To remain content and joyful despite hardships or adverse circumstances; to find happiness in one's own simple pursuits regardless of external difficulties.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
Dai Kui, a prodigy from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, excelled in painting and sculpture from a young age.
Once, the Lingbao Temple in Kuaiji commissioned him to sculpt a sixteen-foot-tall Amitabha Buddha. When the statue was completed, onlookers praised it, but Dai Kui himself remained unsatisfied. Fearing that others might be reluctant to offer criticism, he would hide behind a screen to listen to visitors' comments and suggestions, then make revisions. This process was repeated numerous times, and it took him three years to finally complete the work. By incorporating Chinese features into the Buddha statue, Dai Kui revolutionized Buddhist art in the Jin Dynasty.
Dai Kui was indifferent to fame and fortune, choosing to live as a recluse his entire life, unwilling to serve as an official. His elder brother, however, aspired to achieve military feats. Grand Tutor Xie An once asked Dai Kui's brother, "Why are your and your brother's ambitions and careers so different?" His brother replied, "Because I could not endure that simple and austere life, and my younger brother could not change his joy [in his chosen path]."