"I stepped into the jungle.
Because I want to live a meaningful life.
I hope to live deeply.
Absorb the essence of all life.
Destroy everything that is not life.
So when my life is over,
I found that I had never lived. "
So I searched the computer in the library for "Walden Lake". The system shows that there are four or five editions of Walden, but none of the books can be checked out. The feedback from the system is non-ebook. I had to change my search term, "Thoreau", but I found a book I could borrow, "Looking for a Spiritual Home". In the search, I vaguely felt that Thoreau's books should be put together, so I looked for them according to the location of the books I could find and the call number of Walden Lake. Sure enough, I found Walden (bilingual) and Thoreau (up and down) in the same library. So I took the latter and sat in the library to watch it.
Words, like running water, have been flowing on paper. Thoreau wrote about why he went to Shan Ye, his understanding of the society, his understanding of life and how he started to build his residence. I suddenly found that this man's handwriting is so unique. He thinks deeply about life and at the same time blends in with it. After careful consideration, he is doing what he thinks is right. You can choose to get it or lose it.
Turn to page 44 1 and I see it.
"I went to the forest because I wanted to live a thoughtful life, just to face the basic facts of life and see if I could learn what life would teach me, instead of waiting until I was dying to find out that I had never lived. I don't want to live a life that is not life, knowing that life is infinitely precious; I don't want to live an idle life unless I have to. I want to live a profound life, absorb the essence of everything in my life, and, like the Spartans who opened Kratos to the enemy, forcefully remove everything that can't become life, sweep it drastically, clean it up carefully, and force my life into a corner and put it in the lowest condition. If it proves to be humble, then make the whole really humble situation clear and make it public; Death is noble, so you can experience it, and you can make a true description in my next trip. "
I have never seen a person face life so sincerely. Sincere as Thoreau. I think people who are sincere about life can do this. Every detail of his life reflects his thinking about life. I also want to be such a person, who still has independent thoughts in a pluralistic era and can face himself calmly at the end of his life.
Walden Lake Conclusion, p. 652.
At least I learned from my own experiments that if a person can confidently move in the direction of his dreams and strive to live his imagined life, he can achieve unexpected success. He will leave something behind, beyond the invisible boundaries; New, universal and freer laws and regulations will be established around him and in his heart; Perhaps the old law will be expanded and given a more favorable explanation in a freer sense, so that he can live in a higher order of life. The simpler his life is, the less complicated the laws of the universe are. Loneliness is not lonely, poverty is not poor, and weakness is not weak. If you build castles in the air, your labor will not be in vain; A pavilion should be in the air. Now build the foundation at the bottom of the building.
Walden Lake Conclusion, p. 655.
No matter how mean your life is, meet it and live it; Don't run away from life and curse it. Not as bad as you. When you are the richest, life looks the poorest. The faultfinder can find faults even in heaven. Love life even if you are poor. Even in the slums, you may still have happy, exciting and brilliant times. The light reflected from the windows of the workhouse by the sunset is as bright as the light reflected from the apartments of the rich; The snow in front of the door also melts in early spring. I don't think a person with a peaceful mind will be as satisfied as he is in the palace. He has a happy mind. In my opinion, the poor in cities often lead the most independent lives. Maybe they are so great that they can take communion without any worries. Most people think that they are disdainful of being fed by city people, but what happens more often is that they feed themselves by improper means, which is even more disgraceful. Regard poverty as the grass in the garden and regard it as a saint. Don't bother to find new things, whether clothes or friends. Dig out old things; Go back. Business as usual; We've changed.
If you are confined to your own field by poverty, if you have no money to buy books and newspapers, you just have to limit yourself to the most meaningful and important experiences, and you have to deal with the substances that can produce sugar and starch the most. A poor life is also the sweetest life. You can't do boring trifles. The lower class has nothing to lose by tolerating the upper class. Excess wealth can only buy excess things. What the soul needs doesn't need money to buy.
Think and do, on the road.
Revise manuscripts from time to time.