Time quietly steals what we believe is close at hand, those precious things hidden right under our noses that we fail to notice.
The most sincere love often fails to meet the most genuine person; conversely, when we encounter those who are truly genuine with us, we are often unwilling to entrust our love to them.
I have started to assume about love, about reluctance to part, and about separation. In these repeated assumptions, I have repeatedly deceived myself.
In life, not every effort yields the desired result. What we call possession is often just temporary satisfaction. We can freely demand, give wholeheartedly, display boldly, and pursue deliberately, but we should not possess without limit. Once balance is broken, harmony is lost, and life eventually perishes. Whether it is happiness or pain, it comes when it comes and leaves when it leaves.
Brew a pot of high-mountain flowing water, pour out a song of past regrets; taste the Zen heart of cloud and water, realize the blooming and falling of flowers. Ancient poetry expresses the beauty of emotion, faded ink reflects an unrepentant heart. Understanding Zen, understanding principles, understanding life; intoxicated by emotion, withered because of a broken heart. There is a feeling called falling to the bottom, a thought called missing you tonight, a heartache called forgetting the past, and a whisper called writing words on paper. Asking the heart, it does not speak; recalling a person, they are no longer there. In this life, what can we use to save the loneliness in our souls?
In the past, I feared hearing friends say, "You have changed," as if I were worse than before. Now, when I hear it, I just smile. Upon reflection, aren't we all constantly changing? Personality, habits, even appearance and physique—anything can be changed if you are willing and persist. No one can remain arrogant forever; after hitting enough nails, sharpness is naturally worn away. No one has the right to mock one's past. Growth is a continuous process of correction and improvement.
