August 27th

Youth

You've left home too soon:
Dunks frighten you, profligates paw you.
What good is a hermit's jewel?


Young people need compassion and guidance, not obscure mysticism. Here are some guidelines for young people :

Remember that you are always your own person. Do not surrender your mind, heart, or body to any person. Never compromise your dignity for any reason.
Maintain your health with sound diet, hygiene, exercise, and clean living. Don't engage in drugs or drinking.
Money is never more important than your body and mind, but you must work and support yourself. Never depend on others for your livelihood.
Choose your friends and living situation carefully, for they will influence you. Find a mentor you can trust, one who can answer your every question, but never give up responsibility for your own life. No one lives your life for you.
A good education is always an asset.
Emotions are transitory and are not a good way to make decisions.
Every day, you must make decisions. Everything you do will have irrevocable effects upon your life. Before you go down any path, consider carefully. Rivers very rarely reverse course.
Know evil, but do not do evil yourself. Remember, there is a way out of the delusions of life. When you weary of the world, find someone who will show you Tao.


Personal Interpretation

Obscure mysticism is not helpful to youth, who require more direction in life. Guidance is essential in the early years of our lives. We must find someone who will teach us to value ourselves and our resources but to simultaneously look beyond them. We must find someone who can help us to recognize that our emotions and indeed, our life situations are transitory (as are all things). We should contemplate a path before we begin to walk it, and we should seek education and enlightenment at every turn. We must work to maintain our dignity, and that will sometimes be incredibly difficult. We must seek to know ourselves. A good mentor has walked the world, has traversed youth, can give insightful advice and also step back and let their charges make their own decisions.