Kuan Yin painting by Artto Pan
Under a grapevine trellis, a woman pauses to enjoy the morning and do some bird watching. Her gown and the castle behind her might make people judge her as being born into money or having married into wealth. But neither is true; it has been her own hard work that has led her to this place. The discipline of continually adding to her skills and knowledge and then putting these to work has created self-sufficiency and financial independence. As Pele once said, "Success is no accident." The 56th Kuan Yin verse reads:
The beauty of moonbeams, the cool evening breeze,
the soft murmur of a stream refresh us.
But don't let yourself be distracted
by the charming flowers and trees.
There's nothing wrong with taking a relaxing break to rejuvenate one's mind and body. But this verse is a reminder that nothing stays in place, so we shouldn't convince ourselves that since we've climbed to the top we can just sit there. The more we have, the more we have to occupy ourselves by taking care of it. Perhaps the next step for this woman is needing less so she will have more time and energy to spend freely.
