Today I want to tell you guys a story from The World of Zen in my own written style and sentiment. 

There was once a man who had wandered into a jungle out of obliviousness. Being inside the jungle with nature, he briskly sang and happily danced with not a little enjoyment. Without being aware that he was in the jungle, he could only regain such an awareness when a tiger appeared in front of him, greeting him with its claws and teeth and chasing him. When the man eventually realized that he was in a jungle with a tiger, he failed to sing and dance but quickly found a way to get rid of such a ferocious tiger. From a distance, he saw a cliff, at this juncture, he thought he had no choice but to run to it desperately and, successfully, he got there, and with a huge jump that he had never done before in his life, he was over the tree, grabbing a vine tightly to save himself from falling. Still, the tiger kept wanting him, standing on the precipice and watching him carefully; however, the man felt safe with the vine he grabbed with much contentment. With nothing to do but grab tightly the vine, he teased the tiger, it was over the edge of the cliff, in an air of complacency. He was enjoying the success he got. Nevertheless, when he watched above the vine, he could not but find there stood two mice hungrily eating the vine he held as their meals, at that moment he knew he was going to fall and die.

Nevertheless, the man kept embracing hope, he looked around and around hoping to find another vine without mice having a meal that he could shift the grab. Unexpectedly, what he discovered were some wild strawberries hanging lovely and beautifully over the trees beside him. Without a moment’s thought, he picked one and ate it, the strawberry was so delicious that he couldn’t help saying to himself profusely how nice such a strawberry was! He enjoyed the moment more than ever he enjoyed any moment in his life with strawberry! Yeah, he didn’t just let his life pass by with fears and misfortune.

Presumably, the story may have many abstract interpretations within it. Mine is no matter what your past was or what difficulties you are facing now, don’t let your life just pass by without taking the advantage of the other things in it. There must be blessings in any predicament or even impasse as long as you believe life is so wonderful that it is worth living no matter what. Having the strength to live the moment under any circumstances and fully enjoying it is the real essence of life!