Like maple leaves, blazing red in the severe frost; like pines, evergreen in the harsh wind; Like wintersweet, standing proudly in the snow—these are the true strong ones in life.
People can overcome natural obstacles, but they cannot surpass the barriers set by their own wisdom.
The purpose of education is not to teach young people how to make a living, but to teach them how to create a life.
I will seize the throat of fate; it must not make me completely yield.
If you take a step back and reflect on how you view yourself, the decisions you have made, how those decisions affect you, and the life you wish to live, you are engaging in conscious thought—you are awakening. Many people avoid such reflection throughout their lives, preferring to live in a dream. Their choices are merely hasty reactions to what has happened, without plan, goal, or foresight. Their lives are like pinballs, pushed around by stimuli without understanding why they can never find happiness.
People often cannot turn back due to greed, a theme familiar in many stories. Yet even without greed, if the mindset is wrong, one may still fall deeply and struggle to return.
Life is like a cup of tea, whether full or scant, why quarrel? Strong or mild, each has its own flavor. Fast or slow, what does it matter? Warm or cold, simply share a smile. Life brings pain because we care, injury because we doubt; joy from seeing lightly, happiness from seeing clearly. We are all travelers of the world; many things are beyond our control, and everything unfolds as it will.