Sunset Ballad is life’s wisdom written by one of Asia’s richest and most influential businessmen, Li Ka Shing of Hong Kong. It was published on September 11, 2020.
Li Ka-shing, from Rags to Riches, is a Hong Kong business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Li is the 30th richest person in the world as of June 2019 with an estimated net wealth of US$29.4 billion. (Wikipedia)
Li is workaholic and famous entrepreneur. He had been the richest man for many years.
He retired in 2018 at the age of 92 years old and began to enjoy life.
When he was suspected of being seriously ill, he wrote the Sunset Ballad on his bed. He regrets that many things in life are realized too late.
SUNSET BALLAD
🍏1. We are born with nothing, no more and no less, and finally to return to nothing. Be as natural, normal and at ease as possible.
🍏2, Don’t aspire to acquire surplus wealth at sunset years. Those who have such intention are rather confused or crazy. Just consider what belongs to you before and after death. One has to wake up and stop fooling ourselves.
🍏3. Be contented. Have fun and enjoy the sunset years. Do not be exalted if you’re rich neither too worried if poor. Take it along as naturally and savor the freedom.
🍏4. Don’t forcibly demand, neither compete. Life is like a dream or fleeting cloud or smoke. Look at the vast and empty sky and land, we are just a tiny speck drifting within.
🍏5. The sun is empty so is the moon. River water forever flows eastward (in China). Farm and house too are empty, continually changing owners.
🍏6. Love becomes naught, relationship too disappeared. Finally all will go into the crematorium. Even gold and silver, one doesn’t grasp to take along after death.
🍏7. Reputation, honours and profits disappeared into sweet dreams once the eyes shut down for good. Whatever gains or losses dissipated, life is like a drama.
🍏8. No more minister status, no more the power that came with it. No one can remain in the ministry for life. Rich or poor, the final is void. That is nothingness when curtain of life drops, be aware of that.
🍏9. The four seasons will rotate, so will the high and low tides. Every family has certain difficult mantra to recite. Do not burden unnecessarily with worries.
🍏10. Raising and educating children are responsibility and duty. It is a blessing to be able to help. Children and grandchildren shall build their own future, do not be duty bound by them. It is far more a blessing to take good care of our own wellbeing during the sunset years.
🍏11. Man hustle and busle about earning a living like bees collecting honey. Just wonder the honey is made for whom, ever thought the life-long hard work will end up in naught. Be more liberal and accommodative, think rationally to avoid disputes.
🍏12. From a distance hospitals are like heaven, curing so many patients. Viewing from close range hospitals are like banks raking in lots of cash. Getting inside the hospital is like getting into prison. It is far better to take preventive measure well in advance.
🍏13. Health is an invisible asset, health enhancement is bank saving, contracting a disease is a bank loan and re-payment, serious illness can cause bankruptcy. These are earnest facts of life and to be regarded seriously. Do not let this happen, it will be too late to regret.
🍏14. It is better to stand alone to enhance immunity rather than to lie down and be cheated. If you don’t take care of your health, you will be supporting doctors and hospitals.
🍏15. A life span is too short. Do not get bogged down with money worries. Tons of cash wouldn’t buy a sun which doesn’t set. Loads of silver and gold can’t exchange for health. Life and death is fated and wealth too. If it has been fated that we will be wealthy, it will be. But if it’s fated otherwise, it is pointless to crave for it.
A point worth reiterating is that the children and grandchildren will and should carve out the path for their future, there is no need to slog like buffalo and horse for them. A life span is really too short; it is advisable to take life plainly and light-hearedly.
Fame and gain are just like drifting cloud, extravagance and luxury are momentary exuberance, in rapid glimpses of fleeting time, hair will turn grey to white, churning all past event. 🍏
There is one to whom God gives riches and property and honor, and who lacks nothing the heart could desire; yet God does not grant the power to partake of them, but a stranger devours them. This is vanity and a dire plague.
Ecclesiastes 6:2
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