Chance for Self-Transformation from Talks of Vegetable Roots 念頭起處

Years ago, I read a book about Mother Teresa called "Come Be My Light—The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta." Her spirit and wisdom really touched me. One thing she wrote that stuck with me was something like: "I don't need very much. I can go on for a very long time with very little."

I feel the same way about the wisdom in "Talks of Vegetable Roots, Caigentan, 菜根譚." Just one verse from this book can help me stay on my spiritual path for a long time.

One verse in particular is very wise. It reminds us that every thought is a chance to change and grow—a potential turning point in our lives! So, we must not brush off these moments; they really matter for our journey, and we need to take them seriously.

Thoughts are like bubbles. Their existence is short. Eastern philosophy teaches us to use their short existence as opportunities to look into our minds. This verse reiterates this teaching in a beautiful way. Photo by Alexas Fotos from Pexels

念頭起處，

才覺向欲路上去，

便挽從理路上來。

一起便覺，

一覺便轉，

此是轉禍為福，

起死回生的關頭，

切莫輕易放過。

When a thought enters your mind,

and you see it goes towards the path of desire,

bring it back to the path of wisdom.

Each time you have a thought, pay attention to it.

Once you notice it, you can change it.

This is when you can turn a bad situation into a good one.

This is the key moment for you to save yourself.

So, you must not take this chance lightly.

The last part of this verse highlights the importance of the present moment. Thinking about how this moment can either help us or hold us back is wild. I think to myself - can I truly feel the weight of this moment? It makes me think of a line from Book of Poetry: "Be careful and aware, as if walking along a cliff or treading on thin ice."  By pausing to reflect and shifting our thoughts, we can create a better future. So, why would we ever take such a big moment for granted?