To live as one’s
heart inclines is not an escape from society,
but a way of standing gently within it.
This poem traces a quiet discipline—
freedom without arrogance,
kindness without display,
and a life guided not by noise, but by
conscience.
Living as the Heart Inclines
Without being shunned by others,
without feeling obliged to them,
it is good to live as the heart inclines.
Without showing off to the world,
without reading the air of society,
it is good to think as the heart inclines.
Without provoking envy in others,
without awakening their jealousy,
it is good to live as the heart inclines.
Even when troubled by society,
even when burdened by its meddling,
it is good to receive it as the heart
inclines.
So as not to invite another’s resentment,
so as not to sow another’s envy,
it is good to discipline oneself
as the heart inclines.
Attentive eyes for the young,
consideration for the old,
compassion for the vulnerable—
it is good to act
as the heart inclines.