1st inch taller | TEXT

[theresnosuchthing]

Once upon a time, in heaven, Buddha sat down and looked into a pond.
And at the bottom of the pond, he saw hell and the damned.
There was a man, in hell, who only had a single good deed to his name.
Once, while walking in the woods, he chose not to kill a spider he was about to crush with his foot.
Buddha felt pity for the man, and threw down a single spider thread for him to climb out of hell.
The man began to climb, and was amazed to realize he might actually get out of hell that way.
But then he noticed others had started climbing up, too, and he feared the thread would snap.
He yelled at the others to get off, that it was his, and that was when thread did snap.
Down and down went the whole lot tumbling, back into the depths of hell.
And Buddha sighed and went on wandering.

(◕‿◕✿)

Comments

[voice]

[syncingdoll]

I think I've heard that tale, once, from Jinan-sensei. It's a little sad, isn't it?

[theresnosuchthing]

I don't know if I'd call it sad, but it makes you think, doesn't it? (￣个￣)

[syncingdoll]

That's what parables are meant for, after all!

Still, the story ends with a sigh. I suppose it's less sad, and more.. an 'oh well?'

[theresnosuchthing]

"...better luck next time"? 〈(゜。゜)

[syncingdoll]

Exactly.

[theresnosuchthing]

Maybe he did! Who knows? ｡◕‿◕｡

[ text ]

[chainsawn]

And nobody thought badly of Buddha for not saving that man..?

[theresnosuchthing]

Why would they? 「(°ヘ°)

[chainsawn]

He just let that person drop back into hell without doing anything to save him.

[theresnosuchthing]

Ah, but isn't the point of the story that everyone is responsible for their own salvation? ヾ(´･ ･｀｡)ノ”

[chainsawn]

Other people should help out.

It's unfair to let someone do something all by themselves. And lonely.

[theresnosuchthing]

To be fair, Buddha did help! o (◡‿◡✿)

[chainsawn]

But he stopped helping when the man needed it the most, right?

[eats_all_the_food]

What the heck was that? You a monk or something?

[theresnosuchthing]

We all have the potential to be monks, if we want. ヾ(●ω●)ノ

[eats_all_the_food]

Yeah, it can't be hard sitting around all day and thinking about stuff that doesn't matter.

[theresnosuchthing]

There's no such thing as stuff that doesn't matter! Because somewhere, someone cares! (✿◠‿◠)

[eats_all_the_food]

Really, What about terrible stuff?

[theresnosuchthing]

Don't be silly! There's no such thing as terrible stuff. （＾ｖ＾）

[files_souls_like_taxes]

That is humanity at it's core. Senseless, and rather lacking in intelligence.

[theresnosuchthing]

Do you really think that? 「(°ヘ°)

[files_souls_like_taxes]

My thesis have not yet been proven wrong. In that little story you told, that man would of been able to escape his damnation if he only focused on himself and not those after him.

[theresnosuchthing]

But isn't the point that the thread snapped because he was selfish and only thinking of himself? (・_・ヾ

[files_souls_like_taxes]

Yes. I was merely saying that even in fairy tales humans are rather lacking in intelligence.

[theresnosuchthing]

No, no, you've got it all wrong! Stories are meant to be that way so you can learn from them! (●⌒∇⌒●)