There once was a king who wanted to find the answers to what he considered the three most important questions in life. The three questions are: when is the right time for every action, who are the most important people, and what is the most important thing to do? The king asked his men, promising he would richly reward anyone who could answer the questions, but their answers didn't satisfy him. In the end, he decided to visit a wise hermit (隐士) who lived in the woods. The hermit would speak only with common people, so the king put on simple clothes.
When he got close to the hermit's hut (茅舍) , he ordered his bodyguards to wait behind. He went to the place and found the hermit digging. He asked the wise man his three questions, but the hermit didn't answer. Seeing how old and weak the hermit was, the king began helping him dig. The king dug for hours, but the hermit never answered his questions. Just as the king was about to leave, a wounded man came running to the hut and fainted (昏倒) before them. Then the king carried the wounded man to hermit's hut and took care of him. The king was so tired and fell asleep as well. When he awoke, he talked with the man, who said that he had wanted to kill the king but was wounded by his bodyguards. He asked for forgiveness (原谅) and promised to serve the king faithfully.
Afterwards, the king went outside and repeated his questions to the hermit once more. The hermit replied, "If you had not helped me dig earlier, you would have left and been killed by the man. So, the most important man back then was me, and the most important time was when you were digging. The most important thing to do was to be kind to me. When the wounded man arrived, he was the most important person, and saving him was the most important thing. By doing so, you made peace with an enemy." The king finally had his three answers. The most important time is the present, as it's the only time we have the power to act. The most important person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is always to ___________________.
