Suffering Is Also A Blessing

Wealth and Fame Are Like Floating Clouds

Recently, I came across an article on the internet stating that people need a good living environment to be happy, and many people seemed to agree with it. However, I'm unsure about the age group of those who liked the post. The article suggests that pursuing a good environment and material conditions leads to happiness. If that's the case, then why do many wealthy individuals claim to be increasingly unhappy?

Do material possessions and surroundings influence us? How do they impact us? In recent decades, we've followed trends like Hong Kong and Taiwan styles, embraced Japanese and Korean influences, and later adopted European and American trends. Most people tend to go with the flow, following global trends. In recent years, terms like "white-collar beauty" and "tall, rich, handsome" have emerged online. What are we really pursuing, and have we found what we truly desire? I remember watching a movie based on a true story, where the protagonist, a billionaire, had his grandson kidnapped. When asked about paying the ransom, he replied, "I don't have money for ransom." His lawyer questioned, "You're already wealthy. How much more do you need?" He replied, "Never enough. I need more."

Therefore, the criteria for judging poverty and wealth vary from person to person. Balancing between possession and desire is the key.

Those who have read "Zhuangzi" know that the elevated individuals in the text include people with disabilities, unconventional appearances, or extreme poverty. Confucius had a disciple named Yan Hui, who was extremely poor but, according to Confucius, the most content and outstanding disciple. Confucius himself said, " A simple meal of rice and water, elbow as a pillow, happiness lies in it. Illegitimate wealth and fame - they are like clouds to me." This passage from the "Analects" is one of the most beautiful, depicting a life of contentment and joy, something we have admired since childhood.

Living on this planet, we indeed need basic necessities – food, clothing, shelter – to meet our fundamental needs. This refers to basic living supplies and the concept of having enough to eat and a place to live. Everyone's standards differ, and discussing this globally would yield diverse answers. Ultimately, basic necessities, having a place to live, and being able to feed oneself suffice. My grandmother used to tell me, "We eat three meals a day at most, no matter how much money we have. Don't belittle yourself, and don't follow the crowd. In terms of the true nature, people are equal."

For those of us born in the 1970s, our lives were relatively similar – public school education, free healthcare when sick, and similar parental incomes. Frugal living was normal. Despite these circumstances, did we feel happy? It seems that happiness isn't strongly correlated with the environment. People in similar living conditions can feel either happy or unhappy, and this relates more to family harmony or one's own mindset. When I was in high school, I started learning martial arts from a master. My family was poor, and I couldn't afford tuition, but my master let me attend classes for free. Masters and teachers in those days were delighted to have a good disciple and didn't care about tuition. I had many masters, and none of them ever charged me a penny. Thinking back, tears fill my eyes with gratitude.

I often share my childhood stories with my children, and they find it hard to imagine – they've never experienced hunger or frostbite. The educational approach of "remembering hardship to appreciate sweetness" may not appeal to modern young people, but I find it useful. My children say, "Mom, you went through hardships when you were young, so you understand not to waste and appreciate food and necessities. We didn't experience hardship, so we don't understand appreciation. In that sense, Mom, you're fortunate." Their perspective is truthful – experiencing hardship can lead to appreciation. This also proves that a good environment doesn't necessarily bring happiness; adversity can teach us to cherish and be content. As the saying goes, "To ensure a child's peace, keep them a little hungry and cold." In my children's eyes, enduring hardships is a form of blessing.

Mencius said, "In poverty, be virtuous alone; in prosperity, benefit the world." Whether poor or rich, don't let your environment affect your state of mind. In poverty, find contentment; in prosperity, help more people. Laozi said, "Treasures fill the room, none can guard them." No matter how much wealth one accumulates, it's better to use it for meaningful endeavors and help others. In helping others, you find happiness and joy. Regardless of poverty or wealth, we can all be happy individuals.

吃苦也是一种福气

富贵如浮云

最近看见网络上一篇文章，说人们需要好的生活环境才能够幸福，有很多人在点赞。我也不清楚点赞的人都是什么年龄段的人。这个话题里面说的是，追求好的环境，物质条件好，人们才能够幸福。如果真是这样，那么，为什么会有那么多的富豪说自己越来越不幸福？

物质和环境会影响我们吗？怎样影响我们？最近几十年，我们跟港台风，学日本风，韩国风，再到后来学欧美风。大多数人都选择随波逐流，全世界流行什么，大家就跟风什么。近些年，网络上还出现了“白富美”，“高富帅”这样的新词。我们到底在追什么，最后是否找到自己想要的？记得以前看过一个根据真人真事改编的电影，主人翁是一个亿万富豪，他的孙子被绑架了，他却说没有钱给赎金，他的律师问他：“您已经很富有了，还要多少才够？” 他说：“永远不够，我需要更多”。

因此，贫穷和富有的判断标准也是因人而异，每个人都有可能觉得自己贫穷或者富有。我们怎样在拥有和欲望之间找到平衡点才是关键。

从小读过《庄子》的人都知道，《庄子》里面描述的高人，有残疾人，有长相很奇怪的人，或者是非常贫穷的人。孔子的弟子当中有一个叫做颜回，是一贫如洗的，却是孔子口中最知足常乐，也是最优秀的弟子。孔子自己也说：“饭疏食饮水，曲肱而枕之，乐亦在其中矣。不义而富且贵，于我如浮云。”这一段话，是《论语》里面最美的一段话，这样的意境，是我们从小就羡慕的，安贫乐道的生活，如果能够少病少烦恼就不错了，并没有什么太多可以抱怨的。

我们生活在这个地球上，的确需要有基本的生活资粮，吃穿住行都能够满足基本生活条件。这是生存的基本，如果没有食物吃，没有房子住，当然会影响我们的生活。这里只是指基本生活物资，有吃有住的概念，每个人的标准都不一样，这样讨论下去，全世界的人都有不同的答案。归根到底，基本的生活资粮，也就是有地方住，一日三餐能够解决，能够养活自己就好。我小的时候，我的祖母就跟我说：“我们一天最多就吃三顿饭，不论有多少钱，也不可能吃更多。做人不要妄自菲薄，也不要趋炎附势。人与人之间，人格上是平等的。”

我们70年代出生的那一代人，从小到大，大多数人的生活基本上并没有多大的差别，大家都上公立学校，生病看医生也是公费医疗，父母亲的收入也没有多大的差别，省吃俭用都是很正常的事情。在这样的情况之下，大家是否感觉幸福，好像并没有跟环境有多大的关系。同样生活环境里的人，也有幸福或者不幸福的感觉，跟家庭的和睦，或者自己的心态有很大的关系。我在中学的时候，就开始拜师学习武功，我们家里穷，没有多余的钱让我交学费，我的师傅就免费让我上课。那个时代的师傅和老师，只要收一个好的徒弟，都是高兴得不得了，根本不会在乎学费。我拜过很多师傅，都从来没有收过我一分钱。现在想起来都会泪流满面，感激涕零。

我经常跟我的孩子们讲我小时候的故事，他们也觉得难以想象，他们没有挨过饿，没有生过冻疮，都没有见过。“忆苦思甜“的教育，好像现代年轻人也不太喜欢听，不过我觉得是很有用处的，我的孩子们是在讲故事当中长大的。我的孩子们说：”妈妈，你小的时候受过苦，所以你懂得不浪费，会珍惜食物和生活物资。而我们从小没有吃过苦，所以不懂得珍惜，这样看来，还是妈妈你有福气啦。“ 孩子们这样的看法，说的是实话，他们也在换位思考，他们认为，受苦反而是福气，才懂得珍惜。这样也证明，环境好并不一定能够带来幸福感，可能环境差一些，反而能够学会珍惜，知足常乐。就像以前老年人常说的一句话：“要想小儿安，常带三分饥与寒”。在我家孩子们的眼中，吃苦也是一种福气。

孟子说：“穷则独善其身，达则兼济天下”，不论贫穷还是富裕，都不要让环境影响自己的心境。穷的时候，能够安贫乐道，富有的时候，能够帮助更多的人。老子说：“金玉满堂，莫之能守”。再多的钱财，没有人能够守得住，还不如拿去做一些有意义的事情，帮助更多的人。

在帮助别人的时候，自己也能够得到幸福和快乐。不论贫穷还是富裕，我们都能够做幸福的人。