Two Buddhist monks strolled along the Yangtze river one early dawn. They blended in with the quiet surroundings. Their yellow robes swung around as if trying to catch the morning breeze. On several occasions, their gentle footsteps were enough to startle birds and rabbits from their sleep.
Suddenly, the younger monk smiled and said, “Brother Wu, I slept very well last night. I dreamed I was a butterfly, flying to the end of the Yangtze and back.”
The older monk looked at the distant vista of the Yangtze and its seemingly intimacy with the rising sun. He seemed lost in thoughts but reluctantly turned to the younger monk and said, “I am glad that you had such a beautiful dream. But it is possible that you are a real butterfly, which is sleeping and dreaming about being a monk, taking a stroll along the Yangtze.”
Our lives are so short and insignificant in comparison to the vastness of the world around us. Like Master Wu, sometimes we should just enjoy the moment and take it in.
A pleasant old story.
There are also other possibilities.
;-)