China DOS Union

This is not a mythical story, but one meant to make you understand a truth.

Long ago, there was a Yuanyin Temple. Every day many people came there to burn incense and worship Buddha, and the incense offerings were very prosperous. On the beam in front of the temple, a spider had spun a web. Because it was daily surrounded by incense and devout worship, the spider gradually acquired a Buddha nature. After more than a thousand years of cultivation, the spider’s Buddha nature had increased quite a lot.

　　Suddenly one day, the Buddha came to Yuanyin Temple. Seeing how flourishing the incense offerings were there, he was very pleased. As he was leaving the temple, he casually raised his head and saw the spider on the beam. The Buddha stopped and asked the spider, “It is fate that you and I have met. Let me ask you a question and see what real understanding you have gained in these thousand years of cultivation. Well?” The spider was very happy to meet the Buddha and quickly agreed. The Buddha asked, “What is the most precious thing in the world?” The spider thought for a moment and replied, “The most precious things in the world are ‘what cannot be obtained’ and ‘what has already been lost’.” The Buddha nodded and left.

　　And so another thousand years passed. The spider still cultivated itself on the beam of Yuanyin Temple, and its Buddha nature increased greatly. One day, the Buddha again came before the temple and said to the spider, “Have you been well? About the question from a thousand years ago, do you now have a deeper understanding?” The spider said, “I think the most precious things in the world are ‘what cannot be obtained’ and ‘what has already been lost’.” The Buddha said, “Think it over carefully again. I will come back to see you.”

　　Another thousand years passed. One day, a strong wind blew, and it carried a drop of sweet dew onto the spider’s web. The spider gazed at the dew, saw that it was crystal clear and beautiful, and immediately grew fond of it. Every day the spider looked at the dew and felt very happy. It felt these were the happiest days in the past three thousand years. Suddenly, another gust of wind blew and carried the sweet dew away. At once the spider felt as if it had lost something, and became very lonely and sad. Just then the Buddha came again and asked the spider, “Spider, in this past thousand years, have you thought carefully about this question: what is the most precious thing in the world?” The spider thought of the sweet dew and said to the Buddha, “The most precious things in the world are ‘what cannot be obtained’ and ‘what has already been lost’.” The Buddha said, “Very well. Since this is your understanding, I will let you go live one life in the human world.”

　　And so the spider was reincarnated into an official’s family and became a rich young lady. Her parents gave her the name Zhuer. In the blink of an eye, Zhuer had reached the age of sixteen. She had grown into a graceful young maiden, very beautiful and charming.

　　On this day, the newly appointed top scholar, Ganlu, had passed the imperial examination, and the emperor decided to hold a celebration banquet for him in the rear garden. Many young ladies came, including Zhuer, as well as the emperor’s little princess, Princess Changfeng. During the banquet, the top scholar displayed his talent in poetry and songs, showing off his gifts to the fullest. Not one of the girls present was unmoved by him. But Zhuer felt neither nervous nor jealous at all, because she knew this was the marriage destiny the Buddha had bestowed upon her.

　　Some days later, by a curious coincidence, Zhuer accompanied her mother to burn incense and worship Buddha, and Ganlu also happened to come with his mother. After offering incense and paying respects to Buddha, the two elders went off to talk together. Zhuer and Ganlu then came to the corridor and chatted. Zhuer was very happy, for at last she could be together with the person she liked. But Ganlu showed no sign of affection toward her. Zhuer said to Ganlu, “Do you really not remember what happened sixteen years ago on the spider web in Yuanyin Temple?” Ganlu was very surprised and said, “Miss Zhuer, you are beautiful and very likable, but isn’t your imagination a bit too rich?” With that, he left with his mother.

　　After Zhuer returned home, she thought to herself: since the Buddha arranged this destined match, why did he not let Ganlu remember that event? Why does Ganlu not feel anything for me at all?

　　A few days later, the emperor issued a decree ordering the new top scholar Ganlu to marry Princess Changfeng, and Zhuer to marry the crown prince Zhicao. This news struck Zhuer like a bolt from the blue. No matter how she thought about it, she could not understand why the Buddha had treated her this way. For days she neither ate nor drank, exhausting herself in desperate thought, until her soul was about to leave her body and her life was hanging by a thread. When Crown Prince Zhicao learned of this, he hurried over, threw himself beside her bed, and said to the dying Zhuer, “That day in the rear garden, among all those young ladies, it was love at first sight for me. I bitterly begged my imperial father before he agreed. If you die, then I will not go on living either.” Saying this, he picked up a treasured sword and prepared to cut his own throat.

　　At that very moment, the Buddha came. He said to Zhuer’s soul, which was about to leave her body, “Spider, have you ever thought about who brought the sweet dew (Ganlu) to you? It was the wind (Princess Changfeng) that brought it, and in the end it was also the wind that carried it away. Ganlu belongs to Princess Changfeng; to you, he was only an interlude in your life. But Crown Prince Zhicao was the little blade of grass before the gate of Yuanyin Temple in those years. He looked at you for three thousand years, admired you for three thousand years, yet you never once lowered your head to look at him. Spider, I ask you again: what is the most precious thing in the world?” After hearing these truths, it was as if Zhuer suddenly became fully enlightened. She said to the Buddha, “The most precious thing in the world is not ‘what cannot be obtained’ and ‘what has already been lost,’ but the happiness that one can hold on to right now.” As soon as she finished speaking, the Buddha left. Zhuer’s soul returned to its place, and when she opened her eyes and saw Crown Prince Zhicao just about to cut his own throat, she immediately struck down the sword and embraced the prince deeply…

　　The story is over. Can you understand what Zhuer said at that final moment? “The most precious thing in the world is not ‘what cannot be obtained’ and ‘what has already been lost,’ but the happiness that one can hold on to right now.”

Please enjoy the animated version of this story: http://520gdc.5inet.cn

Sure enough, very profound!

Hehe.... Kuangxiang really has reached the age for falling in love...

I didn’t write this story!

I know, I’ve seen many versions of it!

Which versions have you seen?

Not telling you!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m afraid you forgot, right!

I only know it was written by a woman```