PureInsight | June 2, 2008
[PureInsight.org] There is a
married couple who live across the street from my house. Both of them
are mute. They make a living by repairing shoes on the side of the
road. The husband is tall and strong, and the wife is very beautiful
even though she looks fragile.
Sometimes I thought in my mind that god is really too cruel. He gifted
her with a beautiful appearance but deprived her of a voice. Although
they are separated from the outside world as if by a thick wall, the
two of them living inside the wall are made even more close because of
it. Between them, they use a language generated from their hearts that
no one can ever understand. As summer passes into winter, one day after
another, they live happily with calm and ease, knowing and accepting
their fates. I was moved by their ability to take things coolly when
facing the seemingly pitiless arrangement by the god of fate.
When people are trapped in situations full of suffering, not everyone
has the ability to fight back. If one can not fight back against a
hardship, one can still live a peaceful life every day with an open
heart and joyful attitude. Is not that a reflection of strength as well?
Of course, people don't have the motivation to live if they don't have
any desire or pursue anything. However, during the process of pursuing,
one should not be very attached to it. We can be delighted to accept
what comes to us and let something go if we loose it. In good times, we
can show our appreciation, whereas in difficult situations, we can
still keep a happy mind. Isn't that a good spiritual state? Just like
poet Xu Zhimo said, "If I succeed, I am happy. If I fail, it is my
fate. It is just like that."
A friend of mine who lost his right hand in an accident said to me,
"Human beings are all full of toughness. They can tolerate much more
suffering than one can imagine." I felt what he said is very good. The
biggest misfortunate is that one can be knocked down by an unfortunate
event. In our complicated lives, we ought to learn how to face reality
and realize how to be flexible in living. A life without any hardship
may not be a colorful and great life. On the other hand, a person who
is immersed in suffering and can't pull himself out of it must have a
tragic life.
Published in Chinese on April 30, 2008
Translated from:
http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2008/4/30/43179.htm
