This work mainly recounts several things that went against my wishes, events I personally experienced in society from the past to the present, or heard about from others. I want to reflect on the lessons they hold in my leisure, and ask many readers for their insights, to address the doubts and regrets in my heart by looking inward.
The flavors of life are, after all, a blend of bitter, spicy, sour, and sweet. There is sweetness in bitterness, and bitterness in sweetness; saltiness and blandness depend on each other, and joy and sorrow coexist. If you have never tasted bitterness, how could you appreciate the wonder of sweetness?
Chan Master Huikai of Yunmen in the Song Dynasty once left behind a verse that has been recited through the ages, "Every Day Is a Good Day": In spring, a hundred flowers; in autumn, the moon. In summer, cool breezes; in winter, snow. If no idle concerns weigh on your heart, every season is a fine time in this world. Is this not a state of calm acceptance, letting things take their own course? Yet taking things as they come does not mean settling for whatever happens or giving up on striving. Life is simply like this, with its ups and downs, and accepting them is indeed an art of living.
But in this world, there are many who seek profit, and few who seek to save others.
Some also say that memories are a disease, and melancholy is a lifelong disability that never heals. If you find much to be grateful for in your memories, then even if your melancholy never heals, it is nothing to be ashamed of, just as memories are not an incurable disease. If you can find strength in your melancholy, perhaps all the things you have lost will help you understand more deeply what you still hold onto and should cherish.
