A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself over the edge.
The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man then saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other.
How sweet it tasted.
- Zen Poem
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I had to read this poem twice! I thought I missed something the first time I read it. Seriously. He is hanging on for dear life and he wants a darn strawberry! LOL Really??? I’m joking.
I understood the moral of the poem. Embrace the moment…while you can! While there was nothing he could do considering that death was waiting for him, above and below, he found something pleasing. A strawberry. A luscious strawberry! Why not have something sweet, while he was able? Possibly his last enjoyment. At least he went for it! How many of us would be able to do that?? Think about it. But don’t wait until you are faced with your worst possible scenario…
Peace.
