In the first article of this karma series, we looked at five basic rules of karma. In the second article, we looked at two stories to go into more depth on how karma requires time. In the third article, we studied four stories that showcased how karma has size and heaviness, as well as the distinction between shared and individual karma. In the fourth article, we looked at hidden versus visible karma. This article will emphasize how karma cannot be deceived. During the Kangxi reign (1661–1722) in China, there was a man by the surname Hu in Xian County. Mr. Hu was the wealthiest man in the local area. Everyone knew that he was fond of helping the poor, and he never committed any great sins. There was a poor scholar by the name of Yueping Zhang . In order to help him, Mr. Hu invited him to be a private tutor for his household. One time, during a casual chat, Mr. Zhang mentioned that his parents have already passed away, but because he lacked money, his parents' coffins were stuck in Liaodong, and he hasn't been able to bring their coffins back to their hometown for a proper burial. Because of this, he often felt guilty and sad. Hearing this, Mr. Hu immediately offered generous financial aid, sent men to help him transport the coffins back to their hometown, and donated a plot of land for the burial. Mr. Zhang was very grateful to him. Image Source Later, a dead body was discovered in Mr. Zhang's land, and the person was an old enemy of Mr. Zhang. As a result, the local authorities suspected Mr. Zhang for murder and arrested him. Mr. Zhang insisted that he was innocent, but the authorities did not believe him. Mr. Hu then used a lot of money to bribe the authorities and mediated on Mr. Zhang's behalf through various channels. Eventually, Mr. Zhang was released. Again, Mr. Zhang was extremely grateful. Image Source One day, a tragic accident happened. Mr. Zhang and his three sons were at home when a fire happened, and they all perished in the fire. It just so happened that Mrs. Zhang and the daughter were at Mrs. Zhang's parents' house, so they didn't get hurt. When Mr. Hu found out about the incident, he felt great sorrow. Knowing that the family is poor, he offered a lot of money to handle the funeral affairs for the father and the sons. Moreover, he often provided financial aid for Mrs. Zhang and her daughter and often visited them. The two of them were extremely grateful to Mr. Hu for his kindness. Image Source Mr. Hu was a generous and kind man who frequently helped the poor and saved people in their desperate times of need. He helped Mr. Zhang to bury his parents, he saved Mr. Zhang from being unjustly imprisoned, and he took care of Mr. Zhang's wife and daughter and Mr. Zhang died in a fire. Such a good person surely should receive good karmic rewards! But he did not have a good future. Instead, he and his whole family were exterminated in a rebellion. The law of karma states that doing good deeds reaps good fortune, and committing sins reaps misfortune. Why would such a good person meet such a tragic ending? Does this mean the law of karma doesn't exist? What do you think? In actuality, Mr. Hu only had the appearance of goodness, but deep down, his heart was very sinister. When Mr. Hu first met Mr. Zhang and his daughter, he immediately noticed the daughter's beauty, and his heart secretly desired her. However, Mr. Zhang was very rigid and conservative, and he refused to let his daughter become anyone's concubine. Image Source Thus, Mr. Hu first hired Mr. Zhang to be a private tutor for his household, not to give him financial aid, but rather to get closer to the daughter. He wanted to help Mr. Zhang with the burial of his parents and to save him from jail not actually to help Mr. Zhang, but rather to gain favour and trust from him and his family. How did the fire break out that day? Mr. Zhang told him that his wife and daughter were away visiting grandparents, and his three sons are still young, so he needs to ask for leave for three days to go home and look after the three sons. Mr. Hu then seized the opportunity to hire some people to go to Mr. Zhang's house that night, lock the house doors from the outside, and set fire to the house. Image Source In this way, Mrs. Zhang and the daughter would be left helpless. Mr. Hu then pretended to be shocked at this tragedy, offered them financial support, and often visited them. All of this was to get closer to the daughter and gain their trust. Since Mrs. Zhang's daughter was very beautiful and reaching marriage age, a lot of people frequently visited her to propose marriage. Mrs. Zhang trusted Mr. Hu, so she would always consult him first. Mr. Hu intentionally judged all these proposals to be unsuitable. Eventually, he offered to take Mrs. Zhang's daughter as a concubine, thereby allowing her to marry into a wealthy family. Mrs. Zhang was very grateful to Mr. Hu for his past kindness, so she was inclined to agree, but the daughter herself was unwilling. Then one night, the daughter dreamed of her late father, who said to her, "My child, if you do not agree to marry him, I won't be able to complete my plan." Image Source She took her father's words from the dream to heart and agreed to marry Mr. Hu. One year later, she gave birth to a son named Weihua Hu. Shortly after, she died of illness. When Weihua grew up, he joined a bad group of people and plotted to start a rebellion against the emperor. However, before he was fully prepared, the conspiracy was exposed. Imperial troops quickly assembled and launched a fiery assault, wiping out the rebels completely. Every single one of them was killed, including all their family members and even young children. (Story Source) Commentary In previous articles on karma, we learned that karma takes time. If we do good or bad deeds today, we don't usually get the rewards or punishments until later. Therefore, if we see good people not getting rewarded or bad people not getting punished, we cannot say that the law of karma does not exist. We also learned whether a deed is good or not depends on our intentions. Doing things with the intention to help others is good. Doing things for our own selfish benefit is bad. The thing is, people cannot read minds, so we do not know others' intentions for sure. When we see "good" people having negative karma, it's possible that they do seemingly good deeds with a selfish or sinister intention, as was the case with Mr. Hu. Having the reputation of being a good person but secretly harboring sinister intentions is a great sin. People can be deceived, but karma cannot. He set fire to Mr. Zhang and his three sons, thereby ending Mr. Zhang's family lineage. Later, Mr. Zhang's soul came to be reborn as Mr. Hu's son, and the son caused the imperial troops to launch a fiery assault on Mr. Hu's entire family. Mr. Hu died in fire the same way he caused Mr. Zhang to die, and his family lineage was ended just like what he did to Mr. Zhang. Image Source When Mr. Zhang died and became a soul, he became aware of Mr. Hu's sinister intentions, and he vowed to get revenge. Thus, we cannot deceive anyone forever, and cheating others now is guaranteeing a karmic enemy in the future. The tragic ending in their human lives is just the beginning of their karmic punishments. Mr. Hu will receive indescribable suffering in the hell realms for his sins. Mr. Zhang also committed grave karmic offenses in the process of getting revenge. He revolted against his nation and caused his entire family to be exterminated. He too will suffer punishment in the hell realm. Thus, we see that deluded people get tunnel-visioned into hatred and revenge, creating a cycle of ever worsening suffering. From this event, we see the importance of cultivating our intentions to be more selfless and pure. We also gain more faith that karma will never go wrong, and that our intentions cannot deceive others forever. Knowing this, we would naturally be motivated to accumulate goodness and avoid harming others. Weekly Wisdom #411

Around 2500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn period of China's history, Duke Ling was the ruler of the State of Qi (before Duke Jing). In the seventeenth year of King Ling of Zhou, the State of Jin led the forces of various feudal lords to attack the State of Qi. Duke Ling led his troops to resist at Pingyin, but he was defeated and fled, passing away the following year. After Duke Ling’s death, Duke Zhuang of Qi succeeded the throne. Duke Zhuang valued brute force and disregarded morality and ethics. He was indulgent in desires, fond of violence, and addicted to lust. As a result, the moral atmosphere of Qi declined day by day, causing widespread resentment and complaints among both the court and the general population. At the time, Yanzi served Duke Zhuang as a minister, and he repeatedly tried to advise Duke Zhuang to correct his ways. However, Duke Zhuang refused to listen and grew to dislike Yanzi. One time, while drinking wine, Duke Zhuang summoned Yanzi. After Yanzi entered and took his seat, Duke Zhuang commanded the musicians to perform a song. The lyrics of the song included a line that said, "Enough! Enough! I am displeased! What are you doing here?" Image Source: Gemini The musicians played this song three times. (Pause: If you were Yanzi, what would you think?) Eventually, Yanzi realized that the song was directed at him. Yanzi then left his mat, stood up, and sat directly on the ground facing north. Seeing this, Duke Zhuang asked, "What are you doing? Why are you sitting on the ground?" Yanzi replied: "I have heard that when a wife is about to argue with her husband, she sits on the ground. Today, I am about to argue with my ruler. How would I dare not sit on the ground? I have also heard that possessing a large force without advocating for righteousness, being powerful without observing propriety, and being fond of bravery while despising the virtuous is a path that invites self-destruction, where disaster will inevitably fall upon oneself, just like Your Highness's situation today. If my words of advice are not welcome here, then please allow me to resign from my current position." (Pause: If you were Duke Zhuang, what would you do?) Having finished speaking, Yanzi immediately stood up and departed quickly. Seeing him leave, Duke Zhuang made no effort to stop him. Upon returning home, Yanzi returned all valuable items in his household back to the public treasury, and sent all sellable goods to the market. Yanzi remarked: "When an exemplary person has the capability to serve the people, he enjoys rank and stipend, accepting even the most abundant rewards without refusal. But when he lacks the opportunity to serve the people, even if he must live in a foreign land as a guest and endure a poor and humble life, he should not despise it." He then walked east to live as an ordinary citizen in a small village on the coast of the East Sea. A few years later, a rebellion broke out in Qi, and Duke Zhuang was assassinated. Later, Yanzi met Duke Jing of Qi, who valued Yanzi's abilities and wisdom and invited Yanzi to help him rule the state and benefit the people. With Duke Jing, Yanzi became a renowned minister of his generation. (Story Source) Commentary Although Yanzi was extremely capable and wise, if he did not have a leader who could recognize and value his abilities, he wouldn't be able to contribute his services to the state. Confucius also faced the same situation. Thus, if we feel like our abilities are not recognized by others, we shouldn't get upset. Chances are, we're nowhere near as capable as Confucius and Yanzi. If even sages like them get ignored and misunderstood, we're all the more likely. As Confucius said in the Analects, "To not be upset when not understood by others, is this not the mark of an exemplary person?" (Original Text: 人不知而不慍不亦君子乎。) This doesn't mean we should be dejected or passive. We should always do our best to do everything in our control. Reflecting on ourselves, do we recognize our own talents and strengths? If not, how can we expect others to? If we do know our strengths, do we proactively communicate with our leader to help them leverage our strengths? If we don't communicate, they might not realize it. If we do communicate, are we respectful and patient in our communication? Otherwise, we might upset our leader. In Yanzi's case, he repeatedly tried to advise Duke Zhuang, and he was always respectful in his communication. However, Duke Zhuang disliked Yanzi and even indirectly told him to leave. Duke Zhuang accelerated his demise by eliminating wise and virtuous ministers from his side. Yanzi was extremely loyal and devoted to the state. I would guess that if the Duke didn't tell him to leave like that, Yanzi would not have left. If the Duke was willing to listen to him, Yanzi would serve the Duke with all his life. If when Yanzi got up to leave, the Duke stopped him and asked him to stay, Yanzi definitely would have. Alas, the Duke indeed wanted Yanzi to leave. One might wonder why Yanzi didn't just play dumb and stay. The way I see the situation, if Yanzi didn't leave, it wouldn’t have benefited anyone. The Duke would think Yanzi is either rebellious for not obeying his indirect orders to leave, or that he is stupid for not getting the message. Either way, he wouldn't suddenly have a change of heart and listen to Yanzi. He might have even decided to harm Yanzi. If the Duke harmed a virtuous minister like Yanzi, it would cause even more resentment from the court and the people. Thus, in Yanzi's situation, it seems like the best option was indeed to leave. Relating back to ourselves, if we are not satisfied with our current leader, we shouldn't just leave on a whim. Yanzi tried repeatedly to advise and change his leader. When the Duke indirectly told him to leave, Yanzi felt bad that he didn't have the ability to change his leader. He also asked to leave in a very respectful and humble manner. He first sat on the ground, which places him in a lower position. That is a formality to show humility. He then said, "If my words of advice are not welcome here, then please allow me to resign from my current position." He did not say, "You clearly don't welcome my advice, so I will resign." Moreover, it was clear that Yanzi always held firmly to morality. Since he felt ashamed that he couldn't influence his ruler, he gave back all the wealth that he got from his position back to the court and the people. When he went to live in a small village, I imagine he probably continued studying and improving his abilities so that in the future, he might be able to provide greater value to the people. As Mencius said, "In times of lack, focus on improving yourself. In times of prominence, concurrently improve the world." (Original Text: 窮則獨善其身，達則兼善天下。) Image Source Later, Duke Jing came to power and allowed Yanzi to bring out his potential. I'm not sure how Duke Jing met Yanzi, but I imagine that when he came to power, he wanted to employ good ministers. Other ministers probably told him about Yanzi being very capable and wise. Thus, Duke Jing decided to meet Yanzi. Since Yanzi continued to hone his studies and abilities, when the Duke met him, he was very impressed by Yanzi. Of course, another key factor is that their aspirations also aligned, which is to benefit the people and rule through virtue. Conclusion From this story, we can learn to not be upset when others don't recognize our abilities, and instead focus on improving ourselves so that our abilities deserve to be recognized. We can also learn to be patient. If our current leader does not recognize our strengths, perhaps they will later, or another leader will in the future. Weekly Wisdom #410

The Daily Stoic is a book with 366 quotes from Stoic philosophers on how to live a good life. I had previously read this a couple years ago and benefited a lot from it, and I've decided to read it again this year. Every day, I read the quote, the explanation, and then journal my thoughts and reflections. At the end of each month, I review my reflections and summarize the month. The theme for August is "pragmatism", and this article will summarize my August reflections: Set realistic expectations Have clear perception Adapt to any situation Focus on action Practice reduction Image Source: GPT 1: Set Realistic Expectations When things don’t go according to our expectations, we become upset and unhappy. What’s the solution? Most people try to change the outside. However, outside circumstances and people are not in our control, so such efforts might not reap good results. To solve the problem from the root, we adjust our own expectations. August 1: "The cucumber is bitter, so toss it out! There are thorns on the path, then keep away! Enough said. Why ponder the existence of nuisance? Such thinking would make you a laughing-stock to the true student of Nature, just as a carpenter or cobbler would laugh if you pointed out the sawdust and chips on the floors of their shops. Yet while those shopkeepers have dustbins for disposal, Nature has no need of them." —Marcus Aurelius August 4: "You must stop blaming God, and not blame any person. You must completely control your desire and shift your avoidance to what lies within your reasoned choice. You must no longer feel anger, resentment, envy, or regret." —Epictetus Firstly, we should establish the expectation that problems are normal in life. In this way, we wouldn’t get upset so easily. Second, we shouldn’t blame other people or external circumstances for our feelings. Instead, focus on taking productive action. For example, if we eat a cucumber, and it tastes normal, we wouldn’t give it a second thought. But if the cucumber is bitter, we get upset because we think “This cucumber shouldn’t be bitter. That’s not normal. This is a problem. This bitter cucumber ruined my meal.” When this happens, we remind ourselves, “Problems are normal in life. No need to make a big deal out of it. Besides, fussing doesn’t help. Focus on taking productive action.” Cultivating our mind and thoughts like this is solving our problems from the root. August 29: "No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power to not want what they don't have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have." —Seneca This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. It teaches us how to avoid suffering: by simply not wanting that which we cannot obtain. This power belongs to everyone. It also teaches us to be happy and productive: by cheerfully putting to good use what we already have. My Practice My personality is the type that likes to plan things in advance, and when things don’t go according to my plan, I easily get annoyed. After learning Stoicism, I became better. I remind myself in the morning that I will encounter problems and inconsiderate people; it’s just a fact of life. When this happens, maintain my own calmness and kindness; this is my cultivation. By reminding myself every single morning, I slowly became better at not overreacting to problems. 2: Have Clear Perception When problems arise, it’s important to see the situation clearly and accurately. Only then can we improve the situation and solve the problem. If our perception and judgment get distorted by emotions, then we will make things worse. August 9: "Don't tell yourself anything more than what the initial impressions report. It's been reported to you that someone is speaking badly about you. This is the report—the report wasn't that you've been harmed. I see that my son is sick—but not that his life is at risk. So always stay within your first impressions, and don't add to them in your head—this way nothing can happen to you." —Marcus Aurelius The mind has a tendency to amplify bad news. When this happens, we need to remind ourselves to get clear on the facts, and to separate facts from feelings. If we can do this mental training, then we will have stability of mind. August 22: "It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won't tire and give up, if you aren't busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed." —Marcus Aurelius Here, Marcus Aurelius is talking about the Middle Way, which Confucius and the Buddha also taught. We want to do everything to the right degree, not excessive, nor deficient. If a problem is a minor problem, don’t get overly stressed about it. If a problem is a major problem, don’t neglect it. If we only have 30% control over a matter, then don’t try to manage 50%. That would be unnecessary clinging. At the same time, don’t just manage 20%; that would be irresponsible. Give matters their due worth. Or in Buddhist terms, accord with the situation. August 27: "Heraclitus would shed tears whenever he went out in public—Democritus laughed. One saw the whole as a parade of miseries, the other of follies. And so, we should take a lighter view of things and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is more human to laugh at life than to lament it." —Seneca Whether we laugh or cry in response to situations is dependent on our perception, which is in our control. A lot of people think Stoics are overly serious, but actually, they enjoy life. If learning philosophy makes us depressed, then we’re learning it wrong. When we adjust our thinking to be more effective, we should feel more peace and happiness. My Practice When I get overly emotional, whether it’s anger, fear, worry, or even excitement, I tell myself to not make decisions. I need to wait until my emotions are peaceful again to make decisions because excessive emotion clouds judgment. The Middle Way is not hard to understand, but it’s very difficult in practice. It requires wisdom, and wisdom comes from a peaceful state of mind, as well as from accumulated learning and life experience. That’s why I allocate time every day for meditation and learning. I have a rather serious personality, so I need to work on being more light-hearted to be more Stoic. Humor isn’t just for myself; it’s also helpful to relieve tension for others. When I actually intentionally tried to have more humor in life, I found that I actually could do it. Like changing any habit, it just takes conscious effort and practice. 3: Adapt To Any Situation Hoping problems won’t arise is not pragmatic. Improving our adaptability is. When we have confidence in our adaptability, then any situation is a good situation. August 3: "At this moment you aren't on a journey, but wandering about, being driven from place to place, even though what you seek—to live well—is found in all places. Is there any place more full of confusion than the Forum? Yet even there you can live at peace, if needed." —Seneca Philosophy is an inner seeking, not an outer seeking. We seek happiness and peace of mind from within ourselves, from cultivating our mind. If a person believes that they need a certain external environment or condition to be happy, then that person is not a philosopher. Even in hectic and difficult situations in which most people would feel chaotic, the philosopher can remain composed. August 6: "Apply yourself to thinking through difficulties—hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure." —Seneca August 16: "Just as the nature of rational things has given to each person their rational powers, so it also gives us this power—just as nature turns to its own purpose any obstacle or any opposition, sets its place in the destined order, and co-opts it, so every rational person can convert any obstacle into the raw material for their own purpose." —Marcus Aurelius When difficulties and obstacles arise, we shouldn’t think, “Ugh. Why me. This is so hard. This is so troublesome.” Stoicism teaches us to make use of that obstacle to elevate our cultivation and move us closer towards our goal, just like how fire makes fuel out of everything. When we can use obstacles to our advantage, we’ll gain great satisfaction and confidence. August 20: "Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward dress should blend in with the crowd." —Seneca The goal of philosophy and cultivation is to have better relationships, which then creates happiness. If we purposely make ourselves very different from others, causing them to dislike us or oppose us, then we’ve fallen off the proper path. We should accord with others and let them see that they too can practice philosophy. For example, if you come from a wealthy family, don’t force yourself to live a poor life. Your family might think you’re going crazy. Instead, practice the teachings of philosophy as a wealthy person. Be a role model of a wealthy philosopher. That would be being different on the inside while blending in on the outside. My Practice As mentioned before, I tend to rigidly cling to plans, so when unexpected problems occur, I get flustered easily. After learning philosophy, I’ve focused on cultivating my adaptability. I’ve found that it really just takes belief and practice. I tell myself, “Although this is not according to my plan, this is a chance to improve my adaptability. I can definitely find some good use of this obstacle.” After learning philosophy, my life values and my standards for good and bad have become different from the crowd. However, I still accord with others and let them feel that we can relate. For example, I used to really enjoy gaming and drinking milk tea with friends. Now, I don’t seek pleasure from these things anymore. However, I don’t look down on others if they do. Moreover, if I’m with friends who like to game and drink milk tea, I can happily accompany them. In the process, I’ll also try to share with them some useful wisdom relevant to their life. It’s because I can adapt myself to them that they would communicate with me. Thus, if we want to benefit others, it’s important that we can accord with them. 4: Focus on Action Learning philosophy isn’t just to accumulate knowledge. Philosophy emphasizes action and practice. Only through application can we gain benefit. August 12: "Many words have been spoken by Plato, Zeno, Chrysippus, Posidonius, and by a whole host of equally excellent Stoics. I'll tell you how people can prove their words to be their own—by putting into practice what they've been preaching." —Seneca August 14: "Philosophy isn't a parlor trick or made for show. It's not concerned with words, but with facts. It's not employed for some pleasure before the day is spent, or to relieve the uneasiness of our leisure. It shapes and builds up the soul, it gives order to life, guides action, shows what should and shouldn't be done—it sits at the rudder steering our course as we vacillate in uncertainties. Without it, no one can live without fear or free from care. Countless things happen every hour that require advice, and such advice is to be sought out in philosophy." —Seneca Ultimately, philosophy teaches us to use our mind effectively, which then gives us freedom and peace of mind. To do so, we need to know how to use our mind, and then we need to practice. Knowing how doesn’t take too much time. Practice requires much more time and effort. But as Seneca says, countless things happen every hour that puts our mind to work, so we have countless practice opportunities every day. If we make good use of these opportunities, our cultivation will improve quickly. If we don’t seize these practice opportunities, then more learning isn’t going to help. In fact, it might even harm us by making us arrogant (because we think we know a lot). In reality, knowing without doing should be a reason for shame not pride. August 11: "When the problem arose for us whether habit or theory was better for getting virtue—if by theory is meant what teaches us correct conduct, and by habit we mean being accustomed to act according to this theory—Musonius thought habit to be more effective." —Musonius Rufus The work of philosophy is to cultivate virtues. Knowing is just the first step. Practice is the second step. We have to keep practicing until it becomes a habit. When virtuous behavior becomes our instinctive first response, then it’s become a habit, and we can be said to possess that virtue firmly. August 13: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." —Benjamin Franklin Icon Source Even more pragmatic than handling problems effectively is to prevent them from arising. To do that, we need to learn from every experience and think about how we could prevent similar problems from arising in the future. This might sound obvious, but common sense is often not common practice. Just ask yourself, have you ever repeated the same mistake over and over again? If so, then perhaps you haven’t put enough effort into prevention work. Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, also taught that if we want to prevent urgent problems from arising, we have to dedicate enough time to the important but non-urgent things, such as our health and relationships. Neglecting these things in the short-term might not have major consequences, but the effects are accumulating. Once they reach a tipping point, disaster will befall. Thus, it’s important to allocate enough time to these important but non-urgent matters. My Practice I’ve always been a pragmatic type of person. When I learned things in school, I always thought about how it would be useful in my life. This kind of attitude helped me benefit from learning philosophy. Philosophy is kind of like an instruction manual for making good decisions and living a good life. We just have to remember to use the manual! I’ve also experienced first-hand the difficulty of changing bad habits into good ones, or changing vices into virtues. It really takes patience and persistence. But the satisfaction that comes with our improvement is definitely worth it. In the process of correcting habits, we shouldn’t get impatient and think, “Why do I still keep making that mistake? Why haven’t I changed yet?” Have the expectation that it will require hundreds of repetitions or many months of effort to see noticeable improvement (not perfection). As long as we are patient and persistent, we’ll slowly change without even noticing it. In terms of problem prevention, when I make a mistake, I will ask myself: Is this a new mistake or a repeat mistake? If it’s a new mistake, how can I prevent it next time? If it’s a repeat mistake, why do I keep repeating it? If it’s because I haven’t found the root cause, then I need to find the root cause. Perhaps ask others for advice. If it’s simply a habit problem, then I need to persist in my cultivation. I also make sure I spend time on important non-urgent things every day, such as for my health and relationships. 5: Practice Reduction A lot of times, we try to improve our lives by adding more. But for a lot of us, it’s better to focus on simplifying and reducing first. August 19: "It is said that if you would have peace of mind, busy yourself with little. But wouldn't a better saying be do what you must and as required of a rational being created for public life? For this brings not only the peace of mind of doing few things, but the greater peace of doing them well. Since the vast majority of our words and actions are unnecessary, corralling them will create an abundance of leisure and tranquility. As a result, we shouldn't forget at each moment to ask, is this one of the unnecessary things? But we must corral not only unnecessary actions but unnecessary thoughts, too, so needless acts don't tag along after them." —Marcus Aurelius A lot of us waste a lot of energy on unnecessary things, including actions, speech, and even thoughts. Here, Marcus Aurelius is teaching us to always ask, “Is this necessary”? If it’s necessary, do a good job at it. If it’s not necessary, don’t waste energy on it. August 5: "The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish, blow past opportunities, ignore feedback, and cause yourself suffering. The inexperienced and fearful talk to reassure themselves. The ability to listen, to deliberately keep out of a conversation and subsist without its validity is rare. Silence is a way to build strength and self-sufficiency." —Ryan Holiday Some people talk too much, others talk too little. But if we had to compare the two, probably more people talk too much. The Book of Changes says, “Auspicious people speak few words. Agitated people speak many words.” In other words, if we want to have good fortune, it’s important to not talk too much. Why? Because talking too much reflects an agitated state of mind, and an agitated state of mind will tend to make poor decisions. Not to mention that no one likes a person who can’t stop talking, and everyone likes a person who respectfully listens to them. We can all gain more fortune by practicing speaking more concisely, clearly, and steadily. We should also try to listen more and make others feel understood and respected. These are all ways to cultivate our mind to be calmer and more stable. My Practice I keep a to-do list that is ordered by priority. I know I never have enough time to do everything on my list, so I focus on getting the few most important things done for that day. I tend to talk too much and too fast, which reflects my agitated state of mind. I have been working on talking more concisely and steadily for many years. I’m certainly better than before, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. Conclusion August was all about pragmatism. If we want to be pragmatic and good at dealing with problems, then first, we need to set realistic expectations. We need to view problems as normal and focus on taking productive action. Secondly, we need to have clear perception. Don’t let excessive emotions distort our perception. Third, focus on adapting ourselves to the situation and use the obstacle to our advantage. Pragmatism is action-oriented, so in everything that we learn in philosophy, we should think about how we can use it in our daily life, and then go practice the teachings until they become habit. Finally, practice reduction by only doing, saying, and thinking what is necessary. How could you improve your pragmatism? Weekly Wisdom #409

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND BLOG Who are you? I'm just a fellow student of life, trying to contribute something meaningful to the world. I'm a high school teacher by day and an amateur blogger in my free time. Why did you start this blog? I'm passionate about learning, and I believe great things should be shared! I believe having wisdom is the key to happiness and success. Only when we have the right mindset and ideas, we will do the right actions and get good results. Hence, I started this blog to share wisdom that I've learned and practiced so that others might avoid the suffering I've experienced and gain joy and success. Why do you use a picture of a smiling owl? Because owls represent wisdom, and when we use wisdom in life, we will gain joy. What should I do on this blog? I suggest you either browse around or use the search bar for specific topics. You can also scroll down on the home page to see all the different tags (topics) on the blog. Click on any you that catch your interest to see articles on that topic. You can also browse a category that interests you. I created 5 categories for the blog: Weekly Wisdoms are my weekly learning reports. My intention is to make sure I keep learning, but since these learnings are useful to others, I publish them on my blog. Top Picks are articles that I think deserve special mention. Book Summaries are long posts summarizing books that I think are worth sharing. Stories are short stories with lessons worth reflecting on and sharing. Health covers basic knowledge we could all use in terms of physical health and mental health. I also blog about Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ancient Wisdom is about timeless wisdom from ancient sages and philosophies, such as Stoicism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. How can I support you? You can simply read some articles and press the heart button if you found them useful 😃. Another way is to comment on my posts about what you found useful. Can I request a topic for you to write about? Sure! I'd be happy to write about any topics that are useful to a large group of people. You can make a request by sending me a message on the Contact Page. About: About

WELCOME I believe that the key to a happy and successful life is wisdom. When we think wisely, we act wisely. Then we naturally reap joy and success. ​ I started this blog to ensure that I grow in wisdom every week, while also sharing useful learnings with others. These are my personal learnings and experiences, but perhaps they can help others avoid my past suffering and to gain happiness. ​ Feel free to browse around, use the search bar, or click on any of the buttons below to read about popular topics on this blog. ​ Happiness Relationships Success Productivity Health Communication All Top Picks Stories Health 中文 Book Summaries Ancient Wisdom Weekly Wisdom Short Wisdoms Wisdom Quotes Alex Chen 13 hours ago 11 min 22 Things I'm Grateful For In 2022 In honour of Thanksgiving 2022, here are 22 things I am grateful for. What about you? 0 comments 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Alex Chen Oct 2 6 min Yielding & Humility ≠ Being Weak Being yielding and humble are excellent and important traits. At the same time, we mustn't become weak, insincere, or resentful. 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Alex Chen Sep 25 18 min Ten Ways To Deal With Difficult People (And Even Work Well With Them) How can we deal with difficult people, or even better, work well with them? Here are 10 useful and practical solutions from Stoicism. 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Alex Chen Sep 18 4 min Ten Tips for Suicide Prevention September 10 was World Suicide Prevention Day, and shortly after that, a classmate in my Chinese philosophy class told us she was having... 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Alex Chen Sep 11 4 min 50 Fun Jokes That Don't Make Fun of Others I am a big fan of good humor, and I think everyone would enjoy more laughter in their lives. Here are 50 fun and respectful jokes. Enjoy! 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Alex Chen Sep 4 7 min Take Blame, Give Glory Normal people avoid blame and take glory. Wise people take blame and give glory. 0 comments 7 likes. Post not marked as liked 7 Alex Chen Aug 27 7 min Don't Play The Blame Game Rather than blaming others and the outside world, focus on taking responsibility and giving reciprocity. 0 comments 8 likes. Post not marked as liked 8 Alex Chen Aug 21 5 min Stoic Joy is Real Joy Real joy, according to Stoicism, comes from a deep sense of purpose, inner confidence, and emotional stability. 0 comments 7 likes. Post not marked as liked 7 Alex Chen Aug 13 6 min Lessons From Lao Zi’s Teacher Four parting lessons from Lao Zi's teacher: 1. Be grateful to our roots, 2. Respect elders, 3. Respect Nature, 4. Be soft and adaptable. 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Alex Chen Aug 7 4 min How to Handle The Death of Loved Ones 1. Be loving while they are alive. 2. Follow the Middle Way. 3. Ask them their wishes for you. 4. Carry on their dreams. 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Alex Chen Jul 31 11 min The Enlightened Mind - Explanation and Application Enlighten your mind, and your world will change accordingly. Have sincerity, purity, equality, wisdom, and compassion. 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Alex Chen Jul 25 4 min Commemorating Venerable Master Jing Kong 2022 A bittersweet (mostly sweet) commemoration of my idol and teacher, Venerable Master Jing Kong. 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Alex Chen Jul 23 20 min Seven Timely Acts of Love Love and respect are not just empty words, they are shown on a daily basis through each and every small action. 0 comments 7 likes. Post not marked as liked 7 Alex Chen Jul 15 6 min Why So Harsh On Yourself? Are you harsh and demanding towards yourself or your loved ones? If so, let's untangle that knot for you. 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Alex Chen Jul 8 3 min The Old Man And His Grandson A short story on the The Golden Rule and the importance of role modeling. 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Alex Chen Jul 5 6 min Learnings From A Wise Friend Major learnings from my wise friend over the past year in honor of his birthday. 0 comments 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Alex Chen Jul 1 3 min Can You Feel Their Hardship? No one is perfect. Do you focus on their hardships, efforts, and contributions? Or do you focus on their imperfections? 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Alex Chen Jun 29 3 min The Body is The Temple of The Soul How my mother and I came to value cooking and nourishing the body more. 0 comments 5 likes. Post not marked as liked 5 Alex Chen Jun 24 5 min Confucius Worries Too "Not cultivating virtues, not striving to learn, not emulating others' goodness, and not correcting bad behavior, these are my worries." 0 comments 4 likes. Post not marked as liked 4 Alex Chen Jun 18 5 min Is it my responsibility to know what you want? The answer...it depends on if I truly love them or if I just want a transactional relationship. 0 comments 4 likes. Post not marked as liked 4 1/14 22 Things I'm Grateful For In 2022 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Yielding & Humility ≠ Being Weak 0 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Ten Ways To Deal With Difficult People (And Even Work Well With Them) 0 6 likes. Post not marked as liked 6 Search by Tag relationships happiness virtue character story success communication health humility productivity Confucius decision making purpose filial piety Jim Kwik learning morality student leadership memory Kwik Learning loving kindness food gratitude BOH4M mental health Kwik Brain wisdom career emotional intelligence personality philosophy quote self improvement anger conflict resolution habit change sleep studying TCM trustworthiness Buddhism love reframing self-esteem Guide to A Happy Life habits Lao Tzu Ray Dalio stoicism Traditional Chinese Medicine book summary Jay Shetty Liao Fan Medical Medium mindset principles self mastery stress management teamwork trivia carefulness change Di Zi Gui empathy exercise fulfillment goal setting marriage meditation motivation The Middle Way TPJ2O 故事 Buddha