The Futility of it all
I read a very interesting tale today. There was this Japanese monk in a cottage. This thief comes up to the cottage and sees a sign called "Monk". He ignores the sign or thinks "monk" means something else. It does not matter.
What matters is that he enters the cottage with an intent to steal.
He finds nothing in the cottage. He is very angry and rebukes the monk for having no possessions. As he prepares to leave the cottage the monk feels bad for him and seeing that he has nothing to offer to the thief, gives him his clothes. The thief takes the clothes and leaves the cottage.
As he leaves, the monk-now naked-looks at the moon which is shining brightly in the sky. Such a beautiful moon, he says, I wish I could give that to the thief.
I read the tale. I took it to be about giving till it hurts and all that. Then after a second I saw a little differently.
The point of the tale is that the monk could not have given the moon even if he had wanted to.
I read a very interesting tale today. There was this Japanese monk in a cottage. This thief comes up to the cottage and sees a sign called "Monk". He ignores the sign or thinks "monk" means something else. It does not matter.
What matters is that he enters the cottage with an intent to steal.
He finds nothing in the cottage. He is very angry and rebukes the monk for having no possessions. As he prepares to leave the cottage the monk feels bad for him and seeing that he has nothing to offer to the thief, gives him his clothes. The thief takes the clothes and leaves the cottage.
As he leaves, the monk-now naked-looks at the moon which is shining brightly in the sky. Such a beautiful moon, he says, I wish I could give that to the thief.
I read the tale. I took it to be about giving till it hurts and all that. Then after a second I saw a little differently.
The point of the tale is that the monk could not have given the moon even if he had wanted to.
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