4 Non-Discriminations

Astronomical Observations of the Way

The Universe, the sky, covers all equally, indiscriminately.

天无私覆

The Earth, the ground, supports all equally, indiscriminately.

地無私載

The sun and moon shine their light upon all equally, indiscriminately.

日月無私照

The 4 seasonal times indefinitely, indiscriminately, move through their cycles.

四时无私行

The first three are an observed quality of the nature of the Universe, and are manifest, or expressed, through the movements of celestial bodies, the influences they have on Earth, and the living beings upon it. It is through such an observation that, if such "things" like celestial formations of planets, stars, function so harmoniously, well, why can't human beings?

The problem is not in the nature of human beings, but their education, the programming. Many would like to excuse their mistakes by saying such and such is "human nature", but they are wrong. Actually, most humans have no clue about their nature, let alone why they do, think and say the things they do, and then when you decide to mention such a thing, most respond by saying, "So, you know the true nature of humans? What makes you so special?"

I personally feel that it should be a very ordinary thing, to know one's true nature. It is such that to "know", or realize, one's true nature, they would have to leave their egotistical thinking far behind. However, proper use of ego, personality, is the tool which we utilize in the interdependence, mutual existence, with all things. So, it isn't that one must eradicate the ego, it is that one knows their cyclic habits in body, mouth, and mind, and learns how to use it without doing more harm to oneself and others.

A simple contemplation of these 4 observations can certainly change how one views the world. The fourth observation was made by my teacher, Liu Ming Wu.

It is such that a commentary on these four observations could be useful, but then, they are profoundly simple points to realize, embody, so why not have the cultivator do the work of investigating them? Thus, I will leave it at that.