Two fireman

Two firemen go into a forest to put out a small fire.

Afterward, they stop to rest. The face of one is all smeared with black, while the other man’s face is completely spotless.

Which of the two will wash his face?

That’s a silly question — the one with the dirty face, you might think.

But you are wrong.

The fireman with the dirty face will look at the other one and assume that he looks like him. And, vice versa, the man with the clean face will see his colleague’s face smeared in with black and think: “I must be dirty too. I’d better wash it.”

This parable by Paulo Coelho illustrates how people are distorted mirrors. What others reflect on you, is not what you want.

Looking outside is deceiving. Search within instead.

Source:  Paulo Coelho

---

The world mirrors the heart

Su Dongpo prided himself on his wit and liked to debate Master Foyin. One day, over tea, he challenged the master. “Foyin, people think you are an enlightened monk, but to me you just look like a big, stinking pile of worthless dung sitting on your pillow all day long.”

Su Dongpo leaned backward and crossed his arms slyly.

Master Foyin placed his hands in prayer position, “My dear Dongpo, but to me you look like a Buddha.”

Su Dongpo grinned and bid Master Foyin farewell.

When Su Dongpo got home, he was wearing a triumphant smile. His sister asked him what happened.

“Today I outsmarted Master Foyin,”Su Dongpo replied, then recounted the events to her.

“Oh no, brother! I’m sorry to tell you this, but you lost badly,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you realize that the world mirrors the heart? Master Foyin sees you as a Buddha because he is a Buddha. You see him as a pile of dung. What does that make you?”

Su Dongpo turned beet red. Then, all of a sudden, he became enlightened.

Source: Jihui (Robert) Peng

---

.

.