A story once told about a man who was very curious to learn the ways of the world. One day, he asked his wise teacher, “Master, where can I find the most valuable possession of mankind?”
Without much delay, the master gently replied, “From here, you must climb seven mountains and cross seven seas. At the end of your journey, you will find the temple of enlightenment. In the temple, a vault sits at the center. Open it and the most valuable possession that mankind holds dearest will be unveiled in front of you.”
The man immediately set out on a journey and did as what his master told him. When he reached the temple, he immediately saw the vault that could reveal the answer to his question. He became excited. He was expecting to see the rarest kind of diamond or metal that people would die for to have. Then, he opened it. He was surprised to see that nothing was inside but a mirror reflecting his image. He cried, “Master, why did you fool me? There is nothing valuable here. It is just a mere mirror inside.”
Then, his master mystically appeared right before his very eyes. He said, “Be enlightened. You have already seen the most valuable possession you as a man could possibly have.”
I heard this story from years back when I was in still a college freshman taking up a bachelor degree in Psychology. Personally, it struck a chord. The story is simple and it doesn’t need much elaboration. However the message is deep and profound. From the story, some basic truths about life and man are presented for us ponder on and think of.
- It is human nature to ask questions and be curious.
- It takes effort to search for truth and answer. Life is a teacher who doesn’t give the answer right away. You have to find it for yourself.
- Never put your assumption as truth. There are many unexpected circumstances in the end.
- Most of the time, the answer to the most difficult question is a very simple answer.
- Man has successfully explored his world and even beyond, but still fails to see himself.
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