Ode to Brocade

People's lives take different paths, much like yin and yang giving rise to each other. Those who climb to the highest peaks behold the vastness of heaven and earth; those who dwell in secluded valleys hear the breathing of grass and trees. When the two extremes reflect one another, we begin to understand the truth of life: the meaning of existence lies in cultivating virtue to benefit the world; true happiness lies in seeing that virtue spread its blessings, like a hidden spring nourishing the land all around it.

Though the halls of power stand high, their purpose is not to look down on the mountains, but to keep the people in mind. Could the aspirations of the benevolent sages of old really have been confined to jade tablets and crimson robes? They lay instead in the responsibility to "worry before the people worry, and rejoice after the people rejoice." Fan Gong built dikes to hold back floods; Su Zi cleared silt to create Su Causeway. Both used their talents to serve the world and achieved lasting deeds. This is what it means to hold office and practice benevolence, and to come close to honoring one's lofty ambitions. Nor does living far from the centers of power mean being forgotten. Farmers labor in their fields, bringing in abundant harvests to feed the people; craftsmen wield their axes to build homes and make tools that benefit all. Even helping a stranger on the road or giving someone warm clothes on a cold night embodies the greatest human virtue. Is the worth of a life measured by how prominent or obscure one's title is? It truly depends on how deeply one benefits others. A human life of a hundred years passes like morning dew. Only by using our finite lives to accomplish boundless deeds can we turn a fleeting moment into eternity.

From this, we can see that happiness is not a joy to be enjoyed alone, but a beauty we create together. In days of old, Zi Chan governed Zheng so well that people left their doors unlocked at night; Guan Zhong served as Qi's chancellor and united the feudal lords nine times. Seeing the people live in peace and the lands rally to their cause, could they not have felt a deep joy? Yan Hui lived in a poor alley, eating from a bamboo basket and drinking from a gourd. Others could not bear his hardships, yet Hui never lost his joy. His joy did not lie in poverty, but in the delight of finding the Way, at peace with himself and with what was right. A doctor eases people's suffering, a teacher dispels their ignorance. Even a few kind words or a helping hand, seeing someone's furrowed brow relax and their dim eyes brighten, brings comfort beyond anything fine clothes and rich food could offer. It is like the moon reflected in a thousand rivers: every river holds the moon, and their lights shine together to form a perfect whole.

So we know that whether life brings hardship or success may be fated, but the principle remains the same. In prosperity, be like spring rain, quietly nourishing all things; in adversity, be like moss rice, and still aspire to bloom like a peony. Worth is not determined by the rank of one's position, but by the purity of one's intentions; happiness does not lie in how much one receives, but in the sincerity of what one gives. Mencius said, "When poor, cultivate yourself alone; when successful, help the whole world." To cultivate oneself is to be upright and build virtue, enough to serve as an example to the world; to help the whole world is to extend one's care to all, and thereby bring about great harmony. Life is like a boat, rising and falling with the current, but the oars are in our hands and the direction lies in our hearts. Let making things flourish be our oar, and helping others our sail. Even across thousands of miles of rivers and lakes, we can still find peace beneath heaven and earth. What regrets could we have in this life?

Thus I write: "A Rhapsody of Purple Glass, a Brocade Moon Bound Among Flowers."

Theme: Wishing happiness for everyone