Remember: Not every river flows into the sea; stagnant water becomes a dead lake. Not every seed grows into a tree; seeds that do not grow become empty shells. Life is never permanently happy, nor permanently painful; joy and sorrow coexist and complement each other. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are not exalted above others but place themselves at the lowest level, bearing the joys and sorrows of all sentient beings. Therefore, regardless of your external status, if you wish to resonate with them, you must humble yourself inwardly. The lower you can let go, the easier it is for their presence to dwell in your heart. Years ago, in that distant time, we met at the right moment, recognizing each other's pure and youthful appearance. Your tall stature and sunshine-like smile traced the trembling of my soul. The bus stops of those years are engraved with our silhouettes and memories. I finally realized how simplistic my perspective on people had been. I never considered what face lay beneath the mask; I always treated the mask as the face, forgetting that behind smiling masks, there is often a face shedding tears. Habitual thinking often teaches us lessons from errors and failures to make changes. This may be right, but not necessarily good. For us, the most important thing is not the path, but the goal. If you focus on short-term goals, being quick to seize gains is a form of intelligence. If you pursue lofty goals, setbacks and failures are inevitable. Therefore, those who turn back upon hitting a wall are us, while those who refuse to turn back and smash through the wall are people like Steve Jobs. Having many options often leads to being trapped by choices; having no options often leads to success. This shows that opportunity is important, but maximizing one's potential is even more so. A correct choice is not about calculating immediate gains and losses, but weighing long-term pros and cons. If a choice benefits your development and expression, even if the immediate loss outweighs the gain, it is the right choice. Those who focus too much on short-term interests will never achieve great success. Take the good path when going out, speak good words when speaking, and do good deeds when acting.
