When I was young, I ate many things. What exactly I ate is long since forgotten, but they have already blended into my body, becoming part of my bones and blood. Reading is the same way. The books I read and the things I experienced may lose their details as time passes, but what remains will settle into a person’s knowledge and character cultivation. Books may not be remembered word for word, yet they will influence you imperceptibly: making you speak with greater propriety, do things with more room to spare, and treat others with a better sense of measure. Over time, what they change is not just your memory, but your entire temperament and the course of your life. Reading and making a living are two important spiritual practices in life. Reading helps a person become clear-minded and understanding, while making a living helps a person stand with dignity. Read with the lessons you’ve gained from life, and then use what you’ve learned from books to return to life—you will eventually find that within your temperament lie the books you’ve read, the roads you’ve traveled, and the people you once deeply loved.