"The Sword and the Fountain"

Having witnessed a bout of anger in the marketplace between a
merchant and a rogue, a monk student went to his master and
asked, "Master, how can one overcome anger? Do we not simply
perceive it, as the mind perceives all?"

The master gestured to his student to accompany him to the back
of the monastery, where there was an ornate fountain, lush with
water lillies. He sits down on one of the rocks encasing the fountain
and points to the cascading water.

"Consider anger as you would the sword and this fountain." The
master scoops up some water within his palm and passes the dripping
load to his student.

As the student eagerly takes the proffered drops of water, his
mind opened up and he was enlightened.

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*Explanation:
   The student understood anger to be part of the mind and the
   mind's willingness to give in to it. The fountain and its waters
   change shape with the container, as with the season, therefore
    it is temporary to its current state. Water itself depends on not
    only the personal choice, even though it is the most important,
    but also on outside circumstances, such as weather, container
    or even a small ripple. A sword, however, is forged to be
    destined for its purpose and cannot deviate from it, for deviation
    would lead to its unpurposefulness as a weapon.
    It is rigid, swift, unforgiving in exacting its goal.

Torea
~Faithful Follower of Mu~