The Gas Station of Life

Xuefeng

Oct 26, 2018

On the path of life, everyone will sometimes face weakness, discouragement, fatigue, exhaustion, lack of energy, and may even feel that they are useless, and wish to end their life journey. At this time, they need to go to the gas station of life to cheer themselves up.

In December 2016, with three local aboriginals as guides, I went to Santo Island in Vanuatu to find a source of water. We were walking in the virgin forest off the beaten path. Each of the three aboriginals had a machete and cut through the thorns to open the way, Foyi and I followed. When the hill was very steep, we trudged on hand in hand. After six hours of walking like this, my mouth was dry, my legs were weak, and I felt that I couldn’t make it back to the station. At that moment, one of the aboriginal people cut a wild sugarcane, peeled it with a machete and handed me half of it. I took a bite and chewed it. When I had finished eating half of the wild sugarcane, I suddenly felt completely refreshed, my steps become light and I was full of confidence again, and we easily returned to the station.

Half of the wild sugarcane was the fuel from the gas station of life.

In October 2018, I drove from Lac La Hache in British Columbia to Vancouver. After driving for a hundred kilometers, I felt drowsy. Although I realized it was dangerous to drive in this state, I kept on driving for more than 100 kilometers. I finally stopped at a gas station in a small town at the boundary of Highway No. 97 and No. 1 and had a cup of hot coffee. About 10 minutes later, I was in a good state of mind and my drowsiness disappeared completely. It felt good to drive and I drove more than two hundred kilometers to Vancouver at one go, and then drove around the city for nearly three hours, in good spirits.

That cup of hot coffee is the fuel you add from the gas station of life.

There are three kinds of fuel in the gas station of life: material, spiritual, and soul fuel. If you are physically weak, you need to add material fuel; if your brain is weak, you need to add spiritual fuel; if you are mentally weak, you need to add soul fuel.

Material fuel can be half of a wild sugarcane, a cup of coffee, a bowl of hot soup, a few pieces of chocolate, a newly purchased pair of shoes, a hot bath, etc.

Spiritual fuel can be meeting with a good friend, a reunion of long-lost family members, a gathering of friends, a warm call, a word of encouragement and praise, a message of concern, etc.

The fuel of the soul can be admiring a beautiful landscape, visiting a master whom you respect very much in your heart, reading and comprehending the teachings of Jesus or Shakyamuni or Laozi or other gods, buddhas and celestials, making beautiful and fulfilling love, and so on.

The way of life is full of ups and downs, and no one can avoid encountering difficulties at certain moments and even wanting to commit suicide. At this time, stop walking for a while, calm down, and see if you can find a gas station of life to refuel, even just refueling a little bit can keep you going for a while until you get to the next stop.

On the path of life, everyone will encounter difficulties that they can’t overcome. Sometimes it can be hard for you to work them out. At this time, go and refuel in the gas station of life! If necessary, ask others to cheer you up. Some of the difficulties that seems great to you are just a matter of slight effort in the eyes of others. A little help from others will clear the haze of your sky instantly, and your life will be full of light again.

When you are exhausted, haggard, your hope is shattered, and lack confidence, don't despair, go to the gas station of life and refuel! The gas at the gas station of life is not expensive, it is nothing more than half a wild sugarcane, a cup of coffee, a word, or a love affair.

May your gas station of life have enough fuel to ensure that you drive the car of life to heaven.