The night snow was heavy, making it difficult to proceed, so I sought refuge in the Cold Stone Ruins of Kunlun and engaged in a conversation with a guest at night.
The guest said, "I once saw a remote village in the snowy mountains. There was this strong guy who left his elderly mom in the mountains. Isn't it sorrowful? When people get old, it seems like everything just leaves them behind."
I replied, "That's just how nature works."
The guest was indignant and said, "How can you be so cold-hearted? Don't you think the elderly are deserving of our sympathy and care?"
I said, "The elderly were once young; the young will have their time of aging."
That mountain guy left his mom behind because there wasn't enough food. If today he leaves the elderly, tomorrow someone might leave him too. We all get old eventually so why worry about it?
When old age is over, death comes next, and after death, there's rebirth. Birth, aging, sickness, and death it's just how everything works. No need for sadness, no need for regret, and no need for pity.
As the night came to an end, the sky, cleared of snow, radiated with brightness. The guest was taken aback at first, but then smiled with understanding before heading back home.