9. Valuing Eternal Life

¹ Laozi^[1] said, “Dao is great. Heaven is great. Earth is great. The emperor is also great. These are the four great powers of the universe.”^[2] This puts humanity on par with the Dao, heaven and earth.

¹ 老子曰：「道大，天大，地大，人亦大，域中有四大」，是把人與道、天、地並列。

² Human beings from this Earth are too smart. Their ways of thinking and agility are known throughout the universe, so humanity is the backbone of the universe and the center of the universe.

² 因為地球人太聰明了，其思想與靈巧在宇宙中是有名的，所以人為宇宙的骨幹、宇宙的中心。

³ Without humanity, the universe will be just an endless night. Everything would be empty. Without humanity, where is the universe?

³ 宇宙無人，則宇宙是萬古長夜，一切盡空，宇宙又在何處？

⁴ Therefore, people of planet Earth must recognize their place and responsibilities in the universe and follow the true Dao of God.

⁴ 因此，今天地球人要認清在宇宙中的地位與責任，奉行　上帝的宇宙真道。

⁵ This is especially true for world leaders. They should understand how minute Earth is and that human life is so short that there is nothing worth fighting for among people.

⁵ 尤其領導世界的人，更要明白地球是如此的渺小，肉體生命是如此短暫，沒有什麼好爭奪。

⁶ They should eradicate the mindset of killing each other in their effort to conquer the world, rather they should expand the thoughts for the purpose of human existence, bring together the talents and efforts used for developing weapons to develop aerospace technology to explore the universe, to conquer nature, to utilize what nature has offered us to advance human civilization to a higher level and to build up the foundation for permanent peace and unity of the world.

⁶ 應當袪除人類自相殘殺侵略征服世界的心理，擴大生存競爭的思想領域，集中全球用於武器軍備的力量，共同發揮聰明才能，發展太空科技，向大宇宙進軍，征服自然，利用自然，開創人類的高度文化，為世界奠定永久和平大同的基礎。

⁷ By doing so, we humans not only inherit what our ancestors have contributed for our happiness, we are also creating a new life for future generations. Thus the creation of new life is unending. Even though one day our flesh will decay, our spiritual life can continue in the universe.

⁷ 上為人類謀幸福的先民繼承歷史的生命，下為萬世子孫創造繼起的生命，使宇宙的新生命永遠生生不息；雖然我們在地球上的軀體會死亡，而我們的精神生命卻能與宇宙共存。

⁸ We are now in turbulent times and the world is facing many crises. The future of the Earth and humanity depends on the thoughts of few world leaders: on their desire for world peace, restoring morality, and rebuilding our spirits.

⁸ 面對世界重重危機的今天，地球的前途，人類的命運，固然有賴於少數世界領袖的一念之轉，愛好和平，領導群倫，重整道德，精神重建；

⁹ Yet, it depends more upon humans raising themselves to a higher level by purifying their hearts and reducing their desires, by becoming kinder, by cultivating righteous qi, by paying more attention to the spiritual power of the nonphysical and by strengthening their striving and creativity. Only then can they change their destiny, settle down their hearts to cultivation, engage themselves in moral cultivation, temper their spirits and create new lives.

⁹ 但是，人類的命運還在於大多數人的從根自救，革心為善，清心寡慾，培養正氣，重視無形的精神力量，加強自我奮鬥創造，方可回天轉運，安心修行，從事道德之修養，精神之煆煉，創造新生命。

Talking about physical life and spiritual life from the standpoint of cosmic life, November 29, 1981

從宇宙生命談肉體生命與精神生命－民國七十年十一月二十九日