This post is quite long, so just read the bolded words to skim it. Before we start this topic, i want to pointed out 2 important points to keep it in your mind while reading this post: 1. Dont take this too seriously. While i do use my own real life experience and a couple of references from my gramps, please take it with a grain of salt as i write this for my own amusement. Not as a thesis or scientific paper, because i dont have any proof, experiment, nor results. 2. Unfortunately, we cant physically breakthrough like a cultivator, yes. This topic is strictly discussing on the state of mind or our mentality. XD Now that’s done, then let’s go to the topic: I dunno about you guys, but I really like the concept of cultivating in Xianxia or Xuanhuan. While the genre is full of low quality books and repetitive plot, we cant deny that it has a big potential as well. At first, i treated cultivating as strictly fictional as we all know it is basically a bullshit people made up, like batman, superman, dragon ball, etc. However, after my talk with my gramps, I feel that there is something more to it. The topic we talked is about age, maturity, and state of mind are closely linked to each other. And about Intelligence would speed up the process, but is not the crucial factor to proceed to the next stage. Experience and failures are actually the main factor. After a bit of thinking and reflection, I realized that the process of maturity is working similarly like a cultivator breaking through to the next stage. The goal of this entire process is to achieve maximum presence of mind or the complete control over one’s mental thought. Minimizing negative behavior or desire and focusing on one goal. This will result in maximizing our potential for working our daily task as a human. Take note that the task is not limited to only our career or business, but also any human life problems, like relationship and lifestyle. As far as i experienced and know, there are currently 6 stages. Every stages required a certain amount mental power to a bottleneck before the breakthrough. Just like cultivation. To get mental power, you just need to experience new things and solve every problems/challenges coming on your way. Running away from problem wont give you mental power, but will rest your mind to be better prepared for the next challenge. 1. The state of Immaturity - Very self-centered, narrow minded, ignorant, and still reliant on someone else to solve their life problem. - To breakthrough, one need to let go the dependence to achieve independence. - Usually, requires a push from the guardian’s side. Without the guardian’s push, it’ll take a very long time for one to realized it themselves. Unless, they dont have a guardian to begin with. 2. The state of independence - Able to survive on one’s own without any help or assistance. - Able to see the world with greater clarity. Experiencing things directly, instead of being filtered by the guardian. - One of the toughest state to maintain because it is often to be the most painful experience for first timer. - Less self-centered, but still selfish. less ignorant, but strictly on one’s immediate or short-term life problems. Still has narrow view of the world. - To breakthrough, one need to realize the world doesnt revolve around the self and be more open minded to achieve awareness of both their surroundings and the self. 3. The state of awareness - Able to see the hidden intricacies of one’s environment, such as: local norm, dress code, human behavior, relationship rules, community rules, etc. Able to manipulate - Able to manipulate one’s action better to achieve the desired result on the environment. Ex: Gaining respect by dressing with a formal clothes on formal meetings. - No longer self-centered, but still selfish. - Less ignorant, but strictly on advantageous topic or has self-benefit potential. - Aware of one’s mistake, but ignorant to correct it if it doesnt create big problem in the short term. - Aware of one’s strong point and weakness for the first time. - Aware of the environment’s darker side and the real human nature. - Has a chance to be stagnated and unable to accept the reality of the situation. - Most people are currently in this state. At least 6 out of 10. - To breakthrough, one has to exercise control, minimize selfish desire, use more long-term thinking, and conducting self-discipline to achieve commitment/focus. 4. The state of commitment/focus - Able to work with far more efficiency and effectiveness. Incomparable result if compared without focus. - The minimum state of mind to succeed in life. - Higher standard to minimize mistakes and achieve better result, but strictly on work and result. - Able to see both of one’s weakness and strong points with greater clarity than before. - Has a chance to fall in despair because unable to accept one’s weakness or the reality of the situation. - to breakthrough, one has to accept one’s weakness and be adaptable to the reality of the situation to achieve acceptance. 5. The state of acceptance - Able to work with even more effectiveness than before, but with far less stamina and stress. The efficiency is incomparable to the previous state. - Achieving the minimum requirement to get the ‘presence of mind’ at the introductory stage. - Able to effectively correct one’s mistakes and very adaptable to dynamic circumstances. - My current state of mind xd - To breakthrough, my gramps said that one need to let go your most important desire in life, yet also not losing the drive to improve oneself. 6. The state of enlightenment - My gramps describe it as a state where you’re able to see the world not as a participator, but as an observer, while also solving the participator’s task at the same time. It’s like seeing the world outside the box of common sense and human desire. - He said that it is very different because this state would given us a much broader view about how the world works than by participating in it. Even life and death seems matters little to them. - He also says that it is the key to achieve the ultimate presence of mind. - His last quote is: “From simple to complex, and back to be simple at the end. To truly understand this, one has to experience the most complex before turning back to being simple, to be as peaceful as an innocent child’s.” So, what do you think? Gimme your feedbacks xd Thx for reading!
My feedback is Stick with your gramps, he might be a hidden cultivator...who knows even a immortal level cultivator or even a administrator of this realm!!.. Great treasures and beauties awaits you my friend!.... embrace your destiny!.. ps- well it all boils down to intelligence by experience, one can't contemplate anything useful inside a cave... atleast not yet . It's all about trial and error and applying it the next time and repeating it. One who is smart enough to think about more factors and learn about their priorities and use them accordingly becomes successful. Imagine it's like a cockpit in a commercial airline. You need to learn to use it, or not it would seem daunting, and might lead to crashes. Enlightenment is when all the buttons, controls vanish and you embody the plane itself and control it based on the path way ahead.
Well it kind of sucks that with every breakthrough all you get is nothing but self satisfaction and maybe improved in lifestyle instead of increase in STR, DEX or whatever new stats a litRPG writer can asspull out.
there 3 way to gain wisdom 1st enlightenment which is noblest 2nd imitate other which easiest 3rd experience which most bitter pick your choice for gain wisdom~ well rather sometime you realize it later tho~ muahahaha~ btw there exist people who on first category it just with current era such thing is rare thing, most common is 3rd or 2nd way~ on basic~ action reaction thing~ first step know it, second understand while last face it~ this create by science of made up thing! the more you have harder to let go something, the less you have easier to let it go~ luckily such thing is rare or this planet will full of hermit ya know~ oh let me tell ya~ human is social creature hence it normal to help and get help from other~ you see sometimes people mistaken independence is lone wolf which overrated hence for mental breakthrough it ok to relly on other cuz..... enlightenment is realize something that other do with different perspective~ don't you realize such thing on xianxia and xuanhuan story? I understand..... your lvl have increased now you owe this cat nuffies for leak such secret~
Let me introduce you to... the Stoned Ape Theory , it is a theory that humans were originally stupid monkeys. Then they found some shrooms to cultivate from animal shit and we evolved to be "intelligent lifeforms" PS No one should take this as an okay to do drugs, well other than chocolate.
Well I don't know about everything else like levels and stuff but I once did have this experience akin to a mental breakthrough or awakening of sorts. Before 12, I was very materialistic and possesive. I had my plates, pillows, cutlery all set aside. Even things that could normally be shared, I wouldn't. I would draw a clear line between what's mine and what's not. Don't use others stuff, don't let others use mine. I also used to draw solid lines when it came to people. Friends and not friends, my behaviour would be starkly different, especially when I considered someone a friend, no holds barred for them. Basically everything followed a very rigid structure, where I treated friends very nicely while not interacting much with others. I was also very emotional and a crybaby at times, very mischievous as well. Until I got into an accident. It was raining outside school, so we were fooling around in the 2nd floor corrider during lunch. One thing led to another, and a few pushes later, I found myself falling and hitting my head hard on the wall edge. I nearly passed out from the shock. But when I opened my eyes, everyone was trying to take distance from me. My classmates, "friends" and best friend, all of them. I was bleeding profusely, dizzy, but t somehow that one scene was clear. I saw fear in their eyes. That was when something snapped in my head. I realised they didn't want to be implicated. They didn't even try to help by calling the teachers. At that moment I gave up. On all lines and boundaries, on my so called friends, on everything. I knew then for the first time, how lonely I truly was, and that the friendship I thought real, wasn't. Those boundaries were meaningless, everyone was a stranger. In doing so, I also gained the strength to stand on my own. I walked to the teachers lounge on my own, and later while the teacher tried to plug my bleeding head with his handkerchief, we walked 5 min to the infirmary. I underwent injection for partial anaesthesia and later 5 stitches. There simply wasn't enough time to let the anaesthetics kick in fully. I still remember the needles poking in and out for every stitch. Somehow I returned stronger from that incident. Lonely, untrusting but stronger. It also made me realise that nothing was truly yours. Not the relations, nor the people. It was my "Batman loses his parents" moment, the moment of enlightenment. Mind you, I still have friends though, including that best friend who watched me bleed. It's just that, friends are simply not as important as they used to be. I have also stopped caring about the my stuff thing. Someone now uses my things, don't give a damn.
Quarantine is essentially forced closed cultivation anyways so it's a great chance to self reflect and have a breakthrough.