People have seven emotions and six desires. If it were so easy to see through them, then everyone would be a saint.
But the "Forging Spirit Chapter" is not meant to eliminate these desires. If desires could be eliminated, wouldn’t people become emotionless stones?
That is not the purpose of the "Forging Spirit Chapter."
The "Forging Spirit Chapter" enables people to transcend desires. People can have desires but should not be indulged by them, nor should they be driven by them. Instead, they should treat these desires with a calm mind.
To use a simple and crude metaphor: it’s like a lecherous person facing a tempting beautiful woman, yet managing to restrain their lust. They cannot eliminate the desire but will not act irrationally or be controlled by their lower body.
Being a rational lecher? Reaching a balance with desires?
In the practice room until the afternoon, Chen Yan did not immediately rush to practice the "Forging Spirit Chapter," but rather read and contemplated.
In the afternoon, he walked out of the practice room, only to find that Gu Qingyi had not yet returned.
Last night, this woman said she would go out to pick up a package in the morning. How could it take so long to pick up a package?
He picked up his phone and sent a WeChat message to Gu Qingyi inquiring about it.
Gu Qingyi replied quickly, "I’m busy with something."
Alright... She is an adult, and she has been in this world for quite some time. She should not get into trouble.
Chen Yan, being quite at ease, was not too worried and went into the kitchen to cook a meal.
There was pork in the fridge. He took out a strip of pork belly, cut it into pieces about the width of a finger.
He blanched them in cold water, added some cooking wine to remove the gaminess, and skimmed off the scum before taking the meat out to drain.
He put oil in the frying pan, and when the oil was hot, he added the pork and stir-fried it, immediately filling the air with the aroma of meat. Chen Yan took a few deep breaths, then poured in soy sauce and water, turning the heat down to simmer.
Simmering takes about half an hour. Chen Yan went to the study, fetched a thread-bound edition of "Liezi·Tianrui Chapter," and sat next to the kitchen. While inhaling the enticing aroma of the meat, he quietly read the book.
This "Liezi·Tianrui Chapter" was taken from Chu Keqing’s academy. That place has many thread-bound books. Although they are not ancient texts, the thread-bound version looks quite elegant.
Previously, while teaching at the academy, Chen Yan had lectured on Liezi’s idea of "emptiness has no value."
At that time, he taught these ideas to persuade the noble Zen cultivator students to accept him.
It was quite pretentious.
But as he read now, a sense of insight faintly arose in his heart.
Liezi’s philosophy is: All things are formed by heaven, the thieves are inherently unintentional, time flows like a journey, life and death surpass emotions...
"This is somewhat akin to the concept in the ’Forging Spirit Chapter’ of seeing through and transcending desires," Chen Yan lightly pinched a page of the book with his fingers and sighed softly.
The aroma of meat from the pot filled the air, his stomach growled, and the faint scent of ink lingered as he turned the pages.
The physical desires brought by external objects and the internal insights seemed to form a subtle balance at this moment.
Although it was just a hint, Chen Yan, who had been studying the "Forging Spirit Chapter" all morning, seemed to grasp a wonderful opportunity for balance in the depths of his mind...
After flipping through the book for more than half an hour, Chen Yan gently put the book down, placing it casually on the stove.
He slowly lifted the lid of the pot, and the steam mixed with the aroma of meat hit him. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance invading his nose and mouth.
He looked at the color of the braised pork, which had taken on a good hue after cooking, smiled, added salt and sugar, and then turned up the heat to reduce the sauce.
A moment later, he turned off the heat and tasted a small piece.
After saying this, Chen Yan was momentarily stunned, thought for a few seconds, and then suddenly laughed.
So... it is just right!
When Gu Qingyi returned, she saw Chen Yan sitting at the dining table in the dining room.
In front of him was a bowl of braised pork, and on another plate, a few blanched green vegetables.
Chen Yan held a bowl of white rice in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other, quietly eating while holding a book.
A bite of rice, a piece of meat, a bite of vegetable.
Eating unhurriedly, neither fast nor slow.
Upon hearing the door open, Chen Yan looked up at Gu Qingyi, his smile calm. "You’re back? The food is in the pot, serve yourself."
Gu Qingyi looked at Chen Yan and was suddenly stunned.