Chapter 795: 482 chapters, learning to forget the initial beauty

482 chapters, learning to forget the initial beauty.

482 chapters, learning to forget the initial beauty.

――――A red apricot branch stretching over the wall.

In the previous chapter, it was said that Zhuangzi, because of a rainy day, had to stop playing his instrument; in a dire situation, he braved the rain to visit a friend he had once helped, and asked his disciple, the Marquis of Guanhe, for grain. To his surprise, he not only failed to obtain any grain, but also received a dressing-down from the Marquis of Guanhe. Zhuangzi was seething with anger, about to retaliate, when he suddenly recalled the teachings of his master Laozi.

What kind of person was Zhuangzi's teacher Laozi?

Here I'd like to add a few more words about Laozi, because I once studied under him for a few days, but I made no progress. I learned nothing. Not having learned anything is not Laozi's fault; it's my lack of perseverance, and my misunderstanding of his teachings. For example, my teacher once told me: ――－

Reach the utmost emptiness, hold steadfast stillness; all things arise together, and I observe their return. The myriad things flourish, each returning to its root. Returning to the root is stillness; stillness returns to the mandate; returning to the mandate is constancy. Knowing constancy is clarity; not knowing constancy leads to reckless misfortune. Knowing constancy brings tolerance; tolerance leads to impartiality; impartiality leads to kingship; kingship leads to heaven; heaven leads to the Dao; the Dao leads to endurance. To endure without decay.

I cannot abide by those words of my teacher.

My teacher told me to keep stillness in life, but I cannot. My heart is always restless, tempted by the flashy world around me. For instance, when I see someone else become rich and become a boss, I think, 'I can't become rich and a boss?'

Regarding this, my teacher has often criticized me, saying: ――――

"Five colors blind the eye, five sounds deafen the ear, five flavors dull the palate, racing and hunting madden the heart, rare goods cause trouble—therefore the sage attends to the belly, not the eyes; therefore he discards that and takes this."

I couldn't accept Laozi's words, nor did I want to; the more I heard, the more annoyed I became. Finally, 'I failed at studying books, I gave up; I tried swordsmanship, but failed too.' In the end I learned nothing at all――――

"I have failed to repay the kindness of my parents' and elders' education, and the advice of my teachers and friends, resulting in my having no skill to show for it and a life of frustration. Now my youth has passed; in the still of night, all I see outside the window is a dim star, the clouds' wavering moonlight, and the moonlight's flowers blooming in the darkness."

Betraying the kindness of my father and elder brothers' education, failing to uphold the virtue of my teachers' and friends' advice, leading to today having no skill accomplished, the sin of a half‑life of wandering and destitution.... Now my youth has already passed; in the Stillness of the deep night, only the dim stars outside the window, the moonlight drifting uncertainly in the clouds and mist, the flowers that bloom in darkness in the moonlight..........

I am gradually growing old.

When all my friends look at me

I have endured wind and frost

In this scorching summer

I am like a seam in the sky's clouds

That dim, solitary star

Learning to forget

The beauty of the beginning

………………………………

So dear readers, please do not follow my example; put your studies first and pursue your goals,

There are still many things that tempt me. To avoid diluting the theme, I won't say more.

There are still many things that lure me. In order not to dilute the theme, I will not say more.

(Heart with the disaster area, emotion with the disaster area: may peace, courage, confidence, and strength accompany the people of the disaster area!)

Heart tied to the disaster area, Flirting tied to the disaster area: Wishing peace, courage, confidence, and strength to accompany the people of the disaster area! To accompany