To respond to fate with benevolence is to embody kindness, reverence, supporting others' good deeds, encouraging virtue, rescuing the desperate, promoting public benefit, sharing wealth for merit, upholding the Dharma, respecting elders, and cherishing all living beings. If certain so-called "friends" exist solely to belittle you, it is best to cut ties, unless you wish to endure life in self-inflicted humiliation. If we were still children, we might remain in the original place of time, sitting together, listening to stories that never age, growing old slowly side by side. In dealing with affairs, be humble; in being a person, be detached; cultivate virtue through frugality; be self-confident and strong; treat others with propriety; and remain upright and unyielding.
A good creative idea has a very short lifespan. To make it bloom into a brilliant flower, you must take action, ensuring the idea does not remain mere thought but bears fruit. There are always things we do not wish to happen but must accept; things we do not wish to know but must understand; and people we cannot live without but must learn to let go of. With Buddhism as the heart, Taoism as the skeleton, and Confucianism as the facade, one can view the world with magnanimity. With skills in hand, ability in the body, and thought in the mind, one can live life with composure. Reading three thousand years of history reveals nothing but fame, power, and profit; comprehending the Dao across nine thousand miles leads ultimately to poetry, wine, and the pastoral life.
Success is like crossing a river. Failure often does not stem from a lack of ability, but from being daunted by the surrounding environment and atmosphere. Young people have nothing to fear. Do not be influenced by your surroundings. As long as you move wholeheartedly toward your goals, nothing can hinder your success. Happiness is the flower of life that bursts into bloom in the soil of a life soaked in blood, tears, and sweat. Only those who have endured frost can feel the warmth of the sun; only those who have suffered defeat and pain in the battlefield of life truly understand the preciousness of life and can perceive the genuine joy within it.
