356 Arhat Dhāraṇī (Mind of Fixed Discourse)
The little bird in the golden cage does not need to go out foraging; it has yellow millet to eat every day, but it is heard crying at night, which is disheartening. Birds flying in flocks in the forest, though struggling to find food daily, sing joyfully and freely.
For those who receive this verse, one is currently facing an important choice. Although there is the advantage of fine clothes and rich food, there is also the confinement of being in a cage. Although there is the toil of foraging, there is also the ease of a free spirit. Gaining one means losing the other. Where to go depends on one's own character and life preferences.