Six Levels of Moral Cultivation: Where Do You Stand?
A person's moral cultivation can generally be divided into six levels. Let's see where you fall.
1. Damaging Others and Yourself
These people are both foolish and annoying. They are like abusers, always using scolding and harming others to satisfy their desires. They damage others without any benefit to themselves, don't want to live, and still drag others down to help them, ultimately facing legal punishment or suicide. For example, the cases that occurred a few years ago: bus arson, chopping people near kindergartens, and street shootings – these people were clearly digging their own graves, and even trying to harm others in their final moments. They are worse than beasts, and certainly not worthy of any moral cultivation.
2. Damaging Others, Benefiting Oneself
These people are selfish and self-serving, lacking reverence. They are like wolves harming the flock and are not worthy of any cultivation. Their hearts are only for themselves, only concerned about their own gains and losses. As long as it benefits them, they won't care about others' feelings and lives. They will do anything to achieve their goals, without any moral bottom line.
3. Not Damaging Others, Not Benefiting Oneself
These people may not damage others, but their lives are worthless and meaningless, like zombies, living day by day. Either they do meaningless jobs or idle, lazy, and do nothing but waste time. They are not worthy of any cultivation.
4. Not Damaging Others, Benefiting Oneself
This is the most basic level of moral cultivation. Even if you can't benefit others or avoid harming others, you at least need to benefit yourself, which is considered a wise person. Benefiting oneself is divided into two categories:
one is false egoism – that is, earning money and enjoying it, exchanging all earned money for material goods and entertainment, indulging one's desires. It seems like they've achieved a fair deal for themselves, but they are actually consuming their own fortune, like a bank card that is only spent and never saved, ultimately leading to bankruptcy and harming themselves. The other is true egoism – through studying classics, believing in the teachings of sages, understanding cause and effect, and actively reflecting on oneself, closing one's doors and meditating, constantly improving one's moral and character cultivation, and strengthening one's mind – this is true egoism.
5. Benefiting Others, Benefiting Oneself
This is what the ancients often said: 'When poor, take care of oneself; when wealthy, benefit the world.' After having a certain ability, not only benefit oneself but also help others, always with a heart for the world, benefiting sentient beings. The moral cultivation of these people is already very high.
6. Sacrificing Oneself for Others
This is the rarest and most precious moral cultivation, a style of Bodhisattva in the Mahayana Buddhism, 'If I don't go to hell, who goes to hell?' They are not afraid of hardship and sacrifice, not concerned about their own glory and disgrace, always thinking about the benefits of sentient beings. They are willing to give up everything, including life, and are happy about it, and never waver.
“”
