In general, normal people have three levels of longevity. They correspond to the three type of Qi, Tai Yang (Big Yang), Tai Yin (Big Yin), and Zhonghe (the middle harmonious Qi). Human’s longest lifespan possible is 120 years of age and up, the average lifespan is 80 years of age and up; the lowest lifespan is 60 years of age and up.
Principle of Extending Human’s Life
People who die before 60 years old, are considered as having a life in breakdown. To prevent this happening or wishing to extend one’s life, the teachings from Taoist culture offer solutions. If a person freely offers genuine love and kindness, then their life span can be ex tended with what would have been a big disaster being transformed into a small disaster. For example, a person can only live to around 58 or 59 without good deeds. If he does many good deeds for others, then he likely is able to live past his 60th year into his 60s. If he non-stop offers good deeds, he likely is able to live even longer and reach into his 70s or longer. A similar principle can apply to someone’s parents: if someone’s parent’s life is destined to live to 78, 79, if that parent undertakes lots of good deeds, or their children do lots of good deeds (and return these good deeds — karma — to his/her parents) their parents’ life span can pass beyond the 80th birthday and even longer. Equally, good deeds such as saving people’s or animal’s lives, are considered a significant good deed. Especially, saving another human’s life is a huge good karma for the doer. However, if one often engages in unkind acts or in selfish thoughts, emotions and actions, that person’s lifespan will be shortened and may not be able to be extended.
Principle of Ancestor’s Negative Karma
If a fetus or a child does not reach adulthood, it is called innocent death due to Cheng Fu(承负), the ancestor’s negative karma. Accumulative evidence from and observation of human history from ancient times shows that wise men have shared similar beliefs regarding the impact of ancestral karma. Taoism, like all other religions stresses that man should strive to always be kind, loving and compassionate. Otherwise, the consequences are negatively impacted on the person or their family or future generations.
Taoist beliefs of karma are called “Cheng Fu” (承负), which means ancestral karma. It can either be good or bad. It will impact many generations at the range of from three to seven generations or even more. For example, if a father engaged in negative unkind actions throughout his life, his sin can affect his son’s generation. If the sin was so egregious, that his son’s generation was unable to clear it up, his grandson would take on his grandfather’s bad karma. This is the root of good or back luck within a family for three generations. Ancestral unkindness, hurtful actions or thoughts can negatively impact the offspring. This is why some kind and good natured people run into bad luck such as being sick or killed. Again it is not just bad deeds that have an impact, but also the ancestor’s good deeds that can have an impact, a positive impact, on their offspring. That is why we see many negative people run into good luck and have a good life. It is because people are impacted by their ancestral bad/good karma. This Taoist belief advises people to always be mindful and do things by following the Tao of Heaven and earth. Thus, they avoid accumulation of negative karma knowing that it could possibly affect their future generations.
How to define a kindness or unkindness?
Things or thoughts that are fulfilled by following the Tao of Heaven and Earth are considered as good deeds or kindness. Things or thoughts by which humans disobey or go against the Tao are considered unkind or harmful actions. If one can talk with kind words, think kind thoughts and act with kindness, these are considered as three kindnesses. Taoist teaches, if one can do these three kindnesses each day, after three years, good luck will arrive. Vice versa, if one does three evil things in a day, saying evil things, seeing evil things, and doing evil things, after three years, great evil can happen to this person.
Even actions born of unconscious negative or unkind thoughts can also bring bad karma to the individual, because everything is the Tao and thus always interconnected. Karma is always operating regardless of what humans think, believe or hope.
Taoists have many forms of meditation to cleanse personal ancestral karma. Some special ceremonies can be performed to clear the negative karma from the family tree. Special worship practices or ceremonies can be carried out for the deceased ancestors in heaven. It helps them to resolve the negative karma that is still affecting them in heaven. By helping to clear their karma, they can reincarnate into a human life on a better footing than their previous life. All life is precious and should be treasured. Any man can follow Taoist practices thus ending the cycle of karma and becoming an enlightened being in the process.
