The man climbed a mountain. He sat on there and thought. He thought what a complicated world it was. He wanted to understand the world in simple terms. He thought about numbers, how they could stand for ideas. Perhaps one number could become a symbol for one idea?
The first number was one. It meant alone, first, best. Do one�s best!
The second number was two. Zero or one. Win or lose. Black or white. Night or day.
After the dark night comes the bright day.
The third number was three. Triangle, stable. Stories have a beginning, middle and end. Time is divided into past, present future.
We are guided by our past, we live in the present and we give purpose to our lives by looking towards the future.
The fourth number was four. There are four directions: north, south, east and west.
When we walk along the road, we must look ahead, to the left and right and behind. Curiosity is necessary to find new experiences.
We have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell. We should use them all.
Taking these simple ideas as examples, he said to many people, �The world is a simple place. Finding a meaning for life is easy.� This was not true but the people listened. Gradually this man�s ideas spread.
Moral
Simple truths may be interesting but are perhaps not always true.
Aesop
BN's own
Zen