Sublime

A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himse

LI HSI-CHAI says, “Outside, we govern others. Inside, we care for Heaven. In both, nothing surpasses economy. Those who are economical are economical in everything. They are watchful within and on guard without. Only if we are still, does virtue have a place to collect.

Leisure is also more commodified, meaning that for any given hour of free time, there are more dollars spent.

“Love the humble art you have learned, and take rest in it. Pass through the remainder of your days as one who whole-heartedly entrusts all possessions to the gods, making yourself neither a tyrant nor a slave to any person.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 4.31

experience, knowledge, reflection, and skill in dealing with men, combine to give an old man an increasingly accurate insight into the ways of the world; his judgment becomes keen and he attains a coherent view of life: his mental vision embraces a wider range. Constantly finding new uses for his stores of knowledge and adding to them at every oppo

the center of that heart of the Way, at the nexus of everything that existed, was Oversight.

“I’ve removed the remaining locks in the Book of Eternal Night,” the Monarch said. “Now, you may draw power from it and advance as you see fit. You can even open the seventh page, though I warn you against taking any more than a peek before Archlord. That technique is very potent.”