Child, do not fill your cup to the brim before you have drunk from it today. Leave a little space in your heart and in your house for what comes tomorrow. Rushing to claim all honor or hoarding every grain breaks the vessel that holds life. The wise one knows when to stop gathering, for only by holding back can the true nature of things settle again within you.

Look at the great river. It flows low so it may reach the sea and never overflow its banks. When a ruler forces his people to run faster than their legs can carry them, the roads wear out and the feet blister. But when he walks gently, the path remains open for generations. You are ruling your own body and spirit now; treat them with that same soft patience. Let your actions be like water taking the shape of the cup, never fighting the edge but resting in the hollow. This quiet return is where strength truly lives, hidden beneath the surface until it moves mountains without lifting a finger.