In the search of Truth, man of cultivation must learn two things. Firstly, realization is an important stage and if one wishes to seek further, realization is a necessity. For with realization, the wisdom is then opened up. When the wisdom is opened up, the knowledge will then be widened and one will be able to see things at their best, otherwise it is only look, and not see. When one goes deeper into it, one will realize his own nature and find his true self. When these two treasures of man are found, attainment to Nirvana is near at hand.

When the first is achieved, one will get to understand emptiness better. Emptiness is often talked about by the cultivating man. What then is the nature of emptiness? Emptiness, though it seems to be, is filled with Truth. Emptiness leads to the prevention of desires. When one really realizes that the world is actually filled with emptiness, he will never sway left or right for personal gain. Lustful desires will not surface if man fully realizes emptiness. Since everything appears to be beautiful and yet cannot remain, why be attached to it? Detach from the illusion that blinds us then we will feel happy again.

All things have their starting point. For humans, things begin from the heart. The very thought of man will make an angel or a devil out of them. Teachers may be in abundance but if the thought of learning is not there then what will a thousand words mean to them? If the thought of search is there, then they will travel afar to seek the Truth and to learn from the Sages and Teachers who may teach them. The thought will lead to the search and the search will lead to an indepth study. Then one will understand what is emptiness and can let go of all attachments that may bring him down. The things that we love the most is the most difficult to let go. For examples our beautiful wives and children as well as money, properties and valuable possessions dear to the hearts.

Once a young beautiful Taiwanese female preacher of Tao told me that no matter how beautiful a woman is, finally what remains is the skull. She lives like a nun, but didn't shave her hair. An example, like the Goddess of Mercy when she was alive, as a princess, she was beyond the beauty of woman. Her father wanted to marry her off but she ran off to a nunnery to become a nun because she realized the true meaning of emptiness. Likewise my Heavenly Teacher, JiGong, he was from a very rich family during the Song Dynasty and very handsome. His parents realized that he was very religious and wanted to marry him off by finding him a wife. On the wedding day, without even seeing his beautiful wife, he ran off to be a monk because he realized the true meaning of emptiness and the Truth.

Lao Mu (God) advised cultivators of Tao of Heaven to hurriedly attain enlightenment and this is what she said, "Wake up to the truth and Tao; emptiness is not actually empty. Existence is nothingness; nothingness is existence. Both existence and nothingness are of the same essence. Image is emptiness; emptiness is image. The void is neither an image nor emptiness."

Author: T.A Chew