In a secluded Taoist temple, there lives a respected Taoist priest and his many disciples. Among them, there is a disciple who is prone to complaining. It seems that in his eyes, the world is always full of unsatisfactory things. His complaints are like a continuous drizzle. Although not violent, they still make people feel a little annoyed.

One day, the sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves and sprinkled on the courtyard of the Taoist temple, forming patches of 光斑. Looking at this complaining disciple, the Taoist priest had a thought in his mind. He decided to use a simple experiment to enlighten the disciple. The Taoist priest took a handful of salt and put it into a glass of water, then handed it to the disciple and asked him to drink it. The disciple took the glass with doubts, took a sip, and instantly frowned and said, "It's so salty that it's bitter." The Taoist priest nodded slightly as he watched the disciple's reaction but said nothing.

Then, the Taoist priest took the disciple to a nearby lake. The lake water was rippling under the breeze. The sunlight shone on the lake surface, glittering like a huge mirror. The Taoist priest sprinkled more salt into the lake and then asked the disciple to taste the lake water again. The disciple carefully scooped up the lake water, took a sip, and showed a surprised expression on his face and said, "It's pure and sweet."

The Taoist priest looked at the disciple and said slowly, "The pain in life is like this salt. Its saltiness depends on the container that holds it. Would you rather be a glass of water or a lake?" The disciple fell into deep thought. He began to recall his various complaints in daily life. Those pains that seemed unbearable to him now seemed to have new meanings.

In Taoist thought, it emphasizes conforming to nature and being indifferent and tranquil. Lao Tzu once said, "The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without striving." Water is colorless and tasteless, extremely soft and good, yet it can contain everything. A glass of water has limited capacity. When a handful of salt is put into it, it becomes unbearably salty and bitter. This is just like in life. If our hearts are narrow and we only focus on a little pain in front of us, then these pains will be infinitely magnified and make it hard for us to bear. And a lake, vast and boundless, can hold countless salts yet still remains pure and sweet. This is because the lake has a broad mind and profound background. It is not affected by a little salt but integrates the salt into itself with its great tolerance and becomes a part of itself.

In our lives, pain is inevitable. Nine out of ten things in life are unsatisfactory. We will encounter all kinds of setbacks, difficulties, and hardships. These pains are like those handfuls of salt that are constantly sprinkled into our lives. If we choose to be a glass of water, then we are easily overwhelmed by pain and fall into endless complaints and pain. We will feel that fate is unfair. Why do hardships always befall us? We will lose confidence in life and see no hope for the future. However, if we choose to be a lake, then we can embrace the pain in life with a broad mind. We will understand that pain is only a part of life and it cannot determine our lives. We can be like a lake, integrating pain into it and turning it into nutrients for our growth.

Taoism also advocates "governing by doing nothing," that is, not deliberately pursuing anything but conforming to the natural development. When we face pain, we can also treat it with this mentality. Don't resist pain too much but learn to accept it and let it flow through our lives naturally. Just like a lake accepts salt, we can also accept pain and let it become an experience in our lives. In this process, we will find that pain is not our enemy but our friend. It can make us understand life more deeply and make us become stronger and more mature.

Throughout history, many wise people have faced the pain in life with a broad mind and an indifferent attitude. Su Shi had a bumpy life and was demoted many times, but he could face difficulties with an optimistic and open-minded attitude. He wrote in "Calming the Waves": "Don't listen to the sound of the wind and rain piercing through the forest. Why not chant and stroll leisurely? With a bamboo stick and straw sandals, I feel lighter than a horse. Who's afraid? A misty raincoat endures my life." Su Shi is like that lake. No matter how much "salt" is sprinkled into his life, he can face it with a calm posture, turn pain into poetry, and leave countless masterpieces handed down through the ages.

Another example is Tao Yuanming. He was unwilling to bow for five pecks of rice and resolutely resigned and retired to the countryside. In his eyes, the disputes in officialdom and the troubles of the secular world are like those handfuls of salt, and he chose to be a peaceful lake. He found inner peace and happiness in the countryside and wrote the famous line "Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely looking at the southern mountains." Tao Yuanming, with his indifferent state of mind, stayed away from pain and lived the life he yearned for.

Back in real life, we should also learn to be a lake. When we encounter pain, don't complain, don't escape, but face it bravely. We can embrace it with a broad mind and resolve it with an optimistic attitude. We should believe that every pain is an opportunity for growth, and every setback is an experience in life. As long as we have a heart as broad as a lake, we can swim freely in the ocean of life and not be troubled by pain.

That complaining disciple, under the enlightenment of the Taoist priest, finally understood this truth. He began to reflect on his behavior and tried to change his mentality. He no longer complained about the unsatisfactory things in life but learned to face difficulties with a positive attitude. He learned to be inclusive like a lake and be as tranquil as a lake. Gradually, his life also changed. He found that the world was not so bad after all. There are still many beautiful things around waiting for him to discover.

On the road of life, each of us may encounter those handfuls of "salt." But as long as we have a lake in our hearts, we can face everything in life with a peaceful attitude. Let us all be that lake, embrace the pain in life with a broad mind, and pursue the true meaning of life with an indifferent attitude. In this way, our lives will surely be as pure and sweet as lake water and bloom with brilliant colors.