Some people say: The world is in a hurry just for a few taels of silver.
When people reach middle age, it seems absurd to pursue the spiritual world.
Family, work, relationships, none of them can give up easily.
Trapped in the bits and pieces of life, but also yearning for a free life, such a contradictory heart is disturbing and confusing.
However, without the support of the spiritual world, it is easy to fall into the abyss once you encounter setbacks.
Maugham gave a multiple-choice question in his book: "The material satisfaction of sixpence, the spiritual abundance of the moon, what do you want?" ”
Everyone's time and energy are limited, and when we spend too much energy on the cognition that we have to live like this, we will forget to pay attention to our own spiritual world.
More often than not, what I ignore is not life itself, but the lack of courage to break through myself.
Material abundance does not mean spiritual abundance
Strickland, the protagonist of "The Moon and Sixpence", was an account manager at a securities company before he was 40 years old, and he went in and out of high-end drinking parties every day, living a drunken life.
At the age of 40, he suddenly issued a cry for freedom and pursued his dream of painting without hesitation.
Strickland's family is happy, with both children and daughters, and his wife is shrewd and capable, keeping the house in order.
But Strickland was not happy, he hated his wife's vanity of love, he did not like flattery, and he would rather be misunderstood as a complete villain and must flee.
Strickland loved to draw, but as a child, his father felt that he was not doing his job, which forced him to give up his hobby.
After starting a family, Strickland told his wife that he was going to socialize, and at the same time secretly went to learn to paint, and perhaps only then could his soul be freed.
Strickland's love of painting is like being possessed by the devil.
Finally, one day, Crane runs away desperately and flees to Paris to fulfill a dream that has not been realized since childhood.
He left all his wealth to his wife and went alone.
When he arrived in Paris, Strickland lived in a small space, filled with a bed, a table, two stools, and a wardrobe, all of Strickland's belongings.
Strickland was often hungry and had to do odd jobs to make ends meet.
This kind of life is very different from his life in England, but he enjoys it, as if this is the day he really enjoys.
There is a saying: "Some things are not insisted on when you see hope, but you can see hope when you persevere." ”
The "I" in the book once questioned Strickland: Is it too late to start learning to draw at the age of 40, and what if the desired results are not achieved?
Strickland's answer was: "Since it's been abandoned for 40 years, it's really too late to start again, I have to paint, I can't help myself."
If a person falls into the water, it doesn't matter if he swims well or not, anyway he has to struggle, or he has to drown. ”
And this kind of involuntary self-help may stem from the driving force at the bottom of his heart, which pushes him to keep moving forward and exploring.
When Strickland had a quest for the spiritual world, his heart became more fulfilled and satisfied, and painting became a real treasure in his life.
Spiritual abundance comes from inner abundance
Strickland, the protagonist of the book, ends up staying in Tahiti.
When Strickland saw the ringing island, it was love at first sight.
The blue skies, the lush greenery of the trees, and the fragrant air all make Strickland feel more loved than ever.
Here he doesn't need to care about anything in the outside world, just concentrate on painting;
He doesn't care how much he can sell, he just unleashes his creative desire to make all the good things in the world.
When he meets Aita, a kind and simple girl, Strickland becomes his true self completely.
He doesn't need to make money, he doesn't need to take care of household chores, and he doesn't need to deal with all kinds of disputes.
Aita will take care of everything for him, and more importantly, Aita will be able to fully embrace his bizarre ideas.
On his deathbed, Strickland asks Aita to burn the writings he has written on the walls, because for him he has achieved self-worth, which does not need to be judged by the outside world.
After Strickland's death, his paintings were appreciated and became famous.
This may have been expected when he asked Aita to burn the murals, but all he wanted was to be his true self and nothing else.
If the body is the shelter, then the soul is the real habitat.
Just like Captain Brunot, who lives on another island in the novel, when there is a debt crisis, he resolutely gives up his life in the city, takes on debts, and buys a deserted island with his wife and children.
On this small island, he trimmed houses, cleared shrubs, and planted trees with his own hands.
After more than 20 years of diligent management, this deserted island has finally been transformed into a green garden.
When Captain Brunot told me his story, he asked:
"Am I considered an artist in my own way of life?"
He felt the same irrepressible longing in his life as Strickland.
He may not have those grand dreams and ambitions, but for him, labor itself is the most meaningful thing.
Captain Brunot's love of life made him feel that he was a happy man.
The life of sunrise and sunset may not be as lofty as piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, but this is not a kind of spiritual nourishment.
Courage is the best way to boost spiritual enrichment
In the eyes of others, a man's run away from home must be because he has a new favorite, even his wife thinks so, and even believes that Strickland will come back when he gets tired of playing.
But what they couldn't believe was that Strickland could do anything for an illusory dream.
"For the sake of enthusiasm and ideals, I am not afraid of being called a madman, a fool or even a negative person by others."
This sentence is the truest portrayal of Strickland's heart.
Coincidentally, the author tells the story of Abraham, a Jewish doctor.
Abraham grew up bright and relied on a scholarship to become an excellent surgeon.
Just before Abraham was about to be promoted, he wanted to relax and stepped aboard an irregular cargo ship bound for the Mediterranean.
To earn money for his journey, he became a doctor on the ship.
A few days later, Abraham decided to stay in Alexandria, Egypt, and the flying pigeon passed his resignation.
At this time, all kinds of unbelievable rumors spread in the hospital, and his rival Karl Mikael also took the opportunity to take the position.
Ten years later, Abraham was ragged and fat.
When "I" met him, he was working as a quarantine officer in a hospital, married locals, had children, and started a small family.
In contrast, the official of Karl Mikaelga, who replaced him, has an annual income of 10,000 pounds, and has become a successful person in the eyes of the world.
Even Karl Mikael did not understand Abraham's situation, saying that his talent had been wasted.
But Abraham never regretted his choice.
What others think doesn't matter to him, it's not himself who makes the choice, but a force in his body that is far greater than his own will.
There is a scene in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" about the protagonist Andy being punished and confined for playing "The Marriage of Figaro" in prison.
But what is surprising is that in the eyes of outsiders, Andy not only did not become decadent but refreshed.
He said that Mozart's music has always been in his ears, and this is a treasure that cannot be snatched away.
Andy was in a cage, but he never bowed to fate.
When he faced a difficult situation, he chose to use music as a weapon to resist despair and enrich his spiritual world.
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The writer Leo Tolstoy once said, "Man's mental strength is more vital than his physical strength." ”
Material scarcity, all that is lacking is comfort; But the spirit is barren, and life will eventually be bleak.
In life, we often hover between sixpence and the moon, and it is better to find a balance between the two.
Occasionally empty, to nourish the soul, so that countless seemingly ordinary days to live more exciting.
Author | Shiman Jinse