We must be clear that a person's life, as a trial for the soul, is about filtering what kind of soul they are.
First is ultimate goodness. What is ultimate goodness? It is not simply helping others, but rather that a person, throughout their life, should be able to maintain their true heart in different roles and amidst different adversities. Only then can life be considered complete and be called ultimate goodness.
A person has multiple roles in life. As mentioned in the book, the most basic ones are: filial piety as a child, loyalty and love as a spouse, and kindness as a parent. These correspond to three different stages of life: birth, marriage, and childbirth, representing three major tests in life.
Filial piety as a child: In one's life, one should live genuinely and pursue the life one desires. Filial piety means, within your capabilities, ensuring your parents live well, not blindly obeying them and losing your own judgment to live the life they wish for you.
Loyalty and love as a spouse: Although love should ideally be a mutual commitment, the perfect situation is rare in reality. If your partner loves you deeply, you must cherish them even more.
If you are currently in an imperfect marriage and facing adversity, remember that this is also a test in life. Do your best, remain loyal in your relationship, and ultimately you will achieve spiritual elevation. Tests are mutual and involve both parties; while it tests you, it also tests your partner. Focus on doing your best yourself.
Kindness as a parent: Kindness is not indulgence. Love should have limits; love without limits can push children into an endless abyss of suffering. How should children be allowed to be themselves? The responsibilities of parents are mainly twofold. First, provide for the child's basic needs—remember, just the basic needs. Second, set a good example by being a virtuous model for the child.
As a parent, if you truly think about your children, please refrain from any intervention. They need to experience a full life on their own, go through hardships and suffering, grow in adversity, and temper their character through setbacks, so that life can achieve fulfillment.
Too many parents pave the way for their children early on, hoping that their children can go through life smoothly, thinking it is the greatest love for them. But you must remember, a life without obstacles, where one's character is not tempered, cannot lead to maturity, which means life cannot reach fulfillment and is of no benefit to the judgment of the soul.
Only after experiencing setbacks and suffering, and still being able to stay true to oneself, does one meet the standard of the soul's judgment, because without having undergone trials, how could one know whether the heart remains unchanged in the face of difficulties?
Furthermore, some parents leave a large amount of material wealth to their children, indulging them in wrongdoing. This undoubtedly sends their children directly into purgatory. You should believe that in such families, eventually, all members, even across generations, will meet in the purgatory realm. This is not a curse but is based on the nature of purgatorial processes.
Among these three identities, except for being a child, which is innate, the other two identities need to be established on love and marriage. In other words, in order for a person to achieve fulfillment in life, marriage is an indispensable part.
Nowadays, with the development of technological society and the prevalence of materialism, the emotional bonds between people are increasingly weak, leading more and more people to choose to remain unmarried or to become part of the DINK (Double Income, No Kids) group.
In the reincarnation system, how are the behaviors of being unmarried or DINK manifested? This is actually a typical selfish behavior. The foundation of the development of intelligent human civilization is based on reproduction, which means that a continuous supply of hosts is needed to maintain the operation of the reincarnation system.
The opportunity for each person to experience the world is the result of continuous reproduction over generations. Regardless of the dynasty or era, the process of reproduction and raising children is full of hardships, which is also a form of test.
Those who are unmarried or part of the DINK group choose to avoid relationships and the setbacks of life out of fear, hoping to enjoy a free life on their own. If the world did not have a system of reincarnation and judgment, perhaps remaining unmarried or being DINK could not be considered wrong.
However, because the reincarnation system exists, choosing to be unmarried or DINK is selfish, and also results in missing out on the experience of being a spouse and a parent, making it difficult for life to achieve true fulfillment.
There are some extreme women who choose not to marry, yet fear being lonely in old age. They believe that choosing to end their own life as they approach old age can freeze their youth. This is a completely wrong idea. An incomplete life, combined with a lack of self-love, means such people can never pass the judgment of the soul, let alone ascend; ultimately, they will only be cast into purgatory to be annihilated.
This long yet short life path requires bold steps and courageous confrontation. Everything you experience, whether happiness or misfortune, will pass. If you are unwilling to endure the hardships of love, how can you taste its sweetness? Life is about experiencing various emotions, not the enjoyment of material goods and food. Never let your own selfish desires lead you into an endless abyss.
If currently, you are someone who chooses not to marry or belong to the childfree group, and you are still young, seize the world: find a partner, have children, and allow yourself to experience a complete life.
If, due to age, you can no longer change your current situation, alter the outcome of your soul's final judgment by performing immediate acts of kindness. Doing good is not about donating to a temple or releasing animals; it is truly helping those around you who are in need.
Having discussed these three identities, let's now talk about being a friend. Be a little more sincere, a little less calculating. Honesty is the most important quality in human interaction. It is also an indispensable element in the judgment of the soul. It distinguishes a gentleman from a petty person. A gentleman establishes himself with integrity, while a petty person seeks success by harming others for personal gain.
Stay away from those who have hurt you for their own benefit, and never let them get close; they could hurt you again at any time.
Regarding those who have hurt you, simply keep your distance, and do not dwell on it in your heart. Every person who appears in your life brings different life experiences to you. The people who have hurt you teach you the treachery of human nature, helping you avoid more harm in the future.
Do not hold grudges against anyone, and do not get stuck on things that have already happened. These are all forms of mental demons, more like clouds of dust in the heart. Let them disperse, so your soul can be filled with light.
No matter where you are or what role you are playing in your life story, remember to take care of yourself while doing good deeds. For you, there is only benefit, no harm.
Besides that, no matter which country or nation you belong to, and regardless of whether your country's and nation's current social situation is good or bad, remember, when you face foreign invasion, never choose to betray your country and nation for any reason.
In the judgment of the soul, a person who betrays their country and nation for personal gain cannot, if promoted to the group system, be loyal to the group. Therefore, such a person will not be recognized by the group and thus cannot pass the judgment of the soul.
If you have experienced, or are currently experiencing, betrayal of your country and nation, please spend the rest of your life repenting and make up for the mistakes you have committed through good deeds, and there is still a chance to obtain the opportunity for rebirth.