Wandering along the slopes of Mount Tay, Confucius saw Yung-chi walking in a robe, belted with a rope, across a heather field, singing and playing the lute.
- What is the reason for your joy, Teacher? - asked Confucius.
- I have a lot of joys. Of the myriads of creatures, man is the noblest, and I had the good fortune to be born a man. This is my first joy. Many people, when born, do not live a day or a month, do not grow out of swaddling clothes, but I have already lived to be ninety years old. This is also joy. For everyone, poverty is the norm, and the end is death. Sticking to the norm and waiting for the end, what else is there to worry about?
“Wonderful,” said Confucius. “Here is a man who knows how to console himself.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru