Before reading the article, please click "Follow" to facilitate discussion and sharing, in order to repay your support, I will update the high-quality content daily.
Text/Editor/Dayu said Begonia
The fast pace of modern urban life has left more and more people feeling tired and eager to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in search of peace and happiness. One wonders why happiness seems to be decreasing despite the fact that living conditions are getting better.
The comfort of life has indeed improved, but at the same time, people seem to be burdened with more pressure and responsibility. As the pace of life continues to accelerate, personal time becomes scarce, and the same routine is filled every day, gradually losing the opportunity to pursue dreams and passions. Some people begin to feel as if life exists only to survive and no longer to pursue joy and happiness.
The root cause of this situation may be the increasing pressure and competition of modern society. While people are pursuing a better quality of life, they inevitably face more economic pressure, work pressure, and social expectations. They may be constantly working hard to maintain a high standard of living, but this also leads to a lack of time and excessive energy consumption. As a result, the pleasure and satisfaction in life gradually decrease, replaced by exhaustion and anxiety.
The rapid development of technology has also affected people's happiness to a certain extent. While technology has brought convenience and connectivity, it has also made people overly reliant on mobile phones, social media and the internet, weakening real social and intimate relationships. People may become trapped in the virtual world and neglect to socialize with family and friends, which further exacerbates feelings of loneliness and a decline in well-being.
There are even some people who feel that life has become frustrating for them under this pressure of life, and they are eager to escape, but lack the courage. They began to envy those who were not afraid to take risks and dared to pursue their dreams.
In this challenging and competitive modern society, a misanthropic mood has emerged, accompanied by skepticism and dissatisfaction with the traditional way of life. People begin to wonder if it is worth constantly fighting for material wealth and social status, and giving up the happiness and fulfillment that their hearts desire. This sentiment is not just an individual issue, but also reflects the transformation of society as a whole and the evolution of values.
It is in this context that a culture that has been hidden for a long time has regained interest and become the focus of discussion in contemporary society. This culture, with its emphasis on inner balance, spiritual abundance, and personal growth, stands in stark contrast to traditional utilitarianism and values for material success. People are beginning to rethink their purpose in life and pursue a deeper sense of happiness and fulfillment than just superficial success and wealth.
The revival of this culture has brought about a new way of life that emphasizes simplifying life, focusing on self-reflection, and finding inner peace. People are beginning to focus on mental health, physical health, and connection to nature, and these factors become the key to their regaining their sense of well-being. The influence of this culture gradually expanded, sparking more interest and participation, and became a symbol of a social movement.
The term "hidden culture" is a combination of the words "hidden" and "yi", where "hidden" means not seeking recognition, and "yi" means enjoying oneself. This cultural approach is in stark contrast to the hectic and competitive nature of modern society. Imagine, "picking chrysanthemums under the east fence, leisurely seeing Nanshan", this quiet and leisurely picture seems to immediately come to people's minds, which is completely different from the modern way of life.
It also takes a lot of courage to choose a secluded lifestyle. There is a person, known as the first hermit of Zhongnan Mountain, who lived in seclusion for 30 years, living the life of clear water cabbage, so that now even his relatives can't recognize him. This mysterious figure is Master Dan Hou. So, what is his life experience, and why did he choose Zhongnan Mountain as his retreat?
But Master Hou's life experience is full of legends. As a young man, he worked in the city, seeking material success and social recognition. Gradually, he began to feel the emptiness and impetuousness of life. He was skeptical of the values of modern society, believing that material pursuits did not lead to true happiness and fulfillment. So he made a very bold decision, put everything down, went to Zhongnan Mountain, and chose a secluded life in isolation.
But Master Hou's reclusive life is in stark contrast to some of the hermits seen on video platforms. He doesn't seek fame and fortune, nor does he flaunt his lifestyle on social media. On the contrary, he lived a simple and peaceful life, feeding on clear water cabbage, bathing in the embrace of nature, and relying on the mountains and rivers as companions. His life was full of contemplation and introspection, and he believed that true freedom and happiness came from inner peace and purification of the heart.
But Master Hou's choice provokes people to think and re-examine the values and lifestyles of modern society. His lifestyle may not be for everyone, but it reminds us that the pursuit of inner balance is just as important as contentment. Instead of blindly chasing material success, stopping and reflecting and looking for what we truly desire may bring us closer to inner happiness.
The hermit on Zhongnan Mountain, known as "Master Danhou", pursued an otherworldly path of cultivation. His lifestyle and beliefs make people wonder and admire. However, Master Hou is deeply trapped in the concept of "being one with the Tao", which is similar to Wang Chongyang, the patriarch of the Quanzhen Sect, and Li Xuemu during the Kangxi period. For him, Zhongnan Mountain is not only his home, but also a place for him to practice, a pure land that isolates him from the world and keeps him away from distractions. More than thirty years have passed, and his life has become completely cut off from the outside world, drinking only mountain spring water and eating the verdant cabbage he grows in the mountains, so that his relatives can barely recognize him. This lifestyle has sparked some criticism, with some arguing that he was only concerned with pursuing the hermit path and neglecting his relationship with his family. However, Master Hou firmly believes that only by abandoning the shackles of the world can we get close to the origin of the universe and find the true meaning of life.
However, the path of cultivation that Master Hou adheres to pursues a realm of emptiness and spirituality, transcendence from the world. He is a firm believer in the incarnation of yin and yang in the Taoist tradition, and pursues a pure body that is free and free. For most people, this practice is mystical and incomprehensible. After all, human beings are born with desires, and they have a desire for power, fame, and affection, but is Master Hou's lifestyle of abandoning human desires against the way of heaven?
As mentioned in the article, everyone who comes into this world is an individual with their own thoughts and desires. In a complex world, people can choose how they live according to their hearts. Some people seek power and wealth, jewelry and jade, some people aspire to be the focus of society, power and status, some people like to enjoy the warmth of family and friends, and some people seek soft and sweet love, hoping to experience the happiness of red sleeves. Each way of life has its own unique value and significance, and Master Hou's chosen way of practicing seclusion is also one of them.
But Master Hou was a practitioner who chose to walk with the freedom of the mind, and he believed deeply in the philosophy of Lao Tzu, and was also influenced by Zhuangzi's leisurely travel. This set his character apart and led him to Mount Junnan, a place he thought would help him deeply understand the origin of the Tao in Lao Tzu's thought. In Jungnan Mountain, he pursues the harmony between nature and the soul, and relies on nature every day to recuperate his body and mind. He wore plain clothes and often meditated without eating or drinking. This kind of meditation is called meditation in Taoism, and through meditation, one can contemplate the inner world and reach the state where all things are empty and all things are born.
There are different views in society about Master Danhou's ascetic practice. Some people think that this way of life is miserable, that he neglects his own happiness and brings the pain of parting to his family. They denounced this kind of behavior as a sign of unfilial piety, believing that it was an act that violated the common sense of the world. However, Master Hou has always believed that coarse tea and light rice can cleanse the body and mind, and meditation can breathe the qi of heaven and earth, so that you can feel a kind of happiness from the inside out with innocence that is not polluted by money, power, and fame. This pleasure is the pure pleasure that the hermits have been seeking, which keeps one free from the troubles of the world and maintains an original innocence.
In the practice of Zhongnan Mountain, Master Hou's life was definitely not comfortable, but he never felt that it was a kind of pain. On the contrary, he sees it as the inevitable path to detachment. Every morning when he got up, he first read Lao Tzu's classic "Tao Te Ching", whether it was in the morning mist or in the storm, he insisted on reciting it. At the turn of cold and summer, he walked leisurely on the winding path of Zhongnan Mountain, and every step seemed to be breaking away from the shackles of the world and truly moving towards detachment.
But Master Hou's way of life, although not well understood by the general public, for him it was a path to spiritual freedom and transcendence. Despite the chasm between him and his family, he firmly believes that only by pursuing detachment can he get closer to the origin of the universe and find true happiness and meaning. His story reminds us that each person's lifestyle and pursuits are unique, and that finding inner balance and fulfillment can take many ways, and that diversity enriches the beauty of the world.
In fact, for people who choose to be hermits in seclusion, what they most expect is to find peace and peace of mind, rather than craving too much attention and distraction from them. These hermits often pursue a spiritual experience that transcends the physical world, and they seek inner balance and spiritual fulfillment, a quest that often requires a distance from the hustle and bustle of society.
Secluds are often chosen as places of practice because they provide an environment away from the hustle and bustle of the city. These places are often closely connected to nature, with mountains, forests, lakes, and tranquil valleys as a backdrop for their practice. These hermits do not want to attract too much attention, believing that too much attention will distract them and prevent them from finding inner peace in silence.
They often call on people to respect their way of life and not disturb their practice. Their daily lives tend to be very modest, far from the luxuries and busyness of modern society. They may live on simple food, wear modest clothing, and focus on meditation, meditation, or other forms of spiritual practice. For them, this lifestyle is a way to pursue inner peace and a deep connection of the mind, rather than to attract outside attention or recognition.
Master Danhou on Zhongnan Mountain may be such a hermit who pursues inner peace. He chose to live a life of seclusion, living in isolation, not moved by fame and fortune, but focusing on spiritual practice. For him and other hermits, the tranquility and nature of the valley became a source of inspiration for them, helping them to pursue inner depth and peace. In their eyes, the value of this spiritual practice far outweighs the busyness and impetuosity of society, and the tranquility they seek is the ultimate goal of their spiritual path.