Karmic Obstructions Are a Misfortune: Practice Self-Compassion—A Low Day Is a Hard Day

Karmic Obstructions Are a Misfortune: A Day in a Low State = A Painful Day = A Hard Day

For more than ten years, whenever I had a day in a low state, doing nothing but wearing myself down internally, feeling miserable, and procrastinating, I would attack myself: I’m so useless; I’ve wasted another day. But who wouldn’t want to spend a day feeling sunny, happy, and cheerful? Isn’t it all because of the helplessness and torment of karmic obstructions brought about by the historical process of private ownership?

A day in a high state is, of course, something to be happy about, full of positive feedback and joy. How could that be called a hard day? A day in a low state is what’s truly hard.

I used to think, oh no, I’ve been so listless today and haven’t done anything. I’d better skip exercising and hurry up and get something done while there’s still time. Now I think, oh, it really has been a hard day. Let me have some fun and give myself a treat.

Often, as people get older and look back on their helpless selves during a low period, they don’t blame themselves, saying: Why were you in a low state every day back then? Why didn’t you work hard every day, stay in a high state, and get into Tsinghua or Peking University, or grind away at IELTS prep and LeetCode problems so you could immigrate to Canada? Instead, they say: I really had it tough back then, struggling through day after day.

My future self, in a better state and with more energy, will also look back on who I am now and say: It really was a hard day.