我有一位就讀外文系的姊姊，記得有一次，她看到我寫的一封英文信，對我使用了一個她不常用的字感到驚訝：realize。

這個字的意思是「領悟」，而「領悟」與「知道」之間，有著本質的差異。對我而言，「知道」可能只是接收訊息，但「領悟」則是深入思考後的融會貫通，是對真相的體認與內化。

幾年前我完成了《當真》這本書的書稿，當時希望書名能傳達出一種「持續進步」的狀態。英文書名其實早於中文書名誕生，就是 Realizing，一個持續進行式，象徵不斷在領悟的過程中。因為 realize 源自 real，我便從「真實」的意境延伸出「當真」這個書名。

「真」，是我們與自己之間的關係，那是沒有虛偽空間的關係，也是我們與身體之間的連結，在身體的記憶庫前，我們沒有機會裝傻或自欺。

 

假如你撒了謊，甚至成功欺騙所有人，唯一無法騙過的，還是你自己。別忘了，你連自己的身體也無法欺瞞。

你也許經常對別人宣稱「健康很重要」，甚至對自己暗示要重視健康，但行為卻持續違背健康原則。這個「不真」的你，遲早會被你自己拆穿。

我們生活在充滿虛假的世界，面對外界時，你也許已習慣了應酬與偽裝；然而，真正與自己對話的時刻，只有獨處的那一刻。

你可以對外世界永遠扮演虛假，但你必須對自己真誠。因為生命有真相要面對，身體有真實的狀況需要被檢驗。

因果法則，無論你仰望還是低首，它從未缺席。它所要檢驗的，是你的每一個起心動念，是你與良知之間是否夾雜雜質。

說謊，是人類最熟練的不真；貪念，則是最普遍的虛假。許多人誤將貪慾視為「真實的自己」，但從法則的尺度來看，並非如此。

 

我曾親身體驗身體在排出廢物的過程中所揭示的秩序，當你尊重身體，它會以最真誠的方式回應你，身體會優先清除那些危害生命的物質。

我常引用極寒地區的生存故事：「犧牲四肢、保護內臟」的機制，正是一種清晰的價值排序。這種來自生命本能的生物設定，值得我們尊重，更值得敬畏。

我第一次學到 discipline 這個英文單字是在高中，這個字念起來就帶著一種剛正的氣質，讓我對「紀律」產生了肅然起敬的情感。

既然紀律是身體的重要價值，那麼養生就必須順應身體的優先秩序。我發現，沒有經歷過深度斷食的人，無法真正體會身體的紀律。

在斷食的章程中，紀律是一條不可或缺的主軸；而在養生的終極道路上，也必然留下斷食的足跡。紀律，是斷食與健康之間的橋梁，也是我與身體對話的重要紀錄。

當我開始記錄「從容」在養生路上的角色，也更加明白：從容的前方，必然有紀律引導。

在養生的體悟中，我抬頭望見了「萬法歸一」的明示。

 

這一生，我投注了不少時間去領悟慾念與儲蓄之間的平衡。我深知無法儲蓄的背後，往往隱藏著不當的慾望。在這個過程中，我也理解了「惡性循環」的破壞力，進而提醒自己掌握「停損」的時機。

「富不過三代」的訓誡，絕非空穴來風，當中蘊藏著深邃的生命智慧。沿著生命旅程前行，我不斷領悟輕易得來的後果，並重新定義何謂真正的富裕。

我也在閱讀中，終於領會「遺產」的另一層意義，那就是「典範」。真正理解 legacy 這個字，也是在那時，它並不僅僅指傳統觀念中的財富或資產，而是一種無形的精神傳承。

人生中的每一段錯過，甚至每一次的犯錯，都是為了引導我抵達某個最關鍵的領悟。

當我決定開始用心記錄下這些文字的那一刻起，我便知道：有一天生命會停止跳動，但文字將永遠留在人間，持續傳承，繼續奉獻。

我感謝每一段領悟，也感謝我自己曾經付出的紀律。因為有這兩者的存在，即便是微不足道的人生，也終將有機會留下屬於自己的典範傳承。

 

（如果你決定要活著，就留下你的傳承，對這個世界產生一種永遠無法抹去的影響。）

 
Keywords of Life

I have an older sister who majored in foreign languages. I remember once she read an English letter I had written and was surprised by my use of a word she rarely used: realize.

The word realize means “to comprehend” or “to internalize a truth”—a meaning that differs fundamentally from simply “knowing.” To me, knowing can be as simple as receiving information, while realizing involves a deep process of reflection and integration—a recognition and embodiment of truth.

A few years ago, when I completed the manuscript for my book Realizing, I wanted a title that conveyed a sense of “continuous progress.” In fact, the English title came first: Realizing. Written in the present continuous tense, it symbolizes a state of ongoing insight and understanding. Because realize stems from real, I extended its meaning to create the Chinese title 「當真」—”taking it seriously,” or more literally, “embracing what is real.”

Truth—or “realness”—is the relationship we hold with ourselves. It allows no room for pretension or disguise. It is also the link we share with our body. In front of the body’s memory, we have no chance to play dumb or deceive ourselves.

Even if you lie and manage to deceive everyone, the one person you cannot fool is yourself. Never forget—you can’t even lie to your own body. You might often claim, to others and to yourself, that “health is important,” while your actions continue to contradict that very claim. This untruthful version of you will eventually be exposed—by none other than yourself.

We live in a world filled with pretense. You may have grown accustomed to social performance and masks in your interaction with the outside world. Yet the moment of true dialogue with the self only arrives in solitude. You may continue playing a role for the world, but you must remain honest with yourself. For life demands confrontation with truth, and your body demands that its real state be acknowledged.

The law of cause and effect—whether you revere it or ignore it—never fails to operate. What it examines are your every intention and desire, scrutinizing whether they are tainted by impurity. Lying is the most practiced form of untruth in human behavior; greed, the most common form of falseness. Many mistake their desires as their “true self,” but through the lens of natural law, that is a misconception.

I have personally experienced the body’s orderly mechanism for expelling toxins. When you show respect to the body, it responds with the utmost sincerity—it prioritizes the removal of substances that threaten life. I often refer to survival tales from extreme-cold environments: the instinct to “sacrifice limbs to protect vital organs” reflects a clear value hierarchy—one rooted in primal biological wisdom that deserves our reverence.

The first time I encountered the word discipline was in high school. Just hearing the word gave me a sense of uprightness and respect. If discipline is a core value of the body, then true wellness must follow the body’s intrinsic priorities. I’ve come to realize that those who have never practiced deep fasting cannot truly comprehend the body’s discipline.

In the structure of fasting, discipline is an indispensable axis. On the ultimate path of health, the traces of fasting are always present. Discipline serves as a bridge between fasting and wellness, and it is one of the most meaningful dialogues I’ve had with my own body. As I began recording the role of composure on the path of wellness, I came to see even more clearly: composure is always preceded by discipline.

Through the lens of self-care, I’ve come to witness the teaching: All paths converge to one.

Throughout this life, I have spent considerable time exploring the balance between desire and saving. I’ve learned that behind an inability to save often hides an inappropriate desire. This realization has also helped me understand the destructive nature of vicious cycles, and reminded me to recognize the right moment for “cutting losses.”

The adage “wealth does not last beyond three generations” is not without cause—it contains profound wisdom about the nature of life. Along the journey of life, I’ve continually come to understand the consequences of getting things too easily, and I’ve redefined what it means to be truly wealthy.

Through reading, I eventually grasped another meaning of the word legacy—that it also means example. It was at that moment I truly understood the word: not merely a reference to money or property, but to a spirit passed down—a model of living.

Every missed opportunity in life, and even every mistake, exists to guide me toward a deeper realization. When I finally chose to start recording these thoughts with intention, I already knew: one day, life may cease to beat, but words will remain—passed on, continuing to give.

I am grateful for every realization. I am equally grateful for the discipline I once practiced. Because of these two elements, even a seemingly insignificant life has the chance to leave behind a legacy worth remembering.