The Buddha was in a lotus-filled garden
when he perceived a man named “Kandata” who was squirming in the depths of
Hell. He had been a murderer, an arsonist, and thief. A lifetime of these
causes had put him in hell. He was in the company of others like him.
The Buddha looked further into Kandata’s
life and saw an incident where Kandata came upon a spider. He raised his foot
to stomp on it. Suddenly, he reconsidered, thinking, "There is no doubt
that this spider is also a living being and it is a shame to take its life for
no reason."
In the end he spared the spider.
Kandata reached for the thread and found it
strong enough to hold his weight. Using all his strength he began lifting
himself from Hell.
After some progress, he looked down and saw
hundreds of others behind him climbing on the same spider thread.
He shouted back at them: “Get off! This is
mine!” Just then, the thread broke and Kandata fell back into Hell.
- - - - - - -
Contemplation: Could it be that compassion,
like prayer, is not a one time deal….
Original story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Shared by Mrs. Komal Narang
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