一事无成 — “To achieve nothing”

During the Tang Dynasty, there was an official who served as a Provincial Secretary (Sheng Lang). His official career was not very smooth, and whatever he did often did not go as he wished. So, he frequently went out, hoping to clear his mind through travel.

One day, he arrived at Jingguo Temple. Feeling weary from his journey, he decided to stay overnight there. That night, he had a dream. In his dream, he walked to a rock formation and met an an old monk. Before the old monk, there was a tiny incense burner, from which sandalwood smoke gently curled upwards.

The old monk said to the Provincial Secretary, "The incense smoke in this small burner is what remains from a wish you once made. You have now lived three lives. In your first life, you were an Anfu Xunguan (Pacification Inspector) in Jiannan during Emperor Xuanzong's reign. In your second life, you were a Shuji (Secretary) in Xishu during Emperor Xianzong's time. And in your third life, you are now the Sheng Lang (Provincial Secretary)."

Upon hearing the old monk's words, he suddenly had an awakening, as if remembering that in all three lives, his official careers had been mundane and utterly without achievement. Consequently, he no longer wished to drift in the sea of officialdom, and seemed to have achieved a complete realization about life.

A line from a poem by Wang Zhong also echoes this sentiment: "With conflicts unresolved, where shall I go? Having accomplished nothing, grey hairs now streak my temples." Today, older people who have not achieved much in their careers often use "一事无成" to express their regret. Sometimes, even younger individuals, when asked about their career progress, might also lament, "I've accomplished nothing!"