If the heart of a person reflects his Li-xing, 14 it displays his True Nature.
If his heart reflects his Qi-xing, 14 it displays his Human Nature.
If his heart reflects his Zhi-xing, 14 it displays his Animal Nature.
The True Nature is in the domain of Li-tien 9, 11 and it is all good.
The Human Nature is in the domain of Qi-tien, 9, 12 and it can be either good or evil.
The Animal Nature is in the domain of Xiang-tien, 9, 13 and it is all evil.
As a man lives in the Hou-tien, 10 his heart disperses into the True Nature, the Human Nature and the Animal Nature.
Everyone has the three Natures.
The True Nature is obscure.
The Human Nature is precarious because it constantly alternates among the past, present, and future. Thus, there are the thoughts of the past, the thoughts of the present, and the thoughts of the future.
The Animal Nature is simply the desires to satisfy the sense.
If one cannot reign over his Human Nature, his True Nature would be obstructed and his Animal Nature would expand to the extent that it dominates the person. Such persons would not be different from animals.
If one can reign over his Human Nature, his True Nature would slowly surface, and it will not be difficult for such person to become an Immortal, a Buddha, a Saint, or a Sage.
The True Nature is Li;
the Human Nature, Qi; and
the Animal Nature, Xiang.
A newborn child has a bright True Self.
As he starts to acquire knowledge, he acquires habits and his Li-xing becomes covered. The more habits he acquires, the more covered his Li-xing is. Eventually, he is totally dominated by his Animal Nature and becomes driven by emotions and desires.
Hence,
the method and guide
to practice Tao
is simply to rid of selfishness internally to establish five virtues of Tao externally, and to practice Gong-fu 15 tenaciously.
Once one has earned enough merits and established good virtues, his True Self will be restored to full radiance and he will display his True Nature solely, like a dirty mirror that’s just been dusted and restored to its original brightness, displaying his True Nature solely.
