Why do some people feel that life is full of hardships, regardless of how hard they work, they cannot accomplish much in life? I would like to share with all an interesting story that I once heard…
A great master had a disciple who loved to complain about everything in life. One day, the master asked the disciple to buy a packet of salt. After buying the salt, he asked his disciple to add some salt into a glass of water and drank some. The master asked his disciple: “How is the taste?” The disciple frowned and replied: “So salty that one feels miserable just by drinking it!”
Next, the master brought the disciple to the side of a lake and told him to pour the remaining glass of salted water into the lake. Again, he asked his disciple to taste the water in the lake. The disciple did as he was told and his master asked again: “How does the water taste?” This time round, the disciple smiled and praised: “Clean, pure and sweet!”
The master smilingly told his disciple: “Hardships in life is similar to salt. Whether it is salty or bland depends on the size of the container.” The greater the capacity, the more water a container can carry. Even after adding salt, we will not taste any saltiness or bitterness in a big container. On the contrary, the water may even taste sweet.
Hence if a person is magnanimous and has a magnanimous heart, he will smile and not feel miserable even when he faces obstacles in life! Moreover, he will put himself in the shoes of others and think from their perspective to share and lighten the burden of others.
Even when he is engaged in a heated argument with others, he will still take a step back and think from the other’s perspective.
Therefore, people who are broad-minded get through adversities in life without getting affected easily. As our minds broadens, we will not be easily troubled over mundane problems in life!
As the saying goes: [A person of good virtue will always be surrounded by friends and neighbors]. In this way, we will achieve more in life and good fortune and blessings will naturally come to us.
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