2025.06.16 - Don't Get Lost at 4 PM

2025.06.16 – Don’t Get Lost at Four O’Clock

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The Vital Roots, New Horizons, and Inclusive Openness of Chinese Civilization

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pk35Kgot2nWj3CZ9kM-qnQ

Chinese civilization is ancient, vast, and ever‑renewing—like a river that has surged for more than five thousand years. At times it rushes, at times it slows, and occasionally it seems to pause, yet overall it continuously gathers tributaries and presses forward. Its vitality stems from the wisdom of “strengthening the foundation while opening new avenues” and an inclusive, open‑hearted spirit—holding fast to cultural roots while constantly innovating; preserving cultural identity while drawing nourishment from exchange and mutual learning.

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Don’t Get Lost at Four O’Clock

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Xet0KKeY6Xaxom6oBG9VFw

Every moment deserves our full attention. Too often we habitually chase moments that have been assigned special meaning—the vibrant energy of 8 a.m., the glow of streetlights at dusk; the soaring youth of 18, the ambitious confidence of 28, the calm wisdom of 48. We keep waiting for a “big” moment and forget that poetry also lives in the ordinary days that catch us by surprise. Unplanned encounters, sudden insights, unexpected twists each carry their own unique significance. When we set aside preconceived notions of “how it should be” and instead feel the reality of “how it is now,” we discover—much to our delight—that life’s most moving quality lies in its unpredictable charm, whose generosity exceeds our imagination.

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The “Carrying‑Pole Girl” Phenomenon Mirrors Today’s Educational Dilemma

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/mYRVUes_c6kVJxPjEgfgvQ

If our education—across families and schools—offered less over‑protective, “do‑everything‑for‑them” care and more opportunities for children to face life head‑on; if it emphasized responsibility and resilience rather than endless test‑taking and score‑chasing; if it moved children out of the greenhouse‑like corridors of hesitation into the sweat‑filled forge of physical and mental strength; if it replaced ceremonial fanfare and performative displays with genuine effort and the honing of grit, then every child would have a sturdy pole to shoulder life’s burdens, and education would finally look the way it ought to.

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Cai Zhizhong: “Those Who Love Life, Life Will Love Them Back”

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Ybbuk3GlnLEF5zGho1k6zg

If you desire a life that is dazzling and intricate, plant a sincere, joyful seed in your heart, act with mindfulness, and patiently await the bloom and fruit.

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A Father Who Studies TCM – The Guardian of His Family’s Physical and Mental Well‑Being

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/d-ihqZ2GUuIDgrd9dA_7pQ

What changes when dads begin learning Traditional Chinese Medicine? In the online TCM classroom “Movement and Stillness,” some students are not only learners of the curriculum but also fathers at home. Their study of TCM reshapes their daily rhythm, parenting style, and even their worldview.

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Private Interests and Public Duty

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rkHi_TCNg0Kr95YRg185xw

The “middle” in Chinese medicine does not mean clinging to a single idea or method; it means not being bound by any one thought, “the previous notion has vanished, the next has not yet arisen,” embodying a state of limitless possibilities. Thus, studying TCM first expands our capacity of heart, elevating our perspective. With a broader heart we more easily find the “middle.” Finding the “middle” frees us from any fixed concept or technique, opening an infinite array of methods. In other words, a generous mind yields boundless skill.

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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.