SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE WHO ENDURE HARDSHIPS
Master Jun Hong Lu: Once, up in a mountain, there were two identical-looking stones which experienced very different endings after a few years. One of them was carved into a Buddha statue and was regarded with veneration by many; while the other was made into a stone step that no one seemed to take notice of.
With much grievance, one of the stones said, “My friend, we are stones of the same type but, why is there such a great disparity of fate?”
The other stone answered, “Do you still remember this? A few years ago, a sculptor came to the mountain. You were terrified by pain inflicted on you from the carving knife, you couldn’t bear with the suffering. Hence, after a few carvings, you ended up becoming a stepping stone. As for me, I lived through the pain that saw me morph into a statue of a Buddha. Success comes to those who can endure hardships – which explains why today I am held in veneration by others while you, unfortunately, are being stepped on”.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Sydney, Australia, 27 January 2019
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