"The Way" is a chronicle of Teacher Yi Ran's genuine life experiences, segmented into nine distinct parts.
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Part One: "Darkness"
Times of joy and sorrow, woes compounded,
Life's unpredictable, worldly affairs fickle.
From birth till forty, a journey at death's brink,
An indescribable odyssey of hardship.
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Part Two: "Ignite"
Silently buried for eons,
Emerging from the dust,
Even stone and sky startle,
At the heart's unfolding.
After decades of tossing, struggling, and crying in the cold night,
Dawn breaks just as hope wanes!
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Part Three: "People"
Filial piety, brotherly respect, loyalty, and trust,
Are the essence of being human.
From the self to the community, integrity inside out.
Once the mind and body are cleansed,
Suddenly one grasps how to be and what to do.
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Part Four: "Subdue"
Reversing heaven and earth, subduing others and self,
Pulling back at the cliff's edge, the crux of cultivation.
Understanding the truth calls for dedication in life's minutiae,
With scales and rulers in the heart, always aligning one's aim,
Mastering the self, conquering the inner being.
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Part Five: "Tempering"
True gold is fire-tested, revealing who hinders,
Steadfastness hammered, till all tarnish glitters.
Experiencing in life the upstream paddle, the ice-thin tread.
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Part Six: "Epiphany"
Life's unfathomable, living's jest,
Master one's heart, and the marvelous manifests.
A myriad of events befall a person's life,
Only through composure, tranquility, pragmatism, positivity, and brightness,
Can one adapt to adversities, transform the heart, oneself, and thus, life.
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Part Seven: "Savor"
The world's ever-changing, a mix of flavors,
Savored a thousand times, each taste elevates.
On the path of life, enduring insults without bending,
One can truly smile at life, facing it, living it, surpassing it,
Making the journey worthwhile!
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Part Eight: "Reflection"
Carefree and unattached, what counts in grandeur,
Transparent from start to end, blossoming bare.
Life, truly a battlefield, an exam, a stage, a trial ground,
Survive, stand, step forward, and congratulations,
You are reborn!
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Part Nine: "Nature"
Hunger met with food, thirst with drink, sleep taken seriously,
Today's tasks done today, tomorrow's seen at dawn,
Fair or foul weather, all's well that sits well with the heart,
Call it foolish, but the fool rejoices.
Work at sunrise, rest at sunset,
Hear the birdsong, smell the flowers, feel the clear, babbling brook,
Cherish the unique gifts of heaven, thankful for bygone yesterdays,
Hello, peace of mind,
Hello, leisure,
Hello, great nature!