A Taoist saying of great insight and open-mindedness
# The Mortal World is Like a Trial
Zhuangzi's words have enlightened many souls.
1.
Many matters in this world are predestined.
What can be retained, need not be forced; what will vanish, need not be retained.
At a certain stage in life, one must learn to be at peace with oneself and let nature take its course.
Cherish those who come, and let go of those who depart. If powerless to change,
then let fate take its course. If one has no attachments, then accept the circumstances.
Between gain and loss, there is nothing better than peace of mind.
Between willingness and reluctance, there is nothing better than willingness.
2.
Whatever you focus on, you will be bound by it.
All things arise from the mind; let go and you will feel at ease.
Anger comes from a lack of broad-mindedness;
Resentment comes from a lack of profound self-cultivation;
Sadness comes from a lack of peace of mind;
Frustration comes from a lack of broad vision;
Fear comes from a lack of deep concentration.
A smooth mind can dispel all evil, and a clear mind can understand the laws of nature.
The greatest liberation in the world is to forgive oneself.
The burdens of this world are caused by obsession, and the difficulties of this world are caused by obsession.
3.
Opportunity arrives without your permission and departs without your permission.
When you encounter a fleeting opportunity, do not dwell on it.
Thinking only adds to your melancholy.
Remembering only adds to your worries.
With an open mind, view things calmly. Follow your nature and look to the long term.
Be sincere when you have it, and let it go gracefully when it leaves.
4.
Those who have wronged you will suffer for you.
Those who have humiliated you will suffer for you.
Those who have oppressed you will suffer for you.
Those who have broken their promises will help you avoid disaster.
Good and evil will be rewarded, and justice prevails.
You should simply uphold kindness and avoid resentment towards others.
Resentment will only harm you. Leave everything to time.Be kind to others, and even if good fortune has not yet arrived, disaster will have already fled.
Be hostile to others, and even if disaster has not yet occurred, good fortune will have already been far away.
5.
When entering a house, do not miss the guests outside; when leaving, do not recall how you entered.
People from the past do not need to know about today's events, and people today do not need to ask about past feelings.
We met in previous lives, and only in this life can we meet.
Meeting is because there is karma to be resolved.
Parting is the fulfillment of karma.
Fate comes and goes at will, and the length and shortness of love are determined by fate.
Everyone has their own origin and destination.
Along the mountains and rivers, everyone has their own destiny.
6.
In this life, I have awakened.
I have understood and cast aside all the "karma" of this world.
I will not create new karma with anyone.
If others owe me, I will not ask for it, and there is no need to repay it.
If I owe someone, I will repay them when the time is right.
A debt in a previous life led to our not meeting in this life; if we meet in this life, we must owe each other something.
May we meet in the next life, without debt and without remembrance.
7.
Don't fear loss. Everything you lose never truly belonged to you in the first place.
Don't be afraid of pain either. What can hurt you is only your own suffering.
Flowers are innumerable; if you look down upon them, they are nothing.
Troubles abound; if you understand them, they become the bright sun.
