I often dwell on the same question: Human lives last but a lifetime, plants bloom only through one autumn—what is the true meaning of being alive?
For a long time, shaped by the value system instilled in compulsory education, I firmly believed that life’s meaning lies in dedication. This may be the perfect, uplifting, and unassailable standard answer. Yet the deeper I ponder it, the more doubts creep into my heart. If all living things and every human being ceased to exist, leaving no recipients for any act of dedication, this set of values would seemingly lose all substance. If everything ultimately dissolves into nothingness, could letting go of all obsessions entirely also be a form of spiritual fulfilment?
That was until I watched Li Yaode’s travel videos from Xizang, and recalled a line from Yu Hua, who once settled in Sanya: The meaning of living is simply to live itself. In an instant, I had an epiphany and found a new truth.
I sped through the twenty-odd-minute footage of him driving a bright yellow Ferrari from Chongqing all the way to Lhasa, barely noticing time slip by. Right then, a new outlook on life dawned on me: life was never meant to fulfil preordained missions, but to experience everything to the fullest.
All beauty and sensation in the mortal world are gifts bestowed upon us by life. We may taste unshackled freedom, unbridled joy, the sense of accomplishment after surmounting hardships to reach our goals, as well as the warm contentment of being appreciated after wholeheartedly giving of ourselves. Within the boundaries of law and public morality, to boldly embrace every sight and sensation the world has to offer, to live through every kind of circumstance—this is life’s most precious meaning.
Suffering too forms part of this spectrum of experience, yet it is never worthy of glorification, nor should we actively seek it. Adversity and trials are inevitable in life. When faced with hardship, we must swim against the current, distil insights and growth from tribulations, strive to ease the physical and mental toll they bring, and turn all setbacks and torment into resolve and strength to chase happiness and journey toward distant horizons. We may endure loneliness, desolation, doubt and misunderstanding temporarily for the sake of our ideals and faraway dreams, yet we must always understand: pain is never our pursuit; joy and passion are.
A line from Li Yaode’s video resonates deeply with its clarity and healing warmth: “Pay no mind to others’ stares. Life is made for experiencing. Chase whatever you long to do without fear; go meet whoever you yearn to see.”
In a little over ten days, I will embark on my own cycling trip circling Hainan Island. This will mark another bold departure in my quest to traverse China and explore the wider world beyond.
Plants sprout in spring and wither in autumn, following the rhythm of seasons to bloom to their fullest before fading. So too will I. I shall not fixate on some hollow ultimate meaning, nor be trapped by the judgements of others. With passion as my sail and experience as my vessel, I will live earnestly in every present moment, and rush toward every vibrant mountain and sea this world has to offer.