Stories

 Life is like a game of chess; once you place a piece down, there is no regret. These ten short tales hold profound wisdom that will benefit you for a lifetime once you truly understand them.

Story 1

A boatman pushed his boat into the river, crushing several crabs buried in the sand.

A young novice monk hurried over and asked the Zen master: “Is this the passenger’s fault, or the boatman’s?”

The master slowly opened his eyes and said calmly: “This is your fault.”

Confused, the young monk replied: “I did nothing at all. How can this be my fault?”

The master explained: The boatman rows to feed his family; the passenger crosses the river to rush to important business; the crabs burrow into the sand simply to survive. Every living being struggles their hardest to live. Only you stir up trouble out of nothing, stubbornly drawing lines between right and wrong.

All things have their own destined paths; there is no absolute good or evil. The world never lacks people arguing over right and wrong, yet it is scarce to find those who know when to stay silent.

Story 2

A black bear got stung sharply on the tip of its nose by a bee. Overwhelmed by searing pain, the bear flew into a rage and craved revenge. Roaring furiously, it raised its paw and smashed the beehive hanging on the tree.

Its retaliation triggered a swarm of thousands of bees pouring out. The dense cloud of insects wrapped the bear entirely, their stingers piercing its eyes, ears and nostrils like torrential rain. The bear ran madly, crashing into rocky outcrops, and finally plunged into a rushing river, drowning in the deep currents.

Moral

The single bee that stung its nose accounts for merely 10% of its misfortune. The remaining 90% of the disaster was self-inflicted, born purely from its uncontrolled anger and urge for vengeance.

This mirrors real life: you drop a cup in the morning, snap at your child and reduce them to tears; consumed by irritation, you drive recklessly and crash into roadside guardrails. You believe you are punishing external mishaps, yet you only torment and destroy yourself.

It is never trivial incidents that break you, but your extreme reaction to negative emotions.

Life demands not only the courage to advance, but also the wisdom to step back. When faced with terrible people and messy troubles, the noblest response is never endless entanglement. Do not weep over spilt milk, and never overturn the whole table just for a little spilled liquid. Mature people learn to tame their volatile emotions.