This is the teaching of Tao of Heaven about the deeper meaning of life and fate and how a human being can become a Saint, Sage or just ordinary among humans:

'Human beings come from Heaven (Heaven is used by Confucianism to represent Tao). Since Heaven consists of Li-tien (Heaven of Truth), Qi-tien (Heaven of Spirit) and Xiang-tien (Heaven of Matter), therefore human beings possess the Li-xing (True Character), Qi-xing (Spiritual Character), and Zhi-xing (Material Character) too. Yin and Yang evolve from Tai-ji (Tai-ji is yin and yang. Tai-ji Qi-tien means Heaven of Spirit with yin and yang), Yin and Yang then evolve the four seasons, eight Solar Periods, twenty-four Seasonal Periods, seventy-two Proper Periods, and three hundred sixty degrees. Every five degrees constitude a Proper Period, and the fate in each Proper Period is different, just like the celestial latitude varies with every degree. All lives on Earth are born to different celestial latitudes and different seasons, i.e. different fate. So everyone is subject to different gravity of materialism. Thus all matters have distinctions of nobility and common, and humans have distinction of longevity and short-lived, rich and poor, and wise and ordinary.

Our True Selves are from Heaven of Truth, and they are all equal. Once the True Self enters Hou-tien (space where all lives live after Heaven and Earth were created), it disperses into three Characters; True Character, Spiritual Character and Material Character). Whether one can reveal his True Character depends on his ability to overcome his Spiritual Character and Material Character. A person's Spiritual Character and Material Character are subject to the Heaven of Spirit. The development of each person's True Character is different because the Qi (Spirituality) in Heaven of Spirit can manifest as ascending or descending, floating or sinking, good or evil, and fortunate or ominous. If one is born with little influence from Qi and is mildly pulled by materialism, his True Character can develop strongly. He will follow the role of Saints and Sages and in turn, can become a Saint or Sage. If one is born with strong influence from Qi and is strongly pulled by materialism, his True Self is greatly inhibited and is difficult to develop. His Spiritual Character and Material Character will dominate and he will be lost in the pursuit of materialism and emotional desires, and remains as an ordinary person for all his life.

In summary, he who overcomes emotions and desires, and restores his True Self becomes a Saint or Sage. He who cannot overcome emotions and desires will never free his True Character from inhibition and becomes the ordinary. For example, a mirror itself is clear when it is first made. As the mirror sits, dust is collected on the mirror. If the dust is not wiped off, the mirror cannot be cleared. A man's True Self is the mirror, and the dust is emotions and desires. That is why Taoism says, "Cultivate the heart to refine the True Self;" Buddhism says, "Brighten the heart to see the True Self;" Confucianism says, "Hold the heart to cultivate the True Self;" Christianity says, "Purify the heart to align to the True Self;" and Islam says, "Strengthen the heart to stabilize the True Self." Although the emphases are different, they all refer to the restoration of the True Self.'

Fate can be changed and my Heavenly Master JiGong advised those who were born unlucky:

"If Heaven 'thin' my luck (born unlucky), I shall 'thicken' my virtue to welcome it."

In practising Tao, one can change his fate and the best way to change is to do good deeds and be virtuous.

Author: T.A Chew
Website: http://www.white-sun.com