Text | One Leaf of Green Lotus · Anchor | Xiao Q · Photography | Feifei · Editor | Yibai
Mencius said: "To nourish the heart, don't be good at having few desires. People also have few desires, although If there are those who don’t have Yan, then they are few; if they are human, they will have too many desires, but if there are those who have Yan, then there will be few. If a person has few desires, even if there is a lost part in his heart, it will be very small; if a person has many desires, even if there is a preserved part, it will be very small.
We all have desires as mentioned by Mencius. We have been chasing the desires in our hearts all our lives, chasing ideals, chasing happiness, chasing fame and wealth, and chasing all desirable and beautiful things. Desire is good, but with desire, life will have goals. If the goal is achieved, one will naturally be full of joy. If the goal is not achieved, one will be unhappy.
Mencius said that if a person has few inner desires, then there will be less missing parts in his heart. What is said here is that everything must be done in moderation, and pursuits must be moderate. Liu Zongyuan's "The Biography of the Grasshopper" has an article: "The grasshopper is a small insect that is good at carrying things. When walking when it encounters something, it will pick it up and carry it with its head raised. The heavier the back is, the more trapped it will be. The back is very astringent and the objects accumulate. Because it doesn't scatter, the pawn can't get up. People may pity it, but if it can do it, it can still reach high. It is extremely powerful, and it falls to the ground and dies. Pile things on your back. If the bug can lighten the load on your back, it won't be exhausted.
Our hearts are like this little bug, they cannot carry too many desires. Once the desires are excessive and the pressure in the heart is overloaded, it will lead to mental breakdown. The human nervous system dominates words and deeds. If the two are out of balance, they often go to extremes. Therefore, we must make our hearts like a spacious house and try not to accumulate too many things. Only in this way can sunshine and breeze stay in the house forever.
When our desires become fewer, we will no longer be obsessed with the complex emotions between existence and non-existence, and return to simplicity. Simple is happy, and a contented state of mind must always be sunny. When you have sunshine in your heart, you can be filled with warmth. You can always view all things with kindness, know how to respect others, know how to be tolerant and considerate of others, know how to treat others equally, know how to appreciate others, and know how to resolve conflicts with a peaceful attitude. Only in this way can our hearts become more and more relaxed and comfortable, and we can create more good things with kindness.
Just as the "Proverbs Lianbi" says: "A kind heart is the most precious treasure, which can never be used up in a lifetime. The heart is a fertile field, and it can be cultivated for a hundred generations. If you cultivate a little in your heart, your children will sow and your grandchildren will reap."
< p> As long as we have kind thoughts in our hearts, we will be more able to accept reality. Whether it is satisfactory or unsatisfactory, we can accept it peacefully and we will be happy. Inner happiness is eternal. Lao Tzu said: "Misfortune is where blessings depend; blessings are where misfortune lies." This is exactly what he said. Therefore, happiness may be hidden when misfortunes and disasters come, and misfortunes and disasters may also contain happiness.Unsatisfactory things in life always come one after another, so gains and losses cycle in life. We often feel a sense of loss or even failure in our hearts. We always feel inferior to others. What others can simply have is still out of reach no matter how hard we try. Our expectations become lower and lower between gains and losses.
People cannot live without desires and pursuits. The greatness of life lies in its never-ending pursuit of the future. It is in this pursuit that human beings make progress themselves and society. But we must not be bound by desire and become slaves of desire. We must know how to give up when our desires are not met, and do not be overly obsessed with existence and non-existence.
We are born ordinary, and only by managing our ordinary days well can we feel the beauty of life in an ordinary and boring life. As Lao Tzu said, "Doing nothing, doing nothing, tastes nothing." Accept the ordinary, enjoy the ordinary, and reduce excess. The ordinary world contains everything. All extraordinary things are born in the ordinary. Only by cherishing the ordinary can we get closer to where our heart is and what our heart desires.
Mencius said that if you have a pure mind and few desires, you will have fewer worries. If you have fewer worries, your mind will be pure. If your mind is pure, you will be calm. Only by having a calm and pure mind can you be closer to happiness and create a better life.
-Author-
Yiye Qinghe, a lover of calligraphy, photography and literature. The pen feeds on chopsticks and ink, and the flowers on the grassy plains serve as companions. I use words to travel around the world, carry great ambitions in the flowing clouds, and sing the beauty of the mountains.
This article was first published by Bai-Cao-Yuan Bookstore (Bai-Cao-Yuan). Please reply "Repost" in the background for reprinting
-Anchor-
Little Q (Chen Shangyun) loves recitation, photography, travel, Code words. My most affectionate voice goes into the depths of your heart... Himalayan Radio Number: Little Q's Nest
-Photography-
Feifei, amateur photographer
Reprinted from: Baicaoyuan Bookstore