Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul

Chapter 123 Focus on Yourself

Lu Jin pondered how to deal with her inner demons.

In terms of self-cultivation, the Quanzhen School and the Buddhist School are the most skilled.

His old friend Fang Dongtian was a high-ranking master at the Quanzhen Baiyun Temple. He had consulted his old friend before, but the effect was limited; he could only barely suppress the symptoms, not solve the problem once and for all. In recent years, even suppression has become difficult.

Should I consult a Buddhist monk? Lu Jin pondered.

Lu Jin was a man of many virtues and had many friends. Master Jiekong, one of the Ten Elders, was one of his close friends.

Master Jiekong is currently the abbot of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou.

It takes about two hours to get there by car from here.

When should I visit my old friend? Lu Jin wondered to himself.

Then, he came to his senses and looked at Lu Lin.

As the grandfather, he was tormented by his inner demons and couldn't see his own goals clearly.

And what about Lu Lin, the grandson?

Speaking of this, Lu Lin was also a little confused. He had many things he wanted to do, but when it came to finding one thing he truly wanted to do from the bottom of his heart, he was really a little lost.

Seeing this, Lu Jin said, "Actually, figuring out what you really want is an extremely difficult thing."

"Before gaining sufficient social experience, a person's preferences are like a child collecting seashells on the beach. They see a red one, think it's pretty, and pick it up."

"I take a couple of steps and see a white one, then I think that one is even better. I always feel like there are even prettier seashells waiting for me ahead, and I can never settle down."

"What you truly love from the bottom of your heart should be the final choice you make after experiencing many things and gaining a clear understanding of the world."

Even if others see your choice as knowingly doing the impossible, as long as it's your own choice, it's honesty and truth!

Lu Lin said, "Does Grandpa mean that I lack experience and should travel, experience, and hone my skills?"

"That's right!" Lu Jin nodded. "At your age, it's indeed time for you to travel. After you finish high school, you should go out and travel to broaden your horizons. You might gain some new insights, but—"

Lu Jin paused, his tone becoming serious: "After what happened before, I'm afraid that Quanxing will continue to target you. So, even if you want to travel, you can't go to remote places; you have to stay within the company's sphere of influence."

"Grandpa, I'll be careful," Lu Lin said. "Then I'll continue my current cultivation until I finish high school, right? Studying, practicing, high-voltage body tempering!"

Lu Lin paused, glanced at Li Chang'an, and said in a deep voice, "It is a little tiring, but this is also a process of constantly overcoming oneself, which is precisely the time for cultivation."

He wants to learn from Li Chang'an.

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an said, "I think you're like a bowstring that's been drawn taut for a long time. You're too tired and should take a good rest. Before you find something you truly want to do, you need to learn to take care of yourself first."

"Take care of yourself?" Lu Lin was taken aback.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, his eyes lit up: "Senior brother, is what you're talking about that trending topic online lately? What's it called—'Learn to love yourself, learn to reward yourself'? You've read those articles too?"

Li Chang'an smiled faintly: "I didn't see it. You can tell me what they said."

Immediately, Lu Lin talked about some steps to loving yourself online, such as buying yourself an expensive gift every week, going to a high-end restaurant for a big meal every month, and the five standards for a high-quality life, the three levels of emotional stability, and so on.

In short, you have to be willing to spend money on yourself.

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an laughed and said, "This is not loving yourself. This sounds more like a new performance indicator. Even the pure inner feeling of loving yourself is being quantified and scored. You have to compare with others to see who does it better or who spends more money. This is not loving yourself. This is just pulling your already fully drawn bow even tighter."

Lu Lin was stunned for a moment. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that it made sense. The steps to loving yourself that were posted online seemed to be guiding people to consume themselves.

"Then—what exactly does it mean to truly love yourself?" Lu Lin asked.

Li Chang'an said, "Rewarding yourself excessively is not necessarily loving yourself. In fact, moderate self-discipline is also a way of loving yourself."

"Asceticism?" Lu Lin was even more confused. Didn't she just say she was too tired and needed to rest? How come asceticism is now considered loving herself?

Li Chang'an explained: "The meaning of asceticism is never about suffering for the sake of suffering, but rather that in this process, you can discover what you don't like from the bottom of your heart through your own feedback on the pain."

Once you understand what you hate, you'll naturally understand how to treat yourself well.

"This is not about glorifying suffering. Suffering is just a tool, a process of digging inward to understand oneself. We must not mistake the effect for the cause, or fail to distinguish between the primary and secondary aspects."

"If you can't distinguish this point, and just keep enduring the pain, then suffering will never make you a better person; it will only numb you completely."

"Therefore, engaging in appropriate ascetic practices at the right time is a very meaningful thing."

Li Chang'an looked at Lu Lin and continued, "But for you now, continuing this kind of high-intensity arduous training is meaningless."

"Because it's all just constant repetition, you, who are already confused, will only become numb little by little in this repetitive drain."

Lu Lin broke out in a cold sweat: "Then what should I do now?"

Li Chang'an smiled and said, "You should go lie down, lie down for ten days or half a month, or even a few months."

"Do nothing, don't meditate or cultivate yourself, just be in a daze, feel bored, and let your mind wander aimlessly. Don't do anything worldly or utilitarian."

"In short, just lie down comfortably."

"When you're lying in bed so bored that you're about to go crazy, those intense thoughts and inspirations that suddenly pop into your head might be what you want to do."

Lu Lin suddenly realized: "So, the way to truly love yourself is actually to do nothing, just lie down?"

"Yes, loving yourself means doing nothing, letting yourself get bored, and then finding fun in that boredom," Li Chang'an said. "Cousin, for you, studying isn't very important, and the college entrance exam isn't very important either."

"Unlike many ordinary people who only have a few cards in their hand and find it difficult to bear the consequences of their choices, you have many options."

"You can stop at any time, quietly think about what you really want to do, and then start again. You might even gain something better that way."

Li Chang'an's words were extremely straightforward.

Although the Lu family has strict rules and the allowances for Lu family members are not much different from those of ordinary families, don't forget that this is a family with nearly two thousand years of history. With so many years of accumulation, it has long been a behemoth. Lu Lin has many choices.

Upon hearing this, Lu Lin remained silent for a long time. He turned his head to look at Lu Jin, his eyes filled with a question.

Lu Jin nodded, a hint of agreement flashing in his eyes: "You've certainly had a tough time lately. Listen to your senior brother, take a break and rest for a while."

Lu Lin let out a long breath and began to think about how she should lie down.

The phrase "lying flat" was completely foreign to him, a member of the Lu family who had been bound by strict family rules since childhood.