I raised the issues I was thinking about as questions, and Fa Zheng responded after some contemplation.
"All things meet their end, from life to non-life, none are exempt. So, one might say that everything has a day of returning to the Great True Spirit, merging with the truly omniscient, omnipotent existence," Fa Zheng said. "Since all paths lead to the same destination, the difference lies not in the conclusion but in the journey."
"Long ago, I knew of some cultivators trying to self-realize their True Spirit, and from their perspective, returning to the Great True Spirit after death versus attaining supreme wisdom while still oneself are two profoundly different concepts."
"But isn't this also a form of 'I-obsession'? With this motive as the starting point, self-realization of the True Spirit seems impossible," I said. "Moreover, after self-realization, one inevitably falls into the outcome of death, without exception... at least that's what I've read in the records."
