Inter-  Faiths  Dialogue

The Ways > Developing one's Nature

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B eloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall
be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him.


church quote 4313  | 
1 John 3.2 

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S ince all Dharmas are immanent in our mind there is no reason why we
should not realize intuitively the real nature of Suchness. The
Bodhisattva Sila Sutra says, "Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure,
and if we knew our mind and realized what our nature is, all of us would
attain Buddhahood."


temple_buddhist quote 4296  | 
Sutra of Hui Neng 2 

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A t whose behest does the mind think? Who bids the body live? Who makes the tongue speak? Who is that effulgent Being that directs the eye to form and color and the ear to sound?

The Self (Atman) is ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech. He is also breath of the breath, and eye of the eye. Having given up the false identification of the Self with the senses and the mind, and knowing the Self to be Brahman, the wise, on departing this life, become immortal.


temple_hindu quote 4137  | 
Kena Upanishad 1.1-2 

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I n the golden city of the heart dwells
The Lord of Love, without parts, without stain.
Know him as the radiant light of lights.

There shines not the sun, neither moon nor star,
Nor flash of lightning, nor fire lit on earth.
The Lord is the light reflected by all.
He shining, everything shines after him.


temple_hindu quote 4136  | 
Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.10-11 

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B eing inexhaustible to self-inspection (…) this is the integrity of the Great man.


quote 4023  | 
Zhuangzi, chap.24 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. A.C. Graham, p.150 

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B y cultivating one’s nature (?), one will return to virtue (?). When virtue is perfect, one will be one with the beginning (?), one become vacuous (?), one become great.


quote 4022  | 
Zhuangzi, chap.22 (shool of Tchuang Tzu), trad. W.T. Chang, 1969, p.202 

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H ERMES: The intellect, 0 Tat, is drawn from the very substance of God. In men, this intellect is God; and so some men are gods and their humanity is near to the Divine. When man is not guided by intellect, he falls below himself into an animal state. All men are subject to Destiny, but those in possession of the Logos, which commands the intellect from within, are not under it in the same manner as others. God's two gifts to man of intellect and the Logos have the same value as immortality. If man makes right use of these, he differs in no way from the immortals.


church quote 3650  | 
Poimander, 1.12, based on translation by Yates, F., 1964, pp. 33-34 

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I n order to perfect oneself, one must renew oneself day by day.


synagogue quote 2755  | 
Martin Buber’s ten rungs, collected Hassidic saying, p.51 

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I t is not easy to find people of sharp intelligence in the world. Even Yen Hui (Confucius' most virtuous pupil) and Ming-tao (Ch'eng Hao) dared not assume that they could fully realize the original substance of the mind as soon as they apprehended the task. How can we lightly expect this from people? People's minds are dominated by habits. If we do not teach them concretely and sincerely to devote themselves to the task of doing good and removing evil right in their innate knowledge rather than merely imagining an original substance in a vacuum, all that they do will not be genuine and they will do no more than cultivate a mind of vacuity and quietness [like that of the Buddhists and Taoists]. This defect is not a small matter and must be exposed as early as possible." On that day both Ju-chung and I attained some enlightenment.


candle quote 2451  | 
Wang Wen-ch'eng Kung ch'uan-shu, or Complete Works of Wang Yang-ming, Instruction for a Practical Living, 3:45b-47b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 35 

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A friend who was engaging in sitting in meditation attained some insight. He ran to make an inquiry of the Teacher. The Teacher said, "Formerly, when I stayed in Ch'u-chou seeing that students were mostly occupied with intellectual explanations and debate on similarities and differences, which did them no good, I therefore taught them sitting in meditation. For a time they realized the situation a little bit (they saw the true Way) and achieved some immediate results. In time, however, they gradually developed the defect of fondness of tranquillity and disgust with activity and degenerated into lifelessness like dry wood. Others purposely advocated abstruse and subtle theories to startle people. For this reason I have recently expounded only the doctrine of the extension of innate knowledge. If one's innate knowledge is clear, it will be all right either to try to obtain truth through personal realization in a quiet place or to discover it through training and polishing in the actual affairs of life. The original substance of innate knowledge is neither tranquil nor active. Recognition of this fact is the basis of learning. From the time of Ch'u-chou until now, I have tested what I said several times. The point is that the phrase 'the extension of innate knowledge' is free from any defect. Only a physician who has broken his own arm can understand the causes of human disease. (1)


candle quote 2447  | 
Wang Wen-ch'eng Kung ch'uan-shu, or Complete Works of Wang Yang-ming, Instruction for a Practical Living, 3:25a-b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 35 

(1) Quoting the Tso chuan (Tso's Commentary), Duke Ting, 13th years.

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T he Teacher said, "Our nature is the substance of the mind and Heaven is the source of our nature. To exert one's mind to the utmost is the same as fully developing one's nature. Only those who are absolutely sincere can fully develop their nature and 'know the transforming and nourishing process of Heaven and Earth’ (1).


candle quote 2434  | 
Wang Wen-ch'eng Kung ch'uan-shu, or Complete Works of Wang Yang-ming, Instruction for a Practical Living, 1:8a-10a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 35 

(1) the Mean, Ch. 22

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T he Teacher said, "Tzu-hsia (507-420 B.C.) had strong faith in the Sage whereas Tseng Tzu (505-c.436 B.C.) turned to seek the highest good in himself”. (1) It is good to have strong faith, of course, but it is not as real and concrete as seeking in oneself.


candle quote 2433  | 
Wang Wen-ch'eng Kung ch'uan-shu, or Complete Works of Wang Yang-ming, Instruction for a Practical Living, 1:8a-10a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 35 

(1) Quoting Chu Hsi, Meng Tzu chi-chu (Collected Commentaries on the Book of Mencius) ch. 3, comment on Mencius, 2A:2.

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I f as we come into contact with the thing to which the will is directed, we really do the good and get rid of the evil to the utmost which is known by the innate faculty, then everything will be investigated and what is known by our innate faculty will not be deficient or obscured but will be extended to the utmost. Then the mind will be joyous in itself, happy and without regret, the functioning of the will will carry with it no self-deception, and sincerity may be said to have been attained. Therefore it is said, "When things are investigated, knowledge is extended; when knowledge is extended, the will becomes sincere; when the will is sincere, the mind is rectified; and when the mind is rectified, the personal life is cultivated."' (1)


candle quote 2428  | 
Wang Wen-ch'eng Kung ch'uan-shu, or Complete Works of Wang Yang-ming, Inquiry on the Great Learning, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 35 

(1) Great Learning, the text.

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T he extension of knowledge is not what later scholars understand as enriching and widening knowledge. (1) It is simply extending one's innate knowledge of the good to the utmost. This innate knowledge of the good is what Mencius meant when he said, "The sense of right and wrong is common to all men." (2) The sense of right and wrong requires no deliberation to know, nor does it depend on learning to function. (3) This is why it is called innate knowledge. It is my nature endowed by Heaven, the original substance of my mind, naturally intelligent, shining, clear, and understanding.


candle quote 2426  | 
Wang Wen-ch'eng Kung ch'uan-shu, or Complete Works of Wang Yang-ming, Inquiry on the Great Learning, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 35 

(1) Commentary on hexagrams, no. 1, ch'ien (Heaven). Cf. Legge, trans., Yi King, p. 410. (2) Chu Hsi, Ta-hsueh chang-chu, commentary on the text. (3) Mencius, 2A: 6, 6A: 6.

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M encius said, “First build the nobler part of your nature and then the inferior part cannot overcome it” (1). It is because people fail to build up the nobler part of their nature that it is overcome by the inferior part. In consequence they violate principle and become different from Heaven and Earth.


candle quote 2398  | 
Complete Work of Lu Hsiang-shan (Hsiang-shan ch’uan-chi), 11: 1 a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 33 

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M encius said, "Is there not a heart of humanity and righteousness originally existing in man?"(1) He also said, "We originally have them with us (the senses of humanity and righteousness, propriety, and wisdom) and "they are not drilled into us from outside". (2), The stupid and the unworthy do not come up to them and thus they are obscured with selfish desires and lose their original mind.


candle quote 2397  | 
Complete Work of Lu Hsiang-shan (Hsiang-shan ch’uan-chi), 1:6b, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 33 

(1) Mencius, 6A: 8. (2) Mencius, 6A:6.

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M encius said, "The ability possessed by men without their having acquired it by learning is innate ability, and the knowledge possessed by them without deliberation is innate knowledge. (1) These are endowed in us by Heaven. "We originally have them with us," and "they are not drilled into us from outside." (2) Therefore Mencius said, "All things are already complete in oneself. There is no greater joy than to examine oneself and be sincere (or absolutely real) (3)


candle quote 2396  | 
Complete Work of Lu Hsiang-shan (Hsiang-shan ch’uan-chi), 1:3b-4a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 33 

(1) Mencius, 7A: 15. (2) Mencius, 6A: 6 (3) Mencius, 7A:4.

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P rinciple is endowed in me by Heaven, not drilled into me from outside. If one understands that principle is the same as master and really makes it his master, one cannot be influenced by external things or fooled by perverse doctrines.


candle quote 2394  | 
Complete Work of Lu Hsiang-shan (Hsiang-shan ch’uan-chi), 1:3a, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 33 

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M an's strength, weakness, slowness, quickness, and talent or lack of talent are due to the one-sidedness of the material force. Heaven (Nature) is originally harmonious and not one-sided. If one cultivates this material force and returns to his original nature without being one-sided, one can then fully develop his nature and [be in harmony with] Heaven. Before man's nature is formed, good and evil are mixed. Therefore to be untiring in continuing the good which issues [from the Way] (1) is good. If all evil is removed, good will also disappear [for good and evil are relative and are necessary to reveal each other]. Therefore avoid just saying "good" but say, "That which realizes it (the Way) is the individual nature.” (2)


candle quote 2386  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

(1) Changes, "Appended Remarks" pt. 1, ch. 5. Cf. Legge, p. 356. (2) Changes, "Appended Remarks" pt. 1, ch. 5. Cf. Legge, p. 356.

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O ne who can fully develop his nature can also develop the nature of other people and things. He who can fulfill his destiny can also fulfill the destiny of other people and things (1), for the nature of all men and things follows the Way and the destiny of all men and things is decreed by Heaven. I form the substance of all thing without overlooking any, and all things form my substance, and I know that they do not overlook anything. Only when one fulfills his destiny can he bring himself and things into completion without violating their principle.


candle quote 2385  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

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I f one knows his nature and Heaven, then [all the operations] of yin and yang and negative and positive spiritual forces are all part of my lot.


candle quote 2383  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

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O nly through fully developing one's nature can one realize that he possesses nothing in life and loses nothing at death.


candle quote 2382  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

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B y "sincerity resulting from enlightenment" (1) is meant to develop one's nature fully through the investigation of things to the utmost, and by "enlightenment resulting from sincerity" (2) is meant to investigate things to the utmost through fully developing one's nature.


candle quote 2381  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

(1) The Mean, ch. 21. (2) The Mean, ch. 21.

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W hen the Way of Heaven [or principle] and the nature of man [or desires] function separately, there cannot be sincerity. When there is a difference between the knowledge obtained by following (the Way of) Heaven and that obtained by following (the nature of) man, there cannot be perfect enlightenment. What is meant by enlightenment resulting from sincerity is that in which there is no distinction between the Way of Heaven as being great and the nature of man as being small.


candle quote 2380  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

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K nowledge gained through enlightenment which is the result of sincerity (1) is the innate knowledge (2) of one's natural character. It is not the small knowledge of what is heard or what is seen.


candle quote 2379  | 
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30 

(1) Cf Mean ch.21 (2) Cf Mencius, 7B:15

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