Zhang Zhaohong: My father-in-law is 99 years old this year

Zhang Zhaohong: My father-in-law is 99 years old this year My father-in-law is already 98 years old in 2011. According to Chinese custom, men have double birthdays and women have single birthdays. But why choose...

My father-in-law is already 98 years old in 2011. According to Chinese custom, men have double birthdays and women have single birthdays. But why choose 98 years old instead of 100 years old? There is a saying that goes like this: "When a person is over 60 years old, every year is not as good as the previous year. When he is over 70 years old, a month is not as good as a month. When he is over 80 years old, a day is not as good as a day. When he is over 90 years old, a moment is not as good as a moment." After the average person reaches the age of 90, his longevity is measured not by days, but by hours. It is said that this time is the same as that time, and it is not surprising that the longevity man can say goodbye at any time. Therefore, let’s give the old man a 98th birthday first, so that he can be happy and glorious without any regrets. You can still do it again and again for future birthdays, which is the icing on the cake. There is a birthday celebration ritual, and I was chosen by all the relatives to give the final words of praise. I could not shirk it over and over again, so I made the following speech: Warmly welcome all relatives and friends to Mr. Liang Xingsheng’s 98th birthday party!

>What is the concept of a 98th birthday? That is a probability of only one in 100,000 human beings. Confucius, the sage of Confucianism, said: At thirty, one should stand firm; at forty, one should not be confused; at fifty, one should know the destiny; at sixty, one should be obedient; at seventy, one should follow the heart's desires without exceeding the rules. But Master Kong didn’t say anything like eighty-ninety, because he only lived to be seventy-three. In this regard, my father-in-law lived longer and was more blessed than Master Kong!

Turning to Taoism, Lao Tzu’s longevity is unknown, but Zhuangzi lived to be 83 years old. Laozi said: "Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature." In this life, my father-in-law has always followed the way of life. As a teenager, he traveled across the sea from Zhongshan and made a living in Indonesia for decades. He returned to Guangzhou during the Chinese Expulsion, went to the mountainous areas of northern Guangdong when he moved his factory, and then crossed the ocean to the United States after the opening up. Finally, he returned to his roots and returned to his hometown. Throughout his life, he was wandering around, but he never complained about others and silently shouldered the heavy responsibility given by life. When he was young and middle-aged, he had to shoulder the burden of life, raising his wife and working as part of his job. He did not smoke, drink or talk about poverty. He pedals dozens of kilometers back and forth to work every day, and returns home at night, where the southern sun is humid and his whole body is dripping with sweat. He used his own labor to earn oil, salt, firewood, and rice to support his family, and he also developed a good body and bones. It was like winding up the clockwork of his life tightly, so his lifespan clock is still ticking to this day, and his body and mind are not exhausted. Lao Tzu believes that "having a lot of wealth will lead to death, so if you know enough, you will not be humiliated, and if you know how to stop, you will not be ruined." My father-in-law does not accumulate wealth, so he will not suffer heavy losses; he knows how to be satisfied, so he will not be humiliated; if he stops in moderation, he will not be in danger. He implicitly follows Lao Tzu's philosophy of "simplify when things are complicated" and never complicates things. He understands that "quietness breeds wisdom, concentration breeds wisdom", he talks little, is less annoying, does what he can do by himself, and lives in his own world most of the time. Now his eyes are dim and his ears are deafened. He listens to the radio when he can't see the TV. He knows the big things in the world but has a sharp ear and eyes, and laughs heartily when listening to interesting stories from ancient and modern times. Every day I eat tea and rice, vegetables, fruits and grains, pork, beef, chicken, shrimp and fish. I am never picky about food but only in moderation. He exercised every day. Although he was not good at walking, he still rode a stationary bicycle until his underwear was soaked through. He created five sets of hand-waving fist moves and practiced each set hundreds of times. Lao Tzu said, "Those who know themselves are wise, those who conquer themselves are strong, those who are content are rich, and those who force themselves are ambitious." My father-in-law still has a ringing voice and a strong handshake. He is a strong man in life! Today is the right time, it is also the Christmas Day in the West. I hope that everyone here will seize the opportunity, regardless of men, women, old or young, to come and shake hands with this old birthday star, be blessed, and guarantee a long life! (So ​​all the guests left the table one after another, and there was an endless stream of people coming to shake hands with this "Santa Claus".)

Let’s talk about Buddhism. Monks all call themselves laoji, poor Taoist, and poor monk. It seems that they are all very poor. In fact, in addition to monks in ancestral temples being able to go out for alms, there are also many believers in Buddhist temples who come to worship the Buddhas or donate fragrant oils. The government also rations land, so it is only common to hear of poor people starving to death but rarely monks dying of starvation. Monks call themselves poor Taoists and poor monks. In my opinion, they are poor because the monks do not recognize their relatives, so they have no family and no family happiness. The father-in-law is very different. When he was in Indonesia, he had already met and fell in love with his mother-in-law from Zhongshan. After marriage, they gave birth to three boys and six girls. Their parents were hard-working, their children were filial, and their family was harmonious. Their greatest wealth was their children and grandchildren! The next generation has achieved success in their studies, including those who set up factories, restaurants, start companies, study medicine, work in banks, serve in the military, engage in high technology, and there are also caring deaf-mute teachers and aid workers without borders. This time, dozens of relatives, men, women, old and young, came from all over the place to pay their respects. It was a lively gathering. Buddhism firmly believes in karma. My father-in-law may have achieved perfect results in his previous life, so many people came to "pay off his debts" in this life. God did not give him gold and silver wealth, but allowed him to have a happy family life. God did not give him a high position, but allowed him to "do not violate the rules" and live a long and healthy life. Most of the mortals in this world worry about gain and loss. Some people are calculating and calculating, but in the end they will grow old early. My father-in-law has no desires and desires in his life, but he can enjoy his long life.

Looking back on my father-in-law's life, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he followed the Confucian golden mean, believed in the Taoist way of letting nature take its course, and obtained the Buddhist good causes and good results. Today, I would like to thank you all very much for taking the time to attend Liang Fu’s birthday. My father-in-law can receive everyone’s “blessing” and he will feel relaxed and happy and move towards the new year happily! Thanks again for coming! ( http://www.paaca.us )