Translated by Conglong and Edited by Kaer

There is a saying, “Fishes are in the water, and humans are in the Tao”. All things in the universe are running in the Tao. If we have difficulty understanding the“elusive” Tao, let me make it simple, we can also call it “program”. So the above saying could be, “Fishes are in the water and humans are in the program.” And all things in the universe are running in the program.

What is program? In Chinese, program is "程序", "程" means the rule, law, pattern, and equation; "序" means sequence and order. Program (程序) means the order of formation, development, change, and evolution of a thing according to established rules. 

The computer we use is the best example of program. We can somehow say that a computer is a program. To use a computer, we need to follow programs; whoever is good at programming is a computer expert. “Hackers” are computer experts who can break, interrupt, and change computer programs.

Computer programs are designed by human beings, while the program of the universe is designed by the Greatest Creator.

The seasonal order of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in some areas of the earth is a program. The order of seasons is strictly changing according to the program. Spring comes after Winter, and Winter comes after Autumn; they have been in that order for thousands of years.

The process of a human body changes in the order of a fetus, baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult, and senior is also an established program. Human beings have to go through this process, which is out of their control.

The germination, growth, flowering, fruiting, and withering of a plant is also a program.

The law of causality, “Reap what you sow”, is also an established program. You will not reap banana if you sow melon, and you will not reap cherry if you sow bean; “what goes around comes around”. The treacherous are cheated by the treacherous, and the honest are appreciated by the honest. If you pursue Buddhahood you attain Buddhahood, and if you admire the beast you acquire the nature of the beast. If you do not give freedom to others, you will not get freedom yourself. If you want to control others, you will be controlled. Furtiveness and deceit will make you a ghost and lead you to hell, while integrity and good merits will make you a celestial and lead you to heaven. This is also a program.

When a man reaches a certain age, facial, armpit, and pubic hair start to grow. When a woman reaches a certain age, she starts to have menses. When a child is born, the mother begins to lactate. When a woman reaches menopause, she starts to have fewer and fewer menses until they stop. It is a biological program.

The traditional family is also a program, when one gets married, he or she has to live according to the family program which is beyond their control.

Countries are programs. When one becomes a citizen of a country, he or she must involuntarily follow the country’s program.

If there is no external force, things will run around and around according to the rules of the program. LIFE will reincarnate according to the set program. To avoid constraints of the program, there must be an external force, without which the development of things will not change the track. It is just like a man is not able to make his feet leave the ground by dragging his hair.

The external force is not necessarily a mechanical force. An accident, a phenomenon, a book, a story, and a sentence, even an insect, a hairstyle, a blade of grass, or an action could become the force. As long as it is able to change the existing program, no matter how small the changes are, it is an external force. The teachings of Jesus Christ, Buddha Sakyamuni, Prophet Muhammad, and Confucius are very strong external forces.

How many programs are there in the universe? There are numerous. There is the program governing the movements of planets, the program of society’s development, and the program of LIFE changes. Each space has its own program. Each plant and animal has their own growing program. There are master programs and subprograms; there are long-term programs, short-term programs, etc.

Programs are very rigorous, while they are also layered and closely related, they are causes and effects, and are flexible to change. The master program is normally unchangeable, while subprograms are changeable. For example, it is difficult to change the master program of birth, growth, aging, and death of a human, while things like short-term depression can be changed by external forces such as inspiring words or actions. The change of the master program of how hair grows is very difficult, but the hairstyle can be changed easily. The master program of the nature of LIFE is almost impossible to change, but the direction of LIFE can be changed.

“You can not touch a pitch and not be mucked”. Without the external force, the track of life will not change; life follows its trail.  Once there is an external force, the track of life changes. “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is worth ten years of studying books”. “One takes the way of saints when influenced by a saint, and one takes the way of robbers when influenced by a robber”. “A butcher becomes a Buddha the moment he drops his cleaver”. A thought and an idea can change one’s destiny.

Whichever direction you choose at an intersection without a sign, the corresponding program starts to work. For example, at the intersection of four roads, the first road leads to hell, the second to the human world, the third to the Buddha world, and the fourth to the celestial world. Where there is no road sign, our choice activates the corresponding program and it will lead us to a destination unless we change the route midway.

All programs are predefined, but human beings can transfer from one program to another. When a man exits one program, he enters another. It is impossible to enter an area that is not within a program. Human beings can only enter twelve programs, and the best and most free life program is the program of the Elysium world.

When one LIFE possesses the consciousness of a human being, he lives in the program of the human world and will therefore be constrained by the limits of the program. Once a LIFE possesses the consciousness of a celestial being, his living program starts to slowly transfer to the program of the Elysium world, which means he has changed his life track.

All programs are already designed and many of them are hidden programs. Once conditions are met, any incident will activate the program. It is just like a land mine, it explodes when you step on it, but as long as it is not touched, it will remain hidden underground. It is also like drinking potassium cyanide: you will immediately feel terrible in your organs, foam at the mouth, and quickly bleed to death.

When conditions are not ripe, the program will not activate. When the temperature is not warm enough, mosquitoes and flies will not revive and fly. When Yin and Yang do not meet each other, lighting and thunder will not fill the sky. Without proper humidity and temperature, seeds will not germinate. Before one has reached a certain stage of self-cultivation, he or she will not transform into a celestial being.

One cannot enter into an oasis if he or she has not walked out from a desert. One cannot enter a new program if he or she does not leave the traditional family. One cannot enter heaven if he or she does not walk out of the human world. In short, these are predefined programs.

When a program is activated, do not worry for it will run automatically. It is just as a female egg will grow automatically once it is fertilized. We feed a child every day so he will grow as well. In spring, if we spread seeds in the land, they will automatically germinate, flower, and fruit. It is the result as well as the power of the program.  

As long as we plant seeds, there will be fruits. This is how the program works.However, we must wait for the fruit to become ripe. We can get some fruits very quickly, while we need to wait more time to get others.  And for some seeds,we need to wait a very long time to get their fruits. “Peach fruits in three years and apricot in four years, while we need to wait eighteen years to be able to enjoy the fruit of walnuts”. Anxiety does no good.“As a man sows, so he shall reap”. “We do not see the fruit, not because it is barren, but we shall see it when the time is right”. By observing the current situation of humans in the society, we can know their past. By observing their current behaviours, we can forecast their future. If we do not see anything happen in five years, wait for another five years, and if still nothing happens, wait for a hundred years. In a word, “What goes around comes around”; this is because the program is running and is not fortune telling.

We must trust programs and trust that as long as we give, we gain. We need to give first in order to gain. If we give others love, then we will gain a beautiful life, future, or something else. If we cheat others, or take a bribe of $100,000, we get many temporary benefits, but in the future, we might need to pay the price of a limb, face a calamity, or reincarnate to an animal to pay our debts. Therefore, any behaviour that tries to take advantage of others is foolish, cheating and lying is stupid, and being opportunistic is short-sighted. “Throw a long line to catch a big fish”. Being diligent on self-cultivation, it is possible to achieve the LIFE level of a celestial being. Do not care that you get a return when you are committed to something, just make your contribution wholeheartedly and ask not for gain. As long as you give, you will gain. This is because the program is running.

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