Understand the big picture and distinguish between the trivial and the vital to handle heavy burdens with ease. Without long-term foresight, immediate worries are inevitable; without grand ambitions, melancholy follows. Only by standing high and looking far can one avoid a narrow-mindedness.
In times of success, friends know you; in times of hardship, you truly know your friends. Only in the depths of poverty do we realize that even the best relationships struggle against reality. People may not be greedy for money, but they all fear suffering. Over a long life, we learn that while many can love us, few are willing to tolerate our flaws.
The more anxiously we search, the less likely we are to find what we truly want. Only in stillness can we hear the voice of our inner selves.
Learn to cherish failure, for it helps you grow; learn to cherish success, for it boosts your confidence. Cherish everything, for all things have causes and consequences.
May your life be such that in the sunlight, you are like a carefree child, and in the storm, like a mature and responsible adult.
The world offers no sympathy. Unless you strive hard, you will only witness others' laughter and joy, while you cry in silence alone.
The most difficult phase of life is not when no one understands you, but when you cannot understand yourself.
When you are poor, do not be calculating; be kind to others. This is called having high aspirations despite poverty. When you are wealthy, learn to accept kindness from others and reciprocate even more generously. Learn the art of letting go and giving; few truly understand this subtle way of living.
“Do not rejoice in external gains, nor grieve over personal losses.” If you can live this way, you can lead a happy life.
Time is not omnipotent. If the heart desires nothing, it is free from the entanglements of the world. If the heart is unbound, one is at ease in stillness and in motion, thus cultivating elegance. An elegant person is pleasing to the eye and nourishing to the soul, possessing true charm. Appearance is innate, and superficiality is external; a heart full of sunshine is eternal beauty.
