Part Seven: How to Use the Law of Event(s) upon Event

两极哲理

When frustrated by daily events, you can experience the psychological imbalance which often find expression through anger, anxiety, envy, fear, gloominess, hatred, resentment, sorrow and suspicion. If such a state of mind lasts long, you can never remain tranquil. Which are the daily events that could cause frustrations? There are plenty of them, such as criticisms, tedious family gossips, unsatisfactory pay raise, overwork, failure in stocks or love affairs, unrealized expectations, dishonest hawkers, unexpected visitors, and unpopular government policies.

Normally, because of your "self-consciousness", you cannot tolerate these events which in turn will result in your psychological imbalance, which will then express into emotions. Emotions like anger, anxiety, envy, fear, gloominess, hatred, resentment, sorrow and suspicion, all being classified as negative subsequent events, are the end products of your frustration, may do harm to your health. Then, what is "self-consciousness"? It is the antonym for "void" in Buddhism. Over-consciousness causes more vexations which can be reduced by being broad-minded and by your "take things easy" approach.

Now let us come to the use of LEE. Perhaps you have already used it subconsciously, or have used it without knowing what it is. The application of this law, as a matter of fact, undergoes 3 stages — subconsciousness, post-consciousness and pre-consciousness, then finally comes back to the stage of subconsciousness. When using this law to achieve spiritual tranquillity, you must bear in mind the following points:

1. Every cloud has a silver lining and no rose without a thorn;
2. Positive starting events lead to positive subsequent events, vice-versa;
3. Negative events should be cautiously avoided, such as anger, anxiety, envy, fear, gloominess, hatred, resentment, sorrow and suspicion.

Subconsciousness: In Singapore the chicken rice at the hawker centre presently sells at $2 or $2.50 a plate. Sometimes you may have it at a reduced price of $1.00 during the promotion by the hawker. On such occasions you will not have any complaints if the chicken rice has less chicken or no cucumber. You naturally accept the low quality because it is cheap. However, if you spend $2 or $2.50 on a plate of chicken rice having less chicken or no cucumber, you will naturally resent about it. To interpret this with LEE, the one-dollar chicken rice, as a starting event creates the subsequent event of "less chicken and no cucumber". There are both gain (cheap) and pain (less chicken and no cucumber). So you accept it as it is. On the contrary, you can seldom accept the a two or two-fifty-dollar chicken rice having less chicken and no cucumber, due to your psychological imbalance of no gain (paying two or two-fifty-dollar a plate), but pain (i.e. having less chicken and no cucumber), you may get angry with the hawker. But being angry is the beginning of another starting event which will obviously result in negative subsequent events. Another example is that you often tend to buy from friendly salesmen. Friendliness, in this case, is a positive starting event which leads positive subsequent event of you coming back to the same salesman. This agreement between starting and subsequent events makes you feel balance and harmony, you therefore have a peaceful mind. Doing good deeds alleviates your vexations, make you feel balance and harmony. Please do more good deeds if you are at the subconsciousness stage.

Post-consciousness: Sometimes you do not realize the negative effects of an event until you have done it, such as making a wrong decision, losing temper at the wrong place and wrong time. This is the post-consciousness stage of LEE. On these occasions, you must never forget negative starting or subsequent events such as anger, anxiety, envy, gloominess, fear, hatred, resentment, sorrow and suspicion, may lead you further into trouble, hence you should cautiously avoid them.

At the post-consciousness stage, you may often feel that you have contributed more than you have gained by creating positive starting or subsequent events. For instance, when being cheated by the hawker, instead of flying into a rage (negative starting event), you politely and calmly ask to be compensated (positive subsequent event). In face of criticisms, instead of starting up a quarrel (a negative event), you get down to self-questioning, or simply laugh away the criticisms (positive). Instead of getting angry with verbose family prattles (negative), you let them in through one ear and out of the other (positive). When failing to get the desired pay raise, you continue to work hard (positive) rather than fool about pessimistically (negative). When overworked, ask your colleagues for help rather than take a perfunctory attitude (negative). Accept the losses in stocks (positive) rather than always begrudge them (negative). Bless the one who does not love you rather than cherish a hatred for her/him or feel depressed all the time. Silently evade or courteously greet the person you hate to bump into rather than satirize him. Deal tactfully with the policy you do not like rather than criticize or wickedly attack it.

The concept of gain and loss is subjective. As long as it does not inflict any injuries to your body and soul, it does not harm to lose; similarly if you gain at the expense of your body or soul, what, then, are the benefits of gain?

Pre-consciousness: Experience shows that positive starting events bring about positive subsequent events, vice versa. The ability to anticipate the results of events is called preconsciousness. For instance, you will not expect too much from a one-dollar chicken rice; instead of getting angry for the two-fifty-dollar chicken rice having less meat and no cucumber, you negotiate politely with the hawker. Perhaps he will doubly compensate you for your politeness. This is the effect of LEE. If you understand the real meaning of discreetness in word, you will surely have less trouble. Furthermore, at the stage of preconsciousness, another vexation may perplex you. That is, despite the preconsciousness you possess, you may not be able to convince others of the truth of this law. The following two method are meant for you to solve problems of this kind.

One is to resort to spiritual enjoyment to tide over this stage, such as learning something about arts, participating in various social activities, or spending more time on yourself and your family. Bear in mind that the level of understanding varies from person to person. You cannot expect everybody to be at your level to understand your know. Secondly, you should patiently wait for LEE to take effect. Though subsequent events are bound to happen, time is needed before others see the effect of LEE and accept your opinion.

Subconsciousness: Having understood that this law represents the power of Nature which is capable of rewarding and penalizing. That is, positive starting events create positive subsequent events, vice versa. For instance, if you have a colleague who often tells lies, he will eventually suffer for lying. A friend who rejects your constructive suggestions will take into careful considerations your suggestions after suffering from rejecting them. By being friendly and courteous, you will make many friends, which will enable you a pleasant and happy life.

Once the wonderful effects of this law sink in, you can readily accept any negative starting or subsequent events, and accordingly create positive starting or subsequent events. In other words, your self-consciousness will diminish. The wonderful effects and great power of this law, like the love of a mother, can only be felt but is beyond description.

You may ask in what ways you will benefit from mastering this law. The answer is that a complete mastering of this law enable you an easy and pleasant life. This is why I have been trying my best to popularize it. Though LEE cannot make you rich or successful overnight, but it certainly leads you to a new way of life. Whether or not you will reach the world of inner wisdom, which is referred to in Parts Three and Eight, rests upon your level of understanding LEE.