Everything in life is like a dream; no one can possess anything forever. One day, we will all part ways with everything we have ever held. No matter how beautiful the past may have been, it is ultimately just a memory. Even if what we gain is not what we wished for, it is still a gift from the heavens. By facing our experiences with equanimity, treating gains and losses with peace, letting our hearts remain filled with vision and dreams, and learning to appreciate small but genuine satisfactions, we can fill every day with happiness.
The heart is tea, and tea is the heart. A cup of clear tea reflects the myriad phenomena of the world. The Buddhist sect sees Zen, the Daoists see Qi, the Confucians see Li (propriety), and the merchants see profit. In the mundane world, when a person leaves, the tea cools—that is the natural law. When a person stays but the tea cools—that is the fickleness of worldly affairs. In life, existence is like tea: at first, it is tasteless; on a second sip, it is bitter; but from extreme bitterness comes sweetness. In reality, everything originates from the heart; when the heart is calm, nature is cool.
Aura is a state of mind. Appearance and props certainly play a role, but ultimately it comes from within. People with a strong aura are respected, approached, and attracted to by others; no one dares to ignore or look down on them. You do not need to be as powerful as the small universe of the Saint Seiya, or reject people at a distance, or kill someone with a single glance, or make others tremble with fear. It simply means becoming yourself, rather than just any random person.
If a person wants to conquer the world, they must first conquer themselves. "Knowing what to do and what not to do" is the basic prerequisite for achieving great deeds. Gorky said, "Even a small act of self-restraint can make a person strong and powerful." One should strive to overcome all bad habits.
A shell spends a lifetime turning countless grains of sand into an irregular pearl, and the rainbow after rain displays momentary beauty only after accumulating countless water vapor. If we view these processes as repeated setbacks, then it is these setbacks that create the dazzling pearl and the beautiful rainbow.
Some people you have looked at your whole life, yet you have neglected them your whole life. Some people you looked at only once, yet they influence you for a lifetime. Some people are enthusiastically happy for your sake, yet you treat them coldly. Some people give you brief joy, yet you become entangled in their thoughts.
Failing to receive the honor one deserves is a misfortune in life; receiving honor one does not deserve is a fluke; receiving the honor one deserves at the right time is a privilege.
A foot tramples on a violet, but the violet leaves its fragrance on that foot. This is forgiveness.
In times of hardship, people can better see who is truly kind to them and who is only smiling out of false pretense.
