Thought Essays ⁽¹³⁷⁾

Putin governs incompetently and has failed at anti-corruption, bringing Russia economic depression, ruble devaluation, and a withered people's livelihood. Yet he clings to office, tampering with the constitution to stay president for life. He suppresses the opposition and launches wars opposed by many inside his…

To understand the character of the Russian nation, one must first understand Russia's geography. Although Russia is the largest country in the world by land area, three-quarters of its territory is unfit for human habitation; most of Russia is a bitter cold land. Across the…

A powerful sense of calling has healing power; this is beyond doubt. Zhou Youguang became ill with depression, but after throwing himself into his work and finding love, he recovered without treatment. Zhang Yunhe became ill with depression and endured the loss of her daughter,…

My life has been bumpy, so of late I have turned to Buddhism for solace. Sitting before the Buddha image and chanting the name of Amitabha, the agitation in my heart gradually settles, and I find temporary peace. The world is impermanent and our fates…

Humans evolved from animals, and the evolution of our minds is like inventing a new tool that still has all kinds of flaws and is not very easy to use. The uniquely human mind has its defects - one of which is that it can…

A hundred years from now, when our descendants read the history of our day, how will they regard everything we are going through in the COVID-19 pandemic? When I think of this question, I seem to see some afternoon a hundred years hence, a thoughtful…

We often speak of truth, goodness, and beauty together because the three are linked. Truth is the foundation of goodness and beauty: goodness without truth is hypocrisy, and beauty without truth is sham beauty. The false may win for a time, but in the end…

After tinkering for over a month here and there, I have finally created another peach-blossom spring at home. I gave up the rented study elsewhere; with that financial burden lightened, my heart feels much freer. I have finally freed up more time for reading, and…

I cannot remember when I bought Roads to Heaven (Kong Gu You Lan) by the American Bill Porter; I only vaguely recall buying it about ten years ago, and after that I also bought another of his books, Zen Baggage.At the end of last month,…

"Swiftly the years flow on, onward like a torrent." As one member of the living world, our finite lives are always finite. As Guan Hanqing wrote in his qu verse: "In the end, this body cannot escape that one day"—the Reaper spares no one. Especially…