We feel a natural responsibility towards people. Especially when we have shared some part of our lives with them and have built bonds with them. It can be hard to leave people behind when you've seen the good side of them. But how far do you take it? An extreme example is cleaning your blood out of the carpet and making excuses for the guy who beat you. A less extreme, but parallel example is putting up with a torrent of needling, whining, devious, intelligently manipulative abuse from an ex because you know he is lonely and unhappy.
Life is a beautifully and hopelessly complex web of human relations and interactions. We all bounce around, affecting and influencing the people we meet for better or worse. Your outlook on life and your situation has been moulded by hundreds of different people over the past 24 years. Some you met for a moment, some you have known for decades. Some impacts have been minor and some have competely altered the course of your life.
We cannot claim and accept responsibility for everybody we meet. We are not able to juggle the needs and priorities of everone. We could not possibly be reasonably expected to do so. The best we can do is single out that small band of people who mean the most to us and try to be good to them. Each of us creates our own little tribe of people we love. Mum, Dad, Kai, Paul, Bevis, Callum...whoever means a lot to you - genuinely fucking matters to you - you should look out for, and expect the same in return from them.
You are NOT responsible for everyone. It's sweet that you want to be but it will end up hurting you. As you said earlier, you cant have an open door permanently for everybody to dump their worries on you. You have your own problems that need your attention and you're working on them and struggling with them. One of the methods by which you can improve your situation is cutting the negative things out of your life using a blunt knife.
AEIOU - Wes Eisold.
Sitting only cuz I couldn't stand to walk much further under black skies with watered eyes I was watching the tide rolling in
And I was thinking I should make fun here and start over again My legs barely hold all of my heart and soul My ears hardly hear
only our sound is clear My mouth merely moves the words just disappear My eyes see so clear the reason to care Maybe we weren't
supposed to wake up today Leaving me room only to celebrate that nothing's changed If I was there- If you were here the world
could end I wouldn't care So wake me up never, please, lock the door, and lose the keys My legs barely hold all of my heart and
soul My ears hardly hear only our sound is clear My mouth merely moves the words just disappear My eyes see so clear the reason
to care To set the record straight- I never could relate And just when it all went wrong- You sang a different song Never knew
someone who knew how the years had been and I never thought that I would ever end up like this So hidden, far and gone, I'm so crowded
alone And I hope you understand, you fixed my broken plan
And I was thinking I should make fun here and start over again My legs barely hold all of my heart and soul My ears hardly hear
only our sound is clear My mouth merely moves the words just disappear My eyes see so clear the reason to care Maybe we weren't
supposed to wake up today Leaving me room only to celebrate that nothing's changed If I was there- If you were here the world
could end I wouldn't care So wake me up never, please, lock the door, and lose the keys My legs barely hold all of my heart and
soul My ears hardly hear only our sound is clear My mouth merely moves the words just disappear My eyes see so clear the reason
to care To set the record straight- I never could relate And just when it all went wrong- You sang a different song Never knew
someone who knew how the years had been and I never thought that I would ever end up like this So hidden, far and gone, I'm so crowded
alone And I hope you understand, you fixed my broken plan
SCUM manifesto
So I thought I'd introduce you to Valerie Solanas. One very angry woman. She hates men with such a disgust its funny. I have extracted some of my favourite paragraphs from her book SCUM manifesto. Read with caution if you are easily offended dont read!
''He cant relate to anything other than his own physical sensations.He is a half dead, unresponsive lump,incapable of giving or recieving pleasure or happiness; consequently,he at best is an utter bore.''
''Obssesed with screwing; He will swim through a river of snot,wade nostril deep through a mile of vomit,if he thinks there will be a friendly pussy awaiting him.He'll screw a woman he despises,any snaggletoothed hag, and furthermore pay for the opportunity.Why?Relieving physical tension isn't the answer, as masturbation suffices for that.Its not ego satisfaction;that doesnt explain screwing corpses and babies.''
The book is an interesting read to say the least, although i dont agree with most of what she is saying, still worth owning!
''He cant relate to anything other than his own physical sensations.He is a half dead, unresponsive lump,incapable of giving or recieving pleasure or happiness; consequently,he at best is an utter bore.''
''Obssesed with screwing; He will swim through a river of snot,wade nostril deep through a mile of vomit,if he thinks there will be a friendly pussy awaiting him.He'll screw a woman he despises,any snaggletoothed hag, and furthermore pay for the opportunity.Why?Relieving physical tension isn't the answer, as masturbation suffices for that.Its not ego satisfaction;that doesnt explain screwing corpses and babies.''
The book is an interesting read to say the least, although i dont agree with most of what she is saying, still worth owning!
Everything is ok....The love police.
These guys are great political activists, they crudely point out many facts that people have grown complacent with. check them out :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQrsA3m8Bg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQrsA3m8Bg
So Poetically put....
HOWARD MARKS on the use of drugs and laws.
Is it any wonder that laws prohibiting the use of psychoactive drugs have been traditionally ignored? The monstrous ego (or stupidity!) of a person or group of persons, to believe that they or anyone else have the right, or the jurisdiction, to police the inside of my body or my mind!
it is, in fact, so monstrous a wrong that, were it not so sad – indeed, tragic! – it might be humorous.
All societies must, it seems, have a structure of laws, of orderly rules and regulations. Only the most hard-core, fanatical anarchist would argue that point. But I, as a responsible, adult human being, will never concede the power, to anyone, to regulate
my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inward is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the Customs Agent. I am the Coast Guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual Government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable!!!
Now, were I to be guilty of invading or sabotaging that same territory in others, then the external law of the Nation has every right – indeed, the responsibility – to prosecute me in the agreed-upon manner.
But what I think? Where I focus my awareness? What biochemical reactions I choose to cause within the territorial boundaries of my own skin are not subject to the beliefs, morals, laws or preferences of any other person!
I am a sovereign state, and I feel that my borders are far more sacred than the politically drawn boundaries of any country
Is it any wonder that laws prohibiting the use of psychoactive drugs have been traditionally ignored? The monstrous ego (or stupidity!) of a person or group of persons, to believe that they or anyone else have the right, or the jurisdiction, to police the inside of my body or my mind!
it is, in fact, so monstrous a wrong that, were it not so sad – indeed, tragic! – it might be humorous.
All societies must, it seems, have a structure of laws, of orderly rules and regulations. Only the most hard-core, fanatical anarchist would argue that point. But I, as a responsible, adult human being, will never concede the power, to anyone, to regulate
my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inward is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the Customs Agent. I am the Coast Guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual Government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable!!!
Now, were I to be guilty of invading or sabotaging that same territory in others, then the external law of the Nation has every right – indeed, the responsibility – to prosecute me in the agreed-upon manner.
But what I think? Where I focus my awareness? What biochemical reactions I choose to cause within the territorial boundaries of my own skin are not subject to the beliefs, morals, laws or preferences of any other person!
I am a sovereign state, and I feel that my borders are far more sacred than the politically drawn boundaries of any country
From Absurdity comes Atrocity.
Some absurd news headlines for the past week. This is ACTUALLY happening so be warned everything is NOT ok....
Eating carrots makes you more attractive.- Yahoo
Freethinking is a mental health issue- Off the Grid news
Infected eggs enter England- Yahoo
White Girls 'easy meat' for Pakistani rapists says Straw- The Guardian
Why are dead birds falling from the sky? -Channel 4 news
Fireman member of £100million cocaine gang- Channel 4 news
Siberian Tiger attacks bus driver and kills in china- International news.
(SIBERIAN tigers in china???)
Kids drenched in blood! International news.com
(sorry but i HAD to insert the link for this here as its bloody hilarious!!)
So if ALL of this is true, the average day would go something like this...
You will Go to call the gangster criminal firemen to resolve the fire caused in your house by black people, Meanwhile on the way to the phonebox you are smacked in the head with dead birds falling from the sky, If your a girl beware though as the pakistanis will rape you, especially if you have been eating carrots!If you try to think freely about how to get out of this situation you will just be sectioned and A wild horrible creature in the wrong country will probably just kill you anyway. And this is all before you have had your breakfast of poisonous eggs by the way.
One who makes people believe such absurdities can also make them commit atrocities ~ VOLATAIRE
Eating carrots makes you more attractive.- Yahoo
Freethinking is a mental health issue- Off the Grid news
Infected eggs enter England- Yahoo
White Girls 'easy meat' for Pakistani rapists says Straw- The Guardian
Why are dead birds falling from the sky? -Channel 4 news
Fireman member of £100million cocaine gang- Channel 4 news
Siberian Tiger attacks bus driver and kills in china- International news.
(SIBERIAN tigers in china???)
Kids drenched in blood! International news.com
(sorry but i HAD to insert the link for this here as its bloody hilarious!!)
So if ALL of this is true, the average day would go something like this...
You will Go to call the gangster criminal firemen to resolve the fire caused in your house by black people, Meanwhile on the way to the phonebox you are smacked in the head with dead birds falling from the sky, If your a girl beware though as the pakistanis will rape you, especially if you have been eating carrots!If you try to think freely about how to get out of this situation you will just be sectioned and A wild horrible creature in the wrong country will probably just kill you anyway. And this is all before you have had your breakfast of poisonous eggs by the way.
One who makes people believe such absurdities can also make them commit atrocities ~ VOLATAIRE
What are they trying to tell me now?!?!
Honestly....Apparently Free thinking is now a wait...wait... MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE!!!
Ok so Swine flu,I get, Mad cow disease I get, Even the infected Eggs thing I get as clever scare tactics, but the extracts you are about to read....Well my first thought was Wow. Im really not sure what to make of it. The full Article can be found at the link at the bottom of this post. Tell me what you think....
Is Free Thinking A Mental Illness?
Is nonconformity and freethinking a mental illness? According to the newest addition of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it certainly is. The manual identifies a new mental illness called “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD. Defined as an “ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior,” symptoms include questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.
New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior. In the past, these were called “personality traits,” but now they’re diseases.
And there are treatments available.
The Soviet Union used new “mental illnesses” for political repression. People who didn’t accept the beliefs of the Communist Party developed a new type of schizophrenia. They suffered from the delusion of believing communism was wrong. They were isolated, forcefully medicated, and put through repressive “therapy” to bring them back to sanity.
When the last edition of the DSM-IV was published, identifying the symptoms of various mental illnesses in children, there was a jump in the diagnosis and medication of children. Some states have laws that allow protective agencies to forcibly medicate, and even make it a punishable crime to withhold medication. This paints a chilling picture for those of us who are nonconformists.
Please read the full article at
http://www.offthegridnews.com/2010/10/08/is-free-thinking-a-mental-illness/
Ok so Swine flu,I get, Mad cow disease I get, Even the infected Eggs thing I get as clever scare tactics, but the extracts you are about to read....Well my first thought was Wow. Im really not sure what to make of it. The full Article can be found at the link at the bottom of this post. Tell me what you think....
Is Free Thinking A Mental Illness?
Is nonconformity and freethinking a mental illness? According to the newest addition of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it certainly is. The manual identifies a new mental illness called “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD. Defined as an “ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior,” symptoms include questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.
New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior. In the past, these were called “personality traits,” but now they’re diseases.
And there are treatments available.
The Soviet Union used new “mental illnesses” for political repression. People who didn’t accept the beliefs of the Communist Party developed a new type of schizophrenia. They suffered from the delusion of believing communism was wrong. They were isolated, forcefully medicated, and put through repressive “therapy” to bring them back to sanity.
When the last edition of the DSM-IV was published, identifying the symptoms of various mental illnesses in children, there was a jump in the diagnosis and medication of children. Some states have laws that allow protective agencies to forcibly medicate, and even make it a punishable crime to withhold medication. This paints a chilling picture for those of us who are nonconformists.
Please read the full article at
http://www.offthegridnews.com/2010/10/08/is-free-thinking-a-mental-illness/
Charles Bukowski ~~ The Crunch
too much too little
too fat
too thin
or nobody.
laughter or
tears
haters
lovers
strangers with faces like
the backs of
thumb tacks
armies running through
streets of blood
waving winebottles
bayoneting and fucking
virgins.
an old guy in a cheap room
with a photograph of M. Monroe.
there is a loneliness in this world so great
that you can see it in the slow movement of
the hands of a clock
people so tired
mutilated
either by love or no love.
people just are not good to each other
one on one.
the rich are not good to the rich
the poor are not good to the poor.
we are afraid.
our educational system tells us
that we can all be
big-ass winners
it hasn't told us
about the gutters
or the suicides.
or the terror of one person
aching in one place
alone
untouched
unspoken to
watering a plant.
people are not good to each other.
people are not good to each other.
people are not good to each other.
I suppose they never will be.
I don't ask them to be.
but sometimes I think about
it.
the beads will swing
the clouds will cloud
and the killer will behead the child
like taking a bite out of an ice cream cone.
too much
too little
too fat
too thin
or nobody
more haters than lovers.
people are not good to each other.
perhaps if they were
our deaths would not be so sad.
meanwhile I look at young girls
stems
flowers of chance.
there must be a way.
surely there must be a way that we have not yet
though of.
who put this brain inside of me?
it cries
it demands
it says that there is a chance.
it will not say
"no."
too fat
too thin
or nobody.
laughter or
tears
haters
lovers
strangers with faces like
the backs of
thumb tacks
armies running through
streets of blood
waving winebottles
bayoneting and fucking
virgins.
an old guy in a cheap room
with a photograph of M. Monroe.
there is a loneliness in this world so great
that you can see it in the slow movement of
the hands of a clock
people so tired
mutilated
either by love or no love.
people just are not good to each other
one on one.
the rich are not good to the rich
the poor are not good to the poor.
we are afraid.
our educational system tells us
that we can all be
big-ass winners
it hasn't told us
about the gutters
or the suicides.
or the terror of one person
aching in one place
alone
untouched
unspoken to
watering a plant.
people are not good to each other.
people are not good to each other.
people are not good to each other.
I suppose they never will be.
I don't ask them to be.
but sometimes I think about
it.
the beads will swing
the clouds will cloud
and the killer will behead the child
like taking a bite out of an ice cream cone.
too much
too little
too fat
too thin
or nobody
more haters than lovers.
people are not good to each other.
perhaps if they were
our deaths would not be so sad.
meanwhile I look at young girls
stems
flowers of chance.
there must be a way.
surely there must be a way that we have not yet
though of.
who put this brain inside of me?
it cries
it demands
it says that there is a chance.
it will not say
"no."
Very Immense words....
In this democracy I as a citizen
reserve the right to stand up for what I believe in
In this democracy I as a citizen I’m not accountable to the government
In this democracy the government is accountable to us, the people
In this democracy the government is elected by us, the people
To represent us, the people
In our best interests, on a national and international scale
And if they’re not doing so, In this democracy,
I as a citizen reserve the right
To rise up
I will not move, I will not change
I will not bend over their games
I will stand tall with a full frame
I will take pride to stake the claim
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To stand up for what I believe in
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To not just sit around, bitching and mourning
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To take action if action be needed
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To realize that the power is with us
And no one else…
I will not move, I will not change…
Video can be found here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQLOj_-lyZI&playnext=1&list=PL90CD940002ABE71A&index=4
reserve the right to stand up for what I believe in
In this democracy I as a citizen I’m not accountable to the government
In this democracy the government is accountable to us, the people
In this democracy the government is elected by us, the people
To represent us, the people
In our best interests, on a national and international scale
And if they’re not doing so, In this democracy,
I as a citizen reserve the right
To rise up
I will not move, I will not change
I will not bend over their games
I will stand tall with a full frame
I will take pride to stake the claim
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To stand up for what I believe in
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To not just sit around, bitching and mourning
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To take action if action be needed
I swear, as a citizen of this country
To realize that the power is with us
And no one else…
I will not move, I will not change…
Video can be found here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQLOj_-lyZI&playnext=1&list=PL90CD940002ABE71A&index=4
TOLSTOY...a pretty deep and yet nice philosophy to live by
One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter:
What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?
The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.
Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.
Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.
Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.
The responses to the second question also lacked accord.
One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.
After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.
Reaching the holy man’s dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.
The emperor approached him and said, “I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?”
The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, “You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that.” The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, “Why don’t you rest now? I can take over again.” But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, “I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can’t give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home.”
The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, “Do you hear someone running over there?” The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man’s clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.
At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit’s bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, “Please forgive me.”
“But what have you done that I should forgive you?” the emperor asked.
“You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn’t met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness.”
The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man’s property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.
The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. “But your questions have already been answered.”
“How’s that?” the emperor asked, puzzled.
“Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”
What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?
The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.
Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.
Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.
Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.
The responses to the second question also lacked accord.
One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.
After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.
Reaching the holy man’s dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.
The emperor approached him and said, “I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?”
The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, “You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that.” The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, “Why don’t you rest now? I can take over again.” But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, “I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can’t give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home.”
The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, “Do you hear someone running over there?” The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man’s clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.
At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit’s bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, “Please forgive me.”
“But what have you done that I should forgive you?” the emperor asked.
“You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn’t met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness.”
The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man’s property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.
The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. “But your questions have already been answered.”
“How’s that?” the emperor asked, puzzled.
“Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”