Mr. Xue
Paul FraserHow To Read The Path of Life
— Ou Wen Wei
I would like to offer some suggestions on how to read The Path of Life.
The Path of Life deals with the author’s very unique mystical experiences. How shall we understand them? They can be viewed from at least two perspectives.
One way would be to start with the assumption that everything written in the books is true, that all the author’s experiences are real; then put yourself in his position, asking “If I heard a voice out of thin air, how would I react?” This is a very important point to consider. It is very important to see one’s self as the author.
Why?
The main plot of the book is the conversation between Pangu and the author. This is well worth serious thought. First, would you have the same courage the author showed in facing such a mystical, invisible and unavoidable power? Place yourself in this situation and imagine. Ask if you could do as the author did, being honest with yourself and open to the experience. Only in doing so can you grasp the true value of the book.
The author asks many questions. Naturally, all of his questions relate to his own interests, in one sense, because he is only one member of the entirety of humanity. And yet, we pay close attention to the questions the author asks, we discover that he is also asking questions on behalf of all of humanity, knowing that all human beings seek the truth of The Universe. You may ask yourself, “Would I be able to do the same if I were to have a similar experience? Would my mind be as broad?” Being able to consider this is very useful while reading The Path of Life.
Common responses to the book are that it is fantastic, absurd, or surreal. Those readers are not seeing the story through a broad mindset. They have not considered if they were to have the same experience how they might react.
This is the first perspective.
The second perspective would be to see the book as fiction, that the story is not real or true, completely fabricated by the author. If you were to view it this way, you may wonder how it is the author can have such rich knowledge? How old was the author when he wrote the book?
When he began writing this book he was 36 years old, yet the book covers so many topics. If a person were to spend 36 years studying a wide range of subjects he still could not accumulate such a vast range of information. So, in seeing it as fiction, this must be considered. Moreover, no similar fictional work has ever been written. Perhaps some could mention Dante’s poetry as an example, but the content is much different. Others may mention Journey To The West. But that story only deals with the lives of the characters and their adventures, never mentioning the origin of The Universe and the future of humanity. Neither of these works mentions the interrelationships of many different types of knowledge.
Considering this as we regard The Path Of Life as a novel we must see it as a truly mystical novel. If it seems impossible for a man of such a young age to write such a work, you may begin to wonder if, in fact, the author did have those experiences.
If you read the book from both of the above perspectives carefully, you may wish to summarize your thoughts and feelings afterwards. You may ask yourself what is the main theme of this book. The theme of the book is only this: To ask people to conduct their lives according to the maxim of Pangu Shengong,
“Take Kindness and Benevolence as Basis,
Take Frankness and Friendliness to Heart.”
This is to cultivate one’s heart and soul, to refine one’s character, making us qualified to enter into the Future Human World. This is the author’s purpose. Once you understand the author’s purpose it may answer your other questions as to his motivation. In knowing this you may go beyond the usual mindset of whether or not it is a true account.
You may ask yourself, When I was 36 years old, was it likely I would be able to write such a book?
Just to retell The Path Of Life is very difficult. Imagine if you were to try to write it!
In addition, reading with others in a group is certainly a good way to get deeper insight into the book. Many has reported great benefits they get from a POL book club. For anyone who may have wanted to start a Path of Life book club and discussion group, but was unsure of how to begin, we offer a suggestion. Please visit POL Book Club Starter Kit to get some ideas.
