The following story is not my own invention, but it is a nice tale that I read in a Zen book my friend Cort brought along one day. I am not sure what prompted him to, but he told me I have to promise to read the book, at least a few pages a day…. I was curious and I did, and I am happy he gave it to me back then, as especially the following story has helped me along the way. It does not impart any secret wisdom, just some very basic and simple life rules that are almost a given and we yet forget to follow… But we have friends who happen to remind us along the way.
An emperor embarks on his search for three essential answers.
What is the right time for each thing to be done? Who is the most important person at any
given time? What is the most important thing at all times?
He sets out to visit a hermit in the woods. He finally meets the wise man and poses the above questions, but the man remains silent and continues to pursue his task, namely digging a hole in the ground.
Eventually, the emperor feels pity with the old man and decides to give him a hand and takes over.
Suddenly, a man shows up, bleeding profusely from a wound.
The emperor attends to his wound, as the man collapses before him. Once he regains onsciousness, he is filled with gratitude and asks for forgiveness, for he is an enemy of the emperor who had come to kill
him on his way back home from his quest in the woods. But since the emperor had failed to show up, he had started to walk back and was met by the emperor’s guards who recognized him and inflicted this wound upon him.
The emperor is happy to be still alive, and reconciles with his former enemy.
Later, he asks the hermit again about the answers and the man replies.
“But you have long gotten the answers…First, the most important task was helping me digging that hole, as that saved your life. Had you returned back home earlier, you would have been met and stabbed by your enemy. In that instance I was the most important person and the pursuit was to help me.
Later, when you attended to the wound of the injured man, that was your most
important task, as otherwise he would have died and you would have never had a chance to reconcile with your former enemy. Back then, he was the most important person and the pursuit was helping him.
Therefore, the most important time for anything is the present
moment, because that is the only time we have dominion over. The most important person is the one you are with, as you never know if you will have another chance to be with them again. And the most important aim is to help others, as that is the pursuit of life.”
