On the way of a long-haul flight

Nonsense of Freedom (Cao Xueqin called it a paper full of absurdity)
Then we have the following

The Book of Questions

1/ Mencius: Even if there are thousands or millions, I will go.
The wind and sand hit the face, the Jixia Academy of the Warring States.

You stand under the ancient locust tree and speak to Mencius on the podium.
If the master were to use the power of a single phrase to inspire great courage in the world, what words would it be?

Mencius raised his eyes
Though millions may be against me, I will go on.
The air feels like it has been struck by a heavy drum, as you step out to ask the first question.

2/ Su Shi: If heaven has feelings, heaven also grows old
The evening glow by the river in Huangzhou is like wine.
You stand beside him.
If this sentence still does not fully capture the momentum of heaven and earth, could you, sir, share words that can broaden the mind?

Su Shi gazes at the sky and the river
If heaven has feelings, it too will grow old; the right path in the human world is one of vicissitudes.
The sky gradually darkens, and the river continues to flow forward.

3/ Xiang Yu: My fate is determined by me, not by heaven.
In the night at Gaixia, the flames flicker on the broken armor.

You ask
If fate is the enemy and the heavens and earth are the curtain, what words should be used to break the cycle of life?
Xiang Yu pressed his sword into the ground
My fate is determined by me, not by heaven.
The wind is split open, and you continue to move forward.

4/ Zhuangzi: What you fear is merely the shadow you have created yourself.

The small boat drifts on the Pushi River.
You stand at the bow of the boat.

All beings are trapped in fear; if one wishes to awaken others on the spot, what should be said?

Zhuangzi looked up and spoke softly.
What you fear is merely the shadow you have created yourself.
The shadows on the water surface shatter as you leap to the shore.

5/ Nietzsche: What you lack is the power to make opportunities remember you.

The Alps are furious.
You ask
This shadow is shattered, yet people's hearts remain confused by the allure of opportunities. Sir, could you offer words to break the impasse?

Nietzsche stared at the cliff at the edge of the sky.
You don't lack opportunities; you lack the power to make opportunities remember you.
The snow peak trembles, you walk towards a colder place.

6/ Kant: The world is your structure

The candlelight in the study of Königsberg is steady.
You stand before the mountain of books.
If you want to transcend success and failure to glimpse the underlying structure of the world, where should you begin?

Kant raised his eyes

The world you see is not the world, it is your structure.
The candlelight flickers gently as you retreat to the doorway, preparing to dismantle something deeper.

7/ Heraclitus: You are driven by the laws of the world

Ruined columns of ancient Greek temples
You stand by the fire pit.
If one goes further and asks not about my structure, but about the operation of the world itself, in what language should we perceive its momentum?

Heraclitus adds fuel
You think you are participating in the world, but in fact, you are being driven by the laws of the world.
The flames rise, and you follow the pattern deeper.

8/ Nagarjuna: The world arises based on conditions.

The night color of the Ganges is warm and deep.
You ask
Everything flows according to laws, and its source manifests where the mind perceives.

Dragon Tree Looks at Water
The world you see arises from the attention you pay to it.
The river water shimmers and dances, you continue upstream.

9/ Huineng: Only by letting go can you see your true self.
Caoxi Log Cabin, the sound of chopping wood is unceasing.
You ask
If all things arise from the mind, then where is the true essence of the mind?

Huineng split the firewood, and dust scattered everywhere.
Everything you cling to is not you; only when you can let go, will you see the true you.
You step on the fallen dust and leave the wooden house.

10/ Xuanzang: Form is emptiness
Under the Shadow of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Chang'an
You ask
Phenomena and essence are endlessly intertwined, and the master can show their original language.

Xuanzang nodded slightly
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
The shadow of the tower sways as you descend the steps.

11/ Buddha: All is like a dream
Under the Bodhi tree, it is tranquil to the extreme.
You ask
If one wants to see all phenomena as they are in their true nature, how should one contemplate?

The Buddha naturally arrives.
All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow.
You see that all you seek is like a shattered dream, yet you continue to move forward.

12/ Huineng Reappears: Originally There Was Nothing
Same wooden house, same monk
You ask
All phenomena are like illusions; what is their source?

Huineng stopped sweeping.
Originally, there was nothing.
As the dust settles, you step away from the dust.

13/ Damo: Directly Pointing to the Human Heart
Songshan Cave, the firelight flickers
You ask
All phenomena are empty; yet the mind still relies on the forms of words. Can the master help me to teach without relying on words?

The silhouette of Dharma is as stable as a mountain.
Directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha.
You turn around and exit the cave, the wind rushes straight to your face.

14/ Southern School Zen Master: No Thought Arises
In the empty hall, the wooden fish has not been struck.
You sit in front of it.
If even the connection must be abandoned, how can the truth of the heart be revealed?

The Zen master spoke softly.
No thought arises
You realize that your thoughts are restless, and you get up and leave.

15/ Linji: The thought has arisen
On a night of wind and snow, the side hall is as cold as a blade.
You ask
When our thoughts are free of attachments, that thought arises; may the master reveal the root of the illness.

Linji strikes the table.
The thought has arisen
You realize that the entire "take a step back" is just a trick of words, and you turn around to leave the hall.

16/ Daoyuan: Everything sought is misaligned
Japan's Yamadera, before dawn
You ask
To transcend the realm of duality and existence, how should one return to the origin?

Dao Yuan puts down the broom
Based on the thought you have initiated, all your desires are misaligned.
You stand in the snow until your feet are numb, then go down the mountain.

17/ Schopenhauer: Death Removes the Illusion of Self
Dimly Lit Study
You ask
If this limit is exceeded, where is the ultimate boundary of humanity?

Schopenhauer raised his eyes
Death is not the end; it is the first moment of removing the illusion of self.

You understand: the so-called ultimate is not in the answer, but in the moment the questioner is pulled away.

You traverse the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, the Tang Dynasty, ancient Greece, Germany, Caoxi, Songshan, and Japan's Mount Temple.
Inquiring about courage, fate, fear, structure, laws, attention, disposition, emptiness, nothingness, no thoughts, no self

Go to the end
You are standing in a deserted place.
All sages exit
Only that one thought is still active.
Your path
From now on, I can only go down by myself.