This is a story of a very old and wise Chinese sage by the name of
Ling. I wrote the story in another day and time and, to my knowledge, it
has never been recorded or written down to this date. You are, in fact,
the first person to ever lay eyes on the story. The story is at least
thirty-five years old when I first wrote it. And I'm now sixty-five
years old (I'm near 70 today, 7-5-15)..
Ling was the oldest and wisest of all the Chinese prophets. His major occupation seemed to be footing his way across the countryside and uttering very astute and quotable sayings. One of Lings followers was a young man by the name of Fo Fong. Fo Fong was a devoted disciple. Fo would often follow the Master and ask questions, to which the wise philosopher, Ling, would respond in story and allegory. This was the way Ling taught and often the way that students such as Fo Fong learned.
One day as the pair was passing along the perimeter of a particularly long field, grown high with reeds and rice plants, Fo Fong happened upon the most difficult and perplexing question of all mankind, "What is the meaning and purpose of life," Fo Fong asked Master Ling?
Without responding, the old man kept walking across the field.
"Master," Fo Fong asked again. "Did you not hear my question," he asked, "What is the meaning and purpose of life?"
Again, no reply.
Fo Fong continued to try to keep up with Master Ling.
Finally, they came to a clearing, a tree break, on the other side of the field. Fo Fong was out of breath. Yet, he was delighted too. He was proud of his question on life. He determined that - even in the silence of his master's voice - that he was about to learn the most important answer to all of life's riddles, why? What is life all about?
The two paused by the tree-break. "Come," the old man said. "Daylight is dimming. I have much to show you." And again the two picked up their meager belongings and headed into the forest. The forest was dark and forboding but Fo Fong trusted his teacher and followed along after him, never asking the question again.
Finally, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, the pair passed through the woods and came to edge of a lake, where a small boat had been pulled up to the shoreline. Fo Fong was sure now that he was soon to learn the great secret to life, "What is the meaning and purpose of life?"
In an instant, the aged but spry old sage was in the boat and pushing off from shore. Fo Fong jumped in behind. Within minutes, the pair had paddled out into the middle of the lake. Ling then turned to Fo Fong and pointed to a flock of wild swans making their way down the pond. "Tell me, my son," he asked, "Can you determined the color of the leader's eye from here," he asked?
"No, Master," Fo returned. They are much too far away. I cannot determine the color of the leader's eye from here."
Old Ling responded, "Are not your young eyes as good as your masters," he snorted. "The color of the leader's eye is black," he said. Fo sat silent.
Again Fo Fong was perplexed but delighted. For surely this was to be the most special lesson in all of life.
Finally, Ling said, "We need to get to shore. It will be dark and dangerous to be on the water after dark," he said. "Paddle to shore, Fo Fong, he commanded."
"But Master, please," begged Fo Fong. You have not said what is the meaning and purpose of life yet. Must I go from the lake without knowing the answer?
WHAM! Before Fo Fong realized what had happened, old Ling picked up a paddle and struck Fo Fong in the head, knocking him out of the boat and overboard into the dark waters. Fo Fong screamed! "Master, help me," he yelled. As he reached for Ling's hand, each time it seemed as if as he grabbed, something, a stick seemed to push him further under water. . . On going beneath the water for the third and last time,
Fo's final memory was seeing the old man in the boat above him with his own face remaining a distance of half a meter beneath the surface of the water.
-------------------------
Fo Fong awoke sometime later, lying face-down on the beach. He turned his head and spit sand and lake-water from his mouth. He coughed. Time had passed. He knew not how long.
As he lay there wet, exhausted, with his head facing to one side, he could see his teacher, old Ling, stooped down over a fire, as if he were preparing a meal. Fo Fong lay there on the sand, trying to reconstruct in his mind what had taken place here -- how long he had now been lying upon the shoreline? He wanted to close his eyes again but was afraid.
Finally, Ling called over to Fo Fong. "My son. Are you alive," he asked?
As water continued to come up from his lungs, Fo Fong thought of responding. Finally Fo Fong raised himself on his elbows and looked directly at the old sage. As he managed to compose himself, Fo Fong addressed his teacher. "Master Ling," Fo Fong asked, "Sir, do you know what is the meaning and purpose of life?"
To which Ling smiled,"Why was that not your first question, Fo Fong?" Why did you assume that someone else knew more than you yourself?" "No, my son. But I would have thought that you would have known by now -- having nearly lost it twice. Tell me, my son, Ling asked, "What was it like being dead and now alive?"
Fo Fong thought for a moment and answered, "I cannot answer my dear teacher. But I can tell of a fish I saw whose eyes were black."
-----------------------
Dear reader, if you are still reading and need more explanation than the story above gives, I will tell you that the answer that Fo Fong sought, lies within all of us. We know the answer but yet, we don't know it. It resides in the breath of life, in all of nature. Having the answer given to you by someone else makes the truth of no value at all.
Good truth. Good luck. Good life to you, my friend. All geese eyes are black. All fish's eyes are black. At some time or the other, until we figure it all out TO OUR OWN SATISFACTION, we're all in the same boat.
I invite you to Rate this Story. Tell me what you think?
Ling was the oldest and wisest of all the Chinese prophets. His major occupation seemed to be footing his way across the countryside and uttering very astute and quotable sayings. One of Lings followers was a young man by the name of Fo Fong. Fo Fong was a devoted disciple. Fo would often follow the Master and ask questions, to which the wise philosopher, Ling, would respond in story and allegory. This was the way Ling taught and often the way that students such as Fo Fong learned.
One day as the pair was passing along the perimeter of a particularly long field, grown high with reeds and rice plants, Fo Fong happened upon the most difficult and perplexing question of all mankind, "What is the meaning and purpose of life," Fo Fong asked Master Ling?
Without responding, the old man kept walking across the field.
"Master," Fo Fong asked again. "Did you not hear my question," he asked, "What is the meaning and purpose of life?"
Again, no reply.
Fo Fong continued to try to keep up with Master Ling.
Finally, they came to a clearing, a tree break, on the other side of the field. Fo Fong was out of breath. Yet, he was delighted too. He was proud of his question on life. He determined that - even in the silence of his master's voice - that he was about to learn the most important answer to all of life's riddles, why? What is life all about?
The two paused by the tree-break. "Come," the old man said. "Daylight is dimming. I have much to show you." And again the two picked up their meager belongings and headed into the forest. The forest was dark and forboding but Fo Fong trusted his teacher and followed along after him, never asking the question again.
Finally, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, the pair passed through the woods and came to edge of a lake, where a small boat had been pulled up to the shoreline. Fo Fong was sure now that he was soon to learn the great secret to life, "What is the meaning and purpose of life?"
In an instant, the aged but spry old sage was in the boat and pushing off from shore. Fo Fong jumped in behind. Within minutes, the pair had paddled out into the middle of the lake. Ling then turned to Fo Fong and pointed to a flock of wild swans making their way down the pond. "Tell me, my son," he asked, "Can you determined the color of the leader's eye from here," he asked?
"No, Master," Fo returned. They are much too far away. I cannot determine the color of the leader's eye from here."
Old Ling responded, "Are not your young eyes as good as your masters," he snorted. "The color of the leader's eye is black," he said. Fo sat silent.
Again Fo Fong was perplexed but delighted. For surely this was to be the most special lesson in all of life.
Finally, Ling said, "We need to get to shore. It will be dark and dangerous to be on the water after dark," he said. "Paddle to shore, Fo Fong, he commanded."
"But Master, please," begged Fo Fong. You have not said what is the meaning and purpose of life yet. Must I go from the lake without knowing the answer?
WHAM! Before Fo Fong realized what had happened, old Ling picked up a paddle and struck Fo Fong in the head, knocking him out of the boat and overboard into the dark waters. Fo Fong screamed! "Master, help me," he yelled. As he reached for Ling's hand, each time it seemed as if as he grabbed, something, a stick seemed to push him further under water. . . On going beneath the water for the third and last time,
Fo's final memory was seeing the old man in the boat above him with his own face remaining a distance of half a meter beneath the surface of the water.
-------------------------
Fo Fong awoke sometime later, lying face-down on the beach. He turned his head and spit sand and lake-water from his mouth. He coughed. Time had passed. He knew not how long.
As he lay there wet, exhausted, with his head facing to one side, he could see his teacher, old Ling, stooped down over a fire, as if he were preparing a meal. Fo Fong lay there on the sand, trying to reconstruct in his mind what had taken place here -- how long he had now been lying upon the shoreline? He wanted to close his eyes again but was afraid.
Finally, Ling called over to Fo Fong. "My son. Are you alive," he asked?
As water continued to come up from his lungs, Fo Fong thought of responding. Finally Fo Fong raised himself on his elbows and looked directly at the old sage. As he managed to compose himself, Fo Fong addressed his teacher. "Master Ling," Fo Fong asked, "Sir, do you know what is the meaning and purpose of life?"
To which Ling smiled,"Why was that not your first question, Fo Fong?" Why did you assume that someone else knew more than you yourself?" "No, my son. But I would have thought that you would have known by now -- having nearly lost it twice. Tell me, my son, Ling asked, "What was it like being dead and now alive?"
Fo Fong thought for a moment and answered, "I cannot answer my dear teacher. But I can tell of a fish I saw whose eyes were black."
-----------------------
Dear reader, if you are still reading and need more explanation than the story above gives, I will tell you that the answer that Fo Fong sought, lies within all of us. We know the answer but yet, we don't know it. It resides in the breath of life, in all of nature. Having the answer given to you by someone else makes the truth of no value at all.
Good truth. Good luck. Good life to you, my friend. All geese eyes are black. All fish's eyes are black. At some time or the other, until we figure it all out TO OUR OWN SATISFACTION, we're all in the same boat.
I invite you to Rate this Story. Tell me what you think?
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