Do Not Suffer Yourself for Goals

Xuefeng

Living for goals leads to a life of sorrow, misfortune, anxiety, dullness, and mistakes.

Life is a journey where the process is more important than the goal. When we look back, what stands out on the screen of our memories are the details of life, not the results or targets.

Childhood memories of playing by the river, catching squirrels in the hills, carrying a school bag, kicking shuttlecocks, playing ball with friends, receiving praise from teachers, hearing mother’s approval, listening to father’s humming tunes, teasing classmates, walking with friends, the excitement of writing love letters, playing cards with colleagues, drinking with neighbors, staying up all night playing mahjong with friends, arguing over chess with brothers, discussing profound topics with like-minded individuals, the first kiss and making love with a lover, sharing feelings with online friends, driving on a leisurely trip with family—all of these details create a rich and colorful life. Neglecting these details means missing out on happiness and joy.

Sadly, the vast majority of people live for goals and results, ignoring the flavors of life in the present. I know a couple who run a business abroad and have amassed at least a million in assets. Yet, their rented home is sparsely furnished with just a bed, a TV, two simple stools, a table, a car, and basic kitchenware. When I asked why, they said they live abroad to make money and plan to enjoy life back home once they’ve saved three million. After three years, they still live this way, unsure if they will ever enjoy life when their goal is achieved. Their current suffering is for an elusive future. Two project managers from a large construction company live in extreme poverty, saving every penny for their children's education. Tragically, just a week before returning to their country, they died in a car accident. Such a tragedy!

Upon careful analysis, we find that people live for goals and results: the birth of a child, school, diplomas, buying a house, a car, marriage, health, accumulating wealth, achieving higher positions, or securing a grave for the afterlife. Some achieve their goals, while others fall short. It’s not worth it.

If ordinary people ignore the process of life due to ignorance, what about those in the realm of spiritual practice?

It’s even worse!

Christians have been waiting for Jesus to return for nearly two thousand years. Buddhists have awaited the end times for over two thousand years. Their brief lives are consumed by this waiting. Marxists anticipate the arrival of communism, and the Chinese people born in the 1970s have been waiting for the “modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense, and science and technology by the end of the century.” Today, many may be waiting for a moderately prosperous life, a prosperous life, and a comfortable old age.

Practitioners also wait. They give up the rich and colorful life of the present for the promise of becoming celestial beings or Buddhas. They are impatient, obsessively seeking Tao and high-level teachers. They are so fixated and stubborn, completely forgetting the meaning of life and neglecting the joy of practice. They become neither fully human nor ghostly, which is truly tragic.

In recent years, I’ve also observed those involved in democratic movements. To achieve their self-made goals, they sacrifice their families, causing worry to their parents, and lose their youth by going in and out of prison. They even turn against friends, hurling insults at each other, and ultimately, they bury their beautiful lives in pursuit of an illusory goal. Are they wise or foolish?

Living for goals is fine, but the problem is that people who live for their goals often cause others pain. To achieve their goals, they may resort to any means—abuse their children, oppress the weak, lie, deceive, betray, scheme, and lose their sanity. Why suffer so much?

My philosophy is “Do not suffer yourself for goals.” Be happy when you can, indulge in joy for even a moment, focus on beautiful things, and don’t overly worry about the future. Don’t frown over goals and results. Live in the present, understanding that the Earth will keep turning and others will keep living even if you’re gone. “The horse will keep running, the dance will keep going”—live lightly and happily.

Many people see themselves as grand, as if they carry a great mission, as if they are saviors. But this is self-delusion and unnecessary self-torment. “Life is but a dream, all changing things are as transient as fleeting clouds; to feel and experience life fully leaves one with no regrets.” Don’t mistake a game for reality.

I don’t oppose setting life goals. A life without goals is an illusory life, an empty life, a boring life, and a lonely life. However, goals should serve life, not turn life into servitude. Living for goals is pitiable!

As the founder of Lifechanyuan, my goal is to create the Lifechanyuan era. I find it quite enjoyable, spending each day with Chanyuan celestials, talking about love and affection, and having fun. Whether or not this era is realized, I’m not concerned. Whether it is created or not, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as there is joy, I immerse myself in it. I care about the details and the process, not the goals and results.