PureInsight | March 25, 2007
[PureInsight.org] There was once an old withered tree growing amidst
the forest in the high lands. It was winter and snowing, and very
cold.
One day, a bird flew in from far away. The bird was tired and hungry so he landed on the old tree's shoulder to rest.
"Friend, have you come from far away?" The old tree asked the bird.
"I have. Yes I have flown from very, very far away, I am passing through and want to take a rest," the bird answered.
"Is it beautiful where you come from?" The old tree asked.
"It is. It is very beautiful there. There are flowers,
grass, streams and lakes. There are also my many friends-little
fish, little rabbit, little squirrel, we live very happy lives; it
really is not lonely at all. And it is very warm there, not so
cold as it is here.
"Oh, it is, you are very fortunate! It isn't warm here-the
weather is very cold. I have never left this spot, nor do I have
any friends, my life is very solitary," the old tree sighed.
"Ah, how unfortunate! How lonely your life must be, and the
little warmth you know is far too little," the bird sighed emotionally.
Right then, a few people passed through the forest, they were cold and tired.
"If we only had a fire we would be able to roast and would be fine." One of the people said.
All of the sudden they discovered there was an old withered tree next to the road. They walked excitedly over to the tree.
When the bird saw the axes in their hands, he quickly flew to another tree.
A few of them raised their axes and cut the old tree down. Then they chopped it into firewood.
Shortly thereafter they had a fire roaring despite the ice and
snow. The people sat around the fire enjoying the warmth.
As they were no longer freezing, they smiled in content.
"What a pitiful old tree!" the bird cried out. "Before you were so lonely, living alone in this frigid world!"
The old tree smiled amidst the flames, "Friend, do not pity me.
No matter how lonely I was in the past, but in this world, at least
some lives were warm because of me."
Translated from: http://zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/3/6/42557.html
