Keep moving forward, is spring still far away?

Title: 2025.01.20 – Keep Moving Forward, Is Spring Still Far Away?

Selected Classics:

Zi Xia asked, “‘Clever smile, lovely eyes, plain yet splendid.’ What does this mean?”
The Master replied, “It refers to painting after the base.”
He asked, “Is it about ritual?”
The Master said, “The one who raises me is Shang; now you may speak of poetry.”

Solar Term Talk | Great Cold: Keep Moving Forward, Is Spring Still Far Away https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/1NWv0paO8dfVF9tSxs2oCg
We experience joy and sorrow amid daily necessities, and we sigh at the passage of time and the fickleness of life—yet new life is inherently extraordinary and unknown. Nature’s greatest constant is its endless cycle of cause and effect, constantly birthing change and the unforeseen within reason. If the heart can align with the Way of nature, a calm acceptance gradually melts the fear of the unknown. Time always knots new wounds while fading old scars; through continual repair and mending, we become resilient to fresh injuries. These irregular, impermanent scars allow a straight‑growing shoot to become uniquely itself; each scab that falls off is like clouds parting for the sun, revealing clarity. So, walk forward bravely! No one knows the exact day spring will arrive, but we all know that spring will certainly come!

Tao Xingzhi: The Essence of Life Education https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IYs_JBJc5yJsKvhZclUk_g https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/uzVp0eUL4i0npiFl87nxCQ https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/WJWgfgrvbhLXbw_iGEwEMg
If you’ve seen the play The Cat Replaces the Prince, you’ll recall the most amusing part: two characters named Bao Longtu appear—one real, one fake. The more we think about it, the funnier it gets. Everything in the world seems to have a “real” and a “fake” version. Take education, for example; you can immediately spot two distinct approaches: traditional education and life education. Within life education itself, there are two opposing statements: “education is life” and “life is education.” I now aim to outline the characteristics of genuine life education, not only to highlight how it differs from traditional education but also to help distinguish authentic life education from its counterfeit.

Writing Through the Ages https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YeiJMc3po3MbtTvM9DwVTg
China has long upheld the principle “literature carries the Way.” When Cangjie created characters, people gained a written medium for expressing feelings; scholars’ word choices and sentence structures captured the imprint of their era on paper. From the Book of Songs, Songs of Chu, and Han fu, to Tang poetry, Song ci, Yuan drama, and today’s prose and novels, all attest to “writing reflects the world’s sentiment” and “works are created for their time.” “Do not chase elegant sentences; pursue good ideas,” Ouyang Xiu advised, urging writers to focus on purpose and thought rather than ornate diction. “Shoulder the moral burden, wield the pen skillfully,” Li Dazhao founded the Morning Bell newspaper, calling for a national awakening. Timeless writings have witnessed and propelled humanity’s march from ignorance to civilization; the press has marched bravely alongside. Now, how do we forge a pen that will write the new era for centuries to come?

The Way of Practice Lies in Naturalness: Using Qi and Force, the More You Use, the Worse It Gets https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SEJ5_3koMPQpiDcYnJq9fA
Everyone knows the Tao follows nature. If we understand that, why not follow nature? Why act one way here and another there, unsettling the mind? Take the practice of the “Eightfold Vajra”; if you forcefully use qi and strength, you’ll only worsen. Is it natural? No. When you concentrate, you try to control the qi of your five organs, stripping it of its freedom. It should be free; by forcing it, you imprison it.

Elevating the Core Hue of Life https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wzm512SFwEI2EUqIx3IY3A
Confidence, strength, and respect for natural laws enable a person to truly appreciate the value of simplicity, daring to present oneself in a plain hue and to find beauty in plainness. Understanding the worth of simplicity also requires continual refinement of life’s core qualities. One must never cease learning, practicing, and innovating in morality, character, cultivation, and ability. Only then can the core hue of life remain bright and directed, allowing us to walk steadier and farther.

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Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 拾一集 (Weekly Reflections). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.