How the Flower Might Feel

           There are two monks in a small hermitage by the lake: one old, one young. The boy monk, immature yet, ties rocks around a fish, a frog, and snake and then giggles. The old monk was watching him quietly. At night, the master brought a big rock and a strong rope and tied it around the boy just like he did to animals. When he wakes up in the morning and begs for forgiveness, the old monk tells him to untie the animals first. The boy finds two of them dead, and cries. What the monk says is the main theme of the story: ‘now you know how the animals felt. If they are dead, you will have a rock on your mind forever.’

           People often ignore how the others might feel as a result of their actions, although caring for others is not that hard. If we want to be happy together, there is just one simple rule you must remember: imagining that you are in their position.

           When I was young and immature, like the boy monk, I made a similar mistake. On my way to school, I spotted a field of beautiful flowers in red, orange, and pink. Since there were so many of them, I figured it would be just fine to take one. So I picked the biggest red flower and gave it to my mother, expecting appreciation.

           She didn’t give one. Instead, she admonished gently about how the flower might hurt. It was a huge shock for me since I haven’t thought that way. I apologized to the poor red flower. After that, I learned to think in others' positions.