Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A Parable - Off The Horns of a Dilemma

Here is one story that addresses the issue of the either-or dilemma with a surprising alternative choice. It comes from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-zen Writings, collected by Paul Reps.

"A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down, to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.

Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!"

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