All Things But None

In this world, there are those who succeed easily in their careers, and there are others who are good at nothing. Just as some who excel academically and become renowned scholars, others spend their lives getting nowhere in their undertakings. Farmers who harvest a bumper crop are successful in their cultivation, and workers who achieve high production are also successful at their jobs. In today’s democratic elections, winning the election means success, and losing means failure. In the past, many people successfully built their enterprises, but some could only help others to succeed. As the saying goes, “The success of a general in the battlefield is based on the bones of thousands.” Success is therefore often based on the strength of many.

Some find it hard to succeed in anything they do and fail easily in whatever they attempt. This may be ascribed to poor timing as well as to having insufficient causes and conditions. Then, there are those who appear to be successful but are actually failures, and others who seem to have failed but can be considered a success overall. There are many causes in history in which unscrupulous rulers succeeded in taking control of a country, only to be deemed failures in the history books. There were others who lost power or even became captives of their enemies, yet they were lauded for their integrity. Genghis Khan was a fierce conqueror and succeeded in his conquests of many countries, but his ruthlessness only earned him the fear of his subjects. Former President Richard Nixon was successful in enhancing the international status of America through his foreign policies, but the Watergate scandal brought him great infamy in history.

The line between success and failure is indeed very fine. Those who succeed may breed arrogance, and those who are arrogant are doomed to fail. But those who fail yet do not cease in their efforts are the ones who reap the final fruit of success. In this world, we may fail in our finances, our careers, or in love, but if we succeed as a human, then we are successful in life.

The definition of success is not based on social status, material wealth, academic achievement, or physical attributes. Rather, it is judged on the scales of conscience and moral values. Some give up their lives for a righteous cause. Do you regard them as failures? Others own billions of dollars in personal assets, but are despised by everyone. Do you consider them to be successful? Therefore, success and failure are not absolute, for the most important standard lies in whether or not conscience and moral judgment exist within us.

Text: Venerable Master Hsing Yun