sad, wise, balance, set out, ability, enjoyable, confuse, mile |
Long long ago, a rich man loved his son very much. As he wanted his son to lead a happy life, he decided to send him to see an old man with for his advice on happiness.
When the old man knew his purpose, he handed the boy an empty bowl and said, "Go to the river which is away and fill it with water. I will tell you about it if no water is split(洒)when you come back here." Although the boy was very about this, he had no choice but to carry out this task.
The boy for the river and some time later came back with a bowl of water. The old man asked him "Did you notice the beautiful flowers along the road and the birds singing in the trees?" The boy could say nothing about them because he gave his full attention to the bowl in his hands and well.
The old man smiled and said, "Bring me another bowl of water, but this time enjoy flowers and the singing of birds as well."
When he returned, the boy was to describe everything he had seen to the old man. But when he looked down at his bowl, he found that most water was gone. He forgot all about his bowl while the beautiful things along the road.
"Well, young man, "the old man said. "Enjoy the beauty of the world, but never forget the water in your bowl. This is the secret of happiness."