He said: "When people enter this world, are they born to suffer? If so, why are they born? If not, why do they cry?"
The monk said: "Are you grieving for last night's newborn?"
He said: "Indeed. I grieve that he was born to face hardships to live his life with a disabled arm."
The monk asked: "Are his parents suffering?"
He said: "Not suffering. They live by the mountains and water, working by day and resting by night. Though not wealthy, they earn their living and are content."
The monk asked again: "Do his parents suffer because of their son?"
He said: "Not suffering. The couple is harmonious, and despite the difficult birth, they've finally welcomed their eldest son, both with smiles on their faces."
The monk said: "The parents are good people, and they love and protect him. Even with his disability, he may still live a peaceful life."
He sighed: "I have long known life is fated that sweetness and bitterness lie within. Yet this scene awakens memories."
Recorded in a villager's house on the ninth night of the twelfth lunar month, in the third year of the Daguan era.
While traveling through Cloudcrest, I helped deliver a baby during a difficult labor, ensuring both mother and child's safety.
The father expressed gratitude and asked me to name the child. Given his challenging fate, I named him "Yi" (Perseverance).