The Honest Ending - A Reflection on Purity

The Honest Ending - A Reflection on Purity

Discovering Truth in Life's Sorrow

Standing at the twilight of life and looking back is one of the most courageous acts we can undertake. In that moment, we come to realize that the path we've walked was not the grand epic we so fervently hoped for, but rather a succession of moments—sometimes absurd, sometimes difficult to find meaning in. This realization is not despair. Rather, it marks the beginning of true wisdom.

Throughout our lives, we make countless plans, dream dreams, and race toward our goals. Yet life has a way of flowing in directions entirely different from our intentions. Unexpected failures come one after another, and circumstances beyond our control sweep us away. In those moments, we ask ourselves: "Why is this happening to me?" "What did I do wrong to deserve such trials?"

But there are no clear answers to these questions. Life is simply like that. The very idea that we can understand and control everything was our arrogance from the start. When faced with a life that seems to offer only opportunities for downfall, we sometimes struggle to find reasons for gratitude. And this honest acknowledgment is the first step toward a truly authentic ending.

The True Meaning of Attachment - The Courage Not to Give Up

The world often views attachment as something negative. But what is true attachment? It is the desperate effort to transcend one's limitations. Even in years marked not by success but by failure, we still strive to move toward something. This is the greatness of humanity.

The harsh reality is that without attachment, we gain nothing. Sitting still and waiting will not solve all our problems. We must persevere to the end, we must cling until the very last moment. Even if the process isn't beautiful, even if our appearance isn't graceful.

This attachment isn't just for closure in our current life. It's also preparation for the next life, for the next opportunity. Our refusal to give up now opens possibilities for the future. Not giving up means not abandoning hope.

The Wisdom of Accumulation - What Emptiness Could Not Provide

In our youth, we were captivated by the aesthetics of emptiness. We believed that not possessing was freedom, that abandoning desires was the path to enlightenment. But as years passed and we aged, our pockets became empty and nothing remained in our hands.

Only now do we understand: without appropriate accumulation, there can be no true satisfaction, no genuine stability. This doesn't mean reckless desire, of course. But we need at least minimal material stability, at least minimal achievement.

Though it's late, if we can find some satisfaction in the abundance that accumulation brings, that too is wisdom. Even if it's not perfect, even if it's not enough, we must find contentment in what we have now. This is another face of an authentic ending.

Appearance and the Joy of Existence - The Truth About Facades

We often say that inner beauty is more important than outer appearance. But what is the reality? People judge by first impressions and evaluate others by their looks. This isn't a matter of right or wrong—it's just reality.

Taking care of one's appearance, paying attention to how we look, isn't vanity. It's respect for ourselves and courtesy toward the world. If you dress like a beggar, people will indeed see you as one. This is a bitter reality, but we must accept it.

Dressing well and enjoying the pleasure of existence is also part of life. Today's world pays more attention to outward appearance than inner beauty. We can criticize this, or we can adapt to it. And sometimes, adapting is the wiser choice.

The Courage to Settle in the Present - The Value of This Moment

Longing for the past and worrying about the future is human nature. But what can truly fulfill us is only the present. Everything that has passed is already over, and what hasn't come yet is uncertain.

Settling in the present doesn't mean complacency. It means fully accepting this moment and doing our best in this very moment. No one knows what will happen in the future. So what we can know for certain is only now.

Even if it's a bit messy, facing reality and living with our feet planted firmly in it—isn't this true courage? Rather than living in fantasy, accepting an imperfect reality and doing our best within it.

A New Perspective on Forgiveness and Compassion

The world tells us that forgiving and showing compassion are beautiful virtues. But in reality, forgiveness sometimes only makes us suffer losses. The other party neither acknowledges their wrongdoing nor changes. Instead, they take our forgiveness for granted and become even more tyrannical.

Of course, forgiveness isn't always bad. But unconditional forgiveness and self-sacrificing compassion can sometimes be poison. We don't need to pretend to be good. Pretending to be good when we're not truly good is hypocrisy.

Living involves encountering many truly absurd situations. Things that happen to us for no reason, unjust experiences that come one after another. In such situations, is it really right to always endure and forgive? Sometimes standing up boldly, sometimes maintaining cold distance might be wiser.

The Realistic Need for Material Wealth

Idealists say money isn't everything. Of course, that's not wrong. But it's also an undeniable reality that without money, what we can do becomes extremely limited. When real estate crashes, bank accounts hit rock bottom, and only debt increases, we acutely realize how miserable poverty can be.

Material lack narrows our choices. It prevents us from doing what we want to do and going where we want to go. It even threatens our basic dignity. To escape the narrow prison of poverty, we need some material foundation.

Earning money and accumulating wealth isn't merely a vulgar pursuit. It's for freedom, for securing options. Of course, money doesn't solve all problems. But at least it solves the problems caused by lack of money.

The Wisdom of Embracing Complexity

We live in an age that considers simplicity a virtue, but reality is never simple. Behind one choice lie countless variables, and one decision brings unexpected consequences. Nothing in this world is unnecessary. Everything is intricately connected, everything influences everything else.

Then we too must think complexly. We must consider all possible scenarios and keep various possibilities in mind. Even if our heads ache, even if it's difficult, we must think deeply. We must remember that while we think of one thing, others are thinking of ten.

Of course, we can't predict everything. But it's our duty to think and prepare to the best of our ability. Don't fear complexity; rather, finding wisdom within that complexity is the true art of living.

The True Value of Regret

To regret means to look back at oneself. It means reflecting on the days we've lived and acknowledging wrong choices. Trying to heal others' wounds while failing to properly heal our own—that was truly foolish.

Trying to find ourselves in relationships with others was also a mistake. True independence means not depending on others. Trying to comfort others' souls while unable to properly manage our own body was reckless.

Regretting excessive involvement in others' lives is part of self-reflection. Through regret, we learn; through regret, we grow. There's no life without regret. What matters is how we accept and utilize that regret.

The Bonds of Fate and Their Meaning

Wherever we go in this world, we inevitably become entangled with other people. This is the way of the world, this is fate. Some people pass by briefly, others accompany us for a long time. But ultimately, we live intertwined with everyone like dried fish strung together.

We might find such entanglement burdensome, but it's the very condition of human life. Humans cannot live completely alone. Living in mutual dependence, giving and receiving influence from each other—this is our destiny.

We might lament not having fully utilized the relationships given to us. But that too is part of life. We can't perfectly handle every relationship. What's important is cherishing the relationships we have now and doing our best to build connections.

Nature's Fickleness and Human Nature

When sweltering summer comes, thunder and lightning strike, sudden showers fall, and wind and storms surge. But nature's dramatic displays are only temporary. When the time comes, as if nothing happened, bright sunshine appears again. Just as nature is fickle, so are humans. No, humans are fickle because we are part of nature.

We think we can dominate and control nature, but in reality, we are merely components of nature. We live according to nature's rhythm and adapt to nature's laws. Accepting this is humility; acknowledging this is wisdom.

The Paradoxical Purity of Honest Endings

What, ultimately, is an honest ending? It's about being attached, not giving up, sometimes not forgiving, and earning money to find stability. These aspects might appear dirty and materialistic on the surface. But this is the purest form of life.

Because it's without pretense. Because it's the raw truth without packaging. Because it shows us as we truly are without pretending to be good or noble. The words "Don't pretend to be good for nothing" are actually more pure.

We are all imperfect beings. We cannot become saints, nor can we live perfect lives. Then it's better to live honestly. It's better to acknowledge our desires, accept our limitations, and do our best within them.

Both an End and a Beginning

An honest ending is not a new beginning but an end. Yet this end is true completion. Not a beautifully packaged false completion, but authentic completion as we are.

Just because our lives weren't perfect, just because we can't say our choices were always right, doesn't mean it was a failure. We did our best within the conditions we were given. Sometimes we made mistakes, sometimes we went down wrong paths, but nevertheless, we lived.

This is life's honest ending. Even if it's not spectacular, even if it's not perfect, it's our real story. And such real stories are the most beautiful because they are the most human.

In life, the honest ending is more pure. This is the most important truth we must realize.

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