Simpatična kratka pripoved, ki nas pripelje do zanimivega spoznanja.
Blizu Tokia je živel znamenit, star samuraj, ki se je posvetil poučevanju mladih. Kljub njegovi starosti je krožila legenda, da je bil zmožen premagati katerega koli nasprotnika. Nekega večera se je pojavil vojščak, znan po svojem pomanjkanju vesti. Mladi in nestrpni vojščak nikoli ni izgubil v dvoboju. Svoj sloves samuraja je želel še povečati, zato se je odpravil do Tokia, da bi premagal starega samuraja. Vsi učenci so nasprotovali tej zamisli, toda stari samuraj je sprejel izziv.
Vsi skupaj so se odpravili do mestnega trga in mladi samuraj je začel izzivati starega mojstra. Vrgel je nekaj kamnov v njegovi smeri, jih zalučal v njegov obraz ter nanj in na njegove prednike nameril vse znane žaljivke. Na koncu večera se je izčrpani in ponižani vojščak umaknil.
Mojstrovi učenci so bili razočarani nad tem, da je mojster sprejel toliko žaljivk, in ga vprašali:
»Mojster, kako si lahko sprejel takšno podlost? Zakaj nisi uporabil meča – kljub zavedanju, da bi lahko izgubil v boju – namesto da si pred vsemi izpadel kot strahopetec?«
Mojster jih je vprašal:
»Če bi vam kdo želel dati kakšno darilo in ga vi ne bi sprejeli – komu bi pripadalo darilo?«
»Tistemu, ki ga je želel podariti,« je odgovoril eden od učencev.
»Isto velja tudi za zavist, jezo in žaljivke,« je odgovoril mojster. »Če jih ne sprejmete, še naprej ostajajo pri tistem, ki jih nosi s seboj.«
(Slovenian above | English below)
Near Tokyo lived a famous old samurai who dedicated his teaching to young people. Despite his age, the legend circulated that he was able to overcome any opponent. So, one evening a warrior appeared, known for his lack of conscience. The young and impatient warrior had never lost a duel and he wanted to increase his reputation as a samurai, so he went to Tokyo to beat the old samurai. All students of the old samurai were against this idea, but the old samurai accepted the challenge.
All together they went to the town square and a young samurai began to provoke the old master. First, he threw a few rocks at old samurai, then in his face, and then he started to insult the ancestors of the old samurai. At the end of the evening, the young samurai was exhausted, and as humiliated warrior withdrew.
Students of the master were disappointed that the master received so many insults, and asked him:
»Master, how can you accept such vileness? Why did not you use the sword, despite the awareness that you might lose the fight, and instead you looked like a coward?«
And master asked them: »If someone wanted to give you a gift, and you would not accept it, to whom the gift would belong to?«
»Those who wanted to give,« answered one of the pupils.
»The same goes for envy, anger, and insults,« the master replied. »If you do not accept it, they remain with the person who carries it.«
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Almira Ćatović 