Deep Commentary

Sadness is a psychological state no one escapes, except enlightened beings. There are many causes for sadness. Sometimes we are sad without knowing why. Sorrow is a common worldly affliction. Some sadness is caused by external factors when things do not go our way. Extreme sorrow can supposedly turn one's hair white overnight. Sadness is a dangerous toxin that silently destroys us. Some people fall incurably ill from excessive grief. A life burdened by constant sorrow is like a barren wasteland! If we learn to cast aside our burdens of worry, life becomes incredibly joyful and beautiful. By letting go of anxieties, the flowers and fruits of equanimity will blossom. We often feel sad because we attach too much importance to the ego. The more we inflate the ego, the higher our pride. How can someone harboring immense pride live a joyful life? Some complain about their current situation and seek another, hoping for happiness. But upon arriving, they remain dissatisfied. They complain constantly, always believing the grass is greener elsewhere. Why this restless mindset? Simply because their minds are heavy with sorrow, filled with deeply ingrained psychological knots of attachment. Thus, they lack openness, remaining overly complicated and clingy, dissatisfied in every interaction. People may call them difficult, but 'nature' is just an illusion formed by habitual conditioning. Joy and sorrow are fabricated psychological states, cycling endlessly. However, because they are illusory, we have the power to transform them or stop them from operating. To do so effectively requires wisdom. By lighting the torch of mindfulness and shining it directly on these emotions, they dissolve. This is our inherent right, yet few know how to reclaim it. Thus, the fault of sadness or joy lies not in the environment, but in one's own mind. As a profound saying goes, 'When a person is sad, no scenery is ever joyful.' Indeed, with a sorrowful heart, even a grand banquet brings no joy! Verse 17 clearly shows the state of an evil-doer. Having committed evil, they can find no joy anywhere. Even if a murderer evades the law, they cannot find the peace they had before the crime. Even if they fled to heaven, they could not be happy. Thus, to find joy, we simply need to refrain from evil; true joy is already within us. Verse 18 presents the exact opposite. One who cultivates wholesome deeds is guaranteed a joyful life, rejoicing in themselves and others. Joy fills their heart wherever they go. In any circumstance, if we strive to do good, our minds will be free from anxiety and sorrow. Only the doer of good truly feels this deep peace. Joy and sorrow exist nowhere but in our own minds; we create them all. A joyful life is a holy life. Conversely, living in misery and constant gloom is a living hell, yet death is not an easy escape, as karmic debts remain unpaid. It is said that those who commit heinous crimes live in hell even while on earth. Therefore, everyone should create a harmonious and joyful life for themselves by continually cultivating wholesome karma, ensuring peace not only in this life but in the lives to come.