If you long for autonomy, first learn to master your own mind. All suffering, illness, and obstacles stem from greed, hatred, attachment, ignorance, and jealousy. The most effective remedy is to heal your heart; otherwise, suffering will be endless.
When facing a bowl of fruit that is both good and rotten, how do you eat? Some start with the rotten ones and thus end up with a bowl of rot. Others start with the good ones and thus enjoy half a bowl of goodness! In life, one must sometimes know how to let go and how to choose.
Value stillness in the heart, frugality in desire, agility in thought, diligence in learning, sincerity in friendship, devotion in affection, willpower in poverty, benevolence in wealth, brevity in speech, moderation in joy, patience in anger, and health in the body!
One must be able to withstand lies, endure deception, let go of promises, and release all attachments, eventually masking tears with a smile. It is better to stumble many times while running than to walk cautiously and predictably for a lifetime.
Happiness and trouble are the two wings of life's flight, coexisting and inseparable. Joy and sorrow, happiness and pain, exist in contrast and drive us forward. Only those who have been tempered by trouble, pain, and sorrow can truly feel the happiness and joy of life. If the heart is simple and free from complex delusions, one can see through everything; if life is simple and goals are clear, one can naturally go far.
Let virtue occupy the heart to make it noble. The value of success varies, but high moral character is the unchanging standard for measuring success. Even with immense wealth, high status, or profound knowledge, a person cannot be considered successful without pure character. Young people, in this restless era, should not only pursue material wealth; spiritual fulfillment is what truly matters most.
