The Clinging — 三九

The Line

Interpretation

Here is the end of the day. The glow of the sinking sun reminds one of the conditionedness and transience of life. In this outer unfreedom, people mostly also become inwardly unfree. Either transience becomes for them a motive to even more boisterous merriment, to enjoy life while it is still there, or they let themselves be carried away by sorrow and spoil the precious time through lamenting the approach of age. Both are evil. To the noble one, an early or late death is not a thing of difference. They cultivate their person and await their lot, and thereby firm up their destiny.