Welcome friends to another post

In yesterday’s post  (which you can find here), I referred to a Chinese fable, and I said I’d share the story in its entirety with you. So, today, here it is. I came across the fable by chance (not that there is any such thing of course) and I have added a few of my own embellishments.

So please enjoy.

There was once a great sage, a wise wandering monk, who as he travelled from village to village would, by his simple presence and through conversations with the people he met, show people the Tao. Through his life and words he demonstrated to those he met how they could also follow The Way

One day as the sun was setting, the monk entered the outskirts of a rather large village, more a town of substance than a village. As was his custom, the great sage followed the road that would lead him to the centre of the town.

Before long, he was approached by a man dressed in the garb of a government official. The official bowed deeply to the monk and told him that his master, the town mayor, requested the visitor’s presence and would be greatly honoured if he would join his master for the evening meal at the mayor’s home.

Returning the bow, the sage readily accepted the summons and proceeded to follow the official to the mayor’s house where he was greeted by the mayor himself and his family.

After a sumptuous dinner the monk sat with the mayor sharing tea and conversing in a friendly manner. The sage posed a question to the mayor.

‘Tell me sir. Suppose a man came to your door and told you that there was a tiger running loose in the middle of the town. Would you believe him?’

The mayor, although surprised by ths unusual question, did not hesitate.

‘No,’ he said quietly. ‘If one man told me, I would not believe it.’

‘Well,’ the sage smiled as he began to speak again. ‘Suppose two men came to the door and told you there was a tiger loose in the middle of the town. Would you believe them?’

This time the mayor hesitated, giving himself time to think about his response.

‘No,’ he began after a moment’s thought. ‘If two men told me, I would not believe .’

‘Very well then,’ the sage said. ‘Let us suppose that three men came to your door and told you there was a tiger loose in the middle of the town. Would you believe them?’

This time the mayor had to really stop and think. After a couple of minutes he answered the sage.

‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘If three men told me there was a tiger in the middle of the town, then I would beleive them.’

‘Very interesting,’ the wise one replied gently. ‘Interesting because there still is no tiger in the middle of the town.’