"Transcending the Dust" eBook

Book Title : * Leaving the Mortal World* (Traditional Chinese)
Author : Dr. Zhang Tianliang

Book format : eBook (PDF)
Book pages : 211
File size : 2.5MB

Book Introduction

"Leaving the Dust" is an autobiographical novel by Zhang Tianliang. It is not only his love story, but also includes his pursuit of faith, his reflection on life, and his exploration of history and culture.

About the Author

Dr. Zhang Tianliang is a highly accomplished scholar with expertise in both the humanities and sciences, as well as Chinese and Western learning. He possesses profound insights into many affairs in ancient and modern China and contemporary international affairs.
He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Sciences at Fei Tian University and the host of the YouTube political commentary channel, "Dawn."
Dr. Zhang has also served as a visiting professor at George Mason University, a senior writer for The Epoch Times, a senior commentator for NTD Television, and a guest commentator for Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.
【Dawn】Premiered in April 2019, and as of April 2022, it has 380,000 subscribers and more than 100 million views.
Dr. Zhang Tianliang's major works include:
In 2003, he published the full-length documentary novel "Leaving the Dust";
In 2006, the DVD "A Casual Talk on Party Culture," which he helped plan and present, was distributed to tens of millions of people in mainland China.
In 2009, he published a collection of political essays entitled "China's Path of Peaceful Transition";
In 2010, he wrote and produced the film "Chance Encounter";
From 2011 to 2020, we co-produced a large-scale historical series called "Laughing and Talking about the Times" with NTDTV. The series consists of 192 episodes and about 1.5 million words, covering important figures and events from the pre-Qin period to the end of the Ming Dynasty.
In 2015, he co-authored "Unprecedented Evil Persecution" with scholars including the former Vice-President of the European Parliament;
In 2020, I taught "History of Chinese Civilization" at the City of Hope, where I systematically explained the three spiritual pillars that shaped Chinese civilization and clarified many misleading concepts.

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Author's Preface

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a renowned American civil rights leader. His "I Have a Dream" speech, like thunderclaps in spring, inspired millions of Black people and people of other races to dedicate themselves to the nonviolent non-cooperation movement he championed, ultimately leading to the repeal of segregation laws in the United States. Dr. King was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

Compared to his identity as a civil rights leader, fewer people may know that Dr. King was also a Christian pastor; compared to "I Have a Dream," even fewer people may know that he also wrote a brilliant sermon called "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." The three dimensions mentioned therein are the length, breadth, and height of life, which is the three-dimensional space that we can see.

The length of this passage refers to the effort one should make to realize the value of one's life. Here, "value" does not mean achieving prominence or boundless wealth, but rather "finding the meaning and purpose of one's creation. Once one discovers one's mission, one should do everything in one's power to fulfill it." In other words, when a person discovers the mission God gave him when He created his life, then the very act of striving to fulfill that mission becomes "the source of all meaning."

Breadth refers to concern for the well-being of others. When a person transcends self-interest and focuses on those who truly need help, they transcend the dimension of length and enter the dimension of breadth. However, when we try to care for others, we inevitably have to put aside the work we are currently doing, spend our already meager funds, and even risk our lives. At this point, we need to move beyond the thought, "What will happen to me if I stop to help this person?" and ask the question in reverse: "What will happen to him if I don't stop to help this person?" Life will reveal its shining qualities here, namely a "spirit of altruism that dares to sacrifice." In Chinese culture, this is called "being the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures."

Many people never transcend the length and breadth of life in their lifetime, but true sages rise from this two-dimensional plane of length and breadth to achieve the most important third level of life: "climbing upwards to seek God," which is the height of life. In fact, the length and breadth of life also come from reverence for God with all one's heart, soul, and mind. Without this, all moral teachings of ordinary people will be easily submerged in the surging tide of worldly desires.

A reporter once interviewed a shepherd boy from a poor mountain village. The reporter asked him why he herded sheep, and he replied that it was to "make money." The reporter then asked what he needed the money for, and the shepherd boy replied that it was to "get married." The reporter pressed further, asking why he needed to get married, and he replied that it was to "have children." The reporter then asked what he needed children for, and he replied, "to herd sheep."

While the shepherd boy may seem ignorant, I believe that for most people, if we ask ourselves about the purpose of our daily work or study, our thinking is almost identical to his, only we've transformed "herding sheep" into "programming" or some other more respectable job. In reality, we've gone full circle, just like the shepherd boy, living simply to survive, with simply maintaining a livelihood becoming the purpose and meaning of life itself. At this point, life is undoubtedly incomplete.

Therefore, the three dimensions of a complete life are not only the purpose, value, and destination of our lives, but the path to achieving completeness is often fraught with difficulties and even daunting. However, one thing is certain: once a person finally finds and embraces their faith, they will never want to return to the darkness of life where no one guides them.

"Leaving the Dust" is my first autobiographical novel. It is not only my love story, but also includes my pursuit of faith, reflections on life, and explorations of history and culture. As a doctoral student in science and engineering, my writing style is by no means as vivid, concise, and beautiful as that of a professional writer. However, I sincerely hope that readers can feel the faith, hope, and sincerity I had when writing this novel through the words on the page.

author

Mid-Autumn Festival of the Year of Guiwei

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