The Lesson Of King Hashnu

Friday, May 17, 2019

A Japanese story: One day, a stonecutter named Hashnu became miserable and discontent while cutting stone, despising his life as a stone-cutter. As he complained, the king rode by on his horse. "If Hashnu only a king could be," said Hashnu. A voice said, "Be thou the king." Hashnu became king. But while king, Hashnu was overcome by the heat of the sun and realized that the sun was stronger than he was. So he desired to become the sun. But then a cloud came and blocked out the light of the sun. So Hashnu became the cloud. Then the cloud burst on the land, flooding everything, moving everything in its path, except for a huge rock. The rock was stronger than him, so Hashnu became the rock. Then a man with a hammer and chisel came to the rock and began cutting it. Only then did he realize that he was more powerful being content as himself.

From Message #661 - The Private and the General