(Photo source: Pexels)
A king loved his little daughter very much and built a beautiful garden for her. One day, the little princess stood on the balcony and watched the scenery. She saw colorful drops appearing in the running water under the sunlight. She liked it very much and asked her father to give these beautiful pearls to her.
The king knew it was impossible, but in order to please his daughter, he ordered his ministers to obtain the colourful water droplets within seven days. In order to survive, the ministers had to post notices asking for people who could get the colorful water beads.
A sage teaches about impermanence
A sage from a distant land saw that people were worried about this and said that there was a way to fulfill the princess's request.
The sage came to the palace, gave the princess a net, and asked her to catch the most beautiful water droplets.
The sage said: "The water flows down from a high place and forms sparkling droplets. If Your Highness can tell whether they are water or pearls, I will have a way to get it for you."
As soon as the princess tried to catch the sparkling water droplets with the net, they burst and disappeared. She tried again and again, eventually realising that it was just water. The sage told her: "Life is like water droplets formed by the endless flow of water, constantly changing."
Awakening to know what is unreal
The princess was enlightened after hearing this, so she invited the sage to remain at the palace and accepted him as her teacher. She later became a princess who governed with wisdom and compassion.
Life is as fleeting as the morning dew, as swift as a flash of lightning. Do not mistake the illusory for the real. Everything in the world is fleeting, even your own body, you only have "right to use" but no "ownership".
In life, one must guard one's intentions. If one loses control of the mind through a single misguided thought, it is like a drunken person who is unable to distinguish between right and wrong. Such confusion leads to the creation of bad karma and brings unrest to the world. A wrong thought can cause harm to the world; a good thought can also benefit the world. You should be open-minded, distinguish right from wrong, and do the right things seriously.
Translated by Yang Yu Jia
Share 
