A young Hindu man decided to go and visit his uncle, who lived in another village. His uncle’s village was on the other side of the valley, and was known for its abundance of snakes. The young man had not made the trip alone before, and was somewhat nervous about the snakes. He walked all through the day, reaching his uncle’s home just as night was falling. After his uncle greeted him, tired and dusty, the young man was invited to clean himself in the outdoor shower. As our friend leaned back his head into the stream of water, he stepped backwards onto a thick rope lying on the ground.
Yes, that is the whole story. People often look at me expectantly waiting for explanation. I love this little story, because it calls into challenge things we ‘know to be true’. How many times have we been so absolutely sure about something, because we ‘feel it in our bones’? This story illustrates how easily we can be deceived by our senses, and by our physical reactions. Imagine what would happen to your heart rate if you were the young man stepping on the rope? The true meaning of this story is that it is a Zen Koan, which means that there is no meaning. I hope this story stays with you, and that you share it with your friends.
