Xuanpin

The handsome young man asked Yangzi, What do you think of people who love life and look after themselves and want to live forever?

Thinking you won't die is irrational.

What if they just want to live for as long as possible?

Clinging to life is irrational.

Loving life won't help you survive. Taking care of yourself doesn't mean you're healthy.

And why cling to life? The five senses turn from pleasure to pain, the four limbs from fit to infirm, a life's work from joy to sorrow. Out of touch with changing times, you've heard it before, seen it before, done it before. After a hundred years, you'll be sick and tired. Why prolong such sorrow?

The young man replied, When you put it like that, dying young is better than getting old, so I might as well just take my knife and slit my own throat, fall into the fire and be done with it.

Yangzi replied, That's not what I'm saying. You're alive, so surrender to life and embrace it. Want what it gives you so you're resigned to death. You're going to die, so surrender to death and embrace it. Go where it takes you so you're relieved of your cares. There's nothing that doesn't give in, nothing that doesn't hold on. Why hurry or delay the comforting call?