Every one of us is born with three lives. The first is called life, also known as the physical body, given to you by your parents. The second is called destiny, which is innate. The earth does not grow nameless grass, and the heavens do not create useless people. Everyone who comes into this world is here with a mission. It’s up to you how you use this life, without exception. But how many people truly know their destiny?
Confucius said, “At fifteen, I set my heart upon learning; at thirty, I had planted my feet firmly on the ground; at forty, I no longer felt perplexed; at fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven; at sixty, I heard them with docile ear; at seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right.” Even Confucius didn’t realize his destiny until he was fifty, that his destiny was not to be an official, but to collate ancient texts and continue the interrupted learning of the sages, and thus he became the Supreme Sage. So I ask you, do you know where your destiny lies? Is what you are currently doing your destiny?
The greatest sorrows in an ordinary person’s life are twofold. First, marrying someone you do not love. Second, spending a lifetime in a job you neither like nor excel at. But once a person discovers their destiny, they will find that they have talents. There is a very professional term in psychology for this called “psychic embryo.” A female mentor named Montessori said that finding your talent and deliberate practice equals a winning combination. Everyone has talents because when Heaven gives you a destiny, it inevitably gives you the ability to fulfill it. However, finding your talent comes at a great cost, and this is where we need to make efforts, look inward, and understand ourselves in order to discover it.
The first three sentences of the Doctrine of the Mean say, “What Heaven has conferred is called the nature; an accordance with this nature is called the Path; the regulation of this path is called the teaching.” The nature that comes with birth is the destiny of each person, as well as their temperament. Acting according to one’s nature is the greatest path, which coincides with what Laozi said in the Tao Te Ching about “wu wei” (non-action). Therefore, good education is never about cramming, but about awakening and guiding each person to discover their talents and follow them. So if you find this makes sense, remember to like and follow, allowing positive energy to flow back to yourself.
To find your destiny, you need to unlock the third code, called wisdom life. Wisdom life is the inherent wisdom within each of our lives. This life often requires others to give it to you. Others may be your teachers, or they may be your stumbling blocks, right? Enemies can also force you to become stronger. Both are considered the work of a teacher. As the saying goes, “When confused, a teacher guides; when enlightened, one finds the way by oneself.” But this teacher is not necessarily a specific person. It could be parents with great ability and wisdom, or it could be some passers-by we meet on the journey of life. You can add two words before “passer-by,” right? An important passer-by in your life. I tell you it could also be a book, it could be a sentence, or it could be that you yourself need to activate this wisdom life. It requires good roots and favorable conditions. So we often say, success or failure depends on different words. We can meet here, and you are willing to listen to me speak a few words, isn’t this a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes? So here I also want to say a few more words. In fact, parents should not possess their children. Your children are only here in this world through you; they have their own destiny and wisdom life. If you have too many worries and controls over them, it can easily cut off their wisdom life. But if you have already begun to introspect, to be self-aware, to look inward instead of grasping outward, then this means you are already on the path to activating your wisdom life. So how many lives have you activated now?
