Most of us can see the world is overrun with problems, and has been for some time. 

Poverty, crime, sickness, unhappiness, cruelty, distress, economic strife... and the ongoing seemingly insane 'pandemic' crisis which has disrupted everyone's lives beyond our wildest expectations. 

The list of human troubles and strife is long.

Many well-meaning people are working hard to make things better...

Activists, health professionals, lawyers, the average person on the street - we are all endeavouring to resolve these issues and make our own lives and the world a better place.

But there is one small problem which may actually be a big problem, because it could be the one missing piece preventing us making better and faster progress:

A fundamental understanding of the root cause of the problem, and how to change it at a fundamental level.

In my work as a root cause analysis coach I learned the hard way through many years of trial and...

"It is through the development of Jingshen (wisdom) civilization that we can get out of this mire: by recognizing the importance of our heart, and letting realization and wisdom guide our lives. A true civilization is a Jingshen civilization at the core, leading the material civilization. The material civilization serves the Jingshen civilization".
Yuan Tze

Recently at our annual Ren Xue training, Yuan Tze (founder of the Ren Xue system) shared on a topic which is undoubtedly one of the most pressing concerns of our time, if we are to not only make it through our current 'Covid' crisis, but beyond this to survive as a civilization:

The choice between humanity evolving as a 'material' vs 'wisdom' civilization.

Material Civilization

"The pandemic is an opportunity for humans to slow down and look inwards, and discover what needs to be changed, individually and collectively, for us to move forward. We urgently need this opportunity".

Whilst many of the developments of humanity over...

"In the past, if I was triggered into anger, my heart would (energetically) close, causing pressure physiologically in the liver, leading to Qi blockages in the liver and gallbladder. Now, by using Openness in Tong Yuan, I can keep my heart energetically 'open' which prevents the liver energy blocking up"... 

A Story of Dispelling Anger and Increasing Inner Peace

For me personally, one of my 'negative' knee-jerk emotional habits throughout my life has been frustration and anger.

For example, in the past, if someone cut me off on the road while I was driving, I would get angry.,,

Or if I didn't get what I wanted, I'd get annoyed...

Or if I wasn't living up to my own high standards and expectations I'd get impatient and frustrated...

This was the end-result of much unconscious built-up frustration in childhood (where most of our problems generally start), as a result of what is termed 'emotional neglect': even if all our...

As one develops greater self-realization (realization of the 'True Self' as opposed to the 'false self') and wisdom, one of the the first major milestones of this ongoing growth is reaching the state of consciousness often referred to as 'enlightenment'.

So what is the purpose of reaching of enlightenment?

Well, it's not the end-goal itself: As with many goals, it's the 'precessional effect' of the goal which is of real value*.

The precessional effect of self-realization is a state of understanding and wisdom which is to be found far beyond normal human cognitive function. It's a giant leap beyond, in fact so far beyond that it is incomprehensible to describe or experience until one has reached this state.

As self-realized master Eckhardt Tolle says "the finger pointing at the moon is not the same as the moon". The reality is we will not have a full comprehension of this state until we reach it, but that doesn't mean we cannot and should not strive...

Until and unless you have experienced a 'mental breakdown', it's impossible to convey what it feels like to go through such a crisis, or why it happens. But once you have gone through such an experience, it's much easier to make sense of the dramatic change and transformation which occurs during such an event.

The interesting thing is, humanity is currently going through a collective breakdown, so it's useful to know how to navigate such an existential crisis, in order to make sense of it, and stay sane during it.

So let me tell you a story.

Death and Rebirth

Nearly half my lifetime ago, at the age of 28, I had what is classically termed a 'nervous breakdown'. The funny thing is, no-one ever named it as such at the time, and I had no idea what was happening to me. It took me years to piece together what had happened, and that comprehension was pivotal in coming to understand the mechanics of consciousness. 

As I lay in my hospital bed, self-admitted for clinical...