Having seen the ocean, nothing else can be called water

Once the Boundless Sea, No Water Else? — Yet Perhaps Some Gentler Streams May Succeed the Sea, and No More Yearning for Mount Wu’s Clouds

“Having seen the ocean, nothing else can be called water; having been to Mount Wu, no other cloud can entrance me.” When these words surface in my mind, they always carry a profound sense of nostalgia and loss. It is a remembrance of a certain irreplaceable beauty, a time that cannot be reclaimed, as if each recollection fills the heart with deep affection and regret. The “sea” and the “clouds of Mount Wu” bear so much emotion—those ultimate moments, those experiences that sank into the marrow. They were the symbols of all that was wonderful, the existence I once deemed irreplaceable.

Yet, life is, after all, fluid. With the passage of time, the former “sea” gradually fades, the former “clouds of Mount Wu” dissipate without a trace. I begin to realize that life never allows us to linger in the past; any beauty will eventually be replaced by new scenery. One day, we may find that “gentler streams” can indeed succeed the “sea,” and new clouds can bring a different kind of awe, distinct from the past. And those former “sea” and “clouds of Mount Wu” are gradually replaced by faint smiles and warm breaths, becoming a memory tucked deep within the heart.

The Sea and the Gentler Streams — The Depth and Transformation of Emotion

Once, I believed the “sea” was an unsurpassable depth of feeling—an unspeakable profundity, symbolizing that most fervent love or profound experience. That tumultuous, surging emotion once caused me to lose myself in its depths, unable to break free. Each pang of longing was so intense, as if isolating me from all the world’s noise, leaving only the original self and that vast ocean.

The “sea” brought not only awe but also deep loneliness and exhaustion. When everything is too extreme, too overwhelming, it drains all one’s strength, leaving behind only emptiness and confusion. And the gentler streams—gentle, calm, silent, yet full of power. They need not churn the waters; they can nourish every parched inch of land, bringing subtle peace and profound solace. Though the gentler streams are far from the sea’s grandeur, they offer a different kind of beauty in ordinary days, a silent strength.

Once, I thought love akin to the “sea” was the only thing worth pursuing. But gradually, I realized that perhaps it is this peaceful, enduring flow of feeling that I need most now. It no longer leaves me shaken by every heartbeat or lost in every wave; instead, I have learned to find the power of happiness in the mundane rhythms of daily life.

The Clouds of Mount Wu and New Vistas — Moving On Without Attachment, Yet Still Feeling Moved

“Apart from the clouds of Mount Wu, no cloud is worthy.” This was once my belief. The clouds of Mount Wu carried countless emotions; they were my deepest reliance, an ineffable beauty I could not let go. Those clouds then seemed like a mysterious enigma, lingering in my heart, elusive and intoxicating. Every wisp of cloud, every gust of wind, bore my attachment to that past affection.

Yet, as time flows, the clouds of Mount Wu will eventually disperse, making way for new vistas. The former clouds seem to grow faint in the stream of years, and that once-fierce attachment gradually fades amidst constant detachment. I begin to see that new clouds, new vistas, need not replicate the clouds of Mount Wu; they possess their own charm, carrying colors and essences entirely different from the past.

The new vistas, the new clouds, may lack the mystery of Mount Wu’s clouds, nor that heart-rending beauty, yet they too can bring me deep emotion. Their beauty lies not in how much they evoke longing, but in the unique allure they present—a freshness and comfort distinct from the past. This beauty is new; it guides me toward a more abundant future, allowing me to no longer cling to memories of the past but to find my own light in the present.

Some Gentler Streams May Succeed the Sea, and No More Yearning for Mount Wu’s Clouds — Learning to Let Go, Learning to Accept

“Some gentler streams may succeed the sea, and no more yearning for Mount Wu’s clouds.” These words carry a farewell. A farewell to the “sea” once thought unsurpassable, a farewell to the “clouds of Mount Wu” once impossible to relinquish. They were once the peaks of my life, the goals I ceaselessly pursued. However, as time passes and circumstances change, I come to realize they are but a part of life’s journey, unique fragments of my emotional experience. What I truly need to learn is to let go of the past and embrace new changes.

Life, precisely because of its fluidity and uncertainty, grants us the strength to keep moving forward. Each segment of the past is unrepeatable; they give us beautiful memories and profound revelations, but we cannot remain forever in the past. The former “sea,” the former “clouds of Mount Wu,” are worthy of remembrance, but they will ultimately become the past. The new streams and clouds are the forces that propel us onward.

Every farewell is a step in growth. Every release makes space for a new beginning. The gentleness of the streams, the freshness of the new clouds, represent another kind of beauty I can feel on the road ahead. They may not shake my soul, but they will free me from the emotional binds of the past, teaching me to find my own happiness and peace in new life.

The Former Sea and Clouds of Mount Wu, Become a Memory

The former “sea,” the former “clouds of Mount Wu,” are indeed irreplicable; they left the deepest imprint at a certain stage of my life. But as the years flow, I understand that past beauty does not vanish with the passage of time. They still exist deep within memory, becoming a force that supports my journey forward. Yet I have also learned not to confine my emotions to the shape of the past, but to accept every new vista life offers.

Gentler streams succeed the “sea”; new clouds succeed the “clouds of Mount Wu”—life continues onward. This does not represent “forgetting” the past, but rather “growth.” Every new moment, every new experience, makes me more complete. No matter how beautiful the past was, it will eventually pass; and new emotions, new vistas, will, at some moment in the future, bring new waves of emotion and beauty.