A Magic Mirrors
Once upon a time, a master was greatly impressed by the service of his disciple. After completing his education, when the disciple was about to leave, the master gave him a mirror as a blessing. It was not an ordinary mirror; it was a magic mirror with the ability to reveal the true thoughts of any person's mind and heart.
The disciple was very happy to receive the mirror as a blessing. Curious, he decided to check the mirror before leaving. Turning it towards his master, he saw bad qualities like attachment and arrogance visible in the master's heart. Shocked, the disciple realized that his master, whom he considered without any bad qualities, had flaws.
Feeling sad, the disciple decided to use the mirror to check people wherever he went. He found that everyone had some bad qualities in their hearts. This realization made him even more disheartened. Returning home, he used the mirror on his parents, only to find that even they were not completely free from demerits.
Overwhelmed by the belief that the world was filled with falsehood and bad qualities, the disciple could no longer bear it. Carrying the mirror, he walked towards the monastery and stood in front of his master. Seeing the disciple's restlessness, the master guessed what had happened.
Humbly, the disciple explained, "Master, with the mirror you gave me, I saw many bad qualities in everyone's heart, including you and my parents. I haven't found any pure-hearted people. This has made my mind extremely restless. Is there no person with a pure heart in the entire world?"
The master laughed and turned the mirror towards the disciple. To his astonishment, the disciple saw every corner of his mind filled with bad qualities – attachment, hatred, arrogance, anger, and greed. There was no part of his mind or heart that was pure.
The master then said, "My son, I gave you this mirror to help you improve your life by recognizing your own flaws, not to find the faults in others. If you had spent as much time improving yourself as you did finding the bad qualities in others, your life would be different."
In our life, the magic mirror in the story symbolizes our conscience, a true intelligence. The lesson is to focus on self-improvement rather than judging others.
Author : Unknow
Comments (1) :
leksunseen
Dec. 5, 2023, 6:49 p.m.Self improvement indeed is very important. Many wise man of past have taught the same and further the core Budhist teachings dwell on self improvement and enlightment .