Life does more than let us experience and learn; it helps us understand deeply. When the mind is clear, everything is bright; when it is muddled, everything is dark. When it is deluded, everything is confusing; when it is enlightened, everything is Zen. The mind is the director of the play of life, while thoughts are the negatives of our reality. The root of all lies within the heart. Obsession, attachment, resentment, and hatred only cause the mind to churn and create unease. Only by letting go can one find ease and naturalness. There is a thin line between wisdom and foolishness, and a short distance between heaven and hell. Letting go of troubles becomes enlightenment; a shift in mindset turns the sky clear.
Stillness is both external quiet and internal peace. It is not only a way to cultivate virtue but also a treasure for regulating the spirit. Having seen a thousand mountains, the heart remains still; having sailed a thousand sails, one remains undisturbed by waves. Stillness serves to guard against vanity and impatience, achieving a state of 'clear mind and quiet intent.' Laozi's concept of 'pure inactivity' means that 'purity and stillness reveal the source,' as the saying goes: 'Only a quiet heart can perceive the truth.'
Every stage of life, and indeed every step, is beautiful. Choices may be both great and ordinary, the process lonely and painful, and the ending plain and modest. Dreams may yield nothing in the end, but they can support the blue sky in your heart. Together, they compose the magnificent poem of life.
Letting go is to move forward better. The good and the bad are gone; the happy and the unfortunate have passed. Life's encounters are like the rain outside the window: it rains, it wets, it leaves, and it fades away. Keep the past beauties in your heart, leave the past sorrows behind, and hold no attachment or hatred. The past is truly the past; that person, that event, that emotion, no matter how much you linger, is all like drifting clouds. Learn to let go, for life always moves toward tomorrow through farewells.
I wish I would one day wake up suddenly, finding myself asleep during a primary school class. Everything I am experiencing now is just a dream, with drool on the desk. I would tell my deskmate that I had a very long dream. The deskmate would call me an idiot and tell me to pay attention to the lesson. I would look at the playground outside the window, everything familiar, everything full of hope.
With a beautiful heart, we see the world. Learning to forgive others is learning to treat oneself with kindness. Hatred can only keep our souls in darkness forever; forgiveness, however, grants our souls freedom and liberation. The foolish always dwell on grievances, allowing all troubles to persist.
