We often lament the unpredictability of fate, yet human life is fundamentally woven together by a succession of thoughts. A single virtuous thought can bring heaven; a single wicked thought can bring hell. Some might say: “Isn’t that too absolute? Can a thought really hold such power?”
This is the author’s genuine insight, honed through over years of life’s practice. In truth, happiness or misfortune often hinges less on what happens to us and more on the thoughts we entertain in the moment. The secret lies in nine simple words: Change your thoughts, change your fortune, change your destiny.
The heaviest stones in our hearts are often the ones we place there ourselves. In daily life, if you observe your relationships closely, you’ll notice that the pain we feel rarely comes from monumental events, but from the small, sand-like trivialities we carry with us. For instance, you might find yourself murmuring: “Why is he so warm to others but so cold to me?” or looking at photos of friends gathering and thinking: “Why wasn’t I invited?” Perhaps you carefully select a gift, only for it to go unacknowledged — not even a simple thank you.
These seemingly insignificant moments are like tiny specks of dust. Left unchecked, they accumulate in your heart, forming a lump in your throat that keeps you from moving forward. Over time, you might begin to believe that no one around you is decent, compiling mental “evidence” against them. These negative emotions gradually coalesce into an invisible boulder that crushes you, leaving you breathless and utterly drained. Yet it’s easy to mistake this weight for the inevitable weariness of aging.
At such times, we often feel that the world owes us an apology. But pause and reflect — is there truly no solution? Of course there is. You are the one who fastened the chain, and only you can unfasten it. When you recognize that your own thoughts and perceptions are the source of your burden, the only remedy is to shift your mindset. This requires mastering a vital skill: facing conflicts and challenges by examining your own role, rather than seeing yourself as the victim and others as the perpetrators.
The wisdom of Zhuangzi: Emptiness lies in avoiding collision
Often, it’s not the events themselves that harm us, but our perspectives on them. The Taoist classic Zhuangzi contains a famous parable of the “empty boat.”
One misty morning, a man was rowing his boat upstream. Suddenly, he spotted a small boat hurtling downstream straight toward him. As it neared, he shouted: “Watch out! Can’t you see where you’re going?” But the boat made no effort to avoid him. With a loud crash, it collided with him head-on, nearly capsizing his vessel. The man flew into a rage, hurling curses at the boat and wishing he could curse every ancestor of whoever might be aboard.
Then, as he looked more closely, he realized the vessel was empty — no one was on it. Its ropes had simply come loose, sending it drifting downstream. In that instant, his fury vanished like mist dissipating under the morning sun. Moments before, his face had flushed crimson with rage; now he found himself amused. The lesson is clear: if someone had been on the boat, we’d assume malicious intent and feel resentment. But when no one is there, there’s no target for our anger — and it simply fades away.
In daily life, the “person who doesn’t reply to your messages,” the “one who didn’t invite you to the gathering,” or the “one who treats you badly” — often, they aren’t deliberately targeting you at all. If we can refrain from assuming others’ ill intent and stop placing “I” at the center of every situation, anger rarely arises. Shift your perspective: whether the world changes matters little, but when your mindset shifts, your world expands.
One thought leads to heaven, another to hell: The extraordinary encounter of Chancellor Yuan Zishi
If the Zhuangzi teaches that shifting one’s mindset can dispel distress, a story recorded in the Taoist classic The Treatise on Response and Retribution shows that changing one’s thoughts can truly influence life, death, misfortune, and fortune.
In ancient times, there lived a scholar named Yuan Zishi, who experienced an incident that filled him with profound resentment. A man surnamed Miao had borrowed money from Yuan Zishi during his years of hardship. Now prosperous, the Miao family became ungrateful and refused to repay the debt, leaving Yuan Zishi’s family unable to afford even a single pot of food on New Year’s Eve.
Rage consumed him. At four o’clock on New Year’s morning, he sharpened a knife, tucked it into his robe, and stormed toward the Miao residence, intent on killing the ungrateful man. On his way, he passed a nunnery. Its master, Master Xuanyuan, a reclusive sage of profound cultivation, was rising early to chant sutras. To his astonishment, he saw Yuan Zishi accompanied by hundreds of fierce, demonic spirits — green-faced, fanged, wielding blades and axes, radiating murderous intent.
But before long, Yuan Zishi turned back along the same path. Master Xuanyuan was stunned: all the demonic figures had vanished. In their place stood deities crowned in gold and adorned with jade pendants, surrounded by incense, flowers, banners, and streamers, enveloped in auspicious clouds and radiating joy. Intrigued, Master Xuanyuan invited Yuan Zishi inside to ask for an explanation.
Yuan Zishi spoke honestly: “I had intended to kill that scoundrel surnamed Miao. But upon reaching his doorstep, I suddenly reconsidered. Though Miao is despicable, he has a wife and children — innocents — and an elderly mother still living with him. If I killed him, I would destroy the livelihood of his entire family and leave his elderly mother without anyone to care for her.”
He sighed and added: “My heart could not bear it. I realized that our family’s poverty might simply be our fate. I could grit my teeth and endure it — why create the karma of killing? So I changed my mind, put down my knife, and returned.” Hearing this, Master Xuanyuan sighed with admiration and said: “That is exactly right! When you went out earlier, a murderous aura followed you like a shadow, but when you returned, auspicious spirits accompanied you. The gods have already witnessed your moment of kindness. Your misfortune has been averted, and you will surely attain great fortune in the future!”
Moved by these words, Yuan Zishi became even more determined to do good. True to this path, he later passed the imperial examinations and eventually rose to become prime minister.
Fortune follows thought
Yuan Zishi’s story is profoundly enlightening: good and evil often hinge on a single thought, and misfortune and blessing can diverge in an instant. He did not change the fact that he was owed money, but by letting go of the thought of revenge, the trajectory of his destiny shifted — from a would-be murderer to a renowned chancellor.
Life, in essence, is a journey of cultivating the mind. The next time you encounter a petty grievance that weighs on your heart, or face unfair treatment that creates resentment, remember: do not let that stone crush you. One thought of anger can open a million doors to obstacles; one thought of compassion can gather ten thousand blessings.
Translated by Eva and edited by Tatiana Denning
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