A great request of the Buddha was to live in the present moment, so in his teachings we can recognize some of the principles that have led to mindfulness today, but if we look at certain Buddhist parables, such as that of the poisoned arrow, we We find that we have not gone much further than this great thinker was centuries ago.
One of Buddha’s most famous phrases says, “Don’t stop in the past, don’t dream about the future, focus your mind on the present moment. “Therefore, today it seems appropriate to highlight this aspect of Buddhism with the history of the poisoned arrow.
- In a collection of texts formed by Canon Pali.
- Attributed to Buddha and named after Majjhima Nikaya.
- There are different stories.
- Including that of the poisoned arrow.
- Buddha apparently told one of his most impatient students.
- The young man wanted to know the answers.
- To his questions about life after death.
So Buddha told him that there was once a man who had been wounded by a poisoned arrow. The man’s family wanted to find a doctor to help him, but he refused.
The wounded man said that before a doctor treated him, he wanted to know who the man who assaulted him was, where he belonged to and where that person came from, he also wanted to know the height, strength, color of that person. the person’s skin, the type of bow with which he pulled out the arrow and whether the rope had been hemp, silk or bamboo.
Thus, while wondering whether the arrow feathers were vulture, peacock or falcon and whether the bow was common or bent, the man died before he knew the answer to his questions.
“A single word that gives peace is worth a thousand useless words. -Bouddha-
It seems rather absurd that man’s attitude on his deathbed, doesn’t it?
Perhaps unconsciously, but sometimes we focus excessively on problems that are common for fear of dealing with really important problems. However, the crux of the problem remains unknown, as we are seeing issues that are not relevant at this time.
Thus, with this story, Buddha tried to teach his student how intelligence by separating the important from the consumable at any given time can make the difference between overcoming or being overcome by a difficulty.
This does not mean that the walk does not bring any benefit, the problem is when this walk is given constantly and without a specific purpose, that is, when it is necessary to solve a problem, sometimes it is better to go straight to the point, leaving the rest for other occasions, otherwise the problem can get even worse.
In some villages it is said to “eat olive, dough in the trash”. This simple saying means that once one problem is solved, you have to focus on the next one. Another popular saying also comes to mind: “who loves a lot, has nothing”.
We also often allow many issues to flood our minds, however, it may be better to let it sink to prevent our brain from being filled with worry, anger, sadness or frustration.
Let us return to popular wisdom, which is often very sensible and deserves to be heard. “It’s not the richest who has the most, but the one who needs it the least. “Sometimes we think that to be happy you have to however, when you get used to living with the basics and delve into your knowledge, you discover that you don’t need much. A loved one’s love is far more valuable than any unnecessary one. excessive or expensive possession.
Don’t be friends with those who do evil. -Bouddha-
Leonardo da Vinci once said that “simplicity is the ultimate satisfaction. “The parable of Buddha’s poisoned arrow revolves around the same maxim: Two brilliant minds. There’s not much to add, is there?