Story translated from a Thai Dhamma post

Story translated from a Thai Dhamma post

A monk went into the forest to collect some fallen branches to use as firewood. After picking up a moderate amount, he started his journey back to the temple. 

As he was about to reach the temple, he saw a young man catching butterflies. The man saw the monk approaching and called out to him, "Luang Phi, do you want to make a bet?" 

"What kind of bet, devotee?" replied the monk. 

"Luang Phi you can try to guess, whether the butterfly in my hand is dead or alive," shouted the youngster. "If you guess wrongly, the bundle of firewood is mine!" he added.

Luang Phi nodded to show he understood the bet, and said "I bet the butterfly is dead."

The young layperson laughed and opened his hands to the sight of a butterfly flying away gracefully. 

"Guess your bundle of firewood belongs to me now!" cried out the man cheerfully. Luang Phi only smiled and handed the firewood to him and walked back to the temple. 

The young teenager was full of joy and carried the firewood on his shoulder back home. Upon reaching home, his father saw him and asked him where he got so much wood from. 

The young man gleefully told his father about the bet he made with the young monk. After hearing this story, his father smacked him on the head and ordered the teenager to carry the firewood back to the temple. 

Upon reaching the temple, his father apologised to the young monk on behalf of his ignorant son. Luang Phi only smiled and nodded. But his son was indignant and told his father, "What wrong did I do?"

His father replied, "Do you think Luang Phi is stupid? He let you win on purpose. He said that the butterfly was dead so that you would release it alive, and get firewood for free. 

If he had bet that the butterfly was alive, he knew that you would crush the butterfly to death to prove him wrong, and thereby still winning the bet and getting free firewood. 

In order to save the butterfly's life and prevent you from breaking the 1st precept, he bet that the butterfly was dead."

His father continued, "Do you think that Luang Phi didn't know your evil thoughts? He had already won you because of his great loving-kindness. In fact, you were the one who lost right from the beginning." 

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The words "win", "gain", "losing" and "loss" are forces that influence much of our lives. We work hard in order to "gain", studying hard to get into branded schools and then to Big 4, Fortune 500 or top MNC companies, and fight hard for promotion. 

Even monks around the world are not immune from this as well, with some aiming for monastic titles, more devotees, influence or rapid expansions of their temples. 

But sometimes when we thought we have "gained" and "won" in the material game of life, we have actually "lost". What have we lost? We have lost our peace of mind. We have lost to greed, hatred and delusion. 

Cr. Story translated from a Thai Dhamma post

13 May 2023