"Aspire to?" Qin Mu was stunned again, completely unable to understand what the two were talking about.
"Should I be able to tell what they're practicing?"
"Does Layman Qin not understand what it means to set goals? That's not right. I see you have the air of a scholar, and it's obvious you're already stuck at the threshold of setting goals," said Daoist Zhiyuan, stroking his beard as he looked Qin Mu up and down.
"To be honest, I come from a remote and impoverished area. My mother only taught me to read, and the books in our home were all self-taught," Qin Mu explained. He was telling the truth, but it was the experience of the previous inhabitant of this body.
He vaguely felt that he had come into contact with something special about this world, so he was very respectful and had some expectations in his heart.
"I see!" Zhiyuan nodded, suddenly realizing.
"Please enlighten me, Daoist Master," Qin Mu said, bowing deeply.
“No need for such formalities, Layman Qin. I am not familiar with Confucian cultivation, but I know a little about it. I can give you a brief introduction.” Zhiyuan swayed and appeared in front of Qin Mu, reaching out to help him up.
Qin Mu was shocked. He hadn't even seen how Zhi Yuan had suddenly appeared beside him. He swallowed hard and looked at Zhi Yuan, wanting to see if he was a monster in human skin.
"Let's sit down here and talk," Zhiyuan said, extending his hand in invitation.
Qin Mu followed Zhiyuan and sat down at a stone table to the side.
"Martial artists train their bodies and cultivate their qi and blood; Confucianists cultivate their righteous qi; and Taoists cultivate their natural qi. To enter the realm of this righteous qi, one must first be well-versed in literature and then set one's goals."
First comes the will, then the action. Setting goals means establishing purpose and ideals, giving a person a clear direction for their efforts. Only by setting goals can one provide strong spiritual support for self-cultivation, have the courage and perseverance to undergo rigorous willpower training, form strict willpower qualities, and ultimately transform into a noble spirit.
This is the same principle as the Taoist practice of cultivating the natural energy. Taoists also need to understand their own mind and nature in order to enter the Tao. "Zhiyuan explained.
"So that's how it is!" Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Of all cultivation methods, martial arts is the easiest, while Confucianism is the most difficult. Many people get stuck at the first hurdle," Zhiyuan sighed.
"The first hurdle? Is it really that difficult to achieve?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"It's not about having lofty ambitions, but about being well-read," Zhiyuan advised.
"Well-read?"
"That's right. Being well-read is the foundation for understanding the spirit of righteousness. Not only do you have to read books, but you also have to understand their meaning. It's not enough to just memorize them. That's what being well-read means."
Only by understanding the knowledge in the book can one comprehend the principles and know one's aspirations, which is to say, set one's goals! Zhiyuan explained.
Qin Mu then realized that things were not so simple after all, and it wasn't as he had thought, that he could just set a goal for himself.
"Why did you say that Confucianism is the most difficult? Is Taoism perhaps easier?" Qin Mu suppressed his doubts and continued to ask.
Once you know the direction, you can explore it slowly on your own. Just from Zhiyuan's introduction, you can tell that no one else can help you. Sure enough, Zhiyuan confirmed his idea.
"In Confucian self-cultivation, there are not many things others can answer for you. They can only point out the direction and explain the knowledge in the book. However, you must firmly believe in the principles behind them in order to enhance your righteous spirit."
Without a profound cultural foundation, it is difficult to cultivate a strong sense of righteousness; therefore, most of the powerful Confucian scholars are quite old.
Taoism is different. Does Layman Qin know the tenets of Taoist cultivation?
"Taoism should take the Way of Nature as its guiding principle and emphasize following the Way of Nature, right?" Qin Mu thought for a moment and said.
“Hmm, that’s a bit biased. The so-called ‘Tao follows nature’ should be more accurately described as ‘following the way of Heaven.’ The tenet of Taoism is that Heaven gives birth to life and Heaven kills it!” Zhiyuan said, stroking his beard.
"Born to kill, that is the principle of the Dao! These words should come from the Yin Fu Jing, right?" Qin Mu thought for a moment and said.
"Does Layman Qin also know that this sentence comes from the Heavenly Secrets Sutra?" Zhiyuan asked in surprise.
The Yin Fu Jing, also known as the Huangdi Tianji Jing, is revered as the foremost scripture of Taoism. Zhiyuan was certainly aware of this, as his school cultivated this very lineage.
"I don't know if the Yin Fu Jing I read is the same as the Yin Fu Jing that the Taoist priest knows."
"What! You've read the Yin Fu Jing!" Zhiyuan exclaimed, standing up in surprise.
"I read one, over three hundred words long, but I don't know if it's an authentic copy," Qin Mu nodded. He hadn't yet realized that in this day and age, precious classics are all unique copies, not everyone can see them. Ordinary books on the market are truly the most ordinary, and it's unclear which version they are, or who translated or interpreted them.
"What! Where have you seen me before?" Zhiyuan asked excitedly, grabbing Qin Mu's arm.
The Yin Fu Jing, although a classic text they believed in, has long been lost, and what they are learning now is only a part of it.
"I saw that a long time ago, but the bamboo slips are already rotten and decayed," Qin Mu said casually.
This was an excuse he had already considered. After all, many of these were things he had seen in later generations, so he would have an answer if others asked. Anyway, his family also had books, and no one knew how many. In a remote mountainous area, it was already good that they had been preserved.
"Ah!" Zhiyuan released Qin Mu's arm in disappointment.
“Although the bamboo slips are no longer available, I still remember all the characters. I can make a copy for you, Daoist Master,” Qin Mu said.
"You remember everything?" Zhiyuan asked, his voice trembling, afraid that he had misheard.
"Indeed, I have a photographic memory. Although I saw it a long time ago, I still remember it," Qin Mu replied confidently.
Photographic memory! This is a skill that countless people envy and a capability that countless people desire. If someone told Qin Mu that they could help him remove this ability, he would be extremely grateful! He would even be willing to kneel down for it.
Photographic memory, also known as hyperthymesia, means that anything the retina scans is stored in the brain and will never be forgotten. Some people might say this is a good thing.
However! Since hyperthymesia is a symptom, it is an illness. Illnesses have side effects. Whenever you see a certain thing, many related or similar things and objects will appear in your mind.
Even something as simple as eating involves mentally replaying the ingredients, processing, and even the final digestion process in your stomach! It's easy to see how devoid of enjoyment in eating. When eating becomes a painful experience, life loses all its pleasure.
Qin Mu never considered himself a lazy person. It was just that because of his hyperthymesia, he didn't want to go out and tried to minimize his exposure to certain things. Not only did he not go out, but he also avoided watching TV, using his phone, and using his computer, especially horror movies!
I remember once accidentally witnessing a terrifying scene, and for a long time afterward, I was afraid to sleep with the lights off. Whenever I turned off the lights, all sorts of terrifying, bloody, and even disgusting scenes that I had ever seen in my life would come to mind.
Some might say, "So what? I watch horror movies all the time and even reminisce about them."
But Qin Mu was different. The scene that appeared in his mind was clear and distinct, giving him the feeling that he was actually there.
There is no medication to treat hyperthymesia; the only treatment is through psychological adjustment. This involves using self-suggestion to close off one's mind, or trying to look at beautiful things, keeping oneself busy and tired through exercise, and reducing opportunities and time for thinking.
Qin Mu's method was actually quite simple: he used his hobbies to enrich himself, keeping his brain in a constant state of learning and thinking. Over time, this would mask the other memories, and as long as he didn't deliberately try to recall them, he wouldn't remember them anymore.
Qin Mu's hobbies are different from many people's. He loves ancient books and studying ancient documents. Since modern medicine cannot solve the problem, he can only seek ancient medicine or other methods.
………………
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