The Mad King

"Our whole country is sad because of our king's illness. How can we cure the madness of our king?" a concerned official asked a group of healers.

"I prescribed the bitterest herb to our king, yet still it didn't help," lamented a herbalist.

"Have you tried lizards' tongues and snakes' gallbladders?" asked the official.

"Thank you for reminding me of these rare medicines, I'll try them on him tomorrow," said the herbalist, bowing.

Then an acupuncturist spoke, "I have put needles on every part of our king's body but he didn't respond."

"But have you used large needles? I mean those as thick as hay stalks?" asked the official.

"No, but I have many such large needles at home and I'll use them on our king tomorrow," replied the acupuncturist.

After the conference these concerned citizens went home to prepare for tomorrow.

The king, however, was the only person in this country who had not drunk from a tainted well. In reality, it wasn't the king, but everyone else, affected by the water, who was truly crazy! Since the king was the only person remaining sober, he was treated for his "madness" every day by his zealous subjects.

The next day when the king saw the huge needles and menacing lizards' tongues, he couldn't face such treatments any longer and volunteered to drink some of the well water. Soon he became just as crazy as everyone else and the entire country returned to joy.

If someone does something very different from other people, he will be labeled either as "talented" or "weird." Have you ever been labelled one way or the other? I have.

Before Tai Chi became more prevalent in the United States, I was often stopped by police while practicing Tai Chi in public parks. Once a policeman waited until I had finished an entire Tai Chi form before approaching me. "Someone called and told us that there was a man doing some strange movements here in the public park. Then when I saw you moving in such a graceful way, I told myself that you couldn't be mad. But are you?"

Today, when I see someone doing something unique, I defer judgment on whether he is talented or mad, for it is very difficult to tell. Sometimes even that person doesn't know for sure!

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15. One More Time

"All living creatures have an equal right to live freely in this world. So please love them all and kill none," a pious man preached to a group of people. Yet this man was fond of meat, especially turtle meat.

On one occasion a believer offered a turtle for the pious man to release in water. The pious man reassured the believer that the turtle would be freed and that the credit of letting a living thing survive would go to him.

Yes, this turtle-meat lover had indeed promised to release the turtle in water -- hot water. But, being a pious person, the man didn't want to kill. So he put two sticks on top of his kettle, filled it with boiling water, and put the turtle on the sticks, saying, "Now you are free to go."

Realizing that the man was playing a trick on it, the turtle crawled carefully to avoid falling into the boiling water. The careful turtle was utterly exhausted by the time it finally crossed the dangerous bridge.

"Let me see you cross it one more time, you brave little living thing," said the man as he reset the turtle to the beginning position.

Some people can always find ways to justify their real intentions. The man, because he hadn't literally placed the turtle in boiling water, still regarded himself as true to his beliefs.

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65. Playing Music to Buffalos

A certain musician was born and reared in a city and seldom went to the countryside. Once, when he was invited to a country home, the musician brought his instrument with him in order to perform for his host; but the country people were too busy to listen to his music.

Since he saw many water buffalos lying in the field doing nothing, the musician thought, Why not perform for the buffalos? So he decided to sit in front of them and play his favorite music. The music was so beautiful that even the musician himself was moved to tears. But when he took a peep at his audience, he was dismayed to find the buffalos oblivious to what he was playing.

Seeing that his audience was not interested, the musician grew disheartened. But just as he was about to leave, a mosquito flew past his nose. Suddenly inspired, he thought, Why not change the music? With his instrument he began to create some noises resembling mosquitos and flies. Furthermore, when he imitated a lost calf's call for help, many buffalos stood up eagerly and began to move their tails. A satisfied smile came to the musician's face as he finally received a standing ovation!

Music and words have different effects on different people. Do you remember the last time you became frustrated when someone refused to listen to you? Next time instead of getting frustrated, why not change the music?

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101. A Perfect Life

A poor scholar was sitting alone at the corner table of an inn. He had stopped here while on his way home after having failed an examination. The scholar knew he would now never have a prestigious official job or marry the girl of his dream. So there he sat, reflecting on his misfortune.

A holy man at an adjacent table, hearing the scholar's sighs, felt pity for him and gave him a pillow to rest on. The scholar laid his head on the pillow and, as he fell asleep, he noticed an old lady cooking rice.

As soon as the scholar closed his eyes he dreamed he had passed the examination with high grades. He saw himself becoming a high government official and marrying a beautiful woman. As time went by he had many children, all as healthy and intelligent as himself. At work he was a good official, respected by all his subordinates. At home he was an excellent husband and father and loved by his family. By the time he retired he had money, fame and posterity. After retirement, he took up poetry and painting, two things he had always wanted to pursue. Then he envisioned himself one day suddenly dying of old age. It was then that the poor scholar woke up from his dream.

When he looked up he was surprised to find the old lady still cooking her rice.

Since life, even a perfect one, is still as short as cooking some rice, why should we waste time in wishing for a perfect life?

Fortune comes and goes; so does love. But as life comes, it goes, and is gone. You have already spent much time in pursuing money and love. Isn't it time to pay more attention to the joys of life? Smile when you see the morning sun, smell the scent of the honeysuckle in the summertime, and show a little kindness towards a squirrel in the woods.

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