PureInsight | September 17, 2006
[PureInsight.org] Everyone
wants to have good health and longevity. Because of that, many
books and products have appeared on the market that are supposed to
help people maintain good health. In real life, most of the elderly
people who have long life spans do not painstakingly pursue material
lives. They live thrifty lives with simple diets. Their common
characteristics are having kind hearts with few desires and no
combativeness. Healthy and longevity do not depend on material life.
They are closely related to one's mental state, one's temperament and
mindset. Having goodness in one's heart and benevolence towards others
is the best way to attain good health. Although there is no elixir for
longevity in this human world, a benevolent heart far exceeds the
effect of any medicine in terms of enabling one to have good health.
Kindheartedness can achieve longevity while doing evil deeds shorten
one's life. Not everyone understands it.
My father's
elder brother was born in the final year of the Qing Dynasty and is 95
years old. Although he is the oldest person in the small town he lives,
he is full of energy and vigor. Many relatives and friends often come
to ask him the secret of his good health. But he just smiles without
saying anything. When people question him persistently, he'll say, "Not
everyone can learn my way of maintaining good health. Many of you
always try to demonstrate your superiority and strive to outshine
others. Come back when you change your temperament."
One day, I
had an opportunity to have a long talk with my uncle. I too asked him
to tell me the secret of his good health. After thinking for a moment,
Uncle told me, "I once went to a renowned fortune-teller to tell my
fortune. He told me with a lot of certainty that I would not live
beyond 47. I didn't believe in his prediction and began to learn the
skill of fortunetelling myself. I learned the birth characters used in
fortune telling, astrology, etc. Although at the time I didn't feel
that fortune telling was real and I just wanted to prove fortune
telling was fraud instead, I swore that I'd smash the fortune-teller's
signboard if I had lived past 47."
"Later on, the more I
learned about fortune telling, the more I became afraid. That was
because I found out that according to what I had learned I indeed
couldn't live beyond 47. I thoroughly changed my view of life and began
to do charitable work. I thought that since I wouldn't live for long,
why not did something meaningful for the remaining of my life. So I
actively participated in philanthropic undertakings. People around me
said that I had changed from an impatient, snobbish, mean person to an
honest, sincere, and kind person. Thus, I have lived past 47, 48, and
49... I am now 95 and full of vitality. I am healthier than a young
man."
I couldn't help asking, "Did you smash the signboard of the fortune-teller?"
My
uncle's eyes lit up and he replied, "Why should I smash his signboard?
If it were not for his warning, I would have died before 47. His
fortune telling wasn't inaccurate. It was my benevolent mind that
changed my destiny. I can't thank him enough."
My
uncle's way of keeping fit made me ponder for a long time. No medicine
or food can help people achieve longevity. Only a kind and tolerant
heart will promise longevity. Benevolence in heart and behavior is the
panacea of longevity!
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2006/8/24/39662.html
