Of course, many people might say that regarding the matter of Indian Zen, it was because Steve Jobs was too young and was deceived by the religions of the world. And after Jobs matured, his connection with religion became much less pronounced.
The evidence is that Jobs only visited India once and never specifically sought out religions there afterward.
While this statement isn't entirely wrong, according to recollections from Jobs's domestic staff later on, his not visiting India in his later years wasn't because he no longer believed in religion, but rather because he was disappointed with Indian Zen, a disappointment that originated from his illness.
In 1999, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He initially opted for conservative treatment, but his condition worsened in 2004, forcing him to undergo surgery.
Pancreatic cancer is arguably the most terrifying cancer in the world, known as the "king of cancers," and considered incurable. Once diagnosed, the prognosis is usually no more than five years.
Upon receiving this news, Jobs was extremely fearful. Simultaneously, he resisted conventional treatments like surgery. Instead, he immediately chose to apply the Zen meditation techniques he had learned from Hinduism, hoping to achieve better health through meditation.
The eventual outcome was that in 2004, Jobs had to undergo surgery due to his worsening condition. Subsequently, he spent tens of millions of dollars annually on medical expenses and assembled a professional medical team of dozens of experts to constantly monitor his bodily data. This effort, against all odds, extended his initial five-year survival prognosis to a remarkable sixteen years.
It wasn't until 2011, after the release of the iPhone 4s, that Jobs succumbed to his illness. Therefore, it's incorrect to say that Jobs voluntarily abandoned his religious beliefs in his later years. Rather, he abandoned Indian Zen because he discovered its utter lack of efficacy in treating his condition.
However, the current year is 2005. Jobs, having been ill for five consecutive years and finding meditation to be useless, had developed profound doubts about Indian Zen. He began to lose faith in the religious school he had believed in for two to three decades.
But for humans, admitting one's mistakes is often the hardest thing to do.
If Jobs were to admit that Indian Zen and religion in general were flawed, it would be tantamount to admitting that the first thirty years of his life were also a mistake. This was something Jobs simply could not accept.
Therefore, Jobs was engaged in an internal psychological struggle. It wasn't until time had allowed him to calm down that he began to move forward.
However, Jobs found a new explanation: Indian Zen was flawed, but religion itself was not. He had simply chosen the wrong religion. Indian Zen practitioners were either intentionally or unintentionally deceivers, and the truly life-saving path lay in Taoism from China.
Indeed, Jobs was beginning to gradually become a follower of Taoism, and this shift had occurred within a mere four days from the present.
Approximately four days prior, Jobs, still weak after his surgery, was resting on his hospital bed browsing the internet.
He had intended to search for information related to pancreatic cancer. Although he knew that all the information he could find online about pancreatic cancer combined was less than what a single professional medical team doctor beside him possessed, he believed that knowledge stored in one's own mind was more reliable than knowledge in others' minds. Moreover, Jobs always considered others to be fools and himself the sole genius.
Thus, he felt he shouldn't be dictated to by these useless medical teams but should find ways to seek out treatments for pancreatic cancer himself.
Historically, Jobs did the same. In 2007, he specifically donated to a medical center dedicated to researching and treating pancreatic cancer. He even participated in the research himself, developing a specialized mathematical model to aid drug development.
This research center later produced results, such as highly effective drugs for treating cancer at the genetic level—those incredibly expensive medications costing 1.2 million RMB per injection were developed by the research center funded by Jobs's investment.
Alas, these achievements came too late, and they had no effect on the overall "king of cancers," pancreatic cancer. Jobs's efforts were in vain.
However, this time, Jobs stumbled upon Daniel's video online. This was Daniel's first video, designed to teach beginners how to meditate while also briefly explaining Taoist philosophy.
Initially, Jobs viewed the video with a mindset of mockery and debunking. However, after watching the entire video, he found himself deep in thought because what the person said made a lot of sense and seemed remarkably true!
Most people would have dismissed Daniel as a fraud upon seeing this video, as meditation sounds rather mystical and even sinister, akin to methods used by witches.
But Jobs was different. He had been to India and had diligently practiced there for seven months. The initial introductory practice of Indian Zen also involved meditation. Therefore, Jobs had already mastered the techniques of meditation. He could even enter a meditative state at will.
This was also the reason for his strong belief in Indian Zen back then. Meditation was such an astonishing and mysterious practice that anyone who experienced it would naturally believe in the subsequent doctrines of Zen.
Thus, when Jobs saw Daniel's video teaching meditation, he knew that this person was speaking the truth and teaching genuine methods. These were indeed effective ways to enter a meditative state, and Jobs himself had practiced them similarly.
Could it be that Taoism is actually Indian Zen?
But very quickly, Jobs realized that Taoism and Indian Zen were entirely different matters.
Indian Zen, after guiding its adherents into a meditative state, began to emphasize spiritual cultivation. It required its followers to ponder, contemplate the true meaning of life, and meditate on the Hindu deities. In essence, it involved engaging in philosophical discussions to transcend the mundane and achieve immediate enlightenment.
It emphasized an intellectual sublimation, which had indeed been beneficial to Jobs back then. He felt his overall intelligence had improved, along with his business acumen, which was why he had once been a staunch believer in Indian Zen.
Later, Jobs discovered that this form of contemplation offered no help to his physical health or his lifespan. Despite years of devotion, not only did his health not improve, but he was diagnosed with the extremely aggressive pancreatic cancer.
He later inquired of Zen masters how to use the methods of Indian Zen to treat this disease.
The master's response was that he shouldn't focus on treatment but should calmly accept the illness. He explained that such afflictions were tribulations bestowed by great gods to wear down his physical body and temper his spirit.
Once the illness finally consumed his mortal coil, his spirit would enter an eternal state and achieve immediate enlightenment, eternalizing his spirit.
Upon hearing this, Jobs felt like striking someone. He had little interest in eternal spiritual existence; he simply wanted to live a long life in this world. This was the reason for Jobs's disappointment and distancing from Indian Zen.
Because, whether Indian Zen was true or false, even if true, they never intended to treat the physical body. Instead, they wished for the body to perish quickly so the spirit could achieve eternal existence. This was utterly absurd!
However, when Jobs saw Daniel's explanation of Taoism, he was dumbfounded. He realized he had been pursuing the wrong path.
According to Daniel's explanation, after entering a meditative state, one shouldn't focus on enhancing their wisdom. Instead, they should seek out the energy present in the air, known as 'qi,' and use 'qi' to cultivate and strengthen their physical body, circulating it through the meridians. They could even use 'qi' to attack diseased areas within the body, thereby achieving a state of being free from illness.
This entirely new doctrine left Jobs incredibly excited.
Jobs immediately entered a meditative state and indeed discovered countless points of light around him. Although he couldn't yet draw these points into his body, it proved the authenticity of the Taoist teachings!
Following this, Jobs began to frantically collect various books related to Taoism. The more he read, the more logical and even scientific it seemed.
Jobs understood very well that the essence of all matter was energy, and invisible energy was dispersed in the air. This energy was called entropy or antimatter.
This energy could potentially be influenced by brainwaves and controlled by humans. This, he realized, was 'qi'!
So, he immediately sought ways to contact Daniel, expressing his desire to meet with Bishop Song to personally inquire about the cultivation methods of Taoism.
Daniel had been cultivating under Song Hua for nearly a month by this time. His understanding of Taoism had deepened, becoming more comprehensive, and his conviction in spreading the teachings had strengthened.
He felt that Chinese people were assholes for hoarding such profound cultivation methods and never sharing them with others, keeping them strictly to themselves, which was incredibly stingy.
He was determined to spread this great dharma throughout the world, allowing everyone to cultivate and have the opportunity to become immortals. Therefore, upon learning that Jobs had contacted him, Daniel felt he couldn't simply arrange a meeting between his teacher and Jobs in a straightforward manner.
Because the easier something is obtained, the less value it holds. Coincidentally, at this time, there was a trend of many entrepreneurs sponsoring movie screenings. Thus, Daniel subtly suggested that Jobs could also express his reverence for the Taoist immortals through such a gesture, and then...
Daniel had initially intended to solicit one million dollars, similar to others. He hadn't expected Jobs to be so generous, as he promptly paid ten million dollars. What more could Daniel say? He naturally agreed wholeheartedly and began making arrangements for his teacher's historic meeting with Jobs.
Well, don't ask why Jobs would foolishly pay ten million dollars. It's because Jobs felt he was on the verge of death, and all the money in the world would be meaningless after his demise, only benefiting his children. It was better to use it to win the favor of the bishop and the deities, thus living a few more years.
Don't think this is too far-fetched. Statistics show that in his later years, Jobs invested almost his entire fortune into cancer research and conquest—a staggering sum exceeding billions of dollars. To live, he spared no expense.
For Taoism, which offered the potential to save his life and grant immortality, a mere ten million dollars was a small price to pay. As long as it meant survival!