Once upon a time there was a man of high moral character who behaved in a noble manner, who was kind to others, who was kind and loving. He pays attention to detail in everything he does and hardly makes any mistakes. At the same time, he feared the gods and had humility and respect for all faiths. He himself became a "model textbook" for the villagers, and everyone thought he was a "saint".
In the blink of an eye, the "saint" reached the age of 80, his physical strength gradually deteriorated, and his body became weak. He knew that he was not far from the time of his death, so he called all the family members to the bed to explain the aftermath.
Hearing that the "saint" was critically ill, neighbors from near and far came to visit, and adults and children crowded his house and yard. Seeing so many people come to "send off" for himself, the "saint" not only did not feel relieved, but instead began to cry.
Everyone thought he was afraid of death.
The son comforted him and said, "Father, don't be too upset. You are the most respected person for everyone, and you will always be our honor. We will follow your instructions and strive to be the best people. ”
But the old man said, "It is precisely because of what you said that I cried." I have lived in rules and regulations all my life, lest I do one thing wrong, lest there be a sentence that violates the teachings of the sages. But when I ask myself if you've really lived, I can only answer: No. That's why I cried. I lived my whole life in a mask and didn't know who I was. ”
After saying this, the old man died with full of regrets.
Modern society often gives the illusion that only "perfect" people can be happy. In order to pretend to be perfect, our bodies, spirits, and minds all bear heavy pressure, so much so that we lose a lot in the pursuit of perfection.
I've met many people who are plagued by illness, insomnia, depression, and relationship problems who seem "perfect" on the surface – never throwing tantrums at others, never doing anything selfish, and even praying for others. Some of them have cancer, but they don't know why, and can only complain about the injustice of heaven.
In fact, these people are not without anger, selfishness and desire, but these things are too repressed, hidden too deep in their subconscious, and the education they receive from childhood requires them to put others before themselves and give selflessly, because "this is what a perfect person should do." As a result, while striving to be "perfect people", they gradually lose their complete selves and eventually end up with regret