What is the spiritual state of Taoism? I met a master at Wudang Mountain who told me that the greatest virtue in life is to forgive others for any mistakes. Just as I was getting into it, he said that he couldn't do it anyway. Just as he finished speaking, a girl came over with a divination and asked the master, 'When will my destined relationship arrive?' The master said, 'There is no such thing as a destined relationship. If you are happy, it is destined; if you are not happy, it is karmic.' I asked the master, 'If I scold someone or speak ill of them, am I creating bad karma?' The master told me, 'You are his retribution.' I said, 'If I want to scold someone, other teachings say it's not good, and that it will harm my blessings.' The master said, 'He wants to be scolded by you, fulfilling him, and you are accumulating virtue.' I went to the main hall to burn incense, but the incense kept going out three times. The master came up, broke the incense, and gave me a new one, saying that the old one had gotten damp and not to worry about it. I said that I've been feeling down lately, and many people advised me not to be too sensitive and to learn to regulate my emotions. The master said it's not your problem; someone is countering you. The Taoist philosophy emphasizes being natural and at ease, following one's heart, and having no regrets. Only by living freely can one avoid feeling oppressed, naturally leading to physical and mental relaxation and less sickness.