Tag: self-cultivation

For me, it was obvious that “virtue” equated to “longevity” – and it had nothing to do with the Bible or Western religion (the godly live to very old ages). The Western view was (and remains) that non-Christians are essentially evil and therefore are unable to live to very old ages. The Devil strikes them down due to his own inherent corruption – which flows through their veins. As a non-Christian, this description would involve myself – but here’s the thing – I do not feel any more or less good or bad than anyone else. Furthermore, I was told that Chinese people “lie” about their age in an attempt to mimic those who lived very long lives in the Old Testament (according to the Jews). I could not understand this approach – as Chinese Daoism is an ancient teaching (in one form or another) that specialises in “life-extension”. Virtue (德 – De) is a product of climbing a tower (self-cultivation) so that when the top is reached (enlightenment) – things can be seen in a 360 degree perspective.