《The Path of Self realization》English Version: The Series of Oriental Wisdom, #3

By Sun WeiZe

Under the galaxy of traditional culture, one can see their true heart. When we talk about 'self realization', we always think of those moments of inner exploration: suddenly stopping in the hustle and bustle, reflecting on our own hearts in difficulties, and identifying ourselves in pain. This seemingly individual spiritual journey is actually deeply intertwined with the context of traditional Chinese culture. From the pre Qin philosophers to the Neo Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties, from the Zen court cases to the Taoist proverbs, ancient people have already paved a path for us to "self realization" - it does not seek outward, but seeks inward; Not relying on others, but trusting in one's own heart, just as we say today, 'under the guidance of inner wisdom, embark on the most fitting path'.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sun WeiZe
• Release date: Oct 3, 2025
• ISBN: 9798232635787

Sun WeiZe

孙维择，富仁文化传媒董事长、私享会创始人，兼跨界作家、画家、音乐制作人。 商业领域，他以行业洞察力引领文化产业突破，搭建高端交流平台；创作领域，其文学作品以东方智慧与自悟为核，画作与音乐则聚焦能量疗愈，以多元艺术形式传递宁静力量。             Sun Weize is the Chairman of Furen Culture Media, Founder of the Private Salon, and a cross-border writer, painter, and music producer. In the business sector, he leverages his industry insight to drive breakthroughs in the cultural industry and build a high-end communication platform. In the creative field, his literary works are centered on Oriental wisdom and self-realization, while his paintings and music focus on energy healing, conveying the power of tranquility through diverse artistic expressions.  

Book preview

Volume 3《The Path of Self realization》English Version

Under the galaxy of traditional culture, one can see their true heart. When we talk about 'self realization', we always think of those moments of inner exploration: suddenly stopping in the hustle and bustle, reflecting on our own hearts in difficulties, and identifying ourselves in pain. This seemingly individual spiritual journey is actually deeply intertwined with the context of traditional Chinese culture. From the pre Qin philosophers to the Neo Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties, from the Zen court cases to the Taoist proverbs, ancient people have already paved a path for us to self realization - it does not seek outward, but seeks inward; Not relying on others, but trusting in one's own heart, just as we say today, 'under the guidance of inner wisdom, embark on the most fitting path'.

Confucian culture revolves around human beings as its core, and the starting point of self realization is precisely what Confucius said, I reflect on myself three times a day. In Confucius' view, true growth does not lie in chasing external evaluations, but in examining one's inner self daily: To be unfaithful in seeking advice for others, to be untrustworthy in making friends, and to pass on knowledge? This attitude of seeking self reflection is consistent with the emphasis on introspection when we talk about cleaning up old energy today. The secular expectations and standards of others in the old energy are just like what Zengzi was wary of - if we always use others' eyes as a yardstick, we will lose our true heart in the shackles of should be like this".

Mencius further proposed the theory of good nature, believing that everyone has a heart of compassion and a heart of shame and evil in their hearts, which is the embryonic form of inner wisdom. He said, There is no other way of learning, just seek peace of mind. The so-called peace of mind refers to the original heart lost by external temptations; The process of seeking peace of mind is the path of self realization to clear energy blockages and reshape internal order. When we feel pain and discomfort in our self realization, it is like what Mencius said, 'Heaven will bestow great responsibilities upon us, and we must first suffer our hearts and minds.'. The loosening of those old beliefs and the stripping of secular shackles, although agonizing like a bitter heart, is a necessary path for those who are willing to endure and benefit what they cannot.

The Taoist interpretation of self realization is closer to the essence of energy cleansing. Laozi said in the Tao Te Ching, To attain the state of emptiness, one must maintain tranquility and steadfastness. All things work together, and I observe and restore them. Void and stillness are precisely the state of clearing one's inner thoughts and allowing energy to return to its original state. When we are enveloped by old energy, it is as if our hearts are filled with 'reality' - obsession, anxiety, and desire are like dust, obscuring the radiance of the 'Dao'. And 'cultivating emptiness and maintaining tranquility' is the process of letting go of persistence and allowing the soul to reflect reality like a mirror, which is similar to the process of 'clearing blockages under the guidance of inner wisdom'.

Zhuangzi elaborated on the practice of self realization through the concepts of mind study and sitting and forgetting. Xinzhai requires treating things with emptiness , abandoning subjective prejudices, and allowing the heart to accept all things like emptiness; Sitting and forgetting means forgetting oneself and forgetting things , transcending external constraints and returning to the true unity with the Tao. This is just like the process of adapting to pain in our self-awareness: when the heaviness of old energy brings discomfort, if we can not resist or escape like sitting and forgetting, we can actually glimpse the essence of energy flow in acceptance. Zhuangzi's Pao Ding Jie Niu is also a metaphor for self realization - Pao Ding enters the space with no thickness and swims freely in the crevices of the cow's bones, just like how we use our soft heart to overcome energy blockages in self realization, ultimately achieving the lightness of effortless.

Zen Buddhism has pushed self realization to a more direct level. The four words clear the mind and see the nature fully express the core of self realization: clear the mind is to clean up the dirt in the heart, and see the nature is to recognize the Buddha nature that is fully present in oneself. The ultimate interpretation of energy cleansing by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng is originally nothing, where to stir up dust - if one can understand that the original heart is already pure, the so-called blockage is just a false persistence, and self realization is no longer a process of cleansing, but a moment of awakening.

In Zen court cases, many moments of enlightenment are accompanied by pain and subversion: Master Xiangyan Zhixian accidentally hit the bamboo with debris while weeding, and with a dang sound, he suddenly became enlightened; When Master Lingyun Zhiqin saw the peach blossoms in full bloom, he suddenly understood that 'ever since I saw the peach blossoms, I have never doubted them until now'. These seemingly accidental moments are actually breakthroughs after long-term cleaning - the barriers of old cognition collapse at some point, like an energy blockage suddenly unblocked. After the pain, there is the light of seeing nature. This is very similar to the belief loosening and cognitive restructuring we experience during our period of self realization and exploration: the confusion that makes us toss and turn, and the emotions that make our hearts and mouths feel muffled, may be the sound of bamboo tapping and peach blossom scenery, waiting for us to hear and see in acceptance.

The Confucian philosophy of self reflection, the Taoist philosophy of cultivating emptiness and maintaining tranquility, and the Zen philosophy of understanding the mind and nature, although different paths, all point to the same core: self realization is a return to the true essence. This kind of return does not require us to deny the past, but rather the wisdom of harmony in diversity in traditional culture - accepting the existence of old energy without being bound by it; Admitting the truth of pain but not being defined by it. As stated in the Book of Changes, the process of self realization is to cleanse and reshape life, allowing it to undergo a cycle of four seasons and gain new life through metabolism.

Today when we talk about 'self realization', we often feel that it is an individual's spiritual practice, but we don't know that this path has already been filled with the figures of ancient people. They tell us with the resilience of the three self reflections, the wisdom of cultivating emptiness and maintaining tranquility, and the transparency of understanding the heart and seeing the nature that self realization is never a solitary journey, but a resonance with the cultural bloodline; Clearing the old energy is not only for the lightness of the individual, but also for the purpose of seeing the innate heart that is in dialogue with the sages in the traditional galaxy.

When we feel pain in our self realization, we may think of Confucius' The flow of time takes away heaviness like this; When we feel lost in the process of cleaning up, we may as well recite Laozi's Dao follows nature - inner wisdom will guide us in the right direction. Because the path of self realization has always been interconnected between ancient and modern times: at the end of our inner exploration, we will eventually encounter not only ourselves, but also the eternal beam of light that shines on our hearts in the entire national culture.

Self realization, as a life process of individual exploration and cognitive leap, has always been deeply intertwined with the spiritual core of traditional Chinese culture.

From Confucianism's introspection to Taoism's observation and restoration, from Zen's enlightenment to Mohism's knowledge and action, traditional culture has laid a solid ideological foundation for the path of self realization, and the practice of self realization has continuously given traditional culture vitality. The two are like water of the same origin, nourishing each other in the context of individual awakening and civilization inheritance, jointly building the spiritual home of the Chinese people.

Confucian culture starts with self-cultivation and regards self realization as the core path to moral perfection. Confucius proposed the concept of reflecting on oneself three times a day, using daily self-examination as the foundation of consciousness. This reflection is not a simple reflection, but a deep reflection on inner motives and behavioral consequences. In the questioning of unfaithful in seeking advice for others, untrustworthy in making friends, and unable to pass on knowledge?, individuals clarify their moral boundaries through self-awareness and achieve the refinement of their personality.

Mencius further proposed the concept of wholeheartedly intellectual, believing that the key to self realization lies in seeking peace of mind, that is, by searching inward, to regain the original heart obscured by material desires. This logic of self reflection closely combines self realization with ethical practice, advocating for the awareness of the mind and nature in daily human relationships, and completing the recognition of reason in the process of investigating things to gain knowledge.

The progressive cultivation theory of investigating things, acquiring knowledge, sincerity, cultivating the heart, and self-cultivation in The Great Learning is precisely the classic framework of the path of self realization: investigating things is the exploration of the essence of things, acquiring knowledge is the breakthrough of cognition through self realization, and sincerity is the true and sincere inner state after self realization. Confucianism emphasizes the unity of knowledge and action, believing that self realization cannot remain at the level of speculation, but needs to be transformed into the practice of cultivating oneself and unifying the family. This interaction between knowledge and action is the complete closed loop of self realization from awakening to practice.

When an individual continuously self realizes in ethical practice, they will gradually reach the realm of following their heart's desires without exceeding the limits. At this point, self realization has transcended deliberate introspection and sublimated into the transparency of the essence of life.

Taoism, with Dao follows nature as its core, provides a transcendent cosmic perspective for the path of self realization. Laozi proposed the concept of "reaching the extreme of emptiness,