Of Self

And Happiness

By Zhi Chong

* * *

#  Table of Contents

Preface

Concepts

Happiness

Character

Action

The Dualities

The Razor

Principles

Happiness

Health

Immersion

The present

The two joys

The small things

Character

Independence

Authenticity

The Pillar

Humility

Curiosity

Action

The Valid

Clarity

Eventually

Non-forcing

Good or Necessary

The Dualities

Within and without

Ownership

Purpose

Creativity and Logic

Reality and Fantasy

The Razor

Enough

Importance

Skills

Prologue

Skill 1. Security

Control

Prevention

Skill 2. Identification

Passion

Investigation

Language

Skill 3. Mastery

Aptitude

Habit and discipline

Energy management

Caveats

Happiness

Erosion

Gratification

Entitlement

Challenges

Character

Uniqueness

Average

Hypocrisy

Evil

Action

Distractions

Whining

Mindfulness

Process

Lost cause

Excuses

The dualities

Change without progress

Pain as meaning

The Razor

Usefulness

Gratitude

Epilogue

* * *

#

#  Preface

I write this primarily as a memoir to myself, in case I lose my way. The ideas in this book will not be original, perhaps forgotten at most.

For others, I hope that this book serves as a reminder to those ideas, profound or otherwise; common sense as it is commonly termed. Ideas held but unarticulated.

But I do not like the term "common sense", because it is quite often a retrospective term used arrogantly, and is without common application. Common sense without common application is pointless, for it appears as though everyone is aware of the problem, yet unable to resolve it. The phrase "common sense" is also misleading on how common it is. For something that is truly common it needs no expression, such as "food cures hunger", "water cures thirst", or "air prevents suffocation".

I am publishing this book as an invitation to you, the reader, to evaluate your own life and to see if our experiences coincide. Whether my philosophy is of an individual or of the human condition will be determined by its reception.

I am of the belief that a self-help or philosophical book should not be long and drawn out. And neither should it be esoteric and convoluted.

Life is not that complex. Business is complex, relationships are complex, machinery are complex; but living in and of itself isn't, and shouldn't be.

To summarise, to be happy is to be living. It seems obvious, yet I have found that I spend a lot  of the time worrying. I worry about the past (what I've done) or I worry about the future (what I will do), leaving hardly any time for living (what I am doing).

This book is a structured compilation of the lessons that I have learnt from reading and living. And has been written in a style influenced by the Tao Te Ching and the Art of War.

I begin each section with metaphors and follow with explanations. And it is from these lessons that I have developed the skills and mindsets that allow myself greater and more frequent bouts of happiness.

It is intended to have the metaphors be read first, then the explanation, then the metaphors again, as you may not understand the metaphors at first. But after the explanation, perhaps you will be able to appreciate them.

In the Principles, I also have a "lesson" segment. It is a short reminder of what I have learnt from that Principle and instructions on what to do.

Everything after the preface is intended to be read by myself. Throughout the book I will address "you". But it is not  you , the reader, but me, the author, as the target of this memoir is myself. I do not know who my readers are, so to presume that the issues I face and have faced are your issues also, is too presumptuous. I can only address, admonish and remind myself of why I hold these conclusions.

I have divided this book into five sections:

The  Concepts are my identification of the themes that, I believe, govern the world and life. To understand and follow these Concepts are the keys to happiness. To go against them will only lead to suffering.

The  Principles are my observations derived from the Concepts. They are Principles for they tackle the smaller, more specific aspects of the Concepts. The Principles are also categorised under certain Concepts, but are not meant to be exclusive, that is, they do not solely take from that Concept alone, but multiple Concepts on most occasions. The only reason I put them under certain Concepts is that they appear to best fit them.

The  Skills are a set of skills required in order to obtain happiness, to avoid the loss of happiness and prevent unhappiness altogether.

The  Caveats are ideas to avoid or are misunderstandings that I have come across which either denounces happiness or renders it elusive. These are ideas that one should be cautious of, like fire, or avoid completely, like poison.

The  Epilogue  is just the conclusion and a brief summary of everything.

I now present to you, the reader, my theory on happiness and its relation to the Self, which I have termed: The Pursuit of Quintessence.

* * *

#

#

#

#

#  Concepts

* * *

##

##  Happiness

Without it, there is nothing.

With it, there is everything.

What can compel without violence, must surely be gentle.

Be gained without taking, must surely be abundant.

Be shared without depriving, must surely be generous.

Be respected without fear, must surely be kind.

Be missed when absent, must surely be loved.

Surely then, it must be good.

Look behind, it is already gone.

Look ahead, it is out of reach.

Look below, it was already here.

Look above, it has never left.

Therefore,

Those who cast their gaze here will find it.

Those who cast their gaze there will lose it.

As such,

Be present,

For Happiness is already here.

"True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing."

  * Seneca

Whatever action you take, it is already in the past. It has already happened, before you even realise it; like the stars in the night sky, many of which are already long dead but still shine brightly to you.

The future is what you intend to happen. Like walking down a flight of steps, you expect each step to be the same as the last, allowing you to walk and even run without looking.

The present, is what is happening. It is impossible to truly understand, for anything that is happening, instantly becomes happened. This is why it is so special.

"We must, therefore, pursue the things that make for happiness, seeing that when happiness is present, we have everything; but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it."

  * Epicurus

Place happiness in the past and joys will be missed. Place happiness in the future and joys will be forgotten. This is why placing happiness in the present is so valuable and important, for things will neither be missed nor forgotten.

Yet there is still a tendency to misplace happiness into the past or future. This misplacement is what stifles your ability to find true, elevating happiness. And there are two causes: nostalgia and anticipation.

Nostalgia is simply evoking past memories into the present moment. It is the reliving of past memories, that causes the joy.

Anticipation is merely evoking a future event into the present, by dictating how it will play out and how you would enjoy it.

In both cases, there is a main culprit: your imagination. You are simply bringing non-present events into the present and allowing your imagination to pick the desirable parts.

True presentness is a flowing state, an almost unconscious experience; a reflexive one. For once it is "thought of" or "thought about", it loses its lustre. To consciously utter "I love you" is stale, to say it unconsciously is touching. But when compared to action, words are but phantasmal.

A smile is worth a hundred "I love you"s; a touch of the hair, a thousand; while a simple hug is worth more than a million "I love you"s in every language combined. This is why the greatest of happiness is experienced not through words but deeds.

And just as how you are able to train your reflexes, so too can you train your perception of presentness.

Presentness can be synonymous with  living . What stops you from  living is  worrying , by focusing on the past (things you have done) or the future (things that will or may happen).

Happiness drowns  out guilt better than any drug and gives greater security than any weapon or wealth. For  what time is there to worry about the past when you live in the present? What trouble can be found in the future when it is the product of the present?

"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence."

  * Aristotle

To be happy is to desire life.

To be indifferent is to be unconcerned of life.

To be suffering is to desire death.

Hence, the one who is happy avoids harm. The one who is indifferent allows harm. While the one who is suffering invites harm.

So to be without happiness is to have no incentive to live, for that leaves only indifference and suffering.

Determine how you view your life with a simple formula. Subtract the events that bring you happiness from the events that cause you suffering.

If you are in the negative, then you are suffering.

If you are in the positive, then you are happy.

If they balance out, then you are indifferent.

Happiness entices one towards more.

What is undemanding will be kept.

What is pleasant will be explored.

What is nurturing will be preserved.

Therefore, if you are the cause of your happiness, then you will seek more of yourself.

Suffering compels one into less.

What is burdensome will be discarded.

What is painful will be avoided.

What is oppressive will be destroyed.

Therefore, if you are the cause of your suffering, then you will seek less of yourself.

Life is about living, rather than having lived or will live. It is about experiencing, rather than having experienced or will experience. If you do not  live  and  experience, then you will never be happy .

Hence the saying:

Be present,

For Happiness is already here.

* * *

##

##  Character

The world has limits.

The Body is the limit.

Formlessness needs form.

Culture is the form.

The unlimited must compromise with the limited.

Ability is the compromise.

By these Three Aspects combined,

The Character arises.

At the beginning, one becomes three.

At the end, three becomes one.

Arriving at Quintessence,

The state of naturalness.

When all are in Quintessence,

Peace blossoms.

When few are in Quintessence,

Want grows.

When none are in Quintessence,

Confusion arises.

Therefore,

The one who is strong of Character,

Is guided by a singular path.

The one who is weak of Character,

Is confused by the multitude of paths.

Hence,

Those who are in peace,

Have lasting happiness.

Those who are in want,

Have fleeting happiness.

Those who are in confusion,

Have barren happiness.

As such,

To harmonize the Aspects,

Is to ensure Happiness.

"Now, the causes being four, it is the business of the student of nature to know about them all, and if he refers his problems back to all of them, he will assign the "why" in the way proper to his science—the matter, the form, the mover, that for the sake of which."

  * Aristotle

All happiness stems from the Self. Character is simply its manifestation.

From the Self comes the Three Aspects.

Combine the Three Aspects and you have Character.

Character, is the guide for action, for it is the compass of the Self.

In essence, your life is like the making of bread:

The Self is the world.

The Three Aspects are the ingredients.

The Character is the dough.

Action, is the baking of the dough.

The ingredients for bread are derived from the world. Similarly, the Three Aspects are derived from the Self.

Separately, the ingredients are not bread. Mixed together, they are still not bread. But are ready to become bread. Likewise, the Three Aspects separately are useless, only when they are combined and become the Character do they become useful.

D ough untouched remains as dough. Only by baking it, will it become bread. So too then, is Character incomplete without Action.

So it can be seen how from one comes three, then three returns back into one.

The Aspect of the Body relates to the physical body . It is your limit, for it is the physical characteristics you have been given.

The Aspect of Culture relates to the definition of the Self. From formlessness, your body was formed. From formlessness your soul remains unformed, so it yearns for its identity. By creating definition it gives meaning and importance to your life, for it gives you a container to fill.

The Aspect of Ability relates to the balance between what you can do and what you want to do. It shapes you, for it is responsible for creating conflict and harmony in you.

To respect the limits of the body, is the hallmark of safety. If you do not, you risk danger only to yourself.

To integrate culture into the soul, is the hallmark of purpose. If you do not, you will find that your days are empty.

To maximize ability, is the hallmark of progress. If you do not, you will only struggle.

Naturalness is to be without conflict.

So Quintessence of the Body is to not feel limited, Quintessence of Culture is to feel purposeful, Quintessence of Ability is the harmony of both body and culture.

"There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires."

  * The Buddha

Peace is when there is no feeling of inadequacy, for all Aspects have been fulfilled.

When you no longer lament the limitedness of your body. When the days ahead are no longer empty. When what you do, no longer feels deficient.

Then, will you be free from the anxiety of incompleteness. And what other feeling can be left except comfort?

"The root of suffering is attachment."

  * The Buddha

Want is the partial fulfillment of the Aspects, so there remains a feeling of inadequacy.

You may lament the limitedness of your body. You may find some days to be empty. You may feel deficient in what you do.

So your happiness will often be pushed to the future, for you look at what you have yet to obtain.

"No one saves us but ourselves."

  * The Buddha

Confusion is the lack of direction, as you know nothing of your Aspects.  
You are often injured, for you do not know the limits of your body. You dread the days ahead, for they are empty. You feel useless, for everything that you do feels deficient.

So you are in a state where you have no  idea of where to even begin.

Thus, you look forward to no future; you spend the present in worry; and all happiness is derived from the past.

"Those who defeat others are strong,

Those who defeat themselves are mighty."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 33, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

So bring your Aspects into harmony, and your Character will be in peace, for there would be no reason why happiness would be fleeting.

Hence the saying:

To harmonize the Aspects,

Is to ensure Happiness.

##  Action

What is perfect is without action,

For it has no Flaws.

What is imperfect takes action,

For it has Flaws.

Action brings change.

Change begets Instability.

Instability creates Flaw,

By turning the stable, unstable.

Instability removes Flaw,

By turning the unstable, stable.

Hence,

To act without Flaw, introduces Flaw.

To act with Flaw, removes Flaw.

As such,

One should only act,

To remove Flaw.

The perfect world would be one that is still. For there would be nothing to upset its stability. But the world is in constant action, so it is imperfect. Moving from balanced to unbalanced, unbalanced to balanced; an endless cycle.

You are part of the world, so you cannot escape the necessity of action.

Having Character leads to desire.

A desire is a flaw, leading to suffering.

So a Character without Action, only results in suffering.

The alternative is to have no Character. But then, how tolerable would it be to live?

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

  * Eldridge Cleaver

If you are not creating a solution to a problem, then you're creating a problem. For what reason is there to act otherwise?

To push on a balanced vase, only sets it off balance. To push on an unbalanced vase, rebalances it.

"In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill... we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one."

  * Plato

Short sightedness is a tendency, ignorance a certainty.  So if action is taken, it should be minimal and be done with maximum knowledge of the consequences, to reduce unintended effects.

Hence the saying:

One should only act,

To remove Flaw.

* * *

##

##  The Dualities

What is lacking has value.

What is abundant has none.

What has value creates plenty.

What has none creates few.

A few select hues, make a painting.

But to add every color,

Is no different to blindness.

A few melodic tones, compose a song.

But to play every tone,

Is no different to deafness.

A few strong spices, form a palate.

But to season with every flavor,

Is no different to blandness.

So it can be said:

The few become worthless,

Through their valuableness.

Plentiful game, once desired,

Are soon hunted to none.

To neglect the value of coin in wealth,

Is to find the value of coin in poverty.

So it can be said:

The many become valuable,

Through their worthlessness.

As such,

In each extremity,

Lies the harsh and intolerable.

In the intermediate,

Lies the bearable and comfortable.

"When everyone in the world sees beauty,

Then ugly exists.

When everyone sees good,

Then bad exists.

Therefore:

What is and what is not create each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Tall and short shape each other.

High and low rest on each other.

Voice and tone blend with each other.

First and last follow each other."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 2, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

Things exist as a contrast to one another. By knowing one, it is possible to know the other. If you know what is there, you can learn what is not. By learning what is not there, you can search for what should be.

"Thirty spokes are joined in the wheel's hub.

The hole in the middle makes it useful.

Mold clay into a bowl.

The empty space makes it useful.

Cut out doors and windows for the house.

The holes make it useful.

Therefore, the value comes from what is there,

But the use comes from what is not there."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 11, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

What will make you happy, stems from what you lack.

To be given a gift is joyous, to be given another is pleasant. But to be given a hundred,  is only  troublesome.

So it can be said:

To gain from little is a blessing.

To gain from much is a burden.

Some things only have value when kept together, like freedom and wealth.

What value does wealth have without freedom? What use does freedom have without wealth?

To have wealth without freedom is squandered effort. For what wealth is there without usage?

To have freedom without wealth is lost potential. For what freedom is there without utility?

So do not desire one part of something that should remain whole.

So it can be said:

What is useful but worthless, is already useless.

What is valuable but useless, is already worthless.

But what is useful and valuable, is irreplaceable.

"It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. ... The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully."

  * Lucius Annaeus Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

The world exists in a balance. When something takes, something else must give. This is the conservation of energy.

When things are plentiful, it will be taken it for granted. When things are scarce, it will be the cause of panic.

Living as though you will always have little, will lead to even less; what is known as dependency. Living as though you will always have more, will lead to less; what is known as squander.

To achieve a dream, some sacrifices must be made; else the dream becomes the sacrifice.

Hence the saying:

In each extremity,

Lies the harsh and intolerable.

In the intermediate,

Lies the bearable and comfortable.

* * *

##

##  The Razor

What is Complex, rouses.

What is Simple, calms.

The Complex lies in the undone.

In excess, leading to strain.

If everything is undone,

What time is there for rest?

The Simple lies in the done.

In excess, leading to stagnation.

If everything is done,

Is it not the same as death?

Hence,

The Complex yearns for the Simple.

The Simple longs for the Complex.

To remove the  ails of the Complex,

And relieve the  itches of the Simple,

Make use of Improvement.

To reduce the Complex,

Into the Simple,

Requires addition.

To make additions,

Into the Simple,

Creates the Complex.

Therefore,

Improvement lies in Efficiency,

Through the method of subtraction.

Hence,

The Simple is stimulated through addition.

The Complex is unburdened through subtraction.

As such,

Efficiency is the parent of Simplicity,

Yet the child of Complexity.

"Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one"

  * Bruce Lee .

A simple life is pleasant... only for a while. A complex life is exciting... only for a while.

A life without anything to do or a life without a moment of rest. Which is more undesirable?

A comparison between the lesser of evils is a pointless competition. Seek a productive life. A busy life nor an inactive life is worthy, but the one that overcomes is.

"The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be."

  * Bruce Lee

"Those who seek knowledge, collect something every day.   
Those who seek the Way, let go of something every day."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 48, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

Cars have replaced the horse and carriage, not complemented them. It is better to replace things with something more efficient than it is to simply add it on top.

Adding one thing rarely implies one additional problem. More often, the new addition brings with it its own set of problems, with the problems then having its own set of problems, and so forth.

As such, subtraction is just as important as addition. Otherwise problems will simply pile up.

"Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to make matters worse: complexity sells better."

  * Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Mobile phones have simplified long distance communication. You no longer need to write letters, then have them mailed to a recipient and then wait for them to write back. You can connect with anyone almost instantaneously. Yet, despite the simplicity in communication, the infrastructure behind the mobile phone is not even remotely simple. It is the result of many years of research and experimentation.

So what is simple is often built upon the complex.

Hence the saying:

Efficiency is the parent of Simplicity,

Yet the child of Complexity.

"Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

As such, reduce things to what is enough and important. It is a surer way towards happiness.

* * *

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#

#

#

#  Principles

* * *

##

##  Happiness

###  Health

The Body collects.

The Soul receives.

Like gifts from the city,

Carted back home.

Being careful on the journey,

The gifts will remain whole.

Being careless on the journey,

The gifts will be broken.

Gifts carted,

But received broken,

Will be useless.

Look, it will not be seen.

Listen, it will not be heard.

Touch, it will not be felt.

What use are gifts,

That cannot be appreciated?

Hence,

What a Body in pain collects,

Will not be received by the Soul.

So it can be said:

Those in pain can find no joy.

Those in joy can find no pain.

Thus, the Healthy have short-lived pains, leaving them much time for joy.

While the Unhealthy have persisting  pains , leaving them no time for joy.

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear".

  * Buddha

Pain is a warning to the body, and a distraction to the soul. To aim for happiness at the expense of the body, will only lead to the loss of both. For what happiness can there be without the body to collect it and without the soul to experience it?

To experience happiness while in pain , is like biting into an unripe apple; never tasting the full potential.

So protect the body, to free the soul to deeper experiences.

Such is the importance of bodily health.

Lesson:

Pain is an unignorable distraction. True happiness can only be felt in the absence of pain. So a healthy body, is a necessary precursor to a happy soul.

* * *

###

###  Immersion

What opposes everything,

Can gain nothing.

What opposes nothing,

Can gain everything.

To conquer everything,

Is to overcome infinite resistance.

To conquer nothing,

Is to overcome no resistance.

Push a finger onto a cloth,

It will not pierce.

Push a needle onto a cloth,

It will piece.

A glass of water is refreshing.

A bowl of soup is pleasing.

But a bowl of soup, thinned with water,

Is disappointing.

Hence,

What is opposed, will resist.

What is not opposed, will not.

So it can be said:

Those who reach great depths,

Meet no resistance.

Thus, the Focused can be happy, for their joys are unimpaired.

While the Distracted cannot be happy, for their joys are impaired.

"The river and the sea can be kings of a hundred valleys,

Because they lie below them.

That is why they can be the kings of a hundred valleys.

Therefore:

If the sage wants to stand above people,

He must speak to them from below.

If he wants to lead people,

He must follow them from behind.

Therefore:

When the sage stands above people,

They are not oppressed.

When he leads people,

They are not obstructed.

The world will exalt him

And not grow tired of him.

Because he does not resist,

None in the world resists him."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 66, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

To go through the threads of a cloth, resistance will be met. To go through the gaps between the threads, no resistance will be met. Which is why the finger cannot piece, while the needle can pierce.

So to conquer is like contesting against the threads, while to not conquer is to go between the threads. Thereby, the path of no conquest is how many things can be gained.

Water and soup are both pleasant, for they are only overcoming one sensation. But to dilute soup with water, only leaves it unpleasant, for it is trying to overcome two sensations at once.

So it is often that trying to accomplish two things with one action is a fruitless endeavour. Better to do things one at a time.

"The softest in the world

Surpasses the hardest in the world.

What has no substance

Can penetrate what has no opening.

Thereby I know the value of non-action.

The value of teaching without words

And accomplishing without action

Is understood by few in the world."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 43, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

To focus the mind is like the act of cutting. It is but a matter of resistance.

A knife cuts because it is narrow. What is narrow devotes all its energy into a small area. The smaller the area, the less resistance it meets. And what offers little resistance, can be overcome with little effort.

Hence, the sharper the knife, the more narrow it must be, and the less effort it must require. So the sharpest blade, would be without substance and require no effort, capable of cutting without destroying.

This is the same with the mind. Regard your focus like that of a knife. Focus cuts away consciousness in order to enter presentness. To be of poor focus is to have a blunt knife. To be of great focus is to have a sharp knife.

To try and enter presentness with an unfocused mind is exhausting. To try and enter presentness with a focused mind is trivial.

But the most focused mind would render the barrier between consciousness and unconsciousness nominal. For it would be overcoming a barrier that is no longer there.

"They lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn."

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

To focus on the present is to enjoy it; it is to free yourself of "if"s, leaving only "is". To become distracted, only leads to worry.

"People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them."

  * Epictetus

A wandering mind will remain unhappy, for it will always desire what it does not have.

Work cannot be accomplished if the mind is focused on play. Play cannot be enjoyed if the mind is focused on work.

Play is pleasure, desire it and it  becomes pain . Work is meaningful, endure it and it becomes boredom.

Thus, play can only be pleasant in the absence of desire. Work can only be meaningful when it is not endured.

So whether it is play or work you are engaging in, do it, without being distracted by the other.

Such is the profundity of focus.

Lesson:

Learn to focus. When you focus on a task, it becomes a part of you, which is why it can be enjoyed. If you are distracted, then you make it alien, so it becomes unenjoyable. To do too many things, is the same as being distracted. So let things be done one at a time.

* * *

###

###  The present

Time is what is, and what is not,

The static and the dynamic.

The past and future are static.

They are already determined.

The past, that which has happened.

The future, that which has yet to happen.

The present is dynamic.

It happens without knowing.

A bridge built upon the past,

Stretching towards the future.

Hence,

What is known cannot be changed,

What is unknown can be changed.

So it can be said:

The past is the result of the present.

The future is created by the present.

Thus, the Vessel places themselves in the present, and keeps happiness within reach.

While the Beholder places themselves  in the yonder , and pushes happiness out of reach.

"Life is divided into three parts: what was, what is and what shall be. Of these three periods, the present is short, the future is doubtful and the past alone is certain."

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

Trying to change the past is futile, trying to change the future is to put the cart before the horse. This is not to say that the past and future should be ignored. The past is a guide, a keeper of lessons and experiences. The future is a goal, a director of actions.

To put happiness to the future, then when will it be reached? To put happiness in the past, how can it be reached?

Change can only occur in the present, so focus on where effort actually matters.

Such is the nature of time.

Lesson:

Learn from the past, to prevent a repetition of error. Foresee the desired future, to take proper action. Manifest the present, as  the bridge between the past and future.

###  The two joys

What is gained, cannot be lost.

What is lost, cannot be gained.

To gain is to experience joy.

To lose is to experience misery.

Those who gain much, experience great joy.

Those who lose much, experience great misery.

Those who lose much, and recover much,

Have great joys that become small.

Those who lose nothing, and gain  only little ,

Have small joys that become great.

Hence,

Relief is the effect of great movement, without gain.

Happiness is the effect of any movement, with gain.

So it can be said:

Those who are relieved, have lost much.

Those who are happy, have gained much.

Thus, the Vigilant grow their happiness. Aware of the origin of their joys.

While the Inattentive rot their happiness. Unaware of the origin of their joys.

"Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

To feel the loss of something, it can never be recovered. If your car is stolen, and is returned later without damage, the displeasure of having it stolen initially cannot be dispelled.

To feel the gain of something, it can never be lost. The joys you experience with a loved one will remain, even if death takes them away from you.

So value the things that you can gain, and do not be so frivolous with things you may lose.

Your actions are guided by one of two purposes: Happiness or Relief. There can be feelings of joys in both, but their lessons differ.

Happiness teaches naturalness.

Relief teaches humility.

The Joy of Happiness brings you towards Quintessence, for it is the feeling of actualizing your Character. It builds upon what you have, which is why it is considered creative.

When you develop your Character, then the sense of Self strengthens.

When you have a strong sense of Self, then boundaries are established.

Within your boundaries, are what you control.

What you control, is what you have power over.

What you have power over, is easy to use.

What is easy to use, feels natural.

What feels  natural,  is not in conflict.

What is not in conflict, is without flaw.

What is without flaw is in the state of naturalness.

"A pleasure that is ephemeral brings no true satisfaction to any man. How miserable must be the lives of those folk who labor so hard for something that once gained they must work even harder to keep."

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

The Joy of Relief brings you further from Quintessence, for it is  is dependent on pain. Pain can only subtract, which is why it is considered destructive.

When joy is experienced, it is because pain was relieved. So the Self is without gain, as it is simply moving from negative back to neutral. As such, great joy can only be produced by great pain; which is unsustainable. This why the only lesson Relief can teach, is humility.

Such is the danger in misunderstandings.

Lesson:

Be wary of when the Joy of Relief is felt. If it is a joy, pain must have been quite remarkable. So be mindful of its source, lest you find yourself in its clutches again. To feel the Joy of Happiness indicates the path to naturalness. Pursue it, lest you forget.

* * *

###

###  The small things

To overestimate the large,

Is to see it small.

To underestimate the small,

Is to miss it large.

A statute, first seen,

Sits in the mind's foreground.

A statute, seen again,

Sits in the mind's background.

Throw a drop of water against fire,

The water yields.

Throw a pail of water against fire,

The fire yields.

Hence,

What is large becomes forgotten.

What is small gains eminence.

So it can be said:

The large evokes shock.

Shrink it, and it becomes dull.

The small is overlooked.

Join them, and they become grand.

Thus, the Intrigued regards the small, and finds grandness.

While the Bored regards the large, but finds staleness.

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."

  * Vincent Van Gogh

Oversimplification is a tendency, often done unaware.

To see multiple tasks as independent tasks, as though there were no possibility of coupling.

To see large projects as small projects, as though everything scales linearly.

These are the oversights you will encounter.

A single task is easier than multiple tasks. A small project is less complex than a large project. So it can be seen why it is tempting to oversimplify.

Imagining success is always easier than attaining it.

Such is the relation between the large and small.

But what is already singular and what is small, cannot be simplified, so they must be accepted as they are. To know the efforts of the small, to know the difficulty of joining them; only then will the large be appreciated. Otherwise, the large will simply be viewed as something small, but just bigger.

Such is the principle of appreciation.

Lesson:

Understand the small and you will appreciate the large.

* * *

##

##  Character

###  Independence

Invited, it will not come,

A letter sent with no address.

Uninvited, it may come,

Arriving through the window.

Coming, as if to stay.

Staying, as if to leave.

Opportunity is a whimsical guest.

The untethered can welcome it.

The tethered will neglect it.

Those with few choices, pass their days in worry.

Those with vast choices, pass their days without worry.

Hence,

Opportunities cannot be forced,

Only grasped as they come.

So it can be said:

Life moves quickly, for those slow to adapt.

Life moves slowly, for those quick to adapt.

Thus, the Independent is abundant of choice, by being prepared for opportunities.

While the Dependent is few of choice, by being unprepared for opportunities.

"But neither can you condemn nor justify and yet be extraordinarily alive as you walk on. You can never invite the wind but you must leave the window open."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

Opportunities tend not to come as you would expect. As though they came through a window, rather than a door.

When an opportunity arrives, it will feel as though it came just for you, yet, if you neglect it, it will leave as though it was just passing through.

Such is the whimsical nature of opportunities.

"Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity"

  * Seneca

Independence, is the ability to seize opportunities, without first asking permission. Dependence, is the inability to seize opportunities, without first asking permission.

So the independent is capable of seizing opportunities as they appear, which prevents them from escaping. While the dependent must first wait for permission, which gives opportunities the chance to slip away.

Such is the importance of readiness.

The blessing of many choices, is the increased likelihood of finding one that makes you happy. And if none of the present choices are to your liking, you can always wait for the next round of choices.

The curse of few choices, is that you are compelled to pick one, even if it were to make you unhappy. For there may not be a second round of choices.

Such is the importance of abundance.

To bear your own weight is a necessity, and a little more if possible.

Bear more than you need now, and you will have to bear less in the future. To bear the bare minimum, you become dependent on your current capability. What you can bear today, may not be what you can bear tomorrow, for you do not know what the future holds.

As the saying goes:  Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Such is the importance of forethought.

Lesson:

Choice is merely the ability to seize opportunities. To wait for permission, is to give opportunity the chance to slip away. So avoid and reduce situations where you need to wait for permission, otherwise you will find yourself with little choice.

* * *

###

###  Authenticity

Every path is different,

No wheel is fit for them all.

The path chosen by others,

Is thought to be even,

So it is followed by many.

The path chosen by few,

Is thought to be uneven,

So it is avoided by many.

The wheel is square,

Yet, the journey will be smooth.

The wheel is round,

Yet, the journey will be bumpy.

Hence,

The wheels fit for the road, create a pleasant journey.

The wheels unfit for the road, create an unpleasant journey.

So it can be said:

Those who do not know themselves,

Are their own obstacles.

Thus, the Authentic move quickly towards happiness, for they do not obstruct themselves.

While the Inauthentic move slowly towards happiness, for they obstruct themselves.

"Only the self-sufficient stand alone – most people follow the crowd and imitate."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

Others will often recommend certain paths in life for they appear as "safe". But it is not the path alone that determines a smooth journey, the wheels are just as important. If the wheels do not match the road, then the journey will feel bumpy all the same. Even square wheels can roll smoothly on the right terrain.

So to pick the right path, you must know yourself.

"Most people only live for their image, that is why where some have a self, a starting point, most people have a void, because they are so busy projecting themselves as this or that, dedicating their lives to actualize a concept of what they should be like rather than to actualize their ever-growing potentiality as a human being. Wasting, dissipating all their energy in projection and conjuring up of facade, rather than centering their energy on expanding and broadening their potential or expressing and relaying this unified energy for efficient communication, etc."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

Being authentic is to embrace naturalness. To seek difficulty, to seek pain is unnatural; most often as a result of seeking fame, riches or glory.

Can fame attract happiness? Only if you are praised.

Can riches buy happiness? Only if you spend it well.

Can glory bring happiness? Only if you cherish it.

So these triumphs are either unreliable or are already a desire.

If you gain fame, but are not praised, you will be unhappy.

If you earn riches, but cannot spend it, you will be unhappy.

If you achieve glory, but cannot cherish it, you will be unhappy.

But to be authentic is to be free from the chains of these ideals. If they so happen to come by, they will not impact you. Because there is only one thing that matters for the authentic, and that is naturalness.

When there are no distractions and conflicts, then the path ahead can only be smooth. And a smooth path is always more enjoyable than a bumpy one, even if it isn't straight.

Such is the joy of a smooth journey.

Lesson:

Knowledge is half the battle. To walk on the right path from the beginning will save yourself from doubling back and wasting effort. To ignore who you are, is a surefire way to become miserable.

* * *

###

###  The Pillar

The roof is not the highest,

For it does not support.

The foundation is not the lowest,

For it does not protect.

The pillar is the highest,

Yet also the lowest,

For it supports and protects.

The roof of a home,

Protects all that is below.

The foundation of a home,

Supports all that is above.

Yet without space between the two,

It cannot be lived.

This is why the pillar is the highest and the lowest.

A pillar without a roof is purposeless.

A pillar without a foundation is useless.

So the good pillar,

Protects the foundation,

And supports the roof.

Together, they form a good home.

Hence,

What can be the highest and the lowest,

Must surely be sturdy.

So it can be said:

A life that is like a good home,

Can weather any storm.

Thus, the Protected lives cheerfully, for they retreat within.

While the Unprotected lives dismally, for they remain without.

Without shelter, the body cannot survive. And neither can the soul.

Shelter protects you from external influences, which is why it is such a necessity. Could you withstand being overwhelmed without it? It is doubtful.

If you find yourself in less fortunate circumstances, the necessity of the inner shelter may be more readily understood. But do not think that luxury would replace the need of an inner shelter. Though it would still be a blessing, it would be no different to living in a garden. And as beautiful and impressive the garden may be, it offers no protection.

Luxuries are like the flowers in the garden. If you gain them, then it is like the flowers have blossomed. If you lose them, then it is like the flowers have withered. You should admire their blossoming or mourn their withering, but you should neither blossom nor wither with them, for that would be no different to having not built a shelter at all.

Even if you think to only blossom with the flowers, you must inevitably wither with them. For you cannot choose one without the other.

So admire them or mourn them, but do not go with them.

"Those who stay where they are will endure."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 33, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

A good home renders the outside weather trivial, for your environment can remain comfortable.

If it is cold, you can warm your home.

If it is hot, you can cool your home.

If it is wet, you can remain dry.

If it is dry, you can remain  hydrated .

So in good weather, you should step outside. I n bad weather, you should retreat inside. Thus, if your inner shelter is like a good home, then you can remain at peace, even if the world is in turmoil.

Such is the safety of those who can shelter within.

"A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them."

  * Liberty Hyde Bailey

Life is about the exertion of energy. The dead cannot exert theirs, so they decay, unable to resist external influences.

You cannot learn the limits of your body without using it, similarly, you cannot learn the ideal design of your inner shelter without building it.

What supports you will be your foundation. What you support will be your roof. Thus, you stand between the two, as a pillar, supporting and supported.

Mankind went from simple mud huts to towering skyscrapers, all because we have made the effort to understand how the world works.

Your inner shelter is similar. You will begin with a simple shelter, one that will be flawed and be unable to withstand all external influences. So you learn the part of the shelter that is lacking and improve it. You keep improving until you create one that is comfortable and able to withstand all external influences.

So don't harbour the desire to be given everything. It will be no different to being robbed of energy. And in such a state, you will have no inner shelter to retreat to.

Such is the task of building a home.

Lesson:

The world is greater than you, so it will influence you if you leave yourself open and vulnerable to it. It is not necessarily hostile, but it is not necessarily benevolent either. The necessity of a physical shelter is readily apparent, yet to think that the soul does not need one would be an oversight. So create an inner shelter just as you have an outer shelter, and you may withstand the storms that come.

* * *

###

###  Humility

What exists, must change.

What does not change, does not exist.

One is born,

So is burdened with ignorance.

One lives,

So must be unburdened of ignorance.

What must change but does not,

Must be heavy with flaws.

What must change and does so,

Must be light of flaws.

To be heavy with flaws,

Causes one to blunder into trouble.

To be light of flaws,

Allows one to step over trouble.

Hence,

The beginning of change,

Starts with the rejection of flaws.

So it can be said:

The ignorant are often troubled,

By their own unwillingness for change.

Thus, the Humble yields ignorance like charity, and are devoid of trouble.

While the Stubborn hoards ignorance like wealth, and are overwhelmed with trouble.

"People are born soft and weak.  
They die hard and stiff.

All things such as grass and trees.  
Are soft and supple in life.  
At their death they are withered and dry.

So, the hard and stiff are death's companions.  
The soft and weak are life's companions.

Therefore:  
The unyielding army will not win.  
The rigid tree will be felled.

The rigid and big belong below.  
The soft and weak belong above."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 76, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

What is the difference between a good driver and a bad driver? The good driver yields, even when they are in the right, and avoids trouble. The bad driver does not yield, even when they are in the wrong, and is thus the cause of many problems.

Success is not always what you gain, but also what you avoid losing.

So it is by yielding, by having humility, can many problems be avoided, even when you are in the right. And in contrast, by being obstinate is to entangle yourself in many problems, especially when the fault lies with you.

Such is the power of softness.

"The only thing constant is change"

  * Heraclitus

But it is equally important to know when to yield. What is right one day, may be wrong the next. So being humble is not a one time event. It is continuous.

"He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger."

  * Confucius

To yield inappropriately is to also cause trouble. Like stopping at a green light to give way to those at a red light. That too is obstinacy. So, it is that yielding to avoid trouble is humility, but yielding which causes trouble is obstinacy in disguise.

"It's impossible to learn that which you think you already know."

  * Epictetus

Humility is a trait that must be learnt through pain. For humility not gained through pain, is simply obedience. And obedience is just the cousin of obstinacy.

Such is the price of humility.

Lesson:

Pain is the only teacher of humility. To stay ignorant, is to subject yourself to the same pain again and again. There can be no blame in being wrong, there can only be blame in staying wrong. Be wary of obstinacy and equally of obedience.

* * *

###

###  Curiosity

Keep the mystery, and the hidden becomes visible.

Lose the mystery, and the visible becomes hidden.

Desire with desire and the mystery is lost.

Desire without desire and the mystery remains.

Pour more into a cup than what it can hold,

It will not get fuller.

Hence,

Attention is paid to what has yet to be gained.

Attention is lost to what has already been gained.

So it can be said:

Those who keep the mystery have endless joy.

Those who lose the mystery have exhausted joy.

Thus, the Curious have plenty,

Even if possessing little.

Able to see what they have,

By maintaining curiosity.

While the Incurious have little,

While possessing much.

Unable to see what they have,

By losing curiosity.

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."

  * Plutarch

More often than not, you will value what you don't have, more than what you do have. Because what you don't have is mysterious, so you can fantasize how amazing it is. But once you get it, it is often far more disappointing than you had expected it to be. "That's it?" you will say.

Maintain curiosity in your life, and you will be able to cherish things.

Marvel lies in novelty. Disinterest stems from familiarity.

Far too often will you gain something one day, then forget it the next, even if you had desired it for years.

Desiring desire is to want for the sake of wanting. You must ask how your desire will enrich your life. If you cannot answer, then you are simply desiring for the sake of desire.

If you focus on the jug that is filling, rather than the cup being filled, you will always be concerned with how much you are getting, rather than how much you have got.

To desire is exciting, so it becomes painful. To fulfill your desire is pleasant, so it becomes boring.

So you must desire without desire; fill without spilling.

You can desire without desire when your desire can be naturalized into your life, like salt dissolving into water, so that they are one and the same. For what desire can arise from naturalness? It cannot, as there would be conflict.

Lesson:

Only desire the things that can be naturalized into your life, for you will be forever curious about them. If you remain curious about them, they will never be forgotten.

* * *

##

##  Action

###  The Valid

Action is the father of experience.

Experience is the mother of truth.

What is truthful is never wrong.

What is Valid is uncontestable.

Therefore,

What is Valid does not violate any truths.

Gather truths, to determine validity.

Connect truths, to perform validation.

Reverse truths, to learn what is Valid .

Success or failure,

Both are truths.

So to fear failure,

Is to fear the truth.

Hence,

Fearing failure, hinders action.

Hindering action, prevents experience.

Preventing experience, denies truth.

Denying truth, obscures the Valid.

Obscuring the Valid, hides success.

So it can be said:

Those who are discouraged by failure, will not succeed.

Those who are not discouraged by failure, will succeed.

Thus, the Rational succeed,

By accepting all truths,

Including failure.

Thereby learning valid action.

While the Irrational fail,

By rejecting unwelcome truths,

Especially failure.

Thereby learning invalid action.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

  * Theodore Roosevelt

A valid action will always be successful. An invalid action will always fail.

It is very easy to criticise, to think as though you could do better, as if you had knowledge of valid action. Thoughts of action, trapped in the mind, is but invalid action. Thoughts alone have no impact on the world. Without feedback, you are merely stuck in your imagination. And when the time for action arises, you will surely fail.

Cure this, by taking action first, before action is required from you. Do not worry about impressing others. You are not here to impress. You are here to learn.

Those who execute valid action will always be impressive.

Those who execute invalid action will always be a mockery.

Such is the importance of preemption.

Your actions at first will be invalid, but they will eventually become valid. You cannot be deprived of your experiences, thereby the skills you learn will be kept by you forever. So there is no point in fearing failure, only the fear of invalid action is warranted.

"The lightbulb was an invention with 10000 steps."

\- Thomas Edison

Action and experience together is  truth .

A single truth does not establish valid action. Some things in life happen by chance; and you will mistake the correlation as causation. Which is why much action, much experience, much truth is needed.

Truths are the conclusion, so it is necessary to reverse them to establish its origin. Once you are able to establish its origin and, from that, replicate the conclusion without fail, will you have learnt valid action.

"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure."

  * Confucius

Most successes are built off of failures, which is the elimination of invalid action. In order to gain more success, you will invariably encounter more failures.

Such is the path to success.

Lesson:

To fear failure is to do nothing. To do nothing is to achieve nothing. A failure is merely an experience and an elimination of invalid action. Learn from your failures and you will move one step closer to success.

* * *

###

###  Clarity

Hesitate, and the seeds of regret are planted.

Doubt, and the winds of shame begin to stir.

To embark upon a journey,

Is a trial against these obstacles.

Action attracts omens,

Hidden companions on one's journey,

Good or bad, depending on intention.

Fortitude, clings onto the Certain.

Discouragement, stalks the Uncertain.

Grabbed by the vines of regret.

The Uncertain is entangled,

Their blade blunted by Discouragement.

Buffeted by the winds of shame,

The Uncertain turn back,

Their cloak raked by Discouragement.

Grabbed by the vines of regret.

The Certain cut free,

Their blade sharpened by Fortitude.

Buffeted by the winds of shame,

The Certain press on,

Their cloak thickened by Fortitude.

Hence,

A journey's progress,

Is determined at the beginning.

So it can be said:

Those with poor intentions,

Do not travel far.

Thus, the Certain overcome shame and regret, by being rid of excuses.

While the Uncertain are overcome with shame and regret, by succumbing to excuses.

"I'd rather try something than think about it because even if I'm wrong...I'll find out faster."

\- Jim Rohn

To do something new, to do something different, is to face the prospect of regret and shame. But if you are determined to see it through, and you do the best you can, then what time will there be to dwell on such thoughts when the next step awaits your action?

To hesitate, is to doubt yourself, and regret will linger regardless of outcome. In failure, you will call it a waste of time and be ashamed of even trying. In success, you will lambast yourself for not starting earlier.

When you act without hesitation, there will be no place for such thoughts. If you fail, then it is simply one additional step towards success. If you succeed, then you have already achieved it, so why lambast the positive.

As long as you remain certain, there will not be time for regret  nor shame, for you will have neither the time for hesitation  nor doubt.

Such is the preparation for a journey.

Lesson:

Act with clarity and there will only be a "how"; no distractions of "maybes" or "if"s. Without clarity, there will be many "maybes" and "ifs", which will eventually turn into "shouldn't" and "can't"s.

* * *

###

###  Eventually

Those who stand, can jump.

Those who run, can leap.

Those who forget the past, build the past.

Those who study the past, build the future.

Those who use their height, can reach above.

Those who use a ladder, can reach the top.

Those who withhold,

Attend to everything.

In which all things remain undone.

Those who share,

Attend to one thing.

In which all things are done.

Hence,

What is alone, reaches short.

What is together, reaches far.

So it can be said:

One stroke is not art.

One ingredient is not cuisine.

One scent is not fragrance.

One note is not music.

One success is not skill.

But many, makes them so.

Thus, the Attainable is created piece by piece, forged by togetherness.

While the Unattainable is kept out of reach, separated by aloneness.

"The difference between a master and a beginner? The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried."

\- Stephen McCranie

To think that "if" something happens, resigns it to luck. To think that "when" something happens, assigns it to skill.

Action should be regarded as eventually giving a reward, and not thought of as a lottery ticket that may or may not give you a reward. Each action builds upon the last, so they should not be thought of as behaving independently.

"Greatness comes by doing a few small and smart things each and every day. Comes from taking little steps, consistently. Comes from making a few small chips against everything in your professional and personal life that is ordinary, so that a day eventually arrives when all that's left is The Extraordinary."

  * Robin S. Sharma

Most of the steps you take will always look insignificant, but no step alone creates great leaps. When you look back on your journey, you will realize how many steps it took to get to that leap.

Such is the importance of patience.

Lesson:  
To reach the summit requires many steps. To restart at every misstep, and the summit will be forever out of reach.

* * *

###

###  Non-forcing

The first solution is rarely proper.

What is proper avoids trouble.

To bite into a fruit,

Without removing the skin,

Is rarely enjoyable.

All problems require solutions.

The first solutions, are sought by the forceful.

The proper solutions, are sought by the gentle.

Force, results from haste.

Haste, from distress.

Distress, from respite.

Respite, from intolerance of pain.

Hence,

First and proper solutions,

Are but a matter of pain tolerance.

So it can be said:

Those tolerant to pain, await the proper.

Mindful of the troubles avoided.

Those intolerant to pain, surrender to the first.

Ignorant of the troubles that follow.

Thus, the Patient seek the proper solutions.

Their pain diminishing slowly.

Rising further and further away, like a sky lantern.

While the Impatient seek the first solutions.

Their pain locked in a cycle.

Simply moving from one to another.

"Supreme good is like water.

Water greatly benefits all things, without conflict.

It flows through places that people loathe.

Thereby it is close to the Way.

A good dwelling is on the ground.

A good mind is deep.

A good gift is kind.

A good word is sincere.

A good ruler is just.

A good worker is able.

A good deed is timely.

Where there is no conflict, there is no fault."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 8, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

It is always tempting to find the quickest solution, even more so if it is easy. But quick and easy is not the natural way, slow and steady is.

To travel great distances, is it wiser to sprint or jog?

To sprint covers much distance in a moment, but your body tires quickly. Push yourself over the limit, and it collapses. The more damaged the body, the longer the recovery. The longer the recovery, the slower your progress. What time you save in haste, will then be lost in recovery. Moreover, the pain you experience may not be worth the reward.

To jog covers little distance in a moment, but your body tires slower. If you do not push it, recovery is quick. Quick recoveries allow you to cover much more distance in the long run.

Such is the art of gentleness.

The proper solutions which are also quick and easy, are ones built by slow and steady actions. They are proper because they were not created in the spur of the moment, but after careful consideration.

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

  * Amos E. Dolbear

To think that humans are so powerful because we can do more would be a folly. Many animals are stronger, faster or have abilities that we don't. The true power of humanity lies in our ability to do less.

While fish must swim to cross the ocean, we can let the wind sail our ships.

While animals must hunt and forage everyday, we can farm and plow our land using oxen.

While each bird is responsible for their own flight, two pilots can fly several hundred others through the air.

While lions endanger themselves by hunting with their claws and teeth, we can hunt safely from a distance with traps and bows.

While owls have no difficulty traversing the night, we simply bring light into the dark.

So mankind is not about doing more, but doing less. And this is the true power that we have. While other creatures struggle, we can relax. For struggling is but a symptom of vulnerability.

Such is the art of less.

Lesson:

Remember,  Efficiency is the parent of simplicity, yet the child of complexity. To get to the quick and easy solutions, you must first master the slow and steady solutions.

* * *

###

###  Good or Necessary

On the Balance of Action,

Lies two weights.

Good or Necessary.

What can be lost,

Is more dear than what can be gained,

So the necessary must be done.

What can be gained,

Is more worthy than what cannot,

So the good should be done.

Free from wrongful actions,

There will be no squander.

Hence,

What needs to be done, cannot be ignored.

What should be done, should not be ignored.

How simple the decision for action is.

So it can be said:

To do what is neither necessary nor good,

One can only later lament.

Thus, the Diligent handles the necessary and attends the good, and wonders how plentiful be their joyous occasions.

While the Lazy shirks the necessary and neglects the good, so wonders where hides their joyous occasions.

"Life is long and there is enough of it for satisfying personal accomplishments if we use our hours well.

But when time is squandered in the pursuit of pleasure or in vain idleness, when it is spent with no real purpose, the finality of death fast approaches and it is only then, when we are forced to, that we at last take a good hard look at how we have spent our life – just as we become aware that it is ending.

Thus the time we are given is not brief, but we make it so. We do not lack time; on the contrary, there is so much of it that we waste an awful lot."

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

There are only two things you should do in life, the necessary and the good.

Do what is necessary to avoid disaster.

Do what is good for it will bring joy.

Doing anything else is simply squander.

So if you spend your time idling or pursuing pointless activities, you will feel that life is short when it is not.

Such is the longevity of those who do not squander time.

Lesson:

Good or necessary, these are the two standards on which your actions should predicate upon.

* * *

##

##  The Dualities

###  Within and without

Happiness is without.

Meaning is within.

What is without, has substance.

What is within, has none.

What has substance, can be held.

What has no substance, cannot.

What can be held, will decay.

What cannot be held, will not.

Contain the substantial within the unsubstantial,

It can be held without perishing.

Hence,

Happiness without Meaning,

Perishes quickly.

Meaning without Happiness,

Remains intangible.

So it can be said:

Find Meaning within,

To contain the Happiness without.

Thus, the Fulfilled is satisfied, for their happiness does not perish.

While the Disgruntled is unsatisfied, for their happiness does not last.

To travel the world to "find yourself" is a folly. There is no need. The Self is not an entity found by going outside. It will not be found among the stars, across the earth or beneath the sea. It is by looking within and understanding yourself will meaning be found.

Once meaning has been found, go into the world to fulfill it. For meaning that is unfulfilled is simply meaningless.

In contrast, to seek happiness without meaning, is to catch only glimpses of it. Like hearing an inside joke, you will see the joy of others, without understanding why.

Such is the importance of preservation.

Lesson:

Meaning is found within, happiness is found without. Contain happiness within meaning, and it will last a lifetime.

###  Ownership

Joy, comes from what is given.

Misery, lies in what is taken.

What is not owned, cannot be given.

What was not given, must have been taken.

To own nothing, nothing can be given,

Yet, everything can be taken.

To own everything, everything can be given,

Yet, nothing can be taken.

Desperate alliances will be fragile.

Conscripted soldiers will be cowardly.

So what is forced is unwanted.

Unruly children are still loved.

Worthless heirlooms are still treasured.

So what is unforced can be wanted.

Hence,

What is forced cannot be owned.

What is unforced can be owned.

So it can be said:

Those with much to give, have little to take.

Those with little to give, have much to take.

Thus, the Responsible assumes their happiness, by creating sources of happiness.

While the Irresponsible neglects their happiness, by allowing sources of unhappiness.

"Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people's hands."

  * Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

You must see joy as a gift you give yourself. After all, time is the currency with which you spend your life with. And spent it must, for it cannot be stored for later use. So better to give it willingly, than to have it be taken unwillingly.

To spend your time on things that you enjoy, is the same as giving. To spend your time on things you do not enjoy, is the same as having it taken.

The distinction is easy to see, and the choice even easier to make.

Such is the gift of giving.

To take ownership is to integrate it as part of your character, which turns it into a source of happiness. To disown something is to reject it as part of your character, which turns it into a source of unhappiness.

The more you own, the more sources of happiness you possess. The more you reject, the more sources of unhappiness you possess.

But ownership cannot be forced. What is forced will always find its way to becoming rejected, thereby the happiness that you previously forced, will suddenly becomes an anchor of dread.

So if you want to be happy, you will need to take ownership without coercion.

Remember that happiness is your responsibility. If you can push your source of happiness onto someone else, it can always be pushed onto another. Such that your happiness will always be fleeting, for it is never with you.

Such is the importance of ownership.

Lesson:

Happiness is your own responsibility. If you are willing to take ownership, then you are creating your sources of happiness.

* * *

###

###  Purpose

Not exceeding pleasure,

Can boredom be avoided.

Not exceeding excitement,

Can strain be prevented.

Cure boredom with excitement.

Relieve strain with pleasure.

To move from one to the other,

Old miseries must have been forgotten.

Such a cycle is tiresome,

And must be broken.

Assign Purpose as warden,

Ardor and Duty are its guards.

Ardour keeps Pleasure from excess.

Duty holds Excitement within bounds.

Hence,

Boredom nor strain,

Afflict those with Purpose.

So it can be said:

Strain and boredom,  
Is but a matter of excess.

Thus, the Purposeful remains tireless, for they never reach excess.

While the Purposeless becomes tired, for they move between excesses.

"Life swings like a pendulum backward and forward between pain and boredom."

  * Arthur Schopenhauer

Pleasure and excitement are the two drives of life.

Pleasure restores energy, excitement expends it.

Excess of pleasure leads to an excess of energy. Excess of excitement leads to a lack of energy.

An excess of energy seeks escape. A lack of energy demands rest.

So to have an excess of energy is to be like a prisoner. To have a lack of energy is to be like a slave.

Each envious of the other, for the other possesses what they do not.

Such is the ambivalence of living.

One reaches boredom and pain because of pretension.

While having an excess of energy, you assume you have more than you do, so you work yourself until you become strained.

While having a lack of energy, you assume you have less than you do, so you rest yourself until you are bored.

So it is that you are always overworking or  overresting , never being able to maintain a balance.

Such is the blunder to be without limits.

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."

  * Friedrich Nietzsche

To jump between boredom and strain repeatedly is tiresome. Avoid this by finding purpose.

Purpose is composed of ardor and duty. Ardor induces excitement, so it keeps pleasure from excess. Duty induces pleasure, so it keeps excitement from excess. If either are missing, then it is not purpose.

Ardour without duty is recklessness.

Duty without ardour is coercion.

Recklessness leads to injury.

Coercion leads to apathy.

If you know the difference, then you know if you will persevere.

Such is the power of limits.

Lesson:

It is easy to get caught up in the boredom and pain cycle. Escape it by pursuing something with purpose.

* * *

###

###  Creativity and Logic

Search, and it will not be found.

Wait, and it may not come.

So it is called sudden.

Watch, and it unfolds.

Act, and it is done.

So it is called predictable.

The sudden is formless.

Its formlessness makes it boundless.

The predictable has form.

Its form makes it bound.

What is formless may shape.

What is formed may fill.

Therefore,

When the boundless rise,

The bound must fall.

When the boundless fall,

The bound must rise.

Hence,

What the boundless shapes,

The bound must fill.

So it can be said:

Those who embrace the sudden can create the world.

Those who embrace the predictable can run the world.

Thus, the Creative are without equal, for their ability is boundless.

While the Imitative are with equal, for their ability is bound.

"I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking"

  * Albert Einstein

There are two tasks you should have at all times. One of logic and one of creativity.

Creativity is fleeting. It comes like a spark and  fades just as quickly. If you do not catch it, its power will be lost. It is spontaneous, so searching for it is futile. In the absence of creativity, perform logical work instead.

Logic is continuous. It is work where the next step is always known, which means it can always be done. If it can always be done, it will always be productive. If you ignore logical work to search for creativity, then you are squandering your time.

Do not regard logic and creativity as separate entities. One transforms into the other.

Creativity creates the deed. Logic performs the deed.

Logic provides the material. Creativity shapes the material.

It is an endless back and forth cycle, like the ebbing and flowing of the tides.

So let yourself be shaped by the formless, and filled by the formed. Thereby, you can become anything, while remaining something.

Such is the art of fluidity.

Lesson:

Let your decisions be simple. Perform creative work when able, perform logical work when unable.

* * *

###

###  Reality and Fantasy

Rules are the keys to power.

Those who create are powerful.

Those who follow are powerless.

The world where one creates, is called Fantasy.

The world where one follows, is called Reality.

Those who accept Fantasy, are powerful,

Those who accept Reality, are safe.

Those who reject Fantasy, are powerless.

Those who reject Reality, are periled.

Hence,

Freedom lies in Fantasy.

Slavery lies in Reality.

So it can be said:

Accept fantasy to avoid impotence.

Accept reality to avoid danger.

Thus, the Liberated free themselves,

By creating fantasies,

And accepting reality.

While the Tortured imprison themselves,

By mocking fantasies,

And rejecting reality.

"Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!"

  * J.R.R. Tolkien

The world is run by the experienced, but is created by the dreamer.

In mocking others of their dreams, you  limit yourself . In mocking your own dreams, you limit yourself.

If you cannot escape reality when appropriate, then you only surrender yourself to fate and render yourself powerless. You shift the future out of sight, and move yourself into the past:  just the way it is . That is a static world, a dead world.

To reject reality, is like trying to deny gravity or diseases. It will not end well for you if you do. But neither do you have to submit to them, for they also follow the rules. Rather than surrendering, learn to manipulate reality. The rules are not there to be broken, but to be taken advantage of.

So knowing when to engage in fantasy and when to face reality is knowing when to yield and when not to yield.

Such is the dynamic in power and safety.

Lesson:

Don't limit yourself. Never be afraid to dream, but always remain  deferent to reality.

* * *

##

* * *

##

##  The Razor

###  Enough

Slippery, as if not wanting to be held.

Running, as if not wanting to be caught.

So it is called elusive.

Grip tightly, and it will still escape.

Chase quickly, and it will still be gone.

So it is called fickle.

The pursuit of Content,

Is a lifelong game of tag.

To catch and hold is no good.

To chase without catching is even worse.

So it must be caught with the intention of releasing.

To drink from the spring-well of Desire,

Bolsters one with energy to play.

But before one fills their flask,

Be prudent of its size.

A flask too large, is impossible to fill.

If possible to fill, is difficult to move.

A flask too small, is quick to empty.

Therefore,

The right flask must be neither small nor large,

One that is ample and without burden.

Hence,

The unfillable flask keeps one waiting.

The encumbered flask slows one chasing.

The unsuitable flask  shortens one running.

The proper flask keeps one going.

So it can be said:

Those who chase with the intent of catching,

Catch with the intent of releasing,

Will have no empty days ahead.

Thus, the Tempered becomes content, through their moderation of desire.

While the Impertinent remains discontent, through their lack and avarice of desire.

"Without stepping out the door,

You can know the world.

Without looking through the window,

You can see Heaven's Way.

The longer you travel, the less you know.

Therefore:

The sage knows without traveling,

Perceives without looking,

Completes without acting."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 47, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

There needs to be a balance between having and getting.

You will tire of what you have, so you will need to get more. If you keep getting more, then you will not have time to enjoy what you have. So it is between the two where true joy lies.

To have endless desires is to push joy to an unreachable future. For it remains forever out of reach.

To have excessive desires is to spread joy out thinly. For it means rushing to fulfill desires rather than enjoying them.

To have insufficient desires is to reduce joy to a short period of time. For you will fulfill your desires and enjoy them, but then you will grow tired of them, and nothing will replace them.

To have appropriate desires is to create a lifetime of joy. For your desires will be fulfilled, enjoyed and replaced, without ever worry of a lapse.

That is what content is. A lifetime of joy.

Such is the skill of moderation.

"Filling all the way to the brim

Is not as good as halting in time.

Pounding an edge to sharpness

Will not make it last.

Keeping plenty of gold and jade in the palace

Makes no one able to defend it.

Displaying riches and titles with pride

Brings about one's downfall.

To retreat after a work well done is Heaven's Way."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 9, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

So pick your desires wisely. But remember, you may not always be able to fulfill them. When you cannot fulfill the desires you have set upon, you will inevitably become unhappy. So accept what you have achieved, and do not dwell on what you have not achieved. Never forsake future desires to dwell on the desires you have missed. Otherwise, being content will just be a dream.

Such is the matter of acceptance.

Lesson:

Don't be greedy, yet don't impoverish yourself. Find the balance.

* * *

###

###  Importance

Goals are like a fruit,

That abound the land.

Some large, some small,

Some difficult, some easy.

The large appear splendid and juicy.

The small, dull and dry.

The difficult appear smooth and exotic,

The easy, coarse and common.

So what is desirable seems simple at first.

Bitter or sweet,

Lies not in the fruit itself.

But the tongue that graces it.

Therefore,

What the eyes see,

Is not what the tongue tastes.

Hence,

The Goals to be pursued,

Are ones sweet to the tongue.

The Goals to be ignored,

Are ones bitter to the tongue.

So it can be said:

Not all that are difficult, are worthy.

Not all that are easy, are unworthy.

Not all that are large, are significant.

Not all that are small, are insignificant.

Thus, the Mindful seek goals relevant to themselves.

While the Mindless seek goals simply before them.

"Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance."

  * Epicurus

It is easy to get distracted by the glamour of large and difficult goals. The success they will bring, the challenges they present. But what of them? What are you pursuing at the end of these goals? Is it not happiness? So what guarantee is there to it? If you do not enjoy the process, then what indication is there that you will enjoy the  result ? Before that, what indication is there that you will not give up before achieving the result?

A goal that you love but fail at, is worth more than a goal that you hate and succeed at.

Fail at what you love, and you will try again.

Succeed at what you hate, and there will only be relief.

What you love, you will fight for. What you hate, you will find every excuse to give up on. So pursue what you love, regardless of difficulty and size, and ignore the irrelevant.

Such is the clarity in importance.

"You see this goblet?" asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. "For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, 'Of course.' When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious."

  * Mark Epstein, Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective

View all that you do as already forgotten, all that you love as hated. If your works are met with disdain, your hobbies met with disgust, yet you feel fulfilled, then they are worthy; for success is not a certainty.

The first person who benefits from your work, is yourself. If you have enjoyed them, then it is already complete.

Such is the peace of completion.

Lesson:

There is power in love, and weakness in loathing. Pursue what you love, regardless of its difficulty or size, and ignore distractions. They are unimportant.

* * *

#

#

#

#

#  Skills

* * *

##

##  Prologue

Happiness gained laboriously is luck.

Happiness gained easily is skill.

The lack of happiness is not the problem,

It is the symptom of poor skill.

"You don't have a saving problem. You have an income problem"

  * Dan Lok

Principles without Skills, are like thoughts without action: useless. While action without thought is dangerous. Which is why Principles and Skills are both equally important.  The Skills that are necessary are few, but such is the simplicity of happiness.

They are listed in order of importance, and should be followed one after another, without skipping ahead.

There are only three skills you need:

  1. Security . You must secure yourself from worries. For to worry is to not live.
  2. Identification . Knowledge is power and half the battle. Save yourself time and hardship by knowing what to aim for.
  3. Mastery . Knowing what you desire, is not the same as being capable of obtaining it yourself. Most likely, it will be the product of others, in which you may obtain only with an exchange of your own. So find your expertise, to make your labor light.

* * *

##

##  Skill 1. Security

The Small are not small.

The Large are very large.

The Small are easy to tame.

The Large, costly to fix.

The Small become Large.

The Large become Calamity.

Calamity, is the point of no return.

A small cut is deadly.

It exposes one to infection.

Infection,

Succumbing one to death.

A small ember scorches.

The seed of wildfire.

Wildfire,

Reducing all to ashes.

Hence,

Calamity is the Small,

Unchecked.

So it can be said:

Those who ignore the simple,

Must handle the complex.

Thus:

The Safe resolve problems,

While they are small.

Winning simple battles,

They avert Calamity.

The Periled ignore problems,

While they are small.

Fighting costly battles,

They may not win.

"The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy."

  * Sun Tzu,  Art of War (4.1 - 4.3)

To pursue happiness before you are safe from unhappiness, is to  mispriortize . Whatever happiness you may find, will be swiftly taken from you when trouble arises.

"I did not know" you will tell yourself, as if it was excusable.

"Stillness is easy to maintain.

What has not yet emerged is easy to prevent.

The brittle is easy to shatter.

The small is easy to scatter.

Solve it before it happens.

Order it before chaos emerges.

A tree as wide as a man's embrace

Grows from a tiny shoot.

A tower of nine stories

Starts with a pile of dirt

A climb of eight hundred feet

Starts where the foot stands.

Those who act will fail.

Those who seize will lose.

So, the sage does not act and therefore does not fail,

Does not seize and therefore does not lose.

People fail at the threshold of success.

Be as cautious at the end as at the beginning.

Then there will be no failure.

Therefore the sage desires no desire,

Does not value rare treasures,

Learns without learning,

Recovers what people have left behind.

He wants all things to follow their own nature,

But dares not act."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 64, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

Taking action means instigating change. Rarely will you know enough to avoid all mistakes. If you do not know your mistakes, then how can you solve them while they are small? So the only choice is to realise them once they are large. Or worse, you can only watch, as it is too late, for calamity has taken hold, just as you have begun to notice.

So it is unwise to take risks without a suitable fallback.

There are six types of actions you should be aware of, from best to worst:

  1. Valid action - This action will always produce the desired result. So there are no problems or squandered efforts here.
  2. Purposeful action - You have a goal and are acting based on reversed truths. If you succeed, you will learn valid action, if you fail, you bring yourself closer to valid action.
  3. Experimental action - This is a random but controlled action. This is an action where you are just trying to observe the truths produced. Any problems that occur are easily handled.
  4. Inaction - Doing nothing is to not upset the existing balance. Which is why it is not last, as it is neither good nor bad.
  5. Invalid action - Such actions will always fail and you know it, so your efforts are squandered.
  6. Purposeless action - This is similar to experimental action, except you do not know what problems it will make. If you do not know the problems, you may be causing a disaster.

So take care when acting. Never hurry into action, as inaction is not the worst thing to happen to you.

* * *

###

###  Control

The things that cannot be controlled are many.

The things that can be controlled are few.

What has been ordained will happen.

Success or failure, determined by oneself.

Hence,

One does not control what happens.

But one can control the result.

So it can be said:

To change events without, is useless action.

To change events within, is useful action.

"The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable."

  * Sun Tzu,  Art of War (Chapter 8.11)

To live in hopes of good times, is simply to live in fear of bad times. Rather than worry, it is better to secure.

When good things happen to you, they are called opportunities. If unprepared for, they will slip away.

When bad things happen to you, they are called adversities. If unprepared for, you will fall victim to them.

So it is not that you should be hoping for good times or be fearing bad times, but that you should be preparing for these happenstances.  
To know what is outside of your control, learn the things which happen to you.

To know what is within your control, learn the things caused by you.

If you have good control of your life. You need not fear misfortune, nor worry about missed opportunities.

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."

  * Epicurus

So it can be said:

Look not at the good things, for you will be envious of what you have perceived to have missed.

Look at the bad things, and be grateful for what you have avoided.

* * *

###

###  Prevention

Effort is precious.

Its uses time,

That cannot be recovered.

A mistake made,

Needs to be undone.

What has been undone,

Needs to be redone.

Hence,

What a mistake has done,

Needs to be corrected.

So it can be said:

Mistakes are worth three efforts.

One to do, one to undo, one to correct.

"Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities."

  * Sun Tzu, Art of War (Chapter 3)

To make a mistake requires the first effort. To undo the mistake requires a second effort. To bring about the intended result requires a third effort. Which is why it can be said that a mistake is worth three efforts.

Sometimes a mistake can require only two efforts if the mistake can be written off. But that is still one extra effort that should not have been needed.

So prevention as a part of security is important. For it prevents unnecessary labor.

So take due diligence in preventing them. Otherwise there will never be enough time, if the mistakes are endless.

* * *

##

##  Skill 2. Identification

Those lead by courage,

Traverse the unknown.

Those guided by sagacity,

Traverse the known.

What is hidden is difficult.

So the brave encounter hardship.

What is exposed is easy.

So the sagacious are without worry.

To wager on dice still in hand,

Is a gamble.

To wager on dice already rolled,

Is simple profit.

Hence,

The path of simplicity,

Is the one of knowledge.

So it can be said:

Those who accomplish without action,

Know.

Thus:

The Informed have their results known,

Before work had even begun.

The Hopeful have their results unknown,

Even after work had ended.

"Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory."

  * Sun Tzu, Art of War

When you know what makes you happy, you can thereby avoid what would make you unhappy. To act first, then look for happiness, is to gamble with pain.

"The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions."

  * Miyamoto Musashi

Those who are happy so often are not so through luck, but because of skill. To eliminate useless actions and to propagate useful actions is the only assured way to more happiness.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

  * Sun Tzu, The Art of War (Chapter 3)

Actions should follow intent.

Without intent, you cannot know whether your actions are useful or useless even after you are done.

With intent, you can know whether your actions are useful or useless before you even begin.

So, by learning how to identify your sources of happiness, can you then establish intent, thereby discerning between useful and useless actions.

* * *

###

###  Passion

What is easy,

Is not passion.

What can be cowed,

Is not passion.

What can be abandoned,

Is not passion.

What can be endured,

Is passion.

So it can be said:

Those who endure are passionate.

Those who forfeit are dispassionate.

"If a man knows not which port he sails, no wind is favorable."

  * Seneca

Passion does not lie in the easy nor the competent. It lies in what you are willing to endure. Whatever it is, it will become the  roof  of your  inner shelter .

When you have passion, you will never be directionless, for all directions will lead to where you want to go.

Nothing will appear dark, for wherever you go, you will be bringing the light.

You will not question, for everything is already answered.

You will not delay. In fact, you cannot wait to begin. And once begun, you will not want it to end.

Thus, what has a beginning without an end, is passion.

* * *

###

###  Investigation

Those who understand the axe,

Can fell a tree.

Those who understand the tree,

Can fell a forest.

To explore the axe,

Is to focus on what it can cut,

So its limits are already known.

To explore the tree,

Is to focus on what can cut it,

So its limits are yet to be known.

Therefore,

Think deeply of the latter and shallowly of the former,

And problems can be solved.

Think deeply of the former and shallowly of the latter,

And problems are only changed.

Hence,

To focus on solutions, is to change problems.

To focus on problems, is to solve problems.

So it can be said:

Those who are clever, focus on solutions.

Those who are wise, focus on problems.

"There is no fixed teaching. All I can provide is an appropriate medicine for a particular ailment. I present a possible direction, nothing more. It is like a finger  pointing away to the moon; don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

To be a problem solver is to find a solution that fixes the problem. To be a solution finder, is to find a problem that fits the solution.

To focus on solutions is to change the problem. To focus on problems is to solve the problem.

A problem that fits a solution will always have something unresolved. A solution that fits a problem will lack nothing.

So, learn to understand problems rather solutions.

In life, you must identify your victory conditions. For if there are no victory conditions, there can only be defeat conditions.

For now, health and wealth (financial stability), should be your default victory conditions. For to possess both of these is the end of worry and the beginning of happiness.

In happiness, look at what brings you joy, then look further back. Why does it bring you joy? From what lack is it filling?

See the void that needs filling, not what has been used to fill.

When you know the void, you can know what to fill it with. If you only know what has been filled, you will undergo endless trial and error to replicate it.

* * *

###

###  Language

To communicate with others,

They must first be understood.

To communicate with yourself,

Your self must first be understood.

Therefore,

Language is the basis of understanding.

Those who are understood,

Have good language.

Those who are misunderstood,

Have bad language.

Those who influence others,

Are persuasive.

Those who influence themselves,

Are motivated.

Hence,

Clarity is the origin of language.

So it can be said:

Those who understand others, are skilled in persuasion.

Those who understand themselves, are skilled in motivation.

"To find yourself, think for yourself."

  * Socrates

"Those who understand others are clever,

Those who understand themselves are wise."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 33, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

The art of persuasion is using language to influence others. The art of motivation is using language to influence yourself.

"The limits of my language means the limits of my world."

  * Ludwig Wittgenstein

Negative self-talk is the indication of bad language. Bad language leads to a defeatist mentality. Positive self-talk is the indication of good language. Good language leads to a victorious mentality.

But a distinction must be made between negative self-talk and being realistic, positive self-talk and blind optimism.

The characteristic of negative self-talk is to regard yourself as being a failure in all things, if you so much as fail at one thing. It is also to view positive results negatively.

The characteristic of being realistic is the acceptance of the things you are bad at, without grudge.

The characteristic of blind optimism is the assumption that the obstacle you face must be overcome, that you are capable of doing anything, that you only need more time or effort. It is a gluttonous mindset, for it keeps demanding more from you, despite how meager the result may be.

The characteristic of positive self talk is the acknowledgement of the things you are good at. So you avoid dwelling on the bad, and focus on the good instead.

When you know the distinctions between these, you will be able to develop good language.

Desire nothing that is not certain. Do nothing that is not safe.

Build your language around these two phrases and you will develop positive and realistic self-talk.

* * *

##

##  Skill 3. Mastery

What is tiresome is least desired,

The limit of the masses.

What is effortless is most coveted,

The skill of the few.

The path of weakness,

Ends at mediocrity.

The path of strength,

Ends at mastery.

That which are many,

Are in no hurry to be picked.

Such is the fate of the mediocre.

Undistinguished,

Their opportunities are left to chance.

That which are few,

Are quickly sought out.

Such is the reverence for the masterful.

Exceptional,

Their opportunities are created.

Hence,

The mediocre are unsure, and exert themselves laboriously.

Their accomplishments achieved through luck.

The masterful are certain, and exert themselves effortlessly.

Their accomplishments achieved through skill.

So it can be said:

The mediocre learn right and wrong afterwards.

The masterful know right and wrong beforehand.

Thus:

Those who are Masterful,

Are given prizes,

For they are so few.

Those who are Mediocre,

Are to contend with scraps,

For they are so many.

Whatever you master should be economically viable. For it is to serve as the  foundation of your  inner shelter .

If you master something you enjoy, yet has no economical viability, then you will still be unhappy, for you will be living in worry of your basic necessities.

Yet, if you master something you dislike, then you still open yourself to happiness, for the greater your mastery, the less misery you must endure to obtain your basic necessities.

"He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated."

  * Sun Tzu

Masters make few, if any mistakes. Not because of special talents or statuses but because they made their mistakes during their novice years. A master's title is earned, not given.

After many years of making mistakes and learning from them, they become able to see mistakes before any action is taken.

"To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."

  * Bruce Lee

Those who are mediocre are plentiful. Because they are plentiful, there is no hurry to choose any of them,  for there will always be at least one who is available.

But this is not so for the masterful, who are few in nature. A master can only serve one, at most a few, at any time. So it means that those who do not hurry, will be left out. So it is that a master does not need to ask, they merely state their availability and are at once flooded with requests, with which they can choose.

So it can be said:

The mediocre are chosen.

The masterful choose.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

  * Bruce Lee

Mastery can only be achieved through persistence and concentrated effort. The one who spreads themselves too thin, will be a jack of all trades and a master of none. To be a master at one thing is much more valuable than being above average at many things.

"So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak."

  * Sun Tzu, The Art of War (Chapter 6.30)

Developing your weaknesses is pointless. It is not the way to mastery. To twist one's limbs against their nature is painful, so too is pursuing weaknesses.

Developing your weaknesses is attacking what is strong. Developing your strength is attacking what is weak.

Attacking what is weak is simple. Attacking what is strong is difficult.

So the one who develops their weaknesses achieves very little. While the one who develops their strengths achieves a lot.

Same effort, different results.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

  * Aristotle

A soft bed is useless if one decides to sleep on the hard floor instead. So too then is talent useless without effort. Talent only gives you leverage. No master became masterful by doing nothing. The master became masterful by putting in more time, effort and concentration than the mediocre.

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

  * Aristotle

Pain can only be tolerated so much before one gives in. That is the definition of torture.

Developing weaknesses is torture. Developing strengths is pleasure.

So the jack of all trades is miserable, for they can do many things, but  averagely . While the masterful are cheerful, for they do things excellently, even if only a few.

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

The inferior have opinions, the superior have conclusions.

An opinion is a judgement, despite lacking essential knowledge. How can one be certain when one does not know enough? Only a fool would claim certainty in these conditions.

So the wise have conclusions, derived from methodologies. They establish what they know and what they don't. What  they can know and what they cannot know.  Thereby, their conclusions are either of certainty or ambivalence.

They are certain because of what they know and what they can know.

They are ambivalent because of what they don't know and what they cannot know.

* * *

###

###  Aptitude

Of all things,

Some are easy, others difficult.

Some are excellent, others deficient.

What is easy, may not be of excellence.

What is of excellence, may be easy.

What is difficult, may be deficient.

What is deficient, may not be difficult.

Hence,

Difficulty and ease,

Do not indicate excellence.

So it can be said:

Aptitude is what is easy,

And of excellence.

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated"

  * Confucius

Mastery is a comparative quality. If you score 90 on a test, those who scored 80 will be considered inferior to you, while those who scored 100 will be considered superior to you. But in all cases, those who score 100 will be viewed as the best. To choose anyone else is simply out of necessity.

To choose what is difficult and of excellence, is to be like the ones who achieved 90. For every advancement you make, those who can achieve excellence easily will have achieved more, to the point where you will never catch up unless they stop altogether.

So do not only look for something you excel at, but one that is also of ease.

So it can be said:

To pick what is difficult and deficient is stupidity.

To pick what is easy and deficient is mediocrity.

To pick what is difficult and excellent is squander.

To pick what is easy and excellent is mastery.

* * *

###

###  Habit and discipline

Habits, are of the body,

Discipline, of the mind.

What is of the body,

Is seamless.

What is of the mind,

Is strenuous.

What is seamless is through repetition.

What is strenuous is from unfamiliarity.

The body is unwilling,

Will it with discipline.

The mind is burdened,

Unburden it with habits.

Hence,

What is seamless must at first be strenuous.

What is strenuous must at last be seamless.

So it can be said:

Habits protect the mind.

Discipline grows the body.

"We do not rise to our expectations, we fall to the level of our training"

  * Archilochus

Habits form the majority of your actions for they have been integrated into your body, like the beating of your heart. But habits cannot be relied upon, they are subject to external influences and, like glass, once set are rigid and fragile.

Good and bad habits are based on situations, they may be good  in one and bad in another. If you cannot make or break habits, then you do not have control of yourself. If you have no control over yourself, how can you be effective at anything?

"The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things."

  * Miyamoto Musashi

Start with discipline, the merge of diligence and temperance.

Diligence is the will to start. Laziness is its absence.

Temperance is the will to stop. Addiction is its absence.

So to be bereft of one is harmful. To be bereft of both is tragic.

Only discipline gives you the ability to control habits. An additional benefit is that it can be transferred from one environment to another, so it is never wasted.

But do not rely on discipline. Like a muscle, it can be developed but also overused.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

  * Leo Tolstoy

To prefer one over the other would be a misunderstanding. They are interdependent.

Habits rely on discipline. Discipline is supported by habits.

What requires force needs discipline. What does not require force can use habits.

Initiate change with discipline, naturalize it with habits.

So to master both is like being the captain of a ship. If you know when to sail and when to row, you will travel far.

So it can be said:

Those who rely on habits will not start.

Those who rely on discipline will not finish.

* * *

###

###  Energy management

Time is life.

Life is energy.

Only the dead are unable to exert theirs.

Time is without quickness nor slowness.

Energy is with highness and lowness.

Time only goes, never comes.

Energy is expended, also consumed.

One cannot manage what cannot be gained.

One should manage what can be gained.

Hence,

It is useless to manage time.

It is useful to manage energy.

So it can be said:

Those who manage their energies, manage their life.

Those who misuse their energies, waste their life.

"The energy of the mind is the essence of life."

  * Aristotle, The Philosophy of Aristotle

Time cannot be managed. You can  neither speed it up  nor slow it down. Energy can be managed. You can exert more energy or less. So manage your energy, not your time.

Match high energy tasks with high energy. Medium with medium. Low with low, while preparing for rest. To match them poorly can only result in poor results and squandered time.

The energy required for tasks depends on how much time you have. Less time requiring more energy. More time requiring less. So  make note of the length of your obligations.

Some activities are like rolling a boulder up a mountain. You must finish the push in one go, or the boulder rolls back down and your efforts will be for naught.

Like the art of selling, there are no second places. You have either sold the client or not.

So ensure you have enough energy to complete such a task.

Knowing how to rest is part of managing energy. Proper rest keeps downtime short and fully restores your energy. Poor rest keeps your downtime long and does not fully restore your energy. So learn how you work and do not push yourself unnecessarily, there are no benefits.

So it can be said:

Any action that is not optimal, is simply suboptimal.

* * *

#

#

#

#  Caveats

* * *

##

##  Happiness

###  Erosion

Happiness erodes,

Like rocks battered by the tides.

Whether quickly or slowly,

But always eventually.

"We all rush through life torn between a desire for the future and a weariness of the present.

But he who devotes his time to his own needs, who plans out every day as if it were his last, neither longs for nor fears for tomorrow."

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

Will you suffice with "I did" or will you lament with "I can no longer do"?

If you can be content with "I did", then what of your present and future life?

If you will lament with "I can no longer do", then what of your present and future life?

So to be content with "I did" or to lament with "I can no longer do" is not sufficient. At that point, you are simply waiting for death.

Death will come regardless of desire. So it is better to make use of the time that you have to continue being happy, than to become content on waiting for death.

And it is not so much that you must actively make yourself uncomfortable, to expand your comfort zone, but more on realizing that comfort becomes uncomfortable, contentedness becomes frustration, peace becomes confining.

A garden is not kept beautiful by doing nothing, but by actively uprooting weeds and eliminating pests. So too then is a comfortable, content and peaceful life not one of  inaction , but of maintenance.

Lesson:

Achievements may last forever, but its sensation dulls with time. Do not become content with achievements you have earned, for you will bore of them one day. Do not wake up miserable. Stay proactive.

* * *

###

###  Gratification

Gratification is of the body.

Happiness is of the soul.

"A pleasure that is ephemeral brings no true satisfaction to any man. How miserable must be the lives of those  folk who labor so hard for something that once gained they must work even harder to keep"

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

Joys of the flesh are superficial. The body adapts and the sensations dull. Whatever void you think you have filled, will simply return.

There is a point where gratification no longer gratifies, it becomes a chore or worse, a necessity. Do not seek gratification as an alternative to happiness. Use gratification as a stepping stone to happiness.

Lesson:

There is no wrongness in gratification, only in its misuse. Gratification can lead to happiness, so it is that you must use gratification as a stepping stone towards happiness, rather than as an alternative.

* * *

###

###  Entitlement

Achievement is action.

Entitlement is inaction.

Those who seek achievement, protect their happiness.

Those who are entitled, expose their happiness.

Thus, the Entitled let their happiness perish,

Thereby allowing themselves to become unhappy.

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."

  * Mark Twain

Do not think of "I deserve this", better to think of "I made this".

If you think of "I deserve", you will not act.

If you think of "I made", you will act.

Perhaps you do not deserve unhappiness, but to think that you are entitled to happiness, just because you exist, is absurd.

Do not expect to be rewarded because you do good, it is no different to thinking you deserve to be rich because you work hard. You cannot deposit hard work at a bank anymore than you can deposit good deeds into a "happy vault".

You do not necessarily reap what you sow because of hard work, anymore than a fire would spare your home because of sentiment.

There is no justice, but the justice of valid action. Those who know valid action need not feel entitled; they already know the result. It is only those who do not know valid action who feel entitled, for they are ignorant of cause and effect.

Lesson:

The duty of happiness lies upon yourself. It is not up to others to make you happy. Do not deprive yourself of the will to act by thinking you "deserve". There are only things that you "made".

* * *

###

###  Challenges

Those who surmount the mountain,

Attain glory.

The greater the mountain,

The greater the glory.

But what of the mountain that cannot be surmounted?

The descend can only be despair.

The greater the mountain,

The greater the despair.

"When you are about to undertake a project, consider not only what is involved now but what it would involve later. Otherwise you would plunge in enthusiastically at the beginning and end up quitting in disgrace when things get difficult later."

  * Epictetus, The Good Life

Seeking a challenge for itself is just seeking the Joy of Relief. A challenge itself is unworthy, it is merely an ego boost. To boost your ego through a challenge is superficial, it will be lost quicker than it was gained. It simply disappears along with its relevance.

To struggle signifies weakness. Overcoming struggle signifies strength. Strength implies easiness. What is easy is simply familiar.

So those who seek out challenges and overcome them, are simply familiar with them. Either through previous trials or from becoming accustomed to them in its course. Can you truly be proud of something that you're simply familiar with?

Lesson:

Challenges are conquered through familiarity, so what true glory can there really be? But the challenges you cannot conquer may break you. So avoid challenges for their own sake. There are plenty of problems as it is.

* * *

##

##  Character

###  Uniqueness

The tongue is not special, but the words are.

The hands are not special, but the crafts are.

The legs are not special, but the feats are.

So it can be said:

It is not the things that you have,

But how you use them,

That brings endless possibilities.

"There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.

There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.

There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted."

  * Sun Tzu, Art of War (Chapter 5)

Do not go looking for something that no one else has. It is unnecessary. If no one else has it, then not even you will understand it.

You already have everything that makes you unique. There is no need to create something new, it is futile.

Blend what you have, that is what makes you unique.

Lesson:

Looking for a single unique point is pointless, at most superficial. The body does not depend on one organ alone, so neither should you seek uniqueness through only a single point.

* * *

###

###  Average

What is designed for the Average,

Is designed for no one.

What makes the Average happy,

Makes no one happy.

Who is this Average of all?

No one knows.

So it can be said:

Those who seek the happiness of the average,

Find unhappiness.

Those who seek the happiness of their own,

Find happiness.

The average person does not exist. Take the average of all people in a population, integrate them into a single person, and you will find no one. If there is no average person, how can they be happy?

So do not seek the average path. There is no happiness there. Find your own.

Lesson:

Statistics don't apply to the individual, so the average is useless. You are not average, you are you.

* * *

###

###  Hypocrisy

Contradictions are unnatural,

Two extremes cannot coexist.

Hypocrisies are unnatural,

Contradictions of the mind.

To balance one extreme,

Requires another.

Hence,

To be hypocritical,

Requires a sacrifice.

So it can be said:

Those with the luxury of hypocrisy,

Live upon the sacrifice of another.

Hypocrisy is lying to yourself. It is a dangerous practice. You can be aware or unaware of it, but even more so if you are aware.

Unawareness of hypocrisy is ignorance, so it does not burden the mind.

Awareness of hypocrisy is carelessness, so it burdens the mind.

To be unaware means to regard a lie as truth, like a disease without symptoms. To be aware means to acknowledge the lie as a lie, but still regard it as the truth, like a disease with symptoms but simply ignoring them.

Like a body harbouring a disease, it  eventuates into an onset of unignorable symptoms, one that wrecks the body; in this case the mind.

If you are honest, then the realization of your hypocrisy may be devastating, which is why being fixated on your certainty is damning. If you are dishonest, then the realization of your hypocrisy will only push you towards more hypocrisy.

What is truthful, what is false, the two blur as hypocrisy grows. At some point, you will lose the ability to distinguish between the two. What results are merely excuses for the lies, in order to turn them into truths. But a lie is a lie, no matter how well you try to cover them up.

A disease will destroy the body, no matter how much you ignore it. So do not be surprised by your poor decisions if you remain a hypocrite.

Lesson:

Hypocrisy is the creation of inconsistency, the embodiment of unnaturalness. Consistency is desired, for that is how one is able to understand the world. To fabricate lies, and to fabricate excuses for them, so they are consistent enough to be taken as truths. That is burdensome. Avoid hypocrisy, be honest.

* * *

###

###  Evil

Those without control are Beasts,

Those with control are Men.

To keep power within the Self,

Leaves no room for evil.

To relinquish power from the Self,

Gives space to evil.

Thus, the Powerful commit no evil.

While the Powerless resort to evil.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

  * Edmund Burke

To commit evil upon another stems from being unrestrained.

To slander another, is unrestrained envy. To steal from another, is unrestrained greed. To injure another, is unrestrained might.

So the ones who commit such acts, are the ones who have given power to their impulses.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

  * Eleanor Roosevelt

"I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own  opinion of himself than on the  opinion of others."

  * Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

To commit evil upon the self stems from overreliance.

To be offended, is overreliance of  honor . To be shamed, is overreliance of trust. To be timid, is overreliance of kindness.

So the ones who are subjected to such states, are the ones who have given their power to others.

"If you are not capable of cruelty, you are absolutely a victim to anyone who is."

  * Jordan Peterson

Evil and good stem not from action but intent.

Harmfulness is not a vice. Harmlessness is not a virtue.

A flood cannot be called evil anymore than rain can be called good. These are natural phenomena, things that just happen; they are without purpose  nor intent. So they are free from the blame of malice but also the credit for benevolence.

The one who is capable of cruelty, but unwilling, is noble. The one who is incapable of cruelty, thereby unable, is vulnerable.

To be capable of cruelty is to be able to protect yourself. To be incapable of cruelty is to rely on protection from others. So not only does an inability of cruelty allow evil to beset you, but you also drag others into your problems through their protection. You become reliant on others for both their likelihood of not harming you as well as their likelihood in protecting you.

A lack of cruelty can only result in a life of fear. Fear of others and fear for yourself.

Do not live such a life.

So the way of peace is no different to the way of destruction. Cancer cells unremoved will lead to death just as uncontrolled apoptosis.

Therefore, oppose no one, but resist if opposed.

As such, to be powerful is to have restraint and not be overreliant. You prevent yourself from chaos and avoid becoming helpless.

Though you may not be able to control the words and actions of others, you can control how you receive them.

Such is the nature of good.

Lesson:

Evil is not only what you commit upon others, but what you allow to have committed upon you. To commit evil upon others, is chaos. To commit evil upon yourself, is helplessness. Evil and good stem from intent not action.

* * *

##

##  Action

###  Distractions

The future is subtle.

So the path is long and winding.

What is long, is not easy.

So an easy path is unreasonable.

What is winding, is not straight.

So a straight path is impossible.

To plan is the art of distraction.

The distracted do not move.

To adapt is the art of moving.

The moving will eventually arrive.

Hence,  
Planning is the same as not beginning.

Adapting is the same as finishing.

So it can be said:

Those who set the destination, will arrive.

Those who set the path, will not.

"A goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim at."

  * Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living

The destination is important, for how else would you begin a journey. But the path is one that is ever changing. Plans are built from the imagination. Let it wander long enough, and either fear or optimism will prevail.

Fear leads to stagnation.

Optimism leads to overconfidence.

"If you think about all the things that could go wrong, and if you do that enough, you will come up with enough reason not to do it at all."

  * Dan Pena

Too much fear, and the plan will never be executed, for there will be backup plans to your plans until you eventually find enough reason not to begin at all.

"Overconfidence precedes carelessness."

  * Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut

Too much optimism is overconfidence, and the plan becomes a delusion. Overconfidence inhibits fear. The lack of fear is the same as carelessness. Being careless is to be unaware of danger. Without awareness of danger, there can be no safety.

Hence, to be overly optimistic is to be deluded by a perfect plan. And a perfect plan is destroyed with a single disruption.

So the only method of doing anything is to take measured steps, small steps, and wait for the results before continuing. Whatever comes, decides what you will do next.

Lesson:

What you thought you would do, is often not what happens. The planning part is the easiest, for it is simply the imagination at play. What is done and how it is done is the most difficult. So there is no point in planning every step, it is simply a distraction.

* * *

###

###  Whining

What can be gained from whining?

Nothing.

What can be lost from whining?

Everything.

Therefore,

Those who whine, discard their possessions.

Those who do not whine, maintain their possessions.

"What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain."

  * Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Complaining itself is not a vice. It is the start to improvement. But complaining with no path to resolution, is like taking bitter medicine without potency. Your health does not improve, yet the bitterness remains.

Whining is to complain without resolution. So to whine is to waste energy.

Many things could have been achieved while whining. So whining has nothing to gain but much to lose.

If you cannot let go, then you will always remain dissatisfied.

Lesson:

Complain only if you seek to resolve an issue. Otherwise, unresolved grudges only leaves you miserable.

* * *

###

###  Mindfulness

Absence of unhappiness is not happiness.

Absence of pain is not health.

"The supreme rulers are hardly known by their subjects.

The lesser are loved and praised.

The even lesser are feared.

The least are despised.

Those who show no trust will not be trusted.

Those who are quiet value the words.

When their task is completed, people will say:

We did it ourselves."

  * Tao Te Ching (Chapter 17, translation by Stefan Stenudd)

Mindfulness itself is not a technique to avoid. But one that simply should not be mistaken for happiness.

Mindfulness is a conscious act. Which is why it can never reach the full height of presentness.

But to act as a gatekeeper against negativity. Then its duties will suffice.

Such is the way of safeguarding misery.

Lesson:

Use mindfulness as a means to safeguard yourself from negativity, but not as a means to find happiness.

* * *

###

###  Process

Wisdom, are the words of winners.

Nonsense, are the words of losers.

A journey that never ends,

Is eternal stagnation.

Unable to fail or succeed,   
Wherein lies the joy?

"A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study."

  * Miyamoto Musashi

Process is the necessary predecessor of result. Without process, there can be no result. Yet, to place all emphasis on the predecessor, must surely be hypocrisy. Who can truly vouch for the superiority of the process without having achieved sizable result?

The large is built upon the small, so even within the process there must still be small accomplishments that build towards the final result.

To desire process without result is like desiring hunger without wanting food. An odd emphasis.

Those who succeed may speak of many things, and justify it with their success, so it appears as wisdom.

Those who fail but speak of the same things, cannot justify them, so it appears as nonsense.

Such is the privilege of the winner.

To chase something forever cannot truly be desirable. Otherwise perfectionists would be the happiest people on earth. Yet this is never the case.

True process without a goal leaves failure as the only possible ending.

Lesson:

To enjoy the process is good. But to claim it is the sole component to joy is a misunderstanding.

* * *

###

###  Lost cause

Lose today,

Save tomorrow.

Drop a cup,

Let it break.

Regret one coin,

Do not regret two.

So it can be said:

What has been lost should be sacrificed,

To save what has not yet been lost.

"Always retain the ability to walk away, without sentimentality, from a situation that felt unmanageable. That was a basic rule of survival. Don't lift a finger for a lost cause."

  * Steig Larsson

Cut your losses early.  A lost cause is a situation where a win is impossible, and if you cannot win, then you have lost. Even a draw is just a mutual loss, as both sides have, at the very least, lost their time to achieve nothing.

So if you identify that you have a lost cause, drop it immediately. There are plenty of other things you can find success in.

Lesson:

Don't pursue things that will bring you no results. Save your energy for things that will.

* * *

###

###  Excuses

What can be delayed one day, can be delayed another.

Where there was time, now becomes too late.

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

The more time you ponder on whether you should begin, the less time you have to do it.

New Year's Resolutions, what difference is there in starting on a New Year to starting today? There isn't.

So start today, to prevent regretting tomorrow.

Lesson:

If it can be done, then it should be done. Time spent pondering its possibility can be better spent doing. Whether it is possible or not, you will find out faster.

* * *

##

##  The dualities

###  Change without progress

Replacing the old with the new,

Is not always progress.

What the old solved,

The new may trouble again.

To abandon the past,

To move forward without a destination,

There can only be trouble.

"The busy man is busy with everything except living; there is nothing that is more difficult to learn how to do right."

  * Seneca, On the Shortness of Life

Creating a solution without a problem is simply creating a problem. Actions lead to instability, so if you don't know what change you want, you're not going to be sure what change you're getting. So what is new isn't necessarily progress, it is just different.

It may even be regression.

Lesson:

Do not seek change for the sake of change. If you desire change, ensure you know what it is that you want. Because what's worse than stagnation is regression.

* * *

###

###  Pain as meaning

Those who suffer and justify,

Assign meaning to pain.

Those who are unhappy and justify,

Assign unhappiness to life.

To turn the undesirable into the desirable,

Is but a matter of coping.

Hence,

The body suffers,

And the mind rationalizes.

So it can be said:

Those who burden the body,

Seek to unburden the mind.

"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing of a pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?

On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammeled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in these matters to this principle of selection: he rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures, or else he endures pains to avoid worse."

  * De finibus bonorum et malorum

If one who is in pain could be relieved, would they still give it meaning? If one who is unhappy could become happy, would they still assign it to life?

Pain and unhappiness are not encouragements,  they are discouragements . To assume pain and unhappiness as encouragements, are a sign of coping.

Struggle does not  bring happiness, but it just so happens that the pursuit of happiness often involves struggle.

Who can be happy with exerting effort without result? Who would continue to exert effort without result? Those who say they would, have not truly experienced futility.

Recognize that sometimes, pain must be endured to avoid greater  pain , and unhappiness must be experienced to recognize greater unhappiness.

Otherwise you are simply naive.

Lesson:

Forsake pleasure to obtain greater pleasures. Endure pain to avoid greater  pains .

* * *

##

##  The Razor

###  Usefulness

What is useful,

Is decided by another.

A tool is without a will,

But is useful,

According to the will of the wielder.

A thrall makes no decisions,

But is useful,

According to the will of its master.

Hence,

What is useful,

Cannot exist alone.

"Devotion begins with knowing yourself and your limitations. Then you try to accomplish that which you know you can without fail, no matter how meager the result, and carry on doing so. It is in that diligence and sincerity that loyalty is truly proven.

As a servant, you should consider your life to belong to your master. If, in pursuit of accomplishments, you expose yourself to danger on the chance that it may be rewarded, that is no different than gambling with the wealth of your master. A far cry from true loyalty.

If you are seeking meaning or strength, it is out of a selfish desire for compensation, not out of devotion... If you truly sought to dedicate yourself in the name of loyalty... You would never give thought to your own purpose or value, and simply live your life in the service of your master."

  * Thunderbolt Fantasy S2 Episode 7

To see usefulness as the purpose of life, then one must dedicate themselves to becoming a thrall. A thrall is property, no different to that of a hammer or a bucket. A thrall must consider their life as not theirs but the extension of others, like the limbs that serves the body. A thrall does not question their purpose or value. They are simply required to live in service of their master.

If usefulness is truly the purpose of life, then slaves would have been the happiest people on earth as they would never suffer the thought of questioning their purpose and value. So slavery then, would have been a benevolent act, not one of malice.

Lesson:

The one who dedicates their life to usefulness cannot make appeal to happiness. The one who wishes to be useful and happy, does so out of selfishness, a far cry from usefulness.

* * *

###

###  Gratitude

Gripping softly,

As if it would break.

Holding loosely,

As if it was borrowed.

The hand that opens,

Can grab many things.

To hold tightly onto what's in hand,

Is to relinquish what's at hand.

What's in hand can always be lost,

So the closed hand can only lose.

A hand clutching nothing,

Is but a fist of anger.

Sailing through life, a life jacket should be worn.

Wear it, without the intent to use.

Use it, without hesitating its rightness.

Falling into the Sea of Sorrow,

It prevents one from drowning,

But does not lift one out of the water.

As such,

The one who clings onto the life jacket,

Will not leave the waters.

The one too haughty to wear a life jacket,

Will drown in the waters.

Hence,

Gratitude prevents one from discontent,

But it does not inspire one for the better.

So it can be said:

The prosperous are not ungrateful,

But are not misled by gratitude.

"He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing."

  * Epicurus

Gratitude is very useful, but it is not the end goal.

You do not keep a life jacket on a boat with the intention of using it. But you should also not hesitate to use it when needed. Gratitude is the same. Use it when needed, without asking if you deserve it.

If you cannot be content with what you have, then you will never be happy. But neither should you lower your standards, or you will eventually reason yourself into finding suffering as meaning.

Lesson:

Learn to live with less but live towards more.

* * *

#  Epilogue

Happiness may seem so distant at times or simply fleeting. What you should remember is that happiness is easy to obtain but hard to maintain. The only reason why it appears distant or fleeting is because you have not maintained it.

Abstain from wild desires, for they will confuse you, as it gives too much power to your imagination. Learn what's been written in this book to moderate your desires. Understand the Concepts, know the Principles, develop the Skills and look out for the Caveats. When you are focused, happiness will be easy to maintain.

The Pursuit of Quintessence is to achieve naturalness. And though it is to focus on yourself, it is not necessarily a solo journey. You can achieve it through sharing experiences with others as well, either through discussions or just reading their stories.

The ideas presented are not an absolution, only the things observed, felt and assumed thus far. So take note of where you are now, and change as necessary.
  1. Title
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Preface
  4. Concepts
    1. Happiness
    2. Character
    3. Action
    4. The Dualities
    5. The Razor
  5. Principles
    1. Happiness
      1. Health
      2. Immersion
      3. The present
      4. The two joys
      5. The small things
    2. Character
      1. Independence
      2. Authenticity
      3. The Pillar
      4. Humility
      5. Curiosity
    3. Action
      1. The Valid
      2. Clarity
      3. Eventually
      4. Non-forcing
      5. Good or Necessary
    4. The Dualities
      1. Within and without
      2. Ownership
      3. Purpose
      4. Creativity and Logic
      5. Reality and Fantasy
    5. The Razor
      1. Enough
      2. Importance
  6. Skills
    1. Prologue
    2. Skill 1. Security
      1. Control
      2. Prevention
    3. Skill 2. Identification
      1. Passion
      2. Investigation
      3. Language
    4. Skill 3. Mastery
      1. Aptitude
      2. Habit and discipline
      3. Energy management
  7. Caveats
    1. Happiness
      1. Erosion
      2. Gratification
      3. Entitlement
      4. Challenges
    2. Character
      1. Uniqueness
      2. Average
      3. Hypocrisy
      4. Evil
    3. Action
      1. Distractions
      2. Whining
      3. Mindfulness
      4. Process
      5. Lost cause
      6. Excuses
    4. The dualities
      1. Change without progress
      2. Pain as meaning
    5. The Razor
      1. Usefulness
      2. Gratitude
  8. Epilogue

