Li Yuan stood in the middle of the Water Understanding landscape in his Zhenjing.
Around him, a vast expanse of water in all its forms stretched out—a boundless ocean, a waterfall that fell from an unseen height, calm lakes that reflected light from an unknown source, rivers that flowed in beautiful and complex patterns.
The space that was once small when he first touched his Water Understanding had now expanded to one hundred thousand kilometers—a physical manifestation of the depth of understanding he had achieved over thousands of years.
And in the majesty of that landscape, a question began to tickle his mind.
Could I just stay here and continue to deepen my Water Understanding without ever interacting with the outside world again?
Li Yuan looked at the waterfall flowing before him. The water looked so real, so substantial, so full of the essence of Water itself. When he touched it, the water felt cold and refreshing. When he listened to it, the sound of its trickling brought a profound peace.
The water in this Zhenjing was just as real as the water in the physical world.
The realization wasn't new to him, but now he questioned its implications more seriously.
If I can understand Water perfectly here, why do I need to go back to the outside world to interact with physical water?
The question seemed to make sense. His Water Understanding had evolved from the Ganjing realm to the Wenjing realm through exploration in this Zhenjing. The water landscape that now surrounded him was proof of the depth of understanding he had achieved.
Eleven thousand years for one understanding to reach Wenjing.
Li Yuan pondered the time he had spent. If he could reach such depth just by meditating in his Zhenjing, wouldn't that be much more efficient than having to go back and forth interacting with an outside world full of disturbances and distractions?
But there was something wrong with that line of thinking.
Li Yuan felt a restlessness that he couldn't clearly articulate. It was as if there was a missing piece in the seemingly perfect logic.
He began to reflect on his long journey. His Water Understanding was not born in the isolation of his Zhenjing. The understanding was born from his interactions with water in the real world—the small river in his village, the rain that soaked the ground, the water he drank when he was thirsty, the tears he shed when he was sad.
The Zhenjing is a reflection of the understandings that were born in the outside world.
The insight began to open a different perspective. The water landscape that now surrounded him was not a replacement for the outside world, but a manifestation of the understanding born through interaction with the outside world.
But wait...
Li Yuan questioned his own basic assumption. Who said there was a fundamental difference between "inside" and "outside"?
Wasn't that distinction itself an illusion?
The thought opened the door to a deeper level of understanding. In the Daojing philosophy he had developed, the Dao was a single entity that underlay everything. If the Dao was one, then the water in the Zhenjing and the water in the physical world were manifestations of the same essence of Water.
There was no hierarchy of reality.
The water in the Zhenjing was not "less real" than the water in the physical world. The water in the physical world was not "more valid" than the water in the Zhenjing. Both were aspects of the same single reality, seen from different perspectives.
The Zhenjing and the physical world are two points of view of the same reality.
Li Yuan felt a fundamental shift in the way he understood cultivation. It was not about choosing between the "inner world" versus the "outer world." Not about isolation versus interaction.
It was about integration.
A mature cultivator doesn't choose one over the other, but integrates both. Using the context that is most suitable for exploring a particular understanding.
Some aspects of understanding are easier to explore in the stillness of the Zhenjing.
Like now, when he needed to understand the relationship between different forms of water, it was easier to do it in a space not limited by the laws of physics. Here, he could see a waterfall flowing upwards, a lake floating in the air, a river spiraling in three dimensions.
Others required dynamic interaction with the external world.
Li Yuan remembered how his Anger Understanding was born from seeing injustice in Millbrook. How his Emotion Understanding evolved through interaction with Anna, Thomas, Marcus, Elena, and Lila. How his Loss Understanding was deepened through the grief he felt when he lost them.
Those experiences could not be replicated in the isolation of the Zhenjing.
Not because the Zhenjing was less real, but because the experiences required a dynamic unpredictability that could only come from interacting with other independent consciousnesses.
The outside world provides a variety of contexts that I cannot create on my own.
Li Yuan began to understand why he was never truly tempted to spend all his time in the Zhenjing, even though it was more comfortable and controlled.
Resonance with other souls enriches the perspective of understanding.
When he interacted with other people, his understandings were not only tested, but also enriched by perspectives he had never considered before. Anna taught him about an aspect of Water he had never seen—the gentleness that could be a force in protecting a family. Marcus showed him an aspect of Anger he didn't understand—anger born from love, not hate.
The outside world becomes a mirror to validate the depth of understanding.
And most importantly—
The outside world gives birth to new questions that don't arise in isolation.
Li Yuan realized that some of the deepest questions about the Dao only arose when he was faced with the complexity and unpredictability of real life. Questions about the balance between detachment and involvement. Questions about individual responsibility versus the collective good. Questions about when to use wisdom and when to let others learn from their own mistakes.
The Zhenjing and the outside world are complementary, not competitive.
Li Yuan smiled in the beautiful water landscape around him. He didn't have to choose between the depth of contemplation in the Zhenjing and the richness of experience in the outside world.
I can use both.
Using the Zhenjing when he needed focus and stillness for deep exploration. Using the outside world when he needed dynamic interaction and a fresh perspective.
There was nothing wrong with spending a long time in the Zhenjing.
Eleven thousand years was not wasted time if it produced genuine depth of understanding. But that depth would be richer if it was integrated with the breadth of experience from the outside world.
And most importantly—there was no pressure to choose.
Li Yuan felt a profound freedom from this realization. He didn't have to feel guilty for enjoying the stillness of the Zhenjing. He also didn't have to feel like he was "running away from reality" when he meditated in his inner world.
It's all part of one complete journey.
In the boundless water landscape, Li Yuan felt a perfect integration between inner wisdom and outer experience, between depth and breadth, between solitude and connection.
Non-duality is not a concept. Non-duality is a way of being.