation can't coexist? Everything in this universe is within the bounds of the Great Way, and science is no exception. Didn't you use scientific theories to create techniques like the Fireball Technique? Didn't you approach the creation of magical artifacts from a scientific perspective?" Shao Yan retorted.
One word awakened Liu Zhi, and at the same time, Liu Zhi looked at the person in front of him with some awe. Everything was just as this person had said before, he was indeed omniscient. Since that's the case, there's no need to hide anything anymore.
"What is that state I unintentionally entered on that day and can now enter at will just by concentrating?" Liu Zhi knew wanted to understand everything that was happening to him.
"This is your opportunity, this state is a kind of harmony between heaven and human, the manifestation of external scenery entering inward. Many practitioners sit in meditation for many years to polish their mind, but cannot enter this state. Once you enter this state, you will naturally exchange with the outside world, and the spiritual energy will naturally enter inward." Shao Yan said.
"What is Qi? I feel very comfortable, but I don't feel any gas entering my body!" Liu Zhizhi asked in confusion.
"This is the implication given to you by your mind, from a scientific point of view, it can be said that the spirit does not exist at all, but science is far from being mature, and there are many things that are not understood. In other words, science believes that the world is basically composed of matter and energy, of course, this is narrow-minded, matter and energy can be converted into each other, currently, science can easily convert matter into energy, which is nuclear reaction, used for military purposes, atomic bombs and so on, but there is a missing link here, diamonds and graphite are both made up of carbon atoms, their properties differ greatly, why?" Shao Yan asked again.
"This is easy to understand, the atomic arrangement structure is different!" Liu Zhizhi gave the answer in one breath.
"Not bad, just as you said, it's indeed the difference in spatial structure. What is this structure? Now, some insightful people in the scientific community have proposed informatics, which currently applies to computers and the like. I'm borrowing the term 'information' here - not only does matter-energy exist, but so does information. Information can be thought of as the way matter-energy is arranged in time-space. The same thing, different arrangement, completely different effects. The human body's genetic genes are just made up of four pairs of base pairs, arranged differently, representing different traits. Qi (spirit) is essentially a kind of energy too, but it contains different information. You didn't feel the qi entering your body like a gas, but rather felt external scenes entering inward - in reality, that was the qi entering. It's just that your knowledge and understanding didn't want to acknowledge that intangible, ethereal qi, so this situation arose. For you, it's actually easier to see the essence. If someone had been practicing Taoist cultivation since childhood, they might feel a genuine sensation of gas entering their body." Shaoyan's explanation made Liu Zhi suddenly enlightened, but he realized he had been thinking about it in a biased way.
"So, should we approach cultivation from a scientific perspective?" Liu Zhi suddenly had an idea.
"It won't work, because modern science has not yet reached its peak, and a fundamental idea of modern science makes it difficult to start practicing from a scientific perspective. Modern science holds that matter is primary, controlling external objects through external means, whereas practice is different - it's a kind of self-transcendence, a kind of self-evolution, using the laws obtained to transform oneself. From this point of view, it won't work, but our predecessors have already made explorations in this aspect. Our predecessors proposed the idea of 'investigating things', similar to science, yet it's a path, and you are now on the path of investigating things." Shao Yan said with a faint smile.
"It is as The Great Learning says: 'The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the world, first ordered their own states. Wishing to order their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated themselves. Wishing to cultivate themselves, they first rectified their minds. Wishing to rectify their minds, they first made their intentions sincere. Wishing to make their intentions sincere, they first extended their knowledge. The extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things.'" This passage is very familiar to Liu Zhi, and his name originated from this.
"You are named Zhi Zhi, and you should come from this section. Unfortunately, the method of Ge Wu has long been lost, and it is also vague in ancient books. The discussion in 'The Great Learning' is just what Song people think, empty and difficult to implement. In fact, there are practices related to Ge Wu among the pre-Qin masters, with Mozi being the most typical. You should take a good look at the books of the various masters, broaden your knowledge, and reflect on yourself, then you can directly point to the Great Way!" said Shao Yan.
Liu Zhi heard Shao Yan's words and fell into deep thought. Shao Yan saw that he seemed to have gained some insight, so he continued: "Actually, the application of 'ge wu' has been practiced by earlier sages and recorded in books. Later generations just didn't understand it. Both 'ge wu' and science have perfect theoretical foundations. Science follows the path of observation and experimentation, mainly relying on the eyes and developing instruments like microscopes and telescopes. It forms a complete theory based on visible objects and uses it to control and change external things. On the other hand, 'ge wu' is much more profound and extensive. Although it also starts with the eyes, it involves observing all things from afar, taking what's near at hand, and even introspecting to directly point to the essence of life. It forms a theoretical foundation based on yin-yang, five elements, and eight trigrams. Ordinary people feel that this is very mysterious and obscure, but isn't science also mysterious? You've studied quantum physics, which is no less mysterious than yin-yang theory. People believe in science because many things around us are created based on its principles. In fact, the theory of yin-yang and five elements is similar. The most representative example is traditional Chinese medicine, which completely takes yin-yang and five elements as its theoretical foundation and forms a self-consistent system that works effectively. This can explain the problem. The theories of yin-yang and five elements and modern science are approached from two different angles. Yin-yang theory focuses on information rather than physical objects themselves. It looks at how different information is manifested, just like the five elements. It doesn't emphasize material energy but rather the relationships between the information contained in them and their mutual transformations. The understanding of the human body in traditional Chinese medicine is vastly different from modern anatomy, which is why they don't contradict each other. It's like blind men touching an elephant, each holding onto one aspect."
Shao Yan's words opened up another perspective for Liu Zhi, people often cling to their own views and unconsciously fall into stubbornness, overlooking many things. It is easy to say that one should be tolerant, but it is difficult to put it into practice. One must stand at a fair angle, which is what the Confucians call "the middle". Seeing Liu Zhi thinking, Shao Yan did not rush him, but just smiled and looked at him.
"I understand, you're saying that the ancient Chinese theory of the continuity of the Huaxia civilization is based on the foundation of various changes and transformations of information, rather than material energy. Just like what's said in the I Ching, Taiji gives birth to the two instruments, yin and yang energies, people have many ways of dividing things, there are auspicious energies, there are ominous energies, etc., but ultimately it's just the role of the information contained within on life. In the end, it's just a different arrangement of material energy, like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen elements can form sugars, fats, and proteins, which are nutrients for the human body, but also can form highly toxic gases like hydrogen cyanide, inhaling one breath is enough to kill! The five elements generating and overcoming each other is just a relationship of transformation and repression!" Liu Zhi felt his heart suddenly broaden.
"What you said is not bad, the I Ching is the theoretical foundation, while the Huangdi Neijing explains the human body from this perspective. You can read these two books carefully, talismans are just information applications, various cultivation methods, especially Taoist cultivation methods, are just a kind of practice." Shao Yan saw that Liu Zhi knew how to raise one and refute three, and a happy smile appeared on his face.
"What's with that tool? Is it also this kind of application?" Liu Zhi knew lowered his head and thought for a while, then spoke again.
"The power of a magic tool comes mainly from two aspects, one is the material's own properties and the other is the user's control. When making a magic tool, first choose the materials, many materials on earth are already scarce, but in the ocean, there are still many good materials, do you feel the memory of the material itself when refining the magic tool?" Shao Yan asked, pausing for a moment.
"This reminds me, when I was refining the artifact, it felt like I had become one with the artifact itself, experiencing the process of being forged a thousand times. Is this what they mean by the artifact's memory? Or is it the information contained within the material?" Liu Zhi asked curiously as he recalled the process of refining the artifact.
"Not bad, it turns out that you are quite lucky. The knife you bought was made by a master craftsman who concentrated his spirit and worked tirelessly to create it. As a result, the knife has naturally been imbued with the craftsman's spirit, leaving behind a subtle imprint of information. The human spirit has a kind of mysterious power; otherwise, people would not be able to cultivate their skills. It all depends on one's intentions and efforts. If a machine were used to produce it, it would be impossible to create such a sensation, and it would be very difficult to refine it into a magical tool. When refining a magical tool, one must first sense the material's properties. If the material is good, you can even sense its origins and the natural processes it has undergone. For example, with a piece of meteoric iron, you may be able to sense the effects of cosmic rays on it as it traveled through space. With good luck, you might even sense the splendor of a star explosion. That kind of property, once refined, is transformed into the magical tool's wonderful uses!" Shao Yan explained.
"I used to read that the method of refining instruments requires true fire, but I don't have true fire, so how can I refine instruments?" Liu Zhi didn't care what he said, after all, his knowledge of cultivation was shallow, and he even took things from the middle of the book at face value.
"Who says you don't have true fire? True fire isn't just about describing it, you accidentally created the fireball technique. Don't you understand fire? Fire is just a form of energy release, where material energy surpasses its own structural endurance and releases in the form of light and heat. In reality, heat is just an appearance, it's just a manifestation of particles moving too fast. You use your heart and mind to refine materials, this is a manifestation of your spiritual power. Your practice of hypnosis trains your spirit, you received the Five Ghosts' technique transmission, after the Five Ghosts scattered, your spirit became even stronger, and you appeared to control objects. This is already the foundation of many techniques, driving particles with your spirit is also a form of energy release. If you call it true fire, what's wrong with that? It's just a name!" Shaoyan said this, and Liu Zhi suddenly had an epiphany, and he unconsciously began to reflect on his own actions. Everything he did seemed to conform to reason without him thinking about it, but from now on, he would take the time to reflect on himself.
Shaoyan is of such a level, at a glance he saw what Liu Zhizhi was thinking, and nodded unknowingly: "You can inspire introspection, which means you have taken another step forward on the path of cultivation. Introspection may be simple, but it is an indispensable tool for cultivation!"
"So there's a saying about the law enforcement tool that requires a law array, does it have a law array or not, and what's going on?" Liu Zhi asked again based on what he had seen.
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