Weekend Parable-The Powerful Stone Cutter

There was once a stone cutter who was unhappy with himself and with his position in life.

One day, on his way to work, he passed a wealthy merchant’s house. From the open gateway, he could observe many fine possessions and many important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stone cutter, and he was consumed by envy. 

“How I wish I could be like the merchant,” he thought in his mind. 

Snap !! A miracle happened. The stonecutter instantly became the merchant, enjoying all the luxuries and power he desired. But, just as he began enjoying the life of luxury, he noticed a high official passing by in great fanfare, carried on a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers. Everyone had to bow low before the high-ranking Official, no matter how wealthy.

 “How powerful that official is!” the merchant thought. “How I wish that I could be a high official,” he found himself thinking.

Snap !! The miracle repeated, and the merchant became the high Official, being carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and envied by the people all around. It was a hot summery day. As he was being escorted around, the high Official felt very uncomfortable in the sweltering heat wearing an elaborate attire. He looked up at the sun as it shined proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. 

“How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!”

Snap!! Before he could realize it, he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone. 

As he kept shining brightly, vapor from water streams condensed into large dark clouds accompanied by thunder and rain. His brightness could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”

Snap!! He transformed into the cloud and rain, flooding the fields and villages, as everyone ran pell-mell seeking safety. But before he could enjoy his power as the storm, he found himself being pushed and dispersed by a great force. He realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”

Snap !! He became the wind and the gale storm, blowing the tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, and feared by those in his path. But, soon after , he came up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it – it was a large, towering rock. “How powerful that rock is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a rock!”

Then he transformed into the rock, more powerful than anything else he had encountered. But as he was there immobile, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, breaking him into pieces, bit by bit. “What could be more powerful than I, the rock?” he thought.

As he looked down he saw the figure of a stone cutter far below him.