A Heart of Gold in a Secular World

By Geng Yinping

Lin Qingxuan, a Taiwanese writer who once worked as a butcher, described the early period of his life in this way: “I used to butcher pigs in a slaughter house. Many people could not imagine a life like that.After work at night, I would return to the small room I rented,wash my hands, and write.”“A gentleness must be created with a strong heart, a romance must be preserved in a state of deterioration.”

On one side was the dream of becoming a writer and on the other was the bloody slaughter house, so the gap between the two was indeed very wide. However,the humble Lin Qingxuan stuck to his conviction and maintained a clean heart. Though one might be in a ditch, one should still look up at the stars. Even when circumstances are bleak, one must keep a noble heart. He kept writing every day to keep the delicate fl ame of elegance alive.

Later, his “Embodied Soul Settling” series sold a lot, which is not unrelated to his previous life experience. It’s not something that ordinary people can achieve,but he did, and his rewards were great. The quality of writing (clear or turbid) is related to the quality of mind.

台湾作家林清玄当过屠宰工，他曾这样描述当时的生活：“我曾经在屠宰场杀猪，很多人没法想象，晚上工作完回到我自己租的小房子里，洗完手后，开始写作。”“必须要用坚强的心来创造一种温柔，必须要在世俗恶化的状态下保有一种浪漫。”

一边是玄虚的作家梦，一边是血淋淋的屠宰场，二者之间的落差的确很大，但败落的林清玄始终没有放弃昂扬向上的追求，守住了内心的干净。虽身处沟渠，也要仰望星空；虽境况惨淡，也要心存高贵。他每天坚持写一些文字，留住高雅的微弱火苗。

后来，他的“身心安顿系列”作品大卖，与这种“惨淡中的向上走”不无关系。这不是一般人能做到的，他做到了，也因此成就了独特的卓越。文章的高下清浊，只与内心有关。