Lot 65 of 100
Joy before your eyes is not yet real joy
The poem
眼前歡喜未為歡危不危兮安不安割肉成瘡因甚事不如守舊得安全
In English
Joy before your eyes is not yet real joy;is it danger or is it not, safety or is it not?Cutting your own flesh makes a sore; why do it?Better to keep to the old ways and be secure.
What it says
Joy in front of you may not be real joy, and whether things are safe or dangerous remains unclear. Cutting your own flesh to make a sore means making trouble for yourself. The poem suggests keeping to familiar ways and staying secure. It is a cautious, avoid-self-inflicted-trouble lot.
A thought to take with you
When unsure, stay with what is steady and avoid creating trouble for yourself.