A Written Answer to A Questioner

By Taishang Recluse

I happened to come under a pine tree,

I had nothing to do and slept on a stone pillow.

There is no calendar to record the years in the deep mountains,

I only know that winter has ended but don't know which year it will be.

答人

(唐)太上隐者

偶来松树下，高枕石头眠。

山中无历日，寒尽不知年。

I have something to say

Some people live in seclusion to get rid of real life, while others live in seclusion to avoid the troubles.

I have always believed that humans are creatures that require communication, the inevitable communication between people because we are community creatures. So sometimes I can’t believe that there were many real Recluses who can stay away from the crowd and remain indifferent to worldly affairs, most of them are forced to be the one who has to stay in the mountains. They have to be away the cities because they have no enough support in life or politics etc...

I think the seclusion of the ancients was either helplessness or selfishness if they had kids to feed.

Common people who have children shouldn’t live in recluse, it’s only for their future generations.