Ancient Wisdom: The Master And The Scorpion
A spiritual master saw a scorpion drowning and decided to pull it out of the water. When he did, the scorpion stung him.
Out of pain, the master pulled his hand away from the creature, which fell back into the water, about to drown.
The master tried to pull the scorpion out again but the scorpion stung him once more.
Puzzled, a young disciple who was there approached the master and asked:
- Excuse me master, but why do you go on? Don't you understand that every time you try to pull the scorpion out of the water it stings you?
The master replied:
- The nature of the scorpion is to sting and that will not change mine, which is to help.
Saying this and trying this time with the help of a leaf, the master pulled the scorpion out of the water and saved his life.
Then turning to his young disciple, he continued:
- Don't change your nature if someone hurts you, just take precautions, because people are almost always ungrateful for the help you give them. But this is no reason to stop doing good, to abandon the compassion that is your very nature.
People should try to follow the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, no matter the circumstance. By doing so, they will live a happy life, as the Universe will reward those who follow its fundamental nature, which is in fact their own inner nature.
Worry more about your conscience than your reputation. Because your conscience is who you are, and your reputation is what others think of you.
