"In old age, relatives and friends gradually become distant" is a common experience and lament for many elderly people. In just the last nine years, I have painfully lost four close relatives. To escape this sorrow, I often keep a Buddhist health maxim in mind: "Knowing death guarantees longevity." This maxim suggests that only those who are not afraid of death will live long. Japanese longevity secrets often emphasize three things to forget: wealth, descendants, and death. Death is a major hurdle in life, yet it is extremely ordinary. Only by taking death lightly can one live more peacefully and effortlessly. Since everyone must eventually leave this world, why be overly serious or sad? Only by facing death and life directly can one live more actively, with greater equanimity, and with more happiness.
The great British philosopher Francis Bacon stated in his essay "On Health": "Health is a wisdom that cannot be encompassed by medical rules alone. Based on one's own observation, determining what is beneficial and what is harmful to oneself is the best medicine... When eating, sleeping, and exercising, keeping the mind at ease and the spirit joyful is the best prescription for longevity." It is evident from this quote that transforming worry into joy during adversity and sadness is highly beneficial to health.
Joy is health; sorrow is disease. When facing difficulties and hardships, one must be open-minded and optimistic, avoiding sadness and achieving a state of "regardless of wind or waves, it is like a leisurely walk in the courtyard." The British literary giant Charles Dickens once advised the world: "Do not keep worries in your heart, lest your hair turn white in your youth; do not keep worries in your heart, lest you perish before your time." Without a calm mindset, one cannot have a healthy body. By remaining composed in adversity, people can maintain both happiness and health.
Health is the primary wealth of life. Regularly maintaining an open mind and a pleasant mood is one of the secrets to longevity. When people possess health, they should cherish it doubly; when health is threatened, they should protect it with all their might.
