Clarity

Liu Zhang was fully immersed in his dream, standing in the midst of a dense forest. He could feel the rough bark of the trees beneath his feet and the cool, fresh air on his skin. In his hand, he clutched a knife, its sharp blade glinting in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the canopy above.

In front of him stood a fierce boar, its sharp tusks glistening and its eyes blazing with anger. Liu Zhang could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he faced off against the beast, his fear almost paralyzing him.

Liu Zhang's heart raced as he faced the boar in his dream. The beast snarled and charged at him, its sharp tusks glinting in the dim light of the forest.

As Liu Zhang faced the boar in his dream, he felt as though he was standing at the edge of a precipice, staring down into the dark abyss of fear and doubt. But with the teachings of the 'Art of Cultivated Wisdom - Fear' guiding him and his reflections on it, he summoned the courage to take a step forward, just as he might take a step off the edge of a cliff, trusting in his own strength and determination to see him through. The boar became a symbol of his fears and doubts, a representation of all the obstacles that stood between him and his goals. And as he engaged the beast in battle, he found a newfound sense of courage and purpose, a light in the darkness that helped him see the way forward.

Liu Zhang's grip on the knife was firm as he swung it with all his might towards the boar's neck. The beast was quick, its reflexes sharpened by years of living in the dangerous wilderness. It managed to dodge to the side.

Liu Zhang's arms ached from the effort of swinging the knife, but he refused to let up. He knew that this fight was about more than just defeating the boar - it was about overcoming his own fears and doubts.

The boar snarled and lunged at him again, its tusks glinting in the sunlight as it tried to gore him with its sharp horns. Liu Zhang darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast's attack. He could feel the wind rushing past his ears as he moved, his senses heightened by the thrill of battle.

He circled around the boar, looking for an opening to strike. The beast was fast and agile, but Liu Zhang was determined to bring it down. He leapt forward, his knife flashing as he aimed for the boar's underbelly.

The blade struck true, slicing through the boar's tough hide and into its soft flesh. The beast let out a howl of pain, its legs trembling as it struggled to stand. Liu Zhang could see the fear and desperation in its eyes, and he knew that the end was near.

He pressed the attack, driving his knife into the boar's body again and again, until it finally let out its last breath and collapsed to the ground. Panting and exhausted, Liu Zhang stood over the beast's lifeless body.

As he stood over the vanquished beast, panting and sweating, he felt a sense of liberation and release. The weight of his fears and doubts seemed to lift off his shoulders, and he felt as though he had been reborn, a new man with new possibilities and potential.

For the first time, Liu Zhang realized that he was not powerless against his fears and doubts. He had the ability to confront them, to face them head on and emerge victorious.

Liu is a Chinese surname that means "flow" or "flowing." Zhang is a common Chinese given name that means "stretch" or "expand." So Liu Zhang can be translated as "one who flows and expands."

At this moment, Liu Zhang felt he had justified his name through actions and not through words. He is truly someone who flowed freely in front of the manifestation of his fears and doubts and managed to overcome it which resulted in the expansion of his perception through the liberation he felt.

. . .

The bright, golden sunlight streamed through the window of Liu Zhang's small, wooden home, casting a warm and inviting glow over the room. The light danced across the floorboards, illuminating the simple furnishings and highlighting the dust particles that floated in the air.

Liu Zhang stirred as the light hit his face, waking him from his slumber. He let out a soft yawn and stretched his arms above his head, feeling his flesh and bones loosen up as he came fully awake.

As he lay there in bed, the events of his dream came flooding back to him, filling his mind with vivid and detailed images. He could see the dense, green forest and the fierce boar that he had faced in his dream, and he could feel the rush of adrenaline and the sense of accomplishment as he overcame the beast.

He sat up in bed and looked around the room, taking in the familiar sights and sounds of his home. He was still a little dazed and disoriented from the dream.

The room was small and simple, with a wooden floor and walls, and a single window that let in the morning light. A bamboo bed, a wooden desk and chair, and a few shelves filled with books and scrolls were the only furnishings in the room.

Liu Zhang got out of bed and made his way over to the window, his mind still consumed by the dream. He gazed out at the world outside, taking in the sight of the rolling hills and forests that stretched out before him. The air was fresh and clean, and the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape.

After waking up from his dream, Liu Zhang felt as though the various chains that normally bound him in his everyday life had somehow been lessened. They were still there, but they seemed to have lost some of their power, as if they were not as severe as they had been before.

As gazed at his window, Liu Zhang found himself turning his thoughts to the dream he had just had. It seemed a little unrealistic now, compared to his memories of real waking life. He wondered if his mind was simply differentiating between what was real and what was 'not real'.

But as he thought about it more, a possibility occurred to him. "Could it be that my dream had been influenced by my waking experiences? It is obvious for anyone who dreams but there's something that's bothering me. Why do I feel less bound by the chains of apathy and illusory doubts after that dream where I confronted a boar that might've just symbolized it? Dreams not only is formulated due to waking experience but it also in itself affect waking experience?" Liu Zhang muttered to himself, "I have to put further effort to reach the conclusion of this. Let me do my stuff which I never usually do for now." his voice low and contemplative.

Liu Zhang transitioned from the world of his mind to the present sensory world and there he saw the landscape he was gazing originally before he was pulled in by his mind to wonder. He put the matters he was wondering aside earlier and turned to the book shelf and approached it.

He scanned the shelves, his gaze eventually settling on a scroll that was tucked away between two thick tomes. He reached for it, his fingers gently grasping the edge of the parchment as he pulled it out of its place. Its name written in bold letters on the front: "Meditations".

Memories of his time at the academy flooded back to him. In the Clan of Liu, the academy was where young people aged eight to eighteen were educated about the world and prepared for their Mystic Land awakening. Liu Zhang, now eighteen, had completed his "education" and had been taught about the ways that cultivators cultivate. He remembered that meditation was an important part of this process, but he couldn't quite recall the specifics.

He grabbed the scroll and unrolled it, scanning the text. It talked about a type of meditation that involved sitting cross-legged and focusing on one's breath, being aware and present without getting distracted by thoughts or reacting emotionally. This type of meditation was suggested for newly awakened cultivators, even though it didn't directly affect cultivation.

As he read, Liu Zhang felt a sense of confusion. He didn't remember the academy teaching this type of meditation at all. They had only taught the meditation techniques that directly affected cultivation, which they called "cultivating".

With a skeptical frown, Liu Zhang closed the scroll and returned it to its place on the shelf. "The academy must have skipped this part out of laziness." he muttered to himself with a hint of mockery in his voice.

Liu Zhang slowly turned around and faced his bed, which was nestled in the corner of his small, wooden home. He adjusted his position, finding a comfortable spot on the bamboo mattress.

The chains of apathy and doubts might've lessened and it made it so that he was able to put in the effort to try to understand Meditation again but it was still there, he second-guessed if he should just keep it for the afternoon but he shook his head.

"Let me attempt the Meditation suggested as preparation by the scroll first since I have just awakened my Mystic Land and it is still forming, the Meditation which affects one Cultivation requires the Mystic Land. The scroll can only be made and passed down if it was written by knowledgeable people about the subject, what was presented by the Academy Mentors came from these books and scrolls so I have little doubt about it's trustworthiness."

He carefully folded his legs and arranged them into a cross-legged position, taking care to keep his back straight and his shoulders relaxed. As he sat there, he focused on his breath, trying to quiet his racing thoughts and clear his mind.

As Liu Zhang sat cross-legged on his bed, he began his first attempt at meditation. At first, his thoughts came at him like a flurry of bubbles, making it difficult for him to focus on his breath. He found himself getting emotionally caught up in these thoughts, tempted to give up and leave it for the night.

Liu Zhang's superior cognitive abilities made the Meditation more challenging for him. His mind was constantly active, racing with thoughts and ideas at a much faster rate than the average person.

But Liu Zhang persevered to see this through. As he continued to meditate, he found his awareness of his thoughts becoming clearer and his emotional reactions diminishing. His breath slowed and his concentration deepened.

He felt a sense of peace wash over him as he became fully immersed in the experience. For Liu Zhang, it was like the calm after the storm, a peaceful respite from the chaos of his thoughts.

As he focused on his breath, he was aware of his thoughts passing by, but he made a conscious effort not to engage with them, simply observing them as they came and went. He felt a sense of clarity and detachment, as if he were a bystander watching his own mind.

In contrast to the day before, when Liu Zhang had felt detached from the sensory world due to his overactive mind, he now felt like the observer of his own mind.

As Liu Zhang slowly opened his eyes, he was immediately struck by the quiet stillness of the world around him. After spending so long in the cacophonous chaos of his own mind all his life, the sensory world felt almost surreal after his mind entered a state of peacefulness.

The colors of the room seemed brighter and more vibrant, the air more crisp and refreshing against his skin. He could hear the faint rustling of the leaves outside his window, the distant chirping of birds. It was as though he had been living in a fog and only now was able to see and experience the world in all its fullness.

Liu Zhang was surprised by the sudden clarity in his mind. It was as though a fog had lifted, leaving his thoughts free to flow without interference. In the past, his mind had been like a wild river, rushing along on its own course and dragging him along with it. But now, he felt as though he was the one holding the reins, guiding his thoughts and directing them wherever he wanted. It was a strange, but welcome feeling. He was no longer at the mercy of his own thoughts, but was instead the master of them. This newfound control was empowering, and Liu Zhang felt a sense of liberation and clarity that he had never experienced before.

"This Meditation is vastly different from the Meditation that affects one Cultivation that the Academy described. I will just call this Meditation as 'Meditation' and the Meditation which affects Cultivation as just 'Cultivation' " Liu Zhang spoke to himself.

He could feel the effects of the practice slowly fading away. Despite this, he still felt a sense of tranquility and focus that lingered within him, and he knew that this was something that he should do on a daily basis as to reach a state where the calmness is permanent. With this in mind, he made the decision to incorporate meditation into his daily routine, determined to start each day off on the right foot by cultivating inner peace and clarity of mind.