The Lion and the Sheep
A Zen Story
A herd of sheep lived by the side of a mountain. One day, the herd came across a small copper-coloured lump of fur. A ewe bent down sniffing carefully watching its small chest rise with each breath. She lay down beside it to give it warmth and see if it would wake up. At last the small furry bundle began to stir and the ewe licked its face as it nuzzled closer finding warm milk to drink.
Time went on and the ewe continued to take care of the foundling as part of the herd. She looked different but went along with the herd up the mountain paths, drank out of the streams and nibbled the grasses like all good sheep.
She was a lion, but lived among sheep. She became very good at spotting dangerous animals, so she guarded the herd at night and moved in front of the herd during the day.
One day, on the meadow, a roar rang out and the herd ran together for safety, except the lion. She stopped and turned toward the noise. Around the tree, came another lion. “Come with me” the stranger said. The lion saw her reflection in the drinking water and could see her true self, reflected there and in the eyes of the lion. For the first time in her life, she was not different but part of another family, one that she had yet to discover. She knew what she had to do. Saying goodbye to her adopted family she left the safety of the herd and headed into the mountains with her new friend to honour and discover her true self.
A Zen Story
A herd of sheep lived by the side of a mountain. One day, the herd came across a small copper-coloured lump of fur. A ewe bent down sniffing carefully watching its small chest rise with each breath. She lay down beside it to give it warmth and see if it would wake up. At last the small furry bundle began to stir and the ewe licked its face as it nuzzled closer finding warm milk to drink.
Time went on and the ewe continued to take care of the foundling as part of the herd. She looked different but went along with the herd up the mountain paths, drank out of the streams and nibbled the grasses like all good sheep.
She was a lion, but lived among sheep. She became very good at spotting dangerous animals, so she guarded the herd at night and moved in front of the herd during the day.
One day, on the meadow, a roar rang out and the herd ran together for safety, except the lion. She stopped and turned toward the noise. Around the tree, came another lion. “Come with me” the stranger said. The lion saw her reflection in the drinking water and could see her true self, reflected there and in the eyes of the lion. For the first time in her life, she was not different but part of another family, one that she had yet to discover. She knew what she had to do. Saying goodbye to her adopted family she left the safety of the herd and headed into the mountains with her new friend to honour and discover her true self.
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