No matter how deeply a person has walked the path of spiritual cultivation (修行), they are, in the end, still human.
And being human means carrying the six desires and seven emotions — craving the pleasures of sight and sound. Especially when the door closes behind them: how many people can truly hold firm against the pull of appetite and desire?
Just a week ago, I said there were more jaw-dropping events to come — prominent, celebrated names heading straight into a mudslide of scandal and ruined reputations. I just didn’t expect it to happen this fast. What follows may well arrive in quick succession.
But let’s bring it back to the real point: we must understand, all of us, that we are ordinary mortals.
We eat, sleep, laugh, cry, and rage — the full messy range of being human. So don’t put anyone on a pedestal of perfection, and don’t hold yourself to impossibly harsh standards either.
In this swirling mortal world, the standard is simple: don’t harm others, don’t take from others, don’t scheme against others. Do the work in front of you well.
Face your desires honestly. Resolve them with grace — without suppression, without excess.
That alone is a truly remarkable achievement. You and I are no different in this.
Don’t you think so?
I’ll borrow a couplet from an ancient monastery:
When Chan wisdom dawns, ten thousand thoughts fall still; Delighting in owning nothing, the body travels light.