(Photo source: Envato)
Dharma Master Cheng Yen shared the following story that was found in a children’s storybook:
Once upon a time, in a small village in Japan, there lived a young hunter who possessed exceptional hunting skills. However, he grew up lacking empathy towards others and was known to always be on a hunting spree with his rifle. Although the villagers admired his supreme hunting skills, none regarded him as their own.
The Monkey’s unconditional love struck a chord with the Hunter
One fine day, the young hunter went on a trail in the mountains. He stopped at a big tree when he heard a rustling sound and saw a monkey relaxing under the sun. Instinctively, he lifted his rifle and fired a shot at the monkey, causing the monkey to nearly fall off the branch. Fortunately, the monkey managed to grab onto the tree branch in time.
The young hunter raised his rifle again and directed it towards the monkey. But he quickly dropped his hands down when he realised that the monkey was holding her baby - a baby monkey.
It appeared as if the mother monkey was trying to lift her baby onto a tree branch above them, yet her baby continued to cling to her tightly and not wanting to let go. The frantic look on her face as she looked at her baby seemed like she was screaming to her baby, “Please escape now! Mommy can no longer hold on.” The baby monkey started squeaking, which appeared like he was telling his mother that he wished to stay with her. The mother monkey started howling in despair and hopelessness out of fear that she might fall off the tree with her baby.
The baby monkey continued to hold onto his mother, his arm tightening around her neck. In the end, the mother monkey could no longer hold on, and she released her hand and fell off the tree with her baby clinging tightly to her. The hunter was struck after witnessing this scene before him, and it was then that he decided that he would quit hunting. The love between the mother monkey and the baby monkey deeply touched the hunter’s heart.
Translated by Calista Chan
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