1. Joy and sorrow are the two wings that propel life upward, coexisting and following one another. Joy and sorrow, happiness and pain, excitement and sadness, exist through comparison and advance through accumulation. Only those who have been baptized by trouble, pain, and sadness can truly feel the joy and happiness of life. Joy and sorrow are like a pair of wheels driving toward a goal; wherever there is joy, there is also sorrow. They are not the goals themselves, but they can guide us toward finding them. A simple heart avoids confusion and gains clarity; a simple life with clear goals naturally allows one to travel far.
2. Even the most desolate life has its moments of blooming. Life is sometimes like a thin sheet of paper; what matters is whether you can break through it, for scenery often awaits at the turns of fate. Thought is paramount: when thoughts cease, the world transforms; when thoughts arise, waves surge. Life is understood through experience—years are like a song, and time is spent lost in books. Language is often illusory, while the silent years slip through one's fingers like mercury.
3. Seek not great wealth, but sufficiency in food and clothing; seek not luxury and delicacies, but simple meals; seek not high office and wealth, but the realization of value; seek not to stand above others, but to let life bloom; seek not perfection, but a life without regret; seek not just the fruit, but the enjoyment of the process; seek not gratitude from others, but a clear conscience; seek not a crowded table of guests, but friends in times of need; seek not a house full of descendants, but mutual love; seek not longevity, but health and happiness.
4. When life requires you to be "watertight," understand there are two ways: a negative way, which involves silence, denial, or closing oneself off—which is merely a sign of incompetence; and a positive way, which is achieved through affirmation and openness.
5. As the ancients said: "A day without reading, dust grows within; two days without reading, speech becomes tasteless; three days without reading, the countenance becomes repulsive." Yang Jiang once said: "Reading is not for obtaining degrees or making a fortune, but to become a person with warmth, taste, and the ability to think." Every thought harvested from books is timeless and practical. True readers never lack a free soul; their minds require no defense, yet can never be conquered.
6. A mind like still water brings clarity; chaos brings confusion. Many things become more perplexing the more you try to grasp them. Once obsession takes hold, it is like a tangled ball of yarn—the more you pull, the messier it becomes. To avoid it is to invite it. It is best to let things take their natural course; once you are in a situation, find peace within it—this is the way of survival.
7. Anger is like a short-circuited battery, prone to exploding at any moment; coldness is like winter ice, delivering a sudden, chilling shock. Extend kindness to others, and they will return it; even if you encounter disdain, at least you can feel the value of your own kindness.
8. Mist hangs in the air, dreams circle a thousand times, and withered flowers carpet the knees, marking the fading of worldly prosperity. Desolate whispers echo across the blue lake, and the scent in one's sleeves holds a lifetime of sorrow. A single tear falling on a rock clarifies the murky truth and pains the persistence of a lifetime.
9. Life is a trek and a journey; it is an adventure and a pursuit; it is waiting and meeting; it is tears, but also song. In life, one should have no fear in the first half, and no regrets in the second!
10. Sometimes, it is easy to overthink. When the mind becomes too sensitive, small matters escalate: a glance from someone feels like hostility; a lack of attention feels like intentional coldness. Overthinkers are destined for a difficult life, as they are too easily swayed by the emotions of others, becoming trapped in a tangle of chaotic thoughts. Sometimes, instead of overthinking, it is better to be a little less sensitive.
11. Only later in life do we realize that tea holds different flavors in the hearts of all beings. A pot of fresh tea brewed with still water lingers on the palate; some find it as bitter as life, while others find it as gentle as a breeze. Tea has its thick and thin, its warmth and cold, just as life has its joys and sorrows.
12. Maintaining a life as clear as water and a character of honest integrity commands respect in any social stratum. Even the most unscrupulous might respect such purity. In Paris, true morality is admired much like a great diamond or a rare treasure.
13. Love life, and be grateful for it. Do not show your gratitude by hiding from its challenges out of fear; instead, strive to live beyond your perceived limits, and you will discover that your capabilities are far greater than your dreams.
14. While it is good to be understood, you cannot be understood by everyone at all times. When you attempt to do something you believe is meaningful, do not expect widespread understanding. Cherish everything you have and dare to try!
15. Poverty is not terrifying, but the habit of relying on charity is; loneliness is not terrifying, but being habituated to it is; unemployment is not terrifying, but the refusal to seek work is; illness is not terrifying, but being rendered helpless by it is; losing is not terrifying, but facing total defeat is.
16. No matter how the years change, no matter if you still remember in the rain that person who poured out their passion for you, who felt heartbroken for you, who blessed you day and night, and who promised to watch over life with you—those hands held in yours and those lingering eyes remain etched in memory.
17. Life is brewing a pot of moonlight, where joy is intoxicated and sorrow is mellowed. Life is the hardship on a branch, tempered into strength by the sun. No matter how many bumps you encounter, as long as there are days of understanding, there will be flowers, butterflies, and sunshine.
18. The Buddha says: "Forget me, and life goes on quietly, days continue to march forward." On a spring night, as fireworks occasionally burst in the sky, the fireworks of my soul also bloom. Memories swirl; at the vast ferry, on the other shore, the mortal world flies high.
