Favorable and Unfavorable Circumstances
A man's life is a mixture of favorable and unfavorable factors. No one can avoid it. Therefore, a man has to understand these two opposite factors and treat them fairly to know better about human life, to live a healthy life, and accumulate strength for ultimate success. A Daoist divination book says: " Horses refuse to go further on a bridge blocked by a snow storm. The fisherman's boat is locked in violent wind and rain. It's too late to lament over fallen petals in a flowing stream. A man should go straight ahead without any hesitation toward his goal." In the first two sentences, the book suggests a story about Han Yu, who lived in the Tang dynasty.
After being appointed to the position of prime minister, he returned to his hometown in glory. On his birthday celebration, he was flattered by local officials. On this occasion, Han Xiangzi, his nephew, however, suggested to him to leave officialdom, which, he claimed, would bring forth disasters. In order to persuade his uncle, Han Xiangzi composed a poem, saying " roads are blocked by clouds and mountains, the horses hesitate to go further at the snow-blocked Lan pass".
At the peak of his career, Han Yu paid no attention to the implications of this poem. Years later, after he wrote a report to the emperor expressing his opposition to his favorable policy towards Buddhism, he was removed from his position, and expelled to Chaozhou, a remote prefecture in the south. Setting out from the imperial capital, he found no friends and colleagues to come to see him off. On his way to the south, he and his entourage were blocked by a terrible snow storm. His horses refused to go further on a bridge. There were no boats below to ride across the river. At this moment, Han Xiangzi, his nephew, appeared. Only now did Han Yu understand the implication of the poem written by his nephew. In the story, after this, Han Yu got a deeper understanding of human life, following his nephew in the pursuit of Dao. A man's life consists of ups and downs, of good luck and bad luck, of favorable and unfavorable factors.
Therefore, a man should be on high alert and modest in favorable circumstances, and keep a high spirit in unfavorable circumstances, fighting a way out through strengthening his will, accumulating good deeds, and doing hard work. Understanding the ups and downs in human life on a higher level will broaden one's horizons and bring more meaning to daily life.