When Su Dongpo Meets the Aroma of Grapes: Reflections from a Reading Session

A thousand years ago, Su Dongpo understood the romance of expressing emotions through wine and speaking aspirations through poetry. Chinese wine culture is not only about flavors on the palate but also embodies the elegance and passion of scholars and poets.

This time, I had the opportunity to participate in a reading session and re-experience the life of Su Dongpo through Teacher Wu. The most striking impression was from 松風亭悟道

The essence of 松風亭悟道 is that Su Dongpo, wishing to rest at Song Feng Pavilion, after walking for a while and feeling tired, looked towards the distant pavilion and suddenly realized: Why must one reach the pavilion to rest? At that moment, he felt like a fish freed from a hook, feeling completely relaxed. If one understands this principle, even in the midst of a battlefield, where the drums thunder, advancing leads to death by the enemy and retreating leads to death by military law—at such a critical juncture, one can still rest assured; it’s not a big deal.  

This seemingly simple realization exposes the deepest anxieties of modern people. We are always chasing after some goal:
✓ "Once I get into a prestigious school, I can relax..."  
✓ "Once I get promoted and receive a raise, I can be happy..."  
✓ "Once I buy a house and get married, I can be at ease..."  
Yet we are always "on the road," perpetually fixated on the "must reach the pavilion." We have never truly "rested."

Su Shi’s wisdom lies in the understanding that liberation is not far away but rather a shift in mindset.

True freedom is having the confidence to "rest anywhere."  
This summer, why not learn from Su Shi:  
1.Allow yourself to stop halfway  
2.Replace "must" with "I choose"  
3.Discover that "here and now" is the best pavilion  

After all, even the ancients from 1000 years ago teach us:  
There is no pavilion one must reach in life, only attachments that one refuses to let go of.

 We believe that every glass of Chinese wine is a flowing poem.