A long time ago in a village, there was a ridge called Three-Year Hill. Legend had it that if someone fell from the hill he would live only three more years, so that's how the ridge got it's name. Since nobody like the ideas of crossing the hill, they all took a detour.
One day, an old man who had visited a village on the other side of hill was coming back late at night. With some reluctance, he decided to cross the ridge. He walked cautiously, but because he was very nervous, he soon lost his footing and fell down the hill. He sat there stunned for a long time before going home.
After that, he fell into a deep depression because he knew his life would be over in three years. He lost his appetite and became weaker and weaker, until he was finally bed-ridden. A very clever body who live next door heard the old man's story and visited him.
"Sir, don't worry. I have a great idea."
"What do you mean? I only have three more years to live. What great idea could you possible have?"
"You should go back to the Three-Year Hill and fall down again."
The old man listened in disbelief. Reaching to beat the boy with his wooden pillow, he yelled,
"What? Are you kidding? Do you want me to die tomorrow morning? Get out of my house now!"
The boy tried very patiently to explain, "Listen, sir--"
"Stop this! Get out!"
"Sir, listen. If you fall down the hill, you will live only three years. Am I right?"
"So what?" asked the old man.
"Then, if you fall there twice, you can live six more years. If you fall three times, it totals nine years. So if you fall down ten times, you can live 30 more years. Doesn't that make sense to you?"
At last, the old man understood the wise words of the boy. He sprang from his bed, ran up Three-Year Hill, and rolled down. And he did it again and again. After that, he lived a long, happy life.
Moral of the story: What we believe becomes the truth. The truth that was not tested but followed blindly becomes dogma of which will kill us sooner or later. How about you? What is your truth in life? Do you prefer to follow dogma blindly, the way of others doing things? Or are truthful person who would like to follow the path that are not familiar but willing to explore with an open heart?
The path full of rules and dogma will deliver us fear, pain, anguish, and unhappiness that will curtail our well-being and happiness in life.
The path filled with healthy faith and truth, will relieve any sufferings that are imposed upon by others as well as us, thus leading us a life that will amplify our well-being and happiness and life span.
Wesak Day is around the corner. The Shakhyamuni Buddha's life was the shining example of someone who upheld the Truth beyond the three worlds. And elevated the mankind into different levels, from suffering to happiness, from ignorance to engligntenment by setting direct example with his own lif.
Though you might or might not be a buddhist, but I still like to you wish you all Truth and Enlightenment in the years to come.
Happy Wesak Day!
