王子猷:：乘兴而行 Wang Ziyou: On the Impulse of Pleasure

It is said that Chinese literati who cultivate their mind must have a more subtle sensitivity for pleasure and more refined needs than sheer sensual ones. They would act according to pure impulsive, but not with any thought of sensuous pleasure.
Here is a story on Wang Ziyou, as recorded in Shi Shuo Xin Yu, A New Account of Tales of the World.
Wang Ziyou, also known as Huizhi (died in 388), was a son of the Chinese calligraphy sage, Wang Xizhi (321 - 379).
Wang lived at Shanyin, near present Hangzhou. One night he was awakened by a heavy snowfall. He opened the door and told his servant to bring some wine.
Looking outside, everything within sight was covered by a shimmering layer of snow. Feeling a little restless, he started reciting Zuosi’s poem ‘Ode to the Recluse’.
Suddenly he thought of his friend Dai Andao, who lived in San. Immediately he took a boat and went to see Dai. It required the whole night for him to reach Dai’s house. But when he was just about to knock at the door, he stopped and returned home.
When asked about the reason for this act, he replied, ‘I came on the impulse of my pleasure, and now it is ended, so I go back. Why should I see Dai?’
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通常说，中国文人修身养性，对快乐要有更深层领悟和高深需求，而不只是物欲享受。他们的行动率性纯真，但无意于物欲快感。
这里有个王子猷的故事，出自‘世说新语’。
王子猷（死于388年）就是王徽之，书圣王羲之（321-379）的儿子。
‘王子猷居山阴，夜大雪，眠觉，开室，命酌酒。
四望皎然，因起彷徨，咏左思《招隐诗》。
忽忆戴安道，时戴在剡，即便夜乘小船就之。经宿方至，造门不前而返。
人问其故，王曰：“吾本乘兴而行，兴尽而返，何必见戴？”’