II. The Second Characteristic: Numbness

Another manifestation of people reincarnated from animals is that they are particularly numb in the face of many people, events, and things. Not only do they view matters in an obstinate and distorted way, but they also cannot perceive at all what the nature, essence, or root cause of anything that arises is, what influence it may bring, or what consequences it may cause. They still cannot perceive these things and remain ignorant of them, even when some people have already said or done certain things, or revealed certain signs and indications—it’s like they’re fools. By the time they do perceive them, the matter is already concluded, and the consequences have already arisen. Even after hearing so many truths, they do not know and cannot sense what kind of people those around them are, what their essence is, or what they are capable of doing. Some people say things that are clearly problematic, yet they cannot sense it. For example, when some people boast, talk big, show off, and flaunt themselves, this is obviously a revelation of an arrogant disposition, yet people reincarnated from animals cannot perceive the problem. Instead, they think that these people are capable, they admire and look up to them, and even want to follow such people afterward. This shows they’re numb. Obvious evil people and evil deeds, obvious revelations of corrupt dispositions, the direction in which things are obviously headed—such people cannot perceive any of this. They do not know what the essence of the matter is, or what the root of the problem is; they cannot sense it at all, they do not even have the awareness. They are what we often call corpses without spirits. This type of person falls even further short when it comes to matters involving the truth principles. You tell them which principle they should practice according to, but they do not understand; they only memorize the regulations they are supposed to adhere to. They cannot understand the principles you fellowship about, they are beyond them. You point out a certain state in them, which is a manifestation of their revelation of a corrupt disposition, but they think you are talking about someone else. Even if they verbally admit that they also have this kind of corrupt disposition, they do not recognize which words they have spoken or which actions they have taken that match up to this state or this manifestation. They do not understand and do not know what you’re talking about. When fellowshipping about the truth during gatherings, while others have already moved on to the next topic, they still turn the discussion back to talk about the earlier one. Isn’t this being obtuse and numb? When others speak, they cannot keep up—not because their thinking cannot keep up, but because their caliber is insufficient and falls short. When certain evil people try to deceive them, toy with them, or torment them, they cannot sense it, but instead treat the evil people as brothers and sisters and get along intimately with them, and only after being harmed by them do they realize they have been taken for a ride. Then they think, “I’m so foolish! I don’t know how to judge people, I don’t know how to discern people! This time, I’ve really learned my lesson—going forward, I won’t trust anyone, I’ll only trust myself. That is the highest wisdom!” After being tricked once, they believe they have gained insight and even think they are smarter now, shifting from one extreme to another. People reincarnated from animals are numb to every matter. For example, one such person was in charge of animal husbandry and planting. One day the temperature dropped, and I said to him, “Tonight it will be minus five degrees. Shouldn’t those plants and animals that cannot withstand the cold be taken care of?” After hearing this, he responded, “I have a cotton-padded jacket, and I sleep at night with a quilt and a blanket, so I won’t be cold.” Did he understand what I meant? Based on this response, he clearly did not. Isn’t this being numb? (It is.) If I had said, “Tonight it will be minus five degrees. If the flowers are in the yard, they will freeze to death. The animals that are sensitive to the cold and the weak ones should be kept in barns. You should hang an extra curtain on the door and patch up any drafty areas in the barns.” After hearing this, he would have pondered for a moment and thought, “Oh, You were talking about the animals and plants. Then wouldn’t it be fine just to move the flowers indoors? There are so many animals, and You didn’t say which ones are sensitive to the cold and which ones aren’t, which ones should be brought inside and which ones shouldn’t.” Indeed, I didn’t specify—but can you not act according to principles? You don’t even realize that flowers left outside in winter could freeze to death, and if I don’t assign you to do these things, you won’t do them—what kind of problem is this? Is this not being numb? (It is.) This shows he is numb. For example, it’s sunny out and clothes are hanging outside in the yard to dry, and someone says, “It looks like it might rain in the afternoon. Will the clothes drying outside get wet?”—these words convey a hint of a reminder. A person with normal human thinking would hear this and ponder, “I should pay attention—when the sky turns cloudy, I’ll quickly bring the clothes inside.” But those who do not possess the thinking of normal humanity will not become aware of this. When you say it’s going to rain in the afternoon, they hear this and think, “What’s the point of saying that? It has nothing to do with me. I’ll be inside, so I won’t get wet if it rains. Besides, what can I do about it raining? There’s no use telling me this!” They simply do not realize why they are being told this or why this matter is being brought up. So how must you talk to them for them to actually understand? You have to tell them, “It will rain in the afternoon at such and such a time. Before it rains, when you see the sky turning cloudy, quickly bring the clothes inside. If you don’t, they will get wet and need to be rewashed. Also, when gathering the clothes, check if there’s anything else in the yard that shouldn’t get wet or be exposed to rain, and bring them inside as well.” You must instruct them like this. If you don’t instruct them in this way, they will not realize they need to bring in the clothes, nor will they realize they need to gather any other items that cannot get rained on. They will not do these things. Why? Because they are too numb, they do not possess the thinking of normal humanity, and they do not meet the standard of normal humanity. That is, their intelligence and caliber do not reach the standard of normal humanity. This is what people reincarnated from animals are like. When asking such a person to do something, even though I have already instructed them multiple times, and they have done it many times before, I still have to instruct them again. If I do not instruct them, they will not realize what needs to be done, nor will they be able to do it. So every time they encounter this kind of task, you have to tell them exactly what needs to be done and how to do it, instructing them on each step in the process. If you leave out even a single thing, they will not do that thing, or possibly even mess the whole thing up. And if you then point out their problems, they will respond with a bunch of distorted arguments and start being willfully unreasonable again. This is a manifestation of being numb.

This characteristic of people reincarnated from animals, their numbness, is very obvious. For example, from fellowship on the truth, they understand in terms of doctrine how to discern if a church leader does actual work, whether they are a leader who is up to standard, or whether they are a false leader or an antichrist. However, when it comes to discerning what category their own church leader falls under, even when they witness certain manifestations presented by the church leader, they do not know how to discern them. If you ask them, “Does your church leader do actual work?” they say, “I see them busy every day with gatherings and bustling around organizing things, they distributed books to the brothers and sisters, and they followed up on the gospel work.” Then you ask, “How well do they do their work, then? Are they someone who pursues the truth?” They respond, “They have forsaken their career and family. Even when their parents came to visit, they were too busy doing their duty to see them. They must be someone who pursues the truth, right?” They only look at these outward manifestations of the church leader; but no matter how many evils the leader secretly commits, even if they see this, they do not identify it as a problem, they do not know that it is a problem. Regardless of how many of these things happen in front of them, it’s just like they never saw anything, as if they are not living among people but in another world entirely. Aren’t such people extremely numb? (Yes.) This is being numb. When they encounter someone who has the work of evil spirits, who always pays attention to supernatural matters and always talks about things that they sense, always saying things like, “I heard a voice, God enlightened me, God illuminated me, God guided me, God revealed something inside me again,” numb people think, “They truly love God. They have received revelations—why haven’t I?” They simply do not realize that this is the work of evil spirits. Only when one day that person suddenly goes mad, makes a huge scene in front of everyone, rolling on the ground, and runs naked through the streets do they finally see that this is an evil spirit. Actually, before that person went mad, there were already many indications, and these manifestations would have been enough to characterize them as having the work of evil spirits and for them to be handled early by being cleared out. But they are numb, cannot perceive these things, and do not realize what consequences leaving such a person in the church might bring—isn’t this liable to cause disasters? Some evil spirits and evil demons even reach the point of harming people, yet numb people still cannot perceive them for what they are. They even believe that such individuals really love God and that they are full of zeal, often staying up late at night reading God’s words and learning hymns, not eating or sleeping for days yet still not feeling tired. Even though this is obviously abnormal, they claim it is love for God. Are they not far too numb? Numb people, for one thing, cannot see through matters; they are unable to look beyond surface phenomena to see through to the essence of issues. Thus, it is very difficult for them to accurately characterize any issues. Additionally, numb people do not have normal ways of thinking or the ability to identify things, so they remain completely unaware of many things happening around them. People like this can live in a place for several years, yet when asked, “What’s the climate like there? What are the seasonal patterns? Is it a comfortable place to live?” they are unable to answer. They say, “What about the climate? I don’t know. Anyway, flowers bloom in April, the leaves turn yellow and start falling around September or October, and when winter comes, it’s time for snow.” If asked, “What are the local customs like? How is the social system? Is there racial discrimination? How are the government’s policies? How do they treat people from other places?” they are completely clueless, staring dumbfounded, unable to say anything. Even when it comes to the most important matter—the government’s attitude toward religious belief—they cannot say anything, only responding, “Well, we live there and the government never gives us any trouble.” They are like wooden dummies, completely unaware of anything—this is extreme numbness. There are also some people who say they are too busy doing their duty and have no time to sort these things out—is this not just an excuse? (Yes.) It’s obvious that this is an excuse. Do such simple things require deliberate attention and record-keeping? No, they do not. If you possess the thinking of normal humanity, after living in a place for more than three years, you should basically have a grasp of the local climate, the customs, lifestyle habits, the situation regarding religious belief, and the government’s policies and its attitudes toward people from other places. You would not need to especially learn about, find out about, or gather this information—you would just know. Anyone with the thinking of normal humanity could grasp these things very naturally. If you are even unable to grasp the issues normal people can grasp and see clearly, what does this indicate? It indicates that you do not possess the thinking or rationality of normal humanity and that you do not meet the standard of normal humanity. The fundamental reason this type of person fails to meet the standard of normal humanity is that they are not reincarnated from humans but from animals. Do you understand? (Yes.) If one’s characteristic of numbness is very obvious, this speaks volumes about the problem.

What have you come to understand from our fellowship just now regarding the characteristics of people reincarnated from animals? Have you noticed a fact—that both distorted comprehension and numbness, these two characteristics, are very evident in this category of people? (Yes.) Why do these people have these two manifestations? What is lacking in their humanity? (Normal thinking.) That is somewhat fitting—they do not possess human intelligence. On the surface, it seems like these people have poor caliber—just how poor is it? They are both prone to distortions and numb; when it comes to some issues that those with normal humanity frequently encounter and can independently handle and resolve, they fall short and cannot resolve them, appearing very childish, ridiculous, and immature. More seriously, some of these people do not have the ability to survive independently—they cannot support themselves, and whether they go out to work or engage in any kind of job, they are incapable. No matter where they go, employers either don’t want them or dismiss them. Additionally, the main thing is that when faced with various issues within the scope of their own lives, such as common issues in life and even some trivial matters, they cannot handle them well. They can even make a mess of a very simple issue; they always just blindly apply regulations. The methods and approaches they use to handle things are extremely idiotic and clumsy; they don’t possess the methods and means that an adult would use to deal with things in the world. This makes it very obvious that they do not possess human intelligence. For example, one such person develops an illness and always feels unwell. They look up some information, and it says that it could be a serious disease or major illness; they become terrified, rushing to the hospital for an examination. The doctor says, “This illness is very severe. It has an extremely high mortality rate. If left untreated, it will worsen and result in death. Surgery is the only way to treat it. If you don’t have the surgery, you have three months to live at most.” Hearing this, they become extremely frightened and don’t know what to do. Without undergoing further examinations to confirm the diagnosis, they just listen to the doctor and decide to have the surgery. Before the operation, they don’t even ask what precautions need to be taken, whether there will be aftereffects when the operation is over—they don’t even know to ask these questions, and just get intimidated by the doctor into obediently getting onto the operating table. In the end, after the surgery, they feel discomfort here and discomfort there, and even taking medicine doesn’t help. Later, they hear from others that this illness doesn’t require surgery, that it is not really a severe disease, and that through exercise and taking some common medications, it will gradually improve and not progress or worsen. Doctors, in order to make money, sometimes make alarming statements to scare people, and the numb person has no ideas of their own and cannot make judgments; hearing what the doctor says, they become scared out of their wits, and when the doctor tells them to undergo surgery, they go ahead with it. When such matters befall them, if there is someone around who has their own ideas and is strong-minded, and has intelligence to help them vet things, they will be able to avoid taking detours and they will suffer a bit less. But if they are left to handle such matters on their own, especially major matters, they will either deviate one way or the other, they will either be tricked or be harmed; they always take extreme measures. They are simply unable to comprehensively measure things based on principles or commonly used ways and methods for handling such matters and then find the most reasonable and rational way to treat them. Anyone can cheat them, toy with them, sway them, and mislead them. Some people ask, “Do these people not have their own thoughts or opinions?” It’s actually not that they don’t have their own thoughts or opinions—you see, when they commit misdeeds and spout fallacious arguments, they certainly are opinionated. No matter who says correct things, they do not listen, and even if someone says things that are correct, they are defiant and just persist with their fallacious, twisted arguments. Yet when it comes to actually needing to use normal reason and normal thinking to face and correctly approach and handle matters that arise in daily life, they do not know what method or procedure to use to handle them, do not know how to approach them, have no ways or methods, and have no thoughts or opinions of their own. In the end, they can only be manipulated by others—they do whatever others tell them to do. Not having the intelligence of normal humanity is a characteristic of people reincarnated from animals. So, why are they able to persist with their fallacious, twisted arguments, even able to speak them aloud and spread them all over the place? This proves that in terms of their intelligence, they are incapable of discerning what is the truth and what is fallacious reasoning, what conforms to normal rationality and what does not—they cannot distinguish between these things; therefore, when you share reasoning that is correct, they cannot accept it and do not understand it. They just persist with their own distorted, twisted reasoning, and believe it to be correct. No matter what method anyone else uses to speak to them, no matter how good or full of wisdom their way of speaking is, those reincarnated from animals cannot take it in and do not understand it—they are done for. This shows they do not have the intelligence of normal humanity. Even for the most normal matter in daily life, when you reason with them, it does not get through—they still persist with their twisted reasoning. When people see this, they think, “Why is this person so strange? Why are they so impervious to reason? They’re like both someone with a mental illness and someone who hasn’t come of age—why do they always speak in a childish way?” But they are not young—when they are fifty or sixty, they are like this, and when they reach eighty, they are still like this. Their whole lives, they are people with deficient intelligence; their whole lives, they do not possess normal human thinking or normal human intelligence. This is a characteristic of people reincarnated from animals. Is this characteristic obvious? (Yes.) For example, say there’s a foolish woman who has some looks, and after being seduced by some sleazy rogue, they move in together. That sleazy rogue flirts around outside all the time, but when she finds out, she is not angry—at any rate, it’s fine for her as long as he treats her well. Later, the sleazy rogue gets involved with someone else, but when she finds out, she does not care and still stays with the sleazy rogue with unwavering devotion. She even says, “As long as he doesn’t abandon me, I’m fine.” Someone advises her, saying, “He’s already stooped this low—you should stop being with him.” She says, “No, I can’t do without him. He loves me and I like him!” Such a person deserves to stay with this sleazy rogue and suffer a lifetime—she simply cannot discern what a good person is or what a decent person is. She gets with a sleazy rogue and even thinks that he truly loves her. The sleazy rogue says a few sweet words to her and buys her some nice food, and just like that, he sweet-talks her into his arms. He toys with her as if playing with Play-Doh. When he flirts around behind her back and she finds out, with just a few words, he smooths things over, deceiving her, and she just cannot see through it. In the end, the sleazy rogue seizes all her property and house and then dumps her. She curses him as having no conscience, but she just does not say that she was deceived because she cannot see through people. Why did that sleazy rogue not deceive others but was able to deceive her? Is it not because she is foolish? The primary characteristics of this kind of person are that they are obstinate and ridiculous in how they comprehend and treat everything, and that they do not possess the intelligence of normal humanity. That’s why we say they’re reincarnated from animals. Because they’re animals, they do not possess human intelligence. The fact that they do not possess human intelligence is enough to prove that the essence within them is not the essence of humans. Therefore, they cannot cope with human matters or handle and resolve issues that normal humans should be able to handle and resolve. Even when it comes to their approach to things in their own daily lives—their daily meals, the basic necessities, as well as interpersonal relationships and the surrounding environment—they are also very numb. Moreover, when they encounter certain matters that they need to face and handle, they do not have the intelligence of normal people, let alone wisdom of course. When they face these issues, they handle them with great difficulty, great exhaustion, and extreme clumsiness. They are so old and they have lived such a long time: How can they handle things this way? Why do the things they say sound so disgusting and so awkward? Why don’t they talk like normal people? They have lived for so many years and have experienced quite a lot, yet when handling such a simple matter, how could they behave like this? They do not even have the most basic boundaries of humanity or the most fundamental principles that people should have.