Thoughts for the New Year Resolution

This poem was the last one written by Su Shi, 苏轼 – It is a reflection of life.

庐山烟雨浙江潮， 未至千般恨不消。 到得还来别无事， 庐山烟雨浙江潮。

Translation by ChatGPT:

The misty rains of Mount Lu, the tides of the Zhe River;
Before seeing them, a thousand regrets cannot fade.
Once arrived, there is nothing more to say—
The misty rains of Mount Lu, the tides of the Zhe River.

(An alternative, slightly freer rendering:)

Mount Lu’s mist and rain, the Zhe River’s surging tide—
Unseen, they leave the heart full of longing.
Seen at last, there is nothing extraordinary to add:
Mount Lu’s mist and rain, the Zhe River’s surging tide.

Core Implication

What we long for from afar often feels profound and life-changing.
Yet when we finally reach it, we discover it is simply what it is—no more, no less.

Wisdom lies in the journey, not the object

The poem does not mock the journey—it redeems it.
What matters is:

• The seeking
• The experience
• The transformation of perception

After clarity, you can revisit the same scene—but now without craving.

Practical Takeaway

• Do not over-romanticize future success.
• Walk toward goals, but travel lightly—without believing they will “complete” you.
• When something finally arrives, receive it calmly.
• True peace comes from clear seeing, not possession.

In short:

Longing binds us; understanding frees us.

Life Lessons 

1. Rethinking ideals: desire creates illusion; understanding brings freedom
The success, love, and life states we long for often appear, before they are attained, as answers to all our problems. Thus, even before arriving, the heart accumulates “a thousand regrets.” Yet when we finally reach them, life does not end or become complete—life simply continues. Ideals themselves are not false; what binds us is the belief that fulfillment comes automatically with attainment. Once this illusion dissolves, freedom begins.

2. Achievement is not the same as fulfillment: clarity allows letting go
“When one arrives, there is nothing special.” This line expresses not disappointment, but awakening. Many of life’s goals—status, wealth, recognition—seem extraordinary from afar, yet return to ordinariness once reached. This does not negate the value of striving; it reminds us that satisfaction does not arise from possession, but from seeing things as they truly are. True insight often brings an end to compulsive pursuit.

3. Living in the present: meaning unfolds through the journey
The landscape never promised miracles, yet the act of witnessing it firsthand already fulfills a vital dimension of life. What matters is not the final “truth” at the destination, but the inner growth that occurs through expectation, confusion, and understanding along the way. Only when we are no longer pulled by the future can we fully encounter reality in the present.

4. The ordinary as ultimate truth: the highest wisdom returns the extraordinary to the everyday
The poem’s identical opening and closing lines reveal a cycle of awakening: at last, mountains are mountains and waters are waters again. The deepest realization is not the discovery of something astonishing, but the recognition that when attachment fades, wonder resides quietly within the ordinary. True wisdom is to dwell peacefully in simplicity and to move forward with clarity.

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One-sentence takeaway

Life’s unrest comes from imagined meaning before seeing; 
life’s peace comes from calm acceptance after understanding.