Let me tell you the story
about
Two Merchant Friends
In the ancient city of Benares there were two merchants who were very close friends. However, they had very different characters. One was very clever and thoughtful - he always reasoned carefully before making any decisions. The other was stupid - he always belived whatever others told him.
The stupid merchant never thought carefully so that he often made wrong decisions. The two merchants were caravan traders. They had about 500 carts carrying merchandise from Benares to other cities. Whenever they sold all the goods they would return back to Benares for more merchandise.
Once, the two merchants decided to go to the same city, but they did not travel at the same time.
The stupid merchant left earlier. Since there was a vast desert on the way to that city, the merchant ordered his servants to bring along many big jars of water with them.
One day when the caravan reached the desert, they met another caravan coming from the oposite direction. Hair and clothes of all the people in the other caravan were soakily wet; the carts and wheels were all dirty with mud.
"Look, Master," one of the servants said to the stupid merchant, "It looks as if that caravan has travelled past a rain storm."
"Yes, it does. We`d better ask them what happenned."
Thus the stupid merchant stopped his cart and asked the leader of the other caravan.
"We have travelled from the city." - the leader answered, "On the way across the desert we faced a heavy rain storm". The land was flooded. See, all of us are all wet and cold." His voice also trembeled as if he was very cold.
"The rain. That`s wonderful. It means that there will be plenty of water in the oacis ahead," the merchant exclaimed with delight. "Throw the water from the jars," he ordered his servants. "We don`t need to carry the water anymore."
"Thats a good idea, Master," the servant agreed. "The carts will be lighter without heavy water, so we will travel faster."
The caravan travveled throug the searing heat of the parched desert all day, but there was no sign of the oasis. There was only dry, coarse sand everywhere around. The caravan men were thirsty, but they could not fin a drop of water to drink. All the ater they brought from Benares was thrown away. In the evening, exhausted and thirsty, everyone in the caravan fell down and lay unconsciously on the sand.
Actualle, the caravan they met at the beginning of the desert was the caravan of monsters. They dressed as merchants to deceive the stupid merhant and his men to throw away the water. That night, the monsters came captured, and ate the tired merchant and his men. Their bones were left by the side of the loaded carts as the monsters went in serach of new victims.
A few days later, the clever merchant and his men left Benares to the same city, using the same route as his friend did. When they reached the desert, they also met the monster`s caravan. The monsters used the same trick to deceive the merchant and his men. They pretended that there were all soaked with rain water. But the clever merchant did not belive other people easily without careful contemplation.
"Master, we should throw the water away. We will have plenty of water at the oasis ahead. We don`t need to carry the heavy water which slows down our journey," his men urged him.
"Wait a minute." the master answered, looking up at the bright and clear sky. "The sky doesn`t show any sign that there was a big storm ahead. If there was a rainy storm over there, we should be able to feel the cool breeze here."
"But Master, look at those merchants who are soaky with water. How could there be no rain?"
"According to an old saying, we shouldn`t expect a well when we don`t see one. So I think we should carry all the water through this desert. As soon as we see there is an oasis, we can trow the water away," the clever merchant decided.
The caravan travveled across the parched desert, finding only the searing heat and hot sand but no drop of water. Luckily, the merchant and his men had the water to quench their thirst. Soon they found the loaded deserted carts with bones scattered around. The clever merchant could guess what had happened to his friend`s caravan.
"We were almost deceived by the monsters. The people in that caravan must be monsters who wanted to trick us to throw the water away. Fortunately that we didn`t belive them."
The merchant and his men gathered the merchandise from the deserted carts, put them in their carts, and rushed across the desert. They managed to escape from the monsters, reach the city of their destination, sell all the goods, and return to Benares safe and sound.
Look at the moon.
Look at the mind.
