The Old Man Says: Shackled by Desire, Born to Sorrow
Bound by desires, I am born to sorrow; even if one lives with true nature, I am born to sorrow; knowing that one is sorrowful, worldly sentiments will surely break; knowing that one lives with true nature's joy, one can reach the height of sages.
People troubled by desires are prone to feel their lives are miserable; only those living with a pure mindset can truly feel the beauty of life. Only by fully understanding the sadness of being plagued by desires can worldly thoughts be eliminated; only by understanding the joy of living with true nature can one attain the lofty state of sages.
Although society is complex, maintaining a calm state of mind and a pure heart will bring you a peaceful and happy life.
A man requested an angel to fulfill three wishes for him, and the angel agreed.
He immediately made his first wish: to make his wife disappear so that he could marry a virtuous and beautiful woman.
The angel granted his wish, and his wife disappeared before his eyes. However, after his friends and family praised his wife's virtues, he became frustrated and missed his wife.
Finally, he found the angel again and presented his second wish: to bring his wife back.
The angel readily fulfilled his wish.
Now only one wish remained. The man thought for a long time. If he could live a long life without health, what good would it be? If he had health without wealth, what good would it be? If he had wealth without friends, what good would it be?
Thus, he fell into a state of anxious thinking, worrying endlessly.
Finally, he told the angel his inner turmoil and asked for guidance, and the angel said with a smile, 'Instead, pray for your life to be peaceful.'
As people's desires constantly expand and can never be satisfied, it's a great misfortune to be able to return to the original state of life with a balanced mindset.
The biggest frustration for many people troubled by desires is 'the thing you want cannot be obtained' because they have endless desires. They appear to be pursuing what they want, but they are actually bound by these fleeting things, unable to feel the joy of life.
Therefore, to live happily, one must let go of excessive desires, maintain a balanced mindset, and live honestly, exploring the beauty of life.
Lisa once listened to a captivating speech by a speaker, which ignited a beacon in her life later.
The speaker said at the end of his speech: 'Here, I give everyone a word – 'no matter.' It is a good remedy for regulating one's mood and will be of great help to your work and life.'
Lisa kept reciting this sentence, feeling that it made sense, and carefully recorded it in her diary, marking 'no matter' with a significant symbol. She decided that her future life should follow these three words.
Later, Lisa adopted this new mindset, and it had a significant impact on her life.
Lisa met Michael at a dance, and she fell deeply in love with the handsome Michael. She was convinced that Michael was the perfect partner in her life.
One night, Lisa mustered her courage and told Michael of her feelings, but he politely refused her. She had always regarded Michael as the cornerstone of her life, only to be shattered. Heartbroken, Lisa had suicidal thoughts when she thought...When she was about to give up, her parents left her a last letter, and she found the word 'no matter' in her diary. She murmured, 'These three words look easy, but they are difficult to do. I have fallen deeply in love with him, how can it be 'no matter'?'
However, these three words constantly impacted Lisa's brain, and she began to analyze her situation: Does Michael really matter to her? Is Michael the cornerstone of her life? Without Michael, will her life be unhappy? Finally, she stood up calmly and said to herself, 'no matter.'
Day after day passed, and she found that she had done so, and she could still be happy without Michael.
Soon afterward, a truly loving person entered her life. During the wedding preparations, she threw 'no matter' aside. Because she no longer needed it; she would be embraced by happiness.
However, unfortunate things happened again: her husband used all their savings to start a business and lost them all.
When she heard this news, she thought of 'no matter' again. She thought: this is really not 'no matter.' At this time, she heard the chirping of small birds in the courtyard, smelled the fragrance of white poplar trees, and saw the upright silhouettes of white poplar trees. She felt her mood recovered, and a smile appeared on her face. She realized that she could also say 'no matter' about this matter.
Life is short, don't be troubled by too many things. Let yourself have a calm state of mind, it will add a bit of comfort and composure to your life.
