Life apparently passes through four stages; yet most of us get stuck at the third stage and never reach the fourth.
The First Stage
Life seems merely a game, a source of pleasure and joy. Endless delight. Boundless time. The freedom to try everything. No restrictions on desires. No fear of consequences. No sense of limits.
The Second Stage
Then we realize that the field of life is actually a competition, won through effort and planning. Success comes through hard work. In society, status belongs to the persistent and the wise.
Effort, strategy, and initiative become necessary.
Advance. Achieve. Conquer. Increase influence. Secure your place.
Nothing is left to chance. Every step is calculated. Every action guided by wisdom.
The Third Stage
Then one day, it feels… this was all a drama. Nothing was real. A game that seemed enjoyable for a while, but ultimately meaningless.
We played roles. We chased shadows.
Most people get stuck here—disillusioned, alone, standing on the seemingly meaningless edge of existence. Exhausted by noise, yet empty without it. Detached, yet not content. Recognizing the illusion, but finding no solid ground beneath.
But there is actually a Fourth Stage.
When it is realized that everything was balanced. Preordained. Beautiful. Meaningful.
Utterly captivating.
Not chaos, but order.
Not coincidence, but measure.
A person at peace with oneself, in harmony with life.
No hurry, no complaint.
Life flows steadily, expanding, evolving.
How does one reach this Fourth Stage?
That is the true quest.
It begins with the certainty that existence is not meaningless.
