Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?
If you look to others for fulfillment,
You will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
You will never be happy with yourself.
In my travels, I came upon a village that had a new temple built over a big well, but no one could draw water from it without paying a price.
I asked about this, and this story was told:
One hundred years ago, there was a group of boys that would go to the well to swim, that is, all but one would dive from the top, for one was crippled and could only watch. With all his heart, he would wish he was like his friends, that his one arm and leg had not been limp since he was born.
One day, when it was especially hot, and he was watching his friends cut up and laugh at the bottom of the well, they all turned to him and stared in awe as if seeing something miraculous.
Katsushika Hokusai [1760-1849] was a brilliant Japanese artist, ukiyo-e [Japenese woodblock] printer, and painter. Though Hokusai is most known for his 36 views of Mount Fuji series, the artistry of his landscape prints capture the senses. Hokusai is my favorite artist, so perhaps I am biased, but his willingness to share his gift so extensively – Read More –
A man walked into a temple. In the middle of the room was a stone. The man sat down on the floor and put his feet up on the stone.
The priest of the temple rushed in and asked, “Don’t you know what a sin you’ve just done? No one can put their feet on such a holy shrine! The punishment for such an act is eternity in Hell.”
The man, humble in his way, answered, “Please accept my apology, for I did not know that what I did was wrong. Can you please place my feet where God won’t be offended?”