an old zen tale
there once was a king whose people had grown soft and entitled.
Dissatisfied with this state of affairs, he hoped to teach them a
lesson. His plan was simple: He would place a large boulder in the
middle of the main road, completely blocking entry into the city.
He would then hide nearby and observe their reactions. How would
they respond? Would they band together to remove it? Or would they
get discouraged, quit, and return home?
With growing disappointment, the king watched as subject after
subject came to this impediment and turned away. Or, at best, tried
halfheartedly before giving up. Many openly complained or cursed
the king or fortune or bemoaned the inconvenience, but none managed
to do anything about it.
After several days, a lone peasant came along on his way into town.
He did not turn away. Instead he strained and strained, trying to
push it out of the way. Then an idea came to him: He scrambled into
the nearby woods to find something he could use for leverage.
Finally, he returned with a large branch he had crafted into a
lever and deployed it to dislodge the massive rock from the
road.
Beneath the rock were a purse of gold coins and a note from the
king, which said: “The obstacle in the path becomes the path.
Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve
our condition.”
an old zen tale there once was a king whose people had grown
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May 21, 2015 3:47pm
