Life Insights ⁽³⁰⁵⁾

The wealthy and noble ought to be generous, yet instead are grudging and calculating—though rich and noble in station, their conduct is that of the poor and base; how can they enjoy their blessings? The clever ought to conceal their wisdom, yet instead flaunt it—though…

1. Growth in the Rainy SeasonIn August in the Northern Hemisphere the heat is extreme and the rainfall abundant; while all things grow vigorously, they also helplessly endure the torment of the extreme weather.Buddhism has the tradition of the 'rains retreat' (varsa). During this hot…

Five years ago I went to see a certain Buddhist monk. By then he had already been tonsured and practicing for several years; he was very humble and had become a deeply cultivated elder. I had known him twenty years earlier, when he had not…

1 On the evening of July 29, my family took an overnight train that departs at night and arrives in the morning, heading for Xi'an, planning to spend four days touring Shaanxi. We arrived in Xi'an on the morning of the 30th. That morning we…

In a little over ten days it will be my fortieth birthday. Every year I write a reflection on my birthday, but this year I will not trouble myself with the exact date. Forty is a watershed in life; whether one admits it or not,…

Although my home in Beijing is very close to Zhongguancun, I have not been there for many years. During my time in Beijing, I rarely stray beyond a two-kilometer radius of my home. That bustling, steaming Zhongguancun, China's most important center of science and technology…

I often have to say "please accept my condolences," because in my work and life I constantly receive obituaries—someone is always telling me that a member of their family has "passed away." At first, death provoked strong reactions in me: I would grieve, feel sorrow,…

There are many illnesses that medicine cannot solve. Neither modern medicine nor traditional medicine can solve all disease problems; there are always medical puzzles beyond what any doctor can solve. As patients, how can we live relatively better when medicine cannot solve our problems? In…

In July 2012, about two months after my mother passed away, I stayed home by her grave in mourning. Both my father and I were grief-stricken, especially my father, who often lost control; anything that stirred a memory of my mother would bring tears streaming…

My father is now a man in his seventies. Recently, after doctors at home failed to help him with his constipation, he came to stay with me so that I could care for and treat him. Unlike his previous visits, which never lasted long in…