If the opportunity for downfall matures, the resulting pain will be unbearable, yet one must face it even if it feels impossible to bear. By the time downfall arrives, regret will come too late; you may have already lost the chance for spiritual practice and redemption. There is no way out other than enduring pain while waiting for karma to exhaust itself, so it is essential to cherish every opportunity for spiritual practice in the present. Rather than constantly gazing at a vague distance, It is better to focus on the clear tasks at hand. Knowing what you truly need is far more important than possessing immense wealth. The moment of despair is often the beginning of hope; the end of a crisis is often the arrival of a turning point; and where you reach the end of the road, there is often a hidden path of light. The greatest joy in life is to take time to enjoy everything around you. The fewer demands we place on our circumstances and others, the easier it is to live a simple and happy life. Life requires sedimentation and reflection to achieve perfection; it requires accumulation and looking back to transcend through the ups and downs of gain and loss. Looking forward brings dreams and goals, while looking back brings results and corrections. Many things could have been done better if we had looked back sooner; many people could have achieved what they desired if they had only looked back. The path behind us often points the way forward. Forgiving someone is easy, but trusting them again is much harder. There is a path everyone must walk: the detours of youth. Without stumbles and collisions, how can one forge an iron will and truly grow up?
