At any gathering, glasses are raised first to the wealthy and powerful. This is not a modern phenomenon, but a pattern repeated for millennia. To observe this and feel disdain, thinking oneself above such behavior, is merely another form of attachment—a quiet pride in one's own supposed superiority.
The wise person neither condemns nor celebrates this reality. They understand that social hierarchy has always existed, that honor is often paid to position and fortune. The one who offers a toast may be following custom, not flattering. The one who receives it may be accepting their role, not boasting.
True wisdom lies in moving through this world with clarity and ease. You need not seek others' admiration, nor must you deliberately distance yourself from the crowd. Wealth and poverty, status and obscurity—all are fleeting. Even your own pride in being "above it all" is another illusion to release.
When you see the wine poured for the honored guest, let it remind you: the heart that clings to nothing is free. Neither swayed by the world's currents nor trapped by its own judgments, it simply observes, understands, and moves on.
In that single cup of wine lies a lifetime of insight—if you have the eyes to see.