古埃及的狮身人面像是一个混合体，人头象征着仁慈、智慧和道德，而狮身则象征着欲望、凶和野蛮，它究竟是人类还是动物？谁都无法准确回答。如果非要一个答案，它可能寓意着我们的人性结构吧。也许智慧的古埃及文明，想要告诉我们，兽性的欲望、凶和野蛮需要神性的仁慈和道德来约束。
我们这个世界是阴阳统一、二元对立的，兽性与神性、善良与邪恶、光明与黑暗并存。人性是神性与兽性的混合体，只不过有的人生命中的神性成分占比较大；有的人生命中的兽性成分占比较大；有的人完全是兽，有的人半人半兽，有的人非常接近神……
人与动物的本质区别也并不在于人是文明教化的产物而动物是野蛮的生物。在人和动物的天性中都同时存在兽性和神性。所以我们经常也可以看到不如动物的人和比人强的动物在这个世界，一味走向神性，或一味走向兽性，都是割裂阴阳。想要这个世界达到阴阳和谐统一，就需用仁慈、智慧和道德约束我们身上的兽性。一阴一阳谓之道，世间阴阳通过互相制约而实现平衡，正所谓“万物负阴抱阳，冲气以为和”。
每个人的人性呈现千变万化、光怪陆离的现象。人张扬了兽性就会成为兽，人遵从了规范才能成为人，人只有提升内心的品质才能成为有德行的人。如果世界被兽性主导，那会变成炼狱；被神性主导，那就是天堂。现在的人喜欢“崇尚天性”，本意很美好，是想让每个人活出自己内在的个性。但是我们要小心，释放天性不意味着为所欲为，完全不顾忌别人、不顾忌规则、不顾忌后果。如果这样，释放天性，就有可能变为释放兽性。没有约束、不符合人伦道德的天性，是世界的灾难。我们的行为需要规范，让每个人拥有规则意识和敬畏之心。我们可以不成为神，但首先要成为人，然后要成为有德行的人。了解人性结构，让我们每个人的修炼和人格的提升有了正确方向，促使整个人类文明向着光明、向着正确、向着最高的自由境界飞升。
It is a face that betrays nothing, staring out from the middle of a desert.
The Sphinx of ancient Egypt is a mixture of the head of a man and the body of a lion. The head stands for mercy, intelligence and virtue, while the body stands for desire, cruelty and barbarity. Is it a human or animal? Nobody can give a correct answer. Perhaps it implies a structure in humanity. As a wise civilization, maybe ancient Egypt wants to tell us that desire and violence should be restrained by nobler intentions. We are both——we should favor the best one.
We live in a world with a unity of Yin and Yang, the binary of oppositions, where barbarity and divinity, good and evil, light and darkness all co-exist. Humanity is a mixture of all. The mix varies with each person. The essential difference between humans and animals is not that humans are cultivated by civilization and animals are not. Barbarity and divinity exist in both species. There are humans with extremely base instincts, and animals that show more humanity than humans. The unity of yin and yang is Tao, where yin and yang reach a balance through mutually conditioning the other. To reach a harmony of Yin and Yang, we find a way through the choices. The humanity of each and every one of us vacillates. We choose the mixture of our own nature.
Sometimes people favor “going back to nature”，where everyone is free to live as they wish and become who they wish to be. But we must be careful, because sometimes that leads to a distorted view of the world and unwise decisions; not considering the welfare of others has consequences. Understanding the pull and push of ancient forces inside us further promotes civilization. It doesn't matter if we don't become gods, but we must first be humans——and then try to be better humans. Think of the Sphinx. Think of what it has seen in all the time it has been there.
A lso think of the age of the Tao. How it has been a companion to us as Vwe struggle with the emotions that rage inside us.
